Jerome Kern's Roberta (1952 Studio Cast)
An amalgam of the Broadway (1933) and Hollywood (1935) versions of Jerome Kern'sRoberta, this studio cast album from 1952 is a treat for the composer's admirers but may be a harder sell to more casual fans of the American songbook. Of course it's hard to go wrong with chestnuts such as "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and "Let's Begin" (from the show) or "Lovely To Look At" (from the movie), but Joan Roberts' interpretation isn't likely to quicken your pulse. Faring much better are the young Kaye Ballard and Portia Nelson, at the time earning their stripes in nightclubs. The latter offers a quivering "Yesterdays," while Ballard's brassy take on "I'll Be Hard to Handle," distinguished by excellent comic timing, is the disc's highlight--along with the divine 40-second instrumental break in "I Won't Dance."--Elisabeth Vincentelli