Ethel Merman Pearl Bailey Sammy Davis Jr Kaye Ballard

1. Lush Life 2. Stranger in Town, A 3. What Kind of Fool Am I? 4. Once in a Lifetime 5. Someone Nice Like You 6. As Long as She Needs Me 7. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) 8. Here's That Rainy Day 9. I Want to Be with You 10. Night Song 11. Shelter of Your Arms, The 12. I've Gotta Be Me 13. Yes I Can 14. Gonna Build a Mountain 15.

Onstage, nobody could match the wham of Sammy Davis Jr. Best known now as arguably the coolest member of the Rat Pack, Sammy Davis Jr. was one of the world's great entertainers, a guy capable of funny impersonations, heartwarming ballads, and lively jazz-inspired songs--usually in the same set. Granted, Sinatra's vocal skills overshadowed Davis on record, but what other musician has found such success as a writer, Broadway star, vocalist, dancer, and comedian (all the while helping to break down racial barriers)? With Yes I Can! The Sammy Davis Jr. Story, Rhino Records has assembled an impressive four-CD package of the crooner's greatest moments. On "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile" (a track that's been out of print for 45 years), the 23-year-old vocalist shows little of the grace, style, and vocal warmth he would bring to such classics as "Hey There, " "The Candy Man, " and "I've Gotta Be Me." The first three CDs feature all of Davis's hits (and a few tracks meant for completists) from his vast 1949-78 output. But the fourth disc of live performances shows Sammy in his true glory. For those of us who loved his portion of The Summit in Concert (that out-of-control relic of Rat Pack extravagance), this disc reveals the rest of the story: Sammy Davis Jr. knew how to perform like no other. Whether singing a West Side Story medley or tossing impersonations into "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby, " it's clear that there will never be another performer like Sammy Davis Jr. Sure, there are single CD compilations featuring most of the singer's hits, but this package tells the whole story. --Jason Verlinde

Razor & Tie Music

Direct Source

Varese (Japan)

Curb Records (USA)

Collectors' Choice Music

Jasmine Records (UK) ( July 13, 1999 ), Genre: Pop Vocal

Savvy Sammy Davis Jr. (vocals) enthusiasts are encouraged to find this two-fer title containing both of his mid-'50s Decca Records long-players -- the chart-topping Starring Sammy Davis Jr. (1955) and Top Five follow-up Just for Lovers (1955). The bulk of both successive projects was the result of sessions recorded between June of 1954 and August of the following year with arrangers Sy Oliver and Morty Stevens absorbing the lions' share of the orchestral chores. Taking the contents chronologically, the June 7 Oliver-directed confab yielded outstanding, if not definitive remakes of several pop standards and show tunes. Primary among them are the breezy "Hey There, " from the Broadway smash The Pajama Game, a powerful nod to the Kismet ballad "And This Is My Beloved, " as well as the sublime, bluesyKurt Weill-co-penned "September Song, " that had been a key entry from the otherwise less than memorable Knickerbocker Holiday. While not as prolific, a mid-September 1954 meeting between the artist and Stevens' Orchest

Prism Leisure Corporation (UK) ( June 05, 2002 ), Genre: Soundtracks