Ultimate Capitol Collection, The

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Jo Stafford first recorded for Capitol between 1943 and 1950, a seven-year span that saw most (but not all) of her chart hits and best recordings. When she arrived, she had scant experience as a solo-billed act, but plenty of time spent with Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra and with a talented vocal group, the Pied Pipers. (She also had two appearances on Dorsey hits under her belt, "Yes, Indeed!" and "Manhattan Serenade," neither included here.) The Ultimate Capitol Collection is certainly the most ambitious look at her Capitol-era recordings -- despite the presence of several career-spanning box sets in her discography -- including more than 50 performances (a few rare or unreleased) from the '40s or early '60s (when she returned to Capitol for several years). Included here are her biggest hits: "Candy" with Johnny Mercer, "My Darling, My Darling" with Gordon MacRae, and the cornpone novelty hit "Temptation (Tim-Tay-Shun)" that Stafford nailed with the help of Red Ingle & the Natural Seven. A parade of other marvelous songs are also on display, including perhaps the best recording of her career, the gauzy and poignant ballad "Long Ago (And Far Away)." But despite Jo Stafford's clear talents with a song, this two-disc set doesn't reward general vocal fans. Stafford spent much of her energy on varying types of genres of song (neither contemporary pop nor classic standards), including sacred songs and material from the 1800s. True, there are some intriguing rarities, including an Irving Berlin title "Love and the Weather" that was tailor-made for Stafford's sense of innocent ennui. ~ John Bush