Wonderful collection of early recordings by Kay Starr
Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 04/03/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Uncollected Kay Starr CD has a marvelous assortment of great songs by Kay Starr recorded early on in her career. The sound quality is rather good--considering the age of these recordings; and the artwork is good, too.
"Them There Eyes" starts the CD off right! Kay sounds great and the music that accompanies her is just right--what a great big band arrangement! Kay sounds terrific-she really never sounded better. Kay sings "The There Eyes" with lots of youthful enthusiasm and it all works very well. "Nevertheless" is a charming love ballad that Kay easily aces; her excellent diction enhances her performance greatly. I love the music, too! Listen also for Kay to perform "It's A Good Day" with panache! This song, which I associate more with Peggy lee, gets a faster tempo than I'm used to--but it still works wonders for this tune. Kay sings this to perfection!
"Pretty Baby" is another classic pop vocal that features Kay front and center as the band plays this so well; I predict that you'll enjoy "Pretty Baby" very much. The male backup vocalists do a great job of harmonizing, too. "Stars Fell On Alabama" showcases Kay's full vocal range and this impresses me greatly. Terrific!
"The Best Things In Life Are Free" celebrates the joys of life; and that piano solo is sublime! Kay never sings a superfluous note and I'm loving every minute of this timeless number! "I Only Have Eyes For You" again places Kay squarely front and center--right where she belongs. Kay sings this with all her heart and soul; the faster than usual tempo works well and gives this rendition a truly big band 1940s flavor.
"Leave Me A Memory Or Two" has a great melody; this is a very pretty torch song that Kay handles with style and all her heart and soul. Kay's voice is truly a finely tuned instrument that lets her perform "Leave Me A Memory Or Two" very, very well.
"So Tired" sounds fresh and new when Kay sings this beautiful tune; and the CD also ends very nicely with Kay performing "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm." "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" is a masterpiece when Kay Starr sings it; and again there's a big band arrangement that strikes me with its beauty. Wonderful!
Overall, this surely is a great CD for fans of the great Kay Starr. She could take a song and turn it into a masterpiece with her incredible diction and timing. People who enjoy classic pop vocals and even the "oldies" will love this album as well.
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