Petula could have been a great jazz singer
Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 03/06/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This twofer is made up of two albums. The first (In Hollywood) was recorded in 1959 whith a jazzy big band sound, typical of Hollywood back then. The second (In other words) was recorded in 1962 and is more of a late night jazz album of the type Diana Krall might record.If you are into jazz or the Great American Songbook, you will recognise some classic songs, but there are also plenty of obscure songs too. There is one song - George - which seems out of place. It is, by far, the silliest song Petula has ever recorded as an adult, but it shouldn't put you off what is otherwise a flawless collection.These albums had previously been released as part of the Jumble sale double CD, which (surprisingly) is still available and contains a lot of other music Petula recorded around that time. The other tracks from Jumble sale (which are pop, not jazz) have also been reissued. This twofer is itself still available and I'm surprised to see it listed here as Limited availability.Petula always loved jazz from an early age, so the remarkable thing is that Petula didn't record a lot more of it. This is different from anything else Petula recorded, but is of an extremely high quality and should not be ignored."
Petula Clark was an outstanding Jazz singer
masterbill | Long Island, New York | 12/10/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I enjoy pop music and am not particularly into jazz. However, even many of the younger fans of Petula Clark will enjoy these albums because her vocals and interpretations are outstanding. Petula's extensive vocal and emotional range is evident on this CD. The songs have been digitally re-mastered and the sound quality is very good.My favorite track is the saucy Mademoiselle De Paris. Three other outstanding songs are Mama's Talkin' Soft, Too Darn Hot, and the playful, up-tempo A Doodlin' Song. I prefer the heavier sounding In Hollywood to the In Other Words album because it is closer to the sound of pop music. Her vocals are pure, emotional, and sometimes haunting, and her timing on these selections is impeccable. There is not one poorly done song on this album."
Track Listings (29) - Disc #1