Bobby

What can I say? This recording of Sonny Rollins live recordings is just awesome !!This is truly a must have for the Sonny Rollins fan,and the jazz fan in general.I mean every track is filled with fire, passion,and energy.This cd is truly a masterpiece, and I look forward to the additional volumes to come.

Sonny Rollins deserves the title of greatest living tenor saxophonist, here he is live and at his best.

It's just magical what this man has done, can do and continues to do even into his 80's. I've listened to Sonny since my youth and have seen him on a number of occasions. He is on fire on these live recordings and lifts the roof on the Tenor Madness cut. This the one he did with Coltrane in the 56. His group is superior and anyone who likes jazz must own this. Sonny plans to release a number of live recordings that span the last 30 years. I am already anticipating the releases. I bow to the genius. Thanks Sonny, I love you man.

Without question, this is one of the best Sonny Rollins recordings in the last 40 years.
Sonny starts on fire with "Best Wishes" and smokes his way through this wonderful cd. What's really intersting is the mix of revolving personnel over the years. It reveals Sonny's taste as a bandleader who likes consistency but spontaneity as well.

Well done Newk !

Skip Norris
Jazz Artistic Director
The Music Hall for the Performing Arts Center
Detroit,Michigan

This is the perfect showcase for the multitalented vocalist. She pays compliments to standards, and makes a few unknown songs all her own.

The first time I saw Kristin Chenoweth in a movie was the TV "Music Man". Just lately I listened to the "Wicked" soundtrack, and after that, I've been listening to Kristin's CDs whenever I can. This one is a jazzy, Broadway-type CD with fun, engaging songs. She's a different type of singer, and while not everyone might enjoy her voice, I really do. If you like Broadway, jazz, drama, romance, or just fun, catchy songs, this is a CD for you.

Once you have seen Kristen Chenoweth in action (check out YouTube) you know not only what an extremely talented musician she is, but also how fabulous she is at acting out and conveying each piece to an audience. She is the WHOLE package! This CD is a great sampling of her extreme talents!

I hope she continues doing seperate albums on the side besides her beoadway albums. She sings in so many different stlyes and her voice is so beautiful in each. She gives such heart to every peice she sings.

A few years back I caught Kristin Chenoweth's socko boffo performance on a Boston Pops special on PBS and was suitably wowed. I had heard nothing but good things about her prior, but since Broadway is not my main musical interest, I admit I hadn't felt compelled to rush to check her out. Then a friend whose main musical interest is in fact, musicals played me a few tracks of the WICKED cast album, on which both Chenoweth and co-star Idina Menzel excelled (and were swell--hmm, maybe I should take up hip hop). All of that made me eager to hear Chenoweth's solo recordings, to experience--as it were--her full palette.

LET YOURSELF GO from 2001 is as good a sampling as you could hope for. A solid mix of peppy, witty showtunes and heartfelt ballads, all sung with what we critics and would-be critics like to call "genuine flair." She's got the stuff, and she knows how to use it.

Of course, all popular music is, at least in part, selling an artist's personality. Chenowith's impressive vocal prowess would not necessarily guarantee stardom if she weren't so charming and, as John Lahr observes in his liner notes, so downright wholesome. Like Bernadette Peters and rock's Cyndi Lauper, she has a somewhat comic, Betty Boopesque speaking voice, but is capable of turning around and blowing an audience away with sheer vocal power.

Employing all that natural charm and wit, Chenoweth can get away with vocalizing stunts that might seem way too show-offy on paper. Her take on "The Girl in 14G" has her alternating operatic trills with very convincing, very Ella-like scatting. In less hands, it might prove WAAAY too cute. But I defy any listener to listen to Chenoweth's triple-tracked vocal pyrotechnics and not be suitably impressed, if not fully enraptured. Ultimately, the song is about the sheer joy of singing, and Kristin Chenoweth's take on it conveys that joy. And if there's a little bit of showboating going on, well, it's done with warmth and humor and, anyway, the girl's ENTITLED.

The album is beautifully orchestrated and very well sequenced. A light hearted number like the above mentioned "14G" is followed by the sensitively rendered Rodgers and Hart number "I'll Tell the Man On the Street," which proves that the young Barbra Streisand did not OWN that song after all.

The inclusion of the Ogden Nash/Kurt Weill classic "Stranger Here Myself" did make me hungry for something even edgier, though. Yes, I could imagine Chenoweth doing BRECHT/Weill as well. In noting her wholesome appeal, John Lahr suggests that she is something of a throwback to an era of lighter, more innocent musical theater. I take the point, but I disagree that she would not be a good candidate for a Sondheim production. Lahr maintains that Chenoweth is not "desiccated" enough for Sondheim. But surely, he of all people would be appreciative of the benefits of casting against type. After all, the above cited Bernadette has been doing it for years. And even Cyndi made a her Broadway debut a year or so ago doing Brecht/Weill. I could well see the already versatile Ms Chenoweth getting a little, how you say, edgier?

