tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32940319000541948102024-03-12T18:25:24.404-07:00The Vintage BandstandA collection of reviews about my favorite recordings of vintage jazz, classic pop, and the crooners, including the biggest stars and some obscure names, published by Anton Garcia-Fernandez in Martin, Tennessee, U.S.A.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-6360940358567040142020-05-23T15:11:00.000-07:002020-05-23T15:11:25.153-07:00A Conversation with Chuck Par-Due on Harry James<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Uo71QTjGtGqBimlU6rbwGyULTKjcrgAPMPnTOqUhLes89vJ7OQUuasapzj91BqqEo-JCazTaaaYSaAjB7pxZi4bMrMYY_qM_9hu2BElrQUc5wVzMI-Yn-5IDn3_2gq7736jJRx7QCjko/s1600/HJ+Final+Book+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Uo71QTjGtGqBimlU6rbwGyULTKjcrgAPMPnTOqUhLes89vJ7OQUuasapzj91BqqEo-JCazTaaaYSaAjB7pxZi4bMrMYY_qM_9hu2BElrQUc5wVzMI-Yn-5IDn3_2gq7736jJRx7QCjko/s320/HJ+Final+Book+Cover.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Oregon-based musician and author <b>Chuck Par-Due</b> has recently published <i><b>Harry James—Trumpet Icon</b></i>, a new biography of trumpeter <b>Harry James</b> that concentrates primarily on his music. With a foreword written by none other than Harry James, Jr., Par-Due's book celebrates the music of one of the most successful musicians to ever come out of the Big Band Era and should be a welcome addition to the shelves of a myriad swing and jazz enthusiasts. Not only is the author a devoted collector and follower of James' music, but he had the privilege of knowing the great trumpeter personally and draws on a great deal of interviews that he has conducted with musicians who knew or worked closely with James. The fact that Par-Due is himself a musician certainly helps when it comes to offering a musician's view on James' work, and as a result, the book addresses several questions that James aficionados have been asking themselves for decades.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNgLI3mEbUuWR_CF6dOCGqaWmPbsnWPNEGYilH4osddJ-r0G6nIy4KCcQQVH0fqxZTZAFdtrGadbK6xFPfGh2BXmfUL3BnG6ijD60Gj2izUzhx8ONp0bUoEx5LU7cCpHVbaeShg22TO-b/s1600/hjharmony7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1289" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNgLI3mEbUuWR_CF6dOCGqaWmPbsnWPNEGYilH4osddJ-r0G6nIy4KCcQQVH0fqxZTZAFdtrGadbK6xFPfGh2BXmfUL3BnG6ijD60Gj2izUzhx8ONp0bUoEx5LU7cCpHVbaeShg22TO-b/s400/hjharmony7.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOL8qZUj7C7w74sCB5OUAHsT2k2xIfQDUMxiz2e_RUcKsAKNg9sqdgyUV874UiwFjAx3fs2vPN1F0go4VWBksUyC_h2ZD5xAmUWxoZdBRAYQidzSxeB9miGHriWjkCMut13_Rfj-VIKAJ9/s1600/pardue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOL8qZUj7C7w74sCB5OUAHsT2k2xIfQDUMxiz2e_RUcKsAKNg9sqdgyUV874UiwFjAx3fs2vPN1F0go4VWBksUyC_h2ZD5xAmUWxoZdBRAYQidzSxeB9miGHriWjkCMut13_Rfj-VIKAJ9/s320/pardue.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author / musician Chuck Par-Due</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">On the occasion of the publication of the book, I had the chance to speak at length with Chuck Par-Due for a new episode of the <i><b>Jazz Flashes Podcast</b></i>, and our 85-minute conversation covers many topics, including the book, James' life and career, the heyday and demise of the Big Band Era, James' relationship with other great names such as <b>Benny Goodman</b> and <b>Frank Sinatra</b>, and many more. If you are interested, you may access the entire episode of the podcast here below, and of course, I encourage everyone to check out the book, which is currently available from Amazon <b><u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Harry-James-Trumpet-Icon-Centurys-Trumpet/dp/B08844WM19/ref=sr_1_1?crid=78CCM6ZIPF78&dchild=1&keywords=harry+james+trumpet+icon+book&qid=1590271281&sprefix=harry+james+trum%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-1" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_cKO888aouo/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_cKO888aouo?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-29796223337731802032019-07-27T12:34:00.000-07:002019-07-27T12:34:38.596-07:00Bing Crosby's Duets with Dixie Lee, August 1936<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXjHEiv-A31vI3EZxDifDRWI4ZlvZCrWj2WPWO85DW5fyDLqPnTi8TIwEALBRnUUMycowPSieXNaFQcvQ83vxorfT7qtkGqz3Kif-vP4fe95rTwIK7nNEqPUPuy3JbI7PJvK4BQO5q2Qq/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="540" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXjHEiv-A31vI3EZxDifDRWI4ZlvZCrWj2WPWO85DW5fyDLqPnTi8TIwEALBRnUUMycowPSieXNaFQcvQ83vxorfT7qtkGqz3Kif-vP4fe95rTwIK7nNEqPUPuy3JbI7PJvK4BQO5q2Qq/s400/01.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>After a two-year hiatus, The Vintage Bandstand returns with an article about the lone single that Bing Crosby and his wife Dixie Lee cut for Decca in 1936, which featured two then-recent classics by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, "A Fine Romance" and "The Way You Look Tonight."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Born in 1909 (some sources state 1911) in the East Tennessee small town of Harriman, which will be honoring her with a historical marker later on this year, <b>Dixie Lee Crosby</b> (née Wilma Winifred Wyatt) was famously much better known than her future husband, <b>Bing Crosby</b>, when they met in Hollywood in 1929. She'd spent her childhood between East Tennessee, Memphis, New Orleans, and Chicago, and while in the Windy City, she'd won a singing contest which would eventually lead to an appearance on the Broadway show <i>Good Times</i>. After being spotted by an agent, she relocated to California and began a career in films that was becoming rather prominent by the time she and Crosby married in 1930. Though she would still appear in several movies in the years following the wedding (1934's <i>Manhattan Love Song</i> and 1935's <i>Love in Bloom</i>, starring <b>George Burns</b> and <b>Gracie Allen</b>, are two good examples of her screen work) and also made some records, her career ended up taking a backseat to Bing's as his star quickly began to rise in the early '30s, when he became a mass-media icon and the most popular singing star in America.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSycv7qxJcp5ZrphbpvDtVao0joUkvtBiq5cwosQs-rXnMfRP3la7kVt1RH6I6XvzCb13LzC53U2j92BCeJSeFQCjrqtYtnU-coC8OZV_c5LkS6fC9RoznpjQZjoHp4Of2I7gtoD9c5RRZ/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="287" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSycv7qxJcp5ZrphbpvDtVao0joUkvtBiq5cwosQs-rXnMfRP3la7kVt1RH6I6XvzCb13LzC53U2j92BCeJSeFQCjrqtYtnU-coC8OZV_c5LkS6fC9RoznpjQZjoHp4Of2I7gtoD9c5RRZ/s320/03.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">When Dixie and he met, Bing was still a member of <b>Paul Whiteman</b>'s Rhythm Boys, along with <b>Al Rinker</b> and <b>Harry Barris</b>, but that association was about to come to an end, and Bing was about to transition into a solo career whose success was unparalleled at the time. In his 1953 autobiography, <i>Call Me Lucky</i>, published shortly after Dixie's passing from ovarian cancer in 1952, Bing spends quite a few paragraphs praising Dixie as a wife and a mother, as well as noting her positive influence on him when it came to remaining level-headed in the face of his incredible popularity. He adds that "it was no sacrifice for her to leave show business" (47) because "she didn't like show business and the hokum that goes with it" (46-47). Without eschewing the general loving tone he uses when talking about his wife, he then goes on to describe her as an extremely shy, private person who disliked singing in public despite her obvious vocal talent:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">Although she was very frank and outspoken, she was also diffident and shy. She had little self-confidence. She never did think she was good in show business. I've known all of the others, and when it came to singing a song, Dixie had no equal. But it was a matter of life and death to persuade her to sing. (47)</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzc60tnZW3VF3_UZgmMgEAFGUy8XuN2v2eTPa8_5e44_UwCAwmvFqoY_rvgDEirgYhPfdvynvqIDf8fosm_M4B1ELMy4wvrd6AxUzKnG0AlaWYZ88AuJBiAB8H13Oj1dG9A9xghYjA3WSV/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="598" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzc60tnZW3VF3_UZgmMgEAFGUy8XuN2v2eTPa8_5e44_UwCAwmvFqoY_rvgDEirgYhPfdvynvqIDf8fosm_M4B1ELMy4wvrd6AxUzKnG0AlaWYZ88AuJBiAB8H13Oj1dG9A9xghYjA3WSV/s320/02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Her stage fright is nowhere to be seen or felt when watching her movies or listening to her records, but it may go a long way to explain why she decided to leave show business and why she only sang at parties after a good bit of coaxing. It also explains why she mostly stayed away from reporters, made such few records, and seldom appeared on radio with Bing. However, the Crosbys did enter the studio to record two duets for Decca. The session took place on August 19, 1936, and the songs were two then-recent <b>Fred Astaire</b>-associated numbers written by <b>Jerome Kern</b> and <b>Dorothy Fields</b>—"A Fine Romance" and "The Way You Look Tonight." The great <b>Victor Young</b> took care of the arrangements, and apparently, he had to do quite a lot of juggling with the keys to accommodate Bing and Dixie's very different vocal ranges. As <b>Gary Giddins</b> remarks in <i>A Pocketful of Dreams</i>, Young uses the transitions and changes in the melody of "The Way You Look Tonight" to adapt that melody to the differing vocal qualities of both singers:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">Young shrewdly employs those transitions to facilitate and minimize the shift in keys that occurs every eight bars, as Bing and Dixie exchange passages of that length. With his wide range and finesse, Bing carries the burden of those shifts, which are brought off so well that the listener is barely aware of the elevator ride transporting each singer to a harmonically suitable floor. (458)</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SZatnlE7S8Vlo_ve2V2u7M_94IGxJRLmCLfk-MM2-ApAO0zRkAUpkjbrS1qjCt0ii5DTWks386WIlw-TbJcdpv0vokyUwuqODdqb3rz57-NXoNYohu6f4hWtybDKMb-Z7SdWNywMt6wA/s1600/05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="780" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SZatnlE7S8Vlo_ve2V2u7M_94IGxJRLmCLfk-MM2-ApAO0zRkAUpkjbrS1qjCt0ii5DTWks386WIlw-TbJcdpv0vokyUwuqODdqb3rz57-NXoNYohu6f4hWtybDKMb-Z7SdWNywMt6wA/s320/05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Bing is in fine form, but he sounds more restrained and softer than usual on these two sides, as though he were trying to adapt to Dixie's sweet, <b>Ruth Etting</b>-inflected vocal style. Giddins rightly notes that Young's arrangement, as well intentioned as it is, actually distances Bing and Dixie on "The Way You Look Tonight": "They sound at times as isolated as if they had been wired in from different studios, she passive and wounded, he expert and strong" (458). This is, to my ears, even more obvious on "A Fine Romance," which is in principle the perfect duet vehicle for Bing's nonchalant approach. However, the kind of rapport that is evident on Bing's duets with <b>Rosemary Clooney</b>, <b>Connie Boswell</b>, <b>Louis Armstrong</b>, or <b>Bob Hope</b> is completely absent here, to such an extent that Giddins' description of their humorous asides as "tense" actually sounds like an understatement. One wonders what Bing and Rosie could have done with "A Fine Romance" if they'd decided to include it in one of their duet albums.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HDhS6P0q-1atGH9bnAsuHhzC5-Uyb7918fkNnYCxTUNB65q8IE4yRymK3Ck2ktNibkYJY2mwU1E2Vr8qrNcW_Gf8CPr2iJYs-VgyZ2wCDlbPzeHfaecowI_Ns7CxEhuLQV7h9K7zOn_v/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="214" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HDhS6P0q-1atGH9bnAsuHhzC5-Uyb7918fkNnYCxTUNB65q8IE4yRymK3Ck2ktNibkYJY2mwU1E2Vr8qrNcW_Gf8CPr2iJYs-VgyZ2wCDlbPzeHfaecowI_Ns7CxEhuLQV7h9K7zOn_v/s320/04.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Overall, this summer of '36 session by Bing and Dixie has always been a source of puzzlement to me. One would think that, knowing each other as well as they did, the two of them would click in the recording studio in a much more satisfying way, especially bearing in mind the quality of the material and of the charts. However, the magic is simply not there, at least not in the way that one would expect, and I end up enjoying Dixie Lee's scarce solo recordings much more than her two duets with Bing. Yet, to the Crosby aficionado, they remain two charming sides that never fail to grab the listener's attention, if only because of their historical and biographical significance.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A FINE ROMANCE</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9DoxvTD6TyM/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9DoxvTD6TyM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JnGmiYeCHEY/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JnGmiYeCHEY?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-89473380874538683062017-07-29T10:03:00.000-07:002017-07-31T07:00:49.556-07:00Unsung Vocalists of the Past 8: Chester Gaylord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUSlhqs1racljC7euBHTWQL457tWft98cYN3ZypZoisM1Ew2Ij0zSZhz53HjMWyIKHyh9h1S3srYiGgFkjdTyM6HgeswhkpmpOEMX8ax4gD8INjD2U_aj9DXgFl1V2zFCmtM3HZK-mKV4/s1600/gaylord01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="458" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUSlhqs1racljC7euBHTWQL457tWft98cYN3ZypZoisM1Ew2Ij0zSZhz53HjMWyIKHyh9h1S3srYiGgFkjdTyM6HgeswhkpmpOEMX8ax4gD8INjD2U_aj9DXgFl1V2zFCmtM3HZK-mKV4/s320/gaylord01.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Unless you are an avid collector of old 78s from the 1920s and '30s, chances are you have never heard of <b>Chester Gaylord</b>. And yet he was an extremely busy recording artist in those years, a contemporary of <b>Bing Crosby</b>, <b>Rudy Vallee</b>, <b>Russ Columbo</b>, and <b>Gene Austin</b>, and an overlooked figure if there ever was one among the fraternity of early crooners. Though Gaylord distinguished himself primarily as a vocalist, he also played piano and saxophone, and in fact, his earliest known recordings are Edison diamond discs made toward the beginning of the '20s that feature him as a saxophonist. As a singer, his sound lay somewhere between those of Vallee and Crosby—while not as purely jazzy as Bing, his baritone voice sounds more powerful and fuller than Rudy's. Gaylord enjoyed a successful career on radio as a vocalist, pianist, and announcer, and many of the phonograph records he made for major labels like Columbia and Brunswick included notable jazz musicians such as <b>Red Nichols</b>, <b>Glenn Miller</b>, <b>Manny Klein</b>, <b>Gene Krupa</b>, and <b>Tommy</b> and <b>Jimmy Dorsey</b>, among others. But despite all these credentials, the name of Chester Gaylord remains largely obscure and all but forgotten today.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUU72iK76SK7xvvCRGJTp6nP8VB0I_R0GufK_86SMa0Nvn-9AXBamqo5SexkVltHhlo5t-W6VkGndqEWdzXpYLrNWtL8b2wNPKDovGv3rFVLwmbjnnVe2GRyqPj2WHKVMSryaVpA87G1F/s1600/gaylord03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="242" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUU72iK76SK7xvvCRGJTp6nP8VB0I_R0GufK_86SMa0Nvn-9AXBamqo5SexkVltHhlo5t-W6VkGndqEWdzXpYLrNWtL8b2wNPKDovGv3rFVLwmbjnnVe2GRyqPj2WHKVMSryaVpA87G1F/s400/gaylord03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fco9_j0CLpvYmTS7sNJb0abnTTpjKyetOkIUgI6s3ZcvsRCzQzGbOpKlFpf3FtVpnvDaDRUNpDONIQSTVm_OPERixxG9Xv-Ld6aEQFZbhtTYGaDE2hs7_DV9uo_qHkWqNXLawWqBF9bl/s1600/gaylord02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fco9_j0CLpvYmTS7sNJb0abnTTpjKyetOkIUgI6s3ZcvsRCzQzGbOpKlFpf3FtVpnvDaDRUNpDONIQSTVm_OPERixxG9Xv-Ld6aEQFZbhtTYGaDE2hs7_DV9uo_qHkWqNXLawWqBF9bl/s320/gaylord02.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Born in Worcester, MA, in 1899, Gaylord showed an early interest in music, and during the First World War he joined the US Navy and put his saxophone-playing skills to work. Upon his return to civilian life, Gaylord briefly moved to New York, but </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">the opportunity to work as an announcer on local radio prompted him to return to his hometown. It was then that he began his broadcasting career, jumping at any chance he had to play piano and sing over the airwaves. His frequent appearances were consistently well received by the radio audience, which must have played some part in his signing a recording contract with Columbia as a vocalist in 1923. After this stint on Columbia, Gaylord signed with Brunswick, another one of the major labels at the time, and subsequently made some of the best records of his career, accompanied by some of the jazz greats that we have already mentioned. Many of the tunes Gaylord recorded in these jazzy settings at these New York sessions, like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxxsQe85YSE" target="_blank">"Mean to Me,"</a> "Memories of You," or "Glad Rag Doll" would in time become standards, and it is interesting to note that he would often sing the verses, some of which are now rarely heard.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/61rdIn2IGJI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/61rdIn2IGJI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3QUPzoQdyIjTAPbDGV8mD56MTHC8sMcUByqhoORQ40nYpMEMpBVB9yoBnL7a4fzXuD_g3-5VmG5JjgfmOeIoTG_cTA_WQuNX98QRzwVyHDqGCk2H5kf4IbTqSpGLtN_cr9ITd9xNxPyu/s1600/gaylord04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="604" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3QUPzoQdyIjTAPbDGV8mD56MTHC8sMcUByqhoORQ40nYpMEMpBVB9yoBnL7a4fzXuD_g3-5VmG5JjgfmOeIoTG_cTA_WQuNX98QRzwVyHDqGCk2H5kf4IbTqSpGLtN_cr9ITd9xNxPyu/s320/gaylord04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">During these busy years, Gaylord also found time to provide vocal refrains on dance band records by the likes of <b>Jacques Renard</b>, <b>Jack Denny</b>, and Red Nichols, while he also maintained a hectic scheduled on the radio, appearing on popular shows such as the <i>Top Notchers Cola Cola Program</i>. As a matter of fact, when Brunswick decided not to renew his recording contract sometime in 1930-31, the future of Gaylord's career lay on the airwaves, singing with excellent bands like those led by <b>Ben Selvin</b>, <b>Ted Fio Rito</b>, and <b>Ben Pollack</b> and eventually accepting a job on Boston's WBZ in the late 1940s. By the mid-'60s, Gaylord had quit doing radio work, though he kept performing occasionally as a singing pianist until his passing in 1984. To the best of my knowledge, no CD is available documenting Gaylord's career at the time of this writing, but fortunately, an extensive collection of his recordings and even some radio cuts can be found on the Internet Archive <b><u><a href="https://archive.org/details/ChesterGaylordCollection1925-1931" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>, with fairly good sound. Hopefully one day a reissue label will decide to bring Gaylord out of obscurity, something that his outstanding recordings definitely deserve.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Acknowledgments</b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Very little has been written about Chester Gaylord, so I am indebted to a very interesting article that Mr. <b>Chet Williamson</b> published in 2015 in his blog, <i><b><a href="http://jazzriffing.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jazz Riffing on a Lost Worcester</a></b></i>, and that you may access <b><u><a href="http://jazzriffing.blogspot.com/2015/04/worcesters-whispering-serenader.html" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8W7SECVk7Sk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8W7SECVk7Sk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-81492459859621622902017-07-04T13:04:00.000-07:002017-07-07T16:44:51.259-07:00Ernst Van 't Hoff and His Hot Wartime Dance Band<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDmUzdh33opKq2JlQcD5PZozWKYTrp3Kf8L_zOCsSBg3z_WJ_AI9ZIHUxrLZA4oroZgko5UjXwfT9XdS6iom-QfIaqHoH5P3O2hbaYy3Cop9UbGxNlhyR3Gh9YtWiZugrVBOPVzJrk9iL/s1600/vanthoff.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDmUzdh33opKq2JlQcD5PZozWKYTrp3Kf8L_zOCsSBg3z_WJ_AI9ZIHUxrLZA4oroZgko5UjXwfT9XdS6iom-QfIaqHoH5P3O2hbaYy3Cop9UbGxNlhyR3Gh9YtWiZugrVBOPVzJrk9iL/s320/vanthoff.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Dutch pianist and trumpeter <b>Ernst Van 't Hoff</b> (the last name is also sometimes spelled Van't Hoff and Van t'Hoff) led one of the most exciting and swinging German dance bands (<i>Tanzorchester</i>, in German) of the 1940s, which would ultimately cause him quite a bit of trouble during the years of WWII. Born in Zandvoort, Holland, in 1908, Van 't Hoff had been playing professionally since the 1920s, mostly in the Netherlands and Belgium, working with popular bandleaders such as <b>Robert de Kers</b>, among others. In the mid-1930s, Van 't Hoff decided it was time to lead his own band, but success eluded his organization in these initial years, and he was forced to work as a sideman off and on with de Kers's Cabaret Kings and various radio orchestras.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYx8589wri10uDoJufDbXH5lNq7wxY2dsKv2zByGZiFkM-yHRWbgpGlq7EMDRVghmbYhZxMWXDUnxqTjpQDNGmcPPN-dQ-03rvjrgXAPNITOSYe1vvzMwuhWr8uvBFWDvw1D9ooUeRhsd7/s1600/vanthoff2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1578" data-original-width="1600" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYx8589wri10uDoJufDbXH5lNq7wxY2dsKv2zByGZiFkM-yHRWbgpGlq7EMDRVghmbYhZxMWXDUnxqTjpQDNGmcPPN-dQ-03rvjrgXAPNITOSYe1vvzMwuhWr8uvBFWDvw1D9ooUeRhsd7/s320/vanthoff2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">By the time the war broke out, Van 't Hoff was leading his own band again, and in 1940 he even signed a recording contract with the prestigious German label Deutsche Grammophon. At that point, Holland was occupied by Nazi forces, who sent Van 't Hoff to Dresden and then to Berlin, where the band appeared at the Delphi Filmpalast, and its music was soon met with public acclaim. Though the Nazis often used jazz and swing as a vehicle for propaganda (the infamous recordings by Charlie & His Orchestra included in the Proper Records box set <i>Swing Tanzen Verboten</i> are prime examples of this), they considered the style as "undesirable music" (<i>unerwünschte Musik</i>, in German) and as such, it was banned in all Nazi-occupied territories. The sound of Van 't Hoff's band, with its rousing versions of American tunes (<b>Glenn Miller</b>'s "In the Mood" and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWxxSpwuJhM" target="_blank">"Pennsylvania 6-5000,"</a> for example) and its swinging original compositions, was strongly influenced by jazz, and this would eventually bring the bandleader to the attention of the Gestapo. This in turn led to Van 't Hoff's being sent back to the Netherlands in 1943, where he would keep working with radio orchestras until 1944, when he relocated to Belgium.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/B28TM-9SauI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B28TM-9SauI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigE7idSZ8i1Trq2VlTVAk2fV6wdo1cVgQvVqihTgGLfub3jd8KBRZAIqYDopd4RV_iGcDIRRFBxWXVOr3Le4ZfEvWu4Ai2hKOYWh6MBSgmwaftzmV5n_d1xtiKxUiAejDW18FUYcpXHFit/s1600/vanthoffcd.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="300" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigE7idSZ8i1Trq2VlTVAk2fV6wdo1cVgQvVqihTgGLfub3jd8KBRZAIqYDopd4RV_iGcDIRRFBxWXVOr3Le4ZfEvWu4Ai2hKOYWh6MBSgmwaftzmV5n_d1xtiKxUiAejDW18FUYcpXHFit/s320/vanthoffcd.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">After the war, Van 't Hoff restricted his musical activity to Belgium and Holland, leading orchestras with varying degrees of success. By the early '50s he was living in Brussels, where his band had an engagement at the celebrated Ancienne Belgique concert hall, and where he would die from a heart attack in 1955, aged only 46. Though some of Van 't Hoff's recordings are available on YouTube and elsewhere on the internet, they are not easy to find on CD. Though the <a href="https://www.jazzarchief.nl/" target="_blank">Nederlands Jazz Archief</a> offers two compilations of his '40s sides, the most affordable collection of Van 't Hoff's music currently on the U.S. market is a volume of the series <i><b>Die Grossen Deutschen Tanzorchester</b></i> (Membran, 2005), which is woefully short at only thirteen tracks, all of them recorded in 1941-42. This was the heyday of Van 't Hoff's orchestra, a tightly-knit unit that played excellent arrangements full of hot passages and some very exciting solos. There are a couple of covers of American tunes ("Ciribiribin" and the <b>Johnny Mercer</b>-<b>Hoagy Carmichael</b> collaboration <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH9filqeu6o" target="_blank">"Oh, What You Said"</a>) but also some fine original compositions credited to the bandleader, such as "Fünfuhrtee bei Rüthli" and "Tanz im Carlton." The band sounds powerful and swinging on these sides, which pleased dancers greatly at the time, and two of the songs spotlight Van 't Hoff's most talented vocalist, <b>Jan de Vries</b>, who sings "Day by Day" and "I Never Dream" in very good English. All but forgotten nowadays, Ernst Van 't Hoff remains one of the most interesting of all <i>Tanzorchester</i> leaders, and as these recordings clearly show, his lively, jazzy music should appeal to the most demanding of big band swing aficionados.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DEkSHnyPuB0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DEkSHnyPuB0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-20162709330234235682017-05-08T08:16:00.001-07:002017-05-08T08:16:33.858-07:00Julie London in Her Living Room, 1959<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLKqakFcjCatfKokPaSjUgKUKKBaNF5aq7qiTy2HfYlsBmGlpHWfPUSjL4wHbWa-MVUwRJNXUL8jP7tyWcy4pcUrmmVH-KGXNVplKRCGZYO7vJFcIEDpHrc0ki-E5QkmetukhPhwqYVV4/s1600/julielondon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLKqakFcjCatfKokPaSjUgKUKKBaNF5aq7qiTy2HfYlsBmGlpHWfPUSjL4wHbWa-MVUwRJNXUL8jP7tyWcy4pcUrmmVH-KGXNVplKRCGZYO7vJFcIEDpHrc0ki-E5QkmetukhPhwqYVV4/s320/julielondon2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>After a hiatus of about a year, during which I have been working on my other jazz blog, <a href="http://jazzflashes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jazz Flashes</a>, I return to </i><b>The Vintage Bandstand</b><i> with a brief article about </i>Julie... at Home<i>, an album by Julie London that sounds so intimate, among other things, because it was recorded in her own living room!</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The first time I ever saw and heard <b>Julie London</b> was in the 1956 movie <i>The Girl Can't Help It</i>, in which she appears as herself and sings her massive hit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXg6UB9Qk0o" target="_blank">"Cry Me a River."</a> As much as I liked the early rock'n'roll stars that are also featured in that rather inane film, I must admit that it was London that immediately caught my ear and my eye, to such an extent that I actually had to go out and find as many records by her as I could. And there were plenty of them to be had. From her first one, <i>Julie Is Her Name</i> (1955), many of them have at least a couple of things in common: though she has also recorded with lush string orchestras, London's voice is usually set against a sparse musical background, and the covers take advantage of her very attractive looks. But that is not all—her albums are invariably satisfying musically, and I always find myself playing them over and over again. This concept of intimacy was taken as far as possible on <i>Julie... at Home</i> (1959), not really because of the accompaniment (on earlier albums she was backed by guitar and bass only, and there are more instruments here) but because the album was taped in Julie's own living room. She was, then, truly at home.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-Ecgcm_sG-misSWbx2l1GPfV0kZ-WhMsyZwthTxBU-qKFO0nS01eGhfELmJp1k4RRetphoafgxKtTxaY9VcEXBhIMs8J2FZAQDbNVkjd1_DeDPFFrJZfoinbYpM6TJw9UQa9zCwgecvj/s1600/julielondon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-Ecgcm_sG-misSWbx2l1GPfV0kZ-WhMsyZwthTxBU-qKFO0nS01eGhfELmJp1k4RRetphoafgxKtTxaY9VcEXBhIMs8J2FZAQDbNVkjd1_DeDPFFrJZfoinbYpM6TJw9UQa9zCwgecvj/s400/julielondon1.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYTmOAN1yue9KUocgDCZ4zighHjJElqOaKj23HPdL9Z0ZvseSJGEJbEGhyphenhyphennXhbI8KgUUZ642Wdx1ivP_gQItWvi-_YNSgc6Z9iKF6oNIQgCyd6GoBWO5MmxqNu5W2Vooj_xMpEMS_N9Hz/s1600/julielondon3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYTmOAN1yue9KUocgDCZ4zighHjJElqOaKj23HPdL9Z0ZvseSJGEJbEGhyphenhyphennXhbI8KgUUZ642Wdx1ivP_gQItWvi-_YNSgc6Z9iKF6oNIQgCyd6GoBWO5MmxqNu5W2Vooj_xMpEMS_N9Hz/s320/julielondon3.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Before her appearance in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>The Girl Can't Help It</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, London, who was born in 1926 in Santa Rosa, California, had worked in movies as early as the mid-1940s. But after the collapse of her first marriage (to actor </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Jack Webb</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">) she met and later married singer-songwriter </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Bobby Troup</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> and began concentrating on her singing career, aided by a recognizable, smoky voice and a very personal, wee-small-hours approach to the vocal art that was at once intimate, jazzy, and sexy. Besides the aforementioned mega-hit "Cry Me a River," London never enjoyed too much success as a singles artist. Her type of singing was better suited to the then-new medium of the LP, and virtually every album she cut in the 1950s and early '60s (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Calendar Girl</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Julie</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>About the Blues</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>London by Night</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">) is a prime example of the jazz-inflected adult-oriented pop of the era.