In the world of song, there are clearly stylists and then there are true jazz vocalists. To the latter category, Anita O'Day has to be counted as one of the few who have built a recorded legacy as important as that of any jazz instrumentalist. A discriminating artist with a solid musical background, word has it that there's no easier way to put off O'Day than to hand her a lead sheet with just the printed lyrics, as she wants to see the entire score in relation to how her part fits within the arrangement. This attention to detail pervades every note put on tape over the course of the 198 performances (spanning the years 1952 to1962) preserved on this 9-CD boxed set.