In 1943, Warner Brothers released a motion picture that was destined to become one of the greatest in Hollywood history. Set in Africa during World War II, "Casablanca" was an epic tale of romance gone wrong, centred around three compelling characters: nightclub owner Rick (Humphrey Bogart), the lost love of his life Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), and Rick's pianist and confidant Sam (Dooley Wilson). Seventy-three years on, "Casablanca" is indisputably a global movie treasure, absolutely critic-proof and genuinely iconic. And all you need do to conjure up its spirit is drawl, Bogart-like, four words: PLAY IT AGAIN,SAM. Now, building on all that cinematic magic, ENA Records - a brand new label dedicated to the very best in vintage popular music - has put together a vivid audio impression of an imaginary evening at Rick's place, with classic dialogue clips from Bogart and Bergman, magnificent late-night music from some of the twentieth century's greatest jazz and nightclub talent, and, naturally, Dooley Wilson's unmatchable take on the film's huge hit song As Time Goes By. PLAY IT AGAIN,SAM - An Evening at Rick's - is so much more than just another jazzy compilation - it's close to being a concept album. And a unique one at that. One to play - and play again!
