TV Radio Mirror (Jan - Jun 1962)

ON THE RECORD Voc#f Monthly ON RECORD Guide 12 POPULAR ••••Point of No Return, Frank Sinatra, Arr. and Cond. by Alex Stordahl (Capitol) — Before I write one line of this review, let me say that if Sinatra ever suffers by comparison, it's only with Sinatra. That said, now about the album. The essence of the album is the glance back over the shoulder into the past moments of love and the bittersweet truth inherent in the album title, "Point of No Return." Sinatra, the most capable conjurer of imagery, is magnificently melancholy on most of the tracks. He eases through the tough things. "When the "World Was Young," the beautiful Johnny Mercer tune, gets one heck-of-a-treatment. It's incredibly read! But on "These Foolish Things" we find The Voice singing and reading at a very low level. (I hasten to add, for Sinatra!) He sort of "La-DeDa's" it. "I'll Be Seeing You" is pretty much unrealized until the last singing entrance after the orchestra plays, where Sinatra saves the whole tune with a blast of warmth. The arrangements, though not disconcerting, are not very stimulating to this reviewer. (Herein may possibly sit the reason for some strange Sinatra moments). I could take ten pages to write about how good the rest of the album is. But I'm sure you, the readers, need no adjectives from me about The Voice. Included are "September Song" (with the verse), "I'll See You Agpin," "Memories of You," "Somewhere Along the Way," "It's a Blue World," "I'll Remember April" and "There Will Never Be Another You." I leave the rest to your imagination. When, and if, you purchase this album, you'll graciously be touched by another teardrop off the cheek of the Master. Highly recommended. •••Pearl Bailey+Louis Bellson =Happy Sounds (Roulette)— Don't ever let anybody tell you Pearl Bailey isn't one of the great singers, because she is! She's a complete talent. No edges, nothing missing, nothing needed. Relaxed to the point of absurdity. Her voice, as an instrument, is a marvel. Her time conception is on a par with ■ . '■ ■■.■.'■■'■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ POIN OP NO ,Rgfe FRANK SINATRA j Doris m \fwm j{ assm rami] any "jazz" singer. Only Pear lie Mae doesn't make a career out of it. The readings here are the most professional. She tells the story. You'll find out about "The Feeling'' in "That Certain Feeling," the humor in "Just You, Just Me," the serious Pearl, talking of love in the lovely "I'm Glad There Is You." Louis' sides are nice, but hardly earth-shattering. (They are certainly arranged nicely.) Four stars for Pearl and Louis, three stars for the album. ••Duet, Doris Day and Andre Previn Trio (Columbia) — Very few singers could sustain an album like this. Unfortunately, Miss Day is not one of them. Previn's backing is competent, but conservative. The readings by Miss Day miss the bullseye by a quarter of a mile. The over-deliberate phrasing, the constant production of round tones (even where the lyric calls for throwaway s) keeps the action on one level. The mood seems broken, happily for this reviewer, in the pulsing Previn tune, "Control Yourself." The tunes are all first-rate: "Nobody's Heart," "My One and Only Love" (which incidentally has Previn's piano swinging to advantage in his solo), "Wait Till You See Him," the Rodgers and Hart gem, and some other goodies. The Trio was not utilized much, which seems strange. A singer like Miss Day, who is not pointedly rhythmical, needs punctuation to relieve the floating-like feeling of her readings and phrasing. Well, if you're a Doris Day fan, this may be a departure from her usually large-orchestra type recordings, and on that value may mean something to you. I wish it were a 4-star album, as both Miss Day and Previn are favorites of this reviewer, but it isn't. •••The Best of Basie (Roulette) — A thoroughly enjoyable visit to Basie's wine cellar *o find the vintage tunes and reconstruct the thread of biography of Red Bank, New Jersey's contribution to the big band jazz history. It's all Basie's show in the composition department. The tunes bridge the period of 1938-44. These are not the original recordings, but they stand up to a comparison wonderfully well. The sound of modern records and the technique of making them is the plus of this album. Old Basic buffs will, of course, shout about the missing giants. There is no Lester Young on "Blue and Sentimental" or "Every Tub." No Buck Clayton or Harry Edison, no Jo Jones. >ur