Best remembered for her stint on
Steve Allen's landmark NBC variety show Tonight, singer
Pat Kirby also cut this lone Decca LP before retiring from show biz to raise a family. Its prim-and-proper schoolmarm cover photo to the contrary,
What Is This Thing Called Love? boasts a kittenish appeal that's utterly intoxicating -- no great stylist,
Kirby nevertheless eschews clichés and histrionics, favoring a sweetly sexy approach that works beautifully in tandem with arranger
Ralph Burns' subtly elegant strings. Familiar songs like "I Fall in Love Too Easily" and "Like Someone in Love" possess style and sass to spare. ~ Jason Ankeny