In 1959, sultry vocalist
Julie London
was really coming into her own as a singer. Her worldwide hit
"Cry Me a River"
was four years behind her, and while she would never attain that level of fame as a recording artist for the rest of her career, her ability to interpret a song was at its strongest in the late '50s and early '60s.
Liberty Records
'
Julie...At Home
finds the vocalist comfortably in front of a small
jazz
combo highlighted by vibraphonist
Emil Richards
and guitarist
Al Viola
. The sessions seem relaxed and casual, often with the lyrics slyly slipping from
London
's lips, at once sophisticated and sensual. The remarkable thing about
is that it was in fact recorded in her own living room, which proved to be the ideal surroundings for these warm and romantic standards. [
was released as a two-fer in 1996 as
Julie...At Home/Around Midnight
.] ~ Zac Johnson