Betty Hutton: A Compilation

A recent visitor to this blog asked if I had any Betty Hutton albums. My initial response was negative, that is until I suddenly recalled a compilation I had made of the former acting/singing star a number of years ago. Question was did I still have this disc. Hadn't seen it for ages. Have hundreds of uncatalogued discs. It eventually turned up in my spare room so here it is with my compliments.

In my teens became a fan of Betty after seeing "The Fleet's In" about 1942 and later "Annie Get Your Gun" and "The Greatest Show On Earth" in the early '50s.

Here's a bio which will give you an expanded career profile.

Betty Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg on February 26, 1921, in Battle Creek, Michigan. Two years later Betty's father decided that the family way of life wasn't for him, so he left (he committed suicide 16 years later). Having to fend for themselves Mrs. Thornburg moved the family to Detroit to find work in the numerous auto factories there, but times were hard and she decided to take advantage of Prohibition and opened a small tavern, at the time called a speakeasy. The police were always looking for those types of operation, both big and small, and when they detected one they swooped in and closed it down. Mrs. Thornburg was no different from the other owners, they simply moved elsewhere. Poverty was a constant companion. In addition to that Mrs. Thornburg was an alcoholic. At nine years old Betty began singing publicly for the first time in a school production. Realizing the voice Betty had her mother took her around Detroit to have her sing to any group that would listen. This was a small way of getting some money for the poor family. When she was 13 Betty got a few singing jobs with local bands in the area. Thinking she was good enough to make the big time she left for New York two years later to try a professional career.

Unfortunately it didn't work out and Betty headed back to Detroit. In 1937 Betty was hired by Vincent Lopez who had a popular band that appeared on the local radio. Later she would return to New York and it was here that her career took off. Betty found herself on Broadway in 1940 and it was only a matter of time before her career took off to bigger heights. The following year she left New York for Hollywood where she was to find new life in films. She was signed by Paramount Pictures and made her debut, at 21, in "The Fleet's In" (1942), along with Eddie Bracken, William Holden and Dorothy Lamour. Reviews were better than expected with critics looking favorably upon her work. She had previously appeared in a few musical shorts which no doubt helped her in her first feature film. She made one more musical in 1942 and two more in 1943. In 1944 she tried to break away from musicals and try her hand in a screwball comedy, "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" (1944). She proved -- to herself, the public and the critics -- that she was marketable outside musicals. In subsequent films Betty was able to show her comedic side as well as her singing. In 1948 she appeared in her first big box-office bomb, "Dream Girl" (1948), which was ripped to shreds by critics, as was Betty's acting, and the movie flopped at the box office. It wasn't long before Betty became unhappy with her career. In truth she had the acting talent, but the parts she got weren't the types to showcase that. Though she did appear in three well received films later, "Red, Hot and Blue" (1949), "Annie Get Your Gun" (1950) and "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952) her career was winding down. Later, after filming "Somebody Loves Me" (1952) Betty was all but finished. She had married Charles O'Curran that year and he wanted to direct her in an upcoming film. Paramount didn't like the idea and the temper tantrum-prone Betty walked out of her contract and movies. She did concentrate on the relatively new medium of television and the stage, but she never recovered her previous form. Her final film was a minor one, "Spring Reunion" (1957). Her TV series, "The Betty Hutton Show" (1959), didn't fare too well at all.

Betty lived in quiet retirement in Palm Springs, California until her death on March 11, 2007. She was 86 years old.

Tracks:

01) Anything You Can Do

02) Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In A Hurry

03) Can't Stop Talking About Him

04) Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief

05) I Wake Up Early In The Morning

06) It's Lovin' Time

07) It's All So Quiet

08) Murder He Says

09) My Fickle Eye

10) Old Piano Roll Blues

11) The Other End Of A Kiss

12) The Kind Of Guy I Dream Of

13) The Honeymoon's Over

14) The Jitterbug

15) Walkin' Away From My Heart

16) What Did You Put In That Kiss

17) Where There's Me There's You

18) Who Kicked The Light Plug

19) Orange Coloured Sky

20) Stuff Like That There

21) Blue Skies

22) Hit The Road To Dreamland

23) I Wish I Didn't Love You So

24) It Had To Be You

25) Rumble Rumble Rumble

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Dave Brubeck Quartet: Angel Eyes (1962/65)

As with Dave Brubeck's Richard Rodgers set ("My Favorite Things"), his tribute to composer Matt Dennis was recorded partly in 1962 with the remainder three years later. Each of these seven standards (which include "Let's Get Away from It All", "Violets for Your Furs" and "Will You Still Be Mine?") are given superior and swinging treatments with fine solos from Brubeck and altoist Paul Desmond. ~ Scott Yanow

Tracks:

01) Let's Get Away From It All

02) Violets For Your Furs

03) Angel Eyes

04) Will You Still Be Mine

05) Everything Happens To Me

06) Little Man With A Candy Cigar

07) The Night We Called It A Day

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Teddi King: All The Kings' Songs (1959)

Teddi King (September 18, 1929 - November 18, 1977) was an American jazz and pop vocalist. Born Theodora King in Boston, Massachusetts on September 18, 1929, she won a singing competition hosted by Dinah Shore at Boston's Tributary Theatre, later beginning work in a touring revue involved with "cheering up the military in the lull between the Second World War and the Korean conflict". Improving her vocal and piano technique during this time she first recorded with Nat Pierce in 1949, later recording with the Beryl Booker trio and with several other small groups from 1954-1955 (recordings which were available on three albums for Storyville). She then toured with George Shearing for two years beginning in the summer of 1952 and for a time was managed by the famed George Wein. King later began performing for a time in Las Vegas.

Ultimately signing with RCA, she recorded three albums for the label beginning with 1956's "Bidin' My Time". She also had some minor chart success with the singles "Mr. Wonderful" (which made the Top 20 in 1956), "Married I Can Always Get" and "Say It Isn't So" (both of which made the Hot 100 from 1957-1958). Her critically praised 1959 album "All the Kings' Songs" found her interpreting the signature songs of contemporary male singers like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole (the "Kings" of the title). In the 1960s she opened the Playboy Club where she often performed. After developing lupus she managed to make a brief comeback with a 1977 album featuring Dave McKenna and with two more albums recorded for Audiophile released posthumously. She eventually died of the disease on November 18, 1977. King's style, influenced by Lee Wiley, Mildred Bailey and Mabel Mercer, has won her a small but devoted cult following. ~ Wikipedia

Side 1:

01) April Showers

02) Cottage For Sale

03) That's For Me

04) Temptation

05) Unforgettable

06) Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now

Side 2:

01) Flamingo

02) June In January

03) You Brought A New Kind Of Love

04) This Love Of Mine

05) When It's Sleepy Time Down South

06) Let's Face The Music And Dance

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Doc Severinsen: The Big Band's Back In Town (1962)

For 25 years Doc Severinsen was arguably the best-known trumpet player in America appearing on television every weeknight as the leader of the Tonight Show Orchestra. Known

for his exceptionally loud wardrobe, Severinsen often bantered good-naturedly with host Johnny Carson while supplying the show's incidental music (bridging commercial breaks, introducing guests, etc.). Despite the musical limitations of that format the Tonight Show Orchestra was increasingly considered one of the best big-band jobs available as time passed: generous exposure, steady work, and declining options elsewhere. Severinsen maintained a side career to allow himself to stretch out, recording bop, big-band swing and crossover-friendly instrumental pop for a series of labels beginning in the '60s. When The Tonight Show was on hiatus he toured with smaller groups and guested with numerous jazz and pops orchestras around the country. He had his critics in the jazz world partly because his albums weren't strictly jazz, but also partly because he didn't display his chops very

often. However he was an able bebop soloist with a bright, clean tone and a tremendous range in the upper register of his horn.

