Charlie Spivak: The Uncollected (1943/46)

Following my posting of Charlie Spivak's "Stomping Room Only" on August 20, I was offered two more albums from this '40s swing band. Happily accepted. This is one of them and the other contains recordings made earlier in the decade (for radio only).

Our thanks to the donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

Tracks:
01) Stardreams
02) Mean To Me
03) Serenade In Blue
04) I Used To Love You
05) Cuddle Up A Little Closer
06) Blue Lou
07) Laura
09) More Than You Know
10) Stardust
11) Accentuate The Positive
12) Solitude
13) Travelin' Light
14) Blue Champagne
15) Let's Go Home
16) It's The Same Old Dream
17) Saturday Night

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Claudine Longet: Love Is Blue (1968)

Claudine Longet's third album continues the middle-of-the-road tendencies of her first two, leading off with an oddly jaunty reinterpretation of "Falling in Love Again", Marlene Dietrich's theme song, whose jaded world-weariness Longet replaces with her own pleasantly insubstantial persona. With its cinematic background noise staging and odd ragtime piano accents, it recalls Harpers Bizarre's playful deconstruction of pre-rock standards. More successful are the straightforward bilingual version of the title track, one of the evergreen tunes of '60s easy listening; the oft-recorded Alan Gordon and Gary Bonner sunshine pop tune "Small Talk", and a mournful, skeletal version of Randy Newman's little-known early tune "Snow" that's among Longet's finest interpretations of her career. Even better is Longet's take on the Bee Gees' standard "Holiday"; Longet's endearingly pitch-poor, lispy vocals are tailor-made for this spooky, unconventional song which arranger Nick DeCaro gives a suitably off-kilter arrangement featuring a chorus of wordless Longets between the strings and the increasingly florid piano accompaniment. Longet's next album, the masterful "Colours", could have benefited from even more of this gently psychedelic experimentation. ~ Stewart Mason

Tracks:

01) Falling In Love Again

02) Happy Talk

03) Love Is Blue

04) Holiday

05) Dindi

06) Who Needs You

07) When I Look In Your Eyes

08) Walk In The Park

09) Small Talk

10) Snow

11) It's Hard To Say Goodbye

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Glen Gray: Sounds Of The Great Bands Volume 7

As promised earlier, another Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra album from the series "Sounds of the Great Bands". This is Volume 7. Thanks to JohnP for this share.

Tracks:

01) Stranger On The Shore [Duke Ellington]

02) Desifinado [Stan Kenton]

03) What Kind Of Fool Am I [Count Basie]

04) Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days Of Summer [Bob Crosby]

05) I Left My Heart In San Francisco [Harry James]

06) Alley Cat [Benny Goodman]

07) The Sweetest Sounds [Charlie Barnet]

08) Fly Me To The Moon [Casa Loma]

09) Days Of Wine And Roses [Les Brown]

10) I Will Follow You [Glenn Miller]

11) Our Day Will Come [Tommy Dorsey]

12) The Good Life [Randy Brooks]

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Julie London: Swing Me An Old Song (1959)

Everyone seems to have forgotten that rock 'n' roll wasn't doing so hot with white audiences at the tail end of the 1950s until the Beatles hit the scene and had everyone going electric again. Instead of rockabilly folk music and dixieland jazz were huge in 1959 and young audiences were getting into old-time songs that their parents and grandparents knew. "Swing Me An Old Song" was Julie London's dixieland-spiced folk revival effort. If it doesn't actually play to her strengths to be cast as a sexed-up version of Burl Ives it takes some kind of real talent to be able to coo such hoary chestnuts as "Camptown Races" and "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat" without embarrassing yourself too much. Thankfully the song selection on most of the album is better than these two egregious examples of stale singalongs that should never have made it outside summer camp. Tracks like "Cuddle Up A Little Closer" and "Darktown Strutters Ball" fit London like a satin glove, as does her downbeat take on "Bill Bai...ley, Won't You Please Come Home" (though she would cut an even better version of this on her 1966 release "For The Night People"). During the same year as "Swing Me An Old Song", London also cut the cool jazz album "Julie...At Home" (which may just be her single finest work) and "Your Number Please...", a swank orchestral set of standards. People often mention Julie London's limited vocal range, but it's surprising how far her talent could stretch. ~ Nick Dedina

Side 1:
01) Comin' Thru The Rye
02) Cuddle Up A Little Closer
03) After The Ball
04) Be My Little Bumble Bee
05) Camptown Races
06) Old Folks At Home

Side 2:
01) Darktown Strutters' Ball
02) How Come You Do Me Like You Do
03) Row Row Row
04) By The Beautiful Sea
05) Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home
06) Three O'Clock In The Morning

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The Dave Pell Octet plays Rodgers and Hart (1954)

I have a personal affection for this album. Bought it, along with Stan Kenton's "Sketches On Standards", when both were released on Capitol 10" vinyls back in the mid-50s. Wore them both out so was delighted when this Pell classic came on the market again. With arrangements by Shorty Rogers, Marty Paich, Johnny Mandel and Wes Hensel it had to be a winner. . . and it is.

Personnel:

Dave Pell (sax - tenor)

Ronnie Lang (sax - baritone & flute)

Don Fagerquist (trumpet)

Ray Sims (trombone)

Donn Trenner (piano & celeste)

Tony Rizzi (guitar)

Roland Bundock (bass)

Bill Richmond (drums)

Johnny Mandel (arranger)

Marty Paich (arranger)

Shorty Rogers (arranger)

Wes Hensel (arranger)

Side 1:

01) Why Do You Suppose

02) Have You Met Miss Jones

03) You Are Too Beautiful

04) Mountain Greenery

05) A Ship Without A Sail

06) Blue Room

Side 2:

01) I've Got Five Dollars

02) Sing For Your Supper

03) It Never Entered My Mind

04) The Lady Is A Tramp

05) Spring Is Here

06) Ten Cents A Dance

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Johnny Hodges and his Strings Play the Prettiest Gershwin (1958)

Only the most potent jazz musicians are capable of successful collaboration with string ensembles. Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday and Ben Webster each made their share of sweet chamber ensembles or lush, orchestrally augmented recordings. And so did Duke Ellington's star alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges. On November 18, 1958, he recorded an album for Verve comprising 12 melodies written by George Gershwin. The session took place in Stuttgart, Germany. Hodges was accompanied by pianist Horst Jankowski and by a bassist who is not identified. "Atmosphere" was generated by the Stuttgart Light Orchestra under the direction of Wolfram Rohrig. Arrangements were scored by Russell Garcia. As with most string-laden recordings the listener will need to accept the violins, violas and celli in order to enjoy the jazz element that exists quite strongly -- and intimately -- in the foreground. Most of the songs are performed slowly with "Nice Work If You Can Get It" taken at a gentle bounce tempo. "But Not for Me" comes across as slightly sassy, "They Can't Take That Away from Me" is walked in 4/4 time and "Summertime" is savored as a deeply felt meditation in blue. All of these performances, like most of the music in the latter day Johnny Hodges discography, combine the elegant tonal ligatures of swing and cool. ~ arwulf arwulf

Side 1:
01) Our Love Is Here To Stay
02) Nice Work If You Can Get It
03) S'Wonderful
04) Summertime
05) Soon
06) But Not For Me

Side 2:
01) Somebody Loves Me
02) They Can't Take That Away From Me
03) Someone To Watch Over Me
04) The Man I Love
05) Oh, Lady Be Good
06) They All Laughed

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Nina Simone: Jazz As Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club (1958)

Nina Simone's first official album, 1958's "Jazz as Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club" is pure perfection, an amazing accomplishment for a 24-year-old pianist arranging and singing studio renditions of songs from her live set. Captured here are moments of intrigue as Simone magically takes the listener through musical caverns that want to be explored again with repeated spins. The rendition of "Plain Gold Ring" is exotic and draws the listener back, just as the Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart classic "Little Girl Blue" (the alternate title of the album stamped on the label of the vinyl as well as on the back cover) is a gorgeous work of art, Simone adding the melody from the traditional "Good King Wenceslas" to the standard Janis Joplin would bring to rock audiences a decade later. The cover photograph of the artist on a park bench in Central Park is a play on her only songwriting contribution, "Central Park Blues". In her autobiography Simone gives insight into the recording of this masterpiece, an album that sets different tones with each melodic adventure. The uptempo blues of "Mood Indigo" drops quietly into "Don't Smoke in Bed" and the even deeper blues of "He Needs Me". One can hear Billie Holiday's influence pushing Simone on her own musical path. While Roger Williams was tearing up the popular charts with his middle-of-the-road magic, Simone elegantly plays her jazz with adult contemporary leanings cracking the Top 20 herself with "I Loves You Porgy" in 1959. "Jazz as Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club" (aka "Little Girl Blue") is a superb fusion of jazz, blues and pop that reveals something new each time it is played. ~ Joe Viglione

Tracks:

01) Mood Indigo

02) Don't Smoke In Bed

03) He Needs Me

04) Little Girl Blue

05) Love Me Or Leave Me

06) My Baby Just Cares For Me

07) Good Bait

08) Plain Gold Ring

09) You'll Never Walk Alone

10) I Loves You Porgy

11) Central Park Blues

12) He's Got The Whole World In His Hands

13) For All We Know

14) African Mailman

15) My Baby Just Cares For Me [extended version]

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Humphrey Lyttelton Band: Humph Plays Standards (1960)

This LP was cut in 1960 which means that it benefited from the presence of tenor saxist Jimmy Skidmore who left the band the following year. The title is self-explanatory and Lyttelton has taken this opportunity to showcase most of the soloists in a series of settings arranged by Eddie Harvey and Harry South. The band, as a band, is heard on "Love For Sale" and "Blue Lou" and the remaining tracks are features for the sidemen. "Prelude To A Kiss" presents Joe Temperley playing the baritone like a man blissfully unaware of the work done on the instrument by Gerry Mulligan and the late Serge Chaloff. The overall sound is, quite naturally, close to that of an Ellington splinter group containing Harry Carney. "Willow" is an enchanting alto solo by Tony Coe while "Ida" is simply the leader accompanied by the rhythm section. Coe (on clarinet this time) and Lyttelton are paired off on "Weakness" to good effect whereas "Bewitched" — arranged jointly by Humph and Tony Coe, incidentally — teams up trumpet and baritone in a performance which sounds occasionally like a rather aged version of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. Pete Blannin's bass is heard throughout "Undecided" while the remaining two tracks are, quite simply, the most attractive on the record. Coe (alto) and Skidmore take "The Man I Love" as the basis for a musical conversation while Jimmy turns in a beautiful solo on "Body And Soul" with the band playing "organ" harmonies behind the tenor.

Lyttelton and Sandy Brown seem to have created a new jazz sub-division which is as original as European jazzmen can hope to be. There are no bands in America today (early '60s) playing jazz of exactly this type and in Lyttelton's case I would say that the band suffered a great blow in the departure of Jimmy Skidmore whose tenor was such a strong and authoritative voice, a fact ably demonstrated by this LP. ~ A.M.

Side 1:

01) Love For Sale

02) Prelude To A Kiss

03) Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider

04) Willow Weep For Me

05) That's My Weakness Now

Side 2:

01) Blue Lou

02) The Man I Love

03) Undecided

04) Bewitched

05) Body and Soul

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Jon Hendricks: I Salud! Joao Gilberto (1963)

Jon Hendricks is an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is considered one of the originators of vocalese which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and replaces instruments with vocalists (such as The Lambert, Hendricks and Ross trio of which he was a member). Furthermore, he is considered one of the best practitioners of scat singing which involves
vocal jazz soloing. For his work as a lyricist jazz critic and historian Leonard Feather called him the "Poet Laureate of Jazz" while "Time" dubbed him the "James Joyce of Jive".

