These were three groups recorded for a TV show. The Armstrong is pretty good, but a bit stilted without an audience. His singer was excellent. The Bobby Hackett set was disappointing, as you could hardly hear Bobby. The Eddie Condon set was very good, with Wild Bill Davidson in fine fettle.
This CD is a selection from a 4 LP set commissioned in the mid 1950s by Norman Granz to get Fred to sing his greatest hits with a small group of musicians from the Jazz at the Philharmonic group. We are told that when Fred did a screen test in Hollywood, the verdict was "Can't act, can't dance. Can sing a little", Well yes, he can. He sings these songs so clearly and without apparent effort, with humour or wistfulness, that they bear repeated listening. We even hear him doing what he called "a little hoofing" in there. And leading the backup group is Oscar Peterson, whose work is all about setting off Fred's talent. Oscar was sometimes rapped for playing too many notes and showing off, but… Read more
This book is for those who want spirituality without dogma. Karen Armstrong shows that compassion is at the heart of all great religions and gives practical guidance on how to become compassionate. In a beautifully written text, she gives us the benefit of her extensive studies of comparative religion in a way that is accessible to all and offensive to none. It is practical, useful, hopeful.
