Released in 2002,
I Remember Jolson is Original Cast's sequel to
Cantor Meets Jolson, that index of
Al Jolson guest appearances on
Eddie Cantor's radio shows which was made available to the public in 1997. This edition opens in February 1944 with a skit featuring actress and comedienne
Joan Davis taken from NBC's program
It's Time to Smile. "Old Man Jolson" comes from a 1948 broadcast of
Guest Star Time.
Jolson succumbed to heart failure in San Francisco on October 23 1950. Two posthumous tributes from NBC's
Show Business, Old and New (sponsored by Philip Morris cigarettes) which aired during the years 1951-1954 take up most of the space on this modestly proportioned album. "The Stories" epitomizes the anecdotal and nostalgic theme that prevails throughout the collection. On "Carolina in the Morning," "For Me and My Gal," and "By the Light of the Silvery Moon,"
Cantor sings along with
Jolson's late-period 78 rpm Decca recordings. The effect is at once sentimental, endearing, and bracingly potent, for these were two of the most vivid characters in all of early 20th century entertainment. A pleasant addition to the steadily growing number of rediscovered
Eddie Cantor recordings.
–
arwulf arwulf, Rovi