Sammy Davis, Jr. Albums (21)
'Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays'
Release Date 3/8/2005
Tracks 10
Label Collectors' Choice Music
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What The Critics Say
The intimacy inherent in this collection places 1966's Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays in a class unto itself. As he had done on the highly conceptual All-Star Spectacular in 1962 and California Suite in 1964, multi-talented entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. has created a unique and thoroughly fascinating outing. The ten selections feature Davis and Brazilian instrumentalist/arranger Laurindo Almeida, who made a name for himself as an accompanist for Carmen Miranda before delving into the decidedly American art form of West Coast cool jazz with saxophonist Bud Shank in the mid-'50s. Here, the pair effortlessly complement each other inside the very intonation and tenor of their respective crafts. Davis' incisive abilities as an emotive performer bring a pervasive dramatic quality to the wide range of material covered. When compared to fellow Rat Packer Frank Sinatra's reading of "Here's That Rainy Day," Davis' vocals lean into the song, resulting in a palpable sense of melancholia. He evokes a similar sentiment on the achingly poignant version of Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" as well as the hopelessly optimistic "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows." However, the real magic woven into this collaboration is without a doubt Davis' incorporation of several significant Broadway melodies. "Where Is Love" -- taken from Lionel Bart's Oliver -- is a stunning, if not mesmerizing, interpretation. "Joey, Joey, Joey" bears an earthy closeness, offering what is arguably a defining moment as the tune transcends its place within the stage production Most Happy Fella, becoming an exceptional and exquisite ballad. [In 2004, Collectors' Choice Music reissued Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays as part of the label's complete restoration of Davis' 1960s Reprise Records catalog.] ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
If a pop singer is backed by a jazz band, he/she doesn't automatically turn into a jazz singer -- having jazz accompaniment doesn't necessarily make you jazz. But if a pop singer likes to swing, having jazz accompaniment is certainly a plus. Like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr. was a jazz-influenced pop singer who knew how to swing hard. And when Davis joined forces with drummer Buddy Rich in 1966, swinging hard was inevitable. The Sounds of '66 documents a 1966 show in Las Vegas, where Davis was backed by Rich's big band. Although Rich had a reputation for being difficult to work with and could be a loose cannon at times, he was an extraordinary musician -- and if you were able to get along with the volatile drummer (musically or personally), he could certainly add a lot of fire to your performances. Fire is exactly what Rich brings to The Sounds of '66; he clearly inspires Davis to go that extra mile on performances of songs that range from "Come Back to Me" to Sammy Cahn's "If It's the Last Thing I Do" and Frank Loesser's "Once in Love With Amy." Even "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" (a song that listeners generally associate with The Wizard of Oz) is hard-swinging -- Davis and Rich approach the E.Y. "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen song as aggressive big band pop, not children's music. A major departure from the famous Wizard of Oz version, Davis and Rich's version is definitely an adult interpretation. Not every album that Davis recorded in the '60s is great, but lovers of traditional jazz-influenced pop can't go wrong with this excellent CD. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As the 1960s drew to a close, Sammy Davis, Jr.'s stint with Reprise Records was likewise coming to a rapid conclusion. The Goin's Great (1969) exemplifies the dichotomy, although some might consider it a revolution, concurrently occurring within pop music. In retrospect, it also provides a glimpse of Davis caught between his pseudo ultra-hip persona and his undeniable gift for the more traditional approach to popular fare. Perhaps the most blatant evidence of the incongruity are the uncomfortably forced "Break My Heart" and "Bein' Natural Bein' Me." Both sport ersatz soul arrangements and less than believable "groovier-than-thou" slants that Davis isn't able to convincingly pull off. Conversely, Bacharach/ David's "This Guy's in Love With You" is nothing less than a perfect vehicle. With a series of Davis' rhythmic and wordless vocalizations (read: "uh-uh-uh-ee-ah-uh"), he introduces the relaxed and jazzy feel in his trademark style. The update of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "I Have Dreamed" from The King & I is equally stellar, as the earnest interpretation bops with resolute grace, building to a full-blown showstopping performance. The album's two disparate personas fittingly all come together at the conclusion with the rousing "I Have But One Life to Live." Backed by a vocal ensemble as well as electric guitars and heavy percussion, Davis, as the saying goes 'lets it all hang out'. [In 2004 The Goin's Great was issued on to CD for the first time as part of Collectors' Choice Music's exhaustive restoration of Davis' 1960s catalog.] ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Sammy Davis, Jr. scored a significant return to the Top 40 pop album charts with 1968's I've Gotta Be Me, making it all the way to number 24. When the title track was released as a single, it too met with similar success, climbing to a respectable number 11. Once again the artist had unquestionably found his niche with a blend of show tunes and popular standards, no doubt thanks in part to his collaborations with Bobby Darin's lauded musical director, Richard Wess. With the exception of "Something's Gotta Give," "That Old Black Magic," and "The Candy Man" -- the latter of which Davis had yet to record -- "I've Gotta Be Me" is the song most immediately identified with the vocalist. The Walt Marks-penned number was originally written for the Broadway production of Golden Rainbow, a vehicle for the husband-and-wife team of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme. However, it is Davis' emotive reading and practically biographical sentiment that makes the cut unquestionably his own. The LP also features "If My Friends Could See Me Now," "I'm a Brass Band," and "My Personal Property" -- all from Sweet Charity. Although Davis did not star in the stage adaptation, he was a force to be reckoned with in the cinematic version. While his silver-screen portrayal of Big Daddy didn't permit him to sing the selections in the movie, he certainly brings them to life within these grooves. This is Davis in his prime doing what he does best, animating the distinct dramatic sensibility to the material. The inclusion of "I've Got You Under My Skin" is a natural given Davis' association with the Rat Pack, particularly Frank Sinatra. Compared to Ol' Blue Eyes' definitive rendition, J.J. Johnson's arrangement -- the only one on the platter not by Wess -- is a jazzier and suitably swinging affair. [I've Gotta Be Me was issued on CD by Collectors' Choice Music in their complete restoration of Davis' Reprise catalog.] ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For Lonely Is the Name (1968), Sammy Davis, Jr. once again blended his interminable hipness with a batch of popular standards and fresh interpretations of selections that he had previously delivered in a distinctly different style. Although Davis' emphasis remained ensconced within orchestral and big band-backed melodies for a decidedly adult-oriented audience, his take on "Up, Up and Away" and the medley pairing Stevie Wonder's "Uptight" with "You've Got Your Troubles" is evidence that he was trying to broaden his appeal. Driving that point home is the sassy and swinging "Shake, Shake, Shake," which is arguably over the top when considering modern pop and soul music in 1968. The uptempo and soaring arrangement isn't unified when juxtaposed against the comparatively syrupy title track "Lonely Is the Name" or the cool and refined balladry of the noir-tinged "Children, Children." Those incongruities aside, this collection has a few bright moments, particularly on "We'll Be Together Again" and Cole Porter's ageless "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" -- both of which had been recorded by Davis and Laurindo Almeida (guitar) on their 1966 collaboration Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings/Laurindo Almeida Plays. Another revisitation is an unquestionable return to form on the Benny Carter composition "All That Jazz" from the motion picture A Man Called Adam (1966). Of course, Davis had starred in the film, but it was Mel Tormé's (vocal) be-boppin' that gave the number a boost in the context of the movie. Here, Davis gets his chance, taking the tune to a new and similarly jazzy place, giving the Velvet Fog a run for his money with his own deliciously improvised scat vocal. [In 2004 Collectors' Choice Music included Lonely Is the Name as one of their entries in the restoration of Davis' classic 1960s Reprise Records catalog.] ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
'The Sings the Complete 'Dr. Doolittle''
Release Date 1/1/1967
Tracks 12
Label Reprise
