BEVERLY KENNEY - Born to Be Blue (1955-1999) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Born to Be Blue captures Beverly Kenney at her most intimate and compelling. Created in collaboration with arrangers Hal Mooney and Charles Albertine, the music channels the emotional depth of the blues with startling clarity, employing Kenney's deep, commanding vocals to vividly poignant effect. Mooney and Albertine forgo excess and sentimentality in favor of stark simplicity, architecting taut modern jazz contexts that shift the spotlight squarely on Kenney's vocals. Her readings of familiar songs like "For All We Know" are forged from both resiliency and vulnerability, articulating an emotional depth matched by few singers of her era. [This is the 2007 Universal reissued of the LP; an import-only Japanese CD was released in 1999.] by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist:
1 Born To Be Blue 3:28

Written By – Mel Torme, Robert Wells

2 Isn't It A Pity 2:30
Written By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
3 For All We Know 3:06
Written By – J.Fred Coots, Sam Lewis
4 It Only Happens When I Dance With You 2:41
Written By – Irving Berlin
5 Again 3:15
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Cochran, Dorcas, Lionel Newman
6 I Walk A Little Faster 2:50
Written By – Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman
7 Go Away,My Love! 2:30
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
8 Beyond The Next Hill 2:51
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Bob Haymes, Bobby Woeth
9 It's A Blue World 2:18
Written By – Bob Wright, Chet Forrest
10 Vanity 2:56
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Bierman, Manus, Wood
11 Somewhere Along The Way 3:02
Written By – Kurt Adams, Sammy Gallop
12 Where Can I Go Without You 2:24
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Peggy Lee, Victor Young
Credits:

Orchestrated By

Charles Albertine (tracks: 1, 6, 9, 11, 13), Hal Mooney (tracks: 2-5, 7, 8, 10, 12)

Piano – Ellis Larkins

Trumpet – Charlie Shavers (tracks: 3, 4, 10)

Vocals – Beverly Kenney

BEVERLY KENNEY - Sings for Playboys (1958-1999) RM / MONO / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Beverly Kenney had a tragically brief life, committing suicide in 1960 when she was just 28, probably over a broken love affair. A subtle improviser with a haunting voice and a real skill for interpreting lyrics, she had six albums released during her lifetime. Sings for Playboys, despite its lightweight title, is one of her finest efforts. Accompanied by just pianist Ellis Larkins (who doubles on celeste) and bassist Joe Benjamin, Kenney digs into a dozen songs, only five of which could qualify as standards. While she brings new life to such tunes as "A Woman's Intuition" and "Try a Little Tenderness," she performs definitive versions of such forgotten numbers as "You're My Boy," "Life Can Be Beautiful," and "It's a Most Unusual Day." The music alternates between ballads and lightly swinging pieces with Larkins being a perfect accompanist for Kenney, who is heard throughout at her most expressive. The Japanese have rediscovered Beverly Kenney during the past decade; she's long overdue for American recognition. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Do It Again 2:36
Buddy DeSylva / George Gershwin
2 A Woman's Intuition 3:31
Ned Washington / Victor Young
3 You're My Boy 2:58
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
4 Mama, Do I Gotta? 2:05
Manny Kurtz / Victor Mizzy
5 What is There To Say? 3:54
Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
6 A Lover Like You 3:28
Otis Clements / Lester Judson
7 A Summer Romance 3:06
Lester Judson / Raymond Taylor
8 Life Can Be Beautiful 2:57
Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh
9 It's Magic 2:28
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
10 A-You're Adorable 2:30
Buddy Kaye / Sidney Lippman / Fred Wise
11 Try a Little Tenderness 3:12
Jimmy Campbell / Reginald Connelly / Harry Woods
12 It's a Most Unusual Day 1:47
Jimmy McHugh
Credits:
Bass – Joe Newman
Piano – Ellis Larkins
Vocals – Beverly Kenney