Track Listing

1. Heart And Soul
2. Stardust
3. In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening
4. One Morning In May
5. Lazybones
6. Old Buttermilk Sky
7. Georgia On My Mind
8. Two Sleepy People
9. I Get Along Without You Very Well
10. Lazy River
11. Rockin’ Chair
12. The Nearness Of You
13. Small Fry
14. Skylark
15. Can’t Get Indiana Off My Mind

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #184045 in Music
• Released on: 2004-04-06
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Crystal Gayle always left the twangy stuff to big sister Loretta Lynn in order to concentrate on more mainstream pop balladry, a form she still handles with grace and style. Although born in Kentucky, Gayle was actually raised in Indiana, and here she interprets 15 gems from fellow Hoosier Hoagy Carmichael. Credit Gayle for putting Carmichael's timeless melodies front and center on this delightful, charming record. Though the arrangements range from small ensemble to full orchestra, they are always in service to the song, as are Gayle's elegant readings, which are tastefully colored with tinges of blues and jazz. Willie Nelson, no stranger to the American standard, duets on one track, and like Gayle, he's wise enough to let great songs do most of the work for him. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews

Two Great Talents
Once again Crystal Gayle has shown with this collection of Hoagy Carmichael songs what a versatile performer she is. I've heard her sing many different styles of music and always loved it when she sang one of the old standards. I was very pleased when she recorded this album of songs by Carmichael who has probably written as many standards as anyone. This album is a great tribute to him in this, his centennial year. The album is at once nostalgic but at the same time refreshingly new. I've heard most of these songs as a child and now after listening to them again (some after many years) I find myself singing and humming them over and over again. Some of these songs are whimsical like Small Fry and Lazybones. Some are melancholy like One Morning In May and I Get Along Without You Very Well. Some will have you tapping your foot like In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening and Lazy River. The duet with Willie Nelson is a delightful little number. The instrumentation on Buttermilk Sky makes it stand out from the rest of the songs as a western number. This album also shows off the versatility of Hoagy Carmichael's song writing ability as well as Crystal's singing. This recording is a wonderful combination of two great talents I would recommend to anyone.

Classy CD from Crystal
"Heart and Soul" is a definite must for fans of Crystal Gayle. However, beyond that it's also an album for fans of Hoagy Charmichael and those who just enjoy timeless music. The album has a blues feel to it - with jazzy toe tapping numbers like "In the Cool Cool of the Evening" and "Buttermilk Sky". However it also has classic ballads that tug at the heart strings. "I Get Along Without You Very Well" being the song that leaves a tear in your eye and a lump in your throat. This album has everything - most of all you can tell it was produced and recorded through a respect for Charmichael's music and most of all its fun. Add a great CD book with terrific liner notes and this package turns out to be one of the best and unique products on the market today. While most Country Artists are sticking to their tried and true (and tiresome) formulas, Gayle has stretched her artistic endeavours and delivered a fresh and exciting album by capitalizing on her love for music from eras gone by. Not for the country twang fan - you won't find any jukebox bars or pickup trucks here. Instead you find a classy album thanks to fantastic music/lyrics, a sophisticated voice and great musicians with full orchestration. This one is exciting. Pick it up. You won't be dissapointed!

This is simply a wonderful CD
I have loved Crystal for a long time, but I do believe this is the finest CD she has made. Perhaps my prejudice with this CD comes from loving Hoagy tunes, but, boy, they are "done right" on this album. I am buying this CD for both my father and father-in-law. (Both WWII vets.) Thanks, my dear Crystal.