A Date with Jane Powell

Jane Powell had already become a popular film star when Columbia issued this 10-inch LP in 1949. The initial recording sessions had been held as far back as 1946, and encompassed 1947 dates in both New York and Hollywood.

The album's contents have been reissued a number of times, but I thought I might try my luck at a transfer because the originals were, I believe, off pitch.

Columbia possibly raised the pitch of Powell's singing to make it more brilliant and superficially impressive. To me, doing so drains the expression from her voice. Dropping the pitch down almost a full tone makes her sound more involved. This is particularly important when she attempts "Over the Rainbow," so closely associated with Judy Garland. She does not suffer in the comparison.

The rest of the program is composed of familiar operetta items, chestnuts like the Schubert "Ave Maria" and the horrid "Mighty Lak' a Rose" (in dialect, yet), and the like. The accompaniment is led by Carmen Dragon, who went on to produce a series of light classical records for Capitol. The cover is almost certainly by Alex Steinweiss.