This was Severinsen's second album recorded for the Command label in January of 1962. It utilized the then revolutionary 35/MM magnetic film recording technique.

Personnel on this session were:

Trumpets -

Doc Severinsen

Ernie Royal

Bernie Glow

Markey Markowitz

Jimmy Maxwell

McL Davis

Trombones -

Urbie Green

Bobby Byrne

Frank Rehak

Bob Alexander

Dick Hixon

Reeds -

Hank Freeman

Al Klink

Bill Slapin

Walt Levinsky

Phil Bodner

Stanley Webb

Rhythm -

Tony Mattola [guitar]

Bob Haggart [bass]

Don Lamond [drums]

Side 1:

01) Love For Sale

02) Flamingo

03) Blues In The Night

04) Granada

05) When Your Lover Has Gone

06) Johnny One Note

Side 2:

01) Lonesome Road

02) My Funny Valentine

03) St Louis Blues

04) The Look Of Love

05) I Cried For You

06) Poor Butterfly

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Julie London: In Person At The Americana (1964)

Well into her late thirties, Julie London was also well past her commercial prime when she cut this live album for release in 1964. Actually, she had mounted something of a comeback the previous year with the LPs "The End of the World" and "The Wonderful World of Julie London", both of which made the charts for her after a gap of six years from her 1955-1957 commercial heyday, but "Julie London", released earlier in 1964, had not charted. London's film work was also at a low ebb. She had not appeared onscreen since 1961's "The George Raft Story". But this was all the more reason to emphasize the personal appearance aspect of her career by recording a live album. Cut at the Royal Box of the Americana Hotel in New York City, this LP might as well have come from Las Vegas since it was a glitzy affair that surrounded the star with a big band and a bevy of backup singers. She borrowed from Judy Garland for "The Trolley Song" (a number largely taken over by the choral accompaniment) and "The Man That Got Away", while her husband, Bobby Troup, provided his 1941 hit "Daddy" and 1948's "Baby, Baby All the Time", the latter in a medley with "Basin Street Blues" and "St. Louis Woman". London was at her best in the sexy, playful "Daddy", which brought out her personality. One could only imagine that there was a stage show to accompany these numbers that would have made the performance even more compelling, but London was still able to convey her breathy, bluesy charm. By 1964 that charm was coming to seem adult more in the sense of "aging" rather than "provocative", not only because of the singer's advancing years but because she, like everyone in her area of musical entertainment, was being marginalized by the Beatles and their ilk. So, "Julie London in Person at the Americana" seemed somewhat old-fashioned even on the day it was released. ~ William Ruhlmann

Side 1:

01) Opening - Lonesome Road

02) Send For Me

03) My Baby Just Cares For Me

04) The Trolley Song

05) Daddy

06) Medley

Side 2:

01) Kansas City

02) Bye Bye Blackbird

03) By Myself

04) I Love Paris

05) Gotta Move

06) Cry Me A River

07) The Man That Got Away - Closing

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Wes Montgomery: California Dreaming (1966)

Historians and fans agree that Wes Montgomery's best and most influential jazz years were spent with Riverside Records (1959/63). While he didn't abandon his jazz roots entirely on shifting to Verve in 1964 the more lucrative pop market obviously became an attractive option for him. This trend continued even more so during his A&M period (1967/68). The four years with these two labels were the most commercially successful of his career, but perhaps featured the least jazz improvisation.

This album, the last he cut for Verve, illustrates the foregoing. It contains a mix of pop and standards with Montgomery's trademark octaves set against some excellent orchestral arrangements by Don Sebesky. I've always been a huge Sebesky fan, so regardless of Wes's input everything's cool with me. Give it a spin and see what you think.

Tracks:

01) California Dreaming

02) Sun Down

03) Oh, You Crazy Moon

04) More More Amore

05) Without You

06) Winds Of Barcelona

07) Sunny [alternate take]

08) Sunny

09) Green Peppers

10) Mr Walker

11) South Of The Border

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Woody Herman: My Kind Of Broadway (1965)

This was the debut album for Woody's mid-sixties stint with Columbia Records. Many of the personnel on this recording were holdovers from the memorable Philips "Swingin' Herd" gang including arranger/pianist Nat Pierce and the fabulous trombonist, Phil Wilson. This album would mark the end of Phil's tenure with the Herd (just catch his brilliant solo on "My Favorite Things"). The fifties and sixties were a golden age for Broadway show tunes. Many of them are presented here, each one a gem perfectly suited for big band interpretation as shown in the tasty arrangements of Pierce, Bill Holman, Dusko Goykovich, Bill Chase, Don Rader, and Raoul Romero. Throw in some brilliant solos by Pierce, Rader, Goykovich, Chase, Andy McGhee -- the list goes on and on -- and the maestro himself -- then add brassy ensemble work by the band (which included no less than EIGHT trumpets). Result: perfection. ~ Robert Usher

Side 1:

01) I Feel Pretty

02) A Lot Of Livin' To Do

03) Get Me To The Church On Time

04) Who Can I Turn To

05) My Favourite Things

06) I Do Like You

Side 2:

01) Never Will I Marry

02) Warm All Over

03) This Can't Be Love

04) Somewhere

05) Hello Young Lovers

06) The Sound Of Music

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Nancy Wilson: Something Wonderful (1960)

This fine album was sadly lost in the shuffle when it was released the same year as another Nancy Wilson album, "The Swingin's Mutual!", her highly successful collaboration with the George Shearing Quintet. This is a shame because "Something Wonderful" is one of Wilson's best albums and her tastiest with famed big-band arranger Billy May. Only 23 years old at the time, Wilson had a commanding blues and soul-drenched jazz voice that was fully formed at the time of this recording and unlike so many young singers she was already committed to communicating lyrics rather than showing off how great her voice was. This is beautifully illustrated in the narrative gem "Guess Who I Saw Today", which justly went on to become one of Wilson's signature tunes. For his part, May keeps the accent here on swinging jazz but avoids the heavy brass and wild percussion that he became famous for. Instead he opts for a subtler sound. May even throws a couple of small-group jazz and blues numbers into the mix and allows some superb jazz musicians (including Ben Webster, the legendary tenor saxophonist) to shine in the solo spotlight. "Something Wonderful" remains one of Nancy Wilson's most jazz-oriented sessions. ~ Nick Dedina

