Pearl Bailey: 16 Most Requested Songs

Some of the most productive years for the inimitable Pearl Bailey were those she spent recording for Columbia Records, between 1945 and 1950. Columbia paired the singer with other luminaries of the day, including Frank Sinatra. This album culls 16 of Bailey's best songs made during that magic time. The tunes are lovingly remastered to present the engaging vocalist at her very best. On this record, she is joined by colleagues she worked with regularly: singer/comedienne Moms Mabley and trumpeter/vocalist Oran "Hot Lips" Page. Also adding their gospel harmonies to the musical experience are the Charioteers. Together, they produced some of the best music in Bailey's long career. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is immediately evocative of the season as well as a bygone era. Arlen/Mercer tunes, such as "Legalize My Name" and "A Woman's Prerogative," have just the right degree of sophistication under Bailey's expert touch. Bailey and Mabley, surely two of the greatest female comedic singers of all time, team up on the delightful "Saturday Night Fish Fry." The songstress turns soulful on "Who?" and "Don't Ever Leave Me," accompanied by the Charioteers. Bailey and Page show why they were so popular on the classic "Ain't She Sweet?" Standards such as "St. Louis Blues" and "Here You Come With Love" bear witness to the sultry charm of the talented lady with the twinkle in her eye and to the hint of suggestion in her song. Whether remembering Pearl Bailey or discovering her for the first time, the listener cannot do better than this recording for its fidelity to the legacy of one of America's greatest singers.