A Centenary Celebration [Box set]

Adelaide Hall was a great singer of the twentieth century; and she deserves to be remembered more than she is. This excellent two CD set gives us a whopping fifty-two (yes, fifty-two) tracks from her recording career.

The first CD starts with "Creole Love Call;" Adelaide sings this to perfection. Her voice, clear as a bell, stuns me with its beauty. Listen for that great horn solo, too! "Minnie The Moocher" gets a brief spoken intro from Adelaide; and she delivers this just like the pro she always was! The male backup chorus bolsters her performance, too. I predict that you will enjoy "Minnie The Moocher" very much. Moreover, Adelaide sings "I Got Rhythm" flawlessly; the arrangement for the piano accompaniment works wonders for "I Got Rhythm," too.

"Drop Me Off In Harlem" sports a much more big band style of melody; and Adelaide makes this number sound fresh and new as if you've never heard it before! This sweet ode to the nightlife of Harlem in the early decades of the twentieth century seems custom-tailored especially for Adelaide. Wow. "I'm In The Mood For Love" features Adelaide singing a rarely heard opening verse; and Adelaide never misses a beat! The piano accompaniment couldn't be better, either--"I'm In The Mood For Love" is THAT good.

"I Can't Give You Anything But Love" has Adelaide singing sweetly with an organ to accompany her fine vocals; and the second CD continues the hits. "Deep Purple" gets the royal treatment from Adelaide as she sings this with great sensitivity; and Adelaide gives a fantastic performance of "The Lady Is A Tramp." Listen for that great piano on "The Lady Is A Tramp," too. "Begin The Beguine" has Adelaide Hall singing her heart out; and the percussion with the piano enhances the Latin style arrangement for "Begin The Beguine." Great!

For a number with a strong Latin beat, listen for Adelaide Hall to bat "I Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)" straight out of the ballpark! I'm sure Carmen Miranda was jealous of Adelaide's rendition. SMILE "As Time Goes By" features Adelaide Hall's excellent vocals to make this classic love ballad all her own! Love those strings on "As Time Goes By," too. In addition, "It's Been A Long, Long Time" features Adelaide's clear as a bell voice so sweetly singing out this beautiful love ballad. "Old Folks At Home (Swanee River)" features Adelaide's strong voice making this ballad seem operatic in her competent care. Great!

The liner notes include a fine, informative essay by Geoff Wilding; and we get the song credits and recording dates, too.

Adelaide Hall truly IS music history. We are much better off for Adelaide sharing her incredible talents with us; and I can only hope that she will be remembered even more fondly in the future years. Adelaide Hall truly remains one of the most accomplished singers of the entire twentieth century.

I was aware of some of Adelaide Hall's recordings, particularly with Duke Ellington, Mills Blue Rhythm Band, Willie Lewis, and Fats Waller, but this compilation from Avid came as a relevation. The first CD concentrates on the prewar years, and includes in addition to those bands listed above, seven recordings made in London in 1931 with piano accompaniment by Joe Turner and Francis Carter, and four from mid-1932 with Art Tatum and Francis Carter. It concludes with a rare promotional record for the German theatre where she was appearing in the revue "Black And White".

The second CD is concerned with recordings made in London during the war years (1939-1945), and features such varied accompaniments as Fela Sowanda (Wurlitzer organ), Jay Wilbur, and Phil Geen, and concludes with two ENSA recordings (one accompanied by the British Band of the AEF conducted by RSM George Melachrino) which reflect Adelaide's participation in entertaining the troops.

This is a superb compilation, beautifully presented and packaged, at a bargain price which beggars belief (as does the New and Used set on offer!).

The CD is Wonderful and arrived quick and in Great condition. Would buy from again.