Very good mid-1950s album from fantastic Anita O'Day who had singing along Gene Krupa and Stan Kenton in previous decade but after she left her big band canary years behind, she turned out some really great solo albums for "Verve".
Music — Benny Goodman, Irving Berlin for example — melted out of the shape when O'Day approaches it and she plays with it like snake charmer,her take on "Sweet Georgia Brown" is truly must-hear, its actually variations on what she would perform on Newport Jazz festival later.
She starts slowly,with drumms only than swings it and finally almost turns it into rock'n'roll, this is masterpiece of the album.
O'Day has very particular coulour of voice — its not girlish or specially feminine, its best described as whiskey-soaked and you can tell she was a colourful character and had her own will & way with things. God knows she probably paid for it, but I like her anyway and always respect eccentric outsiders.
Sasha
Source : https://www.amazon.com/Pick-Yourself-Up-Anita-ODay/dp/B0000046OM#customerReviews
Pick Yourself Up
With
Anita O'Day
Tracks
1 Don't Be that Way (Goodman, Sampson, Parish) 2:32
2 Let's Face the Music and Dance (Nerlin) 3:16
3 I Never Had a Chance (Berlin) 4:22
4 Stompin' at the Savoy (Goodman, Sampson, Webb, Razaf) 3:18
5 Pick Yourself Up (Kern, Fields) 3:05
6 Stars Fell on Alabama (Perkins, Parish) 2:51
7 Sweet Georgia Brown (Casey, Pinkard) 4:13
8 I Won't Dance (Kern, McHugh, Fields, Hammerstein, Harbach) 3:25
9 Man with a Horn (DeLange, Lake, Jenny) 3:55
10 I Used to be Color Blind (Berlin) 3:09
11 Ther's a Lull in my Life (Revel, Gordon) 3:18
12 Let's Begin (Kern, Harbach) 2:21
13 I'm with You (unknown) 2:04
14 The Rock 'n' Roll Waltz [45rpm single] (Allen, Ware) 2:44
15 The Getaway and the Chase [prev. available only on a Verve anth. LP] (Jones, Meyer) 2:25
16 Your Picture's Hanging Crooked on the Wall [prev. unissued] (unknown) 2:29
17 We Laughed at Love [45rpm single] (unknown) 3:09
18 I'm Not Lonely [prev. unissued] (unknown) 3:03
19 Let's Face the Music and Dance [alt. take - available only on a Verve LP] (Berlin) 3:17
20 Ivy [prev. unissued] (Carmichael) 2:45
21 Stars Fell on Alabama [alt. take - prev. available only on a Verve anth. LP] (Perkins, Parish) 2:48
*
Personnel
[# 1, 2, 5, 10 & 19]
Anita O'Day - vcl
Harry "Sweets" Edison - tp
Larry Bunker - vb
Paul Smith - p
Barney Kessel - g
Joe Mondragon - b
Alvin Stoller - dr
Recorded in Los Angeles ; December 18, 1956
[# 6, 9, 11, 20 & 21]
Anita O'Day - vcl
with Buddy Bergman's Orchestra (probable personnel)
Conte Candoli, Pete Candoli, Conrad Gozzo, Ray Linn - tp
Milt Bernardt, George Roberts, Frank Rosolino, Lloyd Ulyate - tb
Herb Geller, Bud Shank - as
Georgie Auld, Bob Cooper - ts
Jimmy Giuffre - bs
Paul Smith - p
Al Hendrickson - g
Joe Mondragon - b
unknown strings
Alvin Stoller - dr
Recorded in Los Angeles ; December 19, 1956
[# 3, 4, 7, 8 & 12]
As above
Recorded same place as a bove ; December 20, 1956
[# 13 & 14]
Anita O'Day - vcl
with Buddy Bergman's Orchestra (personnel unknown)
Recorded in Los Angeles ; January 4, 1956
[# 15-18]
As above
Recorded in Los Angeles ; February 23, 1956