BEA WAIN - That's How I Love the Blues : The Complete Recordings Vol.2 (2003) Mp3

 On the second of three CDs that reissue the solo recordings that singer Bea Wain made after her successful period with Larry Clinton, she is heard on 25 selections that were formerly quite rare. Wain is generally backed by medium-size groups that are jazzy and arranged by Walter Gross. The music swings and is high-quality middle-of-the-road pop music of the era. What uplifts the performances above the average are the highly expressive yet subtle interpretations of Wain, who has been greatly underrated (and often overlooked) ever since the end of the swing era. While the vocalist is still best known for her hits (particularly "My Reverie") with Larry Clinton's band, she was still in her early twenties when most of these solo sides were cut and she was continuing to grow as a singer. In addition to 19 selections from 1939-1941, she is heard on a remake of "My Reverie" with Vaughn Monroe's orchestra in 1940, singing "You Made Me Love You" in 1947, and on four V-Discs (two formerly unissued) with the Ellis Larkins Trio. This valuable set fills in a major gap in reissue programs and should help Bea Wain to be recognized as one of the best singers of the period. by Scott Yanow