This is Lucy Reed · Complete Recordings 1950-1957 (2 LP on 2 CD) + Bonus Tracks
  • Fantasy 3-212
    Fantasy 3-212
  • Fantasy 3243
    Fantasy 3243
  • Dick Marx & Johnny Frigo
    Dick Marx & Johnny Frigo
  • Lucy Reed
    Lucy Reed
  • Down Beat, April 1952
    Down Beat, April 1952
  • Chance CH-3006
    Chance CH-3006

Lucy Reed

This is Lucy Reed · Complete Recordings 1950-1957 (2 LP on 2 CD) + Bonus Tracks

Fresh Sound Records

Personnel:
Lucy Reed (vcl), Art Farmer (tp), Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Tommy Mitchell (b-tb), Romeo Penque (fl, Engh), Sol Schlinger (b-cl, bs), Bill Evans, Dick Marx, Don Abney, Gil Evans, Eddie Higgins (p), Howard Collins, John Gray (g), Bob Carter, Johnny Frigo, Bill Pemberton, Milt Hinton (b), Sol Gubin, George Russell (d), Harry Lookofsky (vln), Jack English (arr)

Reference: FSRCD 928

Bar code: 8427328609289

 THIS PRODUCT IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN THE U.S. 

Lucy (Lucille) Reed (1921-1998) began her singing career with Woody Herman in 1949. Later she joined Charlie Ventura’s big band and did some radio and TV work in Chicago. In 1951 she was chosen to represent Chicago in the Miss Television contest—she was regarded as a fine prospect by bookers and record people as the beautiful girl who had charmed listeners at the Chicago Streamliner and other local clubs during the early Fifties.

Her basic vocal quality was never strikingly full-ranged or tonally opulent, but her taste and musicianship were of such imaginative flexibility that she surpassed a many other nightclub singers more generously gifted by nature. Her skillful phrasing, based on her tender care for lyrics and her subtle beat, made her a singer of quiet distinction.

This set is valuable in many ways, mainly thanks to Lucy Reed’s ungimmicky, genuinely emotional singing, but also to the sympathetic backing of groups led by such jazz luminaries as Bill Evans, Dick Marx, George Russell, Gil Evans, and Eddie Higgins.

This is a collection of out-of-the-way melodies, done with distinction, fire and individuality by a singer who may have possessed too much innate “feel” for lyrics and honesty in delivery ever to have had a hit record, but who nevertheless won many enthusiastic listeners with these albums.

Tracklist

Sample this album
Disc 1
Disc 2
Total time: 114:21 min.


CD 1
01. There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York
(Gershwin-Gershwin-Heyward) 2:28
02. Fools Fall In Love (Irving Berlin) 3:21
03. Baltimore Oriole (Carmichael-Webster) 4:54
04. Out of This World (Arlen-Mercer) 3:46
05. You May Not Love Me (Van Heusen-Burke) 3:42
06. No Moon At All (Evans-Mann) 1:54
07. Inchworm (Frank Loesser) 2:52
08. Tabby the Cat (Dickinson-Gibeling) 1:52
09. That’s How I Love the Blues (Blane-Martin) 3:21
10. My Time of Day (Frank Loesser) 2:35
11. My Love Is a Wanderer (Bart Howard) 2:50
12. Little Girl Blue (Rodgers-Hart) 3:41
13. Because We’re Kids (Frederick Hollander) 2:48
14. It’s All Right with Me (Cole Porter) 4:19
15. It’s a Lazy Afternoon (Moross-LaTouche) 3:37
16. Flying Down to Rio (Kahn-Eliscu-Youmans) 2:12
17. Nothing At All (John Frigo) 2:51

