Lurlean Hunter

Lurlean Hunter (1928-1983) was, with all her skills, one of the most underappreciated singers in America. Other singers, who held her in universal high regard, were in no doubt as to her quality. A singers’ singer, she was revered for her near perfection in vocal styling, technique, and delivery, gifts she blended into a captivating combination.

This distinction is self-evident in the four albums she recorded during her career: Lonesome Gal (1955), Night Life (1956), Stepping Out (1957), and Blue and Sentimental (1960). On them she is accompanied by orchestras filled by some of the best New York jazz musicians. The skillful writing was provided by a handful of top arrangers, including Quincy Jones, Marion Evans, Manny Albam, Al Cohn, Ernie Wilkins, Phil Moore, and Jimmy Giuffre.

All of them—with the exception of Cohn and Wilkins—also conducted their own scores. Throughout she is refreshingly unselfconscious, her voice strong and firm, her conception mature and intelligent and her phrasing meaningful. Blessed with fantastic intonation, effortless ease and innate musicianship, she also had an innately lyrical approach to the songs she sang, and they flowed out of her like something made of rich velvet, done in exquisite taste.


Tracklisting:

CD 1

01. Lonesome Gal
02. Alone Together
03. It’s You or No One
04. You Don’t Know What Love Is
05. You Make Me Feel So Young
06. My Heart and I Decided
07. It Never Entered My Mind
08. You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To
09. Brief Encounter
10. A Stranger in Town
11. But Not for Me
12. On Green Dolphin Street
13. Georgia on My Mind
14. What a Difference a Day Made
15. Have You Met Miss Jones
16. That Old Feeling
17. It’s the Talk of the Town
18. Gentleman Friend
19. Night Life
20. It Could Happen to You
21. Moondrift
22. Sunday
23. Like Someone In Love
24. This Time the Dream’s On Me

CD 2

01. Steppin’ Out with My Baby
02. Easy to Love
03. I Feel So Smoochie
04. Kiss Me Again
05. Old Devil Moon
06. If I Could Be with You
07. Blues in the Night
08. Nobody’s Heart
09. You Do Something to Me
10. Under a Blanket of Blue
11. Oh! Look at Me Now
12. Some Other Time
13. Blue Turning Grey Over You
14. If You Could See Me Now
15. My Kinda Love
16. Crazy He Calls Me
17. Just Imagine
18. Blue and Sentimental
19. The Song Is You
20. Then I’ll Be Tired Of You
21. Fool That I Am
22. We’ll Be Together Again
23. As Long As I Live



Original sources:

CD 1, tracks #1-12 from the RCA Victor 12" album
"Lonesome Gal" (LPM 1151)

CD 1, tracks #13-24 from the VIK 12" album
"Night Life" (LX 1061)

CD 2, tracks #1-12 from the VIK 12" album
"Stepping Out" (LX 1116)

CD 2, tracks #13-23 from the Atlantic 12" album
"Blue And Sentimental" (SD 1344)



Personnel on "Lonesome Gal":

Lurlean Hunter with Al Nevins and His Orchestra.
Featuring: Ernie Royal (tp), Urbie Green (tb), Jimmy Buffington (frh), Hal McKusick, Frank Wess, Charlie Fowlkes (reeds), Hank Jones (p), Barry Galbraith (g), Osie Johnson, Phil Kraus (d), among others; plus strings with Harry Lookofsky, concertmaster. Arrangements: Quincy Jones and Marion Evans

Recorded in New York City, October 4, 5 & 7, 1955.


Personnel on "Night Life":

Lurlean Hunter with Manny Albam and His Orchestra.
Featuring: Joe Newman (tp), Al Cohn, Al Epstein, Ray Beckenstein (reeds), Hank Jones (p), Marty Wilson (vib), Barry Galbraith (g), Milt Hinton (b), Osie Johnson (d). Arrangements: Al Cohn (#13, 14, 15 & 23), Ernie Wilkins (#16, 18, 21 & 22) and Manny Albam (#17, 19, 20 & 24)

Recorded in New York City, August 27 & 28, 1956.


Personnel on "Stepping Out":

Lurlean Hunter with Phil Moore and His Orchestra.
Featuring: Nick Travis (tp), Herbie Mann (fl), Barry Galbraith (g), Milt Hinton (b), Osie Johnson (d). Arrangements: Phil Moore.

Recorded in New York City, May 6, 8 and 10, 1957.


Personnel on "Blue And Sentimental":

Lurlean Hunter with Jimmy Giuffre and His Orchestra.
Featuring: Harry “Sweets” Edison (tp), Rudy Rutherford (cl), Bud Freeman (ts), Jimmy Jones (p), Jim Hall (g), George Duvivier (b on #13, 14, 16, 18 & 23), Trigger Alpert (b on #15, 17, 19, 20, 21 & 22), Don Lamond (d). Arrangements: Jimmy Giuffre.

Recorded in New York City, August 12 (#13, 14, 16, 18 & 23) and 23 (#15, 17, 19, 20, 21 & 22), 1960.



Original recordings produced by Jack Lewis (CD 1), and Herman Díaz, Jr. and Jerry Wexler (CD 2).

Produced for CD release by Jordi Pujol.


24-Bit Digitally Remastered