Bobby Scott - My Heart In My Hands

 

Picked up a "holy grail" by composer Bobby Scott. Who wrote "A Taste of Honey" an LP "The Singing Bobby Scott. My Heart in my Hands".. its dogeared with notes by Joe Slezik. He played it for decades on WICN. And now own the very copy he used to play on the radio. As you can tell from the quality of the rip.... Photo's of Joe's notation....below

The 2019 Jazztimes "Great Scott: The Multifaceted Genius of Bobby Scott" and 2009  Jazzwax "Who was Bobby Scott" worth digging into. 

It's Crazy
A Woman In Love
The Young Years
The Days Of Wine And Roses
Eight Million Stories
One Is A Lonely Number
If Ever I Would Leave You
The World Is Your Balloon
I Won't Cry Anymore
Smile

Howard A. Roberts Conductor
Torrie Zito Conductor
Fred Catero Engineer
Stan Weiss Engineer
Bob Cato Photography By
Howard A. Roberts Producer


Amazon reviews: Don E. Marchione
4.0 out of 5 stars Intense, and No Pretense
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2013
The title of the album indicates, by inference, that the late Bobby Scott was not primarily a singer. He was a musician, composer and arranger. He wrote "A Taste of Honey," which was a hit for Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and co-wrote "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," a big success for The Hollies. The latter song has a great message that we should all reflect upon periodically, lest we become too self-absorbed.

From what I've read, Bobby Scott was an intense guy. This is evident in his approach to singing. It's emphatic and communicative. The voice is certainly not operatic, but that's not to be expected from a person who was essentially a talented jazz musician. What is really conveyed is his musical honesty. Despite any vocal flaws, he was a very talented arranger and composer. He and Torrie Zito (who did a lot of work with Tony Bennett) arranged the cuts on this mid-60s LP, which are: It's Crazy, A Woman In Love, The Young Years, The Days of Wine and Roses (Mancini), Eight Million Stories In The Naked City (remember the TV show? Perfect mood here.), One Is A Lonely Number, If Ever I Would Leave You (a hit for Robert Goulet), The World Is Your Balloon, I Won't Cry Anymore, and Smile (Charlie Chaplin). Only a few of these songs are well-known but that does not necessarily indicate a lack of musical merit in the other cuts.

Bobby Scott was prone to try different approaches, musically, At times, at least on some of his other releases, he sounded like a 1960s soul singer. E.g. listen to his version of Climb Every Mountain on his album "Star." It's on youtube and features a great blend of a soulful sax section with a lovely female chorus. He certainly sings from the heart, although others may deem it a corruption of the original version. Tastes vary.

I'd recommend this release for those who enjoy jazz and don't demand flawless vocal prowess.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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