by Moe Zilla

Created on: February 19, 2008   Last Updated: July 25, 2008

Sammy Davis Jr. is legendary as a great entertainer. "That's All" may be his greatest album, capturing him live on a stage at Frank Sinatra's Sands hotel during the hey-day of the Rat Pack. His talent extended far beyond simple singing, and only a live recording captures all of his crowd-pleasing personality. With 22 tracks, this two-CD collection over 90 minutes of genuine Sammy - his improvised vocals, the spontaneous wise-cracks, his hilarious impressions, and even some personal statements about the state of race relations in America in 1965.

It's a very satisfying experience. "That's All" opens with a fast one-minute overture by George Rhoads, proving that tonight's show would hit the audience with everything - xylophone, saxophones, piano, trumpets, drums, and even violins. 22 microphones scattered around the stage and audience capture all the sounds of the great Vegas moment, and the album was spliced together from the best recordings from five performances. Before the fifth track, someone in the audience calls out for "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody." "I think tonight it's open forum," Sammy ad libs, "Request time! So just throw the book out the window, folks... They don't trust me!"

It's a fascinating chance to hear candid moments with the master entertainer. Sammy requests a spotlight, clowns for the approving audience, and then suddenly launches into the song with just confident and soaring voice over a tinkling lounge piano. He interrupts the magic moment - to say "Diddy wah wah" - then immediately resumes his beautiful baritone. He playfully changes some of the lyrics - teasing the audience that "You wanna hear me sing serious, you gonna have to buy my records!" But amazingly, Sammy still delivers all the song's poignancy, building up to the big second verse when the orchestra joins in behind him.

He also sings his trademark song "Yes I Can" along with an awe-inspiring number from his Broadway musical "Golden Boy." (Sammy brought seven members from the show's orchestra to join his Vegas act.) But he also mentions the protest marches for civil rights, joking intelligently about stereotypes as part of the evening's entertainment (along with his own wild jokes about Las Vegas crowds.) "We've had a request to do 'Birth of the Blues,'" Sammy says later, launching into yet-another great number, but pausing for one last sassy wise-crack to his conductor.

"George? There's too many white guys in the band."

It's not enough to hear Sammy Davis Jr. singing. To fully experience the legendary performer in all his glory requires a live performance, with all its show business energy, its genuine excitement, and Sammy's own spontaneous sense of fun.

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