Gisele MacKenzie was a prominent radio star in Toronto during the late '40s, and her sweet, empathizing vocals did for Canadian audiences what
Jo Stafford did for the Americans and what
Kate Smith did for the Brits. Hired by
Bob Crosby in 1951 for her first American gig, she soon began recording in Hollywood with
Billy May,
Dave Cavanaugh, and
Nelson Riddle, charting several hits during 1952-1953. The Living Era collection Canada's First Lady of Song begins with four unreleased performances from her Toronto days before hitting the American recordings -- though she occasionally continued to record the type of material ("Jolie Jacqueline," "The Toorie on His Bonnet") capable of attracting Canadian audiences more than American. Her closest competitor was indeed
Jo Stafford, but although she never flourished with uptempo or
novelty material, fortunately this disc includes two of her best performances: a pair of duets with
Helen O'Connell that rank alongside "Orange-Colored Sky" and "Music! Music! Music!" as the most sparkling sides of the immediate postwar era. Also included are
MacKenzie's hits up to 1952, including her version of "Adios" (assisted by
Buddy Cole), a rather wooden performance of "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" (her biggest hit), and the
O'Connell duet "Water Can't Quench the Fire of Love." ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
