The appearance of Beverly Kenney as a guest vocalist at the 1955 Jazz for Israel concert at Carnegie Hall was the beginning of her successful but tragically short career she took her own life at 28. Her arrival was, for most pop buyers and jazz fans, a major event. Considered one of the most intriguing new voices to come since Julie Londons auspicious record debut, she exuded warmth and a sense of humor, taste and tenderness, while her innate jazz pulse won her glowing tributes from jazz critics.
With her lightly husky, attractive voiceand her styleshe gave an impeccably contemporary reading to the standards on her three Royal Roost albums, accompanied by Johnny Smiths group, Ralph Burns orchestra and by the fine support of Jimmy Jones and the Basie-ites.
This set is completed by several intriguing bonus tracks she recorded early in her career, including a demo session with pianist and vocal coach Tony Tamburello recorded just before her major breakthrough, and tracks from a broadcast she did with the trio of Gildo Mahones. In an arresting demonstration of her quality, the set displays not only all her skills as a singer, but also her outstanding musicianship and care for lyrics. Jordi Pujol
CD 1
01. The Surrey with the Fringe on Top (Rodgers-Hammerstein II) 2:09
02. Tis' Autumn (Henry Nemo) 2:29
03. Looking for a Boy (G. & I. Gershwin) 2:19
04. I'll Know My Love (Greensleeves) (Lee Jones-Budy Kaye) 2:34
05. Destination Moon (Roy Alfred-Mark Fisher) 2:21
06. Ball and Chain (Sweet Lorraine) (Cliff Burwell-Michael Parish) 3:02
07. Almost Like Being In Love (Alan J. Lerner-Frederick Loewe) 2:08
08. Stairway to the Stars (Parish-Malneck-Signorelli) 2:46
09. There Will Never Be Another You (Harry Warren-Mack Gordon) 2:12
10. This Little Town Is Paris (Milton Schwartz) 3:10
11. Moe's Blues (Morgana King) 2:16
12. Snuggled on Your Shoulder (Joe Young-Carmen Lombardo) 2:28
13. Give Me the Simple Life (Bloom-Ruby) 2:19
14. I Guess Ill Hang My Tears Out to Dry (Sammy Cahn-Jules Styne) 2:58
15. Trolley Song (Martin-Blane) 1:52
16. Violets for My Furs (Adair-Dennis) 2:53
17. This Can't Be Love (Rodgers-Hart) 1:47
18. Scarlet Ribbons (Segal-Danzig) 1:57
19. If I Were a Bell (Loesser) 2:08
20. Why Try to Change Me Now (Coleman-McCarthy) 3:33
21. Swinging on a Star (Burke-Van Heusen) 3:01
22. You Go to My Head (Gillespie-Coots) 2:38
23. It Ain't Necessarily So (G. & I. Gershwin) 1:32
24. You Make Me Feel So Young (Gordon-Myrow) 2:10
CD 2
01. Nobody Else But Me (Hammerstein-Kern) 3:17
02. The More I See You (Gordon-Warren) 3:03
03. Old Buttermilk Sky (Brooks-Carmichael) 2:43
04. I Never Has Seen Snow (Arlen-Capote) 3:51
05. A Fine Romance (Fields-Kern) 2:52
06. Who Cares What People Say (Jerome-Scholl) 2:34
07. Makin' Whoopee (Donaldson-Kahn) 2:03
08. The Charm of You (Cahn-Styne) 2:31
09. Isn't This a Lovely Day? (Berlin) 3:04
10. Mairzy Doats (Drake-Hoffman-Livingston) 2:46
11. My Kind of Love (Holdeman-Sherman-Trace) 2:25
12. Can't Get Out of this Mood (Loesser-McHugh) 2:46
13. Gay Chicks (Shand-Merrill) 2:24 *
14. Tea for Two (Caesar-Youmans) 2:50 *
15. The Things We Did Last Summer (Cahn-Styne) 2:36 *
16. That's All (Brandt-Haymes) 2:39 *
17. A Foggy Day (I. & G. Gershwin) 1:54 *
18. The Surrey with the Fringe on Top (Rodgers-Hammerstein) 1:50 *
19. Ball and Chain (Sweet Lorraine) (Parish-Burwell) 2:05 *
20. There Will Never Be Another You (Gordon-Warren) 1:35 *
21. Moe's Blues (Morgana King) 1:47 *
22. Snuggled on Your Shoulder (young-Lombardo) 2:07 *
23. Can't Get Out of this Mood [false start] (Loesser-Mchugh) 0:20 *
24. Can't Get Out of this Mood (Loesser-Mchugh) 2:21 *
25. Surrey with the Fringe on Top (Rodgers-Hammerstein) 1:51 *
26. Violets for Your Furs (Adair-Dennis) 2:13 *
27. Mountain Greenery (Rodgers-Hart) 1:31 *
28. Almost Like Being In Love (Loewe-Lerner) 2:05 *
ALBUM DETAILS
(*) Bonus TracksAll Credits :
Friday, August 26, 2022
BEVERLY KENNEY - Complete Royal Roost Recordings (2012) 3LP ON 2CD + BONUS TRACKS | FLAC (tracks), lossless
Thursday, August 25, 2022
BEVERLY KENNEY - Complete Decca Recordings (3LP on 2CD) + Bonus Tracks (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Over fifty years after her death, singer Beverly Kenney (1932-1960) remains a cult figure for her fans around the world. Her career was tragically briefshe took her own life when she was 28. She possessed a sweet, child-like vocal quality and a nuanced, pleasant jazz-styled phrasing that won her favour with both pop and jazz audiences.