Jon idolizes João Gilberto. He has spoken fondly of their first meeting where they scatted to each other before ever speaking a word -- and he wasted little time putting together a tribute album at the height of the first bossa nova wave. It ought to come as no surprise that he would display total sympathy with the bossa nova manner here, singing softly and smoothly and Hendricks' English wordplay is quite faithful to the original tunes and meanings of the Portuguese lyrics in contrast to his usual whimsical work with jazz improvisations. Hendricks is particularly winning and irresistibly swinging on the rare occasions ("Voce E Eu", "Samba Da Minha Terra") when he scats to the Brazilian rhythm. He should have done more of that here. But then his versions of Gilberto's repertoire are carefully based on his early EMI/Odeon recordings now available on "The Legendary João Gilberto". Even Antonio Carlos Jobim's string and wind charts for the originals are preserved by adapter Johnny Mandel. Alas the only Hendricks lyric that has become a universal standard is Jobim's "Chega de Saudade" ("No More Blues"). As Hendricks' only album-length encounter with bossa nova, "Salud! João Gilberto Originator of the Bossa Nova" is essential. ~ Richard S. Ginell

Tracks:

01) The Duck

02) Quiet Nights

03) You and I

04) Love In Peace

05) Little Paper Ball

06) Longing For Bahia

07) Little Train Of Iron

08) No More Blues

09) Rosa Morena

10) The Most Beautiful Thing

11) Samba Of My Land

12) Once Again

13) Jive Samba

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The Dorsey Brothers: Mood Hollywood (1932/33)

This excellent recording features 16 performances (including four alternate takes) by The Dorsey Brothers during 1932-33. Bunny Berigan's trumpet solos are the most memorable
aspect of these early swing recordings many of which feature an octet rather than a big band. Highlights include "Someone Stole Gabriel's Horn", two takes of "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" and the brothers' many fine solos. ~ Scott Yanow

Side 1:

01) Someone Stole Gabriel's Horn

02) I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

03) I'm Getting Sentimental Over You [alternate take]

04) Sing It's Good For You

05) Mood Hollywood

06) Mood Hollywood [a.t.]

07) Shim Sham Shimmy

08) Shim Sham Shimmy [a.t.]

Side 2:

01) Old Man Harlem

02) By Heck

03) By Heck [a.t.]

04) The Blue Room

05) Fidgety

06) She's Funny That Way

07) I Can't Make A Man

08) Dr Heckle and Mr Jibe

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Notice Board

This blog's online file-sharing site, 4Shared, has disabled another download link. This time it's the fun album, "That Travelin' Two-Beat" (Crosby/Clooney) I posted earlier this month. "Waltz For Debbie" (Monica Zetterlund/Bill Evans) is another one pulled in June.

Why these two albums? This is the formal notice sent on each occasion:

"We received a complaint that some files in your account are breaking our terms of use and contain illegal or abusive information. These files were moved to the 'Abuse' folder and access to them was disabled."

How our two albums above are deemed to be "illegal or abusive" I'll never know. What annoys me the most is that the complainants can remain completely annonymous and the validity of their accusations go unchecked. There's no right of reply. What's to prevent some malcontent taking senseless, random pot-shots at our blogs?

I'm aware that it's a fine line we bloggers often walk. That's why I try to confine the biggest percentage of my postings to vinyls initially released in the '50s and '60s. Some are in the '70s /'80s time frame I know, but many of these are out of print. By and large I share albums that are either unobtainable or feature artists little known to a big percentage of the current record purchasing public. This exposure could possibly benefit Amazon and the likes. Maybe not. I'd be intrigued to know if there are ever any online purchases made after listening to any of my shares.

If any of you have comments to make relevant to this issue I'd be very happy to read them.

In the meantime, we must bid adieu to Bing, Rosemary and the lovely Monica.

Joe "Fingers" Carr Plays The Classics (1955)

Joe "Fingers" Carr was born Louis Ferdinand Busch, 1910, Louisville, Kentucky, and he died September 19, 1979, Camarillo, California. In his late teens Busch began playing with the George Olsen and Hal Kemp bands (he met and married his first wife, Janet Blair, when she was the singer in Kemp's band). In the '40s Busch became the in-house producer for Capitol Records and later the A&R man. During this period he also played piano in the studio bands that backed artists such as Peggy Lee and Jo Stafford. In the early '50s his orchestra was prominent on hits by Margaret Whiting (who, after his divorce, became his second wife) and Kay Starr.

In the '50s, with the the ragtime revival in full flow, Busch issued his self-penned "Ivory Rag". Playing this style of music he recorded prolifically under the name of Joe "Fingers" Carr
(with the Carr-Hopps) and enjoyed US chart success with "Down Yonder" and "Portuguese Washerwoman" both featuring his honky tonk-style piano playing. His most famous record, "Zambesi" (a UK Top 3 hit in early 1956) was covered in 1982 by the Piranhas and reached number 17 in the UK chart.

In the late '50s Busch left Capitol and began working for Warner Brothers Records as an A&R man and as a recording performer. He was killed in a car crash in 1979.

Side 1:
01) Melody In F [Rubinstein]
02) Minuet In G [Beethoven]
03) Hungarian Dance No. 5 [Brahms]
04) Scarf Dance [Chaminade]
05) Waltz Of The Flowers [Tchaikovsky]
06) Liebestraume [Liszt]

Side 2:
01) Le Secret [Gautier]
02) Dance of the Comedians [Kabalevsky]
03) Anitra's Dance [Grieg]
04) Sabre Dance [Khatchaturian]
05) Prelude No. 7 [Chopin]
06) Prelude In C Sharp Minor [Rachmaninoff]

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Ann Richards & Stan Kenton: Two Much! (1961)

Ann Richards never received the same acclamation as her more famous vocal predecessors with The Stan Kenton Orchestra -- Anita O'Day, June Christy and Chris Connor. While these three went on to carve out successful careers as singles, Richards, after her divorce from Kenton, slowly sank into obscurity. With a style closer to O'Day's, Richards could swing out a tune and scat with the best of them. She demonstrates these talents on "It's a Wonderful World" and "All or Nothing at All". She could also credibly deliver on blues tunes as on "The Morning After (The Night Before)" and "Suddenly I'm Sad". Richards could move to a lower range and get torchy which she does on "My Kinda Love". Then she slow-drags "I Got Rhythm", riding atop the doleful tones of the trombone section and a muted trumpet. While he didn't have the big names that peppered earlier bands, this Kenton group could swing and play as a cohesive group. Like all Kenton bands it featured the high register trumpet. Here it's Bud Brisbois that supplied the upper atmospheric notes on the horn. There are a couple of selections where Richards is backed by just a small group as on "No Moon at All" where she doesn't have to compete with the larger aggregation showing off her voice to its full advantage. With a slim discography this album is an important contribution to the legacy of a good singer whose career was far too short. ~ Dave Nathan

Side 1:
01) It's A Wonderful World
02) The Morning After
03) I Was The Last One To Know
04) My Kinda Love
05) I Got Rhythm

Side 2:
01) No Moon At All
02) Don't Be That Way
03) Suddenly I'm Sad
04) Nobody Like My Baby
05) All Or Nothing At All

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Frank Wess, Kenny Burrell, Joe Newman, Freddie Green: Jazz For Playboys (1956)

This album has three songs apiece from two similar sessions. One half of the set features Frank Wess (doubling on flute and tenor) accompanied by both Kenny Burrell and Freddy Green on guitars, bassist Eddie Jones and drummer Gus Johnson. The other three titles add trumpeter Joe Newman and have Ed Thigpen in Johnson's place. The music is essentially cool-toned swing/bop very much in a Count Basie vein and is easily recommended to straightahead jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow

Tracks:

01) Playboy

02) Miss Blues

03) Baubles, Bangles and Beads

04) Low Life

05) Pin Up

06) Blues For A Playmate

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Bobby Hackett: Coast Concert (1955)

In the 1950s Bobby Hackett's pretty tone was often utilized on mood music albums most notably by Jackie Gleason, but he never lost his ability to play hot jazz and in the fall of 1955 he was part of the Dixieland Jubilee presented by Frank Bull and Gene Norman at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Also featured on the program was Hackett's longtime colleague, Jack Teagarden, who was in superb form at this point in his career. The results of that concert were so felicitous that Capitol Records OK'd the recording of "Coast Concert" featuring Hackett leading an octet that included Teagarden on trombone and vocals, and also old friends Abe Lincoln on trombone and Matty Matlock on clarinet. Capitol was concerned with sales and had the group stick to familiar standards such as "I Want a Big Butter and Egg Man", "That's a Plenty", "Basin Street Blues" (beautifully sung by Teagarden) and "Struttin' with Some Barbecue". Hackett's cornet is center stage on some beautiful solos ranging from the ebullient brilliance of "Struttin' with Some Barbecue" to the subdued, gorgeous lyricism of "Basin Street Blues", the latter offering two solos by Hackett and a gorgeous spot for Matlock's clarinet plus Don Owens' elegantly understated pianism. The top-notch players really inspire each other with some heated ensembles and creative solo work and the result is one of Hackett's finest sessions of the 1950s. It had no small effect on Teagarden's career as well. Capitol ended up doing a quartet of follow-up albums by the legendary trombonist/singer cut between January 1956 and April of 1958 which included some of his finest late-career work. ~ Scott Yanow & Bruce Eder

Side 1:
01) Big Butter And Egg Man
02) New Orleans
03) That's A-Plenty
04) Basin Street Blues

Side 2:
01) Muskrat Ramble
02) I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan
03) Royal Garden Blues
04) Struttin' With Some Barbecue
05) Fidgety Feet

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Joanie Sommers: Positively The Most (1960)

Joanie Sommers was not so modestly heralded on the front album jacket as "the greatest discovery in singing ... in the past fifteen years", and her debut did reveal a vivacious vocalist exhibiting a tremendous amount of depth for someone still in her teens. Released in 1960, "Positively the Most" comprises a dozen Great American Songbook entries with distinct arrangements by the top-shelf talents of Tommy Oliver and Marty Paich. Rather than attempting to market Sommers as an old-style balladeer, the smart jazz and pop scores not only update the familiar titles, but likewise provide the perfect point of departure for the singer and her audience alike.