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOySeHTaUiNYUPEGYGc7PcKTuV1yMKO6hJLNFLGhVMYADO237FI-wYav8HaURWLiuGmJiQ0qjYZjQon5-ZxA1eizGzVs1d7o_yLr4nJnMOBjPOAl_Pk-KA5dkweiZmnI1qt5xAAiAUWWez/s1600/alviola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOySeHTaUiNYUPEGYGc7PcKTuV1yMKO6hJLNFLGhVMYADO237FI-wYav8HaURWLiuGmJiQ0qjYZjQon5-ZxA1eizGzVs1d7o_yLr4nJnMOBjPOAl_Pk-KA5dkweiZmnI1qt5xAAiAUWWez/s320/alviola.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guitarist Al Viola</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ot_fuD4PLRhOucKiiSH_ir0xDVe8yK6NL-1e5fpkW0ki42XpEQfe3OmWNyU956epakffrRVgf-aI2IrZP6BIKo2kMnLLRic509igrQy_ee5Y9iWSeIkMrSPun8eBEuBjVjITiVsSDq7P/s1600/julielondoncd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ot_fuD4PLRhOucKiiSH_ir0xDVe8yK6NL-1e5fpkW0ki42XpEQfe3OmWNyU956epakffrRVgf-aI2IrZP6BIKo2kMnLLRic509igrQy_ee5Y9iWSeIkMrSPun8eBEuBjVjITiVsSDq7P/s320/julielondoncd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">For 1959's <i>Julie... at Home</i>, with its cover picture of London lounging in the comfort of her own home, someone at Liberty came up with the idea of bringing some equipment into her living room and recording the sessions right there. London appears here in a small-group jazz setting, in a quintet that includes </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Al Viola</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> on guitar, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Don Bagley</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> on bass, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Emil Richards</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> on vibraphone, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Earl Palmer</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> on drums. It is Viola and Richards that provide most of the brief solos heard throughout, with a couple of appearances by trombonist </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Bob Flanagan</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, who, according to the liner notes written by pianist </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Jimmy Rowles</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, simply "dropped by to pay a social call." Rowles himself, who was collaborating occasionally with London in this particular period of her career, is responsible for the arrangements, creating a sound that inevitably reminds us of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>George Shearing</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">. But of course, London is the star here, and she sounds decidedly at ease and relaxed in this company. As one would expect, the set list is comprised of twelve well-known standards and is as heavy on the ballads ("You've Changed," "Goodbye," "Everything Happens to Me") as it is on the more uptempo numbers ("Give Me the Simple Life," "Let There Be Love," "By Myself"). In both cases, however, London's approach is as easy-going as ever; she makes it all sound cool and easy with the help of a combo that blends in perfectly with her idiosyncratic singing. Bearing in mind the album's concept, <b>Cole Porter</b>'s "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to" is the right choice as an opener. "The Thrill Is Gone," highlighted by Viola's excellent work on guitar, is simply lovely, and London even prefaces it with the verse. Overall, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Julie... at Home</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> is one of London's most memorable outings, yet another example of the singer at her best in an intimate, jazzy atmosphere.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iUrqtorq7K4/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iUrqtorq7K4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-35998873550945034212016-05-18T09:16:00.001-07:002016-05-18T09:16:38.645-07:00Mr. C's Formative Years: Perry Como with Ted Weems, 1936-41<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1DJl2mQ3SOyiTkykYzwF8pujfRmmij_oaLMZTXfZfO4sb7nPlfSxZ-2Oudvqsv-A2aR5MaXfNeeZ5fEQOBhHm4nMiBNEjmPujmx8KcBQKh7uHMoEmpON5i3gxu3ZrOpPuoZrcE7ZykK7/s1600/perrycomo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1DJl2mQ3SOyiTkykYzwF8pujfRmmij_oaLMZTXfZfO4sb7nPlfSxZ-2Oudvqsv-A2aR5MaXfNeeZ5fEQOBhHm4nMiBNEjmPujmx8KcBQKh7uHMoEmpON5i3gxu3ZrOpPuoZrcE7ZykK7/s320/perrycomo.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
In his heyday of the 1940s and '50s, particularly after he became a mainstay on the new medium of television, <b>Perry Como</b> became known for his relaxed, soothing approach to the vocal art. No wonder that one of his LPs was titled So Smooth, since Como was simply one of the smoothest singer who ever stood before a microphone. He was one of many Italian-Americans who found fame and fortune thanks to their crooning abilities, others being <b>Russ Columbo</b>, <b>Frank Sinatra</b>, <b>Dean Martin</b>, and <b>Vic Damone</b>, to cite just a few. Yet Como's style has a great deal more in common with <b>Bing Crosby</b> than it does with Sinatra, and in fact, his recording career began three years after that of Young Blue Eyes. In 1936, Como, who had been born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1912, had been singing for a while with an orchestra led by local musician <b>Freddie Carlone</b>, although he never made any records with that outfit. Therefore, when <b>Ted Weems</b> came calling, it only made sense that Como would accept a featured vocalist spot with the more popular band.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3611jeDNaqCkTyXPtb-uTdlt1zF1PKipRDZgPghPh__jaXnVNIC1scMquZ1hNk9kn9zw4UJJLYemZufdstQu0mdOeREaz601SVWI3SRqY-vnMLMMPPUQNg2RppZFJWPW1Cisgf2ANoRWy/s1600/tedweems.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3611jeDNaqCkTyXPtb-uTdlt1zF1PKipRDZgPghPh__jaXnVNIC1scMquZ1hNk9kn9zw4UJJLYemZufdstQu0mdOeREaz601SVWI3SRqY-vnMLMMPPUQNg2RppZFJWPW1Cisgf2ANoRWy/s320/tedweems.png" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bandleader Ted Weems</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Weems, also a Pennsylvanian, had been fronting a band professionally for over a decade and was based in Chicago. Moreover, he was looking for a "boy singer," as male vocalists were often called in those days. Como was the perfect fit, especially for singing the slower, more romantic ballads, and so he was featured with the orchestra both on radio and on records. The Weems band had a Decca recording contract, and in a span of five years, Como cut two dozen sides, none of which charted, though "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" would become a million seller when it was reissued in 1947, by which time Como was already an established star. Back in 1999, Jasmine Records, of England, collected Como's recordings with Weems on a CD appropriately titled <i><b>Class Will Tell</b></i>. And class is definitely something that the Weems band had plenty of, no doubt. In the liner notes, <b>Michael Dunnington</b> echoes Mr. C's complaints that "the good songs went to the other members of the band, and he got the ones that nobody else wanted." However, even the most cursory listen to this CD reveals that this is not always so. Though not all the songs are winners—what big band vocalist of the era can claim such a thing anyway?—there are some lovely songs here, including "Lazy Weather," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42VSaECRJ4Q" target="_blank">"Class Will Tell,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TzcNygn3JM" target="_blank">"You Can't Pull the Wool over My Eyes,"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2BxKVn0IH0" target="_blank">"In My Little Red Book,"</a> this last one also recorded by <b>Guy Lombardo</b> and country singer <b>T. Texas Tyler</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jX08u4Hxbr4WuQ2E8Wyxfkw-i42LvdPyVDKD19FLG5TijewpeqEC65vCdx9hYvspRTR3nOdWLJw3kF3iZvAHvMOtkcZt5BUxnZePGdRE0hRgEdPJl5SDvzi3iYU66Hlf_xefLwpAiTdR/s1600/perrycomoweemscd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jX08u4Hxbr4WuQ2E8Wyxfkw-i42LvdPyVDKD19FLG5TijewpeqEC65vCdx9hYvspRTR3nOdWLJw3kF3iZvAHvMOtkcZt5BUxnZePGdRE0hRgEdPJl5SDvzi3iYU66Hlf_xefLwpAiTdR/s320/perrycomoweemscd.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
The Weems orchestra was a tightly-knit dance band that sounds professional and at times quite exciting, particularly on ensemble passages, since the arrangements do not seem to leave too much room for solos. Vocally, Como shows a noticeable debt to Bing Crosby, especially to the sound we hear on Der Bingle's records of the 1920s and early '30s, when Bing was singing in a higher register and had not yet totally refined his smooth baritone as he would from the '40s on. Como sounds a great deal like Crosby here—which apparently prompted Dave Kapp at Decca to wonder why the label needed another Bing—but as times goes on, he gradually starts to find his own style, as we can hear on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tAAVe_YNJw" target="_blank">"That Old Gang of Mine,"</a> "It All Comes Back to Me Now," and "Angeline." Yet even then his style is still heavily influenced by Crosby, something that can also be said of several other singers of his generation, such as <b><a href="https://vintagebandstand.blogspot.com/2011/10/buddy-clark-untimely-death-of.html" target="_blank">Buddy Clark</a></b> or <b><a href="https://vintagebandstand.blogspot.com/2010/06/introspective-years-dick-haymes-on.html" target="_blank">Dick Haymes</a></b>. After leaving Weems, Como would go on to bigger and better things, including smash hits like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFXA_-2cIYU" target="_blank">"Till the End of Time"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbNPg_Rp0ws" target="_blank">"Prisoner of Love,"</a> to name just two from 1945-46. But the recordings on this Jasmine release are very enjoyable and interesting because they illustrate the formative years of a great crooner.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7jWHiMJR_VU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7jWHiMJR_VU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-84137205002251874262016-05-03T08:36:00.000-07:002016-05-04T07:07:42.937-07:00This Love of Mine: Jack Jones's Tribute to Songwriting Singers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXfsGIA3WaJ7yj2J6HLa9VCFbkemnlfLkencxTDCTewH9bpGeq1VstjLkGAgh1A7XHKDbm_QVXwsfNqJU5DrM-SH6qV8SFwYX-wybHs2iMghY8pGxMdfqrsAfLKvctW65bt21HmLApwo-/s1600/jack+jones01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXfsGIA3WaJ7yj2J6HLa9VCFbkemnlfLkencxTDCTewH9bpGeq1VstjLkGAgh1A7XHKDbm_QVXwsfNqJU5DrM-SH6qV8SFwYX-wybHs2iMghY8pGxMdfqrsAfLKvctW65bt21HmLApwo-/s320/jack+jones01.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
Despite the fact that he has enjoyed a long and productive career, <b>Jack Jones</b> is one of the 1960s crooners about whom we do not seem to hear too much these days. In his heyday, Jones scored big hits such as "Lollipops and Roses," "Wives and Lovers," and "My Best Girl," and many of his albums—especially the ones he cut during the sixties—are fantastic and, to my mind, constitute great examples of classic pop singing at its very best. In the 1970s, though, some of his records became rather erratic, as he attempted to sing contemporary songs that were ill-suited for his voice and style. Had he concentrated on singing standards with jazz-inflected backing, the way that, say, <b>Rosemary Clooney</b> did for Concord in the seventies and eighties, his output would have been perhaps more satisfying. Yet it is easy—and clearly unfair—to make this kind of judgment with the benefit of hindsight. As it stands, Jones's recorded legacy, its ups and downs notwithstanding, is impressive and includes some very enjoyable titles.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwzMsOREMd5TesfHPd1NyEmD_e0Ggu9BozV__TOifuWWvLFi5ur_wveFsYnS13uvOek4lv7h5CqgXXNS6nAQT7SJMV02Ktv9VdZIn5OReVTN7zjYzj1WIwIUnygwSnFv3Ebydg1SgBhbd/s1600/jackjones04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwzMsOREMd5TesfHPd1NyEmD_e0Ggu9BozV__TOifuWWvLFi5ur_wveFsYnS13uvOek4lv7h5CqgXXNS6nAQT7SJMV02Ktv9VdZIn5OReVTN7zjYzj1WIwIUnygwSnFv3Ebydg1SgBhbd/s320/jackjones04.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
Noted jazz critic <b>Will Friedwald</b> has always had a soft spot for Jones's singing. In his excellent <i>Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers</i>, he gives the vocalist a great deal of credit for the many LPs he cut for Kapp Records in the sixties, stating that "he was precisely right for that decade—and all of those that have come since—and the classic albums he made back then will probably be prized and listened to longer than nearly all of the so-called in-the-moment pop acts of the time" (255). In the face of titles such as <i>Call Me Irresponsible</i>, <i>Where Love Has Gone</i>, and <i>There's Love & There's Love & There's Love</i> (a superb collaboration with arranger <b>Nelson Riddle</b>), among several others, it is hard to disagree with Friedwald. But the album that usually slips through the cracks whenever Jones's career is discussed is a pre-Kapp effort that he made in 1959 for Capitol entitled <i><b>This Love of Mine</b></i>.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpsnTsoO_eIHF8dBcywK71UdctPXR4k_FhDgAin5KE91F9qnAuBjtl4bUS7GGjcJm_MFMmpLR6iblCLBFJQJzhcbcy0-pHKY_lrF5UVwNRbUGqygdcCSLtceS4ydSwxPrhCLxSZ-nJV9g/s1600/allanjones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpsnTsoO_eIHF8dBcywK71UdctPXR4k_FhDgAin5KE91F9qnAuBjtl4bUS7GGjcJm_MFMmpLR6iblCLBFJQJzhcbcy0-pHKY_lrF5UVwNRbUGqygdcCSLtceS4ydSwxPrhCLxSZ-nJV9g/s320/allanjones.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack's father, actor Allan Jones</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The son of actor and singer <b>Allan Jones</b> and actress <b>Irene Hervey</b>, Jack Jones had been born in Los Angeles in 1938 and had enjoyed the benefits of belonging to a showbiz family. He had always been fascinated with pop music, particularly with singers like <b>Frank Sinatra</b> and <b>Mel Tormé</b>, and by the 1950s he was appearing in nightclubs with his father, which led to a promising recording contract with Capitol. But the company, showing really poor judgment, had him record a slew of teenage pop singles that went nowhere mostly because Jones's heart was not in that kind of music. What he wanted to record was adult pop, the type of material that had made <b>Bobby Darin</b> a household name. Unfortunately, Jones only got one opportunity to do this at Capitol, when he recorded the <b>Voyle Gilmore</b>-produced <i>This Love of Mine</i>. This was an unusual concept album in that the underlying theme that held the eleven songs together was that they were tunes penned by songwriters who were better known as singers, or whom the public in general did not associate with the songwriting craft.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnz1-v2VMBAwoCpNihyphenhyphenLmIUMhTxV_fokEomlFrmPVJxTRUtrsVKQHHjJzUBu1Lp_cHxHES8G-VH7hpA-4oc0MWQsw5zGNOeqvPlCW7oCG6isxjpuZpMP_GCFsRAIHn5VCYMd5__nV5YyF2/s1600/jackjones02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnz1-v2VMBAwoCpNihyphenhyphenLmIUMhTxV_fokEomlFrmPVJxTRUtrsVKQHHjJzUBu1Lp_cHxHES8G-VH7hpA-4oc0MWQsw5zGNOeqvPlCW7oCG6isxjpuZpMP_GCFsRAIHn5VCYMd5__nV5YyF2/s320/jackjones02.png" width="288" /></a></div>
One might think that such a concept would make for a weak album, but it is not the case, as the repertoire is very well chosen. There are two songs co-written by Sinatra, the title track and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWzQNPcxxZg" target="_blank">"I'm a Fool to Want You."</a> The former dates back to Sinatra's tenure with <strong>Tommy Dorsey</strong>, while the latter is supposed to chronicle the difficulties that he underwent during his tempestuous relationship with Ava Gardner. Jones decides to take both at a noticeably faster tempo than Sinatra, which is most surprising in the case of "I'm a Fool to Want You" given the highly dramatic nature of its theme. On <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCvuCdmbRVc" target="_blank">"This Love of Mine"</a> there is an unexpected guitar solo that fits the mood of the tune nicely. From the songbook of comedian <b>Steve Allen</b> come "Impossible," an agreeable ballad, and the classic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTU7whvTmHM" target="_blank">"This Could Be the Start of Something Big,"</a> which shows Jones's confident approach whenever he is called upon to swing. The album also includes two songs by <b>Nat King Cole</b> ("With You on My Mind" and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-ETib6NSPc" target="_blank">"To Whom It May Concern,"</a> both originally recorded by Cole for Capitol) and two by the outstanding pianist-singer-songwriter <b>Matt Dennis</b>—the lesser-known <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcSXFf3ziFQ" target="_blank">"Show Me the Way to Get Out of This World,"</a> sung in a laid-back swinging style and featuring an interesting trumpet solo, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHRn_DOLw-M" target="_blank">"Angel Eyes,"</a> the famous saloon song that Sinatra had just included in his album <i>Only the Lonely</i> and undoubtedly one of the highlights of Jones's debut LP.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QUvuepvWnu4FqSaHzm5C51QQ78me3ONp0KiBhjupEKe8C6_3FZ0yLQ_fh1cXWoHN-noF1tlJAawaz7FuZ2cVQ5uJSh6N2NiAiO_mKVpaTI1hRneg-LKgoObuRYMqws3hB1fCjeXanMiG/s1600/bobbyhammack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QUvuepvWnu4FqSaHzm5C51QQ78me3ONp0KiBhjupEKe8C6_3FZ0yLQ_fh1cXWoHN-noF1tlJAawaz7FuZ2cVQ5uJSh6N2NiAiO_mKVpaTI1hRneg-LKgoObuRYMqws3hB1fCjeXanMiG/s320/bobbyhammack.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arranger Bobby Hammack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jones approaches the witty <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnKPNvTNmw4" target="_blank">"I Don't Know Enough About You,"</a> penned by <b>Peggy Lee</b> and her then-husband <b>Dave Barbour</b>, with gusto, in an easy-swinging sort of way, and perhaps to show that he can also join the ranks of those singers who also dabble in songwriting, he offers a composition of his own, "What Would I Do," which actually turns out to be quite a respectable effort. The album closes appropriately with the beautiful <b>Frankie Laine</b> ballad <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBDV8fgA0CY" target="_blank">"We'll Be Together Again,"</a> another one that Sinatra also recorded for Capitol (on <i>Songs for Swingin' Lovers</i>). Released toward the end of 1959, <i>This Love of Mine</i> earned a rather positive review from <i>Billboard</i> (November 30, 1959):<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
After a few efforts, this is the initial LP by a lad whose work augurs a strong potential. Jack Jones is the son of former stars Allan Jones and Irene Hervey, and he has been playing nitery dates with his dad in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. He shows a feeling for a swinging rhythm, an ability to project his personality and a pleasing way of styling a ballad. Strong backing by Bobby Hammack's ork.</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwZ5Sz67_pdti04mQxrejZjJOCCK5zueeY2vrHUNswK2hLNgEo7x0jp0gIm1kFHmdfMHTAlYsIFIWfcweG4mS0TpjgcLOgSwg54qQEAUR-ChkojVKp5137WYxMr7TbGNaSXsyci3LimP3/s1600/jackjonescover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwZ5Sz67_pdti04mQxrejZjJOCCK5zueeY2vrHUNswK2hLNgEo7x0jp0gIm1kFHmdfMHTAlYsIFIWfcweG4mS0TpjgcLOgSwg54qQEAUR-ChkojVKp5137WYxMr7TbGNaSXsyci3LimP3/s320/jackjonescover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The reviewer is certainly right about Jones's way with both swingers and ballads, as well as about the assessment of <b>Bobby Hammack</b>'s arrangements, which are strong without ever getting in the way and feature some interesting touches such as the brief organ solos on "Angel Eyes" and "We'll Be Together Again." The cover is a different matter altogether—it is anyone's guess why the powers that be at Capitol thought that it was appropriate to have Jones photographed in full caveman attire, wielding a big club, and stepping on a scantily clad woman lying in the foreground, while some kind of dinosaur observes the scene in the background. Looking at it almost sixty years later, one wonders how the cover can be in any way related to the theme of the album, what kind of audience the producers were trying to target, and simply what was going through the heads of whoever decided to approve such a horrifying cover. It is, indeed, one of the strangest, most mystifying pieces of LP artwork I have ever seen. Whatever the case, in spite of the favorable review from <i>Billboard</i>, the album was not much of a hit, and it was not until he signed with Kapp two years later that Jones's career would actually take off. Yet <i>This Love of Mine</i>—which may be easily found on CD these days as part of the European reissue <i><b>Jack Jones: Six Classic Albums</b></i>, from Real Gone Music—remains one of my favorite albums by Jones and a very enjoyable early effort that in many ways already indicates greater things to come.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlmHM4eRemtqZojuvl_hNSqVmajgo2UsGh45c9Q4-SU-1W7xwrZpNYSeDrgf8OuJpzkUJjLKH4PJxWx9Itm7dCxhKjM-i5w5Q7hhPb3mVX6bXt5pup14p8NJeM3er97VksOEu1sdo0nEy/s1600/jackjones03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlmHM4eRemtqZojuvl_hNSqVmajgo2UsGh45c9Q4-SU-1W7xwrZpNYSeDrgf8OuJpzkUJjLKH4PJxWx9Itm7dCxhKjM-i5w5Q7hhPb3mVX6bXt5pup14p8NJeM3er97VksOEu1sdo0nEy/s400/jackjones03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-49547490943218190962016-03-22T11:30:00.001-07:002016-03-22T11:30:31.173-07:00Unsung Vocalists of the Past 7: Johnny Marvin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IPuSWrjila8cpP6BNob3-09sU_UQxTMPo9er6trbWgEpGzwSES3b7C3vgzkLpd2mgN649cTaoLS4RduVKzPNBdrl2XVG37eoLvaV30Ap4tnopkdu33us2ebRGVexnOLOQpsbm_WYnBNm/s1600/johnnymarvin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IPuSWrjila8cpP6BNob3-09sU_UQxTMPo9er6trbWgEpGzwSES3b7C3vgzkLpd2mgN649cTaoLS4RduVKzPNBdrl2XVG37eoLvaV30Ap4tnopkdu33us2ebRGVexnOLOQpsbm_WYnBNm/s320/johnnymarvin.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
Calling <b>Johnny Marvin</b> an <i>unsung vocalist</i> may seem like a little bit of a stretch. After all, he was one of the most popular singers in the country during his brief heyday of the late 1920s and early '30s, a couple of CD reissues of his work are currently available, and authors <b>Michael Pitts</b> and <b>Frank Hoffman</b> have devoted a whole chapter of their excellent book <i>The Rise of the Crooners</i> (Scarecrow Press, 2002) to discussing his life and career. And yet, Johnny Marvin is almost totally forgotten today, to such an extent that it is difficult not to agree with Pitts and Hoffman when they state that he "is a crooner waiting rediscovery" (184). Born in Butler, Oklahoma, in 1897, Marvin grew up around music because both his parents could play, though they never played professionally. His complete name was John Senator Marvin, and it was as Senator that he began playing informally with his father while still barely a teenager. A barber by trade, Marvin had a brief stint as a Navy barber during WWI, but at the end of the conflict, he decided that the life of an entertainer was for him, and so he started appearing on the vaudeville circuit, often as a solo act but also as part of Sargent, Marvin, and the Four Camerons, a group he formed with baritone <b>Charles Sargent</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH361kHvdBZQY7zI3YFuR3DUFYzZs77K5W3mL53f3IBOMHEDjhMikgjpCOnKDU-l2YCfOoQ9nkdffVp5xtLHu2-EgaAOB9lMjGxvw-A8c1uTBp_0MzkZPsLtuWe9nUo-bAeXLKQ6jky2Jo/s1600/johnnymarvin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH361kHvdBZQY7zI3YFuR3DUFYzZs77K5W3mL53f3IBOMHEDjhMikgjpCOnKDU-l2YCfOoQ9nkdffVp5xtLHu2-EgaAOB9lMjGxvw-A8c1uTBp_0MzkZPsLtuWe9nUo-bAeXLKQ6jky2Jo/s320/johnnymarvin2.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
By this time, Marvin was already proficient on the mouth harp, the musical saw, and a number of string instruments, including the guitar, the fiddle, the steel guitar, and particularly the ukulele, which ranked high in the preferences of the public due to the enormous success of <b>Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards</b>. Though he had cut some records around 1924 with Sargent, Marvin began to make his mark on the record business with his solo records in the style of Edwards, some of which even featured Ukulele Ike's proto-scat routine known as "eefin'." Marvin's recording contract with Columbia, however, was not exclusive, so he was at liberty to make records for other companies, and his output was very prolific throughout the late 1920s, both on major and dimestore labels. Pitts and Hoffman report that, at the highest point in his career, "over ten million homes throughout the country owned Johnny Marvin records" (171), which, together with his successful vaudeville appearances, meant that he was a major force in two of the mainstream entertainment media of the day: records and vaudeville. And yet, despite the success of his performances of songs such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ756w_dkVE" target="_blank">"Breezin' Along with the Breeze,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHr9MRQb3yI" target="_blank">"Half a Moon,"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgN2LYo-mMY" target="_blank">"All Alone Monday,"</a> Marvin has not remained associated with one particular tune, which may be one of the reasons for his current obscurity.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Z8mfq3vaoyohvf3HPBqe7zHrsJuPAPwH7utyQwlcHguEGx9VGkQJowK_P34d3KH3cmbl2GyvM4LZUfSUJbAHshbZVf1dSWPnmkypldEltKPco5EpsQFq7yzMArlRSDKCCyMCs1O3wFcJ/s1600/johnnymarvin3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Z8mfq3vaoyohvf3HPBqe7zHrsJuPAPwH7utyQwlcHguEGx9VGkQJowK_P34d3KH3cmbl2GyvM4LZUfSUJbAHshbZVf1dSWPnmkypldEltKPco5EpsQFq7yzMArlRSDKCCyMCs1O3wFcJ/s320/johnnymarvin3.jpg" width="186" /></a></div>
His popularity with the record-buying public opened the doors to Hollywood, and Marvin made several early short sound films for MGM and Vitaphone to promote some of his songs. While these shorts were praised by trade publications such <i>Billboard</i> and <i>Variety</i>, Marvin never got around to starring in a feature film like some of his contemporaries (<b>Al Jolson</b>, <b>Rudy Vallee</b>, <b>Bing Crosby</b>, to name but three) and so his main claim to fame in the cinematic medium lies in having been one of the main stars of short-subject sound films. In 1926, Marvin appeared, as Honey Duke (one of several pseudonyms under which he cut records) in the hit Broadway show <i>Honeymoon Lane</i>, recording several of the songs he sang on stage for different labels with a great deal of success. Around this time, he was in high demand as a provider of vocal refrains for dance-band records, often working with studio orchestras led by <b>Nat Shilkret</b>, <b>Roger Wolfe Kahn</b>, and <b>Johnny Hamp</b>, among others. A measure of his popularity is the fact that the Harmony company began selling an ukulele known as the Johnny Marvin ukulele, and his records were successful enough in England that in 1928 he signed a contract to appear at London's Kit Kat Club, an establishment that was popular with the cream of English society. By all accounts, Marvin was a big hit in England, though his London engagement was unfortunately cut short due to some throat problems that he developed while in the British Isles.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IfmDC19Ybc4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IfmDC19Ybc4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHF_Ob14OAaD3Y4ojs-_y-D_8j7cXf_QCbeF4llNEMOXOjhEQSn7ZyVFrl-rn_vImy2YTe0sMhqsfTZMVULF-DlFOPWRR3p9hv2Z7wVuI5Gz4JLC_aj1BmtdGC_JYrCsBQeAKZEpVlLB1/s1600/johnnyfrankiemarvin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHF_Ob14OAaD3Y4ojs-_y-D_8j7cXf_QCbeF4llNEMOXOjhEQSn7ZyVFrl-rn_vImy2YTe0sMhqsfTZMVULF-DlFOPWRR3p9hv2Z7wVuI5Gz4JLC_aj1BmtdGC_JYrCsBQeAKZEpVlLB1/s320/johnnyfrankiemarvin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frankie and Johnny Marvin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back home in the United States in the summer of 1928, and completely recovered from his health issues, Marvin maintained a heavy recording schedule, and both his discs and his theater gigs were met with great acclaim. By this time, he began appearing with his younger brother, <b>Frankie Marvin</b>, who was at least as gifted a musician as Johnny, and who would also enjoy a solo career. The Depression still lay ahead, however, and Marvin's career would be dramatically affected by it, particularly because the new economic climate would have a very negative impact on the record industry and would effectively wipe off vaudeville. Even though at first it seemed that Marvin would survive the onset of the Depression, he would soon start feeling its effects and, in fact, his career as a performer would never fully recover. By the early 1930s, Marvin began concentrating primarily on radio work and on songwriting. In the latter capacity, he specialized in Western songs, many of which were sung by his friend <b>Gene Autry</b> in the many movies he made for Republic Pictures. Marvin had been instrumental in getting Autry's career off the ground—both Johnny and Frankie Marvin had even played on the singing cowboy's early sessions—and the two men remained very close until Johnny's death.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKEbRZmmxZqHMfyM-FSNzdTm0lJJ1nycjbMucttDaSacEgkXLD79wKRCKyXBB0VO1gsLdUK3NdpL6a3Db1QMTaaHCilfDvSuY1s0XWM5eB4PVNc6xbNayCYr6Yt6UZENkfWD9QtEX2D8I-/s1600/johnnymarvinuke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKEbRZmmxZqHMfyM-FSNzdTm0lJJ1nycjbMucttDaSacEgkXLD79wKRCKyXBB0VO1gsLdUK3NdpL6a3Db1QMTaaHCilfDvSuY1s0XWM5eB4PVNc6xbNayCYr6Yt6UZENkfWD9QtEX2D8I-/s400/johnnymarvinuke.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An ad for the Johnny Marvin ukulele model</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As a radio personality, Marvin appeared in several shows, starring in one of them as Dr. Cheer for the NBC network in 1931. The concept behind the program was that he would sing songs inspired by problems described by listeners in their letters. Fortunately, some recordings of the show survive, and they can be found on the CD compilation <i>A Voice of the 20s</i> (Take Two). He also made some radio transcriptions for MacGregor in the late 1930s, but by that time he had mostly abandoned his recording activities to concentrate on songwriting. According to Pitts and Hoffman, his last commercial recording session (for Decca) took place sometime towards the end of the 1930s, but judging by some of the songs he cut ("Me and My Shadow" being one) he was mostly seen by then as a relic of what seemed like a distant past. During WWII, Marvin became involved with the USO, entertaining troops as far afield as the South Pacific, where he contracted malaria, and the disease would lead to his passing in December 1944, when he was merely 47 years old.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MMqdZRBZDqqYBjtyfgGOpWbEs2-wTk2DtMj5qjSulXiKKBlmPun4eGJBDSb0qeSyh5zSEa66rzvJVTyGCRzews_Dxhd46pEoBVsvovMHVoXkLaANPop7ER-xJQUA4muNwDJJnbTg1vPs/s1600/johnnymarvincd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MMqdZRBZDqqYBjtyfgGOpWbEs2-wTk2DtMj5qjSulXiKKBlmPun4eGJBDSb0qeSyh5zSEa66rzvJVTyGCRzews_Dxhd46pEoBVsvovMHVoXkLaANPop7ER-xJQUA4muNwDJJnbTg1vPs/s320/johnnymarvincd.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
