Fred Astaire and Judy Garland star in this classic movie musical featuring 17 songs by Irving Berlin. When a famous dancer Don Hewes' (Astaire) partner, Nadine Hale (Ann Miller) deserts him, he makes a bet that he can make any chorus girl into a star.
The chorine he chooses—almost at random—is Hanna Brown (Garland). She starts out a talented nobody, but after singing and dancing her way with Hale through many of the best musical numbers ever filmed, she comes back the star of Easter Parade !
One of the great stylists of the American popular song, Eydie Gorme had a loyal following from the 1950s until the 2000s. She achieved national prominence with her appearances on Steve Allen’s Tonight! show, where she met and performed with her husband Steve Lawrence. Gorme’s dynamic nightclub act, frequently as a duo with Lawrence, drew sell-out crowds while resisting passing trends and keeping true to the best traditions of the American “standard”—traditions she herself helped to establish.
A Night Out With Verve highlights five decades of remarkable jazz taken from the Verve catalog, spread out over four discs titled "Wining," "Dining," "Dancing," and "Romancing." This budget-priced box set includes 65 performances from jazz luminaries including Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Michel Legrand, Sarah Vaughan, Stan Getz, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Shirley Horn. Whether it's a night out on the town or a simple romantic evening, A Night Out With Verve has a great deal to offer die-hard jazz fans and casual listeners alike. [Review by Al Campbell]
Helen Humes was a short, buxom woman with twinkling eyes and a broad, warm smile. She had a motherly appearance even when she was singing the double entendre lyrics of such songs as ''He May Be Your Man but He Comes to See Me Sometimes'' and ''The Million Dollar Secret,'' which made up part of her repertory. She was usually thought of as a blues singer, but Miss Humes preferred ''pretty songs, torch songs.''
Swell Dames singing the blues
Our Swell Dames singing the blues.
Swell Dames doing the Boogie Woogie
Our Swell Dames doing the Boogie Woogie.