Rosemary Clooney - The Songbook Collection (6CD Box Set) (2000)

Rosemary Clooney began her professional career in the big-band swing era, and while she wasn't a great jazz singer, her jazzy phrasing and nuance made her the perfect pop singer for her era. She finally found a home with Concord Records in 1977 after stints with Columbia and RCA, and she remained with Concord until her passing in 2002. During that time she recorded several "songbook" albums similar to Ella Fitzgerald's songbook series, and this set collects six of those albums, including 1979's Sings the Lyrics of Ira Gershwin, 1982's Sings the Music of Cole Porter, 1983's Sings the Music of Harold Arlen, 1984's Sings the Music of Irving Berlin, 1987's Sings the Lyrics of Johnny Mercer, and 1989's Sings Rodgers, Hart & Hammerstein, all of which present Clooney in a comfortable setting doing what she did best.