Keely Smith was one of the most distinctive and multi-talented performers of the 1950s and 60s, combining a vocal versatility with an innate sense of comedy, which she used to good effect using her trademark deadpan style in stage and TV performances with her husband Louis Prima, with whom she also made some fine jazz, R&B and pop records, including the Grammy Award-winning That Old Black Magic in 1959, winner of Best Performances By A Vocal Group. She was a fine jazz singer, with a sense of swing and timing that placed her alongside the best of her peers, but she was equally at home performing sophisticated pop material with an orchestra, and this collection provides the opportunity to hear her in both environments.
This great-value 80-track 3-CD set comprises selected recordings with Louis Primas Orchestra for the Mercury, Capitol and Dot labels from her 1949 debut with his band through to 1961, when they were divorced, and selected solo recordings for Capitol and Dot accompanied by the orchestras of Billy May, Nelson Riddle and others from 1956 through to 1962. It includes the chart hits with Louis Prima, That Old Black Magic, The Bigger The Figure, I've Got You Under My Skin and Bei Mir Bist Du Schon. Its a fine showcase for her talent and style during what was one of the most productive and important eras of her career.
REVIEWS
“Keely Smith is a singer who deserves much wider recognition and approbation than she’s nowadays accorded. Combining humour, sass and musicality with an accomplished vocal, she’s capable of playing both foil to once-husband Louis Prima’s antics and wide-eyed, innocent songstress à la Doris Day. This vast collection over three CDs takes in Smith’s many highlights from 1949 to 1962, with plenty of goofing around with Prima as well as more straight-laced fare, making for a comprehensive overview of her intriguing career.” – Sally Evans-Darby (Jazz Journal March 2019)
“A feast of great singing.” - John Martin (Jazz Rag)
“This handsome three disc set is a fitting tribute. The usual high standards of discographical information we have come to expect from Acrobat are present and Paul Watts’ exemplary liner notes manage to combine the dual functions of track commentary and biography with his usual fluency. One of the highlights of the year so far.” - Gerry Stonestreet (In Tune)
| Disc 1 | ||
| Track | Title | Artist |
| 1 | Charley My Boy | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 2 | I Beeped When I Shoulda Bopped | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 3 | Here, Pretty Kitty | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 4 | Barnacle Bill The Sailor | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 5 | (Nothing's Too Good) For My Baby | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 6 | The Lip | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 7 | I Wish You Love | Keely Smith with Orchestrs Conducted by Van Alexander |
| 8 | I Keep Forgetting | Keely Smith with Orchestrs Conducted by Van Alexander |
| 9 | High School Affair | Keely Smith with Orchestrs Conducted by Van Alexander |
| 10 | Sentimental Journey | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 11 | The Birth Of The Blues | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 12 | Don't Let A Memory | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 13 | Autumn Leaves | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 14 | Young And In Love | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 15 | You'll Never Know | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 16 | Good Behavior | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 17 | A Foggy Day | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 18 | I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 19 | As You Desire Me | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 20 | Fools Rush In | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 21 | Imagination | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 22 | You Go To My Head | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 23 | Don't Take Your Love From Me | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 24 | When Your Lover Has Gone | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 25 | When Day Is Done | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 26 | Mr. Wonderful | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| Disc 2 | ||
| Track | Title | Artist |
| 1 | I Wish You Love | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 2 | If We Never Meet Again | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 3 | I Understand | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 4 | Embraceable You/I Got It Bad | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 5 | Nothing In Common | Keely Smith with Frank Sinatra, and Billy May's Orchestra |
| 6 | How Ya Fixed For Love | Keely Smith with Frank Sinatra, and Billy May's Orchestra |
| 7 | The Whipporwill | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 8 | You Are My Love | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 9 | S'posin' | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 10 | The Song Is You | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 11 | On The Sunny Side Of The Street | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 12 | I'll Get By | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 13 | I'll Never Smile Again | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 14 | Sweet And Lovely | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 15 | All The Way | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 16 | Lullaby Of The Leaves | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 17 | East Of The Sun | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 18 | I Can't Get Started | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 19 | Cocktails For Two | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 20 | I Never Knew | Keely Smith With Billy May & His Orch. |
| 21 | That Old Black Magic | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 22 | Hey Boy | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 23 | Nitey Nite | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 24 | Indian Love Call | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 25 | The Nearness Of You | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 26 | What Is This Thing Called Love | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| Disc 3 | ||
| Track | Title | Artist |
| 1 | Someone To Watch Over Me | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 2 | The Man I Love | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 3 | It's Magic | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 4 | Stormy Weather | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 5 | There Will Never Be Another You | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 6 | It's Been A Long, Long Time | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 7 | You're Driving Me Crazy | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 8 | Star Dust | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 9 | What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry | Keely Smith with Nelson Riddle & His Orch. |
| 10 | I've Got You Under My Skin | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 11 | Don't Take Your Love From Me | Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra |
| 12 | Together | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 13 | Teach Me Tonight | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 14 | They Can't Take That Away From Me | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 15 | I Can't Give You Anything But Love | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 16 | Let's Get Away From It All | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 17 | Let's Call The Whole Thing Off | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 18 | Mutual Admiration Society | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 19 | Bei Mir Bist Du Schon | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 20 | I Don't Know Why | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 21 | I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 22 | Night And Day | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 23 | Nyow! Nyot Nyow! (The Pussycat Song) | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 24 | Mashuga | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 25 | When My Baby Smiles At Me | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 26 | Begin The Beguine | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 27 | Surprise Package | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 28 | Because Of You | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 29 | Absent-Minded Lover | Keely Smith & Louis Prima |
| 30 | You'll Never Walk Alone | Keely Smith with orch. Cond. By Milt Rogers |