Side 1:

01) Teach Me Tonight

02) This Time The Dream's On Me

03) I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life

04) I Wish You Love

05) Guess Who I Saw Today

06) If Dreams Come True

Side 2:

01) What A Little Moonlight Can Do

02) The Great City

03) He's My Guy

04) Something Happens To Me

05) Call It Stormy Monday

06) Something Wonderful Happens

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Andre Previn & Russ Freeman: Double Play! (1957)

This is excellent two-piano jazz. Andre Previn and Russ Freeman team up with drummer Shelly Manne to play eight of their originals (along with the standard "Take Me Out to the Ball Game") each one given a title connected with baseball. "Double Play!" was advertised as the first time that duo pianists recorded what was then considered to be modern jazz. Incidentally, as Previn and Freeman had very complementary keyboard styles it may be an interesting excercise in the absence of liner notes to figure out who's soloing and when!

Tracks:

01) Take Me Out To The Ball Game

02) Who's On First

03) Called On Account Of Rain

04) In The Cellar Blues

05) Batter Up

06) Double Play

07) Safe At Home

08) Fungo

09) Strike Out The Band

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Fran Warren: Hey There! Here's Fran Warren (1958)

This beautiful, hauntingly moody and romantic collection includes some of Fran Warren's strongest repertory of the period ("Hey There" is from The Pajama Game), but strangely, not "A Sunday Kind of Love". Her warm yet misty voice is utterly beguiling in these expressive but unpretentious arrangements by Marty Paich which show off her charm. From a gentle, ethereal presence she suddenly comes up with magnificent sustained phrases on songs like "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" that never quite let you go and keep you wanting more. ~ Bruce Eder

Side 1:

01) Hey There

02) Imagination

03) I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me

04) I Can't Get Started

05) Don't Blame Me

06) Exactly Like You

Side 2:

01) They Can't Take That Away From Me

02) Lucky New People In Love

03) I'm In The Mood For Love

04) You Don't Know What Love Is

05) Come Rain Or Come Shine

06) Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

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Art Farmer: Central Avenue Reunion (1989)

This LP album was released by Contemporary Records C-14057 in 1989 and distributed by Fantasy Records. Recorded at Kimball's East in Emeryville, CA on May 26-27, fluegelhornist Art Farmer and saxophonist Frank Morgan are both in good form on this live quintet session. There are rewarding solos by the principal performers and pianist Lou Levy. Eric Von Essen on bass and Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums provide solid rhythmic support, and get in a couple licks of their own. This release offers a well-balanced set of eight tracks from the concerts, delivering extended versions of Art's own "Farmer's Market", Sonny Clark's "Blue Minor" & "Cool Struttin'", Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee", and the standards "Star Eyes", "Embraceable You", "Don't Blame Me", and "I Remember You", each ranging from almost six minutes to over nine minutes in length.

Tracks:

01) Star Eyes

02) Farmer's Market

03) Embraceable You

04) Blue Minor

05) I Remember You

06) Don't Blame Me

07) Cool Struttin'

08) Donna Lee

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Kay Starr: Movin' On Broadway! (1960)

I get requests occasionally from visitors to this blog who are seeking specific albums. They're often out of print and usually quite rare. Most of these requests go unanswered but not this time. I happened to have this Capitol release of currently popular Broadway songs from 1960 sung by Kay Starr, so it's my pleasure to share it with you. Van Alexander was arranger/conductor.

Side 1:

01) It's All Right With Me

02) Heart

03) On The Street Where You Live

04) Get Me To The Church On Time

05) I've Grown Accustomed To His Face

06) C'est Magnifique

Side 2:

01) Baubles Bangles and Beads

02) I Love Paris

03) You're Just In Love

04) All Of You

05) The Party's Over

06) Just In Time

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Buddy DeFranco: I Hear Benny Goodman & Artie Shaw (1958)

When these recordings were made in the late 1950s Buddy DeFranco was accepted in jazz circles as "the man" on the clarinet. The tunes assembled on this 2-CD set prove that point. Here he pays tribute to two undisputed masters of his chosen instrument.

Disc 1: [Benny Goodman]

01) Don't Be That Way

02) After You've Gone

03) The Sheik Of Araby

04) Flying Home

05) Soft Winds

06) Medley

07) Limehouse Blues

08) Medley

09) Rose Room

10) Oh, Lady Be Good

Disc 2: [Artie Shaw]

01) S'Wonderful

02) My Heart Stood Still

03) Temptation

04) Night And Day

05) Keepin' Myself For You

06) Medley

07) Concerto For Clarinet

08) All The Things You Are

09) Softly As In A Morning Sunrise

10) Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

11) I Surrender Dear

12) Tin Reed Blues

Disc 1 (download)

Disc 2 (download)

Malcolm McNeill: The Four Seasons (1985)

May I introduce Malcolm McNeill. Malcolm has long been considered one of New Zealand's finest jazz singers. For over 30 years his unique artistry and intelligent approach have earned him the enthusiastic and loyal following of aficionados both in his own country and around the world.

" Malcolm McNeill has a beguilingly beautiful voice and unerring taste for wonderful songs. His musicianship places him in a rare category of great artists".

Michael Feinstein

"Malcolm is a fantastic singer - a great voice and great interpreter too. I'm a big fan of his".

Blossom Dearie

"Malcolm is a lovely singer and very musical. In his own right a great artist".

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

"That's my kinda' music - a terrific singer and a really great voice".

Bill Clinton

Growing up in Christchurch, New Zealand, he sought out from an early age the recordings that

caught his ear: Singers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme and instrumentalists like Bird, Dizzy, Oscar Peterson and other jazz greats. On New Zealand radio jazz was not often heard or played back then and Malcolm became, literally, a unique voice – pioneering the sound of vocal jazz in New Zealand's music scene.

So what of this album recorded in Sydney, Australia, some 24 years ago. In a word, it's innovative. Full marks to producer Cleon Dennis for the original concept -- creating a parallel between the planet's four seasons as depicted in music of Antonio Vivaldi and his "Four Seasons" suite and the plateaus and valleys of human relationships expressed so beautifully through the 13 ballads sung by Malcolm McNeill. But does it come off? Sandwiching Vivaldi's "Andantino" between "Early Autumn" and "Tis Autumn" was a daring move. McNeill's scatting and the multi-tracking helps to smooth the edges, but am I convinced? Well, not entirely, but I'll reserve final judgement until I've given the disc a few more spins. I can always re-rip excluding the "Four Seasons" tracks but I guess that would be a pity.