On these outstanding Decca sides, recorded few years before her death, she displays the smooth, smart and bittersweet touch that defined her personal style.
In addition to the fine small group performances with front-rank jazzmen and orchestral settings with Ralph Burns and Hal Mooney, this set also includes all the sides she recorded with the Eddie Safranski orchestra for the Sesac publishing and record label. All the critical hosannahs they earned her, however, never quite translated into widespread public acceptance, due, at least in part, to the burgeoning rock & roll movement, which she loathed, even composing a song called I Hate Rock and Roll, which she performed on the Steve Allen TV show on May 18, 1958making the perfect addition to this collection.
The closer of the set is a highly valuable document, taped from a Playboy Penthouse TV show, where she is interviewed by Hugh Hefner and sings with her distinctive sophisticated phrasing and cool jazz sensibility. Jordi Pujol
CD 1
01. Your Love Is My Love (Norman Mapp) 3:07
02. The Magic Touch (Livingston-Evans) 2:23
03. Its Magic (Cahn-Styne) 2:27
04. You're Adorable (The Alphabet Song) (Kaye-Lippman-Wise) 2:30
05. Time Was / It's So Peaceful (Prado-Russell) 3:05 *
06. A Summer Romance (Taylor-Judson) 3:06
07. Try a Little Tenderness (Woods-Campbell-Connelly) 3:12
08. What Is There to Stay (Duke-Harburg) 3:54
09. A Lover Like You (Clements-Judson) 3:27
10. It's a Most Unusual Day (McHugh-Adamson) 1:46
11. You're My Boy (Cahn-Styne) 2:57
12. What's It Like in Paris (Clements-Judson) 3:17
13. Sing a Rainbow (Archer) 3:01
14. Brooklyn Love Song (Kaye-Lippman) 2:55
15. Do It Again (Gershwin-DeSilva) 2:35
16. A Woman's Intuition (Young-Washington) 3:30
17. Life Can Be Beautiful (McHugh-Adamson) 2:57
18. Mama, Do I Gotta? (Mizzy-Curtis) 2:04
19. Again (Newman-Dorcas-Cochran) 2:18
20. Isnt It a Pity (George & Ira Gershwin) 2:32
21. Where Can I Go Without You (Victor Young-Peggy Lee) 2:26
22. Beyond The Next Hill (Haymes-Worth) 2:54
23. You Couldn't Be Cuter (Kern-Fields) 2:22 (+)
24. Born to Be Blue (Wells-Tormé) 3:32
25. I Walk a Little Faster (Coleman-Leigh) 2:51
26. It's a Blue World (Wright-Forrest) 2:19
27. Somewhere Along the Way (Sammy Gallop-Kurt Adams) 3:05
CD 2
01. For All We Know (Coots-Lewis) 3:09
02. It Only Happens When I Dance With You (Irving Berlin) 2:43
03. Vanity (Woods-Manus-Bierman) 2:58
04. Go Away, My Love! (Livingston-Evans) 2:33
05. Undecided (Shavers-Robin) 2:12
06. A Sunday Kind of Love (Bell-Leonard-Rhodes-Primo) 3:31
07. Somebody Else Is Taking My Place (Howard-Ellsworth-Morgan) 2:02
08. I Had the Craziest Dream (Warren-Gordon) 3:21
09. What a Diff'rence a Day Made (Grever-Adams) 2:18
10. Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe (Harold Arlen-E.Y. Harburg) 2:20
11. Tampico (Roberts-Fisher) 2:01
12. Sentimental Journey (Brown-Homer-Green) 2:07
13. Any Old Time (Artie Shaw) 2:35
14. And the Angels Sing (Elman-Mercer) 1:45
15. More Than You Know (Youmans-Rose-Eliscu) 2:39
16. The Dipsy Doodle (Larry Clinton) 1:46
Bonus Tracks (The Sesac sessions):
17. Lonely and Blue (Johnson) 2:38
18. Yours Sincerely (Sivers) 2:35
19. Long, Lean and Lanky (Rudy Toombs) 2:54
20. Too Bad (Washington-McRae) 2:45
21. Too Late to Be Sorry (Washington-McRae) 2:03
22. It's a Mean Old World (Doug Bagby) 2:10
23. Tall, Dark and Handsome (Langworthy) 2:15
24. Let's Try Again (Unknown) 1:59
25. The Stars, the Night, the Moon (Unknown) 2:32
26. That Pyramid Jazz (Zuber-Fields-Panella) 2:16
27. I Hate Rock and Roll (Beverly Kenney) 1:50
28. What Is There to Say (Duke-Harburg) 2:42
Playboys Penthouse TV Show:
29. Interview 0:42
30. Everything Happens to Me (Adair-Dennis) 2:25
31. Interview continues 1:06
32. Mountain Greenery (Rodgers-Hart) 1:38
33. Makin' Whoopee [Duet with Hugh Hefner] (Donaldson-Kahn) 1:51
34. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (Mann-Hilliard) 1:41
Monday, April 25, 2022
BEVERLY KENNEY - Sings For Johnny Smith (1955-1991) RM / MONO / APE (image+.cue), lossless
Beverly Kenney was one of the most promising new jazz singers of the
mid-'50s. Unfortunately, she did not live long and recorded just three