I just love him... I love his music..
Just a fact that CD case was all broken, it's all good as long as I can hear his music.

My nephew mentioned his desire to hear some classical music (Yo-Yo Ma, especially) on the boring trips back & forth from college. He really seemed to enjoy receiving the CD for Christmas!

The ratings on this 2 CD set are inflated. The first CD is enjoyable, but no more than an assembly of tracks from other Yo-Yo Ma albums. The second disc is uninteresting. I think there are much more enjoyable Yo-Yo Ma albums to invest in than this one.

This is one of the best CD's for Cello that I have heard.
Yo-Yo Ma is such an artist.

Love It!

Great for studying, however if listening in your car the sound can be a bit repetitive.

This CD has two excellent songs, Mack the Knife and Over the Sea. The remaining songs, you need to be a real Bobby Darin fan to love.
I wish the two great songs were first as opposed to in the middle.
But, for the price, it's a good listen.

if your are a bobby darin fan, particularily of his radio hits, this is it. i have bought other bobby darin cd's trying to get his hits, but they are all on here.......Waldon Robert Cassatto/Bobby Darin, in a class by himself and greatly missed

The Hit Singles Collection is a series of CDs honoring certain artists; and Bobby Darin sure deserves to be one of them! The sound quality is very good and the artwork is very nicely done.

The CD starts with a very early hit for Bobby entitled "Splish Splash;" Bobby never sounded better and he delivers this fun tune with a lot of energy. His excellent diction bolsters his performance; and the brass and percussion enhance the melody. "Queen Of The Hop" is a bouncy little number that features Bobby doing another early rock and roll number that rocks well for its time. Bobby never misses a beat and I predict that you'll like "Queen Of The Hop" very much!

"Dream Lover" showcases Bobby's vocals with some great backup vocalists; and listen for his famous "Mack The Knife." "Mack The Knife" is probably my favorite Bobby Darin tune. "Mack The Knife" features Bobby in perfect form and the musical orchestration has a big band flavor that works well. "Beyond The Sea" is another masterpiece when Bobby sings this; and this also has a lush musical orchestration to accompany Bobby as he sings.

"Clementine" has a great rhythm and the melody is catchy; and "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby" sparkles with great percussion, drums, keyboards and guitar while Bobby does this up right! "You're The Reason I'm Living" is a country ballad from Bobby's later years in show business; but he holds his own very well and "You're The Reason I'm Living" is an excellent number.

"If I Were A Carpenter" is another beautiful love song that features Bobby's work from the later part of his career. Bobby sings this with great sensitivity and this impresses me greatly.

Overall, Bobby Darin DID reinvent himself many times, just as Amazon correctly notes. Much of his broad range is available here on this single CD; and it contains most of his greatest hits at the same time, too. This is a must-have for Bobby's fans; and even a casual fan would do well to consider this album.

I came across two tunes on this cd that I didn't remember from years past and I kept playing the little blurbs provided here. They stuck in my head and I wanted to hear more, hence the purchase of this great cd. The tunes that nabbed me were "Lovin' You" and "Irresistable You" and the complete version of them was NO disappointment. I just don't tire of them.

What a talent Bobby Darin was and he would love knowing he is still wowing his audience and entertaining us today.

With all due deference to the reveiwer who pointed out that many of these recordings are in MONO, I must admit I did not notice. Mono is the way I remember these recordings, and I found the sonics here to be excellent regardless of the number of ears I have. I was more disturbed at the absence of "Lady Came From Baltimore" and the fact that the version of "If I were a Carpenter" doesn't seem to be the Columbia records version I recall so well. (For those, try the "If I Were a Carpenter/Inside Out" "twofer" CD.) So I dock it one star. But, oh man, could this man SING! When younger, I never did like "Mack the Knife" as well as the more rocking songs like "Dream Lover," but just sit back and listen to this man sing this song.

I loved the movie and my basset hound sang along to a few of the tunes in the movie; however she (the basset) did not respond at all to the music from the sound track, and this was a little disappointing, but I liked it a great deal.

Saw the movie, had to get this for my husband's birthday. It is great! Thank you.

i orderded the soundtrack to the movie songcather along with the dvd. the dvd was the right one but the cd was some kinda tribal indian chants with a 'songcatcher' cd sticker on it!
so i cant even review the product because i NEVER GOT IT!

I'm not going to write a lot since that's "what I do" in life, and one can only do so much of it with the fingers one was provided with. What I am going to say is that I love the movie (rent it, buy it, see it), and have no objection to this "inspired by" CD. Here's the important part: Nobody has commented on Gillian Welch & David Rawlings "Wind and Rain." It is staggering, a juxtaposition of beauty and horror like few others. (The old song "Greenwood Sidee" as performed by the ancient band The Kaleidoscope comes to mind.) If you do not know Gillian Welch, start here, start anywhere, but start now. It will be (to borrow the title of one of her CD's) a "soul journey."

