[.ca] Song in the Air

A Song in the Air:
This is an exqisite vocal collection by diminutive MGM musical great, Jane Powell. The pop and operetta standards offered were recorded by Powell for Columbia Records between 1946 and 1949 when she was still in her teens. The voice is small but phenomenally rich and flexible, with an astounding agility in such coloratura showcases as "The Donkey Serenade" and "The Italian Street Song". Powell also gives precocious and sensitive readings to romantic classics like "Will You Remember?" and "Lover, Come Back to Me" It is to be hoped that this British import will inspire nostalgia labels in this treasurable little artist's native America to release further compilations of both her soundtrack and pop recordings. Charlotte Church, eat your heart out!

One Of My All-Time Favourite Musical Stars:
Having grown up during the 1940s and 1950s I saw most of the big Hollywood musicals to hit the screen, and among my favourite female stars was this little lady from Portland, Oregon where she was born Suzanne Burce in 1929. And one of my all-time favourite Jane Powell moments was the duet with Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding when she kept pace with the master on How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Loved You (When You Know I've Been A Liar All My Life?). That, of course, was a comedy number, and while it proved she could handle any type of song, she is best remembered for wonderful offerings like Summertime, Mighty Like A Rose, and Lover, Come Back To Me. Just a beautifully rendered album featuring one of the greatest female voices of the 20th Century. It's just too bad that no one has ever seen fit to include her one hit single in any of the volumes, or to include it in a multi-artist compilation. That would be True Love from the 1956 musical High Society \owhere it was sung by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly\c. Jane's version, recorded for Verve, and backed by the Buddy Bregman orchestra, made it to a respectable # 15 that summer b/w the equally-marvelous Mind If I Make Love To You? If you know and love Jane Powell's singing as I do you need no encouragement to buy this or any of the other CDs available. If, on the other hand, you have never actually heard her sing then get this and see what you've been missing. Guaranteed to be played over and over and over.

A Musical Treasure:
These debut recordings by MGM's lyrical song bird Jane Powell are a fan's dream come true. These 16 songs were recorded by Columbia before MGM started their soundtrack albums and the remastering here has remarkable quality. The selections are mainly from the operetta venue for which her voice was impeccably suited and her own youthful embellishments add charm to her delightfully beautiful singing. As her voice progressed, she became the screen's most gifted lyric soprano and her beauty and charm made her a musical comedy star without peer. What a treasure we have in these early recordings and how wonderful it would be to have a compilation of the Verve recordings--the "Can't We Be Friends" album plus as extra tracks the four singles that were released--"True Love", "Mind If I Make Love To You", "A Ride On A Rainbow" and "I Have You To Thank." MGM also has a gold mine of her recordings which would make a wonderful anthology and hopefully the Turner people will compile a CD with outtakes and never-before-released material as they have done for Lanza, Garland, and Kelly. In the meantime, we have this enchanting CD as a reminder of all the reasons we cherish and revere the talents of this musical miracle we know as Jane Powell--and, of course, we have most of her movie musicals that are available in VHS and some DVD formats. A special thanks to Bernard Taylor and all of the people at Flare Records (UK) for having the vision and determination to bring this little masterpiece to us.

• Kiss in the Dark
• Will You Remember?
• Over the Rainbow
• Summertime
• Donkey Serenade
• I Think of You
• Mighty Like a Rose
• Kiss Me Again
• Filles de Cadiz
• Through the Years
• Sweethearts
• Springtide
• One Kiss
• Lover, Come Back to Me
• Italian Street Song
• Ave Maria
• Musetta's Waltz Song - MGM Studio Orchestra, Jane Powell
• Magic Is the Moonlight - MGM Studio Orchestra, Jane Powell
• Love Is Like That - MGM Studio Orchestra, Jane Powell