Anyone interested in getting acquainted with Johnny Marvin's melodious, smooth singing style and dazzling ukulele playing may seek out two CD releases. The aforementioned <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Voice-20s-Johnny-Marvin/dp/B007O3BIZW/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1458671304&sr=1-1&keywords=johnny+marvin" target="_blank">A Voice of the 20s</a></i></b> features three tracks from the Dr. Cheer radio series (including a spoken commercial for Columbia Cleaners, the show's sponsor) as well as fine sides made between 1927-1930, like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWflSb09P3M" target="_blank">"I Still Get a Thrill,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIQ_FtMayOY" target="_blank">"Crazy Rhythm,"</a> "I'm in Seventh Heaven," and even the outstanding instrumental <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DhCr5C5oCk" target="_blank">"12th Street Rag."</a> Though now out of print, <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Breezin-Along-Breeze-Johnny-Marvin/dp/B0007YH7BE/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1458671624&sr=1-1&keywords=johnny+marvin+asv" target="_blank">Breezin' Along with the Breeze</a></i></b> (ASV / Living Era) is a rather comprehensive compilation of both solo recordings and dance-band sides for which Marvin provides vocal refrains, all cut between 1926-1930. Highlights include "Just Another Day Wasted Away," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=023yXNxtFS0" target="_blank">"Blue Skies"</a> (a duet with <b>Ed Smalle</b>), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OggceB_N4QE" target="_blank">"Ain't That a Grand a Glorious Feeling?,"</a> "Happy Days and Lonely Nights," and Al Jolson's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBmHoqgD9-s" target="_blank">"There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder,"</a> among many others. Those who still remember Johnny Marvin today often tend to think of him as a composer of Western tunes performed by Autry and <b>Roy Rogers</b>, but that is only a small part of his legacy. If we go back to the late 1920s and early '30s, we will discover the appealing work of a smooth crooner and an excellent ukulele player. And, as Pitts and Hoffman remind us, it is a body of work that is awaiting rediscovery.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zDE0Bx_L4Ns/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zDE0Bx_L4Ns?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-54698468041776063902016-03-05T14:50:00.001-08:002016-03-07T11:29:19.401-08:00New Releases: Bing Crosby's Good and Rare, Volume 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2SHGV7Gc7MrkQzt8wJ7LLZYaFTy2L6cBZPV2q0XkeGZE4_e1y_uNJwDyO0So6n53SbpAO3rrB85TGc3mYEvNHVnk6rlGp8yF0X4stg2iHEjAsIPj3lw8203uPX5PZb0V-TbOHIrKKGeX/s1600/bingcrosbygoodrare3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2SHGV7Gc7MrkQzt8wJ7LLZYaFTy2L6cBZPV2q0XkeGZE4_e1y_uNJwDyO0So6n53SbpAO3rrB85TGc3mYEvNHVnk6rlGp8yF0X4stg2iHEjAsIPj3lw8203uPX5PZb0V-TbOHIrKKGeX/s320/bingcrosbygoodrare3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica";">Back in 2009, the British reissue label Sepia Records released the first volume in the <i><b>Good & Rare</b></i> series of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica";"><b>Bing Crosby</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica";"> compilations, with a second volume following a year later. Now, almost a decade later, we have the third installment in the series, and as is the case with the other two, this new issue is highly recommended for any serious Crosby fan. Just like the rest of Sepia releases, this CD is up to the European company's high production and packaging quality standards, and the compilation is supervised by International Club Crosby members and Crosby specialists and collectors </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica";"><b>John Newton</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica";">, <b>David Currington</b>, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica";"><b>Malcolm Macfarlane</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica";">, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica";"><b>Wig Wiggins</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica";">. Bearing in mind the age and sources of some of the material, the sound is good overall—in many instances it is excellent—and the occasional imperfections never get in the way of our listening pleasure. Even though the tracks are arranged in strict chronological order, the CD is well programmed, and each cut flows into the next with great ease.</span><br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8FTLtr6nAzRQMlPTPMRwzdBPJXdFbTzAwHqOiR1JXAEPF19aMpDKtMlxn-L3IinIVNiPvd9fEG_2qhRd5gknSaOHSqeVd066-AOiAkO5jZq7YbOy226shcohKX4bQZ7968JF_KzPw9VG/s1600/bingrhythmboys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8FTLtr6nAzRQMlPTPMRwzdBPJXdFbTzAwHqOiR1JXAEPF19aMpDKtMlxn-L3IinIVNiPvd9fEG_2qhRd5gknSaOHSqeVd066-AOiAkO5jZq7YbOy226shcohKX4bQZ7968JF_KzPw9VG/s320/bingrhythmboys.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crosby (center) with the Rhythm Boys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As the title of the collection implies, the material included here is of undeniable rarity, most of the tracks being available on CD for the first time. The earliest cuts take us back to the late 1920s, when Crosby was a featured vocalist with the <b>Paul Whiteman</b> orchestra, as well as a member of Whiteman's <b>Rhythm Boys</b>, a trio made out of Crosby, <b>Harry Barris</b>, and <b>Al Rinker</b>. Two of the songs, "Everything's Agreed Upon" (a long-forgotten composition by Barris that does not seem to have been cut by anybody else since) and "A Bench in the Park," come from an NBC radio show starring the trio, and they clearly prove that Crosby's voice already stood out from the rest at a time when the crooner was on the verge of stardom. Other interesting recordings from this early period of Crosby's career are "Poor Little G-String," an alternate take of "Ol' Man River" with Whiteman, and "Song of the Dawn," which <b>John Boles</b>, and not Bing, sang in the Whiteman extravaganza, <i>The King of Jazz</i>. The CD is full of alternate takes of songs originally released by Decca ("After Sundown," "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," "Red Sails in the Sunset") which are often subtly different from the issued versions and show that discarded takes by Crosby are usually just as good as the versions chosen for release. The 1934 film recording of "It's Easy to Remember" included here differs greatly from the issued version, and a truncated 1944 attempt at Cole Porter's "Night and Day" is interesting because we actually get a chance to witness Crosby's reaction to his rather bouncy performance of the classic Porter ballad.</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RcY50kXbS3sOnXcPwl5f9gFoqQ5-TG5zHG3Ywp7UklEy47Fn2IvsLi47Jnc7g4fgpyQ7mceK2owLVA0lFP54PRy5f1-J3K7L7_lPBT_L-w_u35-ji-A9IglYPAAtnJ-k3eeQYtioW8YJ/s1600/buddybregman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RcY50kXbS3sOnXcPwl5f9gFoqQ5-TG5zHG3Ywp7UklEy47Fn2IvsLi47Jnc7g4fgpyQ7mceK2owLVA0lFP54PRy5f1-J3K7L7_lPBT_L-w_u35-ji-A9IglYPAAtnJ-k3eeQYtioW8YJ/s320/buddybregman.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arranger Buddy Bregman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But, in my opinion, there are two sets of tracks here that are absolutely worth the price of admission. First, there's a group of demos recorded by Bing in 1937-40 with minimal instrumental accompaniment (just <b>John Scott Trotter</b> on piano and <b>Perry Botkin</b> on guitar), including "The Moon Got in My Eyes," "Where Is Central Park?," "Beware (I'm Beginning to Care)," "East Side of Heaven," "Sing a Song of Sunbeams," "When the Moon Comes over Madison Square," and two versions of "Laugh and Call It Love." These are absolutely delightful stripped-down readings of these songs that will appeal to listeners who enjoy listening to Bing in a small-group setting. And then there are three alternate takes from Crosby's 1956 sessions with <b>Buddy Bregman</b> that yielded the album <i>Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings</i>, an entry in Bing's discography that has caused quite a division and heated debates among Crosby aficionados over the years. Although the liner notes say that these alternate takes previously "popped up on an Australian LP," they were not included in the Verve reissue of the Crosby-Bregman collaboration, so they make their first appearance on CD here. The songs are "The Blue Room," "Cheek to Cheek," and "Mountain Greenery," and again, they are only marginally different from the versions included in the original album, but they are extremely interesting for those of us who appreciate Crosby's recordings with Bregman.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXj_RmQ1vvQOyqJjeQ8rQY6iKo0PLoGeo3O51aiuxqtZ3Skl_anTGIpQUNF1DtcWj-ySWAFRlF31LJVVrKnQKXjEpc23AFCKf65DjEbJdKdvWruEcQAZ3rydmXMQ4EGfNYQ5GtEOshM23/s1600/crosbytrotter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXj_RmQ1vvQOyqJjeQ8rQY6iKo0PLoGeo3O51aiuxqtZ3Skl_anTGIpQUNF1DtcWj-ySWAFRlF31LJVVrKnQKXjEpc23AFCKf65DjEbJdKdvWruEcQAZ3rydmXMQ4EGfNYQ5GtEOshM23/s400/crosbytrotter.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Scott Trotter and Bing Crosby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">All in all, this CD will be of greater interest to the serious Crosby collector than to the casual fan, but most of the material offered here is notable not only for its rarity, but also for its consistently high musical quality. The liner notes by Mr. Macfarlane are, as always, informative, knowledgeable, and well written, and everyone involved in the production of this third volume in Sepia's <i>Good and Rare</i> series deserves the gratitude of all Crosby fans. Hopefully we will not have to wait another nine or ten years to see a further installment in this very appealing series.</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Where to Find This Album</b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This CD is available from all major internet retailers and directly from the Sepia Records website <b><u><a href="http://www.sepiarecords.com/sepia1296.html" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>. Also, Crosby fans in the United States may obtain it by contacting Mr. Wig Wiggins via e-mail (wigbing2012 [at] gmail [dot] com) or via regular mail (5608 North 34th Street, Arlington, VA 22207).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bWO5WG_GN4w/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bWO5WG_GN4w?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-63133764076185438192016-01-15T10:57:00.001-08:002016-01-15T10:57:52.520-08:00Interview with Singer Bobby Rydell: "I grew up listening to the music of the big bands, and this music was in my blood from my childhood"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TG42-NGHNr_yzbTG6W3bgENlY7WbnSpjFYynweUMbo39P9UsAAYkw904-8jfjdDYXCauaMudB51ollb9T9oXrx5fNLg2dASaqOMU2NQk4JOlhTJpPz9Q_Q4_grrwAqg1uW3Uy6vFMPEk/s1600/rydellcurrent.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TG42-NGHNr_yzbTG6W3bgENlY7WbnSpjFYynweUMbo39P9UsAAYkw904-8jfjdDYXCauaMudB51ollb9T9oXrx5fNLg2dASaqOMU2NQk4JOlhTJpPz9Q_Q4_grrwAqg1uW3Uy6vFMPEk/s320/rydellcurrent.png" width="293" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our first post of 2016 is an interview we recently did with singer Bobby Rydell, in which he discusses his life and career, as well as two excellent early 1960s albums he made for the Cameo / Parkway label, mostly paying tribute to the music of the pre-rock era, which was more of an influence on his own style than one may think.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
In the late 1950s and early '60s, between the first outburst of rock'n'roll and the arrival of the so-called British Invasion, the airwaves were suddenly filled with a gentler, sweeter kind of pop music, epitomized by teen idols such as <b>Frankie Avalon</b>, <b>Ricky Nelson</b>, and <b>Fabian</b>. One of the most popular among them was Philadelphia-born <b>Bobby Rydell</b>, whose memorable recordings of hits like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ89Cf3q8Do" target="_blank">"Kissin' Time,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXtveF8Usn8" target="_blank">"Wild One,"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24jZdFECf_o" target="_blank">"Swingin' School,"</a> among several others, turned him into a national sensation starting in 1959. After achieving great success on records and through appearances on top-rated television shows, Rydell made his movie debut in the now classic musical <i>Bye Bye Birdie</i>, alongside <b>Ann-Margret </b>and <b>Dick Van Dyke</b>, a role that did a great deal to further his career. Rydell has announced that in 2016 he will be publishing his autobiography and a pictorial of his career, and anyone interested in more information about this forthcoming book should check <a href="http://www.bobbyrydell.com/" target="_blank"><b>his website</b></a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64W34ru2Jx4qWYzG5lOHCtahZzoMWfvCp6xaw9PMxspig8I4DYc0-Qs1Rp686GHJwj2CNmIx02OSMnlN0JzHcELouTBHwqf64dMHxtKYyunilHK0Gun5TcnlXIXWc_S2VYKC9EjCDOKKp/s1600/rydellmodugno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64W34ru2Jx4qWYzG5lOHCtahZzoMWfvCp6xaw9PMxspig8I4DYc0-Qs1Rp686GHJwj2CNmIx02OSMnlN0JzHcELouTBHwqf64dMHxtKYyunilHK0Gun5TcnlXIXWc_S2VYKC9EjCDOKKp/s320/rydellmodugno.jpg" width="236" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rydell with Domenico Modugno</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite the fact that, just like <b>Bobby Darin</b>, Rydell started out as a teen idol, he was steeped in big band music and pre-rock pop crooners (one of his hits was a cover of Italian crooner <b>Domenico Modugno</b>'s "Volare," also cut by <b>Dean Martin</b>), and to this day his live act includes many tunes out of the Great American Songbook. In fact, in the 1960s he cut a few albums celebrating these influences, namely <i>Bobby Salutes the Great Ones</i> (1961), <i>Rydell at the Copa</i> (1961), and <i>Bobby Rydell and the Bernie Lowe Orchestra Recreate the Big Band Days</i> (1962). Back in October, these three LPs, along with a 1961 collaboration with label mate <b>Chubby Checker</b>, were reissued on a two-CD set by the British label Jasmine Records. As soon as we heard about this release, we got in touch with Mr. Rydell, through his assistant, Ms. Linda Hoffman, and he graciously agreed to an interview with <i>The Vintage Bandstand</i> to discuss his career in general and these albums in particular. We now present the full interview here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVN6cHGqwFHIejr0XSj3lOgeKueB7bsZxPTgIBnpTnIWKRB9tT51JPF2iI7B6etvrtt9ok9HtvRCuSO9JBlGd8oOyTNptKz_fcMqwfAgFVD1p77rwigI5DNFdNtgxNJFWuAZppjNFVZHR/s1600/rydellposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVN6cHGqwFHIejr0XSj3lOgeKueB7bsZxPTgIBnpTnIWKRB9tT51JPF2iI7B6etvrtt9ok9HtvRCuSO9JBlGd8oOyTNptKz_fcMqwfAgFVD1p77rwigI5DNFdNtgxNJFWuAZppjNFVZHR/s320/rydellposter.jpg" width="237" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Anton Garcia-Fernandez (for </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Vintage Bandstand</i><b>): </b>You were born in Philadelphia. Please tell us a little bit about your childhood there. What kinds of music did you listen to? Who were your earliest musical influences?</span><br />
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Bobby Rydell:</b> I grew up listening the music of the big bands. My father used to take me to a theatre in Philadelphia that often showcased the legends of this era and I fell in love with the music at about age seven. As a child I saw the incredible <b>Gene Krupa</b> live and it stayed with me until this day. I remember telling my dad "That's what I want to be—a drummer." Dad was responsible for everything I became. He bought me my first set of drums and gave me drum lessons. If the singing thing hadn't worked out, that's what I'd be doing today. </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB: </b>Around 1950, you first appeared on the TV show <i>Teen Club</i>, which was hosted by legendary bandleader <b>Paul Whiteman</b>, and you stayed on that show for about three years. What do you remember about that show? Did you get to have much interaction with Mr. Whiteman?</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Mr. Rydell:</b> I was sort of the "mascot" on the Whiteman show. I was about eight years old when I won a talent contest and became a regular on the program. I won a TV set (the first on our block!) in the contest for the show. I don't remember a time that I wasn't performing. Yes, Mr. Whiteman was very involved with the show—he was the person who first changed my name from Bobby Ridarelli to Bobby Rydell. He said no one would remember Ridarelli!</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOy3yhyphenhyphen-jgseQ7V7HTBSSmiOsDUeSkUsgivOEph_6qBQB04Wb8nXGS_5d4as4c60ieKZdh81GKM3TEKBDwNwNYr12sI1TuTx2-2Z42numrwzd4EnN09dmsBwj8gW4-6cV8R5zPo9CU7Icw/s1600/rydell1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOy3yhyphenhyphen-jgseQ7V7HTBSSmiOsDUeSkUsgivOEph_6qBQB04Wb8nXGS_5d4as4c60ieKZdh81GKM3TEKBDwNwNYr12sI1TuTx2-2Z42numrwzd4EnN09dmsBwj8gW4-6cV8R5zPo9CU7Icw/s320/rydell1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB: </b>In the late 1950s, you signed a contract with the label Cameo / Parkway which led to big hits like "Kissin' Time," "Swingin' School," and "Wild One," among others, and which turned you into a very popular teen idol. How did that contract come about?</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Mr. Rydell:</b> I used to cut school to hang out at the studios (which were a two-by-four space, nothing major like you'd imagine). I knew <b>Bernie Lowe</b> (one of the founders of the label) from the Whiteman show - he was a piano player on the show. It wasn't until I met Frankie Day (my first manager) by chance at a show I was playing in one of my first bands - that I got an "audition" with the label - and the rest kind of just took off. </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrDwY1PtlQBKSXU6aB0gJ0mQ-nziPP_AlKBxnXPHGLkL8osfCwaeiMqIQXnnSCj0dZqgwsYKIJgHO1p_jlhqhbIU-PDYmHs_oAOVlEVTeQx9lYPC2PzqlJagDNiKSDLz8R_y0DJBZy7Uk/s1600/rydellchecker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrDwY1PtlQBKSXU6aB0gJ0mQ-nziPP_AlKBxnXPHGLkL8osfCwaeiMqIQXnnSCj0dZqgwsYKIJgHO1p_jlhqhbIU-PDYmHs_oAOVlEVTeQx9lYPC2PzqlJagDNiKSDLz8R_y0DJBZy7Uk/s320/rydellchecker.jpg" width="249" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB:</b><b style="font-weight: normal;"> </b>On one of your albums for that label you were teamed up with another big star of the era, Chubby Checker. What do you remember about the sessions that produced that collaboration between the two of you?</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Mr. Rydell:</b> Being that we were both under contract with the same record label, they thought it would be a novel idea to have the both of us do a "duets" album to be released just before the holidays and toss in a couple of holiday songs. One of those tunes, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHxudiVnhjU" target="_blank">"Jingle Bell Rock,"</a> is really popular to this day on the radio stations during the holidays. Chubby and I knew one another from the South Philadelphia area where we were both born and raised, and of course through the label and we had toured together in Australia a few times. It was a natural type of recording session and a brilliant move by the label. I think it became one of the top-selling albums for the label. We still see one another on the road to this day. We both still live in the same area of suburban Philadelphia. </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB: </b>One of your most remarkable albums is <i>Bobby Rydell Salutes the Great Ones</i>, which includes rocking versions of standards such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJwxs0m_PgA" target="_blank">"That Old Black Magic,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnHGP8EdZ2M" target="_blank">"Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams,"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcwA9vwrQ5Q" target="_blank">"Nice Work If You Can Get It."</a> What was the concept behind this LP and how did it come about? Did you select the songs? And if so, how did you select the songs?</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Mr. Rydell: </b>My manager and I selected the songs, submitted them to Cameo and they loved the idea. This music was in my blood from my childhood and felt very natural that I record it - we did it with a touch of the contemporary and it worked. When I started performing on shows like <b>Red Skelton</b>, <b>Jack Benny</b>, <b>Perry Como</b> - this was the type of music they wanted me to perform on their shows - not the "Swingin' School," etc. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/u5bBcepwgsw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u5bBcepwgsw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUh3Zox6fCDf60pkV08iomBokippYQxbWZhAW4-hWKUwt42IED2BTfX-ECd9VUW37ErRpTgYR-4V6n18INstXv2Ow_jVd1vCzojKGHnwz4vKigDaaqwdFjOGoDz7pehJMoTxHiykW00HM/s1600/rydellcopa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUh3Zox6fCDf60pkV08iomBokippYQxbWZhAW4-hWKUwt42IED2BTfX-ECd9VUW37ErRpTgYR-4V6n18INstXv2Ow_jVd1vCzojKGHnwz4vKigDaaqwdFjOGoDz7pehJMoTxHiykW00HM/s320/rydellcopa.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB: </b>In 1961 you first performed at the Copacabana, in New York, and the album <i>Rydell at the Copa</i> features a recording of your nightclub set there. How did the contract at the Copa come about? Your repertoire seems to be more adult-oriented. Did you get to choose your set lists for your engagement at the Copa?</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Mr. Rydell:</b><b style="font-weight: normal;"> </b>My manager, <b>Frank Day</b>, was the brains behind the Copa job. He felt I was "ready" to graduate from the rock and roll shows onto the night club circuit. He hired a stage coach for me, taught me dance steps, stage posture - even had a script written for the show with jokes, song medleys - it was a smash. I got rave reviews by the tough New York critics calling the show a "powder keg of talent." It was a thrill beyond belief for me. At age 19 I went down in history as the youngest performer ever to headline the famed Copa.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b style="font-style: normal;">TVB: </b>One can't help but notice that both <i>Salutes the Great Ones</i> and <i>At the Copa</i> feature several songs associated with <b style="font-style: normal;">Al Jolson</b> ("My Mammy," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_anXM2psaE" style="font-style: normal;" target="_blank">"April Showers,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcEYTNSl7cc" style="font-style: normal;" target="_blank">"There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder"</a>). Was Jolson one of your musical influences? </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Mr. Rydell: </b>No, Jolson wasn't really an influence. </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFi7cZaz6ktIJOZKvHu3lfDeqNusS1NC2LaRSVHkcAh8FsqZK2r5Xuh38hhneSntQNWLXFjRDLEErD2TmwrfwZK6FfPBLtkC0Ss5sTmgl1IQ7tu2BiA9ylW3whMZxB4wCbKAB0fCKKRwh/s1600/rydellmargret.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFi7cZaz6ktIJOZKvHu3lfDeqNusS1NC2LaRSVHkcAh8FsqZK2r5Xuh38hhneSntQNWLXFjRDLEErD2TmwrfwZK6FfPBLtkC0Ss5sTmgl1IQ7tu2BiA9ylW3whMZxB4wCbKAB0fCKKRwh/s320/rydellmargret.png" width="256" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rydell and Ann-Margret</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB: </b>One of your most memorable movie roles came in the 1963 film musical, <i>Bye, Bye Birdie</i>. How did you get involved in this movie? Are there any memories of co-stars Ann-Margret and Dick Van Dyke that you would like to share?</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b style="font-style: normal;">Mr. Rydell: </b>Ann and I are friends to this day. She calls and checks in often. When she does she asks if "Hugo" is there. We were 2 kids back then. My original role of Hugo did not call for <i>any</i> singing (in the stage version) and only a few lines. My audition with Ann was magnetic and the producers decided to expand Hugo's role. They thought we were magic together and wanted to play that up to the younger audience. Every day we came to the set my role got bigger and bigger.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB: </b>Finally, after all these years, you are still performing. For instance, you toured Australia last year. That shows that you must really enjoy music. Do you still listen to much music these days? And if so, what kinds of music and artists do you like listening to?</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Mr. Rydell:</b> My tour schedule today is full. [You can check it out <b><u><a href="http://www.bobbyrydell.com/" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>.] I work frequently in a show called <i>The Golden Boys, </i>which is a production by Dick Fox, my present manager. We have been performing this production to sellout audiences for the past 30 years. "The Golden Boys" are (officially) myself, Frankie Avalon, and Fabian. When this first started we joked it would be good for about 6 months—never dreamt that people would still be buying tickets 30 years later. The show features old film footage of our teen idol days, lots of production numbers with the three of us together, we individually do our separate shows, then come back together for a tribute to our fellow performers who have passed on. There's even a dance contest. I also do my solo show in Las Vegas and around the country, which is a mix of my oldies and lots of my favorite "standards" big band style. Some of my shows (like one I'm doing at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City) are with eighteen-piece orchestras and are songs from the American Songbook.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCcbE9vuKJiJjwWl-jXk_CJnhtb2P3B4bJRVZ5-Sliki0c_QZN8M8vfSkiLjKltOnvqOdnEHaTPuov-wf9gxHs0n8OEB8DW50m8XpG7VYLCzXsxm6xQi2P_Rv39Z-Q9oi1YXoTAokY4cU/s1600/rydell2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCcbE9vuKJiJjwWl-jXk_CJnhtb2P3B4bJRVZ5-Sliki0c_QZN8M8vfSkiLjKltOnvqOdnEHaTPuov-wf9gxHs0n8OEB8DW50m8XpG7VYLCzXsxm6xQi2P_Rv39Z-Q9oi1YXoTAokY4cU/s400/rydell2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">In 2012 I really thought it was over, though. I spent most of that year in and out of hospitals with tubes down my throat. Never thought I'd sing again. I needed a double organ transplant (kidney & liver). Through skilled surgeons at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and my organ donor and the family who lost her, I am here today. I'm still singing and telling my audiences the importance of becoming an organ donor. They are able to come to the show because of one unselfish person. My donor's name was Julia, and she was in her twenties.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Of the artists today I'm especially fond of <b>Diana Krall</b> and <b>Tower of Power</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XsivvoL_ctQ-bE7xgnSqnyHBz8E3L7EBiFHhVQx_HtNHtt7TidQm_6sF8TP9dDOSKcnGQrycvwmz8b_WYWYnhk-I9mUWBXao0tdFrRESC6Sqe6DEauwG4iHLgJ4oGpwFOqxV50_tyOUg/s1600/rydelljasmine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XsivvoL_ctQ-bE7xgnSqnyHBz8E3L7EBiFHhVQx_HtNHtt7TidQm_6sF8TP9dDOSKcnGQrycvwmz8b_WYWYnhk-I9mUWBXao0tdFrRESC6Sqe6DEauwG4iHLgJ4oGpwFOqxV50_tyOUg/s400/rydelljasmine.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-34618569330013196732015-12-21T10:49:00.000-08:002015-12-21T10:49:21.715-08:00The Louis Armstrong / Mills Brothers Decca Sessions, 1937-40<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8aP0sp19lBqaOrl1LZpabdYbytRuP1boZPt6BZuwd-L5alzdobkYPTQIau98BCC9xHb5gt4cXSWAugYLPadLNgC5imGZsah9q2iRPU6rfEcEsjG-ZNuQ7qmE4nhGsnl1B-7qJDEr596U/s1600/louisarmstrong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8aP0sp19lBqaOrl1LZpabdYbytRuP1boZPt6BZuwd-L5alzdobkYPTQIau98BCC9xHb5gt4cXSWAugYLPadLNgC5imGZsah9q2iRPU6rfEcEsjG-ZNuQ7qmE4nhGsnl1B-7qJDEr596U/s320/louisarmstrong.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>
