• Artist: Les Paul
• Flags: Compilation (best of)
• Type: Compilation
• Rating:
• Styles: Traditional Pop, Vocal Pop, Pop
• Track Picks: "Twelfth Street Rag"

Review

This disc contains two complete albums by Les Paul and Mary Ford: Bye Bye Blues from 1952 and Les and Mary from 1955. Bye Bye Blues boasts the Top Five title track and the lesser hits "Jazz Me Blues" and "Smoke Rings," while Les and Mary includes the minor hits "Moritat (Theme From Three Penny Opera)" and "Nuevo Laredo." The latter is particularly novel, featuring Ford multi-tracked into a veritable vocal chorus while Paul creates a phasing effect on his guitar. Paul's instrumentals, like the high-speed "Mammy's Boogie" and a jazzy interpretation of "On the Sunny Side of the Street," are interspersed with Ford's vocal numbers on these two albums, with a somewhat lower proportion of instrumentals than New Sound/Les Paul's New Sound. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	iTunes	Composers	Performers	Time
Wabash Blues	...	Dave Ringle, Fred Meinken	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(3:07)
Bye Bye Blues	...	David Bennett, Chauncey Gray, Bert Lown, Frederick Hamm	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:05)
Blues Stay Away from Me	...	Henry Glover, Wayne Raney, Alton Delmore, Rabon Delmore	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:16)
Deep in the Blues	...	Les Paul	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:33)
It's a Lonesome Old Town	...	Harry Tobias, Charles Kisco	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(3:08)
Walkin' and Whistlin' Blues	...	Jimmie Davis, Les Paul	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:45)
St. Louis Blues	...	W.C. Handy	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:38)
Mammy's Boogie	...	Les Paul	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(1:45)
Frankie and Johnny	...	Traditional	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:36)
Don't Cry Baby	...	James P. Johnson, Saul Bernie, Stella Unger	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:28)
Jazz Me Blues	...	Tom Delaney	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(1:37)
Smoke Rings	...	Ned Washington, Gene Gifford	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:59)
Falling in Love With Love	...	Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:09)
On the Sunny Side of the Street	...	Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:36)
Just One of Those Things	...	Cole Porter	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:20)
Twelfth Street Rag	...	Euday L. Bowman	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:21)
Lies	...	Harry Barris, George E. Springer	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:35)
Turista	...		Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:26)
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot	...	Traditional	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:17)
Nuevo Laredo	...	J. Lowe, Bob Carey	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:58)
The Best Things in Life Are Free	...	Lew Brown, Buddy DeSylva, Ray Henderson	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:29)
Moritat [From Three Penny Opera]	...	Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:26)
Some of These Days	...	Shelton Brooks	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:09)
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home	...	Clarence Williams, Charles Warfield	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:03)
Dangerous Curves	...		Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:30)
I'm Movin' On	...	Hank Snow	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(1:49)
Farewell (For Just Awhile)	...	Eddie Lund, Shelton Brooks	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(2:24)
Tico, Tico	...	Zequinha de Abreu	Les Paul & Mary Ford	(1:37)

Credits

Les Paul (Arranger), Les Paul (Main Performer), Les Paul (Adaptation), Les Paul & Mary Ford (Performer), Al Fichera (Liner Notes)