Blanc Verse

bestofmelblanc01

In addition to voicing an astonishing percentage of the funniest cartoons ever made, Mel Blanc was also an accomplished recording artist. He did funny records for kids, many of them based on his cartoon roles. He also did silly songs for adults and while I have a pretty good-sized collection of them on 78 and 45, I welcome the forthcoming CD from Collectors' Choice Music. Here's a link to the page on which you can order The Best of Mel Blanc, and I sure hope this is Volume One, because as good as the selections are, there's more where that came from. And while you're over there, Collectors' Choice also has The Golden Age of Comedy: Mel Blanc, which offers cuts from Mel's radio work.

And Mel isn't on it, but I have to recommend Ready or Not, which is the CD release of one of Godfrey Cambridge's best comedy albums. Mr. Cambridge is way too forgotten these days, remembered (when he's remembered at all) for that dreadful movie, Watermelon Man. But he really sparkled as a stand-up, and I recall him as one of the first black comics to get mainstream exposure and to make audiences of all colors laugh at race-themed material. This one is worth picking up, too…and to tell you how sincere I am, these aren't even click-through affiliate links. I don't make a nickel when you order from Collectors' Choice.