BLACK COFFEE  -  PEGGY LEE

YEAR:  1956
LABEL:  Decca
TRACK LISTING:  Black Coffee,  I've Got You Under My Skin,  Easy Living,  My Heart Belongs To Daddy,  It Ain't Necessarily So,  Gee Baby (Ain't I Good To You),  A Woman Alone With the Blues,  I Didn't Know What Time It Was,  (Ah the Apple Tree) When th World Was Young,  Love Me or Leave Me,  You're My Thrill,  There's a Small Hotel
IMPRESSIONS:  Torch songs, torchy torchy songs.  Peggy Lee is uniquely qualified to sing those as well as the gently swinging selections paired with them on this album.  Not too shabby a way to launch her first solo album.  Also, this is one of Joni Mitchell's favourite albums; not surprisingly Joni opened her 2000 album of torch songs "BOTH SIDES NOW" with "You're My Thrill" which appears on this LP.  Lee's version of this song is breath-takingly noirish and the singer fearlessly refuses to hurry her delivery of the song.  A completely different delivery is found in the waltzing "There's a Small Hotel" which features an arrangement that perhaps has a little too much sugar in the coffee; however, such an approach is appropriate to the song and any cloying sweetness is dispelled when the combo occasionally breaks out into a jazzy, swinging tempo.  Will Friedwald names this album as one of his "desert island discs" in his book "JAZZ SINGING" and one can easily see why.       
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Black Coffee,  I've Got You Under My Skin,  My Heart Belongs To Daddy,  It Ain't Necessarily So,  Gee Baby (Ain't I Good To You),  A Woman Alone With the Blues,  I Didn't Know What Time It Was,  You're My Thrill     
FACT SHEET:  BLACK COFFEE is Peggy Lee's first album released in 1953 as a ten-inch containing only the first 8 songs.  In 1956, Decca requested Lee record 4 more songs in order to release the album again in the 12 inch LP format.  Lee had been featured on recordings since 1941 as singer with the Benny Goodman Orchestra and also on various 78s and 45s.  The original 1953 sessions were recorded on April 30, May 1 and May 4 at Decca's New York City studio on West 57th Street featuring Pete Candoli on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Max Wayne on bass and Ed Shaughessy on drums.  The 4-song additions were recorded on April 3, 1956 at Decca's Hollywood studios with different musicians:  Lou Levy on piano, Buddy Clark on bass, Larry Bunker on drums and percussion, Stella Castelluci on harp and Bill Pitman on guitar.   
   

COMMENTARY! THE MUSICAL  -  Various Artists

YEAR:  2010
LABEL:  Dr. Horrible
TRACK LISTING:  Commentary - Ensemble,  Where Did It Come From (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Strike! - The Writers,  And You Are? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Ten Dollar Solo - Stacy Shirk & Neil Patrick Harris,  Was It Something I Said? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Better Than Neil - Nathan Fillion,  What Are You Trying To Say There? - Ensemble,  The Art - Felicia Day,  The Rap - Zack Whedon,  How's It Goin'? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Moist - Simon Helberg,  Can't We All Just Hug? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Ninja Ropes - Jed Whedon, Nathan Fillion & Neil Patrick Harris,  Aren't You Guys Forgetting Something? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  All About Me - The Bit Players,  What Do You Mean? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Nobody's Asian in the Movies - Maurissa Tancharoen,  Isn't Your Dad a Transpo Guy? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Heart Broken - Joss Whedon,  Guys? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Neil's Turn - Neil Patrick Harris,  Commentary (Reprise) - Ensemble,  Steve's Song - Steve Berg
IMPRESSIONS:  DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG is a tremendous amount of fun.  If it's possible, the commentary track may be even MORE fun!  After the movie itself became a hit online and it was time for the DVD to come out, the writers and cast got together to make a commentary track -- but no ordinary commentary.  This one was a musical in itself with an entirely new group of songs taking the place of the normal commentary track.  I just may even like the commentary musical a little bit more than the movie musical itself.  How is this possible?  Well, the razor-sharp wit and catchy song-writing is all here in spades.  As a matter of fact, in probably one of the most improbable events, the commentary track itself was also released as an album called COMMENTARY! THE MUSICAL.  Incredible!  A strong piece of musical theatre in its own right.  Who'da thunk it?!?
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Commentary - Ensemble,  Ten Dollar Solo - Stacy Shirk & Neil Patrick Harris,  Better Than Neil - Nathan Fillion,  The Rap - Zack Whedon,  Ninja Ropes - Jed Whedon, Nathan Fillion & Neil Patrick Harris,  All About Me - The Bit Players,  Nobody's Asian in the Movies - Maurissa Tancharoen,  Neil's Turn - Neil Patrick Harris,  Commentary (Reprise) - Ensemble,  Steve's Song - Steve Berg
FACT SHEET:  COMMENTARY! THE MUSICAL is the album release of the actual commentary track of the DVD release DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG.  Literally. 

DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG  -  Various Artists

YEAR:  2008
LABEL:  Dr. Horrible
TRACK LISTING:  Horrible Theme - Instrumental,  My Freeze Ray - Neil Patrick Harris,  Bad Horse Chorus - Jed Whedon, Joss Whedon & Zack Whedon,  Caring Hands - Felicia Day,  A Man's Gotta Do  -  Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day & Nathan Fillion,  My Eyes -  Felicia Day & Neil Patrick Harris,  Bad Horse Chorus (Reprise) - Jed Whedon, Joss Whedon & Zack Whedon,  Penny's Song - Felicia Day,  Brand New Day - Neil Patrick Harris,  So They Say - Ensemble,  Everyone's a Hero - Nathan Fillion,  Slipping - Neil Patrick Harris,  Everything You Ever - Neil Patrick Harris,  Horrible Credits - Instrumental
IMPRESSIONS:  Devoted viewers of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (of which I wasn't) are quite familiar with Joss Whedon's ability for writing musicals via the celebrated "ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING" episode which I thought was terrific.  However, DR. HORRIBLE's all-out free-for-all is even more fun.  The show itself is laugh-out-loud funny while the songs are silly and witty.
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Horrible Theme - Instrumental,  My Freeze Ray - Neil Patrick Harris,  Bad Horse Chorus - Jed Whedon, Joss Whedon & Zack Whedon,  My Eyes - Felicia Day & Neil Patrick Harris,  Brand New Day - Neil Patrick Harris,  So They Say - Ensemble,  Slipping - Neil Patrick Harris,  Everything You Ever - Neil Patrick Harris
FACT SHEET:  DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG is the soundtrack album of the 3-part made-for-the-internet series by Joss Whedon made during the writers' strike of 2008.  The show was co-written by Joss Whedon, his brothers Jed & Zack and writer/actress Maurissa Tancharoen (who plays "Groupie #1" in the film).  Joss Whedon self-financed the project for approximately $200,000.  The soundtrack album reached the top 40 despite being available only as an online download at the time of release.