The Capitol Collector's Series
Johnny Mercer was one of the founders of Capitol Records, so it's fitting that this entry in the label'sCollectors Seriesis such a well-compiled and -designed package. Comprised of 20 key sides made between 1942 and 1949, it captures theSavannah-born singer/songwriter's lazy, bluesy delivery on both his own tunes ("Blues in the Night," "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," "One for My Baby") and others' (Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside," which Mercer andMargaret Whitingmade into a No. 1 hit). Mercer was a major figure in American popular music; this CD makes clear that he was also a highly entertaining performer.--Rickey Wright