Jimmy Durante (4)

JIMMY DURANTE - SEPTEMBER SONG (1963)

Shared by Jon. Thank you very much.

1.September Song
2.Look Ahead Little Girl
3.Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)  
4.When the Circus Leaves Town
5.I Believe
6.Young at Heart  
7.Don't Lose Your Sense of Humor
8.You'll Never Walk Alone
9.One Room Home
10.Bluebird of Happiness

After decades of novelty and comedy recordings, film roles and television work, Jimmy Durante was invited into the studio to record a "serious" album of standards and originals. Durante himself was uncertain about the project, but the resulting album was in every way a success. It was Durante's only album to enter the Top 40, and the title track made Billboard's Top Pop 100. Mixing Durante's utterly unique voice with lush strings and a vocal chorus, September Song is a left-field masterpiece full of wistful and affecting performances. Durante was by no means a technically accomplished vocalist, but he negotiated the sessions with aplomb and created a piece of work very different from, but just as charming as, the comedy that had made him a star. -- allmusic.com

JIMMY DURANTE'S WAY OF LIFE (1965)

Shared by Jon. Thanks a lot.

1.A Way of Life
2.My Wish
3.As Time Goes By
4.Make Someone Happy
5.I'll Be Seeing You
6.When Day Is Done           
7.When I Lost You
8.If I Had You
9.Once to Every Heart
10.I'll See You in My Dreams

OK I'll admit one would never associate Jimmy Durante with the lush, soaring strings of the great Gordon Jenkins orchestrations, much less GREAT singing, but Ol' Schnozzola does just exactly that on this handful of heartfelt ballads, each one dripping with beauty. The pairing of Jenkins with Durante is such a hit, one can liken it to the pairing of Jenkins with Sinatra or Cole...seriously. The title track, A WAY OF LIFE, reminds us all what it's all REALLY about anymore. Written and recorded at a time when there were no terrorists or 401K or economy dilemmas, one need only listen to this song that sets the tone of the entire album to be transported. There is Jimmy's wistful "talk-through" of the great Meredith Wilson penned "MY WISH" (with orchestra AND chorus abetting Jimmy, as is the case on most tracks) and the standard WHEN DAY IS DONE, equally as heartfelt and borderline dark and moody. The use of one finger on the piano in the Irving Berlin classic WHEN I LOST YOU puts this version over the top, and I cannot begin to describe the emotions relayed when Jimmy Durante starts (and FINISHES) the immortal I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS. Gordon Jenkins' orchestrations have long been heralded (and sometimes knocked) for being evocative of drama, of searing feelings and at once recognizable. I have heard most of his work with just about every singer, as well as a good deal of his solo efforts. I would name this recording of I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS one of Gordon's top five arrangements of all time. I'm nothing more than a lover of great music, so don't just take my word for it. Enjoy it yourself. This entire package is very likely to become one of your favorites. Thanks Jimmy! -- amazon.com

JIMMY DURANTE - Hello, Young Lovers (1964) and One of Those Songs (1966)

Another pearl shared by Jon. Thanks a lot.

1. Hello, Young Lovers [From The King and I]
2. Try a Little Tenderness
3. Smile [From Modern Times]
4. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo [From Lili]
5. Love in a Home [From Li'l Abner]
6. This Is All I Ask
7. Glory of Love
8. You Can't Have Everything [From You Can't Have Everything]
9. In the Other Fellow's Yard
10. Time Is Now
11. One of Those Songs
12. You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
13. Bill Bailey (Won't You Please Come Home)
14. (I Wonder) What Became of Life
15. Margie
16. Old Man Time
17. We're Going UFO'ing
18. Daddy (Your Mama Is Lonesome for You)
19. This Train
20. Mame

A fine twofer CD that has all the songs from two of Jimmy Durante's record albums entitled Hello, Young Lovers and One Of Those Songs. Jimmy's gravelly voice was able to convey so much emotion when he sang; and even the lines he sometimes half-sang/half-spoke sound like poetry. The quality of the sound on this CD is excellent. by Jon

Most people know Jimmy Durante as a comedian, and he was one of the best. But the greatest comics provoke empathy, and only genuine warmth generates empathy. Jimmy Durante was warm, generous, loving and sensitive, and that really comes through in his singing.
By the way, if anyone has Durante's Songs for Sunday I'd really appreciate it if you could forward it to this blog or put the links in the comments. Thanks! -- Jon
"A fine twofer CD that has all the songs from two of Jimmy Durante's record albums entitled Hello, Young Lovers and One Of Those Songs. Jimmy's gravelly voice was able to convey so much emotion when he sang; and even the lines he sometimes half-sang/half-spoke sound like poetry. The quality of the sound on this CD is excellent. -- amazon.com"

FRANK SINATRA & JIMMY DURANTE - Radio Show from 1946

1. Frank Sinatra — Introduction-Night and Day
2. Frank Sinatra — Sweet Lorraine
3. Frank Sinatra — All Through the Day
4. The Pied Pipers — Come to Baby Do
5. The Pied Pipers — Should I
6. Jimmy Durante and Frank Sinatra — Comedy Sketch
7. Jimmy Durante — I’m the Guy Who Found the Lost Chord
8. Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Durante — Comedy Sketch
9. Frank Sinatra — I Fall in Love Too Easily
10. Frank Sinatra — Day by Day
11. Jimmy Durante — Put Your Dreams Away
12. Frank Sinatra — Embraceable You
13. Frank Sinatra — It’s Been A Long Long Time
14. Frank Sinatra — With A Song in My Heart
15. Frank Sinatra — Over the Rainbow
16. Frank Sinatra — Introduction-Night and Day
17. Frank Sinatra — My Sugar is So Refined
18. The Pied Pipers — Linger in My Arms A Little Longer Baby
19. Frank Sinatra — Pretending
20. Andre Previn — Hallelujah
21. Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Durante — Comedy Sketch
22. Frank Sinatra — Oh How I Miss You Tonight
23. Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Durante — Comedy Sketch
24. Frank Sinatra — All the Things You are
25. Frank Sinatra — Put Your Dreams Away