Love is a Many Splendored Thing

Venus Records owner and producer Tetsuo Hara is known for recruiting various American jazz musicians for record dates during his regular trips to New York City, but he is also spending time in Europe, where he recruited the Roma Trio for this excellent album. Unless they gain exposure in the U.S. through appearing on American recordings or performing in New York City, European jazz musicians have a tough time getting recognized in the West. But Hara has long since learned the preferences of the Japanese jazz market, which readily seems to absorb bands he has introduced through his label.

Venus Records owner and producer Tetsuo Hara is known for recruiting various American jazz musicians for record dates during his regular trips to New York City, but he is also spending time in Europe, where he recruited the Roma Trio for this excellent album. Unless they gain exposure in the U.S. through appearing on American recordings or performing in New York City, European jazz musicians have a tough time getting recognized in the West. But Hara has long since learned the preferences of the Japanese jazz market, which readily seems to absorb bands he has introduced through his label.

Show tunes provide a multitude of reference material for the traditional vintage jazz or pop vocalist. Then there are movie themes, more familiar to the general public, especially when they were seen later on a modern invention called television. This collection of 26 tracks features a modicum of jazz, but mainly pop tunes from the Golden Era of the '30s, '40s, and '50s. Big bands are prevalent as the backup groups, sometimes including strings, with little instrumental improvisation and stock charts. Among the most famous of these sentimental journey songs are "Moon River" from Billy May, "Call Me Irresponsible" by Bobby Darin, Dean Martin's slightly sloshed "Baby, It's Cold Outside," and Nat King Cole's "Mona Lisa" and his actually hip "The Continental" (two of three Cole selections heard here). There are also two from Johnny Mandel with the Pied Pipers, "Swinging on a Star" by Freddie Slack, a young Nancy Wilson with "Secret Love," and soupier group vocal pieces from the King Sisters, Bob Hope with the Clark Sisters, the Lettermen, the Four Freshmen, and Ray Anthony with the Belvederes on the apropos "Thanks for the Memory." Overall, this is nothing more than a trip down that lane of reminiscence for those familiar with the old dirt road path to grandma's, now a superhighway.

Crooner star of the 60s and 70s, the singer with a suave voice was notably the performer of the tube Moon River, the presenter of his own TV show that blew up the audience between 1962 and 1971 and the owner of 18 gold and three platinum records ! He will remain as one of the major voices of the easy listening of this period, expert in deliciously kitschy cooing. Without Andy Williams, No Austin Powers…

Released by Reprise just in time for Valentines Day 2009, Seduction: Sinatra Sings of Love is a good collection of 22 highlights with an additional ten cuts on the two-disc "deluxe" edition from Sinatra's Reprise recordings. While there are surely some hits here "Some Enchanted Evening," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "I Get A Kick Out of You," "I've Got You Under My Skin" what's noteworthy about this collection is that it isn't just a recycling of familiar songs, it digs a little deeper into his catalog (even finding a previously unissued "My Funny Valentine") to create a compilation that isn't necessarily for aficionados, but rather Sinatra fans who already know the big tunes and want to dig a little deeper (without buying albums). In this regard, it's a worthy compilation, delivering plenty of good music that is both good and fits the seductive mood of the title.