albums as a leader. This particular CD reissue, a quartet date with
guitarist Johnny Smith, pianist Bob Pancoast, bassist Knobby Totah, and
drummer Mousie Alexander, is a real gem, with Kenney heard in top form.
Her version of "Destination Moon" is quite delightful, and other
highlights include "Tis' Autumn," "Almost Like Being in Love," "There
Will Never Be Another You," and "Snuggled on Your Shoulder," even if
"Ball and Chain" (a renamed "Sweet Lorraine") does not quite cut it.
Beverly Kenney had great potential and deserves to be remembered today. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Surrey With The Fringe On Top 2:07
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
2 Tis' Autumn 2:26
H. Nemo
3 Looking For A Boy 2:18
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
4 I'll Know My Love (Greensleeves) 2:31
L. Jones-B. Kaye
5 Destination Moon 2:18
Roy Alfred / M. Fisher
6 Ball & Chain (Sweet Lorraine) 3:00
Burwell-Parish
7 Almost Like Being In Love 2:08
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
8 Stairway To The Stars 2:48
Matty Malneck / Mitchell Parish / Frank Signorelli
9 There Will Never Be Another You 2:09
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
10 This Little Town In Paris 3:05
M. Schwartz
11 Moe's Blues 2:15
M. King
12 Snuggled On Your Shoulder 2:26
Carmen Lombardo / Joe Young
Credits :
Bass – Nabil Totah
Drums – Mousie Alexander
Guitar – Johnny Smith
Piano – Bob Pancoast
Vocals – Beverly Kenney
BEVERLY KENNEY - Come Swing with Me (1956-2003) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Though a singer of uncommon emotional depth, Beverly Kenney could also
cut loose with the best of them, and Come Swing with Me captures an
effervescence and playfulness often absent from her later, more renowned
sessions. Paired with arranger Ralph Burns, who likewise sidesteps his
usual subtle refinement for a lighter, more lively approach, Kenney
retains the thoughtful phrasing and sultry demeanor that are her
signatures, but it's a pleasure to hear her tackle material like "You
Make Me Feel So Young" and "You Go to My Head". by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1 Give Me The Simple Life 2:19
Written By – Bloom-Ruby
2 I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry 2:58
Written By – Cahn-Styne
3 The Trolley Song 1:52
Written By – Martin-Blane
4 Violets For My Furs 2:53
Written By – Adair-Dennis
5 This Can't Be Love 1:46
Written By – Rodgers-Hart
6 Scarlet Ribbons 1:57
Written By – Segal-Danzig
7 If I Were A Bell 2:07
Written By – F.Loesser
8 Why Try To Change Me Now 3:33
Written By – Coleman-McCarthy
9 Swinging On A Star 3:00
Written By – Burke-Van Heusen
10 You Go To My Head 2:37
Written By – Gillespie-Coots
11 It Ain't Necessarily So 1:31
Written By – I.Gershwin-G.Gershwin
12 You Make Me Feel So Young 2:09
Written By – Gordon-Myrow
Credits :
Bass – Milt Hinton
Clarinet – Al Epstein
Drums – Don Lamond, Teddy Sommer
French Horn – Julius Watkins
Guitar – Barry Galbraith, Billy Bauer
Harp – Janet Putnam
Piano – Moe Wechsler
Saxophone – Danny Banks, George Berg, Sam Marowitz
Trombone – Urbie Green
Trumpet – Nick Travis
BEVERLY KENNEY - Snuggled On Your Shoulder (2010) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Snuggled on Your Shoulder assembles the earliest known recordings by the ill-fated jazz chanteuse Beverly Kenney, cut months prior to her discovery by the Dorsey brothers and shelved for more than half a century. The circumstances of the session are largely unknown, although it's probable that Kenney -- accompanied solely by pianist Tony Tamburello -- was cutting demos for an LP that never materialized; the stark simplicity of the approach nevertheless serves her poignant vocals spectacularly, underscoring the bittersweet beauty that is the essence of her craft. Indeed, while not on par with the sheer brilliance of Born to Be Blue or Like Yesterday, Snuggled on Your Shoulder captures Kenney in her natural element, stripped of all pretense and embellishment. by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1 Tea For Two 2:50