However, on the positive side, full marks to the four arrangers, Jack Grimsley, Neil Thurgate, Kenny Powell and Julian Lee. Great charts guys! And the Sydney Symphony Orchestra sounds superb. There's also some nice soloing from Charlie Munro on tenor and Bob Barnard on trumpet. I'm not familiar with the Australian jazz fraternity. They could be members of the orchestra of course.

I suppose McNeill's voice could be described as a light tenor. Perhaps a wee bit too light for some. But if you do like what you hear an Amazon subsidiary has a CD featuring both Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Malcolm McNeill advertised for 74c!!

Side 1:

01) The Summer Knows

02) The Summer Sounds Of Samba

03) Allegro Duetto

04) Summertime

05) Early Autumn

06) Andantino

07) 'Tis Autumn

08) Autumn Leaves

09) Andante

Side 2:

01) September Song

02) I Think It's Going To Rain Today

03) Larghetto

04) Winter Song

05) Stormy Weather

06) Andante e Allegro

07) Spring Is Here

08) You Must Believe In Spring

09) Valse con moto

10) All The Things You Are

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The Voice Of Frank Sinatra (1948)

"The Voice of Frank Sinatra" was the first Sinatra album recorded as such. Initially issued by Columbia Records on March 4, 1946, as a set of four 78-rpm records (and later reissued as a 10" LP in 1948 and as two 45-rpm EPs in 1952), it was a collection of eight songs recorded at two sessions in 1945. At both sessions arranger/conductor Axel Stordahl used a string quartet and a rhythm section plus single added color instruments, a flute here, an oboe there. The songs were all romantic ballads and, in a clear precursor to the Sinatra "concept" albums on Capitol Records in the 1950s, they were all standards of an earlier era. The leadoff track "You Go to My Head" (copyright 1938) was the most recent composition and the rest all came from earlier in the '30s except the Gershwin composition "Someone to Watch Over Me" which had been introduced back in the 1926 musical "Oh, Kay!". Sinatra seemed to be deliberately looking back to, and reinventing the crooner era of the early '30s on such songs as "(I Don't Stand) A Ghost of a Chance", co-written by his mentor, Bing Crosby, and "Paradise", popularized by Crosby's early rival Russ Columbo which closed the album. Sinatra was using the vintage material to treat popular music in a more formal and serious way and Stordahl, with his classical influences, abetted this pursuit. "The Voice of Frank Sinatra", which quickly topped the album charts, signaled a new direction for Sinatra that would take him beyond the screams of the bobbysoxers even though it would be some time before that direction was clearly marked out. ~ William Ruhlmann

Side 1:

01) You Go To My Head

02) Someone To Watch Over Me

03) These Foolish Things

04) Why Shouldn't I

Side 2:

01) I Don't Know Why I Just Do

02) Try A Little Tenderness

03) A Ghost Of A Chance

04) Paradise

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Dave Pell Octet: Campus Hop (1958)

Subtitled "Jazz Goes Dancing" (which was the name of an earlier album), this LP, "Campus Hop", features the Dave Pell Octet playing a dozen songs written by Harry Warren. The danceable music swings and features fine short solos from the members of the octet which at the time were trumpeter Jack Sheldon, valve trombonist Bob Enevoldsen, Pell on tenor, baritonist Med Flory, pianist Paul Moer, guitarist Tom Tedesco, bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Mel Lewis. The West Coast all-stars perform arrangements by Marty Paich, Bill Holman, Shorty Rogers, Flory and John Williams to such songs as "You're My Everything", "Forty-Second Street", "Lulu's Back In Town" and "I'll String Along With You".

Side 1:

01) Java Junction

02) You're My Everything

03) Forty-Second Street

04) By The River Sainte Marie

05) I Know Why

06) We're In The Money

Side 2:

01) Cheerful Little Earful

02) Would You Like To Take A Walk

03) Lulu's Back In Town

04) I'll String Along With You

05) Remember Me

06) Summer Night

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Peggy Lee: Things Are Swingin' (1958)

Midway through a small lull in her live performance career Peggy Lee recorded the LP "Things Are Swingin'" in Hollywood during May, 1958, at the same sessions that produced the biggest hit of her career -- "Fever". (Though not on the original LP, it was added to the 2004 reissue as a bonus track). Still, "Things Are Swingin'" isn't a high point in Lee's career especially when considered among her many successes of the late '50s like the following year's "Beauty and the Beat!". Though her instincts and powers of bewitchment were faultless as ever, she betrayed a few weaknesses in her normally excellent voice perhaps a result of her semi-retirement at the time and the ten-piece studio orchestra -- including session heavyweights Don Fagerquist, Barney Kessel, Bob Enevoldsen, Howard Roberts, Pete Candoli, and Shelly Manne -- isn't given much to work with by conductor Jack Marshall. Scattered moments of brilliance abound however including Lee's own title song (a staple of her later live show, written with Marshall), the sleepily sensual "You're Getting To Be a Habit With Me", and "Alright, Okay, You Win", a bluesy lead that became a hit in 1958 alongside "Fever". ~ John Bush

Side 1:

01) It's A Wonderful World

02) Things Are Swingin'

03) Alright, Okay, You Win

04) Riding High

05) It's Been A Long Long Time

06) Lullaby In Rhythm

Side 2:

01) Alone Together

02) I'm Beginning To See The Light

03) It's A Good Good Night

04) You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me

05) You're Mine You

06) Life is For Living

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Linda Ronstadt: Lush Life (1984)

"Lush Life" is a Platinum-certified, Grammy-nominated album by singer/songwriter/producer Linda Ronstadt, released in late 1984. It was the second in a trilogy of jazz albums with bandleader/arranger Nelson Riddle. The other two were "What's New" and "For Sentimental Reasons". "Lush Life" peaked at #13 on the Billboard album chart, was certified Platinum in just several weeks becoming Ronstadt's record tenth million-selling Platinum album overall. It also earned her a Grammy award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance Female alongside Madonna, Tina Turner, Pat Benatar and Whitney Houston.

Tracks:

01) When I Fall In Love

02) Skylark

03) It Never Entered My Mind

04) Mean To Me

05) When Your Lover Has Gone

06) I'm A Fool To Want You

07) You Took Advantage Of Me

08) Sophisticated Lady

09) Can't We Be Friends

10) My Old Flame

11) Falling In Love Again

12) Lush Life

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Harry James: At The Hollywood Palladium (1954)

This album which apparently was recorded live -- at least, it doesn't have too much of the obvious fakery of the period -- represents Harry James in his glory in a dance setting, which doesn't mean it's bad listening at all. It's smooth jazz very much on the pop side of the by-gone swing era with elements of the Dixieland sound that James embraced during the boomlet for that genre. The Harry James band during this period included Buddy Rich in its ranks. He turns in a superb drum solo on "Sugar Foot Stomp", and also sings a slow rendition of "Ain't She Sweet". ~ Bruce Eder

Side 1:

01) Palladium Party

02) Bye Bye Blues

03) Please Take A Letter Miss Brown

04) Ain't She Sweet

05) Sugar Foot Stomp

Side 2:

01) How Could You Do A Thing Like That

02) Moonlight Bay

03) Midnight Sun

04) Moanin' Low

05) Flash

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Pete Jolly: Too Much Baby (1965)

The heyday of pianist Pete Jolly's jazz career was during the 1950s and early 1960s when he made the bulk of his recordings as a leader. He had previously focused mainly on studio work in Hollywood for television and films, although he performed regularly in a jazz setting up until his death in 2004. This circa-1965 studio date, "Too Much, Baby", is a trio session with bassist Chuck Berghofer and drummer Nick Martinis concentrating on then-current pop songs and Broadway fare. Unfortunately there is little room for the group to stretch out as the songs all run under four minutes and are, for the most part, promptly faded out not long after Jolly completes his solos. His lively interpretation of "Sometime Ago", which includes a solo feature for Berghofer, is easily the album's highlight though standards such as "One Morning in May" and his take of "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" are also enjoyable. But even long-since forgotten material like "Same Ol' Huckleberry Finn (Up Cherry Street)", made popular by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (with whom Jolly worked briefly as a sideman) and written by Julius Wechter of the Baja Marimba Band, becomes an unlikely jazz vehicle in Jolly's hands, adding some humorous ragtime into the mix. ~ Ken Dryden

Side 1:

01) I'm All Smiles

02) One Morning In May

03) If I Ruled The World

04) Telephone Song

05) Some Time Ago

Side 2:

01) Same Ol' Huckleberry Finn

02) Do I Hear A Waltz

03) I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

04) Favela

05) On A Wonderful Day Like Today

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Jo Stafford: Ski Trails (1956)

Like the lady on the cover top-notch skiers make it look so easy don't they? My one and only attempt at it proved that perception to be absolutely delusional. I was unpractised and untrained. My radio colleague was just the opposite. He grew up on the slopes. Problem was we were both intent on making a favourable impression on a certain blonde who was with us on the mountain. Guess the winner. But if my colleague was hare-like that weekend, I used the tortoise as my yardstick. I eventually married that blonde and we celebrate our 48th anniversary in January!

This is one of my favourite Jo Stafford albums. It resulted from the happy convergence of some top 1950s talent -- Jo herself, her hubby Paul Weston, The Starlighters and The Norman Luboff Choir. While there are no Christmas songs as such, with its winter theme, cosy firesides, happy holidays and sleigh rides etc, perhaps this album may get you in the mood for the looming festivities especially if you are a citizen of the northern hemisphere. We in the south can only imagine what it must be like to celebrate the season with snow, roaring fires and plum puddings. It's steak on the barbecue, green salads and for most of us (especially the kids) a strong smell of sunburn lotion. But as the track 10 title suggests, "It's June In January" for us when we listen to this disc.

Side 1:

01) Baby, It's Cold Outside

02) Moonlight In Vermont

03) Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

04) By The Fireside

05) Winter Song

06) It Happened In Sun Valley

Side 2:

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

02) The Nearness Of You

03) Winter Wonderland

04) June In January

05) The Wiffenpoof Song

06) Sleigh Ride

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Chet Baker Sings And Plays (1955)

With the growing popularity of Chet Baker's first vocal album, "Chet Baker Sings", Pacific Jazz producer Richard Bock wanted to capitalize on both facets of his young star's abilities. Hence, the trumpeter-turned-vocalist entered the studio in 1955 with both his quartet featuring pianist Russ Freeman and an expanded sextet including bassist Red Mitchell, Bud Shank on flute, and various string players. The resulting album, "Chet Baker Sings and Plays", helped set in stone the image of Baker as the jazz world's matinee idol and icon of '50s West Coast cool. His laid-back style -- a mix of '30s crooner and Miles Davis' nonet recordings -- appealed in its immediacy to a jazz public tiring of the hyper, athletic musicality of bebop. Similarly, his plaintive, warm trumpet sound was the more sensitive antidote to such brassy kings as Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown. Other artists had performed many of these standards before, but as with "My Funny Valentine" on "Chet Baker Sings", tracks like "Let's Get Lost", "Long Ago and Far Away", and "Just Friends" became definitively associated with Baker for the rest of his career. "Chet Baker Sings" and "Chet Baker Sings and Plays" are not only the two most important albums of Baker's career, but are classics of jazz. ~ Matt Collar

Side 1:

01) Let's Get Lost

02) This Is Always

03) Long Ago And Far Away

04) Someone To Watch Over Me

05) Just Friends

Side 2:

01) I Wish I Knew

02) Daybreak

03) You Don't Know What Love Is

04) Grey December

05) I Remember You

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Yehudi Menuhin & Stephane Grappelli: Jalousie

Jazz played on a violin isn’t every listener's favourite musical experience; the same can be said of listening to jazz on accordion. However, when it comes to Stephane Grappelli most of us will agree that he was an exception. When you pair him with Yehudi Menuhin the experience is one to be savored and repeated. Yehudi, of course, was a famous classical violinist and teacher, locked into performance firmly about the written notes and structure, whereas Stephane was a remarkable improviser. What both men enjoyed in common was a wonderful melodic approach to playing, an often emotional feel and enormous joy for their music. Placing Yehudi in a jazz setting, freeing him from the written structure must have been a huge challenge for both men. Yehudi may not have been able, late in life to sit over the swing style rhythms of jazz, nor to build new musical phrases on a melody as he played. As for Stephane, he must have wondered how it would be playing jazz improvisations with a classically gifted colleague. This album shows just how the two talents complement each other and how they meet the challenges of adjusting and creating. There is no hesitation or weakness in Yehudi's performances as he swings comfortably and darts in and out with Stephane. The many times the two violins play in unison creates a sweet and vibrant sound and the supporting group led by Alan Clare is always effective and balanced. A special word for Grappelli. Here was a jazz musician who seemed to improve with age, each year sounding more lyrical and creative. Listeners will also be pleased to hear three of his compositions and to appreciate his piano playing skills. Transcribed with Wavedit, processed with Cool Edit to reduce hiss. ~ Keith Horner

Thanks again Keith!

Side 1:

01) Blue Room

02) A Fine Romance

03) Jalousie

04) Billy

05) Love Is Here To Stay

06) Aurore

07) Pick Yourself Up

08) Night And Day

Side 2:

01) I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me

02) These Foolish Things

03) Errol

04) Oh Lady Be Good

05) Jermyn Street

06) Cheek To Cheek

07) The Lady Is A Tramp

Side 1 (download)

Side 2 (download)

Esther Phillips: Alone Again, Naturally (1972)

Recorded in late 1972, "Alone Again Naturally" was the follow-up to Esther Phillips' Grammy nominated "From A Whisper To A Scream". Producer Creed Taylor assembled a stellar cast of musicians including George Benson, Maceo Parker, Eric Gale, Bernard Purdie, Ron Carter, Richard Tee and Billy Cobham. A great choice of repertoire and superb arrangements from Pee Wee Ellis and Don Sebesky melded perfectly with Esther's smoky vocals to produce one of the finest albums of her career. Both critics and NARAS voters took note, the latter awarding Ms. Phillips a second Grammy nomination for this Kudu classic.

Side 1:

01) Use Me

02) I Don't Want To Do Wrong

03) Let's Move And Groove

04) Let Me In Your Life

05) Cherry Red

Side 2:

01) I've Never Found A Man To Love Me Like You Do

02) Alone Again, Naturally

03) Do Right Woman, Do Right Man

04) You And Me Together

05) Georgia Rose

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Tommy Dorsey & His Clambake Seven & Orch (1935/36)

This time I'm sharing one of my favourite albums from the jazz archive section of my library. The material comprises private recordings of Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven group and four of his 1935 band (Side 2 Tks 5-8). The Clambake Seven was Tommy Dorsey’s alter ego to the one personified by his band. In the septet lineup he could relax and play the kind of smooth trombone improvisations that he so much enjoyed. The Clambake Seven was more of a real jazz ensemble.

As Michael Brooks points out in his liner notes: "These recordings were originally made as 16" radio transcriptions. Broadcast transcriptions were produced to give individual stations an exclusive identity, a chance to air current music in a different form than commercial records. Material on radio transcriptions often differed from the commercial sides cut by the same orchestra in both solos and arrangements. Further, the orchestras recorded tunes on radio transcriptions that they did not record for commercial record releases. The Clambake Seven sides generate a lot of excitement and I think that the fans of this group will be pleasantly surprised by the jazz content of these previously unknown recordings."

Besides Dorsey the Clambake personnel are:

Max Kaminsky (trumpet)

Joe Dixon (clarinet)

Sid Block (tenor sax)

Dick Jones (piano)

Carman Mastren (guitar)

Gene Traxler (bass)

Dave Tough (drums)

Edythe Wright (Vocals)

Side 1:

01) Christopher Columbus

02) Us On A Bus

03) My Honey's Lovin' Arms

04) Robins And Roses

05) Somebody Stole My Gal

06) How Come You Do Me

07) You

08) Dreamtime

Side 2:

01) Swing Mr Charlie

02) I'll Stand By

03) Ja-Da

04) The Panic's On

05) On Treasure Island

06) Alone

07) Thanks A Million

08) I'm Sitting High On A Hilltop

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Jeri Southern: Jeri Gently Jumps (1957)

After two LPs of down-tempo torch songs, Jeri Southern recorded a set of comparatively swinging songs in 1957 backed by a clean, reflective small-group orchestra with Ralph Burns in the director's chair. Ever the vocal coach, Southern picks a few rather obscure songs ("You Forgot Your Gloves," "It Must Be True") to enlighten the date, and brings a plaintive concern to chestnuts like "Am I Blue?" and "If I Had You". Southern is also heard on piano throughout the date. ~ John Bush

Side 1:

01) You Forgot Your Gloves

02) My Ideal

03) I've Got Five Dollars

04) All Too Soon

05) If I Had You

06) What's My Name

Side 2:

01) My Old Flame

02) Am I Blue

03) No Moon At All

04) Romance In The Dark

05) It Must Be True

06) Everything But You

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Billy May: The Girls & Boys On Broadway (1960)

Billy May was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He played trumpet professionally in big bands such as those of Charlie Barnet starting in 1939, but became best known as a talented arranger. His arrangement of the Ray Noble composition "Cherokee" became a major hit of the swing music era. During the Barnet days May revealed a significant flair for satire on a composition titled "The Wrong Idea" that ridiculed the bland Mickey Mouse style of "safe" big band music with specific musical mockery of bandleader Sammy Kaye known for his swing and sway trademark. May's caustic lyrics to the song called it "swing and sweat with Charlie Barnet".

May worked as an arranger for the bands of Glenn Miller and Les Brown before being hired as staff arranger first for the NBC radio network, then for Capitol Records. His charts often featured brisk tempos and intricate brass parts. One distinctive feature of his style was his frequent use of trumpet mute devices; another, a saxophone glissando widely known as his "slurping saxes". However, May was also an accomplished writer for strings. Good examples of this aspect of his work include his string arrangements for Peggy Lee's "Pretty Eyes" and Nancy Wilson's "Tender Loving Care". Both albums can be found on this blog.

Not much can be said about this album other than it was typical of the brassy big band stuff May was contracted to do for Capitol in the '60s. Apart from "I've Never Been In Love Before" reed "slurping" is conspicuous by its absence which suites me fine. Plenty of biting brass though and the engineers got the stereo just right -- brass right, reeds left and rhythm center. And how about that cover showing Billy, center of attention, teaching the guys a thing or two by parading as a vendor selling chestnuts to the lovely ladies of the cast!

Side 1:

01) The Girls Against The Boys

02) My Darling

03) If I Were A Bell

04) Where Did We Go, Out

05) Guys And Dolls

06) Rich Butterfly

Side 2:

01) Heart

02) Old Fashioned Girl

03) Till There Was You

04) Girls And Boys

05) I've Never Been In Love Before

06) I Gotta Have You

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Sammy Davis Jr & Count Basie: Our Shining Hour (1965)

This is one of Sammy Davis Jr's best jazz-oriented albums. It features Davis with the Count Basie Orchestra performing arrangements by Quincy Jones. Unfortunately the personnel of the Basie band is not given, but the orchestra mostly acts as a prop behind Davis much of the time anyway. The singer is heard in top form on "Teach Me Tonight", "Work Song", and "Keepin' out of Mischief Now", adding a bit of tap dancing to a lighthearted "Bill Basie Won't You Please Come Home". Some of the more poppish tunes such as "Blues for Mr. Charlie" and "She's a Woman", are a bit dated now, but in general, fans of Sammy Davis Jr will enjoy this set. ~ Scott Yanow

Side 1:

01) My Shining Hour

02) Teach Me Tonight

03) Work Song

04) Why Try To Change Me Now

05) Blues For Mr Charlie

06) April In Paris

Side 2:

01) New York City Blues

02) You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You

03) She's A Woman

04) Girl From Ipanema

05) Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now

06) Bill Basie Won't You Please Come Home

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Erroll Garner: Romantic & Swinging (1955)

Erroll Garner was famous for more than his unique piano style. Record producers and studio engineers knew that once he sat down at the piano they could rely on a confident delivery without hesitation and a minimum of retakes. In a three-hour session Garner could, literally, provide 150 minutes of superb music, ready to be transferred to vinyl and shipped out to eager fans. His style, with that vamping left hand, owed much to a self-taught player but demonstrated just how well his natural talent took him into the top echelon of jazz pianists. Emulated by many but surpassed by none his devotees included Dudley Moore who often threw in that left hand with great strength. George Shearing parodied Garner at many a live concert always gaining loud applause when he swung into a replica piece.

However, Garner was much more than that hypnotic left-hand beat. A two-handed pianist, his delight in rhapsodic introductions can often be heard. On the album “Solo Flight”, he stretches out into modernistic neo classical sounds. Nevertheless, at the core of his playing was always an infectious swing and appreciation for standards. Once he played and recorded with Parker, but soon became recognised as a solo artist in his own right. Then came scores of recordings limited to the old 78 r.p.m length of up to 3 minutes or so. The advent of microgroove gave him the opportunity to record extended pieces and to prove that his style and creativity was not to be bettered by anyone. These days he seems to be ignored by most jazz DJs. This is a pity as Garner’s was that rare talent, an individual and instantly identifiable piano style.

This album, “Romantic and Swinging”, offers the chance to hear an early-to-middle period Garner with some short tracks and one or two longer pieces. There's a nice version of St James Infirmary" and one of the early renditions of his own composition,"Misty". Issued on Music For Pleasure, these selections are not generally found on his currently available CD albums.

This is a mono vinyl which I have fully mixed and processed using Cool Edit. ~ Keith Horner

Thanks Keith!

Side 1:

01) That Old Feeling

02) Lady Be Good

03) Exactly Like You

04) I'll Never Smile Again

05) Love In Bloom

Side 2:

01) Solitaire

02) All Of A Sudden My Heart Sings

03) Misty

04) You Are My Sunshine

05) St James Infirmary

Side 1 (download)

Side 2 (download)

Buddy Rich Big Band: Wham! (1977/78)

A lot's been said and written about Buddy Rich. A stormy person who was all extremes. He would laugh at your joke one moment, and tell you he'd kill you the next. He was loved by some, disliked by many and even hated by a few. But no matter what kind of person he was there are two incontrovertible facts about Buddy Rich: First he held some kind of a band together for nearly 50 years -- usually a big band. Second, he was truly one of the most bad-assed drummers jazz ever produced. Only Kenny Clarke, J.C. Heard, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, and Max Roach were in the same league -- or he in theirs depending on your point of view. This curious album was assembled from tapes made by saxophonist Alan Gauvin while with the Rich band from 1977 to 1978. Most of the tracks were recorded in Detroit, a couple in Long Island, and one in, of all places, Dexter, Michigan. While it is true that the quality of these recordings is not exactly state of the art, they are far from bad. They give a certain authenticity to these certainly edited proceedings by presenting the actual music exactly as it was recorded -- and that music is steamin'. Rich was never one for subtlety and there is nothing subtle about the arrangements on these tracks, even the slower ones such as Miles Davis' "So What". But that's just the way the man ran a band. There are a few personnel differences in these bands because Rich had a revolving-door band, but two of the constants are Bob Mintzer -- who composed the wonderful "Tales of Rhoda Rat" here -- and co-producer Alan Gauvin. The charts were written by everybody from Mintzer to Bill Holman to Don Menza and Tom Boras. But really, none of the documentation here means a damned thing: The music itself -- from Horace Silver's "Cape Verdean Blues" to Bill Reddie's "Channel One Suite" -- is played one way: without a flaw, full of piss and vinegar, and physical -- in your face. This is big-band music that will remain contemporary no matter when it is heard because Rich was timeless in his approach to music and life. ~ Thom Jurek,

Tracks:

01) Time Out

02) Willowcrest

03) Ya Gotta Try

04) Tales Of Rhoda Rat

05) Time Check

06) Cape Verdean Blues

07) Bugle Call Rag

08) So What

09) A Little Train

10) Channel One Suite

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Dinah Shore & Lena Horne: Lower Basin Street (1956)

NBC's "Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street" was a weekly radio jam session of the 1940s with two fine house bands backing guest soloists who were the leading exponents of jazz. The show made its debut on February 11, 1940. During its first months on NBC it was a sustaining feature (meaning unsponsored) in a late Sunday afternoon (4:30pm) time slot. It soon developed a loyal following and on September 16, 1940, NBC began airing the show in prime time on Monday nights at 9pm. The final broadcast was aired on October 8, 1944.

Most commercially released samples of the program showcase vocalist Dinah Shore and sometimes she is joined by Lena Horne. These two received national exposure from their Lower Basin Street appearances. Shore's style was somewhat out of place with the predominantly 2-beat Dixieland style that these bands played, but they made room for her. Horne was singing a softer style here than the charismatic belting that she became known for in later years, but she is more at home with the Dixie stylings than Dinah.

On this album the instrumental numbers are performed by Henry Levine and his Barefoooted Dixieland Philharmonic.

Side 1:

01) Mood Indigo

02) Muskrat Ramble

03) Sophisticated Lady

04) Basin Street Blues

05) Stardust

06) Body And Soul

Side 2:

01) St. Louis Blues

02) Memphis Blues

03) Beale Street Blues

04) Aunt Haggar's Blues

05) John Henry Blues

06) Careless Love

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The Four Freshmen: Complete Capitol 50s Sessions

Another album from the Complete Capitol Four Freshmen Fifties Sessions. This is CD8. If you need any background read my comments prefacing the first post of the series on May 6.

Tracks:

01) At Last

02) Be Careful It's My Heart

03) But Beautiful

04) Dream

05) First Affair

06) Fools Rush In

07) If I Knew Then

08) It Happens Every Spring

09) It's A New World

10) I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me

11) I Didn't Know About You

12) I Hadn't Anyone Till You

13) I'm Beginning To See The Light

14) I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

15) I've Never Been In Love Before

16) Long Ago And Far Away

17) My Funny Valentine

18) Paper Moon

19) Please Be Kind

20) Polka Dots And Moonbeams

21) Show Me The Way To Get Out Of This World

22) Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring

23) The Freshman Year

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Bill Perkins Octet: On Stage (1956)

This music dates from the mid-1950s, the prime period of cool West Coast jazz. For this set, tenor saxophonist Bill Perkins is showcased in an all-star octet also including altoist Bud Shank, baritonist Jack Nimitz, trumpeter Stu Williamson, trombonist Carl Fontana, pianist Russ Freeman, bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Mel Lewis. Perk's tone is heard throughout at its coolest (influenced by Lester Young but distinctive within the style) and there are plenty of short spots for the other key voices. The program includes five swing-era songs including "Song of the Islands", "When You're Smiling" and two versions of Harry "Sweets" Edison's "Let Me See" plus three newer pieces, but no bop standards. At least as important as the solos are the arrangements of Perkins, Bill Holman, Lennie Niehaus and Johnny Mandel. Their use of restrained colors, the quiet rhythm section and advanced harmonies on a whole give one a definitive look at West Coast Jazz of the mid-1950s. ~ Scott Yanow

Tracks:

01) Song Of The Islands

02) One Hundred Years From Today

03) Zing! Zang!

04) Let Me See

05) For Dancers Only

06) Just A Child

07) As They Reveled

08) When You're Smiling

09) Let Me See [alternate take]

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Lena Horne: At The Waldorf Astoria (1957)

More than anything else Lena Horne was a nightclub entertainer and having completed her film commitments to MGM in 1956 she was free to turn her attention to performing full-time. Starting on New Year's Eve she spent eight weeks at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York and towards the end of the run RCA Victor Records brought in recording equipment. The result is an excellent representation of Horne in her natural environment. Backed by Nat Brandwynne's Orchestra conducted by her husband, MGM's Lennie Hayton, Horne essays a series of vintage standards that go back to 1929's "Honeysuckle Rose", which she sang in the 1943 film "Thousands Cheer". There is a Cole Porter medley that includes a triumphant "It's All Right With Me", and the set concludes with "From This Moment On" showing Horne to be the perfect interpreter of Porter's sophisticated songs. And there is a shorter Duke Ellington medley comprising "Mood Indigo" and "I'm Beginning to See the Light" that is equally impressive. Among the more contemporary tracks, Horne borrows "Let Me Love You" from Mabel Mercer who introduced it; "Today I Love Everybody" from Betty Grable who sang it in the 1953 film "The Farmer Takes a Wife" and "A New Fangled Tango" from Ethel Merman who performed it in the 1956 musical "Happy Hunting". These are good choices given sympathetic arrangements and Horne performs them with just the right tone of romance and sly humor. Lena Horne may have left Hollywood behind her by early 1957 but this live album, which charted in the Top Ten, demonstrated that in doing so she had only returned to her greatest strength as a performer. ~ William Ruhlmann

Side 1:

01) Today I Love Everybody

02) Let Me Love You

03) Come Runnin'

04) Cole Porter Medley

05) Mood Indigo/I'm Beginning To See The Light

Side 2:

01) How You Say It

02) Honeysuckle Rose

03) Day In Day Out

04) New Fangled Tango

05) I Love To Love

06) From This Moment On

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Esquire's All-American Jazz Band/Chamber Music Society Of Lower Basin Street (1944)

Wartime cheerleading combines with jazz artistry on this 1944 concert held at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City featuring artists selected in a poll by Esquire magazine. Poll winners heard in the session are:

Bass - Oscar Pettiford

Clarinet - Barney Bigard/Benny Goodman

Drums - Sidney Catlett

Guitar - Al Casey

Piano - Art Tatum , Teddy Wilson

Saxophone [Tenor] - Coleman Hawkins

Trumpet - Roy Eldridge

Vibraphone [Vibes] - Lionel Hampton

Xylophone - Red Norvo

Trombone/Vocals - Jack Teagarden

Trumpet/Vocals - Louis Armstrong

Vocals - Billie Holiday , Mildred Bailey

These are giants of jazz! I have uploaded an excerpt from this concert from a tape cassette I bought many years ago. Caught up with it yesterday just by chance while rummaging through some old boxes gathering dust in my spare room. Have supplied cover graphics from the original vinyl release and also from my cassette tape.

Side 2 of my tape also features the Esquire All-American Jazz Band, but this time as part of the January 16, 1944, NBC radio show, "Chamber Music Society Of Lower Basin Street". This popular series usually featured jazz soloists and vocalists jamming with "Dr." Henry Levine's dixieland octet and Paul Laval's Orchestra and woodwind ensemble. The MC was the Society's chairman, Dr. Milton J. Cross. He's joined on this occasion by vocalist Dick Todd and two currently popular comedians -- the Black American Rochester and a female comic whose name escapes me. The 65-year gap dates the humour, but the music makes it all worthwhile. Oh yes -- Leonard Feather makes an appearance too I think on side 1.

Side 1:

01) Esquire Bounce

02) Rockin' Chair

03) Basin Street Blues

04) I'll Get By

05) Rachel's Dream

06) Tea For Two

Side 2:

01) Get Happy

02) My Silent Love

03) Basin Street Blues

04) Surrey With The Fringe On Top

05) Esquire Blues

06) Honeysuckle Rose

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Marion Montgomery: Nice And Easy

Marion Montgomery was born Maud Runnells in Mississippi. She always retained something of a languid southern air in her singing. She had no formal training as a singer and was once sent packing by a singing teacher in college who told her there was nothing she could do for her and showed her the door. A fellow student dared her to audition for a singing job at a television station in Atlanta. She took up the dare – a bottle of whisky was at stake – and the station liked what they heard. As a result she never finished college, something she later regretted, but moved to Atlanta where she found a job in the advertising department of a national mail order chain. She began to play in the jazz clubs in the city working with musicians from the city and a nearby army base. She combined day jobs as a secretary with singing in clubs evenings and weekends for a time, then moved north to Chicago. Her breakthrough arrived when she recorded a demo tape of a song she had written which found its way to Capitol Records. Peggy Lee was asked to listen to the tape to see if she might be interested in the song, but she told the company to forget the song and sign the singer. Montgomery began to record for the label and steadily built her reputation. She graduated to prestigious venues like Basin Street in New York and the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, but her career took another turn when she shifted to London in 1965 to play a summer season with John Dankworth.

She established herself as a popular figure on the British scene working regularly at Ronnie Scott’s in London, but also carving out a reputation in musical theatre and on television where she appeared in popular prime time shows like the "Parkinson" and "The Morecambe and Wise Show". She appeared in musicals like "Anything Goes" and collaborated with her husband, Laurie Holloway, on "A Dream of Alice" for television in 1979. She developed and toured a one-woman show which was also televised by the BBC.

She had been suffering from cancer for a decade and believed that she had originally contracted the disease in her lungs from "passive smoking" in night clubs (she was a non-smoker herself). Nonetheless she continued to perform until shortly before her death in July, 2002.

Tracks:

01) Ain't No Sunshine

02) It Amazes Me

03) The Man I Love

04) Loads Of Love

05) I Wonder What Became Of Me

06) Partners In Crime

07) In The Wee Small Hours

08) Summertime

09) Nice Work If You Can Get It/Easy To Love

10) But Not For Me

11) Blues In The Night

12) If You Can Keep The One You Love

13) Bye Bye Blackbird

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