Search - Sammy Davis Jr, Buddy Rich :: Sounds of 66

Sammy at his very, very best

Daniel Jolley | Shelby, North Carolina USA | 06/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Sounds of '66 is a recording that all Sammy Davis Jr. fans simply must have in their collections. Sammy is in perfect form, backed by world-famous drummer Buddy Rich and his orchestra live in Las Vegas. This was Sammy's natural environment, and he put on what is perhaps the show of his life that night. World-class entertainers from all over the Vegas strip packed themselves into the Sands lounge in the middle of the night, after all of the main shows were over, and reveled in a jam session the likes of which may never be seen again. Sammy bores right into Come Back to Me at fever pitch and never slows down until the show is over. This live version of Come Back to Me is the best I've ever heard. I've lost count of how many versions of What Kind of Fool Am I? are available, as Sammy never seemed to sing this song the same way twice, but this live recording features one of the better ones.



All of that being said, one of the many great things about The Sounds of `66 is the fact that a number of these tracks aren't readily available on other albums, at least not that I know of. I can't remember which female artist made I Know a Place famous, but Sammy truly brings the song to life in a wholly new form. What Did I Have That I Don't Have? is perhaps my favorite song on this CD; it starts a little slowly, but Sammy fills it with enough passion and emotion that it is all but flammable by the time he gets through with it. Once in Love With Amy and If It's the Last Thing I Do are great songs I have not heard elsewhere. I never cared for What the World Needs Now Is Love until I heard Sammy sing it; he wails, producing a much more animated song than Burt Bacharach could even conceive of. One of my all-time favorite songs is What Now My Love?, and Sammy provides a rather unique version of it here. The song starts slowly, sounding almost like uninspired lounge music, but Sammy quickly picks up the tempo and energy, eventually drawing the most vocal audience response of the night. One selection that is admittedly rather strange is Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead from The Wizard of Oz. This ain't your Munchkins' version because Sammy belts this thing out and makes it a truly hip experience. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone (which really showcases the talent of Buddy Rich on drums) closes out the set on the kind of high only Sammy could aspire to.



I actually own the album featuring bonus tracks, and you really should try and find that more complete recording. It's not clear to me if this CD includes Sammy's introduction and closing, but it obviously (if the track listing is accurate) does not include Sammy's incredible performance of Birth of the Blues - that's a Sammy staple, for goodness' sake, and he was on fire when he performed that song on this very special night. Another point I would make is that there are gaps in between most of the tracks, so I'm not sure whether or not the songs are presented in the order Sammy performed them, nor can I keep myself from wondering what other musical magic was made that night that was not released for posterity."

What a swingin' set!

Bob Sacamano | North Carolina | 03/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I absolutely love this performance by the awesome Sammy Davis Jr. backed by a swingin' band headed by Buddy Rich on drums. It's a great set that swings for the entire ~32 minutes. It's not a complete performance, there is not alot of time wasted on applause and chatter. Sammy speaks for 1 minute at the beginning and says a few words at the beginning of the last track and that's it. The rest of the time is great music performed at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas in the wee hours of the morning. I just loved the 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead' rendition. The mastering on this 2004 import cd is great. I think if you love either artist, you will love this swingin' 60's set!"

GREAT STUFF

COMPUTERJAZZMAN | Cliffside Park, New Jersey United States | 07/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THIS CD IS FROM A COUPLE OF LIVE RECORDINGS AT THE SANDS HOTEL BACK IN THE 60'S, RECORDED AT ABOUT FOUR IN THE MORNING. SAMMY IS FANTASTIC AND BUDDY RICH PROVIDES SOME HARD DRIVING RHYTHM WITH HIS BAND. THE ONLY SONG I DIDN'T LIKE IS DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD, I AM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY THEY WOULD DO THIS SONG!"