This 1957 album first saw the light of day as a Verve record. It was the only time Anita ever recorded with Oscar Peterson and the unnamed liner-note writer on this release suggests that Oscar was miffed and pushed her hard as his name was not on the album cover. Unlikely as that may be, O’Day is certainly at her high-octane boppish best throughout the disc.
She begins with an uptempo reading of ’S Wonderful integrated with They Can’t Take That Away From Me. Anita uses her bop-style voice to good effect and Oscar is certainly fast, furious, and pressing at the piano. More laid-back on Tenderly and most of Stella By Starlight, she is bright and back in bop land on Old Devil Moon, her voice very much like an instrument. Herb Ellis provides a snappy guitar solo here.
A very fast Love Me Or Leave Me has Anita at her best, stretching her voice inventively as Oscar and his trio drive hard. The Peterson trio is here augmented by John Poole on drums, O’Day’s regular collaborator. Her reading of We’ll Be Together Again is medium tempo and has some of her very best lyrical singing. A 100mph Them There Eyes gives Anita the chance to demonstrate her considerable skill as a bop and scat singer. Peterson’s quartet fly along with her all the way.
Bonus tracks feature a more relaxed Anita with pianist Bill Dowdy and his Three Sounds and the Paul Smith Quartet.
Discography
(1) ’S Wonderful / They Can’t Take That Away From Me; Tenderly; Old Devil Moon; Love Me Or Leave Me; We’ll Be Together Again; (2) All Too Soon; Whisper Not; (21.27) – (1) Stella By Starlight; Takin’ A Chance On Love; Them There Eyes; I’ve Got The World On A String; You Turned The Tables On Me; Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered; (3) As Long As I Live (21.56)
O’Day (v) all tracks with:
(1) Oscar Peterson (p); Herb Ellis (elg); Ray Brown (b); John Poole (d). Chicago, 31 January 1957.
(2) The Three Sounds, NYC, 15 October 1962.
(3) Paul Smith Quartet, Hollywood, 6 December 1955.
Supper Club 042