Written-By – Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans
2 There Will Never Be Another You 1:35
Written-By – Harry Warren, Mack Gordon
3 The Things We Did Last Summer 2:36
Written-By – Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn
4 Moe's Blues 1:47
Written-By – Morgana King
5 Can't Get Out Of This Mood 2:43
Written-By – Frank Loesser, Jimmy McHugh
6 The Surrey With The Fringe On Top 1:50
Written-By – Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
7 Snuggled On Your Shoulder 2:08
Written-By – Carmen Lombardo, Joe Young
8 That's All 2:39
Written-By – Alan Brandt, Bob Haymes
9 Ball And Chain (Sweet Lorraine) 2:07
Written-By – Cliff Burwell, Mitchell Parish
10 A Foggy Day 1:55
Written-By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
11 Gay Chicks 2:25
Written-By – Bob Merrill, Terry Shand
- Bonus Tracks -
12. Violets for Your Furs 2:26
13. Mountain Greenery 1:57
14. Almost Like Being in Love 4:53
Credits :
Piano – Tony Tamburello (tracks: 1 to 10)
Vocals – Beverly Kenney 
BEVERLY KENNEY - What Is There To Say? (2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist :
1 What Is There To Say? 2:42
2 I Hate Rock And Roll 1:53
3 The Surrey With The Fringe On Top 2:31
4 Makin' Whoopee 1:39
5 The More I See You 2:36
6 Taking A Chance On Love 1:09
7 Swing And Sway 2:38
8 Charleston Fling 2:49
9 I'm Ready For Tthe Show 2:14
10 Tappin' Out A Merry Beat 2:24
- Bonus Tracks -
11 I Don't Believe In Love 2:47
12 Interview 2:07
Credits :
Piano – Roland Hanna
Vocals – Beverly Kenney
Bass - Vinnie Burke
Drums - Specs Powell
Orchestra - The Skitch Henderson Orchestra
Thursday, July 9, 2020
BEVERLY KENNEY - Sings with Jimmy Jones & the Basie-ites (1956-1989) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Beverly Kenney, one of the most interesting jazz singers of the mid-'50s, led just three albums in her brief career. This set, reissued by the Spanish Fresh Sound label, teams Kenney with pianist Jimmy Jones, four then-current members of Count Basie's band (trumpeter Joe Newman, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, rhythm guitarist Freddie Green, and bassist Eddie Jones), plus former Basie-ite Jo Jones on drums. The light but swinging backing is perfect for Kenney, who excels on such songs as "Nobody Else But Me," "A Fine Romance," "Isn't This a Lovely Day," and "Can't Get Out of This Mood." She deserves to be remembered. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Nobody Else But Me 3:23
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
2 The More I See You 3:08
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
3 Old Buttermilk Sky 2:45
Shelton Brooks / Hoagy Carmichael
4 I Never Has Seen Snow 3:50
Harold Arlen / Truman Capote
5 A Fine Romance 2:54
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
6 Who Cares What People Say 2:35
M.K. Jerome / Jack Scholl
7 Makin' Whoopee 2:05
Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn
8 The Charm of You 2:28
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
9 Isn't This a Lovely Day? 3:15
Irving Berlin
10 Mairzy Doats 2:44
Milton Drake / Al Hoffman / Jerry Livingston
11 My Kind of Love 2:25
Charles Holdeman
12 Can't Get Out of This Mood 2:47
Frank Loesser / Jimmy McHugh
Credits:
Bass – Eddie Jones
Drums – Jo Jones
Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Frank Wess
Piano – Jimmy Jones
Rhythm Guitar – Freddie Green
Trumpet – Joe Newman
Vocals – Beverly Kenney
BEVERLY KENNEY - Sings for Playboys (1958-1999) RM / MONO / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Beverly Kenney had a tragically brief life, committing suicide in 1960 when she was just 28, probably over a broken love affair. A subtle improviser with a haunting voice and a real skill for interpreting lyrics, she had six albums released during her lifetime. Sings for Playboys, despite its lightweight title, is one of her finest efforts. Accompanied by just pianist Ellis Larkins (who doubles on celeste) and bassist Joe Benjamin, Kenney digs into a dozen songs, only five of which could qualify as standards. While she brings new life to such tunes as "A Woman's Intuition" and "Try a Little Tenderness," she performs definitive versions of such forgotten numbers as "You're My Boy," "Life Can Be Beautiful," and "It's a Most Unusual Day." The music alternates between ballads and lightly swinging pieces with Larkins being a perfect accompanist for Kenney, who is heard throughout at her most expressive. The Japanese have rediscovered Beverly Kenney during the past decade; she's long overdue for American recognition. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Do It Again 2:36
