Cab Calloway Are You Hep To The Jive?: 22 Sensational Tracks CD

Recorded between 1939 and 1947. Includes liner notes by Al Quaglieri.

With his deft dance moves, giddily playful disposition, and charmingly enthusiastic vocals, Cab Calloway fascinated and delighted audiences at New York City's Cotton Club for years, hitting the peak of his powers in the 1940s. This wonderfully selected and sequenced Legacy compilation draws from this era (1939-47), featuring many of the singer/bandleader's finest moments. Always backed by a top-notch big-band ensemble, Calloway coasts along on swinging melodies, relating silly street narratives with the utmost crowd-pleasing verve. Numerous highlights of this disc include the slinky "Are You Hep to the Jive?" (and its equally enjoyable cousin, "Are You All Reet?"), the rhyme-happy "Everybody Eats When They Come to My House (Pass Me a Pancake, Mandrake!)", and, of course, Calloway's signature tune, the scat sing-along "Minnie the Moocher." For proof that Calloway was indeed one of the greatest performers of all time, look no further than these 22 outrageously entertaining tracks.

This is part of the Legacy Rhythm And Soul series.Entertainment Weekly (10/7/94, p.79) - "...his rhythm section never stops jumping, and `Minnie The Moocher' still shows how to kick the gong around..." - Rating: B+