Joanie Sommers was not so modestly heralded on the front album jacket as "the greatest discovery in singing...in the last fifteen years," and her debut did reveal a vivacious vocalist exhibiting a tremendous amount of depth for someone still in her teens. Released in 1960,
Positively the Most consists of a dozen Great American Songbook entries with distinct arrangements by the top-shelf talents of
Tommy Oliver and
Marty Paich. Rather than attempting to market
Sommers as an old-style balladeer, the smart jazz and pop scores not only update the familiar titles, but likewise provide the perfect point of departure for the singer and her audience alike. The opener, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," is one of two items from the
Cole Porter catalog. Her frisky vocals are matched by the uptempo instrumentation as she exudes the lyrical double entendre, while maintaining a mature dignity.
Sommers playfully glides over
Paich's samba-tinged "Something I Dreamed Last Night" with ease and just enough room to show off her considerable range of interpretive skills.
Tommy Oliver's dramatic approach to the
Rodgers & Hammerstein staple "It Might as Well Be Spring" is a prime opportunity for the singer to reveal herself in the "torch" tradition. The organic fluidity in
Sommers' delivery takes on a storybook quality rooted in improv, yet steeped in the drama inherent in songs from the stage and screen. This is not surprising, as it had initially been written for the musical remake of the 1945 film State Fair.
Duke Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light," is a return to a jazzier big-band sound.
Sommers' subtle girlish charm simply glistens against the sassy brass interjections and brisk counter-melodies. Conversely, the slow and tempting "Heart and Soul" stands out from the pack with plenty of
Sommers' introspective intimacy.