Bing Crosby was a media superstar during the first half of the 20th century. He was the best-selling recording artist of all time until the rock era hit, having sold over a half-billion records, and he was a movie star, too, the biggest box office draw of the 1940s. None of this would have been possible if he couldn't sing, but he could, defining the very template of a crooner, and his vocal style, warm and natural, was influential everywhere.
Crosby had a particular fondness for songs by
Johnny Mercer, his friend and frequent collaborator, and he tracked 100 or so of them during his long career. This generous set collects 22 of these recordings on a single disc, including several previously unreleased radio performances, and fun duets with
the Andrews Sisters,
Louis Armstrong, and
Mercer himself, among other valuable archival gems. ~ Steve Leggett