Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Mildred Bailey with the Ellis Larkins Trio: The Blue Ang...
Mildred Bailey with the Ellis Larkins Trio: The Blue Angel Years 1945-1947
Bailey had a small feathery voice in a big body, which some say made her look matronly preventing her from achieving the popularity she deserved. Nevertheless, few could sing with such a natural and unaffected a manner.. A great admirer (and friend) of Bessie Smith, she was one of the few white singers who understood the blues as sung by the black masters of the genre and this understanding is reflected in the way she developed and honed her craft. She was intense without resorting to being overly emotional. Just listen to "I'll Close My Eyes" which makes the listener feel he or she is privy to an intimate conversation between Bailey and her paramour. Her version of "Can'‘t Help Lovin' That Man of Mine" rivals Billie Holiday's as the archetypical rendition of this classic. Of the tunes she cut with Larkins, "Can't We Be Friends" epitomizes the musical relation they built during the few years they were together. Larkins' work with Bailey forecast a career that made him a highly sought after partner by singers, like Ella Fitzgerald and Sylvia Syms, whose voices were not at all dissimilar from Bailey's.
This album is typical of the high quality Baldwin Street Music builds into its releases. The sound is superior, the liner notes interesting and intelligently written and there's a bonus track with snippets of other releases from the label.
Highly recommended.
Track Listing
That Ain't Right #~&; I Don't Want to Miss Mississippi #~&; I'll Close My Eyes #~&; That Ain't Right #~&; You Started Something; Born to Be Blue #^&; Can't We Be Friends?#^&; Don't Worry About Strangers #^&; Gone on That Guy #^&; You Started Something (alt. tk.)#^&; Don't Worry About Strangers (alt. tk.) #^&; The Love I Long For*; The Man I Love $#; The Gypsy in My Soul $#; I'm Glad There Is You $#; It's Never too Late to Pray $#; These Foolish Things $#; I've Got the World on a String $#; Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine $#; Summertime $#; More Than You Know@ Honeysuckle Rose@; Baldwin Street Music Preview
Personnel
Mildred Bailey
vocalsMildred Bailey - Vocals; Vernon Duke*, Ellis Larkins#, Cliff Jackson@ - Piano; Paul Barron* - Conductor; Red Norvo$ - Vibes; Dick Vance$, Max Kaminsky@ - Trumpet; Henderson Chambers$, Miff Mole@ - Trombone$; Hank D'Amico$, Pee Wee Russell@ - Clarinet; Emmett Carls$ - Tenor Sax; Chuck Wayne$, Eugene Fields& - Guitar; Billy Taylor$, Beverly Peer~, Eddie Safranski^, Pops Foster@ - Bass; J. C Heard , George Wettling@ - Drums$
Album information
Title: The Blue Angel Years 1945-1947 | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Baldwin Street Music
< Previous
2000 Rewind
Next >
Nocturnal