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What The Critics Say
In what turned out to be their final collaboration, arranger/conductor Marty Paich and Sammy Davis, Jr. recorded what is considered the definitive interpretation of Leslie Bricusse's score to Doctor Doolittle. By all accounts, this 1967 release was an ideal match of composer and artist. Davis' take on Bricusse/Anthony Newley classics "I'm Gonna Build a Mountain," "What Kind of Fool Am I?," "The Joker," and "Look at Her Face" -- among countless others -- provided the vocalist with some of his best-loved and remembered material. Davis documented the collection at Olympic Studios in London, and the facility was perfect for incorporating the full orchestral accompaniment. Davis' animated delivery and uncanny ability as an emotive actor infuse the opening "My Friend the Doctor," "Beautiful Things," and most especially "I've Never Seen Anything Like It" with a palpable sense of drama. This results in the listener being swept up into his performance. The refined and poignant "Something in Your Smile" and the lush "I Think I Like You" are equally affective in Davis' care. He also asserts his renowned versatility and effervescent hipness on the smooth and groovy reading of "Talk to the Animals" at the disc's conclusion. The arrangement could have easily fit as incidental music for Laugh-In, and as such is a mid- to late-'60s time capsule. [In 2004, Sings the Complete Dr. Doolittle was issued on CD as part of Collectors' Choice Music's thorough overhaul of Davis' sizable Reprise Records catalog -- making the title available again after several decades out of print.] ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
'The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show'
Release Date 1/1/1966
Tracks 12
Label Reprise
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What The Critics Say
Although released in February of 1966 to correspond with NBC-TV's short-lived variety series -- which had premiered a month earlier -- The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show is not a soundtrack per se. In fact, it was assembled from five different studio sessions, some dating as far back as Davis' 1961 hit "What Kind of Fool Am I?" and the 1963 signature song "Hey There." Cole Porter's "We Open in Venice" -- with fellow Rat Packers Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra -- first surfaced on 1963's Kiss Me Kate Reprise Musical Repertory Theatre album. The Davis/Martin duet "Sam's Song" had been the B-side to the Billy May-conducted "Me and My Shadow" single in 1962. The remainder emphasizes Davis' innate affinity and apt interpretations of show tunes from the small screen ("My Mother the Car") to the Broadway stage. The latter category is especially worthy of mention, as both "This Dream" and the distinctive highlight "Feeling Good" are from the Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse score of The Roar of the Greasepaint...The Smell of the Crowd. Other numbers from the play had been excerpted on Davis' previous platter, Sammy's Back on Broadway. The vocalist stretches himself somewhat on English translations of the Charles Aznavour compositions "J'Aime Paris au Mois de Mai" titled "Paris Is at Her Best in May" and "J'En Deduis Que Je T'Aime," translated as "Love at Last You Have Found Me." [With the album having been out of print for nearly four decades, Collectors' Choice Music issued The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show on CD as part of the label's comprehensive restoration of his 1960s Reprise Records catalog.] ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
'Sammy's Back on Broadway'
Release Date 1/1/1965
Tracks 12
Label Reprise
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What The Critics Say
Presumably the reference to Sammy Davis, Jr.'s return to the Great White Way correlates with his appearance in the lead of the musical adaptation of Golden Boy. The play ran from October 20, 1964, through March 5, 1966, at the Majestic Theatre and allowed Davis to emphasize his enormous gifts as an actor and vocalist. Under the direction of and in collaboration with conductor/arranger Claus Ogerman, Davis reinvents a dozen showstoppers. Although the 1965 album was filled with concurrently modern selections, the mixture of enduring classics and lesser-known material further exemplifies the artist's impeccable taste and performance style. What Sammy Davis, Jr. and/or Broadway collection would be complete without a nod to Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse? There are, in fact, a trio of tunes from their most recent offering at the time, The Roar of the Greasepaint...The Smell of the Crowd. These include the boundlessly joyful opener "A