The Essential Rosemary Clooney

Performer: Rosemary Clooney
Artist: Duke Ellington; Billy Strayhorn; Johnny Hodges; Jimmy Crawford; Stan Freeman; Mundell Lowe; Frank Carroll; Harry James & His Orchestra; Buddy Cole & His Orchestra; Duke Ellington & His Orchestra; Paul Weston & His Orchestra; The Mellowmen; Percy Faith & His Orchestra; Frank Comstock & His Orchestra
Producer: Mitch Miller; Al Ham; Mitch Miller; Al Ham; Didier C. Deutsch (Compilation); Darcy M. Proper (Compilation)
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Adapter: E. Y. Stanley. Personnel: Rosemary Clooney (vocals); Rosemary Clooney; Sal Salvador (guitar); Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope (saxophone); Clark Terry, Willie Cook (trumpet); Quentin Jackson, John Sanders, Britt Woodman (trombone); Frank Carroll (bass instrument); Sam Woodyard (drums); Mundell Lowe (guitar); Paul Gonsalves (saxophone); Ray Nance, Cat Anderson (trumpet); Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn (piano); Stan Freeman (harpsichord); Jimmy Crawford , Terry Snyder (drums). Liner Note Author: Didier C. Deutsch. Recording information: 12/23/1947-11/24/1956. Photographer: Herman Leonard. Arrangers: Frank Comstock; Jimmy Carroll; Percy Faith; Norman Leyden. The rub concerning Rosemary Clooney is that, like Kay Starr, she was an excellent jazz singer who was unfortunately chained to novelty material that, equally unfortunately, became popular and branded her as such in the eyes of the listening public. Given the chance, she excelled at any role given her: a big-band singer initially, a pop industry flag-bearer, and finally, a jazz vocalist with impeccable chops and great taste. The Essential Rosemary Clooney, though it focuses on the hits, does allow for the occasional glimpse of Clooney the artist during the late '50s. The hits "Come On-A My House," "Hey There," "Half As Much," and "This Ole House" don't inevitably lead to sound-alikes and inferior material; they lead to a collaboration with Duke Ellington (on "Blue Rose") and sharp readings of standards ("The Lady Is a Tramp," "From This Moment On"). Giving listeners only 16 tracks to hear what made Clooney special is definitely short shrift, but The Essential Rosemary Clooney does allow them to hear the many facets of an excellent artist without paying much for it. ~ John Bush

An iconic American vocalist, Rosemary Clooney often blurred the line between pop and jazz, occasionally even venturing into country and international styles. She started out as a singer with the Tony Pastor band in the 1940s, and her solo career started taking off at the end of the decade. Under the stewardship of Mitch Miller, she had numerous novelty-oriented '50s hits, but later on she dedicated herself to more serious, jazzier work, making some of her finest albums, like 1956's BLUE ROSE. Clooney was also active in films and TV (for a time she had her own television show), and continued performing and recording tirelessly until her death in 2002.

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