'Live from the Cafe Carlyle'
What The Critics Say
At age 79, Eartha Kitt remains a remarkably vibrant performer, by the evidence of Live from the Cafe Carlyle, recorded at the tony Eastside Manhattan nightclub. Although she refers to her age, even jumping the gun by half-a-year and calling herself 80, Kitt betrays little evidence of it in a typical set full of witty and romantic songs, some of them rendered masterfully in different languages. "Come-On-A My House," a novelty hit for Rosemary Clooney when Kitt was just starting out in the early '50s, somehow comes out in Japanese, which actually seems to improve it. There's plenty of romance and not a little sex, at least by innuendo, as Kitt evokes such predecessors and departed contemporaries as Edith Piaf, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra. The small audience is audibly appreciative, but sometimes a little behind the performer's rapid-fire wit and taste for provocation. Even when she acknowledges her age with such closing songs as "September Song" and "It Was a Very Good Year," she does so only to affirm that she's still alive and capable; it's still a very good year, she proclaims. She has made a number of live albums, and in a sense, this is just another one. But when your reviews are good enough to reprint as liner notes (as happens here in notices from The New York Times, Variety, and others), a show clearly is worth preserving for posterity, and Live from the Cafe Carlyle is at once a late triumph, a reconfirmation of Kitt's ongoing abilities, and a master class in the art of nightclub performing. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'That Bad Eartha'
What The Critics Say
Like its predecessor, RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt, Eartha Kitt's second album, That Bad Eartha, also released in 1953, became a Top Five hit in a year when the curiosity about this exotic creature seemed to be limitless. Although she was actually from South Carolina by way of Harlem, Kitt came across as an international chanteuse, which spending a few years in Paris, among other places, will do for you. Her recording of "C'est Si Bon (It's So Good)," included here, had reached the Top Ten in August, preceded by a minor chart entry in "Uska Dara -- A Turkish Tale" and followed by another, "I Want to Be Evil." Both were also included. In addition to French and Turkish, Kitt sang in Spanish and Swahili, which was more than enough to justify her image as a classy import. Another part of that image was her somewhat predatory sex appeal, which was explored fully in "I Want to Be Evil" and two Cole Porter favorites, "Let's Do It" and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." Of course, there was sleight-of-hand going on there, too, but Kitt didn't suffer from having a wholly contrived persona, because she let her listeners in on the joke. It wasn't accidental that the title of the album had quotes around it. And in the same way, her relatively limited vocal range didn't matter because she acted her way through her performances as if they were short plays. The only problem, in fact, was that Kitt defined herself so well she was ultimately one-dimensional. It was not surprising when the hits dried up within a year, since she came across on records as a novelty act; but she had developed an act she could keep playing for the rest of her life. And that's exactly what she did. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'My Way: Musical Tribute to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'
'Sentimental Eartha'
What The Critics Say
Eartha Kitt's Sentimental Eartha is a ten-track album of psychedelic-tinged love ballads. Standout tracks include three recorded earlier by Donovan: "Catch the Wind" (his debut single!), "Hurdy Gurdy Man," and "Wear Your Love Like Heaven," in which Kitt's smokey, sultry voice is used to optimum effect. The tracks on Sentimental Eartha also include another favorite from the 1960s, in this case "My Sentimental Friend" by Herman's Hermits. The rest of the disc includes lesser known inspirational and sentimental songs, all of which combine to make a well arranged and cohesive collection. Creative song selection makes this disc a true find. ~ JT Griffith, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Eartha Kitt's 1994 album, Back in Business, is a solid collection of jazzy, confident songs recorded with a live band. The title track declares her return, and the rest of the record fulfills the declaration, "Let the good times roll!" The good times are all of a slowed-down, torch song nature, however, unlike the up-tempo "Back in Business." Standouts "Let's Misbehave," "Solitude," and "Speak Low" recreate a smoky supper club especially well. This Grammy-nominated album is a good short set. ~ JT Griffith, All Music Guide
