Patti Page In The Land Of Hi-Fi

Love For Sale

Patti Page
In The Land Of Hi-Fi
Pete Rugolo and His Orchestra
Arranged and Conducted by Pete Rugolo
High Fidelity Jazz EmArcy
Mercury Records MG 36074
1956

From the back cover: The thin, almost non-existent line between popular singing and jazz singing disappears entirely with the release of this unprecedented new album by Patti Page.

To many who have followed Patti during her decade with Mercury records as a producer of million-selling hits, this may seem to represent a radical departure. Actually, Patti has never been too far removed from jazz. As her fans will know, she was born Clara Ann Fowler in Tulsa, Oklahoma and received her professional name while working as a hillbilly singer over KTUL. But it was not long after Jack Rael had discovered her an launched her career as a soloist that she evidenced, on her very earliest Mercury releases, rhythmic qualities of phrasing that bespoke a natural instinct and understanding about the better things in popular music.

Patti's partner on her trip to the Land Of Hi-Fi is a man whose association with jazz has been long and distinguished. Pete Rugolo started working for the Stan Kenton orchestra in 1945, and during the next four years was the guiding force of the band. Settling in California in 1950 (he was born in Sicily but his family lived in Santa Rosa, California, from the time he was five), Pete did every thing from vocal backgrounds to original instrumental albums and movie work (The Strip, Glory Alley, Latin Lovers, Meet Me In Las Vegas, etc.). One of the most skilled arrangers in modern jazz, he was long been versed in the art of bringing out the best in a singer and of making, from the combination of voice and background, a cohesive and exciting whole.

The orchestra Pete assembled to work with Patti was composed of five trumpets, four trombones, two French horns, a tuba, five saxophones (doubling on miscellaneous woodwinds), piano, guitar, bass and three drummers, including the specialist in Latin-American percussion, Jack Costanza. The band was studded with stars such as Bob Cooper on oboe and Georgie Auld on tenor sax and Rocky Coluccio on piano. There was also a famous two-trombone team in the brass section, one of whom took a solo at letter J in Takin' A Chance On Love, the other of whom can be heard in the background around letter K in My Sin.

Although it is Patti's confident, intelligent interpretation of the lyrics and Pete's colorful, vivid orchestration that make the record a success, there are individual credits that should be accorded.. Pete Candoli is responsible for the spots of trumpet in The Lady Is A Tramp and I've Got My Eyes On You; Chico Alvarez is heard on The Thrill Is Gone, which also has some fine flute background by Harry Klee. In Mountain Greenery, Al Hendrickson's guitar backs Patti during the verse and Buddy Childers' trumpet can be heard later. The alto saxophonist heard in I've Got Me Eyes On You, is a distinguished soloist well known to Pacific Jazz.

From Billboard October 6, 1956: In could almost be said that this is a new Patti Page. As usual, she sings fine, but in this case, it's the approach that counts. For the first time, the gal gets a chance at a really smart selection of tunes. "Mountain Greenery," "My Kind Of Love," "The Thrill Is Gone," "The Lady Is A Tramp" and "Love For Sale" are all here and the thrush's modified jazz treatment goes extremely well with the classy "big band" backings of maestro Pete Rugolo. It's a highly salable and listenable package thruout and dealers should take the cue first. Should be a bonanza for deejays.

Nevertheless
Out Of Nowhere
The Lady Is A Tramp
The Thrill Is Gone
A Foggy Day
Mountain Greenery
I've Got My Eyes On You
My Kind Of Love
I Didn't Know About You
My Sin
Taking A Chance On Love
Love For Sale