Anita

Anita O'Day - The Complete Anita O’Day Verve/Clef Sessions (1999) {9CD Box Set Mosaic MD9-188 rec 1952-1962}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 3.17 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 1.40 Gb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 105 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1952-62, 1999 Verve / Clef / Mosaic Records | MD9-188
Jazz / Vocal Jazz

Anita O'Day is one of the very best jazz vocalists of all time. Her recordings for Norman Granz represent her best recorded work. Here it all is. The sound quality of these CDs is better than any others of the same recordings. I know because I have them all, in shellac, in vinyl, in CD. In addition, the booklet that comes with the set, like the ones in all Mosaic sets, is first class. Well written, nice photos, accurate information. The one shortfall is that Anita was very much a visual artist, the way she worked, led the band, her timing all that was fascinating to watch and of course other than the photos in the booklet, this is an entirely audio experience. Without question this is the best Anita you will ever hear. It is a shame that it is out of print.

In 1993 the Giants of Jazz label released a collection drawing upon seven different Verve albums by Anita O'Day (1919-2006), a skilled and at times somewhat formidable vocalist who had the kind of chops and temperament usually associated with trumpeters, drummers, and booking agents. Recorded in early December 1955, "Honeysuckle Rose" first appeared on the album This Is Anita; technically speaking, this track falls outside of this collection's stated timeframe of 1956-1962. "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "Don't Be That Way" come from Pick Yourself Up, an LP that took almost all of 1956 to create. "Star Eyes" as well as tracks one through seven were taken from Anita O'Day Sings the Winners, a 1958 release that found her backed by a somewhat slick orchestra under the direction of Russ Garcia. Anita O'Day seems to have spent a lot of time in the recording studios during April 1959; during that month she made a Cole Porter album with Billy May (cuts 13 through 21) and collaborated with Jimmy Giuffre on the Cool Heat album, from which "Hershey Bar" was extracted. During 1962 this stunning woman made an LP with Gene Harris and the Three Sounds (see track eight "Whisper Not") and teamed up with vibraphonist Cal Tjader on the marvelous Time for Two album, the source for her rendition of Dave Frishberg's pleasantly smutty opus, "Peel Me a Grape."