It is difficult to sit still while listening to this record. Fast numbers that dance and stomp alternate with ballads that sway and dream, and there is an irresistible swing to all of the songs. The program includes familiar show tunes, film tunes, and other favorites, and the groups range from trio to octet. In these stellar lineups, everybody is a virtuoso and a masterful, inspired improviser; the playing is terrific. Trumpets emulate the human voice, saxophones growl, and the interplay is brilliant. In the title song, arranged for octet, the players alternate in short solos with quick, snappy takeovers, resulting in an exhilarating chase. Singers Maxine Sullivan, Sarah Vaughan, and Kay Penton are splendid and entirely different in style. And Teddy Wilson, the only one who participates in every piece, is fabulous. Combining a soloist's flair with the sensitivity and empathy of a chamber musician, he provides a strong foundation without dominating the groups. The singing quality of his tone, the delicacy and refinement of his style, are unique. --Edith Eisler
I Want to Be Happy: 1944-1947,Teddy Wilson,Naxos,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Swing
Jazz Music:
- Identidad
- In, Out and Around
- In the Pocket
- Indispensable Body & Soul [Import]
- Inside Canyon de Chelly
- Invitation
- Jo Jazz: El Joven Jazz Cubano [Import]
- John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman [Import]
- Just Friends
- Kayak [Import]
Jazz Music
Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
Separated at Birth [CD-single] [Import]
The Essential Collection [Import]
Traigo lo Que Te Gusta [Import]
Soundtrack of Our Lives [Import]
Tell Us Only the Beautiful Things [Import]
Rock De Una Noche De Verano [Import]