Jack Jones - Greatest Hits [MCA]

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Jack Jones

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Not only was Jack Jones, like his father Allan, blessed with a gifted voice, he was lucky to have someone record him who knew what they were doing. Unlike Andy Williams, whose double-tracked voice on Columbia during that same early 1960s era seems a bit contrived now, Jones was recorded on Kapp where orchestrator Bert Kampfert resided. Kampfert seemed to have a great deal of echo in his Kapp recordings which gave them a certain lilt. I don't know if it was Kapp's recording studio or Kampfert, but I do know this apparent echo effect worked wonders with many of Jones' recordings from that era, giving them an ethereal quality. It's lush to say the least, but it's due to the recording techniques used as opposed to, for example, string arrangements by Axel Stordahl or Nelson Riddle for Frank Sinatra. And most importantly, Jones' pure voice makes it so wonderful, too. Harry Connick Jr. can only sing like this in his dreams. I only wish "Live for Live" was on this excellent compilation, but you can get that on the CD "Mood for Love." Although he won two Grammys in the early 1960s, Jones never seemed to recover from rock's 1960s nuking of 1950s pop music. But then again, the guy never seemed to make a fool of himself either like some pop singers from that era. I would imagine he also made a small fortune in Vegas, because I don't recall reading he had become destitute either. That makes me happy because this guy's voice really was, and might still be, great. And unlike another great voice, like say Vic Damone, Jones made some really great recordings, too. If you want to have the rare opportunity to hear both, buy this CD. You won't be sorry.