Volume Annette Hanshaw

The Canadian Sensation label is scheduled to reissue every Annette Hanshaw recording on ten CDs. Vol. 5 was actually released first. Unfortunately, ten of its 25 selections find the wonderful young singer (just 17-18 during this period) performing with Frank Ferera's Hawaiian Trio, a group consisting of steel guitar, conventional guitar, and ukulele. Although Hanshaw sounds fine, she is mostly in a supporting role and there is an awful lot heard from the steel guitar! The other 15 selections (which include "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "That's Just My Way of Forgetting You," "My Blackbiards Are Bluebirds Now," and "You're the Cream in My Coffee") are mostly on a higher level although the four cartoonish Helene Kane imitations (best is the humorous "Is There Anything Wrong in That") will not be to everyone's taste.