This CD is absolutely fantastic. If anyone that enjoys mountain music will
certainly be crazy about it. And if you enjoy the CD, you will diffiently enjoy the DVD of the Songcatcher.

Following the huge success of their grand masterpiece, LES MISERABLES, Alain Boubil & Claude-Michel Schonberg came out with MISS SAIGON. For those looking for the best version of the show on CD, this is the one you want. The show is basically a love story between an American G.I., Chris (Simon Bowman) and a young Vietnamese girl, Kim (Lea Salonga) just before the American departure from Saigon in 1975. The show attempts to address some similar issues from LES MISERABLE, such as the cruelty and injustice of unfair working conditions and timeless love, but these are basically camouflage for an ill-fated love story. My favorite songs from the album and show include:

"Why God Why"
"I Still Believe"
"This Is the Hour"
"Bui-Doi"
"The Fall of Saigon"
"The American Dream"

The performances by the actors are very well done, especially Simon Bowman, Lea Salonga, and Jonathan Pryce (as The Engineer). LES MISERABLE, with a central story about the life-changing power of grace, is a stronger show than MISS SAIGON. However, MISS SAIGON does have its moments and is a grand musical story of tragic love.

I love Miss Saigon, but I bought this CD just because of Lea Salonga. I really love her, but I was a little disappointed in this performance. I watched her in Miss Saigon in 2001 and thought she was amazing. She sung the songs with much more power. I thought she was good in the CD, but not great. She was only 18 when she recorded this CD. I guess it was a mistake thinking she sung as well as she does now. I did love the CD, though, and I'm happy I bought it. The reason I keep listening to it is for the great songs and story. They lyrics really are amazing.

Great service. Product arrived 8 days earlier than promised. Well packaged and postage costs were reasonable. would buy from Amazon again. Cast not as good as the original Taped Set which features some of the original Australian Cast. This one was produced by Festival Records in Australia in 1995, Featuring Joanna Amphil and Peter Cousens, and is the best version I have heard. If anyone has a CD of this version I would love to purchase. Patricia

The 1989 Original London Cast Recording of Miss Saigon is absolutely amazing!!! I have never seen the show, but I have wanted to for a long time - I was actually supposed to see it with my family when I was about 12, but I ended up being sick so they went without me (and unfortunately, it is now no longer on broadway). Listening to this soundtrack, however, I feel like I am there. The music is so powerful and captivating. (And thankfully, the cd insert provides the storyline with the lyrics so I was able to understand what was going on when things were not exactly clear - I listened once through without looking at the cd insert and it was amazing, but then I listened again following along and it was even more amazing.) The storyline is heart-wrenching and powerful (very classic of Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schonberg (at least in my opinion)), and it is brought home with the passion in the voices of the cast. It made me wish I could take a time machine to London in 1989 so I could see this live. I am now still praying that there will be a revival on broadway (and I can only hope that there will be a cast even half as amazing as the original london cast).

When I was a kid, Mom used to put on the soundtrack of Oklahoma!, turn it up loud, and clean house while she sang along. Eventually, my brother replaced her music with West Side Story... and then one day my daughter introduced me to the music of Miss Saigon and Les Miserables. I love both equally, though I can't say I'd ever clean house while listening; the music here is so deeply moving in terms of subject and lyric that I usually end up just sitting, staring, listening. And I've never even seen the actual production....

This CD is an excellent collection of Bobby's hits from over the years. I am truly enjoying every song.

I Bought 4 Greatest Hits CD's at the same time being I knew nothing of this singer. All were good but this CD and
20 Bare Essentials were exceptional. This CD touched the best songs of all his labels including the only one to have Marie Lavaux (His Only #1).

Some recordings sound polished and elegant. Some sound like the artists are having a blast while they're recording. "Hush" is a delightful mix of both.

Most of the songs are pretty quiet save for my three favorites. You've got a lot of traditional and classical music with Master Ma's beautiful playing and McFerrin's incredibly versatile voice.

My favorites:

"Hush" with lyrics by McFerrin
"Hoedown" with vocal riffing by McFerrin
"Flight of the Bumblebee" probably the most fun the pair had

Rebecca Kyle, December 2008

Charm but not much depth, cello and a voice that can imitate instruments that usually imitate voice. Both artists are exquisite musicians, but the overall effect is less than inspiring.

This music has a song that I was obliged to have played as my wedding march. The musical is etherial and loveable. Our favorite!!!