By the time <b>Louis Armstrong</b> and the <b>Mills Brothers</b> first entered a studio to record a few sides together in 1937, they were both successful and popular artists in the jazz and pop fields, the brothers perhaps slightly more so than Satchmo. They had recorded with the likes of the <b>Boswell Sisters</b> and <b>Bing Crosby</b>, and the time seemed right to pair them with Armstrong, who at the time was being pushed by producer <b>Jack Kapp</b> to diversify his material and record in different settings, in an attempt to appeal to both black and white audiences and to score pop hits. Though Armstrong's gravelly voice seemingly stood in stark contrast with the smooth harmonies of the brothers, it actually blended extremely well on the finished recordings, most likely because both Armstrong and the Mills Brothers came out of the same musical tradition and understood each other's language perfectly well. While the Millses had become famous for their ability to mimic the sound of instruments (the guitar was the only instrument that they actually played) this was more than just a gimmick, and in fact, Satchmo's trumpet, which had exerted its influence on the music of the quartet, is superbly supported by the brothers' mimicry.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhPfHVFyITrvEXgBJT_-n3c7V5LOA0k6fBD4nWLG8Q_u34qfnZFic6E55BhSQpu2WNg8DSQadtl9BFGoni-Mk-9LnhTSqU66XwiW2MLejy_a0LPxaHcizIZnjy4anjXBAKjaAORtSN1DV/s1600/millsbros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhPfHVFyITrvEXgBJT_-n3c7V5LOA0k6fBD4nWLG8Q_u34qfnZFic6E55BhSQpu2WNg8DSQadtl9BFGoni-Mk-9LnhTSqU66XwiW2MLejy_a0LPxaHcizIZnjy4anjXBAKjaAORtSN1DV/s400/millsbros.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mills Brothers in the 1920s (Photo owned by Daniel R. Clemson)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
All in all, Armstrong and the brothers recorded eleven songs together over a three-year period that goes from April 1937 to April 1940. The material chosen for these sessions is rather eclectic, from novelty numbers like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FG2D-Qun9k" target="_blank">"Boog It,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLwGna15NcI" target="_blank">"The Flat Foot Floogie,"</a> and <b>Irving Berlin</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8FDGxiEmK0" target="_blank">"My Walking Stick"</a> to updates of minstrel material like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8osQsJm3ufA" target="_blank">"In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree"</a> to pop songs of the day such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tbx4MlHT18" target="_blank">"Marie"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQvX0uGxWW0" target="_blank">"The Song Is Ended,"</a> both of them written by Berlin as well. The atmosphere of all the sessions—there were six in all—is extremely relaxed, with the brothers harmonizing and Armstrong offering hip vocals and some excellent trumpet solos to complement the Millses' signature sound effects. Most of the songs feature brief guitar introductions, and as in the case of <b>Don Redman</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UByoykZsbB4" target="_blank">"Cherry,"</a> one of the standouts from these sessions, the interactions between Armstrong and the brothers are seamless. All the songs are tightly arranged and clearly intended as both jazz and pop records that could be appealing to different audiences.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA2ua_138XD6tru6Cxdl6QTbxecmk6vfbC68Oj7n6uJZT7oN0HyNgv4h7nzuXTb2kInmOvwhnkGGQiV-w_0BgD51b2-UC-AAnoLysOTTm1PJg1ldpb-ElczPbZogk0ViQdhZghtGwMct9/s1600/armstrongmillslabel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA2ua_138XD6tru6Cxdl6QTbxecmk6vfbC68Oj7n6uJZT7oN0HyNgv4h7nzuXTb2kInmOvwhnkGGQiV-w_0BgD51b2-UC-AAnoLysOTTm1PJg1ldpb-ElczPbZogk0ViQdhZghtGwMct9/s320/armstrongmillslabel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
At least one of the singles that came out of these dates was extremely popular—the one that paired <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUY-69YOziA" target="_blank">"Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUIvfKE01Bo" target="_blank">"Darling Nellie Gray,"</a> which ended a brief hit drought for the Millses. By the late 1930s it had become common practice in the recording industry to use nineteenth-century songs, mostly because they had fallen into the public domain, but this particular disc is unique in that Amstrong and the brothers not only swing and modernize these two songs about slavery and the old plantation but they also turn them into subtle calls for freedom. As <b>Gary Giddins</b> has written in <i>Visions of Jazz</i>, this record is "a politically astute response to the pastoralism that became rife in the recording industry of the '30s and continued into the early '60s" (24). In the hands of Armstrong and the brothers, "Old Virginny" no longer expresses a yearning to go back to working "day after day in the fields of yellow corn" but becomes a shout for political and social freedom, which is underscored by the choice of the abolitionist song, "Darling Nellie Gray," for the flip side. It seems appropriate to quote Giddins more at length on this subject:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Perhaps Armstrong's most able signifying comes at the end of the first eight bars of his thirty-two-bar solo, an unmistakable trumpet call—to freedom in life. If the flip side had been a similar piece or an ordinary ballad, the record would—despite Armstrong's saves—have limited meaning. But "Darling Nellie Gray" was one of the most powerful abolitionist songs of the 1850s; published only four years after Uncle Tom's Cabin, it is widely credited with changing people's minds on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line. (26)</blockquote>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabFs5xOZrh1IFn9gqvOvIeWJvxOh3yGFJbUA7tE93MwUrQepBKpWQ_xh44exYpp-H0OuGX1YvdogmVzS3JJW3tROGmPXLz39m-cTpWcOAWQfnK4iz7EBTbIDww0ajgHXDrVp7GJO9nScW/s1600/millsbrothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabFs5xOZrh1IFn9gqvOvIeWJvxOh3yGFJbUA7tE93MwUrQepBKpWQ_xh44exYpp-H0OuGX1YvdogmVzS3JJW3tROGmPXLz39m-cTpWcOAWQfnK4iz7EBTbIDww0ajgHXDrVp7GJO9nScW/s320/millsbrothers.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mills Brothers (Photo owned by D.R. Clemson)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The choice of material, then, could not have been accidental, particularly if we bear in mind that a similar change of meaning also operates on their version of <b>Stephen Foster</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iybPQ5sB-L4" target="_blank">"The Old Folks at Home,"</a> which, in the rendition by Armstrong and the Millses, is as far away from a song of longing for the old plantation as "Old Virginny." As Giddins has also rightly pointed out, Armstrong mocks the original meaning of this Foster ballad, taking it at a rather brisk pace and eschewing any kind of nostalgia for an idealized past on the plantation: when he ends his rendition by saying "we are far away from home," there is no trace of sentimentality in his voice. This is a record that shuns a painful past and prefers to look toward a brighter future ahead. Shortly after these sessions, the Mills Brothers would score a smash hit with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaMeSrynug0" target="_blank">"Paper Doll,"</a> and Louis Armstrong would go on to become one of the major icons of the twentieth century. Sadly, these recordings have long been neglected both by a vast majority of critics and by the record label that originally released them. As a matter of fact, CD reissues of these songs are scarce: European imports such as <i><b>Jazz Archives # 47: Louis Armstrong and The Mills Brothers Greatest Hits</b></i> and <b><i>The Mills Brothers Featuring Louis Armstrong Vol. 4: 1937-1940</i></b> are, to our knowledge, the only reissues currently available, and they are not always easy to find. Yet the uniqueness, historical significance, and artistic value of the collaboration between Satchmo and the Millses calls for a serious reissue and a subsequent critical reappraisal.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVHdQAXN89Mr-45d004E4qnm5kJjhrq_ff8Rr_nGt3h2tfUo3UOL23DJWd0mDQLqNG9fnLaJ59PppT09WTs6N-I0CcXokqYPyQ9Gm7Q7hMoeI-6XuGnEn46K13V3a1YDseQMt6jyU1na-/s1600/armstrongmillscover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVHdQAXN89Mr-45d004E4qnm5kJjhrq_ff8Rr_nGt3h2tfUo3UOL23DJWd0mDQLqNG9fnLaJ59PppT09WTs6N-I0CcXokqYPyQ9Gm7Q7hMoeI-6XuGnEn46K13V3a1YDseQMt6jyU1na-/s400/armstrongmillscover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-78463861732033960982015-12-09T08:41:00.001-08:002015-12-09T08:56:06.754-08:00Bandstand Christmas Essentials 4 : Al Martino's A Merry Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GqGYhkX3epD5512TtpgdrRGyNNTM_AZS4Yk3uAqRDp-NebrNfN_mpUJYQtzKjqgKlP1JGsUzsAYSK7IPvzP3DetmezFJJn5my0rdrxIF5zr2_Y3Lp3kcI2HtKZFuDSLd2Bvt1rJKbwfP/s1600/almartino02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GqGYhkX3epD5512TtpgdrRGyNNTM_AZS4Yk3uAqRDp-NebrNfN_mpUJYQtzKjqgKlP1JGsUzsAYSK7IPvzP3DetmezFJJn5my0rdrxIF5zr2_Y3Lp3kcI2HtKZFuDSLd2Bvt1rJKbwfP/s320/almartino02.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
<i>With the holiday season quickly approaching, it is time to offer a new installment of our Bandstand Christmas Essential series, which we publish every December. This time we take a look at a Christmas album that usually slips through the cracks whenever Yuletide records are discussed—Al Martino's </i>A Merry Christmas<i>, cut for Capitol in 1964.</i><br />
<br />
These days, Italian-American crooner <b>Al Martino</b> is mostly remembered for his role as Johnny Fontane in the 1972 <b>Francis Ford Coppola</b> movie, <i>The Godfather</i>. That role went a long way toward revitalizing his career in the early 1970s, but by that time he had been in the music business for already two decades, which were admittedly full of ups and downs. Born into a working class family in Philadelphia in 1927, his real name was Alfred Cini, and he was inspired by his childhood friend, <b>Mario Lanza</b>, to pursue a career in music. With that goal in mind he changed his name to Al Martino and moved to New York City, where he signed a record contract with a small label. His recording of the ballad <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCgmhrJtMFI" target="_blank">"Here in My Heart"</a> in 1952 became a sizable hit on both sides of the Atlantic, and this led to a contract with Capitol. Unfortunately, it somehow also got him in trouble with the Mob—or at least so the story goes—and Martino was forced to settle down in England for a few years, where his career advanced slowly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrcG35aY3Rt_AejXSccXCmp2Gb8OqBHe8pp94QBFHx4_hx8TVeaRZGJ2uNQnXh6Ds4wB_vvHVoEn_jpo4l-FQbyZNatFXUwH3p2f5BNKFNFHmiMVrBt9KrAUPcYBdqHiyjLx3dZdRzoaX/s1600/almartino03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrcG35aY3Rt_AejXSccXCmp2Gb8OqBHe8pp94QBFHx4_hx8TVeaRZGJ2uNQnXh6Ds4wB_vvHVoEn_jpo4l-FQbyZNatFXUwH3p2f5BNKFNFHmiMVrBt9KrAUPcYBdqHiyjLx3dZdRzoaX/s320/almartino03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
By the time he returned to the United States in the late 1950s, rock and roll had changed the music business forever, and the careers of smooth-voiced crooners like Martino were suffering greatly from this change in popular taste. But then Nashville came to the rescue: in 1963 Martino recorded the <b>Leon Payne</b> country ballad, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdXKZWERu3c" target="_blank">"I Love You Because,"</a> and all of a sudden he was back on the charts, and for a few years he continued recording pop versions of country tunes with great success. His biggest hit, though, was not a country song, but a vocal version of <b>Bert Kaempfert</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enIdTGckjKs" target="_blank">"Spanish Eyes,"</a> which he cut in 1966, and which remains the song most closely associated with him. His 1972 appearance in <i>The Godfather</i> also resulted in a record hit, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9MGfgV8MmI" target="_blank">"Speak Softly Love,"</a> that classic film's theme song. From then on, he seldom returned to the charts, and by the 1980s he was concentrating mostly on live appearances. Martino, whose elegant vocal style owed much more to <b>Perry Como</b> than to <b>Al Jolson</b>—his two foremost influences—passed away in Springfield, Pennsylvania, in 2009, just a few days after his 82nd birthday.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6UlQtwogkXsIOEVoG8CUwiQsQzlMya9r0JeC3pL2q1wy0NP4QroSaURXtciw9ZtAIjcGh5f8ueOg5xilt69GJhpahBgUkT6xE9s2MRkm9tEIHuQYzTEQzamObdSMoTEi4ZOwqx0nGomk/s1600/almartinoxmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6UlQtwogkXsIOEVoG8CUwiQsQzlMya9r0JeC3pL2q1wy0NP4QroSaURXtciw9ZtAIjcGh5f8ueOg5xilt69GJhpahBgUkT6xE9s2MRkm9tEIHuQYzTEQzamObdSMoTEi4ZOwqx0nGomk/s320/almartinoxmas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Martino cut his holiday album, <i><b>A Merry Christmas</b></i>, for Capitol in 1964, about a year after recording "I Love You Because." The brief liner notes remind us that there are two kinds of Yuletide melodies: "the gay new tunes from the popularity parades of seasons recently passed, reflecting the high spirits that make Christmas truly merry" and "the traditional carols, beautiful and reverent, that remind us of the deeper meanings the Christmas season holds for all humanity." The point here, of course, is that Martino sings both types of songs, and in fact, the album is extremely well balanced, featuring the former kind of tunes on the first side and the latter kind on the second side. The sensitive arrangements by <b>Peter DeAngelis</b> are also shaped by a sense of balance. On more modern Christmas songs like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvOA7aQalVo" target="_blank">"You're All I Want for Christmas,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE3f9BKb34s" target="_blank">"White Christmas,"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zdRwG6rq8A" target="_blank">"I'll Be Home for Christmas,"</a> they are beautifully restrained, full of pleasant strings and harps and complete with unobtrusive choirs. We can hear this restraint even on children's tunes like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSCWMy-TuDU" target="_blank">"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."</a> But then, when it comes to approaching the older carols, such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMARz8N9PMc" target="_blank">"The Little Drummer Boy,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd4MGIdy3G4" target="_blank">"Silent Night,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag8HcD9Iugc" target="_blank">"O Holy Night"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPxFkGPpBIo" target="_blank">"O Come All Ye Faithful,"</a> DeAngelis accordingly becomes more serious and his arrangements sometimes border on the grandiose. Martino's singing is never less than superb throughout, and although one finds no surprises here, this is a lovely Christmas album that is awaiting rediscovery—and does deserve it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3dZQ2_7VoAxe7TlOlMIfCjq4L3M_vp30DDUirj_L8_A2WYLWhW1cXa3VMT-6-6muX6RkTJ-nbEzPLrkTT_IGuC4PVWnThXjktiYHikUbU6vPwPBEIB9KHhUmIQ3EbacpevUcm-Z6i_nG/s1600/almartino01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3dZQ2_7VoAxe7TlOlMIfCjq4L3M_vp30DDUirj_L8_A2WYLWhW1cXa3VMT-6-6muX6RkTJ-nbEzPLrkTT_IGuC4PVWnThXjktiYHikUbU6vPwPBEIB9KHhUmIQ3EbacpevUcm-Z6i_nG/s400/almartino01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-86873167388704138772015-12-01T04:46:00.000-08:002015-12-01T04:46:27.290-08:00Guest Reviewer: Patti Page's New Box Set Featuring Her Lang-Worth Transcriptions, by Robert Nickora<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIG286LAf06Oiaj8E6rHYfKItRJ0u-UhmzrrLAkF7VLFWLDRETGetaKlOrbkS59xzsdMFttaDL0eStFTMB38mhYc8BcVkoZAZDyCqikn0sM7TOsGRnemDbU0EzTGDvpHeuMdNDHs6IzBy/s1600/pagecover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIG286LAf06Oiaj8E6rHYfKItRJ0u-UhmzrrLAkF7VLFWLDRETGetaKlOrbkS59xzsdMFttaDL0eStFTMB38mhYc8BcVkoZAZDyCqikn0sM7TOsGRnemDbU0EzTGDvpHeuMdNDHs6IzBy/s320/pagecover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>The British label Jasmine Records has undertaken the reissue of an important part of the recorded catalog of singer Patti Page in the last few years. After releasing two four-CD box sets of studio recordings—<u>Near to You</u> in 2011 and <u>Another Place, Another Time</u> in 2013—they have just made available a third set, which, besides more of Page's studio work, includes for the first time ever the complete library of transcription recordings that she made for the Lang-Worth company in the early 1950s. Known for their rarity, these are very interesting sides because they often find Page at her jazziest and accompanied by a small group of excellent musicians. <b>Robert Nickora</b>, who is responsible for compiling and annotating all three Patti Page sets, has kindly agreed to write a review of the latest one in the series, entitled <u>There Is No Greater Love</u>. We appreciate Mr. Nickora's willingness to share his insights into these recordings with the readers of The Vintage Bandstand.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn577v30HIZ1d3_a2QHlRy_sZwEHZGahQyZF_JO32ZmroNUQCBiFn-cWtzchter8d_FAMv93zkajZmOdT4OfkWuuoPbDpqg_6CICfknhUXpzyEfVWf_mEalyjKvtFLxbIc06VM2COTRju/s1600/page1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn577v30HIZ1d3_a2QHlRy_sZwEHZGahQyZF_JO32ZmroNUQCBiFn-cWtzchter8d_FAMv93zkajZmOdT4OfkWuuoPbDpqg_6CICfknhUXpzyEfVWf_mEalyjKvtFLxbIc06VM2COTRju/s320/page1.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<b>PATTI PAGE - THERE IS NO GREATER LOVE: THE THIRD COLLECTION</b></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Jasmine Records JASCD 34-4</b></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
Producing the <b>Patti Page</b> collection, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/There-Greater-Love-Lang-Worth-Transcriptions/dp/B0126ZF1BO/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1448924456&sr=1-1&keywords=patti+page+jasmine" target="_blank"><b>THERE IS NO GREATER LOVE</b></a></i>, was very
challenging and time consuming, but exceptionally enjoyable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worked with these recordings for more than
a year prior to the release of the set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As a result of the sales and strong reception of Jasmine’s earlier Page
box sets – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Near-You-Celebrating-RECORDINGS-REMASTERED/dp/B004NU85X2/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1448924456&sr=1-2&keywords=patti+page+jasmine" target="_blank">NEAR TO YOU: Celebrating a Career…Defining Class</a> </i>(JASBOX 24-4)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Another-Time-Place-Collection-RECORDINGS/dp/B00BUNR6OY/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1448924456&sr=1-3&keywords=patti+page+jasmine" target="_blank">ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE</a></i> (JASBOX
30-4) – I had already completed a third volume that combined Mercury and
Columbia material, and was planning to pitch it to Jasmine Records for release
consideration when an opportunity arose to compile and program the Lang-Worth
Transcriptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These rare gems were
offered to me on loan by <b>Robert Bowling</b>, Patti’s friend and founder of “The
Patti Page Appreciation Society.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
reworked the large set, omitting half of the material and replacing it with the
Lang-Worth songs and intros.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnd5w6ZcG1_kNqaZiY5U7LP-1U1Od2n0d3pOir3EP2CpbVtxQb4g2-lADJzwUFlpHO8XG-49AZQm5gGc-8InbdFpistYSH8RfhX9HfHIYHlNSHcdbNc0iOQiuss2wRb7BvvQVHt2rVRjCw/s1600/langworth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnd5w6ZcG1_kNqaZiY5U7LP-1U1Od2n0d3pOir3EP2CpbVtxQb4g2-lADJzwUFlpHO8XG-49AZQm5gGc-8InbdFpistYSH8RfhX9HfHIYHlNSHcdbNc0iOQiuss2wRb7BvvQVHt2rVRjCw/s320/langworth.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
Countless hours were involved in
listening to all the material (three choices per track in some instances) and
determining the very best disc transfer to submit for re-mastering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brief introductions Patti recorded were
pressed on two separate discs with no labeling to indicate which intro would
correspond with an appropriate track. These intros were very slightly edited in
the final Jasmine project, creating a fine complement to the set.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
The Lang-Worth Transcriptions were
initially issued to select radio stations for local programming, and were never
intended to be made available for sale in music stores. Some department stores,
however, were later given access to these recordings, and they were utilized as
background music (similar to what is sometimes referred to as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">elevator </i>music).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worked directly from the unique 8” discs
that resembled the later EPs (popular with the record-buying public in the
mid-‘50s).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These recordings were also
available to radio stations in a 16” disc format.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jCHXV-YtbucksMe9uuqtrpmq5o0j4l4YbEKqnseFQJweFlbP6F510kQM8otaRmrVjJ0X4TmrQbfsSJrNg06H-B9H9ioTYgi8WXmWXuXcUaQ5Q9uYdlPXvdj-1fPLt1ywPx-SI1wvE1c7/s1600/pattipagesheetmusic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jCHXV-YtbucksMe9uuqtrpmq5o0j4l4YbEKqnseFQJweFlbP6F510kQM8otaRmrVjJ0X4TmrQbfsSJrNg06H-B9H9ioTYgi8WXmWXuXcUaQ5Q9uYdlPXvdj-1fPLt1ywPx-SI1wvE1c7/s320/pattipagesheetmusic.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
The administration at Lang-Worth
recognized the rising popularity of Patti Page when her first million-seller,
“With My Eyes Wide Open I’m Dreaming,” began climbing the charts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was mention of this new association in
the December 1949 issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Billboard</i>,
with the first recording date occurring in January 1950 and the final twelve
tracks completed in March 1952.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ensemble
musicians included <b>Lou Stein</b> (piano), <b>Joe Sinacore</b> (guitar), and <b>Stanley Kay</b>
(percussion), and accompaniments were occasionally augmented with full
orchestra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The repertoire chosen was a
collaborative effort by Patti Page; her personal manager, <b>Jack Rael</b>, who
supervised all sessions; and Lang-Worth; the scripted intros were provided by
Lang-Worth writers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
Many of the Lang-Worth songs were
later recorded for Mercury employing fuller and more sophisticated
orchestrations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patti’s style began to
evolve after Lang-Worth, and it appeared she felt secure in taking a few
liberties with the melody lines in such later tracks as “East of the Sun,” “Do
Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me,” “Where Are You,” “I’ll Never Smile Again,” and
others. A few of the lesser-known songs such as “There’s Something in the
Wind,” “Accent on Youth,” and “Tormented” have become my personal favorites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her rendition of “The Prisoner’s Song” (with
simple guitar accompaniment) might very well be the most sensitive and
impressive interpretation of this classic country song.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlt_zqaA6gpHXBbkoRi56E60UyUSJm3uTt-8sOkVNWvNv80zWRkJwvR8wnN_UFgNrHfggwXAtbwyAapAePs5ccIbzuYjt6ecq_8pIIKoDy-RZUTUyOYSk1zychV_zwwxK8EjcRXGrZUe2n/s1600/pagemicrophone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlt_zqaA6gpHXBbkoRi56E60UyUSJm3uTt-8sOkVNWvNv80zWRkJwvR8wnN_UFgNrHfggwXAtbwyAapAePs5ccIbzuYjt6ecq_8pIIKoDy-RZUTUyOYSk1zychV_zwwxK8EjcRXGrZUe2n/s400/pagemicrophone.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
It was a pleasure to select the
fifty-five tracks from Patti Page’s vast Mercury library (many of which come
from “The Great American Songbook”) for the first two discs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few, such as “Basin Street Blues,”
“Paradise,” “Did I Remember,” “Every Day,” and “Nobody’s Darlin’ But Mine,”
were new discoveries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The exemplary
re-mastering of the entire set by Tall Order Mastering is especially
noteworthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crisp fidelity of “The
Tennessee Waltz” LP on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Disc Two </i>is
particularly impressive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
Very special words of appreciation go
to Timothy Akers, Patti Page’s great-nephew and devoted fan, for providing
details regarding all information related to the Lang-Worth Transcriptions and
the names of specific musicians involved in these historic recordings.</div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: right; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Robert Nickora</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: right; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thanksgiving Day 2015</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: right; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wZcO-K_XRF8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wZcO-K_XRF8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-3040482346420659882015-11-16T15:20:00.002-08:002015-11-16T17:15:18.566-08:00Interview with Singer Nancy Harrow on New CD Reissue: "The Beatles' songs should be considered part of the standard jazz songbook."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyqNjsy_J-ltRoFVkSCvrnMbKICB4nlZh5iH3ZxSzMrW57Kx4gaz-TvYsCH2dIS4Zoo_qsybJRO3_8lSWutInzmyvnhVxV1oH5BTN7N2wlS5uWjshLagSKqJNH9Gls9N4hPu9VF5Ap9_E/s1600/harrow2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyqNjsy_J-ltRoFVkSCvrnMbKICB4nlZh5iH3ZxSzMrW57Kx4gaz-TvYsCH2dIS4Zoo_qsybJRO3_8lSWutInzmyvnhVxV1oH5BTN7N2wlS5uWjshLagSKqJNH9Gls9N4hPu9VF5Ap9_E/s320/harrow2.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Though, of course, whole albums of compositions by the Beatles had been recorded before by the likes of <b>Count Basie</b> (<i>Basie's Beatle Bag</i>, 1966) and <b>Sarah Vaughan</b> (<i>Songs of the Beatles</i>, 1981), to name but two, <b>Nancy Harrow</b>'s <i><b>The Beatles and Other Standards</b></i> is one of the few records that offer a mixture of songs by the Liverpool lads along with standards written by some of the foremost tunesmiths who created what we now know as the Great American Songbook. This is, perhaps, the only album that includes both <b>Paul McCartney</b>'s "Yesterday" and <b>Otto Harbach</b> and <b>Jerome Kern</b>'s "Yesterdays," in an attempt to show that the jazz world can benefit as much from Tin Pan Alley as from the British Invasion. And, in a way, Harrow also helps prove something of which there is really very little doubt: that the songs the Beatles wrote and made popular in the 1960s are as timeless as those that <b>Ned Washington</b>, <b>Victor Young</b>, <b>Johnny Mercer</b>, and <b>Vincent Youmans</b> composed just a few decades before.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6PFcN09HhYprDuNGrOX5ZXspm5lh6ubxk-s-ynmNnU2b-QhgPhv1Y-0Pb_Jj7ZASL-Roz-bIJdRIlWu5lBYJzbHY9gaPQZG6kbSC-O0vWNiYb03V8gA9A1fQ9EWAnkweCLqR7erxF4T0/s1600/harrowcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6PFcN09HhYprDuNGrOX5ZXspm5lh6ubxk-s-ynmNnU2b-QhgPhv1Y-0Pb_Jj7ZASL-Roz-bIJdRIlWu5lBYJzbHY9gaPQZG6kbSC-O0vWNiYb03V8gA9A1fQ9EWAnkweCLqR7erxF4T0/s320/harrowcover.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Harrow's collection of Songbook and Beatles standards was recorded in New York City in 1989 and originally released in Japan the following year. On the two sessions that were needed to complete the album, the vocalist was accompanied by a group of fine musicians led by pianist <b>Sir Roland Hanna</b> and including <b>Bill Easley</b> (saxophone, flute, and clarinet), <b>George Mraz</b> (bass), <b>Grady Tate</b> (drums), and Turkish-American percussionist <b>Arto Tunçboyaciyan</b>. Produced by <b>John Snyder</b>, this project evolved out of a close collaboration between Harrow and Hanna, who encouraged the singer every step of the way and acted as musical director. Harrow is obviously on her home turf with the standards, some of which ("My Foolish Heart," "More Than You Know") are beautiful vocal-piano duets with Hanna. The usually haunting "Nature Boy" benefits from a great flute introduction by Easley, and Harrow's cabaret-like approach to "When the World Was Young" is very appropriate and turns that track into one of the most memorable on the set.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmV4zOGDYsfSTD05D3Gcb4hs8k-SFJaWsLxkPExDWrDsxC1ctfmn2mPuautHmDXRZcxIMs4IyDnjfdmVJaxQGE8Ve-BTfQKTuwJbL9OXqvHnrxbiP5pFQRhbcD18EPid97XHNJww1AtY8/s1600/gradytate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmV4zOGDYsfSTD05D3Gcb4hs8k-SFJaWsLxkPExDWrDsxC1ctfmn2mPuautHmDXRZcxIMs4IyDnjfdmVJaxQGE8Ve-BTfQKTuwJbL9OXqvHnrxbiP5pFQRhbcD18EPid97XHNJww1AtY8/s320/gradytate.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drummer Grady Tate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Adapting tunes by the Beatles to the jazz idiom is always a challenge, but Harrow more than rises to it throughout the album. Her version of "Drive My Car" is infectiously swinging (Easley and Hanna shine on saxophone and piano, respectively), and "Got to Get You Into My Life" is stripped of all its Motown overtones and turned into a ballad. Harrow reinvents "Yesterday" and "Something," emphasizing their torch-like qualities. They are both punctuated by Tate's drumming, and Tunçboyaciyan's persussion stands out on the former. "Blackbird" and "Because" are two of the most intimate performances on the album, and "Here Comes the Sun" is given a very appealing smooth-jazz treatment. Overall, this is a very artistically successful album that proves that a good song is good no matter who wrote it or when, as well as showing that a good jazz treatment of a Beatles song can be as satisfying as any tried-and-true jazz standard.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As soon as I heard of the reissue of <i>The Beatles and Other Standards</i>, I dropped Nancy Harrow a line, and she promptly and graciously responded, agreeing to an interview for <i>The Vintage Bandstand</i>. The following interview originated as part of our correspondence, and in it Harrow offers some interesting insights into the concept and the recording of this album.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMxKS8XOL9awiNVcyWCcORxz1honm8rEF82H6p7oidZBkIZqvTWDVMz9OFo752yhHBukGZ7OjuwCW4HyNJaglsk2Gi7qHukVOXwXgEKHaRxFGVAbvbc_gojLoKhsgQhTDduDHlwn2J5O5/s1600/harrow1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMxKS8XOL9awiNVcyWCcORxz1honm8rEF82H6p7oidZBkIZqvTWDVMz9OFo752yhHBukGZ7OjuwCW4HyNJaglsk2Gi7qHukVOXwXgEKHaRxFGVAbvbc_gojLoKhsgQhTDduDHlwn2J5O5/s320/harrow1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Anton Garcia-Fernandez (for <i>The Vintage Bandstand</i>): </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How did you come up with the concept of a jazz album of Beatles songs and classic standards? What does the music of the Beatles have in common with the music of Johnny Mercer, <b>Jerome Kern</b>, and Vincent Youmans?</span><br />
