HELEN FORREST – The Complete Helen Forrest with Harry James (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Helen Forrest spent more time and made more recordings with bandleaders Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman, but her two-year tenure with Harry James (1941-43, resulting in only 19 cuts) had the biggest impact on her career. Seven of those 19 tracks made the Top Ten -- "I Had the Craziest Dream," "I've Heard That Song Before," "I Don't Want to Walk Without You," "Mister Five by Five," "I Heard You Cried Last Night," "He's My Guy," and "Manhattan Serenade." No wonder that, as Forrest prepared to launch a solo career in 1943, she was ranked as the top female band vocalist in several polls. Except for a string of duets with fellow James band veteran Dick Haymes that ran through 1946, Forrest's solo career didn't pan out, but her work with James, the big hits, some smaller ones, and some interesting obscurities, confirms that she deserved the accolades. She came into James' band shortly before Pearl Harbor, when the country was already arming for World War II, and the material often reflects the national situation, whether explicitly in numbers like "He's 1-A in the Army and He's A-1 in My Heart," "That Soldier of Mine," and "My Beloved Is Rugged," or in the wistfulness of "I Don't Want to Walk Without You." Forrest captures the conflicting moods of the war, sometimes sounding proud, loyal, and affectionate, sometimes sad and lonely. Though her voice is showcased in the arrangements, this is still big band music, and bandleader James is very much in evidence with his signature trumpet sound. Maybe a singer so closely associated with her time couldn't transcend it to succeed in the post-war era, but the recordings continue to evoke that period perfectly. William Ruhlmann    Tracklist & Credits

HELEN FORREST - The Complete Helen Forrest with Benny Goodman (2001) 3xCD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 

Appearing with Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and Harry James during the late '30s and early '40s, Helen Forrest became one of the most popular swing era singers -- even vocal authority Mel Tormé named her his favorite, male or female. Though her voice wasn't quite as clear as Doris Day's, Forrest was an excellent interpreter, and her sweet vocals proved a solid foil for the Benny Goodman band during 1940 and half of 1941. Collectors' Choice compiled her complete appearances with Goodman on three discs, though they're hardly overloaded at 55 tracks total. The package makes for a lot of great material, including her biggest hits while there, "How High the Moon" and "I Can't Love You Any More (Any More Than I Do)," the latter recorded with top swing guitarist Charlie Christian. Also featured is a previously unreleased track featuring Goodman's own competent vocal (reminiscent of Hoagy Carmichael) on "Jenny." by John Bush