CD 2
01. Born to Blow the Blues (Segal-Russell) 4:41
02. This Is New (Gershwin-K.Weill) 3:55
03. In the Wee Small Hours (of the Morning) (Hilliard-Mann) 4:19
04. There He Goes (Jack English) 2:50
05. Love for Sale (Cole Porter) 4:26
06. A Trout, No Doubt (Kadison-Howell) 2:37
07. No Moon At All (Evans-Mann) 2:14
08. Lucky to Be Me (Bernstein-Comden-Green) 2:27
09. St. Louis Blues (W.C.Handy) 3:25
10. Easy Come, Easy Go (Heyman-Green) 4:55
11. Little Boy Blue (Eugene Field) 2:54
12. You Don’t Know What Love Is (Raye-DePaul) 4:02
13. You’ve Got a Date with the Blues (Jane Feather) 3:08
14. My Flaming Heart (Brodszky-Robin) 3:03
15. Please Mr. Right Man (Watts-Trace-Herman) 3:04
16. Tantalazing Melody (Trace-Hettel-Trace) 2:54
17. A Night Is Dark (Stu Watson) 2:37
18. Au Revoir (Maddox-Behrens) 2:44

Album details

Sources CD 1:
Tracks #1,2,4,5,7, 10-16, from “The Singing Reed” (Fantasy 3-212)
Tracks #3,6,8,9,17 from the above sessions, but not included on the original LP configuration.

Sources CD 2:
Tracks #1-12, from the album “This Is Lucy Reed” (Fantasy 3243)
Track #13, from Charlie Ventura “Birdland” (RCA Victor NL-46031)
Track #14, from the 78rpm MGM K11472
Track #15-16, from the 78 rpm Chance CH-3006
Track #17-18, from the 78 rpm Chance CH-3019

Lucy Reed, vocals

Personnel on CD 1

Tracks #1-9: BILL EVANS Quartet
Bill Evans, piano; Bob Carter, bass; Howard Collins, guitar; Sol Gubin, drums.
Recorded in New York City, August 13-15, 1955

Tracks #10-13: BILL EVANS Duo
Bill Evans, piano; Bob Carter, bass.
Recorded in New York City, August 13-15, 1955

Tracks #14-17: DICK MARX—JOHN FRIGO Duo
Dick Marx, piano; Johnny Frigo, bass.
Recorded in Chicago, probably January 1955

Personnel on CD 2

Tracks #1-3: GEORGE RUSSELL Sextet
Art Farmer, trumpet; Romeo Penque, flute & English horn; Sol Schlinger, bass clarinet & baritone sax; Don Abney, piano; Milt Hinton, bass; George Russell, drums & arranger.
Recorded in New York City, January 1957

Tracks #4-7: GIL EVANS Septet
Jimmy Cleveland, trombone; Tommy Mitchell, bass trombone; Romeo Penque, alto flute & English horn; David Kurtzer, bassoon; Gil Evans, piano & arranger; Bill Pemberton, bass; George Russell, drums; Harry Lookofsky, violin; Jack English, arranger (#4).
Recorded in New York City, January 1957

Tracks #8-12: EDDIE HIGGINS Quartet
Eddie Higgins, piano; John Gray, guitar (out on #11); Verne Rammer, bass (out on #11); William Gaeto, drums (out on #11); Ken Soderblom, clarinet (added on #9).
Recorded in Chicago, January 1957

Track #13: CHARLIE VENTURA and His Orchestra
Ed Bagley, Pete Ventura, Dick Sherman, Rolf Ericson, trumpets; Billy Byers, Bob Ascher, Jack Hitchcock, trombones; Tommy Mace, oboe; Harvey Estrin, Andy Cicalese, Al Epstein, flutes; Charlie Ventura, tenor sax; Ben Ventura, baritone sax; Joe Scusa, piano; Sam Herman, guitar; Jimmy Johnson, bass; Chick Keeney, drums.
Recorded in New York City, April 6, 1950

Track #14: LEW DOUGLAS and His Orchestra
Recorded in Chicago, February 1953

Tracks #15-16: AL TRACE and His Orchestra
Recorded in Chicago, April 1953

Tracks #17-18: CHUCK SAGLE and His Orchestra
Recorded in Chicago, July 1954

Original liner notes: Bill Coss (Metronome) / Nat Hentoff
Fantasy cover art: B. Brader
Special thanks to our friend Thomas Ludwig
Produced for CD release by Jordi Pujol

Hi Fi / Mono · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered

Press reviews

-The Singing Reed

"Lucy Reed was an obscure Chicago-based singer with a strong voice. Since she does not improvise and she emphasizes slow ballads on her CD reissue (often sounding closer to being a folk singer than a jazz vocalist), this set is of rather limited jazz interest. Alert listeners might pick up the CD because pianist Bill Evans is on all but three of the selections but be warned; Evans does not solo at all. Strangely enough the most interesting selections are the four that were previously unreleased [...]"

