Baby's Awake Now

This one comes from the Pearl label (1996). Some of the tracks sound a bit scratchy, and I was tempted to use some noise-reduction filters, but I didn't want it to affect Lee Wiley's voice in the least. Besides, noise-reduction often gets heavyhanded. This compilation includes input from Bunny Berigan, Jess Stacy, Bud Freeman, Joe Bushkin, Bobby Hackett, Max Kaminsky, and of course Eddie Condon. Full details are available in the scans included. I've also got several other Lee Wiley compilations to post in the future. From Allmusic.com, "Her husky, surprisingly sensual voice and exquisitely cool readings of pop standards distinguished her singing, but Lee Wiley earns notice as one of the best early jazz singers by recognizing the superiority of American popular song and organizing a set of songs around a common composer or theme -- later popularized as the songbook or concept LP. She was also a songwriter in her own right, and one of the few white vocalists with more respect in the jazz community than the popular one. Even more tragic then, that while dozens of inferior vocalists recorded LPs during the late '50s and '60s, Wiley appeared on record just once between 1957 and her death in 1975." Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Sweet And Low Down
2. Sam And Delilah
3. Baby's Awake Now
4. A Little Birdie Told Me So
5. I've Got Five Dollars
6. You Took Advantage Of Me
7. A Ship Without A Sail
8. As Though You Were There
9. Glad To Be Unhappy
10. Here In My Arms
11. Let's Fly Away
12. Let's Do It
13. Hot House Rose
14. Find Me A Primitive Man
15. Easy To Love
16. Looking At You
17. Why Shouldn't I?
18. Down With Love
19. Stormy Weather
20. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
21. I've Got The World On A String
22. Let's Fall In Love
23. It's Only A Paper Moon