Search - Martha Raye :: Martha Raye Swings

Martha Raye sold songs without even trying-she was THAT good

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 05/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Martha Raye Swings is a very good CD of Martha's earlier hits many of which have never before been out on CD. The sound quality is really rather good considering the age of these recordings; and the artwork is very nicely done. This is a great CD for Martha Raye fans!



"My Little Cousin" starts the CD off with Martha Raye giving her all to this tune; and the big band/swing style arrangement makes this a very good tune to kick off the CD! "Three Little Sisters" is another good number; Martha's voice is as clear as a bell and her excellent diction makes her performance even better! Martha delivers "Three Little Sisters" with lots of positive energy and that's excellent. Listen for "Ol' Man River;" Martha Raye's rendition plays with the tempo quite a bit but this classic tune still holds its own very well.



"(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It" features Martha front and center--and that's quite all right by me! This jazzy tune gets a fine interpretation by Martha and when the jazzy part begins this number takes off like a jet! Martha does an excellent job on "(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It;" she really opens up and belts this out like a pro! "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good" is another highlight of this album; and when Martha Raye sings this you can tell she really was a fine songbird. The music that accompanies Martha fits in perfectly with her vocals. "I Cover The Waterfront" is another very special ballad; Martha Raye sings this with panache and I'm amazed at her natural talent.



"Sweet Lorraine" has a fine arrangement and Martha Raye delivers this with great sensitivity; I have associated this tune with Nat King Cole and his trio but Martha's interpretation is also quite good. "The Boy Next Door" comes from the MGM musical entitled Meet Me In St. Louis; and when Martha sings "The Boy Next Door" she infuses it with a lot of heartfelt emotion--Judy Garland would have been proud!



"After You've Gone" is an old, timeless classic that Martha performs flawlessly; her treatment of "After You've Gone" includes a slower tempo but it works very well. Similarly, "Miss Otis Regrets" gets a different style of treatment--Martha's version has a musical arrangement that's practically upbeat--this is something I never heard before but it sounds pretty good after all.



"Blues In The Night" has Martha singing her very best and the backup chorus harmonizes flawlessly to support Martha's performance; and the CD ends very strong with Martha Raye performing "That Old Black Magic." "That Old Black Magic" is another timeless love song that never ceases to amaze me. Martha certainly gives this the royal treatment with a delivery son strong and yet so sensitive that it really leaves a lasting impression on my mind.



Overall, Martha Raye fans will be thrilled that so many of these fine tunes have made it to CD. People who like classic pop vocals will also want this album.

"

Martha Raye Swings

Joseph Mittleman | Merrick, NY | 05/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'd forgoten had good a voice Martha Raye had. I'm glad they released this CD. It was excellent."