Art of the Love Song
Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 08/16/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Forget the sappy cover and patronizing notes on the back of the CD. What counts is what's on the inside, and this sweet collection of 16 of the greatest male singers of love songs excells in terms of the informative booklet, the selection of tunes, and of course the cast of balladeers. No less than 3 of the selections belong in virtually every listener's record collection--Sinatra's "Night and Day," Coltrane/Hartman's "My One and Only Love," and Chet Baker's "My Funny Valentine." But besides these classics there are numerous welcome surprises--the infectious swing of Jack Jones on "You'd Better Love Me," the seductive charm of Billy Eckstein on "That's All," the rich expressive tones of the scandalously forgotten Herb Jeffries on "As Time Goes By," and the uncharacteristically slow and reflective reading Dick Haymes gives to "The Way You Look Tonight." Promoted as a nostalgia record, a "chic disc," a mood-music miscellany, the album is actually a solid representation of the American Songbook and its most definitive male interpreters. (Amazon appears to offer two virtually identical versions of this album with the exception of the price ..."