Much of Paich's true artistry lies in his uncanny ability to present performers at their best -- vocalists and instrumentalists alike. A prime example can be heard as Sommers mixes sensitivity with a profundity of character, ultimately conjuring up the likes of Billie Holiday and Lena Horne. As evidenced on this long-player, she unquestionably possessed talents well beyond her years. ~ Lindsay Planer

Side 1:
01) It Might As Well Be Spring
02) My Heart Belongs To Daddy
03) Something I Dreamed Last Night
04) I'm beginning To See The Light
05) I Like The Likes Of You
06) What's New

Side 2:
01) So In Love
02) Oh But I Do
03) That Old Devil Moon
04) Heart And Soul
05) Squeeze Me
06) Too Young For The Blues

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Bob Crosby and his Orchestra (1938)

Side 1:

01) South Rampart Street Parade

02) More Than Ever [v. Bob Crosby]

03) Little Rock Getaway

04) It's Wonderful [v. Kay Weber]

05) You're An Education [v. Bob Crosby]
06) Sugar Foot Strut

Side 2:

01) Honky Tonk Train Blues

02) It's Easier Said Than Done [v. Bob Crosby]

03) In The Shade Of The New Apple Tree [v. Bob Crosby]

04) Please Be Kind [v. Kay Weber]

05) Dixieland Shuffle

06) The Old Apple Tree [v. Nappy Lamare]

Personnel:

Bob Crosby [leader/vocals]

Billy Butterfield, Yank Lawson, Charlie Spivak [trumpets]

Ward Silloway, Warren Smith [trombones]

Matty Matlock [alto/clarinet]

Eddie Miller [tenor/clarinet]

Gil Rodin, Joe Kearns [tenors]

Bob Zurke [piano]

Nappy Lamare [guitar/vocal]

Bob Haggart [string bass]

Ray Bauduc [drums]

Kay Weber [vocals]

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Margaret Whiting: Sings The Jerome Kern Songbook (1960)

Given Margaret Whiting's limitations as a stylist you certainly wouldn't expect an album of Jerome Kern-penned Broadway standards to rank among her jazziest, most lively LPs, but the great arranger Russ Garcia truly outdoes himself masterminding a delightfully energetic session that's undeniably appealing. While Garcia and sidemen including altoist Bud Shank contribute much of the album's sense of swing, Whiting proves herself a far more fluid and rhythmic singer than her critics care to admit -- her vocals achieve a nice balance between the theatricality of Kern's music and the pizzazz of Garcia's treatments. A pointed reminder that "wholesome" doesn't necessarily equate with "square". ~ Jason Ankeny

Tracks:

01) Why Was I Born [Sweet Adeline]

02) Remind Me [One Night In The Tropics]

03) The Song Is You [Music In The Air]

04) I Won't Dance [Roberta]

05) Don't Ever Leave Me [Sweet Adeline]

06) I'm Old Fashioned [You Were Never Lovlier]

07) All In Fun [Very Warm For May]

08) Why Do I Love You [Showboat]

09) Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man [Showboat]

10) A Fine Romance [Swingtime]

11) Look For The Silver Lining [Sally Gardens]

12) All The Things You Are [Very Warm For May]

13) Poor Pierott [The Cat And The Fiddle]

14) Smoke Gets In Your Eyes [Roberta]

15) Let's Begin [Roberta]

16) Do You Love Me [Sunny]

17) Dearly Beloved [You Were Never Lovlier]

18) Long Ago And far Away [Cover Girl]

19) The Way You Look Tonight [Swing Time]

20) You Couldn't Be Cuter [Joy Of Living]

21) Yesterdays [Roberta]

22) Bill [Showboat]

23) She Didn't Say Yes [Showboat]

24) The Touch Of Your Hand [Roberta]

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Notice Board

There's a duplication of tracks on the latest share "Alto Blue" ("Jam Blues" & "Not So Dukish"). Better postpone your download until I get it fixed with Keith. I'll leave this post up until I do a reup with the corrected tracks. :(

Johnny Hodges: Alto Blue (1954)

Have been a huge fan of Johnny Hodges for years, so was a happy chappie when this blog's benefactor, Keith, popped up with this long out-of-print Verve vinyl. It contains some rare performances from Johnny. Also featured are Ben Webster on tenor, trumpeter Roy Eldridge and either Vic Dickenson or Lawrence Brown on trombone, Lionel Hampton, Oscar Peterson and other jazz luminaries. For such a vintage LP the sound Keith reproduced is nothing short of miraculous -- sounds great on my player, so hope it's a good, clean download for you.

Need any background on Johnny? If so here's a medium-size bio which may help:

"Possessor of the most beautiful tone ever heard in jazz altoist Johnny Hodges formed his style early on and had little reason to change it through the decades. Although he could stomp with the best swing players and was masterful on the blues Hodges's luscious playing on ballads has never been topped. He played drums and piano early on before switching to soprano sax when he was 14. Hodges was taught and inspired by Sidney Bechet although he soon used alto as his main instrument. He would regretfully drop soprano altogether after 1940. His early experiences included playing with Lloyd Scott, Chick Webb, Luckey Roberts and Willie "The Lion" Smith (1924) and he also had the opportunity to work with Bechet. However Johnny Hodges's real career began in 1928 when he joined Duke Ellington's Orchestra. He quickly became one of the most important solo stars in the band and a real pacesetter on alto. Benny Carter was his only close competition in the 1930s. Hodges was featured on a countless number of performances with Ellington and also had many chances to lead recording dates with Duke's sidemen. Whether it was "Things Ain't What They Used to Be", "Come Sunday" or "Passion Flower", Hodges was an indispensable member of Ellington's Orchestra in the 1930s and '40s. It was therefore a shock in 1951 when he decided to leave Duke and lead a band of his own. Hodges had a quick hit in "Castle Rock" (which ironically showcased Al Sears's tenor and had no real contribution by the altoist) but his combo ended up struggling and breaking up in 1955. Hodges's return to Duke Ellington was a joyous occasion and he never really left again. In the 1960s Hodges teamed up with organist Wild Bill Davis on some sessions leading to Davis joining Ellington for a time in 1969. Johnny Hodges, whose unchanging style always managed to sound fresh, was still with Duke Ellington when he suddenly died in 1970."

Side 1:

01) Cool Your Motor

02) Jam Blues

03) Honey Hill

Side 2:

01) Blues A-Plenty

02) Not So Dukish

03) Preacher Blues

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Barry Manilow: Swing Street (1987)

In the liner notes for "Swing Street", Barry Manilow refers to his wish to record a "techno-swing album". While that term conjures images of mechanistic swing sets, it must actually refer to the album's largely synthesized instrumentation. From the first few notes of its title track "Swing Street" seems like music made for an audience of mannequins. It certainly swings, especially on tracks like "Big Fun", but it does so in a cold, canned sort of way suggesting jazz-pop painstakingly recreated by futuristic robot musicologists. Manilow himself fully indulges in the vocal style of the genre emoting up a storm on "Stardust" and "Summertime", a duet with Diane Schurr that also features the sax of Stan Getz. The latter track is a standout and together with the wistful piano-driven "Once You Were Mine", it's the most real thing on the album. ~ Johnny Loftus

Tracks:

01) Swing Street

02) Big Fun

03) Stompin' At The Savoy

04) Black And Blue

05) Hey Mambo

06) Summertime

07) Brooklyn Blues

08) Stardust

09) Once When You Were Mine

10) One More Time

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Artie Shaw and his Gramercy Five (1972)

Some of the big bands of the '30s and '40s had a "band within the band", a small group which recorded outside of the main orchestra. Benny Goodman had his trio and quartet, Tommy Dorsey had the Clambake Seven and Count Basie made recordings with just his rhythm section. But Artie Shaw and his Gramercy Five stands as the most original and fascinating of these bands. There were two Gramercy Five groups. The first was formed in 1940 from members of Shaw's orchestra (this is the orchestra that had hits with "Frenesi" and "Temptation"). The second group was created in 1945 from members of Shaw's last great (and most experimental) big band.

The first Gramercy Five had an incredible line-up: Shaw on clarinet, Billy Butterfield (later a bandleader himself) on trumpet, Al Hendrickson on guitar, Jud DeNaut on bass, Nick Fatool on drums and Johnny Guarnieri on ... harpsichord. And here lies the genius and the unique sound of this group. Most people associate the harpsichord with baroque music and Bach. But Shaw recognized the possibility of this instrument in jazz. It added an incredible bounce and sense of sophistication to the music. It was the harpsichord that tied the first Gramercy Five together and made them swing so superbly.

The second Gramercy Five was also great, but they just couldn't quite hold up to the standard set by the first. The harpsichord no longer fitted the style of this band which was making experiments with be-bop. Nevertheless the musicians involved were just as amazing as the first group: Shaw on clarinet, Roy Eldridge (a legend himself) on trumpet, Dodo Marmarosa on piano, Barney Kessel on electric guitar, Morris Rayman on bass and Lou Fromm on drums.

Side 1:

01) Special Delivery Stomp

02) Keepin' Myself For You

03) Summit Ridge Drive

04) Cross Your Heart

05) Dr Livingstone I Presume

06) When The Quail Come Back To San Quentin

07) Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Side 2:

01) My Blue Heaven

02) The Grabtown Grapple

03) The Sad Sack

04) Scuttlebutt

05) The Gentle Grifter

06) Mysterioso

07) Hop, Skip And Jump

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Lucy Ann Polk: Lucky Lucy Ann (1957)

Lucy Ann Polk's lone Mode/VSOP session pairs the singer with a sextet led by pianist and arranger Marty Paich, whose nuanced, spacious orchestrations perfectly complement Polk's sultry yet supremely controlled style. The strength of "Lucky Lucy Ann" is its subtlety -- not a note is wasted or extraneous and for all the modernist elements converging in Paich's arrangements he never obscures the clarity of perennials like "Makin' Whoopee" and "Time After Time". Polk likewise shades the universal themes of the lyrics with a style and fierce intelligence all her own. For all the power of her voice, it's her restraint that rings loudest and clearest. ~ Jason Ankeny

Side 1:

01) Sitting In The Sun

02) How About You

03) I'm Just A Lucky So And So

04) Squeeze Me

05) When The Sun Comes Out

06) Makin' Whoopee

Side 2:

01) Don'cha Go Away Mad

02) Sittin' And A-Rockin'

03) Memphis In June

04) Time After Time

05) Easy Living

06) Looking At You

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Charlie Spivak: Stomping Room Only (1941/50)

A rival of sorts to Harry James, trumpet player Charlie Spivak kept a big band from 1940 to 1950. Although he was recording up to 1986 with groups put together for a one-time session it was during the ten years covered by this album when he was most prominent. Because of Spivak's pretty-sounding trumpet with its broad vibrato, big-band historians usually relegate Spivak's groups to the sweet band category thrown in with Jan Garber, Jan Savitt, and Blue Barron. But this LP demonstrates that the classification is unfair and disparaging. His bands were equally at home with the up-tempo numbers as they were with ballads. Spivak had top-flight arrangers writing charts for him including Phil Rommel, Manny Albam, Sonny Burke, and Nelson Riddle, although Riddle did none of the arrangements on this album. It was Burke who wrote the arrangement for Spivak's classic rendition of "Autumn Nocturne", which was to become his signature song. These aggregations were spawning grounds that nurtured the talents of musicians who went on to bigger things. Among those who were sidemen with various Spivak bands are Jimmy Knepper, Les Elgart, Larry Elgart, Alvin Stoller, and Nelson Riddle. The quality of his musicians was heard in the excellent ensemble that showed the band's sections were well rehearsed. His groups sometimes were very large getting up to 18 musicians in 1944 excluding vocalists. With respect to the latter Irene Daye is heard on "The Gentleman Is a Dope" and Jimmy Saunders on "Let Me Love You Tonight". Among the better "stompin" tunes are "Devil's Holiday" and "Let's Go Home", each with a nice clarinet solo, along with "What's Cookin". With a play list of 16 tunes alternating between slow and up-tempo material this LP is a good cross section of the various Charlie Spivak bands of the 1940s. ~ Dave Nathan

Side 1:

01) Stomping Room Only

02) Moonlight On The Ganges

03) Leave Some

04) It Ain't Necessarily So

05) I Got Plenty Of Nuttin'

06) The Gentleman Is A Dope [Irene Day]

07) Tenderly

08) The Devil's Holiday

Side 2:

01) Let's Go Home

02) Let Me Love You Tonight [Jimmy Saunders]

03) What's Cookin'

04) At Dawning

05) Hey Sit Down Bud

06) Autumn Nocturne

07) Summertime

08) Flat Feet

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Dinah Shore & Andre Previn: Dinah Sings - Previn Plays (1959)

While maintaining her status as a television star Dinah Shore made a series of classy albums for Capitol Records between 1959 and 1962. On this, the fourth of her five LPs for the label, she again teamed with André Previn who had arranged and conducted her earlier album, "Somebody Loves Me". This time Previn took to the piano joined only by an occasional rhythm section for another set of ballads (or, as the sleeve notes put it, "songs in a midnight mood"). They included standards by the Gershwins, Rodgers & Hart and others and Shore handled them with more than her usual warmth; she smoldered. The result was a concept album that ranks with some of Frank Sinatra's. Maybe sales were negligible because the Shore of this album was hard to reconcile with the grinning hostess on TV, but it probably had more to do with the overexposure TV gives any regular performer causing the public to look for her on the small screen rather than on the record shelves. In any case that made this album a lost gem. ~ William Ruhlmann

Tracks:

01) The Man I Love

02) April In Paris

03) That Old Feeling

04) I've Got You Under My Skin

05) Then I'll Be Tired Of You

06) Sleepy Time Gal

07) My Melancholy Baby

08) My Funny Valentine

09) It Had To Be You

10) I'll Be Seeing You

11) If I Had You

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Les Brown Band Of Renown: Dance To South Pacific (1958)

Les Brown And His Band Of Renown signed with Capitol Records in 1955 at a time when many stars of the big band era were downsizing their groups or disbanding altogether. Instead, Brown reinvented his sound. The band, once known for "sweet" tunes like "Sentimental Journey" and novelty numbers like "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio", became more innovative and jazz-oriented. He enjoyed a fresh string of hit singles and successful LPs through the end of the decade. Such was his reputation earned principally with his earlier Columbia sides he was easily able to recruit and retain top players and arrangers (Sonny Burke and Frank Comstock). Because of this his Capitol recordings have found an enduring audience much as his Columbia sides did.

