Bob Powers

MARIETTA, OH, USA - If you've read this column with any frequency over the years of its existence, you know my love for the music of Rosemary Clooney, as for the woman herself, who counts in my ledger as one of the nicest people ever involved in show business. With Rosemary's death in 2002, it's not surprising that her record company for the last 25 years of her life has brought forward a superb collection of her best work for the Concord Records label.

The story is an old one, but for those whose memories don't include the Clooney story, she was a major recording star in the 1950s, suffered a major breakdown after the murder of Robert Kennedy and seemed to have retired from show business. Thankfully for all of us who appreciate brilliant singing and one of the most sincere attitudes in the history of show business, Rosemary made a comeback.

After touring with "4 Girls 4," for years (that's when I met her for the first time), she eventually re-launched her career as a single performer, meeting great success. A large part of the credit for that comeback must go to the mavens at Concord Records, who backed her with excellent support and a series of albums that attracted not only the audience she'd had, but a new group of much younger fans who became fiercely devoted to her voice and to Rosemary the person, as nice a lady as you'd ever want to meet.

Born in the Ohio River town of Maysville, Kentucky, Rosemary and her younger sister found success as a duo, working at the powerhouse radio station WLW, in Cincinnati. When Rosemary signed as a single for Columbia Records, the dynamic Mitch Miller took charge and was responsible for some of the biggest hit songs of the 1950s, including "Tenderly" and "Come On-a My House."

All those years later, after the unfortunate death of her beloved sister, Rosemary took time off and then made a new career, touring the nation and the world and attracting sell-out audiences everywhere.

The Concord years brought about many outstanding albums, and the new compilation, "Rosemary Clooney: The Best of the Concord Years" contains 32 songs, each picked with care and designed to draw tears from Rosemary's longtime friends.

At the end of the album, Rosemary sings "God Bless America," taken from her final album, "The Last Concert." At its conclusion, the roar of the audience in Honolulu sounding almost overwhelming, you hear her voice saying, "Thanks for one of the greatest nights of my life."

No one knew then that the end was coming all too soon.

Rosemary Clooney will forever remain my favorite pop singer. God bless you, pretty lady.

Delbert's Double Set

Some artists sound wonderful on their recordings, but seen in person they may cause a slight bit of disappointment. As one might expect, the great Delbert McClinton sounds just great on his studio-produced albums, but in person he's simply spectacular. If you are a Delbert fan from his many studio-made CDs over the past decade or more, you have a jolt awaiting you when you sit down to hear "Delbert McClinton Live" (New West Records).

The strange thing about this double-CD release is that it was never meant to be a recording. Delbert and his crew of sensational musicians were on tour and had been recorded live by Norwegian radio at the Bergen Blues Festival at the Teatergasjen theater. When Delbert and others sat down to listen to the tapes, they were amazed and easily agreed that the show needed to be released to the world of loyal McClinton fans.

Mixing (making sure the sound is balanced, etc.) was done by Don Smith, who had worked his sound magic for such groups as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and that little known rock group called The Rolling Stones. The result knocked everyone back in their chairs.

The concert, that special night in Norway, included both oldies made famous in the '80s by McClinton, including "Giving It Up for Your Love", and "B Movie Box Car Blues," which had been a hit for the Blues Brothers. Also on the album are such gems as "I Wanna Love You" (a truly wonderful performance) and "Leap of Faith," which has great moments that all should enjoy.

Delbert confesses that he's really happy about the album. "The band is over-the-top on it," he exclaims.

This marks Delbert's third concert album, the last one being "Live in Austin," which was nominated for a Grammy. The new album, with 19 tracks, gives the band the room to cover more ground. When Entertainment Weekly called McClinton "One of the planet's greatest roadhouse rockers," they knew what they were talking about.

What a band, what a great singer, what a marvelous album!

MJQ Times Four

The Modern Jazz Quartet has gone down in jazz history as one of the most involving and interesting chapters ever. Its blend of jazz and classical music didn't please every listener, but even the ones who scoffed at one of the most courageous attempts to take jazz in a new direction have come around.

It wasn't always an easy ride, even with the astounding musicianship possible from its members. John Lewis played a piano with such skill and feeling that many listeners might have preferred to listen with those other players dickering with the music.

The late Milt Jackson had a long history in jazz, working with many of the most astounding musicians who made jazz into something different and very special in those formative days of the 1940s.

The group debuted on Fantasy Records in 1952, Lewis and Jackson aided by Kenny Clarke on drums and Percy Heath on drums. In later years, Clarke was replaced by Connie Kay. But the sound stayed the same, a subtle combination of jazz and classical, which sometimes upset the listeners on both sides of the aisle.

"MJQ: The Complete Modern Jazz Quartet Prestige and Pablo Records" has just appeared in stores and will be snatched up by longtime MFQ admirers and perhaps those who don't know the reputation, but are willing to take a trial run.

You must admit that a group that worked together for a half-century certainly had something going for it. Only Duke Ellington's orchestra lasted longer.

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