Quite some production went into this effort, including three different recording sessions, each with elaborate bands. Singer Barbara McNair is heard backed by strings, an expanded small combo that boasts four loud trombones plus other horns and a rhythm section, and a rip-roaring 15-man horn section that makes "On the Other Side of the Tracks" sound like the tracks are running right through the room. Arranger and conductor Ralph Carmicheal tends toward the obvious and won't stop any clocks with his instrumental game plan. ...
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Quite some production went into this effort, including three different recording sessions, each with elaborate bands. Singer Barbara McNair is heard backed by strings, an expanded small combo that boasts four loud trombones plus other horns and a rhythm section, and a rip-roaring 15-man horn section that makes "On the Other Side of the Tracks" sound like the tracks are running right through the room. Arranger and conductor Ralph Carmicheal tends toward the obvious and won't stop any clocks with his instrumental game plan. But the choice of material is both tasteful and unusual, and McNair always manages to put a surprising element of adventure into her vocal interpretations. "If I Had a Hammer" may seem to be a folk song that is done to death, but it is presented here as if it rolled off the stage at a late-night New Orleans jazz jam session, coming back to life quite nicely in the process. The version of "Irma la Douce" is savory, the strings providing a nice touch of irony. McNair has the voice for difficult numbers such as "Hi-Lili, Hi Lo" and can be genuinely moving on thoughtful pieces such as "My Love Is a Wanderer" and "The Friendliest Thing." ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi
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