"This collection from the Decca archives brings together some of the highlights from the career of the great Sammy Davis, Jr.," reads a note on the back of this British import, and that's a reasonable enough description. At 24 tracks with a running time of 74 and a half minutes, the compilation does a good job of sampling Davis' Decca catalog. The only caveat, of course, is that that catalog only represents a portion of Davis' overall recorded output. Decca was his first label berth; he signed with the company in 1954 in his late twenties and remained until, in his mid-thirties, he joined Frank Sinatra's Reprise label in 1960. In that six-year period, however, he managed to turn out a dozen albums as well as such special projects as a duet LP with Carmen McRae and the original Broadway cast album for Mr. Wonderful, in which he starred. So, there is no dearth of material to draw from.

The compilers have made sure to include Davis' three Top 40 hits on Decca, "That Old Black Magic," "Something's Gotta Give," and "Love Me or Leave Me," as well as a track each from the McRae album ("Happy to Make Your Acquaintance") and the cast recording ("Too Close for Comfort," naturally). And they try to give a sense of this irrepressible entertainer's stage act on a version of "Just One of Those Things" packed with impersonations and a live performance of "Chicago" done à la Joe E. Lewis. Otherwise, the selection is filled up with standards by great songwriters like George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Davis' infectious enthusiasm is apparent on every track, as he rolls over the nouveau swing arrangements. The album could have used more annotations than a brief, generic biography, but as a one-disc summation of the Decca years, it is effective." (William Ruhlmann, AMG)