Joni James - Little Girl Blue (15 tracks) +Album Reviews

Extraordinary

Jim Andrews | Chicago, Illinois USA | 01/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Little Girl Blue" is regarded as one of the great torch albums of all time. At the age of 24 Joni James somehow gathered eight perfect songs, ranging from well-known standards such as "These Foolish Things" to recent film songs such as "Too Late Now" to long-forgetten gems such as "Autumn Leaves," and with the help of the brilliant arranger David Terry pulled them into a cohesive suite of blue songs that were startling in their heartfelt sorrow and melodic richness when they first appeared and today remain utterly contemporary and convincing. This album adds some rare Joni James singles, including two of her finest recordings, "You Never Fall In Love Again" and "Where Is That Someone For Me." Joni James recorded 60 singles and 40 albums for M-G-M Records over an association spanning two decades. She did not fade from show business but chose to stay at home to care for her ailing husband and their two young children. She is back recording and performing and always sells out, has a gigantic international fan club and looks much the same (weighing exactly what she did when she did this album originally) and sounding even more wonderful. This star never faded; she simply disappeared for the heavens a little while strictly by choice."

This CD includes some of Joni James' finest performances

02/19/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Joni James' performances of "I'm Through With Love," "These Foolish Things," "It's the Talk of the Town," and "In Love in Vain" rank with her finest recordings, or with any other recordings of these songs. With her intimate vocal style, Ms. James is able to convey the feeling that she is in the same room with the listener, a rare quality for a singer. It is true that a few of the arrangements for different songs are similar, but they are in excellent taste and very atmospheric. The only reason that I do not rate this CD five stars is that some of the bonus tracks are not quite up to those on the original album."

Great 50s Vintage Joni

Jim Andrews | 10/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This cd is one of Joni's best. While some other singers may rely on the orchestration to convey the torch song mood, Joni has it all in her voice. It contains an excellent choice of songs from"In Love In Vain" to the Joni hit"Where Is That Someone For Me?".And Joni sings them with her exclusive poignant style that made her so popular in the early 50s.The arrangements by David Terry are a compliment to Ms. James and are truly 50s popular vintage music. These are the same type of orchestrations that were used on many on Joni's hits and it's great to hear them today. A fine cd from the best popular song stylist of the 50s."

The Real Thing

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 05/01/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Joni James' voice had a crystal clear quality with a girl-next-door warmth that came across like a hello from a friendly voice. With modern singers like Alison Moyet, Linda Ronstadt, Maria Muldaur & Cyndi Lauper all looking back to this era, it is also nice to return to the real thing. "Little Girl Blue" was recorded in 1955 and boasts some delightful tracks. "These Foolish Things" is warm & playful, "A cigarette that bears those lipstick traces, an airline ticket to romantic places, and still my heart has wings, these foolish things remind me of you." "Autumn Leaves" has such a gorgeous string arrangement and is a classic dramatic melody that builds gloriously, "I see your lips, those summer kisses, the sunburned hands I used to know." The liner notes relate that while this is an often-covered standard, at the time when Joni chose to record it, it was little known. "When You Wish Upon A Star" is a lovely melody; and Joni's dreamy take almost makes me forget the Disney association of this song. The bonus tracks stylistically depart from the original tracks. "He Cried On My Shoulder" has some pop sounds that remind me of Pat Boone-era pop. "Little Girl Blue" is an excellent set from this classic singer, Giovanna Carmella Babbo as she was born in 1930. If there is any complaint about the package, the songwriters are not included in the booklet. Enjoy!"

Disappointing

Jane Greenwood | NY | 02/01/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I had completely forgotten about this singer until I heard a snippet from her during the movie L. A. CONFIDENTIAL. I ordered this CD and was disappointed at how everything just seems to blend together into the same orchestral schmaltz, with little variation of dynamics or tone color. It was nice to hear again Joni's voice, but she doesn't do much with it. Peggy Lee, Jo Stafford, and June Christy released classic albums during the '50s, but this CD doesn't belong in the classic category. Lovely cover art."

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