Buddy DeSylva / George Gershwin
2 A Woman's Intuition 3:31
Ned Washington / Victor Young
3 You're My Boy 2:58
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
4 Mama, Do I Gotta? 2:05
Manny Kurtz / Victor Mizzy
5 What is There To Say? 3:54
Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
6 A Lover Like You 3:28
Otis Clements / Lester Judson
7 A Summer Romance 3:06
Lester Judson / Raymond Taylor
8 Life Can Be Beautiful 2:57
Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh
9 It's Magic 2:28
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
10 A-You're Adorable 2:30
Buddy Kaye / Sidney Lippman / Fred Wise
11 Try a Little Tenderness 3:12
Jimmy Campbell / Reginald Connelly / Harry Woods
12 It's a Most Unusual Day 1:47
Jimmy McHugh
Credits:
Bass – Joe Newman
Piano – Ellis Larkins
Vocals – Beverly Kenney
BEVERLY KENNEY - Born to Be Blue (1955-1999) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Born to Be Blue captures Beverly Kenney at her most intimate and compelling. Created in collaboration with arrangers Hal Mooney and Charles Albertine, the music channels the emotional depth of the blues with startling clarity, employing Kenney's deep, commanding vocals to vividly poignant effect. Mooney and Albertine forgo excess and sentimentality in favor of stark simplicity, architecting taut modern jazz contexts that shift the spotlight squarely on Kenney's vocals. Her readings of familiar songs like "For All We Know" are forged from both resiliency and vulnerability, articulating an emotional depth matched by few singers of her era. [This is the 2007 Universal reissued of the LP; an import-only Japanese CD was released in 1999.] by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist:
1 Born To Be Blue 3:28
Written By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
3 For All We Know 3:06
Written By – J.Fred Coots, Sam Lewis
4 It Only Happens When I Dance With You 2:41
Written By – Irving Berlin
5 Again 3:15
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Cochran, Dorcas, Lionel Newman
6 I Walk A Little Faster 2:50
Written By – Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman
7 Go Away,My Love! 2:30
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
8 Beyond The Next Hill 2:51
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Bob Haymes, Bobby Woeth
9 It's A Blue World 2:18
Written By – Bob Wright, Chet Forrest
10 Vanity 2:56
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Bierman, Manus, Wood
11 Somewhere Along The Way 3:02
Written By – Kurt Adams, Sammy Gallop
12 Where Can I Go Without You 2:24
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Peggy Lee, Victor Young
Credits:
BEVERLY KENNEY - Like Yesterday (1960-1999) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
With Like Yesterday, Beverly Kenney updates a series of pop standards with a formula rooted in the archly modern sound of Eisenhower-era jazz. Experienced decades after the fact, the album boasts a timelessness that renders its basic conceits of time and place moot, especially given that the fierce intelligence of Kenney's phrasing and the sultry depth of her vocals contrast so sharply with the Doris Day stereotypes associated with the period in question. Backed by a small but exemplary supporting cast including guitarist Chuck Wayne and reedist Jerome Richardson, Kenney eschews embellishment and excess in favor of lean, taut arrangements that emphasize emotional context, Her readings of familiar songs like "More Than You Know" and "A Sunday Kind of Love" possess a startling intimacy. by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist:
