Dorothy Carless

Dorothy Carless was an English singer who worked with Ray Noble and Geraldo before coming to the US circa 1950. She then made three LPs (that I know of) and did not record again.

This makes her a somewhat obscure singer, I guess, but the way things happen these days, she is not forgotten, and two of her three albums are available on CD. This earliest effort is not, which is why I am offering it here on request. It was made for Commodore in 1953.

It is very welcome, for Carless was a talented singer who accompanied herself on piano here and on one of her later records. She presents four Arlen and four Weill songs, and not only the popular ones - Arlen's "In the Shade of the New Apple Tree" and Weill's "Foolish Heart" and "It Never Was You" are not heard that often.

By the time Carless made her 12-inch LPs later in the decade, her voice had lost some of its flexibility and  tended to wander off pitch. This record does not suffer in that respect, and is quite enjoyable. She sounds like a less stilted Mabel Mercer.