Rosemary Clooney › Complete 1950-1952 Columbia Master Takes [Import]

Personnel includes: Rosemary Clooney (vocals).

Personnel: Rosemary Clooney (vocals); Frank Sinatra, Guy Mitchell, Marlene Dietrich (vocals); Sal Salvador , Mundell Lowe (guitar); Harry James, Budd Johnson (trumpet); Buddy Weed (piano); Stan Freeman (harpsichord); Jimmy Crawford , Terry Snyder (drums).

Liner Note Author: Antonio Gonz lez Padilla.

Recording information: 08/04/1950-05/26/1952.

The 50-year copyright limit on recordings in Europe resulted in a flood of unlicensed Rosemary Clooney compilations in the early 2000s as her hit recordings of the early '50s entered the public domain; this is another one. Like others, it is dominated by the hits -- "You're Just in Love" (a duet with Guy Mitchell), "Beautiful Brown Eyes," "Come On-a My House," "Mixed Emotions," "If Teardrops Were Pennies," "Be My Life's Companion," "Tenderly," "Half as Much," "Botch-A-Me (Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina)," "Too Old to Cut the Mustard" (with Marlene Dietrich), "Blues in the Night," and "You'll Never Know" (but not "I'm Waiting Just for You," "I Wish I Wuz," or "The Night Before Christmas Song" -- so much for the word "complete" in the title). Also included are a trio of duets with label mate Frank Sinatra, "Peachtree Street," "Love Means Love," and "Cherry Pies Ought to Be You." Of course, much of this stuff is novelty material imposed on Clooney by Columbia Records A&R director Mitch Miller, but she manages to make an impression on the ballads such as "Tenderly," "You'll Never Know," and "It Might as Well Be Spring" (the last two featuring Harry James' distinctive trumpet playing), as well as quality rhythm numbers like "Blues in the Night" and "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening." This isn't really all that she recorded between 1950 and 1952, but arguably her best and most popular tracks of the period are included. ~ William Ruhlmann

Genre:

• Jazz