Personnel:
Julie London (vcl), Barney Kessel, Howard Roberts, Al Viola (g), Ray Leatherwood, Red Mitchell (b)
Reference: JT953
Bar code: 8436019589533
This CD has been replaced by its recent reissue as part of the Phoenix label. Reference #131506
The most sensual voice in the history of jazz, this CD contains Julie Londons complete Julie Is Her Name sessions (released on two LP volumes in 1955 and 1958) backed only by guitar and bass.
The first of these dates marked Londons recording debut and included the first version ever released of the classic standard Cry Me a River. This CD also includes nine bonus tracks of Julie Londons finest recordings from this period.
Tracklisting:
01. Cry Me A River (2:59)
02. I Should Care (3:17)
03. I'm In The Mood For Love (2:30)
04. I'm Glad There Is You (2:28)
05. Can't Help Lovin' That Man (3:11)
06. I Love You (1:52)
07. Say It Isn't So (2:02)
08. It Never Entered My Mind (2:26)
09. Easy Street (3:15)
10. 'S Wonderful (1:35)
11. No Moon At All (1:54)
12. Laura (1:45)
13. Gone With The Wind (2:08)
14. Blue Moon (2:32)
15. What Is This Thing Called Love (1:48)
16. How Long Has This Been Going On (2:47)
17. Too Good To Be True (2:44)
18. Spring Is Here (2:08)
19. Goody Goody (1:54)
20. The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else (2:05)
21. If I'm Lucky (2:19)
22. Hot Today (1:50)
23. Little White Lies (2:51)
24. I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan (1:51)
25. I Got Lost In His Arms (2:07)
26. When Your Lover Has Gone (1:54) (*) Bonus Track
27. It's The Talk Of The Town (2:35) (*) Bonus Track
28. Lonely Girl (2:35) (*) Bonus Track
29. Fools Rush In (2:07) (*) Bonus Track
30. How Deep Is The Ocean (2:10) (*) Bonus Track
31. Don'cha Go 'Way Mad (2:38) (*) Bonus Track
32. You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me (2:29) (*) Bonus Track
33. Memphis In June (1:59) (*) Bonus Track
34. September In The Rain (1:40) (*) Bonus Track
Total time: 78:42 min.
Sources:
Tracks #1-13, from "Julie Is Her Name" (Liberty LST-7027)
Tracks #14-25, from "Julie Is Her Name, Vol. II" (Liberty LST-7100)
Tracks #26-30, taken from "Lonely Girl" (Liberty LST-7029)
Track #31, taken from "Julie" (Liberty LST-7004)
Tracks #32-34, taken from "Calendar Girl" (Liberty SL-9002)
Julie London, vocals in all tracks.
Personnel on "Julie Is Her Name": Barney Kessel (g) Ray Leatherwood (b).
Recorded in Hollywood, California, July 1955
Personnel on "Julie Is Her Name, Vol. II": Howard Roberts (g), Red Mitchell (b).
Recorded in Hollywood, California, July 1958
Personnel on "Lonely Girl": Jimmy Rowles & His Orchestra.
Recorded in Los Angeles, January 1958
Personnel on "Calendar Girl": Pete King & His Orchestra.
Recorded in Los Angeles, May 1956
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Reviews:
-Julie Is Her Name
"For a time, Julie London was as famous for her sexy album covers as for her singing. Her debut is her best, a set of fairly basic interpretations of standards in which she is accompanied tastefully by guitarist Barney Kessel and bassist Ray Leatherwood. "Cry Me a River" from this album, was her biggest hit, and her breathy versions of such numbers as "I Should Care," "Say It Isn't So," "Easy Street," and "Gone with the Wind" are quite haunting."
Scott Yanow -All Music Guide
-Julie Is Her Name, Vol. II
"Three years after her debut, Julie Is Her Name, Julie London returned to the intimate jazz guitar and bass backing that resulted in a Top Ten album and single (the still-popular "Cry Me a River"). You can almost see the cigar-smoking executives at Liberty Records planning this one out -- "Hey, if the public loved it the first time, they're bound to love it again, right?" Well, to give the cigar-chompers some credit, Julie London favored this backing for her live performances and she originally had to fight to be able to record with this intimate jazz backing. Plus, every uptown singer -- from Johnny Mathis to Chet Baker to Sarah Vaughan -- was recording with a guitar/bass duo after Julie Is Her Name hit big, so why not the lady who started it all? For once, pandering to the public equaled taking the artistic high road, because while Julie Is Her Name, Vol. 2 may not be as fresh or unexpected as its predecessor, it actually stands up as a slightly stronger album. London's breathy vocals aren't that different, but she seems more confident and she swings more, even on the ballads. Howard Roberts may not have been a "name guitarist" like Barney Kessel, who played on the debut, but his work here is strong and bassist Red Mitchell lays an entire rhythm section worth of foundation for London to stretch out on. This album was also better recorded than London's debut and the release has a fuller, richer sound to it. Since the plunging-neckline album cover to London's debut was talked about as much as the music, Liberty Records decided to continue the concept by literally putting spotlight beams on the famed beauty's chest. Thankfully, Julie London had enough jazz credentials and focused vocal talent that such blatant cheesecake shots remain of secondary importance to the music contained on the album."
Mike Dedina -All Music Guide
