When the Feeling Hits You
The fusion of Sammy Davis Jr. (vocals), Sam Butera (tenor sax/arranger/conductor) and his backing combo the Witnesses yielded When the Feeling Hits You (1965) one of Davis' most consistent and inspired collections. Few artists musically defined the late '50s and early- to mid-'60s Las Vegas sound as fittingly as this pair. Butera had been the director behind Louis Prima and Keely Smith's nightclub act and brings a similar excitement and vitality to these ten tunes. High energy readings of "I Should Care," "L'amour-Toujours-L'amour," "Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me," as well as the opening title track "When the Feeling Hits You" are rendered with uninhibited enthusiasm and above all classiness that never borders on kitsch. When the mood and tempo are slowed on the bluesy barfly anthem "Don't Cry Joe" or the after-hours vibe of "These Foolish Things Remind Me of You," Davis' dramatic interpretations ooze an affecting tension and release that can only come from having been face-to-face with solitude. In between the sentimental extremes are a handful of jazzy selections, including "Cry Me a River" and "April in Paris." The closer "This Is Always" is refined in its unencumbered simplicity, proving once again that Davis lives by the adage that 'it ain't what you got, but what you do with it'. In 2004 When the Feeling Hits You was issued on CD by Collectors' Choice Music as part of their extensive restoration of Davis' Reprise Records catalog.. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide