A Night in Hollywood
Various Artists
Marlene Dietrich, Desi Arnez, Dinah Washington, Fred Astaire, Ethel Merman, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday
Lifestyles, 2001
2 CD
Catalogue #: 215006
EAN: 0723723938220
UPC: 723723938220
You save: 20%
Personnel includes: Marlene Dietrich, Desi Arnez, Dinah Washington, Fred Astaire, Ethel Merman, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong.
Tracklist
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich's worldly, half-spoken vocal style made her the ultimate femme fatale vocalist for nearly half a century. Her first major film role was in DER BLAUE ENGEL(THE BLUE ANGEL), in which she introduced what was to become her signature song, "Falling In Love Again." The international success of that film led to a long career in Hollywood. Dietrich didn't entirely neglect her music career however, and, in 1950, recorded the all-German LILI MARLENE LP for Columbia Records. During the '50s, Dietrich also began a new career as one of the world's most highly paid cabaret artists, eventually employing the young Burt Bacharach as her musical director. She came out of retirement in 1979 for her final film role with David Bowie in JUST A GIGOLO.
Dinah Washington
Despite a relatively short career--she died in 1963 at the age of 39--Dinah Washington laid claim to being one of the major jazz voices, and one of the most versatile of all jazz singers. Her voice was rich; she filled everything she sang with heartfelt emotion, and she could make even material of less than stellar quality sound deeply moving. More importantly, she was equally at home (and had hits) with blues, popular songs of the day, and standards; toward the end she also became a major voice of the burgeoning soul movement.
Fred Astaire
From the 1920s, when he was half of a popular vaudeville trio with his sister, Adele, until his 1987 death, Fred Astaire was one of the most beloved stars in the world. A gifted comic actor whose light, mellifluous voice would have made him a star even without his incomparable dancing ability, Astaire was a star of Broadway and Hollywood for decades (often with his iconic dancing partner Ginger Rogers), introducing such standards as "Cheek To Cheek" and "Puttin' On The Ritz" to the Great American Songbook.
Ethel Merman
Famous for belting it out on the Broadway stage, Ethel Merman possessed an unmistakable boisterous, brassy voice, one that resonated throughout the Great White Way during the 1930s, `40s, and `50s. The Queens, New York, native made her mark performing in a number of musicals (including ANYTHING GOES and ANNIE GET YOUR GUN), but her signature style is best embodied by her spirited version of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" from GYPSY. Although her unique vocal delivery invited plenty of parody, Merman is still revered by many as a true Broadway icon.
Judy Garland
It was Judy Garland, not Bing Crosby, who inherited Al Jolson's mantle as America's premier 20th-century entertainer. Possessing both the voice and pure show-biz sensibility for the requisite broad gesture, her own emotional vulnerabilities also gave a special depth to every single performance.
Bing Crosby
It can be safely said that Bing Crosby taught America how to sing. Before his arrival in the 1930s, the airwaves were filled with off-pitch, rakish crooners and semi-operatic belters. It was Crosby who brought nuance to popular singing, popularizing the crooning style that influenced everyone from Frank Sinatra to Nat "King" Cole. He was even on hand for the early years of jazz, singing with jazz vocal group the Rhythm Boys in the 1920s. For decades, Crosby was a multi-media giant, hosting his own radio show, appearing on TV, and turning in highly regarded performances in tons of films, both musical and dramatic. He won a Best Actor Oscar in 1945 for his leading role in GOING MY WAY, and his "Road" films with Bob Hope are the stuff of comedic legend.
Billie Holiday
The quintessential jazz singer, Billie Holiday seemed to stamp her heart onto everything she sang. With a thin, reedy voice and almost laconic style, she could give even a throwaway pop song a gut-wrenching twist. Her most memorable music is loaded with an intensity of emotion--both playfulness and despair--that few can match. From the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s, Lady Day was at her peak, recording numerous sessions with other jazz heavyweights such as Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Lester Young, and many more. In the late '40s, however, Holiday's romantic and substance-related problems led to trouble with the law and declining health, both of which would continue until her death in 1959. Her personal misfortunes ensured she would make headlines in her day; her one-of-a-kind talent made her a legend for the ages.
