Harp, Skip & Jump - Gene Bianco

Love For Sale

Harp, Skip & Jump
Gene Bianco And His Group
Featuring Mundell Lowe
RCA Camden CAL 452
1958

From Billboard - November 10, 1958: The introduction of a smoothly plucked harp as a jazz instrument comes off rather well in this interesting package. The blend of harp and studio man, Mundell Lowe's guitar, while still maintaining a jaz pattern, imparts an uncommon lightness and refinement to the medium. The combo of familiar items such as "Gigi" and "Stairway to the Stars."

From the back cover: Because he (Bianco) wanted more color and depth in these arrangements than the harp-guitar combination alone could provide, Bianco sought out Joe Venuto whose work on vibraphone, xylophone, marimba, celeste, drums, turned water glasses, Chinese gong and a battery of instrumental oddities added so much color to the unusual arrangements played by the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra.  Check out Venuto in Sauter-Finegan's Under Analysis.

Other session musicians included Don Lamond (Woody Herman's First Herd) - drums and Wendell Marshall (Duke Ellington) - bass.

This is a fine smooth jazz/light pop album. Unfortunately for us (even though there was more money to be made), RCA would soon pressure Bianco into making a number of pure easy listening records.

Harp Skip & Jump
Gigi
In The Still Of The Night
12th Street Rag
September Song
From This Moment On
Love For Sale
Cairo After Dark
Stella By Starlight
Stairway To The Stars
Oh Lady Be Good
I'll See You In My Dreams