Love Records USA: Press

PRESS NOTICES FOR..Savina. and all that GentleJazz !

"EVERY BIT AS GOOD AS ELLA"...H. N. Lieber, BROADCAST---

"JUST EXCELLENT"...NAT Hentoff, noted Musicologist & Critic-

-- "REFRESHING!"...Jim Smith WBBA-FM Chicago

"Savina is superb...she has a quality in her voice that sets one's mind dreaming of star-filled nights and rolling surfs"... Chuck Mitchell, Chicagoland Broadcasters

"Savina is reminiscent of the great sound of June Christy- Anita O'Day and Chris Conner.She should receive national attention...she has a refreshing approach to many evergreens and she has brought back"taste" with the help of some jazz giants"...Art Vincent, The Art of Jazz

"At a time when jazz and pop music are becoming increasingly specialized and rarefied, Savina's music will come as a balm to ears of the more mature nightclub type audience"...Graham Masterson, Penthouse Magazine, Lndn

Savina has a great feel for Jazz ...very intimate and personal stuff, glows with warmth... her choice of material and musicians is excellent"... Al Kaessler, WJMD, Washington DC

"Savina is most enjoyable to listen to...her singing is superb. Especially delighted with her Ellington numbers"... William Gunther, WEVD, New York

"This is Jazz Royale! Savina's album is really right for jazzophiles who dig music especially for dancing and relaxed listening. Thank good musicianship, the jazzman featured on this album bring back classic sounds that for too long have not been heard with a good singer. This album will warm you on a cold winter night and keep you cool in the heat of summer - that's the balanced artistry of Savina and these fine Musicians. Give us more Savina, so we can get to know you better!"... Barbara Williams, Reflected Expressions: Jazz Magazine

"When Savina sings, she not only reaches you, she touches you!"... Bob Bruno, WVIP, Mt. Kisco, N

"I did an hour of my show, playing cuts from the (pre-release) album and talking with Savina...It was the best hour of my entire radio career. She knows her stuff and her history. She looks, sounds great. Earthy and real, has a great sense of humor, and is a classy lady."...Tom Davis, (Syndicated show) WRVR, NY

FIVE STAR REVIEWS

NOT disappointing!, September 1, 2005
Reviewer: S. Jahns (Mpls., MN)
S. Jahns
Sets himself apart from the others
"Anyone who has heard Cozy Cole's drumming in Topsy Part II is aware that he set himself apart as a drummer." - S. Jahns

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Jan Souther (excerpt)
Alan Hartwell, Cozy Cole & Savina all on 1 CD!
Actually, it's two albums on one compact disc, 74 minutes of music. The small print says: "Alan Hartwell's Big Band featuring" and the big print is: "Cozy Cole and all that big band jazz!"/ "SAVINA and all that Gentle Jazz"

Remember "Topsy, part 2?" Big hit around, I think, 1958. This disc has "Topsy, part 1," and "Topsy, part 2." Then "Turvy," parts one and two, "Topsy-Turvy," also parts one and two.

(We're up to six pieces by now, using pretty much the same combination of names. There are 10 in all.)

MP3tunes.com has a brief sketch of Hartwell: "Alan Hartwell has been producing recording sessions with some of the world's finest Jazz Musicians since 1958. His career in the music business, which has now spanned four decades, began when he put together a recording band, tapping the best talent from what was previously the Arthur Godfrey Orchestra on CBS Television."

When I heard Cole's Topsy pieces again, these many years later, I heard exceptionally clean drumming and such style that I thought, "I bet this guy wears a suit in the recording studio." When your name is William Randolph Cole, it probably does something to you.

What was the guy really like? Here is what fellow musician Jonah Jones had to say 10 years ago:

"Cozy was like my brother. He was the most wonderful person I ever met. I first met him in 1936. I was new to New York and Cozy, being from New Jersey, showed me all around. In those days Harlem was full of great musicians and I was having a difficult time, because no one knew me. But old Cozy, he saw to it that I was offered jobs. One time Teddy Wilson offered Cozy a gig to record with some new singer. Cozy told Teddy that he would only take the job if Teddy hired me. That was how nice Cozy was. When Cozy and I got down there with Teddy, we met Johnny Hodges and that young singer's name was Billie Holiday. Cozy was one of a kind. There'll never be another Cozy, that is for sure." (Quoted in various places.) And bandleader/producer Hartwell has often been quoted saying "Cozy is genuinely the nicest guy in the world... always courteous, even-tempered and anxious to deliver his best... a good friend."

