This album is pretty amazing. The first track, Sing To Me Guitar, blew me away the first time I heard it. I literally stopped everything I was doing and just listened. I love the way the strings weave into the guitars so seamlessly. Great orchestrations. But why is June Havoc impersonating Ethel Merman? She keeps doing those little flips on the first note of each phrase. ie. Ethel's "There's nnnnnnnoooooooOOO business like shoooooOOOOOw business",... I don't know if that's how Havoc really sang or not, but it seems copycat-like. That being said, I love hearing Wilbur Evans singing this kind of material. I first noticed him in the studio recording of MERRY WIDOW, but this now furthers my interest. Other songs on the album are fun and typical Porter. It isn't his best score, but it certainly isn't the worst. The show was a success at the time, running over a year. I find it strange that Bobby Clark was the star of the show, but he doesn't appear on the recording at all. Speaking of; this recording is particularly worth having if just for the bonus material. Mary Martin sings six fantastic Cole Poerter songs.
Grade B+
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