LOS ANGELES (Universal Music) - Two of history's most important saxophonists, Charlie Parker and Gato Barbieri, and two of its most heralded jazz singers,
Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae, join the 20TH CENTURY MASTERS/THE MILLENNIUM COLLECTION series with new "best of" albums on Hip-O/Verve/UMe released August 24, 2004. Each track on each album has been digitally remastered.
THE BEST OF SARAH VAUGHAN focuses on the recordings "Sassy" made for Mercury in the '50s and '60s, many of them hard to find. The dozen selections range from historic jazz performances to popular material that marked her as one of the finest interpreters of song of her time.
Included is her 1959 Top 10 "Broken-Hearted Melody," her classic version of "Misty" and her rare 1954 take on "Honey" plus renditions of standards such as a Gershwin trio of "Someone To Watch Over Me," "I've Got A Crush On You," and "A Foggy Day," and Henry Mancini's "The Days Of Wine And Roses" as well as "Day By Day," "It Could Happen To You," "Hey There," "Please Be Kind" and "Love."
THE BEST OF CARMEN MCRAE finds the singer finally breaking through in the latter '50s on the Decca and Kapp labels. Among the dozen selections, her "Happy To Make Your Acquaintance" duet with Sammy Davis Jr. debuts on CD.
Other highlights include "Something To Live For," with Duke Ellington co-writer Billy Strayhorn on piano; pop jewels from "Good Morning Heartache" to Rodgers & Hart's "My Funny Valentine," and her interpretations of "Oh Yes, I Remember Clifford" and "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square." McRae also puts her stamp on "I Only Have Eyes For You," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "When I Fall In Love," "My Romance," "Exactly Like You" and "My Foolish Heart."
THE BEST OF CHARLIE PARKER brings together 12 classics by "Bird," one of the most influential names in jazz and American music in general, from the heart of the great artist's career, his work for Verve, and from sessions that included as sidemen fellow jazz legends Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. The collection ranges from 1947's "The Bird" through "My Little Suede Shoes" and "Loverman" to his 1953 reprise of his immortal "Now's The Time." The sax giant is heard with small and big jazz ensembles as well as on "Just Friends" and "Repetition" from the legendary '50s sessions that resulted in CHARLIE PARKER WITH STRINGS. The remaining tracks are "Bloomdido," "K.C. Blues," "Star Eyes," "She Rote," "Autumn In New York" and "Confirmation."
THE BEST OF GATO BARBIERI is also the best of Latin/jazz/pop fusion of the late '70s. Among its 10 selections from the Argentinian's charming, romantic A&M albums are full album versions of Carlos Santana's "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)," Herb Alpert's "Behind The Rain," a cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" and "Fiesta," all from Barbieri's 1976's LP CALIENTE! 1978's RUBY, RUBY yields "Sunride," "Ruby" and "Ngiculela/Es Una Historia/I Am Singing." That same year's TROPICO contributes "She Is Michelle," "Latin Lady" and "Poinciana (Song Of The Tree)."
The series 20TH CENTURY MASTERS/THE MILLENNIUM COLLECTION, featuring new "best of" albums from the most significant music artists of the past century, is the most successful single artist series in music history.
