Garland at the Grove
| Garland at the Grove | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | Mono version: February 2, 1959 Stereo version: February 16, 1959 | |||
| Recorded | August 5, 1958 | |||
| Venue | Cocoanut Grove nightclub at the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles | |||
| Length | 57:14 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Judy Garland chronology | ||||
| ||||
Garland at the Grove is the debut live album by Judy Garland. It was released in mono on February 2, 1959 and in stereo on February 16, 1959,[1] by Capitol Records, and accompanied by Freddy Martin and his orchestra. The album was recorded at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.[2]
The album preceded Garland's famous run and landmark recording at Carnegie Hall by three years. The Cocoanut Grove show featured Garland with Freddy Martin's Orchestra, rather than others like Nelson Riddle or Billy May.
In 2008, the album was remastered and released in the compact disc format by DRG Records, the release included 13 "live" selected performances, three of which did not appear on the original LP.[3]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [2] |
Billboard commended the album, emphasizing its "exceptional" vocal performance, a "striking" cover photo, and "excellent" sound quality. They also noted the impressive comedic rendition of "Purple People Eater".[4] Cash Box stated that the LP "displays Miss Garland at her best – when she's performing in front of a live, appreciative audience", adding that "the singer stirs up lots of memories and excitement" and called it "a delectable deck" likely to "stir up lots of sales".[5]
In a retrospective review, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic noted that the album "demonstrat[es] to people unable to make it to venues like the Palladium what all the fuss was about", emphasized that "she is clearly a powerful performer with a strong connection to her listeners", even without the visual complement and despite occasional signs of laryngitis.[2]
Steven Suskin of Playbill stated that Garland at the Grove "is not Garland at her best" since the fire and excitement "is pretty much absent", but noted that "a live recording of Judy is a live recording of Judy, which should be enough for her current generations of fans".[3] Frank Behrens of Brattleboro Reformer pointed that Garland performs several songs, including "When You're Smiling", "Day In-Day Out", and a medley featuring "Over the Rainbow" and noted some vocal challenges, particularly in the last mentioned. Behrens praised Garland as the greatest American female singer and described the album as a treasured addition to her legacy.[6]
Track listing
Personnel
- Judy Garland – vocals
- Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
- Freddy Martin – arranger, conductor
References
- ^ "Judy Garland Discography: Judy Garland At The Grove". The Judy Room.
- ^ a b c "Garland at the Grove". Allmusic. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- ^ a b Suskin, Steven (March 3, 2008). "ON THE RECORD: David Yazbek's "Evil Monkey Man," and "Judy Garland at the Grove"". Playbill. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ "The Billboard spotlights winners of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. February 16, 1959. p. 30. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. XX, no. 23. February 21, 1959. p. 40. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 19, 2026. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- ^ Behrens, Frank (March 27, 2008). "Garland sings 'Live at the Grove'". Brattleboro Reformer. Retrieved October 11, 2024.