Anita O'Day: I Want to Sing a Song

After Gary McFarland's debut with Gerry Mulligan, producer Creed Taylor began giving album projects to the young arrangerone of the first being with Anita O'Day. The repertoire was an interesting mixture of non-hackneyed standards and a few originals. This song by McFarland and lyricist Margo Guryan should be better knownonce you hear it, it sticks with you. The band tracks were recorded in New York, and O'Day later overdubbed her vocals in Los Angeles, but that's not at all apparent. (The singer and arranger met for the first time several years later.) Overall, this album is widely regarded as among O'Day's best.