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>Nancy Harrow:</b> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: small;">I had recorded one Beatles tune before this album was done. It was on my <i style="font-weight: normal;">Street of Dreams </i>album that I did with <b style="font-weight: normal;">Bob Brookmeyer</b>, and the tune was<i style="font-weight: normal;"> "</i>Fixing A Hole." It came out very well, and in fact that tune became part of my working repertoire. So I began to listen to more of the Beatles tunes which I knew from my sons' record collection. I liked their lyrics and the humor in a lot of the songs, and it occurred to me to pair the tunes with known standards to show that they should be considered part of the standard songbook that jazz musicians draw on. At that time many jazz musicians were openly hostile to the Beatles' music, I think because they were putting them out of business. In any case, it was difficult to persuade musicians I knew to do an album like the one I envisioned. But Roland Hanna was not judgmental about anything in music, and he agreed to do the album with me.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB: </b>How did you select the songs for the album? Was it a difficult process?</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Ms. Harrow:</b> I selected the songs in the same way I always select songs. I look for lyrics that are meaningful to me and for melodies that linger in the mind.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB: </b>What aspects did you find challenging as you adapted these songs by Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison? Did you approach the standards and the Beatles tunes differently?</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Ms. Harrow:</b> The standards came more naturally to me, but the Beatles tunes were a challenge to sing in my own style rather than in theirs. And this was made much easier for me because Roland was playing them. The way we did them evolved during our rehearsal sessions.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdUH8EFvyRLz76SwTdk_4fwdRR146HbTWW9iatGyq4If_RqBqS71RZ3m5ZUW08cJmnRGzB8fraHCFFqRX-tY4HwFLyJjxq9AXkn5Mao1WSlLKZ6IJ_-zPg406Ld7qXK5lT9WM-lw-QhB8/s1600/rolandhanna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdUH8EFvyRLz76SwTdk_4fwdRR146HbTWW9iatGyq4If_RqBqS71RZ3m5ZUW08cJmnRGzB8fraHCFFqRX-tY4HwFLyJjxq9AXkn5Mao1WSlLKZ6IJ_-zPg406Ld7qXK5lT9WM-lw-QhB8/s320/rolandhanna.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pianist Sir Roland Hanna</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB: </b>The album was cut in New York City in two sessions in May 1989. Jazz greats such as pianist Sir Roland Hanna, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Grady Tate were on hand for the date. What memories do you have of those sessions?</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Ms. Harrow:</b> I remember our rehearsal sessions even more than the recording session. Roland was in a Broadway musical at the time, and we were rehearsing somewhere near the theatre because his time was limited. I particularly remember his influence when we were rehearsing "Drive My Car," because we were both amused by the humor of this tune, and Roland suggested I say "and maybe I'll luhve you" -- not sure you can get this from my spelling, but you can hear it on the CD. At the session, I remember Grady's suggestions about improvising on the lyric, which were helpful to me. This was the first of many albums I did with both Roland and Grady together. I also worked with Bill Easley and George Mraz on other projects, and did a club date with Arto Tunçboyacian afterwards. They are all great musicians, and I'm so glad this CD is now reaching audiences outside of Japan.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lsQ71wOwQjJMFIpcp8v8dOZUpk7F_sKN5kzZ8lB5ae-2Rfoi_5RuosGyAQ6eGrByxCqghpX_b0ceTIWBDm03jRSIuTZbhSNqb3OpyAiHQ-LibiGTScg9p4LY8QRc-6dhyphenhyphenkVe6fKzw9V1/s1600/georgemraz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lsQ71wOwQjJMFIpcp8v8dOZUpk7F_sKN5kzZ8lB5ae-2Rfoi_5RuosGyAQ6eGrByxCqghpX_b0ceTIWBDm03jRSIuTZbhSNqb3OpyAiHQ-LibiGTScg9p4LY8QRc-6dhyphenhyphenkVe6fKzw9V1/s320/georgemraz.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bassist George Mraz</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB: </b>The album was originally released in 1990 by Emarcy for the Japanese market, where your work has always been very well received...</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Ms. Harrow:</b> John Snyder was the producer of this album, but it proved to be a difficult sell to record companies in the U.S. I sent it to a record company in Japan who had released other CDs of mine, and they took it right away. It turned out to be quite successful in Japan, and actually has had two releases there. But no one until now has reissued it and distributed it worldwide. I am so glad that <b>Jordi Pujol</b> [owner of Fresh Sound Records] has done that, because there are several songs on the CD that are among my favorite recordings. I like the duets with Roland on<i style="font-weight: normal;"> "</i>My Foolish Heart" and "More Than You Know" (Roland has a great solo on that tune), and I like "Drive My Car" and<i style="font-weight: normal;"> "</i>When the World Was Young." Roland's arrangement of "Yesterday" I think is terrific. So I am very pleased it is finding a wider audience at last.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB:</b> In your opinion, what is appealing to Japanese audiences about jazz? What is special to you about performing in Japan?</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Ms. Harrow:</b> The Japanese audiences are amazing. I didn't actually perform there when this CD came out. But in 2006, 2007, and 2008 I had club dates and a concert in Japan, and they did a Japanese version of my puppet show, <i>Maya the</i> <i>Bee,</i> which toured for two years in Japan. The audiences there are so warm and welcoming -- it was a unique and wonderful experience to be there.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKFF8M2kprUocoxWVaF_PbK3MDEMC1_hXN5DZP6GRQ4thsBFE6QL1fqdXZCqCQNgn5Z5wr8_ovFKlojCREidOLyIK_afHu1D2D8AF5Gd0NTjTEzkVMRSnN3TgvkqouR3IAw0v59NCnykO/s1600/harrow4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKFF8M2kprUocoxWVaF_PbK3MDEMC1_hXN5DZP6GRQ4thsBFE6QL1fqdXZCqCQNgn5Z5wr8_ovFKlojCREidOLyIK_afHu1D2D8AF5Gd0NTjTEzkVMRSnN3TgvkqouR3IAw0v59NCnykO/s320/harrow4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>TVB: </b>The European label Fresh Sound Records, of Barcelona, Spain, has shown interest in reissuing your work. A few years ago they released two of your 1960s albums, the excellent <i>Wild Women Don't Have the Blues</i> and <i>You Never Know</i>. Are there any plans for further releases in the near future?</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Ms. Harrow:</b> It was a surprise when Fresh Sound in Barcelona reissued my first two albums in one CD. I didn't realize that in Europe the CDs become public domain after fifty years. But it was such a pleasant surprise, because they did such a beautiful job on the CDs. I just met Jordi Pujol a few weeks ago when I was in Barcelona. We had only corresponded before that. I am so happy to have found a new home for my early CDs, and now this Beatles album. The next one they will release is <i>The John Lewis Album for Nancy Harrow</i>, which will be done very soon. And there are plans ahead to do my <i>Street of Dreams</i> album as well, which has gone out of print. So this is a very happy new relationship.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Further information</b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To read more about the reissue of <i>The Beatles and Other Standards</i>, you can go <b><u><a href="http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/the_beatles_&_other_standards-cd-6273.html" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>. If you would like to purchase the CD, you will find it <b><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Other-Standards-Nancy-Harrow/dp/B00WQUTMA6/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1447691298&sr=1-1&keywords=nancy+harrow+beatles" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>. Fresh Sound Records also released two of Nancy Harrow's 1960s albums not long ago, and you can access my review of that reissue <b style="font-style: normal;"><u><a href="http://vintagebandstand.blogspot.com/2014/07/new-reissues-gene-austin-barbara-dane.html" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>. Finally, more information about Nancy Harrow is available on her <b><u><a href="http://www.nancyharrow.com/" target="_blank">homepage</a></u></b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKU_9PO6Y7tcnRd1JnK6_m8SZuTB3JfZfGaVqpwwocMYT9Y8Ebllo-3BC8DXS_GJGn3JEjZDoeN69ccSyPvugu4XkFqZSBlJ_yZ9Ydcf-ZOtdTZk59W1ya38l8FCxoC_OcQiEiLD9OCCT/s1600/harrow3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKU_9PO6Y7tcnRd1JnK6_m8SZuTB3JfZfGaVqpwwocMYT9Y8Ebllo-3BC8DXS_GJGn3JEjZDoeN69ccSyPvugu4XkFqZSBlJ_yZ9Ydcf-ZOtdTZk59W1ya38l8FCxoC_OcQiEiLD9OCCT/s400/harrow3.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nancy Harrow in the studio in the 1960s with John Lewis amd Jim Hall (photo originally published in <i><a href="http://www.jazzwax.com/2015/05/interview-nancy-harrow.html" target="_blank">JazzWax</a></i>)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-54165406264612479802015-11-10T09:23:00.000-08:002015-11-10T09:23:52.262-08:00Vintage Records Review Desk 8: Roy Eldridge; Louis Smith; Tal Farlow; Sammy Davis, Jr.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YoQbu5d-jralpdnpt1QoKiwxextybYNvEVga94_liGhg9CdcCE7drsD4hw_5RPK1rEQAU3pbRCY-pvJ7vIgB5k-tXzRKB2D7vPotcBgcG7O8rzZyEOfsfkIHSQJLt8EVkA931XiZ0DDN/s1600/royeldridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YoQbu5d-jralpdnpt1QoKiwxextybYNvEVga94_liGhg9CdcCE7drsD4hw_5RPK1rEQAU3pbRCY-pvJ7vIgB5k-tXzRKB2D7vPotcBgcG7O8rzZyEOfsfkIHSQJLt8EVkA931XiZ0DDN/s320/royeldridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>My wife, Erin, and I recently spent a few days in Nashville with our two-year-old daughter, Libby, because we were participating in the annual conference of the South Central Modern Language Association. As usual when I am in the Music City, I had the chance to visit two very recommendable used record stores and add a few new titles to my jazz collection. In this installment of the Vintage Records Review Desk, I briefly review four of my findings.</i><br />
<br />
We begin with two trumpeters. Pittsburgh native <b>Roy Eldridge</b> is one of the greatest swing trumpeters of all time, having graced countless records by <b>McKinney's Cotton Pickers</b>, <b>Teddy Hill</b>, <b>Fletcher Henderson</b>, and <b>Gene Krupa</b>, among many others. The Dutch import, <b><i>Live at the Three Deuces Club</i></b> (Archives of Jazz), captures Eldridge at his peak in the winter and spring of 1937 via some fairly good-sounding material taken from transcriptions and airchecks cut at New York's Three Deuces Club. Eldridge sounds as exciting and swinging as ever in an octet setting alongside saxophonists <b>Dave Young</b>, <b>Joe Eldridge</b>, and <b>Scoops Carey</b> (who doubles on clarinet), pianist <b>Teddy Cole</b>, guitarist <b>John Collins</b>, bassist <b>Truck Parham</b>, and drummer <b>Zutty Singleton</b>. The song selection, as would be expected from performances of this period, leans heavily on uptempo numbers and includes standards such as "After You've Gone," "Basin Street Blues," "I Never Knew," "Exactly Like You," and "Chinatown, My Chinatown," as well as such Eldridge-associated tunes as "Little Jazz" and "Minor Jive." One of the tracks, presented as "Deuces Medley," pieces together several incomplete airchecks that are notable both for their rarity and for their musical quality, although the sound inevitably falters here and there. This is a very interesting find, a collection of energetic live cuts that deserve a listen.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMkLUHHXz2ST4SeN8vopNp1c7NyqYMY_36SasPVI6BsJQhbouAA50Bqa6f6Sr4byAq2_X3dzXOUEE0sdGobI3ZCJiu2XUEQcWNJKaehsqUatuyFGHzI4UpXwjEriGMF_-PU7osROYTHyN/s1600/louissmith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMkLUHHXz2ST4SeN8vopNp1c7NyqYMY_36SasPVI6BsJQhbouAA50Bqa6f6Sr4byAq2_X3dzXOUEE0sdGobI3ZCJiu2XUEQcWNJKaehsqUatuyFGHzI4UpXwjEriGMF_-PU7osROYTHyN/s320/louissmith.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, about six years before the Eldridge recordings were made, <b>Louis Smith</b> may not be as well known as Eldridge, but he is definitely a very exciting trumpeter as well. He only cut two sessions as a leader in the 1950s, both of them for Blue Note, and although he recorded sporadically in the 1970s, he spent most of his life as a public school teacher, not taking his career as a recording artist too seriously until the 1990s. <i><b>Here Comes Louis Smith</b></i> (Blue Note) is his marvelous debut album, cut in two sessions held in February 1958 in New York City. On these sessions he was accompanied by <b>Tommy Flanagan</b> or <b>Duke Jordan</b> on piano (they sit in on three tracks each), <b>Doug Watkins</b> on bass, and <b>Art Taylor</b> on drums. <b>Cannonball Adderley</b> appears on some of the tracks, adding a little bluesy flavor to the tunes, which are mostly compositions by Smith, who is amply showcased throughout. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmJb8wSrUNg" target="_blank">"Brill's Blues"</a> is a very engaging blues tune that makes reference to the Brill Building, where the sessions were cut, and Smith proves himself at a breakneck tempo as a worthy <b>Dizzy Gillespie</b>-influenced trumpeter on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL-44kJpKdg" target="_blank">"Ande."</a> The album opens with <b>Duke Pearson</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w15w2hKlfGI" target="_blank">"Tribute to Brownie,"</a> which alludes to another one of Smith's models, <b>Clifford Brown</b>, and the only standard included, <b>Hoagy Carmichael</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAXcFJtQ2Lc" target="_blank">"Star Dust,"</a> is a perfect vehicle to illustrate Smith's highly lyrical approach to ballads. In the liner notes, written by <b>Leonard Feather</b>, Smith cites <b>Fats Navarro</b> and <b>Charlie Parker</b> as major influences, and on the strength of this album alone, it is really too bad that he did not get to lead many more dates in the '50s and '60s. The public school system's gain was, in this particular case, the jazz world's loss!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSYK85li1l7p2xC2YNuSBuaWwoHuJ86b-eZDH3TfsBfwwd6brLOFkWRIEeCmgo6Y_YX8XXfNYtBrkbwfXTML9V7q2R8pP1TDVk8Fv_sXiW_71gaG2rH7XSv4Zg2l5rMLpV4Jt2RKN_fHs/s1600/talfarlow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSYK85li1l7p2xC2YNuSBuaWwoHuJ86b-eZDH3TfsBfwwd6brLOFkWRIEeCmgo6Y_YX8XXfNYtBrkbwfXTML9V7q2R8pP1TDVk8Fv_sXiW_71gaG2rH7XSv4Zg2l5rMLpV4Jt2RKN_fHs/s320/talfarlow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Guitarist <b>Tal Farlow</b> was another jazzman who, like Smith, followed some outstanding recordings with long periods of silence, during which he refused to cut any sessions at all. Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1921, Farlow apparently did not begin to play guitar until he was in his early twenties and first became famous through his collaborations with vibist <b>Red Norvo</b> in the 1950s, which led to some fine sessions as a leader for Norgran and Verve, namely <i>Tal</i> (1956) and <i>The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow</i> (1957). In spite of the success of these and other albums, he spent most of the 1960s out of the recording studio, which is why a session that he recorded on September 23, 1969, in New York City was released as <b><i>The Return of Tal Farlow/1969</i></b> (Original Jazz Classics). The date was produced by <b>Don Schlitten</b> and finds Farlow leading a quartet alongside <b>John Scully</b> on piano, <b>Jack Six</b> on bass, and <b>Alan Dawson</b> on drums. This proves to be the perfect setting for Farlow, as the band goes through seven standards—some better known than others—that spur the guitarist on to attempt the kind of imaginative, speedy improvisation for which he was known. The album kicks off with a swinging reading of <b>Thelonious Monk</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBhoQM0TOJs" target="_blank">"Straight, No Chaser,"</a> followed by a lovely ballad version of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBmz_H8LfPM" target="_blank">"Darn That Dream."</a> Ably supported by Scully's piano, Farlow takes <b>George Gershwin</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jogxfjra5AY" target="_blank">"Summertime"</a> at a quick pace, which does not waver on "I'll Remember April" either. The ballad treatment of <b>Rodgers</b> and <b>Hart</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LeWwxHB18g" target="_blank">"My Romance,"</a> introduced by Farlow's solo guitar, is one of the highlights of an album that also provides some Latin flavor on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B9scb8zRm8" target="_blank">"Sometime Ago"</a> and closes on a high note with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uWz1kdNzIo" target="_blank">"Crazy, She Calls Me."</a> Despite his long '60s recording hiatus, Farlow was clearly still in top form in 1969.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkCZNBNOoPacBA4Ho8sbv5dm2TsFoFOO_JDKzhYu6y7_pU8zJBAQ78rHsDGjvfecgBEMXwrEq8vzAWHJ7EdlA0dkVNsFRFdBt6orNipMEt9oWiJeWXu7l3xXZnr-lP23rTaPd-A-RHQ2H/s1600/sammydavisjrcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkCZNBNOoPacBA4Ho8sbv5dm2TsFoFOO_JDKzhYu6y7_pU8zJBAQ78rHsDGjvfecgBEMXwrEq8vzAWHJ7EdlA0dkVNsFRFdBt6orNipMEt9oWiJeWXu7l3xXZnr-lP23rTaPd-A-RHQ2H/s320/sammydavisjrcover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The fact that his name was often spoken in the same breath with that of his Rat Pack buddies, <b>Frank Sinatra</b> and <b>Dean Martin</b>, both helped and hurt the career of <b>Sammy Davis, Jr.</b> His association with Dino and Ol' Blue Eyes definitely helped him on his way to stardom, but at the same time, it affected his legacy negatively because it is always too tempting to establish comparisons between the three. And this is rather unfair, because in essence the three were quite different artists, and Davis's enormous talent should not be downplayed when compared to that of his confrères. As good as many of Davis's studio albums are, he was at his best when captured live on stage and backed by a solid band that puts the main emphasis on rhythm. This is the case on <i><b>The Sounds of '66</b></i> (Reprise), which is arguably one of the best records of his career. It includes a 1966 live show recorded at the Copa Room of the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas in the wee small hours of the morning and finds Davis accompanied by the <b>Buddy Rich Orchestra</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT69S5Pkfp5_YVWVEtvP6kobIuayneBRoZtCqVDdAGT9h_J_lKSDOX-19hWd6bd11EkQoVYsq0uvlHKKUwBqa1gQ-feDz78kPeh4N65e-yxcjxWjvLMGsrUrKpCNn-4KXP8mHWPw-ATU-w/s1600/sammydavisjr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT69S5Pkfp5_YVWVEtvP6kobIuayneBRoZtCqVDdAGT9h_J_lKSDOX-19hWd6bd11EkQoVYsq0uvlHKKUwBqa1gQ-feDz78kPeh4N65e-yxcjxWjvLMGsrUrKpCNn-4KXP8mHWPw-ATU-w/s320/sammydavisjr.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
The album starts with Davis inviting the audience, comprised mostly of other performers that have come to see him, to "relax, sit down, and swing with us, if you will" and emphasizes that the noises coming from the audience "are not canned; they are live." Davis clearly thrives in such a context and, inspired by Rich's relentless tempo, does make his audience swing throughout ten well-chosen numbers that reminds us of what an exhilarating performer he was. The repertoire ranges from standards like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFMB1Zy3iz0" target="_blank">"If It's the Last Thing I Do"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk-Gj8krC7I" target="_blank">"Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone"</a> to surprising choices like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bTlS4TabMo" target="_blank">"Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead"</a> to more contemporary songs like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haITIq42UPE" target="_blank">"I Know a Place,"</a> "What the World Needs Now Is Love," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqswtX4Y8xM" target="_blank">"What Now My Love,"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvuQPe7xdXc" target="_blank">"What Kind of Fool Am I?"</a> Davis taps the <b>Alan Jay Lerner</b> songbook with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_35QfFeW0Eo" target="_blank">"Come Back to Me"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cqt8nTROCo" target="_blank">"What Did I Have That I Don't Have?"</a> and does a fantastic swinging version of <b>Frank Loesser</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC5eevQRU2g" target="_blank">"Once in Love with Amy."</a> There is no doubt that Sammy Davis, Jr. and Buddy Rich are a match made in heaven, and they definitely do not disappoint on this record, to such an extent that one wishes that this had been planned as a double-album set.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyI5vWIWMV-9LpxYb47hQ8e2DkyxZweFpP5lJ3dOHmuK7e9au5iBcRRnv3sxsc0O65gYvZNAsQB_WIauqfzgeDSZ79ewY-xg2D9hSnhYr6SaI1xTGP33vUeTcWpitQ5MPoW9iYmDtQ8Fx/s1600/buddyrich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyI5vWIWMV-9LpxYb47hQ8e2DkyxZweFpP5lJ3dOHmuK7e9au5iBcRRnv3sxsc0O65gYvZNAsQB_WIauqfzgeDSZ79ewY-xg2D9hSnhYr6SaI1xTGP33vUeTcWpitQ5MPoW9iYmDtQ8Fx/s400/buddyrich.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ace drummer Buddy Rich</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-9800167230597195892015-10-29T08:51:00.001-07:002015-10-29T08:51:17.228-07:00Crazy Rhythm: Mark Murphy's Early Decca Recordings 1956-57<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwclkyx4pWf0WZDFJT_8dfpX16-BG3A4dv5-RQjw5d0I-QJV379IzpXpLAwgYAauwthZb4yzRtXQNx8x3QDlpmz5OEU2qat-WCOnWdgKqaDZjrPTotAzvy2-G2ZL_qqMe1QsPkiurBGcux/s1600/murphy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwclkyx4pWf0WZDFJT_8dfpX16-BG3A4dv5-RQjw5d0I-QJV379IzpXpLAwgYAauwthZb4yzRtXQNx8x3QDlpmz5OEU2qat-WCOnWdgKqaDZjrPTotAzvy2-G2ZL_qqMe1QsPkiurBGcux/s320/murphy1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Barely a week ago, on October 22, the great singer <b>Mark Murphy</b> passed away in New Jersey at 83. Throughout his long career, which was characterized by a tireless effort to promote jazz and educate listeners about it, Murphy never got the kind of recognition that the high quality of his work should have warranted. Noted critic <b>Will Friedwald</b> states in his <i>Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers</i> that Murphy and <b>Betty Carter</b> were "major influences on virtually all the well-regarded singers of the current generation" (348). Friedwald is not exaggerating in the least, for Murphy was an outstanding singer who was deeply dedicated to his craft and who was often more appreciated by other singers and musicians than by the public at large. And that is too bad, because pretty much everything he recorded—including singles and albums for major labels like Capitol and Decca—is worth a listen. His very personal style was rooted on his unique sense of rhythm, as well as on his knack for experimenting with melodies and lyrics, often singing as though he were playing an instrument. There is always an element of surprise and excitement to Murphy's recorded work, as he is constantly willing to improvise and to take the listener to unexpected places in the process.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSG1CTBHhrDwFIKa02mbEYxf9goe6YhPnIMx7bQqhCZu-z44L5GsHOo5u7Mts-tK5fmY02qVoljxF7o3j83D-xbtshyWR_WdWYZLIIOHKSGu5kPMQfIKEQLS2a6qwtib3f-bzT99afr7t_/s1600/murphycd1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSG1CTBHhrDwFIKa02mbEYxf9goe6YhPnIMx7bQqhCZu-z44L5GsHOo5u7Mts-tK5fmY02qVoljxF7o3j83D-xbtshyWR_WdWYZLIIOHKSGu5kPMQfIKEQLS2a6qwtib3f-bzT99afr7t_/s320/murphycd1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Although it is always a good idea to check out Murphy's albums such as <i><b>Meet Mark Murphy</b></i> (Decca), <i><b>This Could Be the Start of Something</b></i> (Capitol), and the essential <i><b>Rah!</b></i> (Riverside), listening to his mid-'50s sides for Decca is quite a revealing experience. A good sample of his Decca work is available on <b><i>Crazy Rhythm: His Debut Recordings</i></b> (GRP Records, 1999), a collection of twenty tracks cut in 1956 and 1957, all of them masterfully arranged by <b>Ralph Burns</b>, who proves to be a worthy associate, understanding and complementing Murphy perfectly. Even at this early stage of his career, it seems obvious that there is something special to Murphy's voice, and all the defining features of his style—daring improvisation, unique sense of rhythm and timing, eclecticism—are already apparent, and not precisely in embryonic form, as one would expect. As <b>Doug Ramsey</b> rightly observes in the liner notes, by the mid-'50s, Murphy "had polished his gifts in harmony, shaped his vocal line and assumed command of phrasing and time to a degree that few singers attain." Ramsey is also correct in his description of Murphy's agenda as a youthful jazz singer: "He was a vocal artist in the service of a song, not a pop singer driven by visions of the Top 40." And, sadly for his pocketbook but happily for jazz fans, this may well be one of the reasons why his records were never as commercially successful as they should have been.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7KebzFS2_cSwHSTd5uk679he93sN2DPDhWGcg0oAgczFpJEkJFPUzEFFdIH8E5KAGq9Gp07uWGiMIf6PqTxaiqrlJvvEjAhjQZLwBhnDAH-NWxxkRje7Zj7ToWQjGDMRX-DDoYFEQdMa/s1600/murphy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7KebzFS2_cSwHSTd5uk679he93sN2DPDhWGcg0oAgczFpJEkJFPUzEFFdIH8E5KAGq9Gp07uWGiMIf6PqTxaiqrlJvvEjAhjQZLwBhnDAH-NWxxkRje7Zj7ToWQjGDMRX-DDoYFEQdMa/s320/murphy2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murphy in the 1970s</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This attitude of being in the service of a song somewhat likens him to <b>Frank Sinatra</b>, who, around the same time that Murphy was recording for Decca, was in the midst of creating the most artistically valuable albums of his career for Capitol, often reviving songs that had been long forgotten. Murphy's work for Decca reveals two clearly defined sides to his artistry: the fearless rhythm improviser and the sensitive ballad singer. The former is well represented in <i>Crazy Rhythm</i> by the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIqJ7-UnOiA" target="_blank">title track</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGDeRXwzQN0" target="_blank">"Fascinating Rhythm,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3nXvmgHn4s" target="_blank">"I Got Rhythm,"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcdV0O1Qyac" target="_blank">"Ridin' High,"</a> among others. There is such a feeling of enjoyment in Murphy's singing that it is no wonder that so many songs have the word <i>rhythm</i> in their titles! The latter is best appreciated on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2sW3kT3CX8" target="_blank">"Takin' a Chance on Love"</a> (which includes the verse), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0eqSnYIvGo" target="_blank">"A Nightingale Sang on Berkeley Square,"</a> and, particularly, on Murphy's masterful rendition of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS7PE8h5LUw" target="_blank">"I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry."</a> But that is not all: Murphy can also be soulful and bluesy when he feels like it, as on "If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight)." He gives <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMwnvhTenEE" target="_blank">"Limehouse Blues"</a> a very appropriate Asian flavor, and he already shows a penchant for choosing unusual and lesser-known songs, such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3rPNWBXpH4" target="_blank">"Elmer's Tune,"</a> "The Lady in Red," and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAtdPtnxFKY" target="_blank">"Little Jazz Bird."</a> Murphy will be greatly missed by vocal jazz aficionados, but luckily we still have his wonderful albums. These early recordings are definitely a good place to start listening to Mark Murphy, and they are essential to a proper understanding of his later work.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3IpH_yvS5D8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3IpH_yvS5D8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Other Albums by Mark Murphy</b></div>
