Betty Johnson Love Walked In CD

This is the third album erstwhile vocalist Betty Johnson -- who has returned to singing after a 33-year leave of absence -- has released of material from her early years of performing. The album is a compilation of her work during the 1960s, and differs from other Johnson reissues in that it occasionally approaches jazz, as she turns to classic standards rather than the pop material of the day. (And some of the latter -- like "The Tea in China" -- even acknowledges the singer's flirtation with folk music.) Standards provide the opportunity for Johnson to be more expressive and expansive in her delivery, sometimes sounding like Lee Wiley. She takes full advantage of this opportunity with her clear soprano voice and excellent phrasing. But, like her earlier releases, Love Walked In is a bit unusual. There is a full menu of 27 tunes, but none of them last longer than two minutes! Also, the very good musicians backing her (the Metropolitan Jazz Quartet) are not identified, although we know they are from New York and that the guitarist is George Barnes, who is critical to establishing the occasional jazzy ambience. His playing meshes well with Johnson, particularly on "These Foolish Things." It's too bad we don't know who the other musicians are, since they do more than a routine job. For example, there's some excellent bass on "Blue Room" and piano on "How Long Has This Been Going on?" The group takes a couple of instrumentals, like a 53-second romp of "When You're Smiling," which features some good trombone. Small individual doses of music and the anonymity of the players notwithstanding, these vignettes of song are entertaining, making one wish they were just a little longer. ~ Dave Nathan

Maybe you thought all had been wrung from the American popular standards, that Sinatra, Fitgerald, and Torme had left nothing to interpret, voiced every emotion woven into our great songs. But even in Sinatra and company's wake, these songs had untapped meaning. They were waiting for Betty Johnson.In LOVE WALKED IN, the third album of Betty's work in the '60's with the Metropolitan Jazz Quartet, she strides through the best of American popular song, leaving her own stamp on them and beckoning us to see that every corner of these songs had been explored. She stirs something new in us when we thought the songs could evoke nothing more. The album is a testament to her ability to refresh the standards and a tribute to the richness and resilience of the songs themselves.On the wind of Betty's kiss, songs written and first recorded in the 1920's and 1930's-"My Heart Stood Still," "What A Difference A Day Makes," "These Foolish Things," "Mean To Me"-grow new blossoms. They find another Spring. These re-invigorated classics are the core of this collection. But just as shining is her consideration of later masterpieces from Broadway Shows, such as "Climb Every Mountain,' if I Were A Bell," and "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face." In Betty's care, all these songs maintain the royalty of their origin.And what about the origin of the voice?When Betty Johnson recorded this music in the early 1960's she was nearing her retirement from show business so she could focus on family life. The hiatus would last for thirty years, until 1993 when she stepped back into the limelight, releasing new recordings and filling any nightspot she played. The quality of the sound upon her return matched that of the early 1960's sound. Just as Betty made the songs on LOVE WALKED IN seem ageless, she too seemed ageless.The voice that would weather a three-decades-long retirement had reached an apogee when the material in this set was recorded. At the time, Betty ranked among the best female vocalists in the entertainment industry. Her pop chart performance in the late 1950's and '60's rivaled or surpassed those of Rosemary Clooney, Peggy Lee, Kay Starr and Doris Day, and she was a constant and welcomed presence on national television and radio. She was a regular o