One of
Sammy Davis, Jr.'s best studio albums,
I Gotta Right to Swing! is an invigorating mix of uptempo swing and hard-hitting rhythm & blues that secretly featured the
Count Basie band, with
the Count himself replaced by George Rhodes on the piano (this is most probably due to contractual obligations). The awesome ensemble plays jazz- and drum-heavy arrangements that excite
Davis to such an extent that on half of the tracks he replaces his pure, Broadway croon with a rough R&B howl that makes
Ray Charles sound like
Sam Cooke. The album kicks off with the zany hit version of "The Lady Is a Tramp" that shows off
Davis' gift for mimicry as he barrels through a boat-load of show biz clichés ("they went that away," etc.), but the rest of the album finds
Davis at his least stereotypical, with the
Basie band playing charts provided by
Sy Oliver,
Jack Pleis, and
Davis' musical director,
Morty Stevens. ~ Nick Dedina