In tribute to the great singer Lena Horne, who has died at age 92, I offer this 10-inch LP, which I believe was her first. It collects records that she made in the late 40s for M-G-M.
As with many other singers, I think that Horne's first period was her best. It may be clichéd to say it, but there was a freshness about her singing that was lost in later years, when she could seem stylized, even cold.
Don't misunderstand - I am a great admirer of her work. Her 50s LPs for RCA are as elegant as she always was. There's no question - she was one of the greats.
I'll probably be back at a later date with some more of her recordings from the 1940s.
UPDATE - Will Friedwald tells me that Universal has issued these and some other M-G-M singles on CD. Some of you may be interested in checking that out. My transfer is, of course, from the original vinyl.
ANOTHER UPDATE - Apparently the singles collection isn't out until next Tuesday (May 18). I think Will gets things early, lucky fellow.
LINK - this has now been remastered in ambient stereo
thanks for your Lena tribute. She was a wonderful and unique artist with a great positive attitude that I always found refreshing and uplifting.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Buster.
ReplyDeletethanks for the memories. or memorial. thanks
ReplyDelete"Is It Always Like This" is one of Alec Wilder's best songs and Lena's version has always been my favorite. Your "repitching" improves a fabulous recording. Posting these MGM singles is possibly as apt a tribute as any that has been paid. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDavid - Agree about Is It Always Like This. A wonderful song and a superb performance.
ReplyDeleteBuster, As you know by now, I am an Alec Wilder fanatic. There's an awful lot of his songs that were released on fugitive 78s and 45s during the late 1940s and early 1950s, especially on Columbia where Mitch Miller, a close personal friend of the composer, was A&R czar. Maybe you could pay tribute to that fabulous friendship by gathering some of the many Wilder songs and chamber music pieces that Miller played a hand in having recorded--both at Mercury and Columbia. For instance, Don Cherry recorded several Wilder songs, including the marvelous but seldom-sung "April Age." I know I am always bothering you with suggestions but many have proved popular with your loyalists. Yes, you have already championed the composer. But, heck, you can't ever do enough on behalf of the Wilder cause. That Lena Horne recording really made me grateful for Alec's music. I sent your "repitched" version to all my friends. In any case, thanks for your indefatigable efforts to improve the quality of America's cultural life. You have supplier more CPR than you can ever know.
ReplyDeleteDavid - Actually I quite like your ideas. The only issue is that I don't have enough hours in the day to work on things that people ask about or suggest, or that I myself want to pursue. I will be on the lookout for Wilder songs as I plow through my collection. I do have some Don Cherry records, but don't know if April Age is among them.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for this which is indeed a rare treasure ... until in two days that is LOL. (This is when the complete MGM singles are to be released, which will include all these tracks.) I had only one of these songs so far, and this is the info on the original LP that I found back then:
ReplyDeleteMGM # E 545 10" LP, 1952 VINYL RELEASE
They are all recorded at MGM (probably between 1946 and 1952). Some are from soundtracks, some are not.
Thanks again!
Dear Buster!
ReplyDeleteCan you reupload this album?
Thank you very much!