ROSEMARY CLOONEY Vinyl Records and CDs

Rosemary Clooney carries on the interpretive jazz singing tradition of Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. Clooney may have been forced to record plenty of Mitch Miller-produced corn during the 1950s, but she also released acres of great material during this period. Besides being the first major vocal star to do an album with Duke Ellington (and Blue Rose is amazing), Clooney also recorded with such heavyweights as Benny Goodman, Harry James and (her secret love) Nelson Riddle. After a complete breakdown, Clooney resurfaced to great critical acclaim in the mid-'70s on the Concorde jazz label -- accent on the jazz. Now Clooney is free to concentrate on great standards instead of silly tunes and crossover material. While her once pure, perfect voice has aged, Clooney's sense of swing, nuance, and emotion has only grown richer over the years.