MILDRED BAILEY – Mrs. Swing (2003) 4CD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This four-CD set from England's Proper label is one of the great music bargains of the era; priced just right, it encompasses 101 sides recorded by swing-era songstress Mildred Bailey between 1929 and 1942. From the earliest sides, accompanied by members of Paul Whiteman's orchestra (led by guitarist Eddie Lang with Hoagy Carmichael sitting in on piano as well as providing the song "What Kind O' Man Is You") and the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, right up through her last Columbia sessions with her husband Red Norvo, the sound is excellent. The state-of-the-art remastering brings out all of the detail right down to the rhythm instruments, and it lends Bailey's voice a special richness and intimacy. Each disc is separately titled, using a representative song of the period from the selection, and there's a nicely thorough booklet complete with sessionography accompanying the slipcased set. Bruce Eder     Tracklist & Credits :