Broadcast on 18-Oct-2010

Tonight is the birthday of one of the finest Jazz singers the world has ever seen except she doesn't get often mentioned when many people discuss Jazz singers. The names Ella, Billie, Sarah and sometimes Carmen are often mentioned but it seems that Anita O'Day is often omitted. Anita IS one of the greats and through her tempestuous life she managed to have many musical successes and was able through her great talent, to reinvent herself many times. One of her classic and finest recordings is tonight's Feature. It combines Anita with the orchestra under the direction of the talented and sadly departed Gary McFarland. McFarland assembled an all-star orchestra and wrote all of the arrangements to feature Miss O'Day. She sings some old tunes done up in very new clothes and some brand new (for the time) material. The album entitled "All The Sad Young Men" was completed in 1961. The centerpiece and title track was the immoral tune by Thomas Wolf and Frances Landesman called "The Ballad of the Sad Young Men", a composition depicting young men going off to war. The theme is universal. Happy Birthday Miss O'Day (born in Chicago on Oct. 18,1919).Your music will live forever and this album represents you at your very best!