AMG Review of Anita O'Day's Finest Hour

Al Campbell
All Music Guide

Part of the Verve Finest Hour series, this 18-song compilation features highlights from jazz vocalist Anita O'Day. Not only was O'Day a dynamic presence in her own right, but she was surrounded by some of the top names in jazz. Her memorable association with trumpeter Roy Eldridge is represented on "Let Me Off Uptown" along with versions of "Honeysuckle Rose," "Tea for Two," "When Sunny Gets Blue," "Peel Me a Grape," "Them There Eyes," and "Sweet Georgia Brown." This isn't a complete picture of O'Day's career, which spans several decades, but it does make a nice sampler at a budget price.