Heavenly harmonies
Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 11/07/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've owned quite a few Ray Conniff LPs/CDs over the years, and this one continues to be my favorite. It has a great collection of standards, a smooth and happy tempo throughout, and the arrangements are totally awesome.An excerpt from the booklet (which is a minimal one page foldover) about Conniff's style: "One of his most distinctive devices is the use of voices as instruments. Female voices, for example, double with trumpets, high saxaphones or clarinets; male voices with trombones, trumpets or saxaphones in low register. This singular combination intensifies soft tones, mellows harsher sounds..."The harmonies ! listen to "I'll be Seeing You"...as the song progresses, the contrasts and combinations are downright magnificent...another knock-out is "Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me", and perhaps the best comes at the end with "I'll See You in My Dreams".The sound is superb, and hard to believe it's 41 years old. Crisp and clear (listen to the sparkling xylophone !), with very good separation.
Though this type of music isn't my normal listening fare, it's excellence makes it a classic, and something that should have no age/genre barriers...and should stay forever "young at heart"."
Ray Conniff's Young at Heart is Heartwarming!
PATRICK J.POWERS | Duncombe,IA | 08/01/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of the early attempts of having the vocal talents of the Ray Conniff singers performing popular numbers and it is one of the best! "Young at Heart","Harbor Lights", "These Foolish Things" are wonderful arrangements. They each sound so crisp on C.D. after it was released 44 years ago. My personal favorite on this C.D. is "It's Dark on Observatory Hill". If you enjoy the voices of the Ray Conniff singers, then I know you will like this C.D!"