The inimitable Anita O’Day had her own free-wheeling time-feel combined with a unique sound almost totally free of vibrato. This delightful set finds her at her very best clearly enjoying the Afro-Cuban grooves provided by Cal Tjader’s quintet. She was an inventive scat singer but there are no examples of that side of her creative musicality here.
Time For 2 features some of the new songs of the day together with older standards that she had not recorded before. The relaxed Thanks For The Memory with its witty tongue-in-cheek lyric is a perfect vehicle for her and benefits from an inventive chorus from Cal Tjader. He avoids the chord changes, concentrating on the repeated montuno which is an essential element of the Afro-Cuban genre.
Although The Party’s Over is closely associated with the delightful Judy Holliday, who performed it in the 1958 Bells Are Ringing film, Ms O’Day’s authoritative performance almost makes it totally hers. She had been working with Dave Frishberg at the time of this recording and she debuts his super-hip Peel Me A Grape here. The introspective I Believe In You is the only really worthwhile song that came out of the 1961 show How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Despite its title, I’m Not Supposed To Be Blue Blues, with its unusual 40-bar construction, is not a blues at all. It is quite obscure and the only other version I am aware of is Teddi King’s on her 1955 Bidin’ My Time album. Anita is at her world-weary best here, clearly inspired by Bob Russell’s subtle lyric.
Discography
(1) Thanks For The Memory; It Shouldn’t Happen To A Dream; Just In Time; Under A Blanket Of Blue; That’s Your Red Wagon; (2) Peel Me A Grape; (3) My Ship; (1) An Occasional Man; (2) The Party’s Over; (4) I Believe In You; Mr. Sandman; (3) Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year; (4) I’m Not Supposed To Be Blue Blues; (3) When The World Was Young; (5) God Bless The Child (42.15)
O’Day (v) with:
(1) Cal Tjader (vib); Bob Corwin (p); Freddy Schreiber (b); Johnny Rae (d); Wilfredo Vicente (cga). Los Angeles, 27 February 1962.
(2) as (1) Lonnie Hewitt (p) replaces Corwin. Los Angeles, 26 July 1962.
(3) Gene Harris (p); Andy Simpkins (b); Bill Dowdy (d). New York, 15 October 1962.
(4) as (2) Los Angeles, 28 July 1962.
(5) Barney Kessel (elg). Los Angeles, 19 January 1961.
Supper Club 048
