One of the more unique
Julie London
recordings,
Send for Me
finds the ultra-
lounge
chanteuse mixing it up on 12
blues
-based swingers. Far afield of the guitar and bass minimalism of the deservedly famous
Julie Is Her Name
goes widescreen with full band and chorus charts by pianist
Jimmy Rowles
. While certainly no
Dinah Washington
,
London
manages well enough on these bluesy swingers with her mix of "come hither" sultriness and "he's done me wrong" swagger. For his part,
Rowles
provides top-drawer arrangements featuring equal parts of after-hours smokiness and
big-band
sophistication. Some may find the
and gleeful choir combination a bit much, but
still succeeds with especially strong cuts like
"Tain't What You Do,"
"Baby Come Home,"
"Evenin',"
and
"Cheatin' on Me."
Another in a long line of fine albums
made for
Liberty
between the mid-'50s and early '60s. ~ Stephen Cook