<br />
Fortunately, a good number of Murphy's albums are back in print on CD thanks to the European label Fresh Sound Records, who has recently reissued quite a bit of his work. His complete Decca recordings are available on <i><b>The Singing M: The Complete Decca Recordings</b></i>, and two double CDs entitled <i><b>Mark Murphy Sings</b></i> and <i><b>Orchestra Conducted by Bill Holman</b></i> feature albums he cut for Capitol and Riverside. A further CD from Fresh Sound includes the Riverside album <i><b>Rah!</b></i> and the Capitol outing <b><i>Mark Murphy's Hip Parade</i></b>. Other CDs by Mark Murphy that are well worth seeking out, although they may not always be easy to find are <i><b>A Swingin' Singin' Affair</b></i> (Fontana), <b><i>Midnight Mood </i></b>(MPS Records), <b><i>Sings Mostly Dorothy Fields and Cy Coleman</i></b> (Audiophile), and <b><i>Stolen Moments</i></b> (Muse Records).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrp-UMOLaMeeVeZhCYAPs8mfbKCuHRKOj4RKlqmu6el1rhyphenhyphenbbt8ixAea1zZecmXy19b12lTP9DcikjfTw5V0IwZ9KKcMwHSPFOW8QpVb9J1PtjyQGbh6L2IT78TiZCRO71M_aVHBKBdVU/s1600/murphycd2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrp-UMOLaMeeVeZhCYAPs8mfbKCuHRKOj4RKlqmu6el1rhyphenhyphenbbt8ixAea1zZecmXy19b12lTP9DcikjfTw5V0IwZ9KKcMwHSPFOW8QpVb9J1PtjyQGbh6L2IT78TiZCRO71M_aVHBKBdVU/s400/murphycd2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murphy's complete Decca recordings on one Fresh Sound CD</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-20540323984124664222015-10-21T07:50:00.003-07:002015-10-21T07:50:47.694-07:00Lesser-Known Bandleaders in Brief: Willie Bryant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Da0H_c8_vQlvwVhsN74-ruEwRwMJpAwzE61RviSyICWYyPRv0JAEHbTMcf4bsIQKWAF8ahAssrYc9fbSeZlKzJGaPu6wXIFrBnjuJIDuoT4HUk28GcwbBka_ApFJzyNyOSzagygCZz_8/s1600/williebryant1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Da0H_c8_vQlvwVhsN74-ruEwRwMJpAwzE61RviSyICWYyPRv0JAEHbTMcf4bsIQKWAF8ahAssrYc9fbSeZlKzJGaPu6wXIFrBnjuJIDuoT4HUk28GcwbBka_ApFJzyNyOSzagygCZz_8/s320/williebryant1.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
Once known as "the Unofficial Mayor of Harlem," in the mid-1930s <b>Willie Bryant</b> led a fantastic band whose recorded output was unfortunately too small—a mere 26 sides for Victor, Brunswick, and Decca (you can find a complete discography of the band's 1930s recordings <b><a href="http://www.redhotjazz.com/williebryant.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>). Critic <b>George T. Simon</b> does not tell us much about Bryant in his book <i>The Big Bands</i>, simply characterizing him as "a sleek, suave gent who . . . led a swinging band at the Savoy, featuring some great young musicians" (504). The lineup of his orchestra included, at one time or another, <b>Teddy Wilson</b>, <b>Ben Webster</b>, <b>Eddie Durham</b>, <b>Benny Carter</b>, <b>Taft Jordan</b>, and <b>Cozy Cole</b>, to name but a few, and the recordings they made together still sound swinging and exciting about eighty years later. However, Bryant was not much of a musician himself, having attempted unsuccessfully to learn to play the trumpet, but his knack for business and for surrounding himself with talented sidemen should not be overlooked. True, he may have just been waving the baton in front of the band and singing occasionally, but he definitely had an ear for recognizing talent, and if the records he made with his orchestra are still worth listening to today, it is because of the very inspired contributions of his soloists.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJtL-xxwNCOn0-qAZ4lNwVrAa8K4IbwpFQ4FdBjYlWeLBkms_17svgf2Hefs0jUwsdXn77sA4F5MDhGIw6MzImtGd7yIohNPo3UIqh62PLgrxOg4YFpNvtKTvkKlMWrVx6YEN5hFGsQFL/s1600/cozycole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJtL-xxwNCOn0-qAZ4lNwVrAa8K4IbwpFQ4FdBjYlWeLBkms_17svgf2Hefs0jUwsdXn77sA4F5MDhGIw6MzImtGd7yIohNPo3UIqh62PLgrxOg4YFpNvtKTvkKlMWrVx6YEN5hFGsQFL/s320/cozycole.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cozy Cole played drums in Bryant's band in the mid '30s</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Born in New Orleans in August 1908, Bryant kicked off his career as a dancer in the vaudeville circuits with an act called the <b>Whitman Sisters</b> and at some point even performed with <b>Bessie Smith</b>. His days as a bandleader began in earnest in 1934, when he put together his first orchestra, entering the studio for the first time one year later. The band made the bulk of their recorded work for Victor and Bluebird, and in 1938 also cut some sides for Decca which are rather hard to find. Drummer <b>Panama Francis</b>, who played in the Bryant outfit for about nine months in the '30s, observes in his autobiography that, albeit charismatic, Bryant did not become a bandleader strictly for musical reasons:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Willie Bryant was all right, a lot of fun, but he was no band leader. He didn't even know who was the conductor, they put him out front 'cause he looked like a white man. Basically they took a light skinned character and put a band around him. Bill Dogget was the straw boy for Willie. (50)</blockquote>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQ3xCNBhgo9VZTSICPd3PlLKco3dD3byqn833yGef-AN-u2ER-GJF3BvGtapFLvshC9pi1LLEXratrbjlpRgiaFN12uwDIs4WSe7eXdy9beJO2RmV6ttB8vmXEmAbMoB6YTmF1UmtYl5F/s1600/williebryantgladysbentley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQ3xCNBhgo9VZTSICPd3PlLKco3dD3byqn833yGef-AN-u2ER-GJF3BvGtapFLvshC9pi1LLEXratrbjlpRgiaFN12uwDIs4WSe7eXdy9beJO2RmV6ttB8vmXEmAbMoB6YTmF1UmtYl5F/s320/williebryantgladysbentley.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryant with singer Gladys Bentley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Whatever the case, Bryant must have been aware of his limitations, because even though he sings on many of the band's records, in a style heavily influenced by Fats Waller though never a match for Waller's inimitable charisma, he always made sure to leave plenty of room for his musicians to solo. When his orchestra disbanded, Bryant became a popular disc jockey and even hosted a television show for a while in the late 1940s. In 1945 he tried his hand at rhythm and blues, cutting only two songs for the Apollo label, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hOAtWIhM_k" target="_blank">"Blues Around the Clock"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp0mhVGbtp4" target="_blank">"Amateur Night in Harlem,"</a> which are available on the Delmark CD <i>Blues Around the Clock</i>. The latter track finds him mimicking what he did best throughout the 1950s: emceeing shows at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, where he remained popular until his death from a heart attack in February 1964 in Los Angeles. The February 27, 1964 issue of <i>Jet</i> magazine reports that "his body was discovered by veteran entertainer <b>Leonard Reed</b>, who called at Bryant's apartment when the latter failed to keep an appointment. Although no one answered the door, Reed became suspicious that Bryant was inside because his car was parked outside and summoned the apartment manager to gain entrance. Bryant's age was placed at 56 by a long-time associate, <b>Max Acosta</b>" (61).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46yH629rQBBCMdu-_wojIifobuDYvw5rfMoiLG-hICY68f_ZLQumFDD47j0lWnHibsMhIqcM5iaJocJGHGqlI7GA3hp40sf4XDVGlQZwb9eI5TsDdyFa3AD2HDQ3680ptxp38MU0_uCbr/s1600/williebryantcd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46yH629rQBBCMdu-_wojIifobuDYvw5rfMoiLG-hICY68f_ZLQumFDD47j0lWnHibsMhIqcM5iaJocJGHGqlI7GA3hp40sf4XDVGlQZwb9eI5TsDdyFa3AD2HDQ3680ptxp38MU0_uCbr/s320/williebryantcd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
About eight decades after they were made, Willie Bryant's records are not easy to come by and are available on CD only on European imports that usually command rather hefty prices. <b><i>Willie Bryant and His Orchestra 1935-36</i></b> (Classics, 1994) and <b><i>Jazz Archives # 53: Willie Bryant & His Orchestra</i></b> (Auvidis, 1992) feature exactly the same twenty-two tracks—the five dates for Victor and Bluebird that the band cut in New York City in the mid 1930s, but the Decca session from 1938 is unfortunately not included. These are wonderful recordings full of zest and Bryant's contagious sense of excitement, which is evident on cuts such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-7Kl38EJk4" target="_blank">"Throwin' Stones at the Sun,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqtMjVMmtQI" target="_blank">"A Viper's Moan,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPOCDtQ_a28" target="_blank">"Rigamarole,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tYqOZxj4v4" target="_blank">"Steak and Potatoes,"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=800d4kDH5RA" target="_blank">"Long Gone (from Bowling Green),"</a> among others. The band's theme song, the haunting ballad <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJF-d9ImVkI" target="_blank">"It's Over Because We're Through"</a> (co-written by Bryant himself), is also here, and most of the tracks are interesting and highly listenable because of their engaging solos. That is the case of the growling trombone on <b>Ted Snyder</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kV5SX4mGLQ" target="_blank">"The Sheik"</a> and of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rPzzE-6670" target="_blank">"The Right Somebody to Love,"</a> the latter featuring a flute played by <b>Charles Frazier</b>. Trumpeter Taft Jordan delivers a fine vocal on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdl5A2J7lq8" target="_blank">"All My Life,"</a> a danceable ballad that shows that these great musicians were very adept at performing more mainstream pop material as well. The consistently high quality of all these recordings definitely calls for a domestic reissue—perhaps including the 1938 Decca session, too—that would make these great sides more readily available, thus enabling listeners to rediscover them.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliNXS-PNgxPc4EplGbBagnPjXFWWHX0K5sTfltsKJxk04hkyAlndIuVLUi1RBHLzYLU0qUwqGELIOs1oS-j1iieDLSe7Djimn2zxONJtdeqdLVqc8Ek-DKuA8UPLhMcCxROvU3zl-XYc7/s1600/williebryant2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliNXS-PNgxPc4EplGbBagnPjXFWWHX0K5sTfltsKJxk04hkyAlndIuVLUi1RBHLzYLU0qUwqGELIOs1oS-j1iieDLSe7Djimn2zxONJtdeqdLVqc8Ek-DKuA8UPLhMcCxROvU3zl-XYc7/s400/williebryant2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willie Bryant and his orchestra in the 1930s</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-84814224866242119192015-10-15T09:40:00.003-07:002015-10-15T13:00:46.574-07:00"Y'a de la Joie": Charles Trenet, or The Singing Madman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7pFYRK1T4WduSQm9h9z5WSKoX-mKEmGTpQwLzbkPvVKWrGCiR1Xsllzu81lA7kmcs10DUft393Pv4Sm-F8oolRKZmvxEG9pk5kuXGRqg9UnY8WHpGCS50CR-bZQl3G9WHfDxW4JbFBvh/s1600/trenet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7pFYRK1T4WduSQm9h9z5WSKoX-mKEmGTpQwLzbkPvVKWrGCiR1Xsllzu81lA7kmcs10DUft393Pv4Sm-F8oolRKZmvxEG9pk5kuXGRqg9UnY8WHpGCS50CR-bZQl3G9WHfDxW4JbFBvh/s320/trenet1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<i>A few days ago I was talking to my father about the great French singer-songwriter, Georges Brassens, whom we both admire, and that conversation brought to mind the undeniable influence of Charles Trenet on the songwriting style of Brassens. Therefore, I decided to dust off my Trenet records, which in turn led to writing this brief overview of his amazing career.</i><br />
<br />
Few French singers enjoyed a career as long and productive as <b>Charles Trenet</b>, who, in a span of about sixty years, wrote and recorded countless songs, toured tirelessly, and even published several novels and books of poetry. Some of the best songs he introduced achieved international popularity through English versions performed by the likes of <b>Bobby Darin</b> and <b>Frank Sinatra</b>. That is the case of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fztkUuunI7g" target="_blank">"La Mer,"</a> which became a big hit for Darin as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8OlDPqYBLw" target="_blank">"Beyond the Sea,"</a> and the beautiful ballad <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_uvgm2_hRk" target="_blank">"Que Reste-t-Il de Nos Amours?"</a> which was covered in English by many artists under the title of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjpR8u7IgE4" target="_blank">"I Wish You Love."</a> Trenet's ebullient stage persona, his theatrics, and his jazz-tinged singing style influenced a whole generation of French singers, including <b><a href="http://vintagebandstand.blogspot.com/2013/10/je-suis-sex-appeal-jean-sablon-and-art.html" target="_blank">Jean Sablon</a></b>, <b>Yves Montand</b>, <b>Georges Brassens</b>, <b>Léo Ferré</b>, and <b>Jacques Brel</b>, so his importance in the universe of the French <i>chanson</i> should not be underestimated.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rVlYATqRLuNVmddS7fnxuanTVR5QXt29H3ok9KUxfUf61P1MuwOFlBzwsCKbI6J8xOmFsJ_MUMGB0cK7d0UFFYBPtVkVpmq526yDlVZSf9FT-RUTCNUpfOizfgnCHDbRtXAKrFAqnpDP/s1600/chevalier.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rVlYATqRLuNVmddS7fnxuanTVR5QXt29H3ok9KUxfUf61P1MuwOFlBzwsCKbI6J8xOmFsJ_MUMGB0cK7d0UFFYBPtVkVpmq526yDlVZSf9FT-RUTCNUpfOizfgnCHDbRtXAKrFAqnpDP/s1600/chevalier.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maurice Chevalier, Trenet's early singing influence</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Born in Narbonne in May 1913, as a young man Trenet was inspired by the music and stage demeanor of <b>Maurice Chevalier</b>, one of the most popular French all-around entertainers of all time. Due to the divorce of his parents, his childhood was not the happiest, and not being a very good student, Trenet found solace in art, particularly in painting and music. By the 1930s he was working as part of a duo with panist <b>Johnny Hess</b>, and the Chevalier influence was already clearly showing, not only in his explosive singing style, but also in his penchant for launching into actual impersonations of Chevalier himself. The influence of jazz is also evident in the early recordings that the duo of Charles and Johnny made in the mid-30s and that include mostly songs that they wrote themselves, together with French versions of American tunes by <b>Cole Porter</b>. Despite their popularity in Paris music halls, Charles and Johnny broke up their act in 1936 because of mandatory military service, and it was around this time that Trenet's solo career began in earnest, both as a songwriter and as a vocalist. In the former capacity, he penned songs for Jean Sablon (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e37gDUi4a7A" target="_blank">"Vous Qui Passez Sans Me Voir"</a>), his idol Chevalier (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuaqhlFAas0" target="_blank">"Y'a de la Joie"</a>) and Yves Montand ("C'est la Vie Qui Va"), and his first hit as a singer was the catchy tune, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLBFeoikELo" target="_blank">"Boum,"</a> which he cut in 1939, and whose lyric mentions the <b>Bing Crosby</b> tune, "Love in Bloom."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSdQGS-catAtwCcRlxZz9nyGLiAQLEqLSXGUo9v0VB84TseFFm9B5PyXihcC48XCtJ176Z2xiX4dwvaeNmR_9pTW5KA0IltDfrb-caA_7LZPMQFDn0gd_07DGsFV5Hh9aWjt5inpJ3SVk/s1600/trenet2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSdQGS-catAtwCcRlxZz9nyGLiAQLEqLSXGUo9v0VB84TseFFm9B5PyXihcC48XCtJ176Z2xiX4dwvaeNmR_9pTW5KA0IltDfrb-caA_7LZPMQFDn0gd_07DGsFV5Hh9aWjt5inpJ3SVk/s320/trenet2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Trenet's bombastic stage persona earned him the nickname of "Le Fou Chantant," or "The Singing Madman," but he was as adept at doing jazzy uptempo numbers as he was at singing more serious sentimental ballads like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KECtE-1S9HE" target="_blank">"Ménilmontant,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fnbnfrzEDs" target="_blank">"Retour à Paris,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij1vtzIFlMg" target="_blank">"Douce France,"</a> and "Que Reste-t-Il de Nos Amours." Sometimes he even sang texts by famous poets set to music, as in the case of the lovely <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIi8XjO8kQw" target="_blank">"Verlaine,"</a> which he recorded with <b>Alix Combelle</b>'s Jazz de Paris combo in 1941. This recording brought about criticism from collaborationist journalists who believed that jazz (a style of music which, we must not forget, was labeled "undesirable music" by the Nazis) should not be mixed with the work of a serious poet like <b>Paul Verlaine</b>, whose "Chanson d'Automne" is the basis for this song. Trenet's star rose particularly after the war, and by the 1950s he was an internationally known artist who was touring widely and whose songs were recorded by singers in several languages other than French, and in 1951 he even appeared on television in the United States for the first time. Throughout his career, he got to visit the U.S. and Canada several times, and in fact, his popularity in Canada was one of the main reasons that persuaded him not to retire from recording and performing live in the 1970s.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XRXJyw200TI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XRXJyw200TI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmu_fSH6DcEzvuNpeHR50tUXx4iP2LBpDV5Sj4esMydtJPTJNYggyya2GbXrI2WaBgyVDD_cgOe4jYX6_i3UxzRE6po_Gteei7K4DM6TYVkN3zImoWy5jtONEr14CHJYd704yR02b7Fj73/s1600/trenet3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmu_fSH6DcEzvuNpeHR50tUXx4iP2LBpDV5Sj4esMydtJPTJNYggyya2GbXrI2WaBgyVDD_cgOe4jYX6_i3UxzRE6po_Gteei7K4DM6TYVkN3zImoWy5jtONEr14CHJYd704yR02b7Fj73/s320/trenet3.png" width="245" /></a></div>
The arrival of rock'n'roll and changing musical tastes in the 1960s inevitably hurt Trenet's career; as a result, he made very few personal appearances and released hardly any albums at all in that decade. He kept writing songs and fiction, though, and by the late '70s and early '80s, renewed interest in the music of his era brought him back to French and Canadian stages. Some of these live appearances were recorded, and by the 1990s, Trenet was still making new albums (1995's <i>Fais Ta Vie</i>, with several new songs, is a good example) and different record labels were reissuing his old recordings on CD. Charles Trenet passed away in Créteil in February 2001, about two years after cutting a live album at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. He was one of several singers who contributed to bringing jazz into the French <i>chanson</i>, thereby enriching it and making it more complex and more engaging. He will always be remembered for his dapper stage persona and for the many wonderful songs that he wrote and that could be at the same time joyful, nostalgic, and downright funny.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgzM_mp0f76CN8UtUYRThDizMiJ3b1WfpKbDFk2JMo0xHyJ763eHxXcFkWKg4cWfrZijTFq70-8U9JrQki2TvRAHsJ102er97aTrlTUNiH__iT0JxyRiTZlOWVWEr6w6BNl2TSKJH6Orz/s1600/trenetcd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgzM_mp0f76CN8UtUYRThDizMiJ3b1WfpKbDFk2JMo0xHyJ763eHxXcFkWKg4cWfrZijTFq70-8U9JrQki2TvRAHsJ102er97aTrlTUNiH__iT0JxyRiTZlOWVWEr6w6BNl2TSKJH6Orz/s320/trenetcd.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
For those who may wish to get acquainted with his vast recorded legacy, there are many compilations currently available in the U.S., but a proper place to start is <b><i>Swing Troubadour 1937-1947</i></b> (Saga Records, 2008) because it features most of his best-known numbers, including "Boum," "La Mer," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW2w3ijcr-k" target="_blank">"Je Chante,"</a> "Verlaine," "Ménilmontant," and "Que Reste-t-Il de Nos Amours," among several others. The musicianship of the backing bands is outstanding here, as Trénet joins forces with Alix Combelle, <b>Wal-Berg</b>, <b>Bernard Hilda</b>, and even dazzling swing guitarist <b>Django Reinhardt</b> on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfbboranEQk" target="_blank">"La Cigale et La Fourmi."</a> A more comprehensive collection is the two-CD import <b><i>Chanson 1937-1960</i></b> (BD Music, 2011), which contains 48 tracks, very detailed liner notes in French, and even an account of parts of Trenet's life in the form of a full-color comic book. Another interesting French import is <b><i>100 Chansons</i></b> (EMI France, 2007), a five-disc set that offers, well, one hundred tracks by Trenet, and finally,<b><i> Definitive Collection</i></b> (Not Now Records, 2010) is a fairly inexpensive way to get introduced to seventy-five of his best songs, with good sound quality but, alas, no notes or personnel information.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PXQh9jTwwoA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PXQh9jTwwoA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-26803682604839021492015-10-06T08:03:00.002-07:002015-10-06T08:03:34.554-07:00New (Re)Issues: Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap; Erroll Garner; Jan Lundgren<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z03FLzGicvXJa4029HfFb6_H0qBTJMFalz3HBls4aSSdyDoIxSNCKJpa5entAt-zuxxb9NJwUcOW8vb3eE_ylN0SHhj6eEqw9PY35R5nryRGQLugAiy9fG6Dau-SwIxrQTi4RPDv4Ih8/s1600/bennettcharlap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z03FLzGicvXJa4029HfFb6_H0qBTJMFalz3HBls4aSSdyDoIxSNCKJpa5entAt-zuxxb9NJwUcOW8vb3eE_ylN0SHhj6eEqw9PY35R5nryRGQLugAiy9fG6Dau-SwIxrQTi4RPDv4Ih8/s320/bennettcharlap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Besides having just been released, the three CDs that we are reviewing today are linked by the fact that they feature three outstanding pianists. First of all, we take a look at Tony Bennett's recent collaboration with Bill Charlap in the manner of dates that the singer has cut in the past alongside Bill Evans and Ralph Sharon. Then, there is the fantastic reissue of Erroll Garner's </i>Concert by the Sea<i>, one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time, offering now the complete concert in a deluxe package and with several unreleased performances. Finally, we discuss a career-long compilation of Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren's work for the European label Fresh Sounds, which is an excellent introduction to the man and his music.</i><br />
<br />
Few singers have thrived at the intersection between jazz and pop, between Birdland and Tin Pan Alley, the way that <b>Tony Bennett</b> has. <b>Frank Sinatra</b> famously ranked him high among the small group of great saloon singers, and although Ol' Blue Eyes should know, what Bennett has always been is a jazz singer who imbues even the tritest pop material with an unequivocal jazz feeling. At 89, and after cutting some commercially successful albums of duets and a collaboration with current pop star and personal friend, <b>Lady Gaga</b>, Bennett has just released a new album that brings to mind former LPs of his such as <i>The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album</i> or his work with <b>Ralph Sharon</b> on, for instance, <i>Tony Sings for Two</i>. Entitled <b><i>The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern</i></b> (Columbia, 2015), this new CD finds Bennett in fine voice and still tirelessly championing the music from the Great American Songbook, in this case the works of <b>Jerome Kern</b>. In his well-written liner notes, critic <b>Will Friedwald</b> eloquently describes Kern as a transition figure in the world of musical theater, "a direct connection between <b>Brahms</b> and <b>Charlie Parker</b>." Similarly, Bennett is a direct link between jazz and pop, and so a collection of Kern's timeless songs—which seems to have been his idea—is definitely right up the vocalist's alley.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPn2dJai6aHssbLRNQxZ4B8v2DyqQ0Xp6aPqP4l8tgx3HZIRbRpQM88xBq_cFrHYIm1_Hdf0uDxZG4A8Csz7ekWnWH9MCcL28Q2tSBcAm6mxvYGj6aaaMiVlhQMWVFmjz1Ro3S2i8GmpX/s1600/bennett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPn2dJai6aHssbLRNQxZ4B8v2DyqQ0Xp6aPqP4l8tgx3HZIRbRpQM88xBq_cFrHYIm1_Hdf0uDxZG4A8Csz7ekWnWH9MCcL28Q2tSBcAm6mxvYGj6aaaMiVlhQMWVFmjz1Ro3S2i8GmpX/s320/bennett.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Besides the repertoire, the other one aspect that makes this project successful is the choice of accompaniment: pianist <b>Bill Charlap</b> is a sensitive accompanist who understands singers very well and who is consistently able to provide the kind of setting that Bennett's husky, rhythmic voice needs. Three selections ("All the Things You Are," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "Make Believe") hark back to Bennett's 1970s encounters with <b>Bill Evans</b>, as they are voice-piano duos between the vocalist and Charlap. These are, of course, among the most intimate tracks in the album, only rivaled by the four tunes ("The Last Time I Saw Paris," "Long Ago and Far Away," "The Song Is You," and "Look for the Silver Lining") on which Charlap is joined on piano by his wife, <b>Renee Rosnes</b>. Both pianos are perfectly intertwined here, and the overall result benefits from their mutual understanding and from the delicately lyrical way in which they accompany Bennett. The rest of selections ("Pick Yourself Up," "I Won't Dance," "Dearly Beloved," "They Didn't Believe Me," "I'm Old Fashioned," "Yesterdays," and "Nobody Else But Me") feature Charlap's trio, with the unrelated <b>Peter Washington</b> on bass and <b>Kenny Washington</b> on drums. As always, Bennett feels extremely comfortable in this trio setting, and there is usually room for well-constructed solos by Charlap here and there. Tony Bennett is quite possibly the greatest jazz and pop singer currently still working, and albums like this new one show off his love for great music, as well as his willingness to improve his already vast and invaluable recorded legacy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Hb9awS1RRL4/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hb9awS1RRL4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyNc4VZOmOZvTXLWKMFAQOC-SM_PuyZRzWF9z7urPeqSzUn0_FB41Jj-jV9dHyP-QHKnOL0bS1C2swa5DAiSZBHNcjPKJc0uh1L6_NbuRbNPipYtxYV33szgLRq-dkzTTckH-o191Kj5M/s1600/garner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyNc4VZOmOZvTXLWKMFAQOC-SM_PuyZRzWF9z7urPeqSzUn0_FB41Jj-jV9dHyP-QHKnOL0bS1C2swa5DAiSZBHNcjPKJc0uh1L6_NbuRbNPipYtxYV33szgLRq-dkzTTckH-o191Kj5M/s320/garner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