Wonderful Day Like Today" and the refined and jazzy "Look at That Face," as well as one of the unmitigated highlights, a sexy, mod, and deliciously swinging interpretation of "The Joker." The Richard Rodgers/Stephen Sondheim-scored Do I Hear a Waltz? produced a pair of outstanding entries as well. While the lilting title track recalls some of Rodgers' work with former partner Oscar Hammerstein II, it is the gorgeous and haunting "Take the Moment" that makes this platter particularly memorable. Of further interest are the heartfelt "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof, "The Other Half of Me" -- which Davis sings with such verve it seems practically autobiographical -- and the perennial favorites "Hello Dolly" and "People." [In 2004, Collectors' Choice Music issued Sammy's Back on Broadway after a nearly 40-year absence.] ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
'The Nat King Cole Songbook'
Release Date 1/1/1965
Tracks 14
Label Reprise
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What The Critics Say
The Nat King Cole Song Book (1965) was issued as an homage by Sammy Davis Jr. (vocals) to Nat King Cole, whose untimely passing in February of 1965 prompted Davis to document this tribute. Alongside Cole's collaborator, Billy May, and notable jazz arranger Claus Ogerman, Davis and company turned in one of the finest and most underrated efforts. The obvious affinity and respect the artist had for Cole dated back to Davis' work with the Will Mastin Trio in the 1940s. No one can match Cole's refined and sublime delivery however, Davis adds his own unique presence to a variety of pop ballads, early R&B tunes, and all seminal entries in Cole's sizable catalog. While the album contains a total of 14 songs, both "Smile" and "Christmas Song" [aka "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire"] have been repeated from previous outings, leaving an even dozen selections recorded specifically for the project. Davis sticks to classic numbers closely (if not primarily) identified with Cole, many of which were among the late vocalist's biggest hits. In fact, the disc commences with his highest charting single of the 1960s, "Rambling Rose." May's unmistakable score swings on a firm mid-tempo stride and the breezy brass section is efficiently interspersed throughout. Another of Cole's top platters is the bouncy and soulful "Send for Me." Again, May's trademark horn interjections propel the melody, as Davis gives a suitably rousing and lively reading. The sophisticated "Route 66" has rarely packed the punch it does here, recalling Davis' interpretation of Mel Tormé's California Suite. Special kudos deserved of the closing medley of "Mona Lisa," "Too Young," and Cole's signature "Nature Boy." Ogerman's restrained instrumentation allows Davis room to make the melodies his own, while still very much retaining the warm, embracing, and above all gentle style that defined Nat King Cole. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Once again Sammy Davis Jr. (vocals) interprets classics of the Great White Way on If I Ruled the World (1965). As Stan Cornyn's rear LP jacket points out, the album came out during Davis' Broadway run of Golden Boy (1965). The star was concurrently signed to Reprise, however the Original Cast Recording was issued on the competing Capitol label. In an attempt to cash in on its success, this collection is highlighted by "Night Song" and "There's a Party Going On" from the score. Although eventually dropped from the show, the powerful "Yes I Can" fittingly concludes the LP and would subsequently become Davis' unofficial anthem. As the 11 cuts came from a number of different sessions, there is a noticeable shift between the arrangements of Warren Barkerand Morris Stoloff, when contrasted against Davis' usual collaborators Marty Paich and Morty Stevens (arranger). Barker and Stoloff's "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" had been released two years earlier as Davis' contribution to Guys and Dolls [Reprise Musical Repertory Theater] (1963). Oddly, the interpretation of "Guys and Dolls" included here initially surfaced on Davis' 1964 effort, Shelter of Your Arms. The hodgepodge manner in which If I Ruled the World was compiled may seem trivial to the reader. Listeners, on the other hand, will be immediately struck by the notable disparity in the novelty of the youthful and vibrant "Flash, Bang, Wallop!" to the resplendent orchestration of Jule Styne's achingly tender "Tracey," the only non show-related song on the platter. Even more stylistically incongruous is the aforementioned jazzy and hip interpretation of "Guys and Dolls," one of the unquestionable zeniths. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