This album of charts from the Broadway show "South Pacific" is typical of the sound the band was producing during its latter years with Capitol. As a single LP this 1958 release has been out of print for some years.

Side 1:

01) Honey Bun

02) Happy Talk

03) Some Enchanted Evening

04) The Lonliness Of Evening

05) A Wonderful Guy

06) Bloody Mary

Side 2:

01) Bali Hai

02) Dites-Moi

03) Younger Than Springtime

04) This Nearly Was Mine

05) There Is Nothin' Like A Dame

06) I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair

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Ernestine Anderson: My Kinda Swing (1960)

Ernestine Anderson was 32 years old at the time of this 1960 session, not long before her career inexplicably fell into the doldrums. This album finds her in great form supported by a cast of musicians including Clark Terry, Hank Jones, Yusef Lateef, Ernie Royal, Frank Rehak, and Kenny Burrell, with terrific arrangements by Ernie Wilkins. She achieves the perfect balance in her interpretation of "Trouble Is a Man", a masterful ballad written by Alec Wilder and she's clearly in her element in the hard-rocking blues "See See Rider". Terry's striking trumpet almost provides a contrasting vocal alongside Anderson during "All My Life", while her understated approach to a quick run through "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" showcases Jones and Burrell. Lateef's oboe adds to the exotic flavor of "Lazy Afternoon". ~ Ken Dryden

Side 1:
01) My Kinda Love
02) Trouble Is A Man
03) See See Rider
04) Moonlight In Vermont
05) Land Of Dreams
06) Black Moonlight

Side 2:
01) All My Life
02) Mound Bayou
03) I'll Never Be The Same
04) It Don't Mean A Thing
05) Lazy Afternoon
06) They Didn't Believe Me

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Dave Pell Octet: I Had The Craziest Dream (1955/57)

The Dave Pell Octet was the epitome of mid-'50s West Coast jazz. With its tight arrangements, concise performances (usually around three minutes long despite the rise of the LP), soft tones and distinctive brand of restrained swing, Pell's ensemble was a perfect representative of cool jazz. The ensemble originally was part of the Les Brown Big Band gaining an independent life of its own in 1955. This reissue has all of the first 13 selections that Pell recorded for Capitol --eight from 1955 and the remainder from 1957 -- plus four titles (one previously unissued) led by trumpeter Don Fagerquist with a similar band in 1955 (one of only two opportunities that the underrated great had to head his own date). Dave Pell's four-horn, four-rhythm group includes Fagerquist, either Bob Gordon or Ronny Lang on baritone, the leader on tenor, trombonist Ray Sims, guitarist Tony Rizzi, pianist Paul Smith, drummer Jack Sperling, and one of three bassists. The Fagerquist group differs in that, instead of a trombone, he featured three tenors (Pell, Zoot Sims, and Bill Holman). The arrangements by Marty Paich, Wes Hensel, Shorty Rogers, Bill Holman, Jack Montrose, and Andre Previn put an emphasis on melody, subtle surprises and light swing even at faster tempos. Basic originals alternate with updated versions of standards mostly from the swing era. Of the soloists Fagerquist and Rizzi come off best although Pell also fares very well. Although this style of West Coast jazz is largely extinct decades later (other than the notable Phil Norman Tentet), the music still sounds fresh and timeless. The Dave Pell Octet's many other recordings for Trend, Kapp, Atlantic, Victor, and Coral are now out of print. ~ Scott Yanow

Tracks:

01) I Had The Craziest Dream

02) Jazz Wagner

03) Mike's Peak

04) Poopsie

05) Star Eyes

06) Klump Jump

07) My Heart Belongs To Daddy

08) On The Good Ship Lollipop

09) The Way You Look Tonight

10) Nap's Dream

11) Time After Time

12) Crescendo Date

13) People In Love

14) The Way You Look Tonight

15) The Man I Love

16) Love Is Just Around The Corner

17) Play Fiddle Play

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Polly Bergen: Act One - Sing Too (1963)

Polly Bergen's final Philips LP, "Act One-Sing Too", is also her most alluring. Arranger Jerry Fielding channels inspiration from contemporary pop and jazz to create a hip, stylish atmosphere that perfectly complements her dusky voice. Fielding introduces melancholy horns, vibes and other accents that underscore the session's after-hours atmosphere, while Bergen responds with a thoughtful performance that fully capitalizes on the world-weary sophistication of her distinctive approach. The material's a bit predictable, but at least the forward thinking arrangements compensate. And while it's inaccurate to suggest that Bergen reinvents chestnuts like "The Way You Look Tonight" and "As Time Goes By", she certainly approaches them from interesting angles. ~ Jason Ankeny

Side 1:

01) The Continental

02) They Can't Take That Away From Me

03) The Way You Look Tonight

04) Through A Long And Sleepless Night

05) As Time Goes By

06) Cheek To Cheek

Side 2:

01) Easy To Love

02) For Every Man There's A Woman

03) Bye Bye Baby

04) You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

05) Hi Lili Hi Lo

06) Aren't You're Glad You're You

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Frank Wess: Flute Juice: (1982)

Frank Wess's first set as a leader in eight years finds the multi-reedist sticking to flute in a quintet with guitarist Chuck Wayne, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist George Mraz and drummer Ben Riley. The music is predictably excellent, lightly swinging and a bit more sophisticated than it might sound at first listen. Wess and his group perform four jazz standards (including "Lover Come Back to Me" and "There Is No Greater Love") plus a couple of the leader's originals.

Tracks:

01) Lover Come Back To Me

02) Spring Is Here

03) Riled Up

04) There Is No Greater Love

05) Nada Mas

06) Battle Royal

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NOVI Singers: Pay Tribute (1978)

Was aware of this quartet from Poland after reading about them ages ago. When this album showed up for sale grabbed it. I'm delighted with my purchase.

Their name NOVI (The New Ones) had a special meaning for them. It not only suggested something new, but was made up from the initials of the English words New Original Vocal Instruments. And this was so indeed. The NOVI used their voices like instruments. They gave the monosyllables of their vocalises any sound and articulation they wished. NOVI's biography is short and brilliant. In late 1964 a young graduate of the Warsaw Conservatory, Bernard Kawka, fascinated by the music of Bill Evans whom he had met in Scandinavia, decided to devote himself to jazz. In the Conservatory he found others who shared his enthusiasm for this music. This led to the formation of the band. They considered that the best way of expressing their jazz ideas would be to use their own voices. At first they appeared only on the radio becoming very popular with listeners. Then they took part in the annual international festival Jazz Jamboree in Warsaw in 1965 and continued to appear at similar events both at home and abroad. They sang in Switzerland where they won first prize at a jazz festival and appeared at Bled in Yugoslavia and in many other countries. They often appeared with leading Polish jazz musicians such as Andrzej Trzaskowski, Krzysztof Komeda, Adam Matyszkowicz and others.

"Above all we found the human voice to be a perfect jazz instrument", recalls Ewa Wanat (a member of the original group), "and that the possibilities in sound, expression and interpretation were unlimited. We knew that there was still much to be done in the field we had chosen and so we decided to become real improvisers: to create music while singing. We resigned from lyrics, and began to scat." (Jazz Forum 1/1971).

I understand this was the last recording made by the original members of the group. They were: Ewa Wanat (violin), Janusz Mych (flute), Waldemar Parzynski (percussion), Aleksander Gluch and Bernard Kawka (violin), all of whom both sang and played their respective instruments.

Don't know whether the 1978 recording date is 100% accurate. Jobim recorded his "Wave" album in 1967 and Richard Harris's "MacArthur Park" was published in 1968. But that makes me wonder about the '78 date for this album. But hey -- who cares! It's the music we're here for.

Fascinated by the reference to New Zealander David Hall on the back cover. They describe him as "Our ambassador abroad". Not familiar with his name but will see what Google can come up with. Hope you enjoy.

Side 1:

01) MacArthur Park

02) Masquerade

03) Does Anyone Really Know

04) Fool On The Hill

05) Hello Dolly

Side 2:

01) Wave

02) One Note Samba

03) By The Time I Get To Phoenix

04) Misty

05) Got To Get You Into My Life

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Stan Kenton: The Chronogical Classics (1945)

Volume two in the Classics Stan Kenton chronology presents all of his Capitol and V-Disc recordings made between January 16 and December 26, 1945, with a pair of initially rejected Gene Howard vocal sides from 1944 tossed in as bonus tracks out of sequence like an afterthought. Singers would now become an increasingly important ingredient in the postwar entertainment industry. At the beginning of 1945 Kenton's featured female vocalist was sultry Anita O'Day who later explained with characteristic gut level honesty why she quit after the session of January 16: "The band was great -- but it wasn't a swing band". June Christy began her own recording career with "Tampico" on May 4 after carefully studying the recordings of O'Day who must have been a tough act to follow. There were occasional bouts of crooning from Gene Howard and a Roy Eldridge disciple named Ray Wetzel sang and blew his trumpet on "I'm a Shy Guy". Kenton himself was one of four voices used on "I Been Down in Texas", an overbearing, embarrassingly contrived, campy combination of bop caricature and western novelty grossly cluttered with imitation hepcat vernacular and hyped-up corn. On the more authentically hip side of things "Around the Town", "Southern Scandal", "Opus in Pastels" and "Painted Rhythm" are among the better instrumental tracks from this part of the Kenton discography. Already the arrangements indicate the influence of Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Buster Harding, Earl Hines and the Billy Eckstine Orchestra. With all of the innovations circulating in the air at that time it was Kenton's steadily expanding ensemble that attracted much of the attention with its "modern" angularities, shrill brass and bop-flavored charts. Kenton's sax section continued to morph during this period. Stan Getz split around the same time as O'Day and Kenton's old running buddy, Vido Musso, was back with the band on October 15. ~ arwulf arwulf

Tracks:
01) Ooh, What I Dreamed About You [Gene Howard]
02) I Want A Grown-Up Man [Anita O'Day]
03) Travelin' Man [Anita O'Day]
04) Around The Town
05) Tampico [June Christy]
06) Southern Scandal
07) Opus In Pastels
08) It's Been A Long, Long Time [June Christy]
09) Don't Let Me Dream [Gene Howard]
10) That's The Stuff You Gotta Watch [June Christy]
11) Southern Scandal
12) Ride On [June Christy]
13) I'm A Shy Guy [Ray Wetzel]
14) I Never Thought I'd Sing The Blues [June Christy]
15) Are You Livin' Old Man [June Christy]
16) Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin' [June Christy]
17) Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin' [June Christy]
18) Artistry Jumps
19) Painted Rhythm
20) Shoo Fly Pie [June Christy]
21) I Been Down In Texas [Christy, Kenton & Wetzel]
22) She's Funny That Way [Gene Howard]
23) Say It Isn't So [Gene Howard]

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Bud Shank & Chet Baker: California Dreamin' (1966)

Recorded March 18 & 25, 1966, in LA, this World Pacific album (WPS-21845) is purely commercial in content and as such is considered by some to be a waste of talent bearing in mind the name players that were signed up for these sessions. While Bud's obviously the star performer Chet Baker lines up as well and the charts are arranged and conducted by Bob Florence. The 12 numbers are renditions of the day's big hits by the Beatles, The Byrds, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas etc.. There are some nice solos here and there but tend to be buried in the arrangements and background vocals.

The same trio did a similar album for this label earlier in '66 called "Michelle" (WPS 21840). This one became quite a big seller reaching #54 on the charts. Obviously with "California", World Pacific had hopes of cashing in on the popularity of its predecessor.

Side 1:
01) California Dreamin'
02) Imprevu
03) Listen People
04) What The World Needs Now
05) In Times Like These
06) Norwegian Wood

Side 2:
01) Woman
02) Monday, Monday
03) Daydream
04) Gotta Go
05) The End Of The World
06) Husbands and Wives

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Sarah Vaughan & Billy Eckstine: The Irving Berlin Songbook (1957)

Sarah Vaughan's heavenly vocalizing and Billy Eckstine's velvety deep tone proved an ideal match during the late '40s and throughout the '50s. This 1957 Irving Berlin collection qualifies as the high point of that collaboration. Sometimes surpassing their splendid solo sides, Vaughan and Eckstine obviously revel in each other's company here, seamlessly blending their voices on most every track. Draped in Hal Mooney's fine and unobtrusive charts, the singers particularly shine on such well-trodden Berlin fare as "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" and "Cheek to Cheek". There are equally splendid readings of the rarely covered "Easter Parade" and "Now It Can Be Told" as well. A highlight from the land of vintage vocal jazz. ~ Stephen Cook

Tracks:
01) Alexander's Ragtime Band
02) Isn't This A Lovely Day
03) I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
04) All Of My Life
05) Cheek To Cheek
06) You're Just In Love
07) Remember
08) Always
09) Easter Parade
10) The Girl That I Marry
11) Now It Can be Told

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Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played

Les Paul, the guitar virtuoso and inventor who revolutionized music and created rock 'n' roll as surely as Elvis Presley and the Beatles by developing the solid-body electric guitar and multitrack recording, died Thursday at age 94.

Four years ago Paul issued his first newly recorded album in 27 years (the last one being his collaboration with Chet Atkins, "Chester & Lester", in 1978), and it's a classic rock guitar version of the Frank Sinatra Duets projects, which is to say that, on most tracks, Paul is joined by superstar friends, most of them guitarists, who have overdubbed their parts elsewhere. The list of guitarists is truly stupendous -- Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Rick Derringer, Peter Frampton, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Buddy Guy, Steve Miller, Joe Perry, Keith Richards, Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, Neal Schon, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. As if that weren't enough, the featured vocalists include Mick Hucknall of Simply Red, Johnny Rzeznik of Goo Goo Dolls, Sting, Joss Stone, and Edgar Winter. And the sidemen are equally stellar (if better known among their peers than to the general public), including guitarist Steve Lukather, bassists Nathan East and Will Lee, and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. So, there is no problem with chops here. While the album is a celebration of Paul, and there are some endearing excerpts from the old Les Paul & Mary Ford radio show, as well as a home tape of family friend Steve Miller as a five-year-old, the old master himself only really shines on the numbers lacking the superstars, a strong version of Duke Ellington's "Caravan" and "69 Freedom Special". Otherwise, the album is more about what a couple of generations of rock guitarists have done with Paul's signature Gibson guitar model than it is about Paul himself. ~ William Ruhlmann

Tracks:

01) Radio Show Intro

02) Love Sneakin' Up On You [Joss Stone, Paul, Sting]

03) Rock 'n' Roll Hoochie Koo [Edgar Winter, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Paul, Noah Hunt]

04) Somebody Ease My Troublin' Mind [Eric Clapton, Paul, Sam Cooke]

05) So Into You [Paul, Peter Frampton]

06) How High The Moon [Alsou, Paul]

07) Bad Case Of Lovin' You [Billy Gibbons, Paul]

08) I Wanna Know You [Beth Hart, Paul, Neal Schon]

09) Ain't That Good News [Jeff beck, Paul, Sam Cooke]

10) Let Me Roll It [Paul, Richie Sambora]

11) Caravan [Les Paul]

12) Good Morning Little Schoolgirl [Buddy Guy, Keith Richards, Paul, Rick Derringer]

13) All I Want Is You [Johnny Rzeznik, Paul]

14) 69 Freedom Special [Les Paul]

15) Fly Like An Eagle [Paul, Steve Miller Band]

16) I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know [Joe Perry, Kenny Olsen, Paul, Mick Hucknall]

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Lee Wiley: A Compilation

Had some requests for more Lee Wiley after my posting of her "Night In Manhattan" on July 16. That was my only album, but over the past few years have managed to pull in some of her mp3s from various sources which I've uploaded for you hear. They range from recordings made in the '30s, '40s and '50s. Supporting artists include Bunny Berigan, Buddy Hackett, Fats Waller, Leo Reisman, Max Kaminsky and Victor Young.

If you're motivated to learn more about this fascinating American chanteuse here's a bio from Wikipedia:

Lee Wiley (October 9, 1908 - December 11, 1975) was an American jazz singer popular in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. She possessed an attractive, slightly husky tone and delivered lyrics with warmth and intimacy.

She was born in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. While still in her early teens Wiley left home to begin a career singing with the Leo Reisman band. Her career was temporarily interrupted by a fall while horse-riding and she suffered temporary blindness but she recovered and at the age of 19 was back with Reisman again (recording only 3 songs, "Take It From Me", "Time On My Hands" and her own composition, "Got The South In My Soul"). She also sang with Paul Whiteman and later the Casa Loma Orchestra. A collaboration with composer Victor Young resulted in several songs for which she wrote the lyrics.

In 1939 Wiley made a 78 rpm album set of eight Gershwin songs with a small group for Liberty Music Shops. The set sold well and was followed by 78 album sets dedicated to Cole Porter (1940), Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart (1940 and 1954), Harold Arlen (1943) and Vincent Youmans and Irving Berlin (1951). The players on these recordings included such musicians as Bunny Berigan, Bud Freeman, Max Kaminsky, Fats Waller, Billy Butterfield, Bobby Hackett, Eddie Condon, and bandleader Jess Stacy, the latter to whom Wiley was married for a number of years. These influential albums launched the concept of a "songbook" (often featuring lesser-known songs), which was later widely imitated by other singers.

Wiley's career made a resurgence in 1950 with the much admired ten-inch album "Night in Manhattan". In 1954 she opened the very first Newport Jazz Festival accompanied by Bobby Hackett. Later in the decade she recorded two of her finest albums, "West of the Moon" (1956) and "A Touch of the Blues" (1957). In the 1960s Wiley essentially went into retirement although a 1963 television film, "Something About Lee Wiley", which told her life story, stimulated interest in the singer. Her last public appearance was a concert in Carnegie Hall in 1972 as part of the New York Jazz Festival where she was enthusiastically received.

She died on December 11, 1975, after being diagnosed with colon cancer early that year. She was 67 years old.

Tracks:

01) Soft Lights And Sweet Music

02) Blues In My Heart

03) Body And Soul

04) How Deep Is The Ocean

05) It's Only A Paper Moon

06) Let Me Call You Sweetheart

07) More Than You Know

08) Time On My Hands

09) Only A Hothouse Rose [with Bunny Berigan]

10) But Not For Me [with Fats Waller]

11) Someone To Watch Over Me [with Fats Waller]

12) Got The South In My Soul [with Leo Reisman Orch]

13) Glad To Be Unhappy [with Max Kaminsky Orch]

14) You're An Old Smoothie [with Victor Young Orch]

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Maynard Ferguson: Live At Jimmy's (1973)

Several years before cornering the disco market with his "Conquistador" LP, trumpeter Maynard Ferguson cut a series of jazz/rock/funk fusion albums each bearing the phrase "M.F. Horn" in the title. The first two volumes, dating from 1970 and 1972, demonstrated Ferguson's growing interest in contemporary pop music, rather than the older pop repertoire that had ripened into jazz standards during the '50s and early '60s.

On July 10, 1973, Ferguson and his big band recorded "M.F. Horn, Vols. 4-5: Live at Jimmy's".

Produced by Teo Macero, this amazing session took place in front of an audience almost entirely comprised of jazz columnists and CBS employees. Jimmy's, a nightclub specializing in jazz, was located on West 52nd Street in New York City. "M. F. Horn, Vols. 4-5" is still considered to be Maynard Ferguson's best -- and jazziest -- big-band album of the '70s.

The trick photography used on the packaging typifies the wild and sometimes outrageous sort of pseudo-hallucinatory album cover art that popped up everywhere during the mid-'70s.

Ferguson, seemingly grown taller than a parking garage, is seen wandering between skyscrapers and planting his butt on top of a restaurant, grinning broadly and waving his trumpet at the tiny pedestrians below. The neighborhood chosen for these visual shenanigans appears to have been near the intersection of 52nd Street and the Avenue of the Americas, not far from CBS headquarters and Jimmy's jazz club. ~ arwulf arwulf

Tracks:

01) Teonova

02) MacArthur Park

03) Left Bank Express

04) I'm Getting Sentimental

05) Two For Otis

06) Stay Loose With Bruce

07) Nice 'N' Juicy

08) The Foxhunt

09) Take The A Train

10) Got The Spirit

11) Blue Birdland

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Johnny Frigo with Bucky & John Pizzarelli: Live From Studio A (1988)

At the age of 71 Johnny Frigo finally had his debut as a leader on record with the exception of an obscure effort in 1957. Although he had spent much of his career as a studio bassist Frigo successfully switched full-time to his first love, the violin, and was immediately considered one of the top swing-based violinists. Joined by both Bucky and John Pizzarelli on guitars, either Ron Carter or Michael Moore on bass and drummer Butch Miles, Frigo is in wonderful form on 14 standards including "Pick Yourself Up", "Detour Ahead" (which he had co-written while with The Soft Winds in the late '40s), "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "The Song Is You". ~ Scott Yanow

Tracks:

01) Pick Yourself Up

02) Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me

03) Detour Ahead

04) Just Friends

05) Estrellita

06) Stompin' At The Savoy

07) Early Autumn

08) You Stepped Out Of A Dream

09) In A Sentimental Mood

10) The Song Is You

11) I'm Through With Love

12) Summer Me, Winter Me

13) Tangerine

14) I'll Never Be The Same

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Ruby Braff: Easy Now (1958)

Braff came to jazz in early 1950s Boston when almost every East Coast trumpeter wanted to sound like a modernist bebopper. Not Ruby. He loved the sound of musicians who had made their reputations 20 years before him -- men like Louis Armstrong and Bobby Hackett. He once said that what his music represented was simply "adoration of the melody". This melodic style of his can make his playing easily recognizable.

He went through long periods of his career unable to find work because his music was considered out-of-fashion. However he moved to New York in 1953 and became one of the stars of Buck Clayton's Columbia jam sessions and in the mid-'50s worked with Benny Goodman.

This vinyl has two separate sessions recorded at NYC's Webster Hall in August of 1958. The first (A) features Braff's encounter with fellow trumpeter Roy Eldridge in a sextet session that has been reissued on CD. It's actually a slight disappointment though with surprisingly few fireworks between the two potentially combative players. The other session (B) which has not been reissued is better. It's an all-star octet with Braff, trumpeter Emmett Berry, trombonist Vic Dickenson, clarinetist Bob Wilber (doubling on tenor) and a four-piece rhythm section. Album highlights include "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street", "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "Little Man, You've Had a Busy Day". The pianists are Hank Jones on (A) and Marty Napoleon on (B).

Side 1:
01) My Walking Stick (B)
02) Willow Weep For Me (A)
03) When My Sugar Walks Down The Street (B)
04) The Song Is Ended (A)
05) Give My Regards To Broadway (A)

Side 2:
01) This Is My Lucky Day (A)
02) Someday You'll Be Sorry (A)
03) Yesterdays (A)
04) For Now (B)
05) I Just Couldn't Take It Baby (B)
06) Little Man, You've Had A Busy Day (B)

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Hoagy Carmichael: Stardust, And Much More (1989)

"Stardust, And Much More" (BMG RCA-Bluebird 8333-1-RB) is a compendium of one man's contribution to jazz, as composer of such notable standards as "Stardust" and "Rockin' Chair" and other memorable melodies. He was one of the early adulators of Bix Beiderbecke and an arranger of some distinction, though to many he is still known as the man who played piano in the Humphry Bogart/Lauren Bacall 1944 movie "To Have And Have Not". This vinyl features him with such current and future jazz luminaries as the Dorsey Brothers, Bix Beiderbecke, Benny Goodman, Bud Freeman, Joe Venuti, Jack Teagarden, Red Norvo and even a young drummer named Gene Krupa.

This Hoagy Carmichael album documents some of his most significant recordings of the 1927-1934 period when he evolved from a little-known jazz pianist/vocalist to being widely recognized as a major composer. The 16-song vinyl starts and ends with previously unreleased solo versions of "Stardust" featuring Carmichael in 1960. Also on the release is Hoagy's recording of his "Washboard Blues" with Paul Whiteman's Orchestra. For full details click on back cover image to enlarge to full screen.

Side 1:

01) Stardust

02) Washboard Blues [Paul Whiteman Orch]

03) March Of The Hoodlums

04) Rockin' Chair

05) Georgia On My Mind

06) Lazy River

07) Sing It Way Down Low

08) Snowball

Side 2:

01) Lazybones

02) One Morning In May

03) Stardust

04) Cosmics

05) Washboard Blues

06) Judy

07) Moon Country

08) Stardust

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Monica Mancini: The Dreams Of Johnny Mercer

Vocalist Monica Mancini follows up her chart-topping self-titled debut with an outstanding collection of 12 songs written by one of America's greatest songwriters, Johnny Mercer. The "Dreams of Johnny Mercer" features the stunning vocalist performing seven songs with previously unpublished lyrics written by Mercer with great new music by Barry Manilow. Great American Songbook standards like an Italian version of "It Had Better Be Tonight", one of many Mercer and Henry Mancini collaborations, and the guest appearance of Alvin Chea, the bass singer of Take 6, on an excellent a cappella arrangement of "Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive"adds to the beauty of this insightful and intimate collection of songs. The lush orchestral arrangements by Patrick Williams, Randy Waldman, and David Torres on "Just Remember", "At Last", and "Love Is Where You Find It" unfold to provide a layer of musical precision that expand the lovely warm and supple vocals of Mancini. Her voice is irresistible and her mastery of these melodies is a sure sign that she feels what she is singing. The "Dreams of Johnny Mercer" are sung with tender passion in a voice that tells their innermost stories. ~ Paula Edelstein

Tracks:
01) Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
02) Something Tells Me
03) Skylark
04) The Weekend Of A Private Secretary
05) With My Lover Beside Me
06) When October Goes
07) On The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
08) When The Meadow Was Blooming
09) It Had Better Be Tonight
10) Love Is Where You Find It
11) At Last
12) Just Remember

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Buddy DeFranco: Five Notes Of Blues (1991)

Buddy DeFranco plays with a French rhythm section on this pair of 1991 concerts. Having celebrated his 68th birthday earlier in the year the clarinetist is in top form, while the band fits his bop style very well. DeFranco's loping, melancholy "Five Notes of Blues" is an early highlight with the leader adding a few surprising dissonant twists. His revival of Henry Mancini's "Mister Lucky" is a buoyant effort with pianist Alain Jean-Marie providing lively bossa nova accompaniment. The rambling setting of the old chestnut "Moon Song" and the playful take of "Jitterbug Waltz" are both throwbacks to the pre-bop era. Sadly, this valuable CD has proved increasingly difficult to acquire since the demise of Musidisc label during the mid-'90s. ~ Ken Dryden

Tracks:
01) Alligator's Shuffle
02) Five Notes Of Blue
03) Mr Lucky
04) Early Autumn
05) Moonsong
06) Jitterbug Waltz
07) If You Could See Me Now
08) Summer Me, Winter Me

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Abbe Lane: Be Mine Tonight (1958)

"Be Mine Tonight" pairs sexpot singer Abbe Lane with mambo maestro Tito Puente and his orchestra for a lively, colorful Latin jazz-inspired release that follows the stylistic blueprint of her long tenure with bandleader husband Xavier Cugat. Compared to the absurdly carnal approach of Lane's subsequent albums in tandem with arranger Sid Ramin, this is a relatively serious straightforward affair with an intriguing and broad selection of material that spans from "Nightingale" to "Whatever Lola Wants" to "Babalu". Puente's high-octane arrangements guarantee the energy never flags, but Lane commands the spotlight from start to finish galvanizing otherwise innocuous lyrics with wit, sophistication and sheer lust. ~ Jason Anken

Side 1:

01) Pan Amore y Cha Cha Cha

02) Take It Easy

03) Be Mine Tonight

04) Too Marvelous For Words

05) Nightingale

06) Oyeme Mama

Side 2:

01) Whatever Lola Wants

02) Arrivederci Roma

03) Green Eyes

04) Anna

05) The River Seine

06) Babalu

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Xavier Cugat: Cugi's Cocktails (1963)

Contrary to the title, "Cugi's Cocktails" is no sleepy album of cocktail music. It has all the elements a listener would expect of Xavier Cugat's first great stereo album: an agreeable theme, a dash of exotic flair and all the bombast of the preceding half-decade of experimenting with high-fidelity stereo recording. "One Mint Julep" would have made "Twist With Cugat". Also of note are the bossa nova "Daiquiri", Hal Mooney's "Cugi's Cocktail" (a hully gully cha cha) and "Singapore Sling". Cugat's composition "Zombie" is exotic and wonderful and only "Old Fashioned" is dismissible. With fun, better than average artwork, "Cugi's Cocktails" makes a fine addition to any record collection or bar. ~ Tony Wilds

Side 1:

01) Cuba Libre

02) One Mint Julep

03) Old Fashioned

04) Daiquiri

05) Cocktails For Two

06) Rum And Coca-Cola

Side 2:

01) Cugi's Cocktail

02) Grasshopper

03) Blue Champagne

04) Zombie

05) Manhattan

06) Singapore Sling

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Ann Richards & Stan Kenton Orchestra: I Hear Music (1957/58)

Ann Richards was a better singer than she was often rated but her career fell short of its potential. She was self-taught on piano and started taking singing lessons when she was ten. She began singing professionally in the San Francisco Bay area and had a short stint with Charlie Barnet. Richards joined Stan Kenton's band for a few months in 1955. She and Kenton married and she became a part-time singer throughout their marriage which lasted until 1961. Following the breakup from which she never really recovered Richards recorded a few pleasing and swinging albums on her own for Capitol, Atco and Vee Jay.But perhaps seeking publicity, she posed for an ill-advised Playboy spread and subsequently found herself effectively blackballed from the major record labels, top nightclubs and television. After this her life became aimless and tragically she committed suicide at age 46.

Taken as a whole though, this is by far her most consistent solo album. The record comprises a mixture of swinging, bluesy numbers and slow, intimate ballads. Richards also enrapts the listener by drawing out her vibrato. To heighten the effect she often ends a phrase with a quick-vibratoed, Marilyn Monroe-like trill as if to make the listener even more "hot and bothered". Richards was a strong singer with a great vocal ability clearly influenced by O'Day and Christy.

Tracks:

01) Nice Work If You Can Get It

02) Fools Rush In

03) Out Of This World

04) It Never Entered My Mind

05) I Hear Music

06) You Don't Know What Love Is

07) The Thrill Is Gone

08) Old Devil Moon

09) Speak Low

10) Black Coffee

11) Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen

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Music For A Bachelorette's Pad

The revival of space age pop and exotica proved almost as chauvinistic as the music's original heyday four decades earlier. Virtually every reissue seemed geared to the male psyche with gorgeous women on the covers, cocktail recipes in the liner notes and wonderfully cheesy grooves promising to lubricate the art of seduction. "Music for a Bachelorette's Pad" is a corrective to the trend, raiding the Atlantic and Warner archives to assemble two dozen femme-centric tunes that turn the tables proving that sex was just as much on the minds of postwar women as it was with their men.

Today's modern bachelorette is a swinging sister with pristine balance. She can fix her own Martini and can divine by intuition the hippest hangout in every town. How does she find time to relax? These inspiring sounds give you some kind of clue. With this CD the Bachelorette's Pad becomes a multitude of locations, all familiar to the sophisticated listener's ear. There's South Sea island fantasy; Las Vegas showtime; beatnik cellar clubs where sunglasses after dark are essentials; hot Mexican sundowns and Manhattan roof top hideaways. Being that this is the domain of the bachelorette, we meet every kinda tom cat along the way: the big fine señor, the engaging raconteur, the wistful would-be lover, and, whaddaya know – the ever-circling shark. But these ladies have a way of dealing with each one, in her own indomitable style.

Latter-day sexpots like Madonna, Britney, and Xtina have never recorded anything quite so dizzily sensual as April Stevens' absurdly breathy "Teach Me Tiger", nor have they wrought music as sinister and predatory as Ann Richards' "Evil Gal Blues".

Tracks:
01) Teach Me Tiger [April Stevens]
02) An Occasional Man [Ann Richards]
03) Free Spirits [Chris Connor]
04) Fever [Herbie Mann]
05) Manana [LaVern Baker]
06) Mas Que Nada [Ella Fitzgerald]
07) Love For Sale [Barney Kessel]
08) It Don't Mean A Thing [Mavis Rivers/Shorty Rogers]
09) Call Me [Lea DeLaria]
10) T'Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do [Nancy Harrow]
11) Caravan [Sheik's Men]
12) Comin' Home Baby [Mel Torme]
13) Able Mabel [Mabel John]
14) I Love The Life I Live [Carmen McRae]
15) The Honeydripper [Herbie Mann]
16) I'm Gonna Go Fishin' [Chris Connor]
17) Evil Gal Blues [Ann Richards]
18) Senor Big And Fine [LaVern Baker]
19) Moon River Cha Cha [Barney Kessel]
20) I'm Gonna Live 'Til I Die [Mavis Rivers/Shorty Rogers]
21) Romance In The Dark [Ada Lee]
22) Hey, Stuff ! [Valerie Capers]
23) Welcome To My Party [Lea DeLaria]
24) Dirty Martini Recipe [Janette Mason/Lea DeLaria]

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Buddy Greco: Route 66 - A Tribute To Nat King Cole

In the New York press Buddy Greco has been described as "The original Harry Connick Jr". He had his first own trio, The Three Shades of Rhythm (Charlie Chasen guitar; Don Sgro bass) at 15. In 1946 his new trio, Buddy Greco with the Sharps (Francis Beecher guitar; Don Sgro bass) had a million seller hit, “Ooh, look-a-there ain't she pretty”, for the Musicraft label. In 1948 Elliot Wexler, Benny Goodman's manager, noticed the trio at Philadelphia's Club 13 and advised Benny to listen to Buddy. Late 1948 Buddy (with Francis Beecher) joined the Benny Goodman band as a piano player, vocalist and arranger. In 1949 Buddy visited the UK and headed the Benny Goodman band for several occasions. Late 1949 they made a trip to the Philippines. Buddy & Benny recorded about 150 items in 1948/1949.

This is Buddy's sixty-second album, "Route 66", a personal tribute to Nat King Cole who Buddy first met when they were both working in Las Vegas. The guitar chair was central to Buddy's plans in recording this album and he had no hesitation in opting for his fellow Philadelphian, Joe Lano. The trio format is completed by Bob Sachs on bass and drummer Tommy Check.

Tracks:
01) Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
02) Route 66
03) Nature Boy
04) I'm Lost
05) Sweet Lorraine
06) Straighten Up And Fly Right
07) What Is This Thing Called Love
08) Lust Life
09) Smile
10) Medley
11) Walkin' My Baby Back Home
12) That's All
13) Moonlight In Vermont
14) Sweet Georgia Brown
15) But Not For Me
16) When I Fall In Love
17) L-O-V-E

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Buddy Rich: At The Hollywood Palladium (1946)

This was recorded in 1946 about a year after Buddy left the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and formed his own band.

Tracks:
01) Let's Blow
02) Great Moments
03) Handicap
04) Daily Double
05) Poontang
06) Feather Merchant
07) Dateless Brown
08) Cool Breeze

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Peggy Lee: Norma Deloris Egstrom From Jamestown, North Dakota (1972)

This was Peggy Lee's last LP for Capitol Records. However, in various interviews conducted decades after the album was released, Peggy lamented that it did not get proper promotion and distribution in the United States, a consequence, she asserted, of a new management shuffle at Capitol. Unconfirmed reports from other sources suggest that the album was prematurely withdrawn from Capitol's catalogue -- perhaps because the singer was leaving the label? Still further, a Peggy Lee fan who has talked with former Capitol employees asserts that "the bulk of the print of the original LP was dumped in Europe (The Netherlands to be precise), and was bought in its entirety by a department store chain and retailed for a ridiculous price, the equivalent of what was then 50 US cents". But the fact that copies of the LP are occasionally found in US used record stores suggests that the album did receive distribution however minimal it might have been.

The EMI twofer CD, "I'm A Woman / Norma Delores Egstrom From Jamestown, North Dakota", released in December, 2004, substitutes four alternate takes for the master takes heard in the original LP. Some tracks were also newly remixed for this CD. The consensus among fans of Peggy Lee is that, in at least three cases, and maybe all four, the original takes are vastly superior to the alternates.

No clarification for the inclusion of alternate takes is made in the CD's booklet, and no explanation has been forthcoming. It has been rumored that the original masters are absent from Capitol's vaults, and that as an alternative, an unmixed tape of the album had to be used. Presumed from this story is that the unmixed tape contained alternate takes instead of
the takes that finally made it to the album.

However, the above-told story has been proved partially false. The original masters are definitely extant (and well preserved) in Capitol's vaults. The other part of the story (ie the use,
whether intentionally or inadvertently, of an unmixed tape that contained alternate takes) remains unconfirmed.

Arranger/conductor for this session was Artie Butler.

Tracks:
01) Love Song
02) Love Me As I Am
03) When I Found You
04) A Song For You
05) It Changes
06) It Takes Too Long To Learn To Live Alone
07) Superstar
08) Just For A Thrill
09) Someone Who Cares
10) The More I See You
11) I'll Be Seeing You

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The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra: On Tour - Down Memory Lane

In the spring of 1934 the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra was born at Nuttings-On-The Charles in Waltham, Massachusetts. Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey were now on the scene to stay. Unfortunately this was not to be. In early June, 1935, at the Glen Island Casino Jimmy and Tommy had an argument over the tempo of a tune and Tommy walked off the bandstand. The tiff separated the brothers for decades. Jimmy found himself the instant leader of the band that became the birth of the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. During the early fifties Jimmy was still a successful name in the business. Even with all of his success he joined forces with his brother Tommy again in 1953. With the untimely death of Tommy in 1956, Jimmy once again was left to carry on, but only for a short time as his own health was failing rapidly. In 1957 he left us with his last and
greatest hit “So Rare” topping the nation's popularity charts.

The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra continued for the next 33 years under the leadership of the great trumpeter Lee Castle. Upon Lee's death the baton was passed for a decade to Jim Miller who was leading the band when this recording was made. Jim Miller, a veteran of the music industry, wrote music for and performed as a trombonist with the Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke, Les and Larry Elgart and Guy Lombardo bands. His affiliation with Jimmy Dorsey began in 1953. I was disappointed to find no online pictorial record of the band under Jim Miller's direction. They must have either employed a bum publicity agent or been uncharacteristically camera shy. Whatever the reason they've made up for it since another trombonist, Bill Tole, took over. Plenty of pictures now of both Bill and the band. Reluctantly have had to feature one of these.

No pictorial problems however with the attractive lady pictured above. Her name is Nancy Knorr. A sister of Bill Tole, she was the lead singer with the Pied Pipers for many years, and has shared the stage with Toni Tennile, Jack Jones, Hal Linden and Doc Severinsen. She was also a featured performer on the PBS special, "Those Fabulous Forties". She has appeared with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra as a guest vocalist since 1992.

Tracks:

01) Contrasts

02) June Night

03) Tangerine

04) To All The Girls I've Loved before

05) Jersey Bounce

06) Deep Purple

07) Watch What Happens

08) Where Or When

09) Moten Swing

10) Jimmy Dorsey Boogie Woogie

11) Mood Indigo

12) Green Eyes

13) Cuba Libre

14) Georgia On My Mind

15) Dorsey Brothers Tribute

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Shirley Bassey: I, Capricorn (1972)

This is classic Bassey. It's all class from the diva herself to the chosen songs and the fabulous Johnny Harris backing arrangements. Sometimes I get a gut feeling about a disc. It's as though all the elements needed for a studio recording session have come together to fit perfectly together. This is one of these discs for me. If this is not one of Bassey's top albums it must be sitting way up there somewhere. But this is a very personal opinion. I'll leave you to judge for yourselves.

Side 1:

01) I, Capricorn

02) The Look Of Love

03) The Way A Woman Loves

04) Love

05) Where Am I Going

06) I've Never Been A Woman Before

Side 2:

01) For All We Know

02) The Greatest Performance Of My Life

03) Where Is Love

04) Losing My Mind

05) One Less Bell To Answer

06) Lost And Lonely

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Shorty Rogers: The Swingin' Nutcracker (1960)

Here's Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker put to a jazz setting and, for the most part, it works very well. That's primarily due to Shorty Rogers' excellent arranging skills and the top-notch musicians he's employed with a saxophone section to kill for (Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca, Bill Perkins, Bud Shank, Art Pepper, and Harold Land, just to mention SOME of them). Solo space is limited and for the most part solos are incorporated into the arrangements, but all selections contain some solos (with the aforementioned sax players on hand it would be a crime not to let them solo). Highlights include the medium-up "Snowball", the Latin-tinged "Six Pak", the energetic "Pass The Duke", and the exciting "China Where", which has a good Bud Shank flute solo and nice Lou Levy piano. On the other side of the coin, "Flowers For The Cats" is an up-tempo cooker, but gets locked up in a repetitive rhythmic pattern that the soloists have a hard time breaking out of, and "The Swingin' Plum Fairy" is somewhat stiff and mechanical. A month after Shorty recorded this album Duke Ellington tackled the same music with his orchestra and I think Rogers' results get the bigger eyes. That's no mean feat. ~ BJ

Tracks:
01) Like Nutty Overdrive
02) A Nutty Marche
03) Blue Reeds
04) The Swingin' Plum Fairy
05) Snowball
06) Six Pack
07) Flowers For The Cats
08) Dance Expresso
09) Pass The Duke
10) China Where
11) Overture For Shorty

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Mel Torme & The Mel-Tones: Back In Town (1959)

Mel Tormé had artistic -- if not commercial -- success with his vocal group The Mel-Tones in the mid-'40s. After its breakup in 1946 when Tormé was persuaded to go solo, The Mel-Tones were occasionally regrouped by Tormé for special projects. These 1959 dates were the group's final recordings and they make for an interesting comparison with their earlier sessions. In addition to remakes of their two hits, "What Is This Thing Called Love" and "It Happened in Monterey", the arrangements (mostly by Marty Paich) have many quotes from
jazz songs and are heavily influenced by Count Basie's Orchestra of the 1950s. The Mel-Tones, which at the time included Torme, Sue Allen, Ginny O'Connor, Bernie Parke and Tom Kenny, swing throughout and sing attractive harmonies without really improvising. However, the concise solos of Art Pepper on both alto and tenor and trumpeter Jack Sheldon work well with the singers making this a recommended set to fans of jazz vocal groups of which the relatively short-lived Mel-Tones ranked near the top. ~ Scott Yanow

Tracks:

01) Makin' Whoopee

02) Baubles, Bangles And Beads

03) What Is This Thing Called Love

04) I've Never Been In Love Before

05) Truckin'

06) Bunch Of The Blues

07) It Happened In Monterey

08) I Hadn't Anyone Till You

09) A Smooth One

10) Don't Dream Of Anybody But Me

11) Some Like It Hot

12) Hit The Road To Dreamland

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Billy Byers: Jazz Workshop (1955)

After the interest shown in the earlier Billy Byers posting our contributor JohnP came up with another very rare album of arrangements by this under-rated and largely forgotten jazz trombonist, composer, arranger and conductor of the '50s and '60s. If you're interested in production/personnel details etc just click on this back cover to enlarge. Haven't been able to dig out any more info other than this. Must say though I was a little bemused by some of his titles. It's an interesting mix of originals and standards, but that's typical of these workshops meant to show off the skills of the players and featured arranger. Manny Albam did a similar album the same year (1955). For career background on Billy see the earlier share of July 11.

Tracks:

01) Alone Together

02) The Tickler

03) Billy Bones

04) Chinese Water Torture

05) I See A Million People

06) Back In Your Own Backyard

07) The Funky Music Box

08) The Great Rationalization

09) Sunday

10) Misty Osie

11) Thou Swell

12) You're Mine You

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Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney: That Travelin' Two-Beat (1965)

Following our posting of this album's twin, "Fancy Meetin' You Here", last May 11, reaction from both Crosby and Clooney fan clubs was really great. The applause was almost deafening. So, just had to let you hear the sequel. Typically, as sequel's go, it hasn't quite the impact of "Fancy", but I love playing it and get a buzz with each spin. William Ruhlmann follows with a few comments which you may find interesting:

"Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, and arranger/conductor Billy May reconvened six years after their sessions for the first Crosby-Clooney duo album, "Fancy Meeting You Here", to record a follow-up in sessions held in August and December 1964. Once again, the basic idea was to perform a collection of international songs. But the real creative force behind the record was the popular songwriting team of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans ("Mona Lisa", "Whatever Will Be, Will Be"). The two were credited for "conception, new music and lyrics" on an album that contained, as proclaimed on the back cover, "Favorite songs from around the world in dixieland". It was an odd conception to be sure, in which for example, Carlos Fernandez's "Cielito Lindo", a Spanish standard, is turned into "Adios Señorita", with Crosby and Clooney trading romantic witticisms over a souped-up dixieland arrangement that moves Basin Street to Madrid. If the resulting cultural mishmash isn't as disturbing as it sounds that's only because the singers remain a winning combination. They spark each other making this the liveliest Crosby album in some time with Clooney good-naturedly keeping up her end and May only further goosing the two. This is not the place to look for great singers handling great material but it is an entertaining date with a couple of singers who have never lacked for personality having a good time together." ~ William Ruhlmann

Tracks:
01) That Travelin' Two-Beat
02) New Vienna Woods
03) Knees Up Mother Brown
04) Roamin' In The Gloamin'
05) Adios Senorita
06) Come To The Mardi Gras
07) Hear That Band
08) The Daughter Of Molly Malone
09) The Poor People Of Paris
10) I Get Ideas
11) Ciao, Ciao Bambina
12) That Travelin' Two-Beat [reprise]

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Benny Goodman Quartet: Together Again (1963)

This legendary and historic recording documents the 1963 reunion of one of the most famous groups in jazz history. Benny Goodman reassembled his ORIGINAL quartet from the 1930s (Benny-clarinet, Teddy Wilson-piano, Lionel Hampton-vibes and Gene Krupa-drums) to record a relaxed and inspired album that has the feeling of a late-night jam session. All parties involved are giants of jazz and are widely acknowledged as most important figures on their respective instruments. Despite the huge stature of each of these musicians, they play with such dynamic interplay and cooperation that really helped to define small group jazz as we know it today. Benny is in his most inventive and swinging mood since his '40s recordings and it is obvious that he is inspired by his old friends. Lionel Hampton shines here without displaying any showmanship or lack of taste. Teddy Wilson, the sophisticated gentleman of swing who never played a bad note, plays up to his usually high standard. But the most suprising and wonderful aspect of this album is the performance of "Mr Drums" himself, Gene Krupa. Recorded at a period late in Krupa's career, this album stands out as his last great artistic achievement during a time when he was in generally failing health. Krupa displays amazing sense of time and taste as he swings like mad throughout the record. More importantly he displays a sense of subtlety lacking in his earlier recordings. Thus, Krupa never sounded better. Lastly, the sound of this recording is outstanding and these players' gifts can be appreciated more fully here than in their earlier, poorly-recorded works. ~ JRC

Tracks:

01) Seven Come Eleven

02) Say It Isn't So

03) I've Found A New Baby

04) Somebody Loves Me

05) Who Cares

06) Runnin' Wild

07) I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good

08) Dearest

09) I'll Get By

10) Four Once More

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Frank Rosolino: I Play Trombone (1956)

One of the best albums ever cut by trombonist Frank Rosolino. The tracks are long with plenty of room for solo space. Three of them are over 7 minutes long -- quite rare for a Bethlehem session. Frank is working with a great trio of players here that includes the legendary Sonny Clark on piano -- a key force on the West Coast scene during his stay in the late '50s -- plus Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass and Stan Levey on drums. Rosolino's tone is tremendous and although Clark doesn't play with the same sense of fire as on his Blue Note sessions, his presence is still strongly felt on the date.

Canadian jazz critic Gene Lees wrote in 1988: “Frank Rosolino was one of the finest trombone players in the history of the instrument. He had a superb tone, astonishing facility, a deep Italianate lyricism, and rich invention. Frank was very simply a sensational player. In addition he had a wonderful spirit that always communicated itself to his associates on the bandstand or the record date.”

Tracks:
01) I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful)
02) The Things We Did Last Summer
03) Frieda
04) Doxy
05) My Delux
06) Flamingo

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Joe Williams: Music For Lovers (1959/61)

The "Music for Lovers" series from EMI and Blue Note spotlights the balladic nature and romantic side of artists who have recorded for its associated labels. Joe Williams, of course, was a superb ballad singer whose rich voice and patient interpretations usually brought a maximum of feeling to the standards he sang. His "Music for Lovers" volume includes songs from three sessions for the EMI-owned Roulette -- all but one from either 1959 or 1961 -- and it features Williams in a comfortable setting with musicians who knew how to swing the Joe Williams way. Two of the tops, trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison and tenor Ben Webster, join him on the highlights, "I Only Have Eyes for You" and "You Are Too Beautiful". Most of Williams' sessions for Roulette were supplemented by strings, so virtually all of these songs are as polished and glossy as any setting he ever recorded in. ~ John Bush

Tracks:
01) I Only Have Eyes For You
02) The Very Thought Of You
03) If I Should Lose You
04) Always
05) You Are Too Beautiful
06) Candy
07) Say It Isn't So
08) There's A Small Hotel
09) It's Easy To Remember
10) You're A Sweetheart
11) Stella By Starlight
12) Moonlight In Vermont

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Laurindo Almeida & Charlie Byrd: Tango (1985)

This unusual CD finds guitarists Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd (who both mastered bop and Brazilian music) performing 11 tangos with the assistance of bassist Joe Byrd and drummer Chuck Redd. Although the two acoustic guitarists have their short solos the emphasis in this delightful set is on their ensemblework, respectful interpretations of the melodies and those infectious tango rhythms. ~ Scott Yanow

Tracks:

01) Orchids In The Moonlight

02) Blue Tango

03) Jalousie

04) Enamorados

05) Rosita

06) Tango Alegre

07) Cumparsita

08) Adios Muchachos

09) The Moon Was Yellow

10) Hernando's Hideaway

11) Tanguero

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Irene Kral: The Band And I (1958)

Few artists really rate the title of "special", but Irene Kral was certainly one of them. The younger sister of Roy Kral, Irene never really got her just due from the jazz audience before
her death from cancer in 1978 at 46 years of age. She received some public recognition in the last few of years of her life, but the jazz history books usually overlook her. There was a brief moment of (posthumous) acclaim when her music was featured in Clint Eastwood's "The Bridges of Madison County".

Irene thought of herself primarily as a ballad singer -- although she could swing with the best -- and her versions here of "Lazy Afternoon", "Memphis In June" and "The Night We Called It A Day" provide solid evidence of her exquisite ballad style. Her diction, accuracy of pitch and purity of tone should be required listening for any aspiring female (or male) jazz vocalist.

Trumpeter Herb Pomeroy had a great band out of Boston that made some excellent recordings on its own most now out of print, but they really were not called upon to do anything more than a studio band would have done. Outside of a few brief solos the jazz content is minimal. Charlie Mariano's alto is featured on "Something To Remember You By". The arrangements by Al Cohn and Ernie Wilkins are professional and functional.

Tracks:
01) I'd Know You Anywhere
02) Detour Ahead
03) Comes Love
04) Everybody Knew But Me
05) Lazy Afternoon
06) What's Right For You
07) I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
08) Memphis In June
09) This Little Love
10) The Night We Called It A Day
11) It Isn't So Good
12) Something To Remember You By

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Charlie Parker With Strings (1947/52)

This CD comprises a 10" LP called "Charlie Parker with Strings", another LP called "Jazz Concert" and an EP called "Charlie Parker With Strings" (not related to the first one). So it
contains recordings made in 1947, 1949, 1950 and 1952.

Though Parker received quite a lot of criticism during his lifetime for making his 'With Strings' recordings they are now universally recognized as masterpieces. Parker's idea was to bridge the gap between jazz and classical music. Much of his inspiration originated in the modern composers of the first half of the 20th century including Stravinsky, Bartok, Schoenberg and Ravel. Norman Granz was initially against making these recordings but Parker's persistance won out. In addition to Parker on alto saxophone, featured are Mitch Miller on oboe and English horn; Bronislav Gimpel, Max Hollander and Milton Lamask on violin; Frank Brieff on viola; Frank Miller on cello; Meyer Rosen on harp; Stan Freeman on piano; Ray Brown on bass; Buddy Rich on drums and Jimmy Carroll or Joe Lipman as arranger and conductor.

Tracks:

01) Just Friends

02) Everything Happens To Me

03) April In Paris

04) Summertime

05) I Didn't Know What Time It Was

06) If I Should Lose You

07) Dancing In The Dark

08) Out Of Nowhere

09) Laura

10) East Of The Sun

11) They Can't Take That Away From Me

12) Easy To Love

13) I'm In The Mood For Love

14) I'll Remember April

15) What Is This Thing Called Love

16) April In Paris [Carnegie Hall]

17) Repetition [Carnegie Hall '50]

18) Easy To Love [Carnegie Hall '49]

19) I'll Remember April

20) Temptation

21) Lover

22) Autumn In New York

23) Stella By Starlight

24) Repetition [Carnegie Hall '47]

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Kay Starr: Kay Starr Sings (1954)

Our friend Keith Horner, wizard that he is, has dug deep into his big bag of tricks and once again come up with another gem. Nothing extraordinary about the the featured "star" of this album of course. Kay Starr was contracted to Capitol then RCA about this time and her fan base was extensive and growing. No . . . the interest in this album, for me anyway, is the label itself. Until this turned up I'd never heard of the "Tops" label.

The story goes that, about 1947 a couple of New York guys, Sam Dickerman and Carl Doshay, left for Los Angeles seeking new careers. Once in LA they hit upon the idea of selling used records to the public through grocery markets, drug stores, five and dimes etc. They bought their records from juke box operators for no more than between five and ten cents and resold them to the public for 29 cents leaving a handsome margin for the merchants and their own company, Tops Music Enterprises. Their enterprise paid handsomely as they bought and sold millions of records from coast to coast.

In the early '50s it occurred to Doshay with their huge distribution facilities to start their own record label and name it "Tops". Since they had no famous singers of their own they would do "knock offs" of the big hits of the day. The new Tops records took off like rockets but there were problems with the high breakage rate of the fragile shellac records and the volume of complaints about the deception regarding the actual artists on the discs. With the advent of the 45 and 331/3 rpm in the mid-'50s Tops decided to use "name" artists rather than "sound-a-likes" and hired high profile jazz player, Dave Pell, to recruit the artists. This 10" Kay Starr album is an example from this production period. However by the early '60s Tops was bankrupt, its major asset, a huge library of recordings, was sold to Pickwick Records.

It's interesting to note that in the late '50s, in an attempt to give the label some prestige, negotiations were started with Frank Sinatra, but these were not fruitful since the singing star wanted half the company's stock. Sinatra was at this time still dreaming of starting his own label which he eventually did of course with Reprise Records.

Many of the Tops albums still in circulation today are more collectible for their "cheesecake" covers than the music they contain. Jayne Mansfield was featured on at least two covers as was Kim Novak and Rita Hayworth. Mary Tyler Moore modeled for several covers before she became a star.

Side 1:

01) Them There Eyes

02) I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

03) Should I

04) Honeysuckle Rose

Side 2:

01) Honey

02) Ain't Misbehavin'

03) I Ain't Gonna Cry

04) Don't Meddle In My Mood

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Mel Torme: Tribute To Bing Crosby

Mel Torme's credentials as a jazz improviser have sometimes obscured the fact that, when he sang straight, few could hold a candle to him. He avoids vocal pyrotechnics on this recording in favour of subdued and carefully controlled interpretations mostly in ballad tempo. Devotees of '30s and '40s songwriting will delight in some choice rarities on the song list with such creations as "I Can't Escape from You" and "My Night to Dream". The orchestrations by Alan Broadbent frame Torme's voice to perfection.

Tracks:
01) This Is My Night To Dream/It Must Be True
02) Moonlight Becomes You
03) I Can't Escape From You
04) With Every Breath I Take
05) Man And His Dream
06) Without A Word Of Warning
07) May I
08) Please
09) Thanks
10) Don't Let The Moon Get Away
11) Soon
12) It's Easy To Remember/Adios
13) Love In Bloom
14) Day You Came Along
15) Pennies From Heaven
16) Learn To Croon

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