On September 19, 1955, pianist <b>Erroll Garner</b> cut a live album in Carmel, California, that, after it was released under the title of<b><i> Concert by the Sea</i></b>, was destined to become one of jazz's best-selling records ever. The original LP amply showcased Garner's dazzling pianistics in a trio setting, with <b>Eddie Calhoun</b> on bass and <b>Denzil Best</b> on drums, but it did not feature the complete concert. Now, sixty years after the event, Columbia-Legacy has finally made available the entire gig in a deluxe digipack three-CD set that includes eleven previously unreleased tracks, new essays by <b>Dan Morgenstern</b>, <b>Geri Allen</b>, and <b>Robin Kelley</b>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad-1BeE1B9s" target="_blank">a fourteen-minute interview with Garner</a> and his trio taped right after the concert. In his new liner notes, Morgenstern observes that "Garner conceived of the keyboard as a combination of a band's horn and rhythm sections, rolled into a single voice. And his uncanny sense of time, his marvelous touch, and wide-open ears made that conception come alive."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcMIaZ-QdPA6J4lFaNVZrSoTnTRlCCZA_hSsI1TC_bwQZy_OPWIr01MdWnZ_6YH40CIOcDngjkeTQaeyXWsJAfl4ey6mU9DOvLAloNEqAOhl5muowSXWuomH_Q9tuVK1Nj_z-ej6dTaxV/s1600/errollgarner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcMIaZ-QdPA6J4lFaNVZrSoTnTRlCCZA_hSsI1TC_bwQZy_OPWIr01MdWnZ_6YH40CIOcDngjkeTQaeyXWsJAfl4ey6mU9DOvLAloNEqAOhl5muowSXWuomH_Q9tuVK1Nj_z-ej6dTaxV/s320/errollgarner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The <i style="font-weight: bold;">Complete Concert by the Sea </i>(Sony / Columbia-Legacy, 2015) is one of the best examples of this, a magic night when all planets seemed to be aligned for the creation of unforgettable jazz. From the opening version of <b>Cole Porter</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD34WHYM9p0" target="_blank">"Night and Day,"</a> it seems clear that there is a special rapport between Garner and the rest of the rhythm section, and the audience is always appreciative of the band's efforts. Whether it is an uptempo number like "It's All Right with Me," a semiclassical treatment of a ballad such as "Spring Is Here," or a Latin-flavored tune "Mambo Carmel," Garner always feels at ease to experiment with the melodies, the harmonies, and the tempi, and throughout the concert there is a sense of excitement that is simply infectious. His readings of standard ballads such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NUS5KtFBAU" target="_blank">"Autumn Leaves"</a> and "Laura" are as lush and emotive as the uptempo numbers like "Red Top" and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEN8pbFDMcE" target="_blank">"Caravan"</a> are surprising and exciting, showing what a master Garner was at the keyboard. This is a milestone jazz concert whose complete reissue was long overdue—too long, as a matter of fact—and it would be great news if it marked the beginning of a series of necessary Garner reissues.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn33PPGlDA9IwDk7t4KnZhoy2ZG02Q1_s3LvxssCDmJL-gBQnlGt6ssnicw-pqQaQnHAyU9AIiYBNm6ffonkXrEDZzp-Wy8lH3Q-MqxPKrh6UHuj1So8LvTQcwBIi9-YnExeDny8LdfoQX/s1600/lundgren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn33PPGlDA9IwDk7t4KnZhoy2ZG02Q1_s3LvxssCDmJL-gBQnlGt6ssnicw-pqQaQnHAyU9AIiYBNm6ffonkXrEDZzp-Wy8lH3Q-MqxPKrh6UHuj1So8LvTQcwBIi9-YnExeDny8LdfoQX/s320/lundgren.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
And last, but definitely not least, we welcome the recent release of <i><b>Jan Lundgren: A Retrospective</b></i> (Fresh Sounds Records, 2015), a twelve-track compilation of <b>Jan Lundgren</b>'s work for the Barcelona-based label, an association which goes way back to the very beginning of the Swedish pianist's recording career in the mid-1990s. On this retrospective album, we find the very talented Lundgren playing both as a session leader and as a sideman. In the former capacity, Lundgren always seems to feel most comfortable in a trio setting, driving the band forward with his characteristically classy swinging approach. As a leader, Lundgren is showcased here to great advantage via one track from his excellent album <i>Cooking! At the Jazz Bakery</i> (cut in Los Angeles in 1996), as well as two tunes from his tribute CD to songwriter <b>Matt Dennis</b>, which we have already reviewed in <i>The Vintage Bandstand</i> (you may find the review, along with our interview with Lundgren <b><u><a href="http://vintagebandstand.blogspot.com/2014/08/interview-with-swedish-jazz-pianist-jan.html" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>). Lundgren has devoted several CDs to honoring the work of lesser-known composers from the Great American Songbook, whose compositions he reinvents from his own jazzy perspective, as in the case of Dennis's "Angel Eyes" and "Spring Isn't Spring Anymore." Retreating into the early stages of his recording career, this compilation also includes a track from his 1996 album, <i>California Connection</i>, a trio reading of <b>Barney Kessel</b>'s "Swedish Pastry" with bassist <b>Dave Carpenter</b> and drummer <b>Paul Kreibich</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4c6oLdWKYOCRRm5Vl97jnhRoX4s3Nwx3zPDWNNCY9bN28e1vlqhOdUknIpPCR-iHRNHLavQzprGUpD2HqVWlb0zncUrqm82PCeNZgJRZ51uhfWCtUWfhsJlZcfBiDDLTsBoZAR7aFzBT/s1600/janlundgren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4c6oLdWKYOCRRm5Vl97jnhRoX4s3Nwx3zPDWNNCY9bN28e1vlqhOdUknIpPCR-iHRNHLavQzprGUpD2HqVWlb0zncUrqm82PCeNZgJRZ51uhfWCtUWfhsJlZcfBiDDLTsBoZAR7aFzBT/s320/janlundgren.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
As a sideman, Lundgren has participated in countless sessions alongside well-known musicians who made a name for themselves mostly within the confines of West Coast jazz and who are caught here at the tail end of their careers but still sounding just as good as ever. That is the case of <b>Herb Geller</b>, <b>Bill Perkins</b>, and <b>Conte Candoli</b>. Trumpeter Candoli appears on two cuts, "On Green Dolphin Street" and "Rockin' Chair," which are among the best on this retrospective compilation. The track with Geller is a beautiful saxophone-piano duo on the little-known <b>Sam Coslow</b> number "Restless," which shows what an inspired accompanist Lundgren can be. In the early years of his career, Lundgren counted on the support and mentorship of the venerable <b>Arne Domnérus</b>, and the two of them do a clarinet-piano duo on "Barney Goin' Easy," a mid-tempo vehicle that <b>Duke Ellington</b> and <b>Billy Strayhorn</b> originally fashioned for <b>Barney Bigard</b>. Two tracks come from a 2001 album that Lundgren made with pianist <b>Pete Jolly</b>: "I've Never Been in Love Before" and "You Stepped Out of a Dream" prove that Jolly and Lundgren are a perfect match and a sheer joy to listen to. In short, anyone who appreciates jazz piano needs to know Jan Lundgren, and this is undoubtedly the perfect starting point for those who wish to get introduced to his music.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fR52hvOmFZ0/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fR52hvOmFZ0?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-184549253800841882015-09-12T08:58:00.000-07:002015-09-12T08:58:24.229-07:00Sam "The Man" Taylor: Jazz Meets R&B<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5c4msxYb3vbrBb_h9oN2MPG-M-GZVuD770vEOpuqWMDGpOTV-4uH_01cd06ux7L0kG6gHZ5yW_DE4yypr-Ww96JEcnHl5f_wl9hLeL-dhB3jkcA0NBBSQvR1A7ivuJPm7vrOb4XVirZWE/s1600/theman1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5c4msxYb3vbrBb_h9oN2MPG-M-GZVuD770vEOpuqWMDGpOTV-4uH_01cd06ux7L0kG6gHZ5yW_DE4yypr-Ww96JEcnHl5f_wl9hLeL-dhB3jkcA0NBBSQvR1A7ivuJPm7vrOb4XVirZWE/s320/theman1.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
About an hour southeast of Martin, Tennessee, where my wife, our two-year-old daughter, and I live, lies the small town of Lexington, right by Interstate 40, halfway between Nashville and Memphis. It was there that the great saxophonist <b>Sam Taylor</b>, later nicknamed "The Man," was born in July 1916. Taylor developed a powerful honking sax sound that graced countless jazz and rhythm and blues recordings in the 1930s and 1940s, and in the 1950s he was in great demand as a session musician, playing on many memorable rock'n'roll records. Taylor was a very versatile saxophonist who always sounded like he was having fun on the bandstand and in the studio, and his energy was infectious. It is impossible to listen to any of his classic tunes, like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKyzyfWEiIE" target="_blank">"Cloudburst"</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe29E0Qx2D0" target="_blank">"The Big Beat,"</a> and not feel that energy. As notable as his work as a sideman is, Taylor cut comparatively few records as a leader, and among his most popular solo outings are the mood albums he made while touring Japan in the 1960s and 1970s, which may seem like a contradiction but is actually a testament to his versatility.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqS3Rc4rzORZO8z7QwfhPslZk3hjbihyphenhyphent-zK6C_IWC2SaHLlcMNIICgo5kaBuRkm6BEkFvdaGVFfg5v3aQ4kcN-w9geL5wjyX3MQTOyiwhHeZW6fj4LwItvx73mxx-E079kLgN2Jm_oOF/s1600/theman2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqS3Rc4rzORZO8z7QwfhPslZk3hjbihyphenhyphent-zK6C_IWC2SaHLlcMNIICgo5kaBuRkm6BEkFvdaGVFfg5v3aQ4kcN-w9geL5wjyX3MQTOyiwhHeZW6fj4LwItvx73mxx-E079kLgN2Jm_oOF/s320/theman2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam "The Man" Taylor with Alan Freed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Taylor's professional career began in the late 1930s, as a member of the band led by <b>Scatman Crothers</b>, and throughout the '40s he would work with <b>Lucky Millinder</b>, <b>Cootie Williams</b>, and most importantly, <b>Cab Calloway</b>, with whom he toured extensively. As we can see, his r&b credentials are top notch, which perhaps explains why his wild honking sax style was so appreciated in the 1950s, particularly after the arrival of rock'n'roll. Around this time, Taylor began doing regular studio work with the likes of <b>Louis Jordan</b>, <b>Ray Charles</b>, <b>The Drifters</b>, <b>Lavern Baker</b>, <b>Chuck Willis</b>, and <b>Big Joe Turner</b>; as a matter of fact, he plays on Turner's classic recording of "Shake, Rattle and Roll." Toward the latter part of the '50s he made a series of excellent albums for MGM, including a 1957 collaboration with <b>Dick Hyman</b> that has yet to be reissued on CD. Taylor also worked on and off with a studio-only group called <b>The Blues Chasers</b>—other great jazzmen like <b>Milt Hinton</b>, <b>Panama Francis</b>, and <b>Taft Jordan </b>were also part of the band—and in the 1960s and '70s, he played frequently in Japan, where he had built up quite a following over the years, and where he cut a number of instrumental mood albums. With their soft string arrangements and ethereal choirs, these records are a far cry from the r&b sessions of the '40s and '50s, and if we are still interested in listening to them today, it is primarily for Taylor's elegant, soulful solos.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NLWJLMIxPlCJ0UouvrKlcY9jEryE1qKAkq7M7Hbb4IMDnLCiwhLVtKnU0_0IHyO6d-gkmJ3fnX3oLeJjC5eQvsSNGwtTOxS_iblmev-v_pil1nJ0DAsWMcUXDECVdqNHCSpLmSxcJqsQ/s1600/themancover1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NLWJLMIxPlCJ0UouvrKlcY9jEryE1qKAkq7M7Hbb4IMDnLCiwhLVtKnU0_0IHyO6d-gkmJ3fnX3oLeJjC5eQvsSNGwtTOxS_iblmev-v_pil1nJ0DAsWMcUXDECVdqNHCSpLmSxcJqsQ/s320/themancover1.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
Unfortunately, CD reissues of his work have not been extensive. The most readily available compilation is <b><i>Swingsation: Sam "The Man" Taylor</i></b> (Verve, 1999), which includes only fourteen slices of his r&b and rock-inflected recordings of the mid-1950s. Here we find The Man at his honking best, on classics such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1nnkZ60Bnc" target="_blank">"Oo Wee,"</a> "Ride, Sammy Ride," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufGwk5HfYcs" target="_blank">"Fish Roll,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldjc0Ki1ahI" target="_blank">"Real Gone,"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbvvXVJmTSk" target="_blank">"Road Runner."</a> He is credited as the writer of some of these exciting rocking ditties, like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zA8S-5riD0" target="_blank">"Taylor Made"</a> and the sultry <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IBYgNam-uE" target="_blank">"Sam's Blues,"</a> and he is accompanied mostly by <b>Haywood Henry</b> on baritone sax, <b>Freddie Washington</b> on piano, <b>Lloyd Trotman</b> on bass, and <b>Panama Francis</b> on drums. On <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSO_usS2yh0" target="_blank">"Let's Ball,"</a> also written by Taylor, <b>Alan Freed</b> provides some shouting. This compilation is undoubtedly a good place to start for those who may want to get introduced to Taylor's music. The more serious fan should also look for two other European releases that are still fairly easy to track down at the time of this writing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuq5HYkaslVdhHhtcwoMPR4iwXUbOELhpEvhVpya3cZxWp0akNyJwXd4lPQifHXBVVpSi0ivt641Wv0QMWNuvNVaQj1nz8_r9UjaRh6plUA2x4gLH3bUM6eoKl92t9zX18NV-bKiCNPoZ/s1600/themancover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuq5HYkaslVdhHhtcwoMPR4iwXUbOELhpEvhVpya3cZxWp0akNyJwXd4lPQifHXBVVpSi0ivt641Wv0QMWNuvNVaQj1nz8_r9UjaRh6plUA2x4gLH3bUM6eoKl92t9zX18NV-bKiCNPoZ/s320/themancover2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
One of them, <b><i>Jazz for Commuters & Salute to the Saxes</i></b> (Fresh Sound Records, 2008), features sessions from 1956 and 1958 that find Taylor in the stellar company of <b>Charlie Shavers</b>, <b>Georgie Auld</b>, <b>Thad Jones</b>, <b>Milt Hinton</b>, <b>Budd Johnson</b>, and <b>Hank Jones</b>, among many others. These recordings present The Man at his swinging best, showcasing his always attractive mixture of jazz and r&b. Finally, <b><i>Mist of the Orient</i></b> (Sepia Records, 2014) is a fine example of Taylor's atmospheric recordings that were popular in Japan in the 1960s and '70s, and is also a worthwhile addition to the collection if only because of the beautiful sax solos and because the market is definitely not flooded with releases by Taylor. Anyone who appreciates the boisterous sound of a good honking saxophone played with elegance and ease should check out Sam "The Man" Taylor. As for me, every time I drive through Lexington, where Taylor passed away quietly in October 1990, I cannot help thinking of him.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsiFGjd7zW2jfmRffElZqiZ3fzHQ27l3lmcNTTJnUEH9EH3gLfp6dfcpIgMCZESuMIwq9u5d4NmNhHkJ7QVR4Tkgg3y20Dehgl_CwEwLR4AcpoV793B7zMZAC1KHEn_TT4qwpQcr3sGyy/s1600/theman3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsiFGjd7zW2jfmRffElZqiZ3fzHQ27l3lmcNTTJnUEH9EH3gLfp6dfcpIgMCZESuMIwq9u5d4NmNhHkJ7QVR4Tkgg3y20Dehgl_CwEwLR4AcpoV793B7zMZAC1KHEn_TT4qwpQcr3sGyy/s400/theman3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-65564840664019541392015-09-03T08:07:00.002-07:002015-09-03T08:07:53.250-07:00Lesser-Known Bandleaders in Brief: Dick Stabile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWedUxZq2zj_7rLKJ6jVabhSYulPzaP4K3S0kVg5Jpd65iN2RwIFNcIC7cmAM2Xm4QEif04hOaxFb54nxXMWDB22tY4ALGwm1Cbc34fwElaUvz6yVpT2q_Q9841kokUeR0kvuoLkAFyLRO/s1600/stabile1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWedUxZq2zj_7rLKJ6jVabhSYulPzaP4K3S0kVg5Jpd65iN2RwIFNcIC7cmAM2Xm4QEif04hOaxFb54nxXMWDB22tY4ALGwm1Cbc34fwElaUvz6yVpT2q_Q9841kokUeR0kvuoLkAFyLRO/s320/stabile1.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
<i>Reading the excellent book </i>Popular American Recording Pioneers<i>, by Tim Gracyk and Frank Hoffmann, I recently found an allusion to a series of articles entitled "Famous Bandmasters in Brief," originally published in the magazine </i>Jacobs' Orchestra Monthly<i> in the 1910s. This gave me the idea for a new series of posts for </i>The Vintage Bandstand<i>, which I will call "Lesser-Known Bandleaders in Brief," and which will offer short portraits of bandleaders who either are not as well known today as they were in their heyday, or who were never able to achieve great popularity in the first place. This new series begins with an article devoted to Dick Stabile, an accomplished saxophonist who is best remembered for his work as arranger and musical director for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis but who made some very interesting recordings with his own band that are rather obscure today.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Born in Newark, New Jersey, on May 29, 1909, into a musical family, <b>Dick Stabile</b> was a fine alto saxophonist who had been around for quite a while by the time the Swing Era officially began. He had learned to play the saxophone as a teenager, and his first serious job had been with <b>Ben Bernie</b>'s orchestra, but by the mid-1930s, he was already fronting his own band and making records for the Panachord and Decca labels, his band featuring vocalist <b>Gracie Barrie</b>, who would soon become his first wife. In his book <i>The Big Bands</i>, critic <b>George T. Simon</b> describes Stabile as "a handsome, smiling, gentle sort of Lothario" and praises "his amazing technique" (479), although he criticizes his ability to play real jazz, which actually sounds like too severe a judgment in the face of the excellent recordings that the Stabile band made between the 1930s and the 1950s.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w0Qzi9NK5H5HdjvepyXbYX2mKE1q34m3jYJWYSW5tcqib9kqMDbmUoiWX4y8sXL-_TzKeuREbVIatm02BXlLluLBSv287V-u3m-wXJRMxFi-MjrNYNcdpidZSZsM5krOOq_3XIjXH3_l/s1600/stabile2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w0Qzi9NK5H5HdjvepyXbYX2mKE1q34m3jYJWYSW5tcqib9kqMDbmUoiWX4y8sXL-_TzKeuREbVIatm02BXlLluLBSv287V-u3m-wXJRMxFi-MjrNYNcdpidZSZsM5krOOq_3XIjXH3_l/s320/stabile2.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
During World War II, Stabile joined the Coast Guard, and so his wife led the orchestra until his return to civilian life, when he reorganized the band and resumed touring. A January 1947 <i>Billboard</i> review of an appearance at the Aragon Ballroom in Ocean Park, California, during which Stabile shared the bandstand with the sweet band of <b>Art Kassel</b>, mentions that the outfit is only four weeks old and refers to its style as a "would-be hybrid cross between <b>Boyd Raeburn</b> and <b>Tommy Dorsey</b>" (31), but the tone of the reviewer is rather dismissive and overtly critical of the band's sound. At this point, <b>George Siravo</b> was among the arrangers working for the band, and his arrangements were complex and innovative, perhaps prompting the comparison with Raeburn's progressive approach to swing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJ1w_pBZgfSMW9uNa4GpAFdk4yl5DqNWwv_V33cyKpWk_o1CgPMh2kluIqnYw-A5DRfH2Pp1GpIFHLEJmPZ9qVo4xNqchYgFunI4w5nCFOKoTrOZwcR6_5nXVOS1R9OJV4LoWM817y5H8/s1600/stabile3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJ1w_pBZgfSMW9uNa4GpAFdk4yl5DqNWwv_V33cyKpWk_o1CgPMh2kluIqnYw-A5DRfH2Pp1GpIFHLEJmPZ9qVo4xNqchYgFunI4w5nCFOKoTrOZwcR6_5nXVOS1R9OJV4LoWM817y5H8/s320/stabile3.jpeg" width="251" /></a></div>
In 1949, while playing at Ciro's, in West Hollywood, Stabile met <b>Dean Martin</b> and <b>Jerry Lewis</b> and soon became their musical director, remaining close friends with both men until the end of his life. Stabile also wrote the charts for Dino's Capitol albums <i>Dean Martin Sings</i> and <i>Swingin' Down Yonder</i> (you can read more about these albums <b><u><a href="http://vintagebandstand.blogspot.com/2015/06/cool-grooves-musical-appreciation-of.html" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>), as well as accompanying both Martin and Lewis on radio and television even after they broke up their act together (you can see Stabile playing "The Man I Love" on television with Martin and Lewis <b><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjtDJvtk9I8" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>). The 1950s were successful years for Stabile, as he was involved with popular Martin hit recordings such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOKWcc3AO0I" target="_blank">"That's Amore"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=929lH4j6280" target="_blank">"Memories Are Made of This,"</a> but throughout the 1960s and '70s he concentrated on leading orchestras at various hotels in California, his last notable job being as leader of the band at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, where he passed away on September 18, 1980, following a heart attack.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCDEo_rgM7fpgIvSlkyB9CUBu9aF06uDID_VAZuoFdS2e7ScVbPsVXaVZmrlitH8NWG-Up__rh8KIJoM-Mw0MlAk9H7pitphWN1hVp8zq1hds0coimrUMEinuguM-4xuF10jqvLOPqlBD/s1600/stabilecdcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCDEo_rgM7fpgIvSlkyB9CUBu9aF06uDID_VAZuoFdS2e7ScVbPsVXaVZmrlitH8NWG-Up__rh8KIJoM-Mw0MlAk9H7pitphWN1hVp8zq1hds0coimrUMEinuguM-4xuF10jqvLOPqlBD/s320/stabilecdcover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The only CD compilation of Stabile's work currently available is the very interesting British import <b><i>Many Faces</i></b> (Montpellier Records, 2008), which includes material from sessions recorded in 1955 and 1957, with arrangements courtesy of <b>Russ Garcia</b>. Though this is already rather late in Stabile's recording career, the orchestra has not lost any of its vigor, and it sounds crisp, clear, and engaging, powered by Stabile's highly polished saxophone technique. The 24 tracks on the CD justify its title, showing that Stabile was definitely a musician of many faces, tackling ballads and uptempo numbers with equal ease, sometimes indulging in his trademark runs ("Many Faces" is a fine instance of this) but also offering thoughtful solos of great beauty. While it is true that the Stabile band relies heavily on arrangements and leaves little room for improvisation, the jazz content of many of Garcia's charts is undeniable (listen to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Zjnp6-SvmM" target="_blank">"Just You, Just Me"</a> or "Tenderly" if you are looking for two examples) and some of the tracks even find Stabile experimenting with Latin rhythms ("Hong Kong Cha Cha") and melodies out of the classical tradition (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPZoKvgKXg4" target="_blank">"Ballet Bleu"</a>). This is the perfect—and, at the time of this writing, alas, the only—place to get a proper introduction to the very exciting and often surprising sound of Dick Stabile, and it is well worth giving it a try.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UmceP1BPBRzqQyVB15bKTg48zz2o8im6viDJJOteSE_eZEw05hzwihX_7nB8UM0LFhk0LholSZspp0JNd8FSjBB0clKbPZOVZ2ehjEh-4olRdSdfoo0uY2JiWvwX4M0Vx6zgI2i5Pa_i/s1600/stabilebarrie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UmceP1BPBRzqQyVB15bKTg48zz2o8im6viDJJOteSE_eZEw05hzwihX_7nB8UM0LFhk0LholSZspp0JNd8FSjBB0clKbPZOVZ2ehjEh-4olRdSdfoo0uY2JiWvwX4M0Vx6zgI2i5Pa_i/s400/stabilebarrie.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dick Stabile on stage with his wife, Gracie Barrie (Photo: William Gottlieb)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-62312122780898326572015-08-27T08:28:00.000-07:002015-08-27T08:28:03.274-07:00Vaughn De Leath, The Original Radio Girl of the 1920s<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNrK_AAw-S9bf1j22TUEUe23TZUQ6TGQiQPSUPgzB0PJvmd9coGszVK9MKblnJmEOsZ36YdSXMD3euRl42kwp7bGdU6cfxGbAvWi6o3u-6KmBDfSKC2aHk97Yb-HmzzfMhMANdn-BiEOk/s1600/deleath01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNrK_AAw-S9bf1j22TUEUe23TZUQ6TGQiQPSUPgzB0PJvmd9coGszVK9MKblnJmEOsZ36YdSXMD3euRl42kwp7bGdU6cfxGbAvWi6o3u-6KmBDfSKC2aHk97Yb-HmzzfMhMANdn-BiEOk/s320/deleath01.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
<i>The other day I was looking through my record collection and found a compilation of Vaughn De Leath's best recordings from the second half of the 1920s, and that immediately seemed like the perfect excuse to take a look at the career of a remarkable singer who billed herself as "The Original Radio Girl" and who was one of the true radio (and television) pioneers. Anyone who enjoys the upbeat music of the so-called Roaring Twenties should give her very interesting recorded output a try.</i><br />
<br />
While she may not have actually been the first singer to perform live over the airwaves, <b>Vaughn De Leath</b> most certainly was one of the first female vocalists to build up a following and a career through the new medium of radio starting in the early 1920s. In fact, though some sources differ as to the date of her first broadcast, in January 1920 she sang during an experimental program originating from the studio of inventor <b>Lee DeForest</b> in New York City, and she was so successful that just three years later, the magazine <i>The Wireless Age</i> ran an article about her that began as follows:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Thus far no one has come forward to dispute Vaughn De Leath's claim of being "the original radio girl." Probably no one will, for the letters she has from her invisible audience are dated months before radio entertainment became everybody's job. Her first radio appearance was in the early days of 1920, in the World Tower Station, New York City. Even then she sensed radio's impending popularity, and she stoutly defended the latest of arts and sciences against those who contended it would not last. (February 1923, page 27).</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgu_p7aKXhXpJSBOCPMNc7wJCEGAENHN_5FcwfaTyZwTScp4Y0z9ykGC4k4t4ybGKx-qVOWUximeMdN0-VhAD7j8Yjx654QkdIB0tpBS_GIVhkfxNj6xwEaNEA9-A70dIH3zxqqF3IVOa/s1600/deleath02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgu_p7aKXhXpJSBOCPMNc7wJCEGAENHN_5FcwfaTyZwTScp4Y0z9ykGC4k4t4ybGKx-qVOWUximeMdN0-VhAD7j8Yjx654QkdIB0tpBS_GIVhkfxNj6xwEaNEA9-A70dIH3zxqqF3IVOa/s320/deleath02.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
Though it may be a little bit of an exaggeration to call her a visionary, she definitely was a true pioneer, and in more ways than one, since several years after her first radio appearance, she was also featured in one of the earliest experimental television broadcasts. A native of Illinois, she had been born Leonore Vonderlieth on September 26, 1896, and her stage name was a modification of her German last name. One of the reasons why De Leath (the name is variously spelled "de Leath," "DeLeath," and "deLeath" depending on the sources) was so popular in the early days of radio is that her voice was perfectly suited to the delicate equipment in use at the time. She developed an attractive crooning style that pleased audiences everywhere and that also translated very well to phonograph records, both in the acoustic and electric eras. Her flair for uptempo numbers must have been a primary influence on contemporary female vocalists such as <b>Annette Hanshaw</b> and <b>Ruth Etting</b>. She occasionally recorded duets with other popular singers of the day, like <b>Frank Harris</b>, <b>Franklyn Baur</b>, and <b>Ed Smalle</b>, and was an accomplished songwriter who often played piano and ukulele on her own records and radio broadcasts.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZfLq5WlbZuLCuUW36U7AKJSb03i5sZtc9-7DPLc_n1_HA70srNKF7XuoEYIxSjonWeO0bYMpOtq2ZPv5HORybxgBWmPxvP3i7MW7ePbN39Q5rG4tah0T5Lr82SQjJB9L-BwOSXYprcq4/s1600/paulwhiteman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZfLq5WlbZuLCuUW36U7AKJSb03i5sZtc9-7DPLc_n1_HA70srNKF7XuoEYIxSjonWeO0bYMpOtq2ZPv5HORybxgBWmPxvP3i7MW7ePbN39Q5rG4tah0T5Lr82SQjJB9L-BwOSXYprcq4/s400/paulwhiteman.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DeLeath made a couple of fine records with popular bandleader Paul Whiteman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Her career as a recording artist began in 1920, several years before the advent of electrical recordings, with a cylinder she cut for the Edison company, and then she spent the 1920s and part of the 1930s making dozens of records for both major and small labels, in addition to her appearances on highly popular radio shows such as the <i>Firestone Radio Hour</i> and the <i>Columbia Phonograph Hour</i>. De Leath's jazz-inflected singing style was often accompanied by studio bands that included fine jazz musicians like <b>Red Nichols</b>, <b>Eddie Lang</b>, and <b>Dick McDonough</b>, among others, and she was the featured vocalist with the <b>Paul Whiteman</b> Orchestra on at least two sides: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Us2RUAMFE" target="_blank">"The Man I Love"</a> and "Button Up Your Overcoat." In between her radio and recording activities, De Leath occasionally found time to appear on the Broadway stage, starring in the 1923 production of <b>David Belasco</b> and <b>Tom Cushing</b>'s <i>Laugh, Clown, Laugh</i>. One of her biggest hits of the 1920s was the Hawaiian-styled song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRX8bMo69l0" target="_blank">"Ukulele Lady,"</a> written by <b>Richard Whiting</b> and <b>Gus Kahn</b>, and following the success of this disc, she sang on a record of "Ukelele Lessons" released by Victor in 1925.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2yFf6trl7latpn_1_3Nw-QA8suZSla6WEiSdwyWlrGUioTLhG81NlytmSDPpcGlAQRXuxrJcPHbdK2jDSPWkojtf1vpNLUAs39A3m7qrM3ZohShGvN6DjFztq2Bqw9zrOYLYmgL4v_xB/s1600/deleathcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2yFf6trl7latpn_1_3Nw-QA8suZSla6WEiSdwyWlrGUioTLhG81NlytmSDPpcGlAQRXuxrJcPHbdK2jDSPWkojtf1vpNLUAs39A3m7qrM3ZohShGvN6DjFztq2Bqw9zrOYLYmgL4v_xB/s320/deleathcover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