This is truly a great piece of work. Having picked up a MD with McFerrin conducting an orchestra and using his voice as an instrument and being pleased by those works I was anticipating this CD. Had I known about it's release 15 years ago I would have bought it then! The tracks are individual masterpieces. If you don't have the heart to laugh at the musings of McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma then you really should just keep your stone cold heart away from this collection. You really don't know what to expect as you listen because each track takes such a different swing. Track 7: Musette has an opening that had me rolling and after that goes into a beautiful track. Track 9: Allegro Prestissimo is pure art. Track 8: Hoedown! throws Yo-Yo out of his loop but is good fun. Definitely read the liner notes. Oh, not for the stuck up crowd that's for sure. Think outside the box once in a while!!

The idea of this album is certainly interesting, and artfully carried out. Jazz icon, McFerrin, and master cellist, Ma, parter together to bring a diverse selection of pieces on this recording. McFerrin's own virtuosity in the area of composing, is shown in this recording that includes several originals by him.

The nearly seamless marriage of voice and strings is beautifully presented and the recording is certainly presented in an easy sound. Not only does McFerrin show his outstanding versatility as a vocalist, but Ma shows his lovely artistry in playing a wide range of styles.

My favorite pieces in this recording would be as follows:

Flight of the Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov. This piece is charming in it's quick-tempo and change of timbres throughout the performance, primarily within the voice of McFerrin. The composition is widely known, and is likely to infect the listener with joy and smiles.

Rachmaninoff's Vocalise is a great piece preformed in nearly a traditional manner, with McFerrin sticking closely to the originally composed melody line, and showing his skill as a lyric, if not full-voiced singer.

McFerrin's compositions, Grace, and Hoewdown are great pieces, bringing to light the virtuosity of the man's compositional skills. The ability to compose in a way that brings out the color of both instruments (voice and cello), and shows a diversity of sound and styles, is artfully displayed here.

On the less notable side, I was disappointed in Ave Maria, which has the staccato accompaniment performed by the vocals of McFerrin, and the melody by the cello. McFerrin is lacking in pitch accuracy, and while that is to be expected with such detached notes being sung in a widely varying succession of intervals and order, this piece should have been eliminated from the project. Ma is flawless in his execution, however.

I don't know that I would want to listen to a lot more recordings just like this, but being very much interested in crossover recordings and merging of styles, this album is charming and even has some very sophisticated musical moments.

Some of the themes are originally from the TV shows but I specifically bought this CD because other reviewers claimed that it had the original theme from The Love Boat. If that is the theme you're looking for, don't bother getting this CD.

I use these for comedy shows and the memories people get when they hear the old faves before the show, put them in a great mood for comedy.

Wow! This is such a comprehensive list of TV songs. My husband and I have had so much fun listening and singing along while the kids laugh and sometimes roll their eyes!!

Those reviews complaining that the tv themes are too short are correct, but most are the original recordings like heard from the shows themselves. If you are looking for or want the full version of these songs, look elsewhere, or maybe try iTunes. Some might be/maybe outdated, so take what you can get at this point in time. Don't worry, be happy!

We have enjoyed all of these theme songs. The cd has many theme show songs to listen to.

Erbarme Dich for Cello and piano - it was Yo-Yo Ma's recording which inspired me to find a transcription for Cello and piano (Spartan UK). Ma's Bach is the most poetic, instinctive and analytical: I once heard him play all the 6 Suites at once concert from memory & my feet didn't touch the ground for days afterwards.

I don't feel particularly qualified to comment on anyone's musicianship. However, I can tell the difference between an instrument well played and, well, the opposite. Love Ma's playing, and this is a nice representation of his repertoire.

The CD is very good quality, but I was not pleased with the selection of pieces. Moreover, Ma seemed to be a bit lethargic on this CD. His CD on Vivaldi is excellent. I would not say that about this CD. It passes muster, but we expect more from Yo Yo Ma.

I had never listened to Yo-Yo Ma before (that I knew of) and then I was at a dance recital a few months ago. Two little ballerinas danced to "Simple Gifts" with Alison Kraus, and I had to have that song. I really enjoy playing this album when my family is just hanging out reading or playing with the baby in the living room. Each piece is unique and beautiful in its own way. Simple Gifts is still my favorite piece on the album, I only wish it were longer!

I recently got this CD as a birthday gift. I've been wanting this CD for a while. The first track is a wonderful song in all reality the entire CD is a wonderful experience. The prelude by Gershwin is unique sounding with the cello. The jazz quality is still there and has a bit of classical influence intertwined among it. Yo-Yo Ma's recording of Simple Gifts is a good song and when they had the lyrics sung by Alison Krauss it was a wonderful choice. Her vocals matched the cello incredibly well. Track 8 is a wonderful song that I love to hear being played on the cello. For any person who loves classical music or cello music this CD is a good choice to buy. It will be well worth your money.