Lover
Play Cool Organ With A Solid Beat
Grand Award Records
G.A. 239 S.D.
I can't find any info on Cookie Carr. Al Caiola plays the guitar and steals the spotlight. Enoch Light originated and produced the album. You can hear a bit of that Enoch Light "ping-pong" sound happening.
Grand Award was a modestly successful Light label that preceded and then apparently continued along with his Command label operation. Grand Award (Light) marketed "Phase X" technology which let listeners hear a "phantom" third channel in between the standard left and right channels. This was a common recording technique, but Light was the first person to market it (perfection... in spectacular stereophonic sound).
Grand Award LPs were phased out by 1961, but the label name was kept for reissues at least until 1966. I can't date this album although it sounds, for sure like a 1960 or 61 recording.
As usual the engineering is excellent.
AWESOME! I just LOVE the Grand Award records and Al Caiola on guitar! WOW!
ReplyDeleteUf you replace the name Cookie Carr with Dick Hyman, it'll make sense.
ReplyDeleteCould be. Dick Hyman was one of the Knuckles O'Tooles on that label.
ReplyDeleteStumbled upon this fun album in a thrift store, and searching for Cookie Carr's identity led me to your blog post. Thanks! I think the theory that "Cookie" is actually Dick Hyman makes a great deal of sense. He apparently began playing the Hammond in the 1950s. This album, I think, is from 1959. He talks about his move to organ here: https://news.allaboutjazz.com/interview-dick-hyman-part-3.php
ReplyDelete"Cookie Carr" was the stage name adopted by Jerry Mendelsohn who had previously cut a few recordings under his real name.
ReplyDeleteThis album was released in 1959 in both mono and stereo versions.
Thank you!
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