The compact disc also features Savina, "and all that Gentle Jazz!" She is, as the cover says, "a warm, wise, intimate song stylist." She styles "Can't We Be Friends," as well as "The Man I Love," and "It Don't Mean A Thing." Twelve by this lady.

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J. Johnson
Buy this for Cozy Cole and superior sound
I've been a fan of Cozy Cole's "Topsy" (parts 1 and 2) since the
mid-70s. I then discovered a record called "Ala Topsy" (parts 3 and 4). Turns
out these tracks are really "Topsy-Turvy" parts 1 and 2, and they
appear on this disc with their true intros from Cole (instead of "Miss
Weather"). These tracks, plus "Turvy" (parts 1 and 2) and a couple of
unreleased numbers, are in the best sound I've ever heard this material. The
remaining tracks are vocals from Savina, but I recommend this disc
highly if you like Cozy Cole songs.

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Fleo 47-Union, NJ
Cozy makes his drums sing and Savina's great
Cozy makes his drums sing and Savina's great
Gene Krupa was the showman drummer, Buddy Rich beat out triple
paradiddles in a second, but Cozy Cole was the best drummer of them all. His
melodic style of playing the skins appealed to masses, you listen to him
beat out a story, almost like the beats where lyics in the music not
just a drum solo independant from the music being played, more like the
chorus adding of the heart to story line. The CD format put all of his
45's of the 1950's into a big story line... just listen and enjoy it,
you won't be disappointed. I didn't realy know Savina's work, I wasn't
expecting much but she's really good, I enjoy her voice and style of
singing. It's an added plus for your money. F.L.



Not disappointing might seem like a back-handed compliment. But not in this case. Often, these reissues of hard to find examples from less-recorded artists disappoint. Sometimes they perform covers produced for obvious commercial reasons. Sometimes the performance of the artist you want to hear is diminished for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the quality of the recording is poor. Sometimes the material is just plain bad. But not in this case. Anyone who has heard Cozy Cole's drumming in Topsy Part II is aware that he set himself apart as a drummer. I still get mesmerized when I listen to that number. His rhythm, pace and dynamics are just amazing. This CD delivers the goods if you have ever wondered how he sounded doing other material. The sound quality is great, his band is great, and he is in fine form. I just wish the CD included his "Big Noise from Winnetka"- which was probably recorded on another Love Records CD. I even enjoy the Savina tracks.







Stab from the past, January 16, 2004
Reviewer: Johnny Hodges (Clark Fork, ID United States) - See all my reviews
When Topsy was a hit in the 50s, I had the joy of owning an album with a sweating, demonic looking Cozy Cole on the cover holding the sticks with his fists about to mightily smite his kit. The album was appropriately name "Cozy Cole Hits", and does he ever. Never thought I'd get to hear these performances again, but this is that album and I'm in heaven. Cole's unbelievably powerhouse drumming spurs on a backup band of stellar musicians (uncredited on the original album due to contract issues) prodded to soaring heights. Digital remastering job excellent. The CD includes a 2nd album with Cozy Cole and another allstar band backing chanteuse Savina Cattiva (hence the CD title). These laid back tunes are nice, although the sound quality is not as good. I like to listen to this CD in shuffle play; the Savina tunes give me a chance to catch my breath between Topsy, Turvey, etc. You Ellington fans will be BLOWN AWAY by Caravan.







TOPSY PART 1 AND PART 2, October 29, 2003
Reviewer: SANDRA GREEN (NEW YORK CITY) - See all my reviews
WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL I'D TAP DANCE OFF OF THIS TUNE. I LOVE THIS SAVINA CD TOO.
SANDRA FROM NEW YORK