2 LPs ON 1 CD

When singer Marilyn Moore (1931-1992) recorded the album Moody for Bethlehem in 1957, she caused some controversy because she sounded so much like Billie Holiday. “At any rate, I sing the way I feel like singing,” she responded. And, in his five-star review for Down Beat, Leonard Feather said she was “the finest new jazz singer I’ve heard this year; for me, the LP was a joy from start to finish. Some of the material is little known and valuable, notably George Russell’s Born to Blow the Blues and the two George Handy tunes, Trouble and Leavin’.” Time has vindicated his judgment, with the singer’s husband, Al Cohn, sounding uncannily like Pres, Joe Wilder superb on several tracks, and Abney a tasty, sympathetic accompanist.
A year later, Feather produced a jazz treatment of the Broadway musical Oh, Captain!, for MGM which was the first such jazz album ever to include vocals, with Moore, Jackie Paris and Osie Johnson. It was recorded in three separate sessions, first with an all-star quintet featuring Harry Edison, Coleman Hawkins, Oscar Pettiford, Osie Johnson and Dick Hyman, then with a big band, and finally with the Tony Scott Quartet. Notwithstanding her resemblance to Billie Holiday, it’s hard to disagree with Feather’s verdict on an excellent singer.

Tracks ##1-12, from the album Moody (Bethlehe BCP 73)

MARILYN MOORE, vocal, accompanied by DON ABNEY & His Orchestra

JOE WILDER, (tp), AL COHN (ts, b-cl), DON ABNEY (p),
BARRY GALBRAITH (g), MILT HINTON (b), OSIE JOHNSON (d).
Arrangements by Al Cohn (#1,4,6,7,9,12), Don Abney (#2,8,10), George Russell (#3,5,11).
Recorded in New York City, January & February, 1957.

Tracks 13 -21  from the album Oh, Captain! (MGM E 3650)
(13, 18 & 19) HARY EDISON (tp), COLEMAN HAWKINS (ts),
DICK HYMAN (p), OSCAR PETTIFORD (b)
OSIE JOHNSON  (d). Vocals by MARILYN MOORE  (#13 & 19) and JACKIE PARIS  (#18).
Recorded in New York City, on February 7, 1958.

(14, 16 & 20) TONY SCOTT  (bs, ts, cl), DICK HYMAN(p), MILT HINTON (b),
OSIE JOHNSON  (d). Vocals by MARILYN MOORE (#20), JACKIE PARIS (#14) and OSIE JOHNSON(##16).
Recorded in New York City, on February 14, 1958.

(15, 17 & 21) ART FARMER  (tp), JIMMY CLEVELAND  (tb), SAHIB SHIHAB (as, bs),
TONY SCOTT  (bs, cl), JJEROME RICHARDSON  (ts, bs, a-fl), DICK HYMAN (p),
MILT HINTON (b), OSIE JOHNSON (d). Vocals byMARILYN MOORE  (#15 & 17) and JACKIE PARIS  (#17).
Recorded in New York City, on February 14, 1958.

01. I’m Just a Lucky So and So (David-Ellington) 2:55
02. Ill Wind (Koehler-Arlen) 2:47
03. If Love Is Trouble (Segal-Handy) 2:38
04. Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby
(Austin-Jordan) 3:20
05. Born to Blow the Blues (Segal-Russell) 3:31
06. Lover Come Back to Me
(Romberg-Hammerstein II) 2:52
07. You’re Driving Me Crazy (Donaldson) 2:48
08. Trav’lin’ All Alone (Johnson) 3:02
09. I Cried for You (Freed-Arnheim-Lyman) 2:12
10. Leavin’ Town (Segal-Handy) 3:27
11. Trouble Is a Man (Wilder) 2:46
12. I Got Rhythm (G. & I. Gershwin) 2:07
13. Femininity (Livingston-Evans) 4:33
14. You’re So Right for Me (Livingston-Evans) 5:07
15. You Don’t Know Him (Livingston-Evans) 3:47
16. Hey, Madame! (Livingston-Evans) 3:55
17. We’re Not Children (Livingston-Evans) 4:16
18. All the Time (Livingston-Evans) 4:19
19. Life Does a Girl a Favor (Livingston-Evans) 4:55
20. Give It All You’ve Got (Livingston-Evans) 5:53
21. Keep It Simple (Livingston-Evans) 6:00

Total time: 78:00 approx.