De Leath's recording activities slowed down dramatically toward the beginning of the 1930s, perhaps because her singing style was becoming somewhat dated, and so she concentrated on any appearances she could secure on local radio, as well as on other business interests, such as running a radio station and even a night club. By the time of her death on May 28, 1943, she was living in Buffalo, New York, had made almost no new records in over a decade, and had become merely a memento of an earlier era. As a matter of fact, Vaughn De Leath is hardly remembered at all today, and there are not many CDs available that feature her old recordings. One of the best is the European import <i><b>Vaughn De Leath: The First Lady of Radio</b></i> (Delta Leisure Group, 2012), which includes 24 tracks cut between 1925 and 1929. The sound is good considering the age of the recordings, and besides "Ukelele Lady," we find De Leath's versions of standards such as the <b>Nick Lucas</b>-associated "Looking at the World (Through Rose-Colored Glasses)," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PSouK_jbHc" target="_blank">"Sometimes I'm Happy,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oumna88xRGg" target="_blank">"I Can't Give You Anything But Love,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufD4mrEGNH4" target="_blank">"I Must Have That Man,"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnYcsiFxKrY" target="_blank">"I Wanna Be Loved by You"</a> (she even scats briefly on this last one). The two sides with Whiteman are also thankfully here, as is her fine rendition of <b>Jerome Kern</b> and <b>Oscar Hammerstein</b>'s <i>Show Boat</i> classic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajQEsR401ws" target="_blank">"Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man."</a> Unfortunately, the compilers did not see fit to include De Leath's very popular reading of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC5TGHuvX68" target="_blank">"Are You Lonesome Tonight?"</a> (yes, the same song that <b>Elvis Presley</b> made into a big hit in 1960) but even so, the CD makes for a very interesting trip back in time and is an excellent introduction to De Leath's exciting, peppy singing style that, as much as anything else, embodies the spirit of the Jazz Age.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXl69GkkoBP3eRujqh412YDlZRoOvFRbkrcZnkRJQFXB6k3vvm1dxfb60fS0OtxbR46dHYrex_LgUT6vH5aW4dox9cDDpSVkmRfgJi6P155u2F81dgY8-UmHd-cNlGYDwIw1EsSQ3hIkbd/s1600/deleath03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXl69GkkoBP3eRujqh412YDlZRoOvFRbkrcZnkRJQFXB6k3vvm1dxfb60fS0OtxbR46dHYrex_LgUT6vH5aW4dox9cDDpSVkmRfgJi6P155u2F81dgY8-UmHd-cNlGYDwIw1EsSQ3hIkbd/s400/deleath03.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />Clipping from <i>The Wireless Age</i>, February 1923</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-87953124606721174942015-08-13T13:29:00.000-07:002015-08-13T13:29:37.890-07:00The Jones Brothers in 1958: Thad, Hank, and Elvin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVa_yrBT0IW6BVCDRtzh6lHjUNzWyDCnlM2QpV2xBUkvZaRzLTpbJ500ylHTCPTVgLDKd3iGSH7-y3VzxxYYN4mD_HD53A-TywyngOfOAY_VtjQFtlYgxQLlA5xWVjqznjRWw171kQe2W/s1600/JonesBros.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVa_yrBT0IW6BVCDRtzh6lHjUNzWyDCnlM2QpV2xBUkvZaRzLTpbJ500ylHTCPTVgLDKd3iGSH7-y3VzxxYYN4mD_HD53A-TywyngOfOAY_VtjQFtlYgxQLlA5xWVjqznjRWw171kQe2W/s320/JonesBros.png" width="320" /></a></div>
In 1958, Leonard Feather produced a session for MGM that was subsequently released under the title of <b style="font-style: italic;">Keepin' Up with the Joneses</b>, by a band that called itself <b>The Jones Brothers</b>. And who were these Jones Brothers? Although the cover of the LP does not offer much information, the three brothers were trumpeter <b>Thad Jones</b>, pianist <b>Hank Jones</b>, and drummer <b>Elvin Jones</b>, augmented by <b>Eddie Jones</b> on bass, who was not actually part of the Jones family. Though the three Jones siblings went on to have long-lasting careers in jazz, this album remains one of their most obscure, and at the time of this writing, its availability on CD is rather limited. It is, however, a unique and very interesting record that needs to be rediscovered, particularly since the three Jones brothers did not record together very often thereafter.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Mmyyg9bENy0u1oXjMLisfpC7suvrLtUA6Cbb0PGk8korS_xblvJCPNgX4MOhTxKbQm9fpjsvIuBOxtbV2bREFdac4WofwVH8jMt2oL2wtOQKpzUaRsMOjn0vRZVr-H-moRtVDxQYtBNN/s1600/elvinjones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Mmyyg9bENy0u1oXjMLisfpC7suvrLtUA6Cbb0PGk8korS_xblvJCPNgX4MOhTxKbQm9fpjsvIuBOxtbV2bREFdac4WofwVH8jMt2oL2wtOQKpzUaRsMOjn0vRZVr-H-moRtVDxQYtBNN/s320/elvinjones.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvin Jones</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The fact that the cover does not list the names of the participants, simply making reference to their family ties, is a gimmick that must surely be attributed to Feather. The choice of material also seems to be mandated by yet another gimmick: as the cover reads, the band is "playing the music of Thad Jones and Isham Jones." While it does make sense that the album would include compositions by Thad Jones, who plays flugelhorn on the date, the three tunes by <b>Isham Jones</b>, a prolific songwriting bandleader of the 1920s and '30s, were most likely chosen due to Isham's last name. However, like Eddie Jones, Isham was not actually related to the three Jones brothers. In any case, one cannot argue with the selections by Isham Jones, all of them dependable standards written in partnership with either <b>Gus Kahn</b> or <b>Marty Symes</b> and included on the second side of the LP. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LYQ3GgjH_8" target="_blank">"It Had to Be You"</a> is actually one of the highlights, introduced by Thad on flugelhorn and featuring an outstanding lengthy piano solo by Hank, who lends support to Thad's horn playing throughout the whole performance. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tzkGm2Ji1c" target="_blank">"On the Alamo"</a> is taken at an agreeable, easy-swinging tempo and is clearly dominated by Hank's lyrical piano, whose magnificent solo lasts for about half the track before Thad even gets a chance to play his muted flugelhorn part. Another one of the most memorable moments on the album is the closer, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5EcyLX44gY" target="_blank">"There Is No Greater Love,"</a> which becomes the perfect vehicle for an intimate dialogue between Thad and Hank.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1eL-WZitDvVfugcdKH460UGiJjuaHibtViKRlK9d_sRl5fuqK9c1dHEwHbgWdcCIOS-tjEt5ekGDZ3tmmnOKAm08y-gKsDtiIsjtQntMJoC7aYnwiNAjP67vgjRxumACCN7YmrbsBCuM/s1600/thadjones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1eL-WZitDvVfugcdKH460UGiJjuaHibtViKRlK9d_sRl5fuqK9c1dHEwHbgWdcCIOS-tjEt5ekGDZ3tmmnOKAm08y-gKsDtiIsjtQntMJoC7aYnwiNAjP67vgjRxumACCN7YmrbsBCuM/s320/thadjones.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thad Jones</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The rest of the selections are all Thad Jones originals, and accordingly, it is Thad's flugelhorn that is most often spotlighted, as in the case of the opener, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZhIQ9V4uxs" target="_blank">"Nice and Nasty,"</a> built on a blues-tinged theme that lends itself easily to improvisation and even leaves some room for Eddie Jones to take a brief bass solo. The title track, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxMtbeWRObs" target="_blank">"Keepin' Up with the Joneses,"</a> is based on a very catchy riff that is introduced by the trumpet and repeated by the piano; both Thad and Hank have ample room to shine here, and Hank shows his versatility by switching to organ halfway through the track. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoiJr1B0O7Q" target="_blank">"Three and One"</a> is another lovely mid-tempo melody by Thad whose title most likely makes reference to the fact that the session is a collaboration by three brothers and a fourth musician who is not actually a blood relative. Thad's flugelhorn sounds particularly low and understated on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHIxXtMeotM" target="_blank">"Sput 'n' Jeff,"</a> which contrasts with Hank's quick, rippling piano runs. The brief dialogues between Elvin's unusually soft drumming and Eddie's rather quiet bass add freshness and interest to the track. All in all, this is a very appealing session that makes us wish that the three Jones brothers had made many more records together. It was reissued on CD back in 1999 and is still available <b><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Keepin-Up-Joneses-Jones-Brothers/dp/B00000K1HY/ref=tmm_acd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1439496740&sr=1-1" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>, but it is most definitely in need of a serious, updated reissue so that it may reach a wider audience than it has so far.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Tbd7PBjcSA2L1Y8BIfbuvC4KTJB3aSZwOrE44PkbxMewdAZMxq6jY34gul0M5nEiIOyBHxJM_WhiALbAnSDSd5av3ZOy64LnIqHd04TWExt8i-HNEOypTEjH3hKhjvF93vUUfTk30Rdv/s1600/hankjones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Tbd7PBjcSA2L1Y8BIfbuvC4KTJB3aSZwOrE44PkbxMewdAZMxq6jY34gul0M5nEiIOyBHxJM_WhiALbAnSDSd5av3ZOy64LnIqHd04TWExt8i-HNEOypTEjH3hKhjvF93vUUfTk30Rdv/s400/hankjones.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hank Jones plays both piano and organ on this date</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-3170666960126335962015-07-22T08:49:00.000-07:002015-07-22T08:49:51.500-07:00Unsung Vocalists of the Past 6: Johnnie Johnston<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdK5azE59NA8GMa7Z3eXjhwWaHTqWeETudE_gFIRqSINJZjuhIP78R_v9CNIPHCJPkOpb8LTtu3N_0RNoqcWJHISLPa15QbvIVODIShlpenO7mFlOUa679W8U7qIe5iAS07noYDHcccwT/s1600/johnston01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdK5azE59NA8GMa7Z3eXjhwWaHTqWeETudE_gFIRqSINJZjuhIP78R_v9CNIPHCJPkOpb8LTtu3N_0RNoqcWJHISLPa15QbvIVODIShlpenO7mFlOUa679W8U7qIe5iAS07noYDHcccwT/s320/johnston01.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<i>For a brief spell in the 1940s, it seemed as though Missouri-born crooner Johnnie Johnston was destined for stardom, both as a singer and as an actor. As one of the first artists to be signed to Capitol, Johnston was selling records in respectable quantities and appearing in movies with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. A few questionable personal decisions and unfortunate career moves would eventually end it all, but the surviving recordings that Johnston made in the '40s and '50s amply showcase his talent and provide a good excuse to take a look at his short career.</i><br />
<br />
Born in St. Louis in 1915 (he was just a few days older than <b>Frank Sinatra</b>, and so 2015 marks the centenary of his birth as well), <b>Johnnie Johnston</b> had a beautiful light baritone voice, which, together with his attractive looks, made him a natural to pursue a career as an entertainer. In the 1930s he began a short tenure as the vocalist with the sweet band of <b>Art Kassel</b>, but it was actually his radio and nightclub appearances that would make Hollywood and the record industry beckon. Therefore, Johnston—whose first name was occasionally spelled "Johnny"—soon found himself appearing in low-budget musicals such as <i>Sweater Girl</i>, <i>Incendiary Blonde</i>, and <i>You Can't Ration Love</i>. He was also cast in more important productions, notably <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFaxtUiscuo" target="_blank">Star-Spangled Rhythm</a></i>, with <b>Bing Crosby</b> and <b>Bob Hope</b>, and <i>This Time for Keeps</i>, alongside <b>Esther Williams</b> and <b>Xavier Cugat</b>. In time he would even appear in one of the first and most popular rock'n'roll movies, <i>Rock Around the Clock</i> (1956), but by then his star had pretty much waned.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQC7WbXSLfpC64VRG5gwptTooNf6xZdbgqBUMD0_G2MyTdgVL47UNlEf0ysOMU3318y8mTxIYm1514oT15TAIDXN20EjmqiqFXp2YykY3ZbylcFtve8bA3l0f3iRr5S7B7flzzmf53eiQb/s1600/johnston02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQC7WbXSLfpC64VRG5gwptTooNf6xZdbgqBUMD0_G2MyTdgVL47UNlEf0ysOMU3318y8mTxIYm1514oT15TAIDXN20EjmqiqFXp2YykY3ZbylcFtve8bA3l0f3iRr5S7B7flzzmf53eiQb/s320/johnston02.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
In 1942, Johnston became one of the first artists to be signed to the fledgling Capitol Records label and scored hits with "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WANkkekAFSI" target="_blank">"(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings,"</a> and "One More Dream." In 1945, his version of the haunting <b>David Raksin</b> and <b>Johnny Mercer</b> song, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCG5f1tySdY" target="_blank">"Laura"</a> peaked at number 5 on the Billboard charts for five weeks, and suddenly it seemed that Johnston had come to stay. Being slated to sing a couple of songs in the star-studded 1946 <b>Jerome Kern</b> biopic, <i>Till the Clouds Roll By</i>, with Sinatra, <b>Lena Horne</b>, and <b>Judy Garland</b>, among many others, certainly could not hurt, but here is where the Johnston story starts going awry. After filming two medleys with his future wife, <b>Kathryn Grayson</b>, Johnston seems to have gotten into a serious row with studio mogul <b>Louis B. Mayer</b>, which ultimately led to the deletion of his scenes from the final cut of the movie. Just why this argument came about is unclear seventy years later; <b>Edward Chase</b>, who wrote the liner notes for the only CD release of Johnston's recordings currently available, describes it in rather vague terms:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Then, so the story has it, Louis B. Mayer came onto the set, where Johnston, perhaps carried away with his incipient success, proceeded in a jocular way, and with coarse language, to humiliate him. The upshot was that Mayer, unforgiving, summarily dismissed him from the film, and ordered the actor's two completed scenes to be deleted from the final cut.</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIPnL1tn3yM_EnUtD9iuK9pYc4Z2TC9YGyx_HDBwUtuF2C7w5V0w2YwbIXiogotTTnkpwNMPFO-Wog-5OCgGJwpS7-gJ38v6xEWUn9EDTlYEskAKpg0-YgcH0V6WEdDOUYaeVyQwRnc_m/s1600/johnstongrayson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIPnL1tn3yM_EnUtD9iuK9pYc4Z2TC9YGyx_HDBwUtuF2C7w5V0w2YwbIXiogotTTnkpwNMPFO-Wog-5OCgGJwpS7-gJ38v6xEWUn9EDTlYEskAKpg0-YgcH0V6WEdDOUYaeVyQwRnc_m/s320/johnstongrayson.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
It is unclear why a newcomer like Johnston would feel that it was a good idea to "humiliate" a powerful man like Mayer, but whatever actually happened that day on the set, this run-in with the studio boss definitely hurt Johnston's career. Not only was he cut from the movie, but his subsequent recordings for MGM after leaving Capitol did not sell well, and Johnston never recaptured the momentum he had gained with "Laura" and his previous hit records. In 1947, following their meeting on the set of <i>Till the Clouds Roll By</i>, Johnston and Kathryn Grayson married, but their marriage only lasted until 1951. That same year Johnston starred in the Broadway production <i>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i>, a very promising show based on a novel by <b>Betty Smith</b> and with a score by none other than <b>Arthur Schwartz</b> and <b>Dorothy Fields</b>. The show, however, was a flop from which Johnston's career would never recover, and other than his appearance in <i>Rock Around the Clock</i>, his work would be limited to occasional television spots and a few nightclub dates. According to his <i>New York Times</i> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/17/nyregion/johnny-johnston-80-a-big-band-singer.html" target="_blank">obituary</a>, Johnston had come out of retirement very seldom (for instance, to perform at Capitol Records' fortieth-anniversary party), and by the time of his death in 1996 in Cape Coral, Florida, he had been married six times.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLNNXL3Ju-aYvQagb_4A4Wz22uIXSthy9zmI7QJ7WgGxNxI7rQui3M9OtOldZ6QY7IdDZzdrMS8VZ3ilwgYLyZMIV4sSdhEjXayK5cFapW2NHshjjwYz-5terbZTrle9uAdrEsEyEz1Z8/s1600/johnstoncover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLNNXL3Ju-aYvQagb_4A4Wz22uIXSthy9zmI7QJ7WgGxNxI7rQui3M9OtOldZ6QY7IdDZzdrMS8VZ3ilwgYLyZMIV4sSdhEjXayK5cFapW2NHshjjwYz-5terbZTrle9uAdrEsEyEz1Z8/s320/johnstoncover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The only CD compilation of Johnston's recordings that is still readily available was released in 2007 by the British label Flare Records, and it features 24 of the best cuts he made for Capitol and MGM between 1944 and 1956. Though he is evidently influenced by Bing Crosby, he often sounds a little bit like a more mature <b>Russ Columbo</b>, which may actually indicate that he has been listening carefully to Frank Sinatra's early Columbia work of the period. This is particularly noticeable in his hit version of "Laura," which he sings in a softer, more understated tone than, say, <b>Dick Haymes</b>, who also recorded it around the same time. Unlike Crosby and Sinatra at that stage of their careers, Johnston used several different arrangers and conductors on these sessions, notably <b>Paul Weston</b>, <b>Lennie Hayton</b>, <b>Sonny Burke</b>, <b>Carl Kress</b>, and <b>Lloyd Shaffer</b>. Johnston did not always get to record first-rate songs, but besides the hits, there are quite a few gems here, including "Irresistible You," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZYVC76UY2Q" target="_blank">"There Must Be a Way,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZd7Frze0ws" target="_blank">"Autumn Serenade"</a> (memorably revived by <b>Johnny Hartman</b> on his album with <b>John Coltrane</b>), "Why Should I Cry Over You," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkCK5dtgRbc" target="_blank">"When You and I Were Seventeen,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4pJb20pkWY" target="_blank">"As We Are Today,"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr5-vcrgZCY" target="_blank">"Melancholy Rhapsody."</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gOi6ZdmsW77P1H7RGuQ7gz8a5ydg555vdJUPe3EMKV0Pj9y4o9Ajf0xMpbFH9osFqfIGk9N8S-SaRcfVV1I3TrXYeiQoHETYphwqa9PAH8DBEim582chYBmH2K9WHtDjXkbpWrNLeKol/s1600/johnstongrayson2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gOi6ZdmsW77P1H7RGuQ7gz8a5ydg555vdJUPe3EMKV0Pj9y4o9Ajf0xMpbFH9osFqfIGk9N8S-SaRcfVV1I3TrXYeiQoHETYphwqa9PAH8DBEim582chYBmH2K9WHtDjXkbpWrNLeKol/s320/johnstongrayson2.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
One of the tunes from <i>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i>, "I'll Buy You a Star," a little overdone in this <b>Max Goberman</b> arrangement, is also included, as is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN6Es8UJpNc" target="_blank">"I've Told Ev'ry Little Star / The Song Is You,"</a> the one surviving medley with Grayson from <i>Till the Clouds Roll By</i> (the other one they cut seems to have been damaged and lost forever). The CD closes with two songs from <b>Cole Porter</b>'s <i>Kiss Me Kate</i> ("So in Love" and "Wunderbar") that Johnston recorded with Grayson (by then already his ex-wife and the star of the film version of that Porter musical) In Los Angeles in 1956. In my opinion, the pairing of Johnston's baritone and Grayson's operatic voice does not blend very well, and in any case, a light operatic approach was never Johnston's forte. But, overall, there is a wealth of attractive material here that more often than not suits Johnston extremely well and shows that his legacy definitely deserves to be better appreciated that it is today.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xMWEtDYsGmURWZws_HgkGdfsb3S0pMzbxv39eCpTLXk0MD5El6YPT0k4bxsRlT2NhGsvRxpQZnttjrDZnjnT4aTg3flu5VpXDifsBYxdnYYu3G4iHAx1lBH-XMchHeZS-oSUDRCZK13_/s1600/treegrowsbrooklyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xMWEtDYsGmURWZws_HgkGdfsb3S0pMzbxv39eCpTLXk0MD5El6YPT0k4bxsRlT2NhGsvRxpQZnttjrDZnjnT4aTg3flu5VpXDifsBYxdnYYu3G4iHAx1lBH-XMchHeZS-oSUDRCZK13_/s400/treegrowsbrooklyn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294031900054194810.post-90650519547291612972015-07-16T09:18:00.001-07:002015-07-16T09:18:25.465-07:00Arranged by... Nelson Riddle: Rosemary Clooney's Rosie Solves the Swingin' Riddle!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_YDBpTmW6s_NKk2Sj62CO_Jodgwsz1m1siRH7Biie9yIsfWjsT0u_OGwmntKKwotEot3auvmTUKBiU9FfsO7Dn1Y6TEAseA7Qdwx6pi8wOCVFRwCbqaT-NC_Pgtqr_zTkCUiFAuMewpn/s1600/rosieriddlecover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_YDBpTmW6s_NKk2Sj62CO_Jodgwsz1m1siRH7Biie9yIsfWjsT0u_OGwmntKKwotEot3auvmTUKBiU9FfsO7Dn1Y6TEAseA7Qdwx6pi8wOCVFRwCbqaT-NC_Pgtqr_zTkCUiFAuMewpn/s320/rosieriddlecover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>After a two-week-long silence due to my having led a group of students from the University of Tennessee at Martin on a study-abroad trip to Europe, </i>The Vintage Bandstand<i> returns with the first installment in the new </i>Arranged by...<i> series of articles. These posts will concentrate on albums on which legendary arrangers have left an indelible mark. And for the first one we are taking a closer look at one of Rosemary Clooney's masterpieces, recorded in 1960 for RCA-Victor and arranged by the great Nelson Riddle.</i><br />
<br />
By the time he wrote these twelve charts for <b>Rosemary Clooney</b> in 1960, <b>Nelson Riddle</b> had made musical history throughout the 1950s with the epoch-making albums he arranged for <b>Ella Fitzgerald</b>, <b>Nat King Cole</b>, <b>Judy Garland</b>, and most of all, <b>Frank Sinatra</b>. He had also been working with Clooney for several years as the musical director of her television show, and the closeness and warmth of that association comes across on the album they cut together, which someone at RCA shamelessly decided to name <i>Rosie Solves the Swingin' Riddle!</i>, not even sparing the exclamation point at the end.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGlZ3lee-z0n8XV-TJyySzcg-OxzpQy_fr3q5KlxukhXbpgJgILcDJcbgd4fz9J6cm99-Og6amjfZVcBe3JkRJJCAR5Y0yFSYztX2K6bajA_hAXZY7-dy5KAB2vwHbfbD7fF4pOaJDWqg/s1600/rosieriddle2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGlZ3lee-z0n8XV-TJyySzcg-OxzpQy_fr3q5KlxukhXbpgJgILcDJcbgd4fz9J6cm99-Og6amjfZVcBe3JkRJJCAR5Y0yFSYztX2K6bajA_hAXZY7-dy5KAB2vwHbfbD7fF4pOaJDWqg/s320/rosieriddle2.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riddle and Clooney several years after this project</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While the title may be a ridiculous attempt at wordplay, the album itself remains one of the best in the prolific careers of both Rosie and Nelson, a perfect blend of self-assured singing and sympathetic arranging. The emotional connection between the two is very evident: indeed, in the original liner notes, Riddle mentions that Clooney "happens to be one of my favorite people," and then goes on to say that "Rosemary Clooney is a wonderful vocalist. More than a singer, she's a musician. She does everything well. Her phrasing, taste, and ability to swing make arranging and conducting a real pleasure. As a consequence, this album has been one of my most enjoyable experiences." As Riddle biographer <b>Peter J. Levinson</b> states in his notes to the 2004 CD reissue, Clooney shared a similar view about her work with the arranger: he quotes Rosie as saying that her association with Nelson was "the best blending of my job and my personal life that I've ever had." And so it was, because Clooney's relationship with Riddle was not all work and no play—the two were involved in an affair that would ultimately lead to the collapse of both of their marriages, and one that Rosie would remember fondly several years later when she called Nelson the love of her life.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nqbFqz5S97y58DLWFFeYgNENwC0le9FbAUf-SAqNZI0K8sc0VqKm8RmT_8qUWYdZWfLi_cDYOPEXX2vItWwmlLNxZQdROswq_LQ0ZonY9cMy_yqEQKsi9_JUJuY06HJYY1Y2xHyH67oX/s1600/riddle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nqbFqz5S97y58DLWFFeYgNENwC0le9FbAUf-SAqNZI0K8sc0VqKm8RmT_8qUWYdZWfLi_cDYOPEXX2vItWwmlLNxZQdROswq_LQ0ZonY9cMy_yqEQKsi9_JUJuY06HJYY1Y2xHyH67oX/s320/riddle.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
Leaving their personal lives aside, there is no doubt, upon listening to <i>Rosie Solves the Swingin' Riddle!</i>, that the romantic connection that vocalist and arranger shared translated naturally to the finished recorded product. The album was cut in May and June 1960, and Riddle's studio orchestra featured at the time some of the best West Coast musicians around, including trumpeters <b>Cappy Lewis</b>, <b>Pete Candoli</b>, <b>Shorty Sherock</b>, and <b>Don Fagerquist</b>, saxophonists <b>Buddy Collette</b> and <b>Plas Johnson</b>, guitarist <b>Al Hendrickson</b>, pianist <b>Bill Miller</b> (famous for his work with Sinatra), bassist <b>Joe Comfort</b>, and drummer <b>Alvin Stoller</b>, among others. Many of them were familiar with Clooney's singing from working in the orchestra used on her television show, which makes the interaction between singer and band even closer and more effective. As they worked together in the 1950s, Riddle and Sinatra had come naturally to the realization that the clear-cut division between swingers and ballads in the old swing band days needn't be that strict, because swingers could be slowed down and, similarly, ballads could be made to swing lightly. That idea became one of Riddle's trademarks and added to the appeal of his arrangements; such a principle is clearly at work on this album, and as usual, to great effect.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6MYr_F6vnd1F1olI4bivBXqbTntOx3aLe1e2p7dwkhcb906CepHLOIaugIy6hEHaAmdCtN_xwK27zwd4ZrwtXNbmormByMrfdGTumy_y3f35k3XICWLfrZkxsf7yHcBy1ij5-CNzQ0Bc/s1600/clooney2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6MYr_F6vnd1F1olI4bivBXqbTntOx3aLe1e2p7dwkhcb906CepHLOIaugIy6hEHaAmdCtN_xwK27zwd4ZrwtXNbmormByMrfdGTumy_y3f35k3XICWLfrZkxsf7yHcBy1ij5-CNzQ0Bc/s320/clooney2.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
This is apparent in the album opener, <b>Alan Jay Lerner</b> and <b>Frederick Loewe</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pznnNzjcN7I" target="_blank">"Get Me to the Church on Time,"</a> which is brassy but more understated than one would think. The next tune, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mTWd5Gz7r4" target="_blank">"Angry,"</a> pretty much fits the same mold, while <b>Hoagy Carmichael</b>'s reflective ballad, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ZpfcioBY4" target="_blank">"I Get Along Without You Very Well,"</a> is taken at a much sprightlier tempo than other versions by, say, Sinatra or <b>Chet Baker</b>. In the hands of Clooney and Riddle, it is a ballad that swings easily but that does not lose any of its introspective quality. The two reach back in time quite a bit on some of the tracks: that is the case with the <b>Gene Austin</b>-associated <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YBCCYsFuLg" target="_blank">"How Am I to Know"</a> (with lyrics by <b>Dorothy Parker</b>), beautifully punctuated by saxophone solos from Plas Johnson. Other songs included in the album that often hark back to the old vaudeville days are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4h5c4ND-Bs" target="_blank">"I Ain't Got Nobody,"</a> <b>Shelton Brooks</b>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV9le9-noHg" target="_blank">"Some of These Days,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JkHM6SuntQ" target="_blank">"Shine on Harvest Moon,"</a> and the <b>Ethel Waters</b> classic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzbMv3a1DzM" target="_blank">"Cabin in the Sky,"</a> all of which demonstrate Clooney's appreciation of first-class pop and jazz-inflected songwriting.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTZ4siBJfpypICFrnL4UrRgzaeDmWNUaDAIfjPin8Fd_xDK6s-NnmOarQuiiYQRbybyFQnaDcF5ckSFM1CosvIOFOSZ8zff2tW0aGxZ9BslQNklFLEDYiQ8JS6Ng5Dn3KP6POHtdElfoQ/s1600/clooney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTZ4siBJfpypICFrnL4UrRgzaeDmWNUaDAIfjPin8Fd_xDK6s-NnmOarQuiiYQRbybyFQnaDcF5ckSFM1CosvIOFOSZ8zff2tW0aGxZ9BslQNklFLEDYiQ8JS6Ng5Dn3KP6POHtdElfoQ/s320/clooney.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
On Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjymmFWy6OY" target="_blank">"You Took Advantage of Me,"</a> Riddle's writing is clearly reminiscent of his work with Sinatra on <i>Songs for Swinging Lovers</i> and <i>A Swingin' Affair</i>, and Rosie's singing, underscored by <b>George Roberts</b>'s clever work on trombone, shows how important lyrics always were to her when it came to interpreting a song. The Latin-tinged arrangement of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajxn4Qzu5dw" target="_blank">"April in Paris"</a> is initially driven by <b>Jack Costanzo</b> on bongos, but toward the end of the chart, the orchestra takes over and supports Clooney's vocals in style. Annotator Levinson calls <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ0EjU2T_2U" target="_blank">"By Myself,"</a> written by <b>Howard Dietz</b> and <b>Arthur Schwartz</b> and revived by <b>Fred Astaire</b> in the movie <i>The Band Wagon</i>, "the gem of this CD," and in the light of the seamless interaction between Clooney and the orchestra, it is hard to argue with him. But then the album is really a gem as a whole, and by the time we reach the last track, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4f5M_y4cnE" target="_blank">"Limehouse Blues,"</a> we are more than ready to overlook the occasional gimmicks that Riddle employs on this Asian-influenced melody, which actually works very well as a closer. It is to this record what, say, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myKFmeWa2T0" target="_blank">"It Happened in Monterey"</a> was to Sinatra's <i>Songs for Swinging Lovers</i>. The CD reissue includes two bonus tracks, recorded almost a year later, in April 1961, and although <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udKQx9aEcrY" target="_blank">"Without Love"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks9-D4wjzQk" target="_blank">"The Wonderful Season of Love"</a> (the theme from the then-current movie <i>Return to Peyton Place</i>) are more conventional ballads, they are worthy additions to the package and show what a good string writer Riddle was. Overall, <i>Rosie Solves the Swingin' Riddle!</i> can be considered the crown jewel of the personal and professional association between Rosemary Clooney and Nelson Riddle, a passionate romantic affair that, fortunately for us, also resulted in a most swinging musical affair.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCQfTEyA_EQtE8Md1coR4E2_QJ6TB5t0Zfw_JAuy83c6oK6fDQBCdUX7dJB7Fe8pU9MPRda06UmTPPdZqzVE0Mt_TIopAj-8YAq3W7WsnYOE7QyNIiq0GKV6NxebABdYTT4iqx0FUvwP6/s1600/rosieriddle1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCQfTEyA_EQtE8Md1coR4E2_QJ6TB5t0Zfw_JAuy83c6oK6fDQBCdUX7dJB7Fe8pU9MPRda06UmTPPdZqzVE0Mt_TIopAj-8YAq3W7WsnYOE7QyNIiq0GKV6NxebABdYTT4iqx0FUvwP6/s400/rosieriddle1.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosie and Nelson at work in the studio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0