JO STAFFORD — Autumn in New York + Starring Jo Stafford (1997) RM | MONO | Serie Two On One (5), EMI 100 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 

Autumn in New York/Starring Jo Stafford, a Capitol/EMI twofer collection released in 1997, includes 24 tracks of exceptional material by one of vocal music's underrated performers. Though the dates on the CD list Autumn in New York and Starring Jo Stafford as originally 1955 LP releases, it's much more likely from the artwork and material that these are 78-rpm catalogue sets from at least several years earlier. On the first, Stafford reprises 12 hits from Broadway shows, led by the title song. Fortunately, there's plenty of the dreamy, inspirational material she usually excelled at, including "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "Some Enchanted Evening," and "Almost Like Being in Love." The second LP in the package, Starring Jo Stafford, has several dated novelties -- "On the Alamo," "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," "Red River Valley" -- and a dominating vocal chorus (either the Starlighters or the Pied Pipers). Even here, though, Stafford's warm voice and elegant sense of swing saves the few standards present. "Fools Rush In," "Day by Day," and "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song" are wonderfully done, and even "The Gentleman Is a Dope" -- a female translation of "The Lady Is a Tramp" -- gets a classic treatment. There isn't much hit material here, but fans of Stafford who just want to hear her voice doing material they haven't heard will be well-pleased. John Bush  
Tracklist :
1 Autumn in New York 2:41
Vernon Duke
Jo Stafford, feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
2 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes 2:47
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
3 Haunted Heart 2:45
Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz 
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
4 If I Loved You 2:58
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
5 In the Still of the Night  2:42
Cole Porter
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
6 Some Enchanted Evening 3:14
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
7 Just One of Those Things 2:42
Cole Porter
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
8 Almost Like Being in Love 2:59
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
9 Make Believe 2:28
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
10 Through the Years 2:40
Edward Heyman / Vincent Youmans
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
11 The Best Things in Life Are Free 2:24
Lew Brown / Buddy DeSylva / Ray Henderson
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
12 Sometimes I'm Happy 3:12
Irving Caesar / Vincent Youmans
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
13 Serenade of the Bells 2:57
Al Goodhart / Kay Twomey
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra / The Pied Pipers / The Starlighters
14 On the Alamo 2:58
Isham Jones / Gus Kahn
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra
15 No Other Love 3:01
Bob Russell / Paul Weston
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra / The Pied Pipers / The Starlighters
16 Red River Valley 2:47
Paul Weston
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra / The Pied Pipers / The Starlighters
17 Ivy 2:54
Hoagy Carmichael
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra / The Pied Pipers / The Starlighters
18 Fools Rush In 3:08
Rube Bloom / Johnny Mercer
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra / The Pied Pipers / The Starlighters
19 A Sunday Kind of Love 2:52
Barbara Belle / Anita Leonard / Louis Prima / Stan Rhodes
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra / The Pied Pipers / The Starlighters
20 The Gentleman Is a Dope 2:46
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra / The Pied Pipers / The Starlighters
21 Symphony 2:30
Alex Alstone / Roger Bernstein / Jack Lawrence / André Tabet
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra / The Pied Pipers / The Starlighters
22 Tumbling Tumbleweeds 2:51
Bob Nolan
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra / The Pied Pipers / The Starlighters
23 You Keep Coming Back Like a Song 2:50
Irving Berlin
Jo Stafford feat: Paul Weston & His Orchestra / The Pied Pipers / The Starlighters

JO STAFFORD - American Folk Songs (1962-2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Jo Stafford was one of the few Swing-era popular singers who was able to communicate the homespun beauty of the American folk idiom. Not surprisingly, since she always brought a Midwestern serenity, even a devotional quality, to just about everything she sang, even the most soaring big-band numbers. In this, she is reminiscent of the great Wagnerian soprano Kirstin Flagstad, who also brought a restrained, serene delivery to highly emotional material. AMERICAN FOLK SONGS, from 1950, benefits from the highly musical, Copland-like arrangments by Stafford's husband and long-time musical partner, Paul Weston. Judy Collins once said that she decided to become a folk singer herself after hearing "Barbara Allen" from this album for the first time. That would be a high recommendation, if nothing else. Richard Mortifoglio
Tracklist:
1 Shenandoah 3:38
Traditional
2 Black Is the Color 2:58
Traditional

3 Old Joe Clark 1:43

Traditional

4 Wayfaring Stranger 3:02

Traditional

5 Barbara Allen 2:57

Traditional

6 Single Girl 2:14

Traditional

7 Red Rosey Bush 2:56

Traditional

8 I Wonder as I Wander 3:07

Traditional

9 Cripple Creek 1:30

Traditional

10 The Nightingale 3:26

Traditional

11 Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier 2:52

Traditional

12 Sourwood Mountain 1:46

Traditional

Credits:

Conductor – Paul Weston  (tracks: 1-12)

Vocals - Jo Stafford 

JO STAFFORD - Jo + Jazz (1960-1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The closest Stafford ever came to being a jazz singer. This early '60s release had instrumental touches and a jazz tone, and Stafford sang with more energy and less gimmickry. by Ron Wynn
Tracklist :
1     Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me) 2:57
Duke Ellington / Lee Gaines
2     For You 2:55
Joe Burke / Al Dubin
3     Midnight Sun 4:37
Sonny Burke / Lionel Hampton / Johnny Mercer
4     You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To 3:23
Cole Porter
5     The Folks Who Live on the Hill 3:32
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
6     I Didn't Know About You 3:30
Duke Ellington / Bob Russell
7     (What Can I Say) After I Say I'm Sorry? 3:08
Walter Donaldson / Abe Lyman
8     Dream of You 2:47
Jimmie Lunceford / Michael Morales
9     Imagination 3:49
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
10     S'posin' 2:48
Paul Denniker / Andy Razaf
11     Day Dream 4:27
Duke Ellington / John Latouche / Billy Strayhorn
12     I've Got the World on a String 3:38
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
Credits :
Saxophone – Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster
Arranged By – Johnny Mandel
Drums – Mel Lewis
Piano – Jimmy Rowles, Russ Freeman
Trumpet – Conte Candoli, Don Fagerquist, Ray Nance
Vocals – Jo Stafford