Amazon.com Like many a pop singer in the post-war era, Rosemary Clooney found herself trapped between her record label's commercial expectations (fostered in large part by A&R exec Mitch Miller) and her own intense love of the jazz idiom. But, as this rewarding collection of romantic standards and ballads (most from mid-50's Broadway shows and film soundtracks) ably proves, Clooney could heat up even familiar chestnuts like "I'm In the Mood For Love," "Young at Heart" and a sprightly "You Make Me Feel So Young" with her marvelously personal phrasing. "You'll Never Know" gets seasoned with some slinky horn work courtesy of Harry James while Columbia label mate Guy Mitchell croons a duet with her on "Marrying For Love" from Irving Berlin's *Call Me Madam.* Elsewhere, sympathetic orchestral backdrops by Nelson Riddle (a downright sassy "That's How It Is"), Percy Faith and Paul Weston frame Clooney's distinctive voice with sympathy and grace. While focused on romance, the 16 tracks here are also a welcome introduction to less familiar facets of Clooney's stage and screen work during a decade when her fierce loyalty to jazz wasn't always reflected in her pop releases. -- Jerry McCulley