THIS IS LUCY REED - COMPLETE
RECORDINGS 1950-1957 (2 LP ON 2 CD) + BONUS TRACKS
Personnel:
Lucy Reed (vcl), Art Farmer (tp), Jimmy Cleveland (tb),
Tommy Mitchell (b-tb), Romeo Penque (fl, Engh), Sol Schlinger (b-cl, bs), Bill
Evans, Dick Marx, Don Abney, Gil Evans, Eddie Higgins (p), Howard Collins, John
Gray (g), Bob Carter, Johnny Frigo, Bill Pemberton (b), Sol Gubin, George
Russell (d), Harry Lookofsky (vln), Jack English (arr)
Reference: FSRCD
928_2
Lucy (Lucille) Reed (1921-1998) began her singing career
with Woody Herman in 1949. Later she joined Charlie Ventura’s big band and did
some radio and TV work in Chicago. In 1951 she was chosen to represent Chicago
in the Miss Television contest—she was regarded as a fine prospect by bookers
and record people as the beautiful girl who had charmed listeners at the
Chicago Streamliner and other local clubs during the early Fifties.
Her basic vocal quality was never strikingly full-ranged or
tonally opulent, but her taste and musicianship were of such imaginative
flexibility that she surpassed a many other nightclub singers more generously gifted
by nature. Her skillful phrasing, based on her tender care for lyrics and her
subtle beat, made her a singer of quiet distinction.
This set is valuable in many ways, mainly thanks to Lucy
Reed’s ungimmicky, genuinely emotional singing, but also to the sympathetic
backing of groups led by such jazz luminaries as Bill Evans, Dick Marx, George
Russell, Gil Evans, and Eddie Higgins.
This is a collection of out-of-the-way melodies, done with
distinction, fire and individuality by a singer who may have possessed too much
innate “feel” for lyrics and honesty in delivery ever to have had a hit record,
but who nevertheless won many enthusiastic listeners with these albums.
Tracklisting:
CD 1
01. There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York
(Gershwin-Gershwin-Heyward) 2:28
02. Fools Fall In Love (Irving Berlin) 3:21
03. Baltimore Oriole (Carmichael-Webster) 4:54
04. Out of This World (Arlen-Mercer) 3:46
05. You May Not Love Me (Van Heusen-Burke) 3:42
06. No Moon At All (Evans-Mann) 1:54
07. Inchworm (Frank Loesser) 2:52
08. Tabby the Cat (Dickinson-Gibeling) 1:52
09. That’s How I Love the Blues (Blane-Martin) 3:21
10. My Time of Day (Frank Loesser) 2:35
11. My Love Is a Wanderer (Bart Howard) 2:50
12. Little Girl Blue (Rodgers-Hart) 3:41
13. Because We’re Kids (Frederick Hollander) 2:48
14. It’s All Right with Me (Cole Porter) 4:19
15. It’s a Lazy Afternoon (Moross-LaTouche) 3:37
16. Flying Down to Rio (Kahn-Eliscu-Youmans) 2:12
17. Nothing At All (John Frigo) 2:51
CD 2
01. Born to Blow the Blues (Segal-Russell) 4:41
02. This Is New (Gershwin-K.Weill) 3:55
03. In the Wee Small Hours (of the Morning) (Hilliard-Mann)
4:19
04. There He Goes (Jack English) 2:50
05. Love for Sale (Cole Porter) 4:26
06. A Trout, No Doubt (Kadison-Howell) 2:37
07. No Moon At All (Evans-Mann) 2:14
08. Lucky to Be Me (Bernstein-Comden-Green) 2:27
09. St. Louis Blues (W.C.Handy) 3:25
10. Easy Come, Easy Go (Heyman-Green) 4:55
11. Little Boy Blue (Eugene Field) 2:54
12. You Don’t Know What Love Is (Raye-DePaul) 4:02
13. You’ve Got a Date with the Blues (Jane Feather) 3:08
14. My Flaming Heart (Brodszky-Robin) 3:03
15. Please Mr. Right Man (Watts-Trace-Herman) 3:04
16. Tantalazing Melody (Trace-Hettel-Trace) 2:54
17. A Night Is Dark (Stu Watson) 2:37
18. Au Revoir (Maddox-Behrens) 2:44
Sources CD 1:
Tracks #1,2,4,5,7,
10-16, from “The Singing Reed” (Fantasy 3-212)
Tracks #3,6,8,9,17
from the above sessions, but not included on the original LP configuration.
Sources CD 2:
Tracks #1-12,
from the album “This Is Lucy Reed” (Fantasy 3243)
Track #13, from
Charlie Ventura “Birdland” (RCA Victor NL-46031)
Track #14, from
the 78rpm MGM K11472
Track #15-16,
from the 78 rpm Chance CH-3006
Track #17-18,
from the 78 rpm Chance CH-3019
Lucy Reed, vocals
Personnel on CD 1:
Tracks #1-9: BILL
EVANS Quartet
Bill Evans, piano; Bob Carter, bass; Howard Collins, guitar;
Sol Gubin, drums.
Recorded in New York
City, August 13-15, 1955
Tracks #10-13:
BILL EVANS Duo
Bill Evans, piano; Bob Carter, bass.
Recorded in New York
City, August 13-15, 1955
Tracks #14-17:
DICK MARX—JOHN FRIGO Duo
Dick Marx, piano; Johnny Frigo, bass.
Recorded in Chicago,
probably January 1955
Personnel on CD 2:
Tracks #1-3:
GEORGE RUSSELL Sextet
Art Farmer, trumpet; Romeo Penque, flute & English horn;
Sol Schlinger, bass clarinet & baritone sax; Don Abney, piano; Milt Hinton,
bass; George Russell, drums & arranger.
Recorded in New York
City, January 1957
Tracks #4-7: GIL
EVANS Septet
Jimmy Cleveland, trombone; Tommy Mitchell, bass trombone;
Romeo Penque, alto flute & English horn; David Kurtzer, bassoon; Gil Evans,
piano & arranger; Bill Pemberton, bass; George Russell, drums; Harry
Lookofsky, violin; Jack English, arranger (#4).
Recorded in New York
City, January 1957
Tracks #8-12:
EDDIE HIGGINS Quartet
Eddie Higgins, piano; John Gray, guitar (out on #11); Verne
Rammer, bass (out on #11); William Gaeto, drums (out on #11); Ken Soderblom,
clarinet (added on #9).
Recorded in Chicago,
January 1957
Track #13:
CHARLIE VENTURA and His Orchestra
Ed Bagley, Pete Ventura, Dick Sherman, Rolf Ericson,
trumpets; Billy Byers, Bob Ascher, Jack Hitchcock, trombones; Tommy Mace, oboe;
Harvey Estrin, Andy Cicalese, Al Epstein, flutes; Charlie Ventura, tenor sax;
Ben Ventura, baritone sax; Joe Scusa, piano; Sam Herman, guitar; Jimmy Johnson,
bass; Chick Keeney, drums.
Recorded in New York
City, April 6, 1950
Track #14: LEW
DOUGLAS and His Orchestra
Recorded in Chicago,
February 1953
Tracks #15-16: AL
TRACE and His Orchestra
Recorded in Chicago,
April 1953
Tracks #17-18:
CHUCK SAGLE and His Orchestra
Recorded in Chicago,
July 1954
Original liner notes:
Bill Coss (Metronome) / Nat Hentoff
Fantasy cover art:
B. Brader
Special thanks to our friend Thomas Ludwig
Produced for CD release
by Jordi Pujol
Hi Fi / Mono · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered