Search - Sammy Davis Jr, F Sinatra, D Martin :: Sammy Davis Jr Show

Yes, He COULD !!!

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 06/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sammy Davis, Jr. really COULD do it all--sing, act, dance and perform wonderful spot-on impressions of other famous entertainers. He will always remain a titan and a legend in the entertainment industry. He enriched the lives of millions of people the world over while he was alive--and that's no ordinary accomplishment.





This CD contains several tracks from the short lived 1966 Sammy Davis, Jr. show on NBC. Although the show was an uncharacteristic failure for Sammy, the music from the show still proves to be very enjoyable and truly timeless. This CD proves it.





The track set opens with one of Sammy's signature songs entitled "Hey There." Sammy sings this romantically with all his heart; the percussion and horns carry the bulk of the melody. What a beautiful song! The musical interlude for the middle of the song has a distinct big band flavor to it as well. Very good!





You may be surprised to hear the rather strange number that follows, "My Mother The Car." There actually WAS a TV show entitled My Mother The Car with Jerry Van Dyke. Ouch! The show bombed; but in Sammy's hands the tune works well as an adorable novelty piece. Only Sammy could sing about someone's mother being reincarnated as a 1928 Porter. The next number, "We Open In Venice," features Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra singing with Sammy. This great number glows marvelously in their hands as this happy trio sing of an upcoming Italian tour.





"Love At Last You Have Found Me" stuns me with its beauty; this moving ballad sung by Sammy has haunting lyrics and a classic romantic melody. I can't quite find the words to tell you what I feel when I hear "Love At Last You Have Found Me;" this one you should experience for yourself. It's THAT good.





"Sam's Song" reverts to the playful type of tune so similar to "We Open In Venice." Dean Martin accompanies Sammy Davis, Jr. on this number; and they do a great duet by partly singing and partly speaking the lyrics to "Sam's Song." The horns on "Sam's Song" are very good as well. "No One Can Live Forever" sports a musical arrangement that is part country, part mid 1960s love ballad; Sammy reflects on his one true love and his deep desire to spend forever with her. The backup chorus harmonizes very well on "No One Can Live Forever," too. It amazes me that I don't hear this song more frequently as a classic pop vocal; I like this one very much.





The CD ends with another signature song of Sammy's entitled "What Kind Of Fool Am I." Sammy sings this without a superfluous note and the musical arrangement uses the horns, strings and percussion well to carry the melody.





The liner notes have an essay by James Ritz. He tells the story of The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show and he describes Sammy's unique talents as a consummate performer. The art work is not the best but that is a minor disappointment.





Sammy Davis, Jr. kept on entertaining until the end; and he still entertains to this day whenever anyone anywhere in the world enjoys one of his numerous CDs or the DVDs of his work with the rest of The Rat Pack. His movies still sell well, too. We are all better off for Sammy sharing his artistry with us; and I doubt we'll see another like him for quite some while to come.


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