Scott Yanow -All Music Guide

-This is Lucy Reed

"In a perfect world, Lucy Reed would have been much better-known and would have built a large catalog. But regrettably, the obscure Midwestern jazz singer never became well-known, and she only recorded a few albums. Recorded at various sessions in January 1957, This Is Lucy Reed is the second of two albums she provided for Fantasy. This album finds Reed backed by some of bop's heavyweights, including trumpeter Art Farmer, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, bassist Milt Hinton, arranger George Russell (who is heard on drums), and arranger Gil Evans (who plays piano on four selections). Unfortunately, the sidemen usually don't get enough solo space. But Reed's vocals are the main thing, and the singer really shines on cool-toned yet expressive performances of well-known standards like "You Don't Know What Love Is" and W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues." Cool School goddesses like Chris Connor and June Christy are prominent influences, and yet, the recognizable Reed was a fine singer in her own right. The word "recognizable" also describes Gil Evans' arranging on "Love for Sale," "No Moon at All," and the goofy novelty item "A Trout, No Doubt"; Evans' classical-influenced style of arranging is quite distinctive, and true to form, his contributions to This Is Lucy Reed underscore his interest in European classical music. Equally attractive are Russell's arrangements on "Born to Blow the Blues," "This Is New," and "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning." Russell was only 34 when this album was recorded, but even in early 1957, he was a forward thinker. Anyone who is seriously into Cool School singers of the 1950s should give This Is Lucy Reed a very close listen."

Alex Henderson -All Music Guide
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

" It’s simply amazing how many vocalists Fresh Sound Records finds and re-introduces to today’s ears that I’ve never heard of.

Lucy Reed (1921-1998) was a vocalist for swinging bands like Woody Herman and Charlie Ventura, and she boasts of an alluring husky voices. While there are a handful of orchestra recordings with Ventura, as well as Chuck Sagle, Al Trace and Lew Douglas with their respective orchestras, the reason  you’re going to want this 2 cd set is her collection of intimate small group sessions with the likes of pianist Bill Evans (and you thought you had everything by him!!!), Gil Evans and George Russell (on drums!) among others. Interested yet?

Reed teams up with Evans in both a quartet and duet supporting role. Of the former, a 1955 session of Evans with Bob Carter/b, Howard Collins/g and Sol Gubin/dr has the O’Day-inflected vocalist sauntering n “There’s a Boast Dat’s Leavin’” as well as a world wise “Fools Fall in Love” while she actually chirps ina hep fashion during “Baltimore Oriole.” She’s clear and foreboding on “No Moon at All” and warbles with Evans on “That’s How I Love The Blues.” Evans and Carter create deft and tender framework for a reflective aria on “My Time of Day” and a loose “ My Love is A Wanderer.” The team of pianist Dick Marx and bassist Johnny Frigo make Reed carefree on “Flying Down to Rio” while going stark on “It’s a Lazy Afternoon.”

Famed arranger George Russell is the drummer along with Art Farmer/tp, Milt Hinton/b and others for an intimate “This Is New” and sleek “Born to Blow the Blues.” Gil Evans keeps his Miles Ahead sound in a septet with Jimmy Cleveland/tb and Russell on a noir-ish “Love For Sale” and wood-windy “There He Goes.”  One last quartet lead by pianist Eddie Higgins includes a relaxed “Lucky to Be Me” as well as a frenetic “St. Louis Blues.” This lady could do it all, and she knew with whom to do it. Once again, the voluminous liner notes will serve you well. Ignore this one at your own peril!"

George W. Harris (June 15, 2017)
http://www.jazzweekly.com/2017

Price:

14,95 €  (tax incl.)

Add to wishlist

Added to your wishlist.

You can manage your wishlist here.

You're not signed in

You must sign in to manage your wishlist.
Sign in
Delivery information:
Delivery in 5-7 days
Shipping rates Terms and conditions
Payment methods:

 

 

Customer reviews

Write a review

This is Lucy Reed · Complete Recordings 1950-1957 (2 LP on 2 CD) + Bonus Tracks
Rate this product:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Your review has been added and will be available once approved by a moderator.