Search - Jane Morgan :: Jane Morgan Sings Showstoppers

THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK NEVER SOUNDED SO GOOD

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 04/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jane Morgan is a rather undervalued chanteuse who doesn't get the recognition she still deserves; I love to hear her sing. Her voice always grabs my attention and I can't stop listening until the album is completely finished. Of course, this also applies to this CD entitled Jane Morgan Sings Showstoppers. We get a whopping 27 tracks on this CD and the 27 tracks make this a very good value for Jane Morgan fans or fans of theater and movies. The quality of the sound on this CD is excellent and I love that artwork--very classy indeed!



The album starts with an energetic medley of two songs from Yankee Doodle Dandy, "Give My Regards To Broadway" and "The Yankee Doodle Boy." Jane's excellent diction is abundantly clear when you listen to her belt this out; and her incredible sense of timing makes her performance even stronger. Great! In addition, "Dancing In The Dark" gets the royal treatment from Jane Morgan; she sings this with a lot of genuine emotion; we can hear Jane practically giving blood to make this sound so very special. The strings are used to great advantage as well. "You'll Never Walk Alone" has a lush musical arrangement--but they never steal the show from Jane; she remains front and center right where she always belonged.



"The Merry Widow Waltz" from The Merry Widow charms me with its beauty; and "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top" was always one of my very favorite classic pop vocals. Jane does "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top" faultlessly and I'm amazed. "Hello Young Lovers" from The King And I sparkles when Jane Morgan sings it; I could never tire of Jane's rendition of this ballad. There's also a fine medley of "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody" and "Say It With Music;" the music works very well for this as Jane sings it to perfection and beyond. "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady sounds heavenly in Jane Morgan's capable hands; and those strings work well for the musical accompaniment. "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" from Show Boat gets a gorgeous treatment from Jane. "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" is truly a major highlight of this album.



"A Wonderful Guy" from South Pacific is a very well done number; and Jane practically outdoes even herself on "Just In Time." "Just In Time" from Bells Are Ringing is another number that is one of my very personal favorites; I first heard this sung by the immortal Judy Garland but Jane's version is almost just as good. "Love For Sale" shines brighter than silver and gold when Jane Morgan sings it; that music fits in perfectly with her vocals. I especially like the piano arrangement for "Love For Sale." "My Man" stands out as yet another very special ballad that Jane aces as effortlessly as if it were only breathing--but of course we know that it really wasn't all that easy. Jane's talents always carried her through. The CD also ends very nicely with Jane Morgan performing "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee." "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee" has Jane Morgan in her natural element and those backup singers make the number both cute and energetic.



Jane Morgan fans will want this "must-have" CD for their collections; and this also is a fine starter CD for people just discovering the artistry of Jane Morgan. Naturally, people who enjoy classic show tunes would do well to get this album.

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Great Songs from the Great Shows of the Century

Dorian P. Sarris | san francisco, ca | 10/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a terrific restoration of the terrific Kapp KX5006S from Kapp's two record "Fabulous" series of which Roger Williams did three sets on the piano. Sepia has kept the contents complete plus added some bonus tracks, and it IS FABULOUS. Great songs, great singer, what's not to love? Buy this!"