VA- Taken From The Top

Here is another pricey record I picked up for $6.  Look at the people and songs on this and you can see why I could not pass this up.  This record is a compilation of live performances by such luminaries as Al Hirt, Lena Horne, Ann Margret, Freddy Jones, and Louis Armstrong among others.

Although it would seem easy, blogging on compilation albums like this can be tough as there are so many highlights.  I mean so many highlights.  This album was released by RCA Victor and the songs come from mostly from previously released live albums. (oddly enough the Al Hirt tune is from the album I posted earlier this week). This compilation came out in 1962. Really good stuff.

Well I tried my best to pare down my choices and overwhelming came up with this number which combines two of my favorite posts from the last two months: Louis Prima with Keely Smith doing their version of “Five Foot Two”.  Also , since I know my mom reads this, here is an excellent version of Della Reese singing “You Came A Long Way From St Louis.” Reese passed away last year at age 86. It should also be noted that Smith, who was also Prima’s fourth wife, passed last year at age 89 as well.  Man, did I do a lousy job keeping up with obituaries at the end of 2017.

Della Reese.

Really good album. Any of these songs were good enough to sample. Satisfactory.

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