C'mon...Get Happy

Despite its cheerful title, C'mon...Get Happy! conveys a broader range of emotions than one might expect from one of Nelson Riddle's solo efforts of the '50s. Bandleader and arranger Riddle could conjure up a wide palate of moods in his work with Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, and that sort of eclecticism is reflected in the lush "I'll Get By," the midtempo contemplation of "For All We Know," and the jazzy drift of "Am I Blue." But this is still a far cry from the lonesome sound of Sinatra's classic In the Wee Small Hours, which Riddle arranged; most of this album's 12 songs are upbeat and enthusiastic, and even the slower numbers boast a purposeful swing and the arrangements are punchy and gracefully embroidered with exceptional instrumental work from Riddle's studio orchestra. And though most of Riddle's albums feature standards instantly recognizable decades later, there are a few lesser-known numbers on C'mon...Get Happy! that show his skill extended to less familiar melodies, such as "Diga, Diga Doo," "Time Was," and "S'posin?." While Riddle's style is imaginative and exciting throughout, the man didn't descend into eccentricity for its own sake, and C'mon...Get Happy! remains a charming and engaging listen five decades after it was initially released.