Search - Various Artists :: Makin Whoopee: Capitol Sings Broadway

Wonderful Broadway tunes from some of the very best who reco

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 05/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Capitol Sings Broadway: Makin' Whoopee is an excellent CD of some of the best recording artists ever at Capitol Records singing their hearts out on these fine Broadway show tunes. The artwork is wonderful; and the quality of the sound is excellent.



Kate Smith starts the CD off with "Ridin' High;" Kate belts this out and she sure shows she can sing with the best of them! "Ridin' High" is a rousing tune that Kate delivers like the pro she always was! Tony Bennett follows with a charming rendition of "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face;" "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face" comes from My Fair Lady and Tony's interpretation of this fine ballad works very well. The brass is used to great advantage and Tony never sounded better!



Nat King Cole sings `September Song" with panache and I am truly amazed at just how well he could sing. Nat King Cole sings this with great passion and the musical arrangement is lush without drowning out Cole; this is terrific. The piano arrangement is particularly lovely and I really like "September Song." In addition, Peggy Lee gives us a great version of "I'm Just Wild About Harry!" This tune gets a very jazzy rendition and Peggy never sings a superfluous note--it's grand. Peggy's voice is as clear as a bell and her excellent diction bolsters her performance even more. Chet Baker also does a great job on "Someone To Watch Over Me;" Chet's voice was both masculine and yet somehow able to convey a sense of vulnerability at the same time. Chet was very well known for his singing--and just one listen to this track will tell you why!



Susan Barrett sings "Hey There" with a great deal of feeling; and Susan sings this to perfection-and beyond! The strings and the harp work wonders for this ballad and it's truly a highlight of this album. There's also Gordon MacRae doing a fantastic version of "The Birth Of The Blues;" how I always love this song!



Vic Damone's "Till There Was You" shines brighter than silver and gold combined; Vic's voice is in excellent form and he infuses this ballad with a lot of positive energy. Great! The Pied Pipers also do great on "Embraceable You;" this Gershwin tune sounds fresh and new even today because The Pied Pipers were such a timeless group.



"Almost Like Being In Love" gets a snazzy, jazzy rendition by the great Nat King Cole; and the musical interlude is stunning! Eddie Cantor's "Makin' Whoopee" is, of course, another timeless tune that Eddie loved to sing; and the CD ends so well with Sarah Vaughan singing "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye." "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" features Sarah at her best and I love it!



This fine CD is perfect for those of us who enjoy show tunes; and lovers of classic pop vocals will want this album as well.

"