About this Artist

• Biography
• Interview

Editorial Reviews

The six albums Rosemary Clooney recorded between 1980 and 1990 in honor of great American songwriters are the closest things we have had in recent times to Ella Fitzgerald's monumental "songbook" series of the 1950s. If Clooney's project doesn't quite match Fitzgerald's, no great shame -- what could? But on their own exquisite terms, Clooney's albums -- collected here in box set form -- are among the finest vocal recordings of the past four decades. The material can't be topped: composers Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, and Richard Rodgers, and lyricists Ira Gershwin and Johnny Mercer are all given their due, with Clooney interpreting some of their most durable songs in her inimitable way. An unparalleled interpreter of lyrics, Clooney brings songs alive, making older gems sparkle in the here-and-now. Brilliantly produced, each album finds the seasoned vocalist in the company of major jazz players: Dave McKenna, Scott Hamilton, Warren Vaché, and Gus Johnson among them. Clooney has never claimed to be a jazz singer, but with her sure and spirited sense of swing, she more than holds her own alongside these instrumentalists. Great songs, great singing, great playing --- a class production all around. William Pearl, Barnes & Noble

Customer Reviews

• Listener Rating: