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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Dreamer's Holiday - Gordon Jenkins

The Thrill Is Gone
Dreamer's Holiday
Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra and Chorus
Vocalion VL 3615
A Product Of Decca Records
1958

Bewitched
Vocal Chorus by Bonnie Lou Williams - Piano Solo by Gordon Jenkins

Linda
Vocal Chorus by Charles La Vere, Swingtettes

Tell My Why
Eileen Wilson and Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Quizas, Quizas, Quizas)
OsvaldoFarres Orchestra and Chorus – Tony Bavaar, Soloist

My Foolish Heart
Orchestra and Chorus - Sandy Evans, Soloist

Skip To My Lou
Orchestra and Chorus – Bill Seckler, Beverly Mahr, Soloists

Dark Eyes
Vocal Chorus by Five Hits and a Miss

The Thrill Is Gone
Bob Craig and Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra

Would I Love You (Love You, Love You)
Bob Stevens, Soloist

A Dreamer's Holiday
Eileen Wilson and Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra

I Love You Too Much Too Much
Bonnie Lou Williams, Soloist

For You
Vocal by Five Hits and a Miss

Sound Of Sitar - Chim Kothari

Eleanor Rigby
Sound Of Sitar
Chim Kothari
Musical Supervision: Arthur Greenslade
Producer: Mike Vernon
Sound Supervision: Vic Smith
DERAM DES 18001
The Decca Record Company, Ltd.
1966

From the back cover: Chiman K. Kothari was born in Uganda, of Indian stock, twenty three years ago. He learnt too play the Sitar in the classical fashion whilst at school, when he was some eleven years of age. He has been resident here for over seven years, and during that time has spent most of his leisure hours playing the Sitar for his own enjoyment. Based on the Raga, "Bhigmangon Ka Mela" was arranged some years ago to close an end-of-term school variety shows. "Barsaat" was especially written for inclusion here. A mixture of mood and English weather conditions, "Barsaat" translated means "Rain". – Mike Vernon

From Billboard - May 20, 1967: A sleeper which could score strongly – especially with the current stepped-up enthusiasm over the sitar. Kothari's renditions of "Winchester Cathedral" and "Strangers In The Night" will immediately standout. His two Indian originals "Barsaat" and "Beggars' Festival" are excellent.

Strangers In The Night
Winchester Chathedral
Barsaat – Rain
Eleanor Rigby
La Playa
Downtown
Guantanamera
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (lo Che Non Vivo (Senza Te)
Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
Bhigmangan Ka Mela - Beggars' Festival
Looking Through The Eyes Of Love
Cast Your Fate To The Wind

Percussion Spectacular - Arthur Lyman

Bamboo Tamboo
Percussion Spectacular!
Arthur Lyman
Produced by Richard Vaughn
A&R Direction: Gary Brown
Cover Design: George Lieberman
HiFirecords, Inc. Life Series L-1004
1961

From the back cover: The name Arthur Lyman symbolized the exotic percussion era. There have been other albums by the same title but none as apropos of the real spirit of exoticism.

Arthur and his group have started more startling sounds than can be remembered. This can be readily believed from the array of instruments played by each of his group.

The exotic percussive sounds of Arthur Lyman recorded in Henry J. Kaiser's Aluminum Dome, outside the Hawaiian Village Hotel in Honolulu contrast the native and the modern. The group, their instruments of sound, and their music, are native, pulsating primitive, often eerie. The Aluminum Dome is unmistakably modern, the product of 20th Century construction genius.

Arthur Lyman plays vibes, marimba, and percussions of all kinds, having learned from his Hawaiian father since age 6. John Kramer plays bass, ukulele, guitar, flute, clarinet and percussions. Alan Soares is pianist, plays celeste, guitar and percussions. Harold Chang is a percussion virtuosos, and plays xylophone. The bird sounds heard are from actual birds, with some imitative bird calls by Lyman and Kramer. Arthur Lyman's group entertains enthusiastic listeners in the Shell Bar at the Hawaiian Village Hotel where they appear nightly.

Included in the astounding array of percussions heard are congas, bongos, timbale, cocktail drums, boobams, cowbell, ass's jaw, conch shell and guido, as well as the more ordinary percussions, such as tambourine, snare drums, wood block, cymbals, Chinese gong and sleigh bells.

Kaiser's Aluminum Dome is a half sphere, seating about 1500 persons, is used for live entertainment and movie showings. Its ingenious simplicity of structural design and ideal sound form suggest its wider use for low cost auditoriums of pleasing space age appearance. We chose this place for our recording because the half sphere has no "peaks" and allows a pleasing "easy" sound reproduction with natural room acoustical reverberation. As you listen you will hear the unique effects produced by moving percussions, giving a certain sound perspective which intrigues.


From Billboard - March 27, 1961: Here's a bright, lightly swinging percussion record that should interest sound and hi-fi fans. It should move across dealers' counters rapidly, since it features the strong-selling Arthur Lyman group playing a collection of standards smartly and tastefully. Songs include "Yellow Bird," "Havah Nagilah," and Ravel's "Bolero."

Havah Nagilah
Yellow Bird
Ravel's Bolero
Autumn Leaves
Arrive Derce Roma
Sweet And Lovely
Bamboo Tamboo
Andalusia
Adventures In Paradise
Granada
September Song
John Henry

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Dream Dancing Today - Ray Anthony

Downtown
Dream Dancing Today
Ray Anthony... His Trumpet, Chorus and Orchestra
Produced by Al De Lory
Cover Photo: Peter Losser
Capitol Records ST 2457
1966

Everybody Loves Somebody
The Girl From Ipanema
I Left My Heart In San Francisco
Volare
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Downtown
Red Roses For A Blue Lady
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
Cara Mia
A Taste Of Honey
Dear Heart

The World We Knew - Living Strings

The World We Knew
The World We Knew
Living Strings Plus Two Pianos
Arranged and Conducted by Geraldo
Produced by Ethel Gabriel
Recorded in England
RCA Camden CAS-2190
1968

The World We Knew (Over and Over)
Medley: There Must Be A Way, My Heart Cries From You, Temptation
Medley: Last Date, Espana Rhapsody, Exodus
On The Trail
Medley: Yellow Days (La Mentor), My Summer Heart, Days Of Love
Medley: Romance, Mattinata
Sleep

Dedicated To The One I Love - Living Guitars

Wednesday's Child
Dedicated To The One I Love
Living Guitars
Produced by Ethel Gabriel
Recorded in RCA Victor's Studio A, New York City
Recording Engineer: Bob Simpson
RCA Camden CAS-2156
1967

Somethin' Stupid
This Is My Song (from the film "A Countess From Hong Kong")
Daddy's Little Girl
Theme from "The Quiller Memorandum" (Wednesday's Child)
Dream Baby
Casino Royale (from the film "Casino Royale")
Let's Fall In Love
California Nights
Morningtown Ride
Dedicated To The One I Love

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Tonight! - Roger Williams At Town Hall

 Un Sosprino - Jalousie - Dark Eyes
Tonight!
Roger Williams At Town Hall
The Complete Concert
With The Quiet Men and Introducing Sebastian
KAPP KXL-5008
1960

The Quiet Men
Roger Nichols - Bass
Gilbert Hintz - Guitar
Sam Cavarretta - Guitar

From the inside cover: In 1955, a recording of the song "Autumn Leaves" skyrocketed a young pianist named Roger Williams into nationwide attention. The American public quickly realized that a great new talent had been discovered , for here indeed was a pianist with something unique to offer – magnificent technique, sincere musicianship and inspired artistry, bursting with new ideas. Since that date Roger Williams has grown in stature and reputations, and every new album – in addition to being a best seller – has added a host of brilliant melodies and unforgettable interpretations to the musical scene. Each album, rather than being a repetition of a previous success, has added a new chapter to the Roger Williams story – a contributing factor to his becoming the largest selling popular pianist in the history of the recording industry. And this, it should be remembered, has been achieved in the amazingly short period of five years.

Honored on television in "This Is Your Life" and "Person To Person", the Ed Sullivan and Perry Como Shows, (the full list of his guest appearances is too long to enumerate), the story of "Mr. Piano" is well known: how, by the age of twelve, he had mastered as many musical instruments as he had years; how, after receiving his BA And MA in Music, he worked as a lumberjack to pay his tuition for future studies; how, at New York's famed Julliard School of Music, he completed his classical background, studying also under jazz 'greats' Teddy Wilson and Lennie Tristano. The rest of the story is told most eloquently by his recordings, which display the many facets of his versatile career, ranging from classics to jazz and indentified by a polished and masterly approach to all music.


From Billboard - August 8, 1960: Here it is, the thing the Williams fans have waited for – a complete Town Hall concert, captured live at the famous New York house. In the dual-LP package, handsomely illustrated and prepared in the book-fold style, Williams offers just about everything in his repretoire, which covers pop, classical and even jazz. In jazz he's nicely accompanied by the Quiet Men, a rhythm group. Sebastian, the toy piano is also here. A solid hunk of packaging.

Un Sospiro (Liszt)
Jalousie (Jacob Gade)
Dark Eyes (Traditional)
Mexicali Rose (Jack Tenny)
Tales From The Vienna Woods (Strauss)
I Love You Truly (Carrie Jacobs-Bond)
Sweethearts (Victor Herbert)
Beautiful Ohio (Mary Earl)
Liza (George Gershwin)

Prelude #1 In C Minor (J.S. Bach)
(From "The Well-Tempered Clavier")
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (Traditional)
Memories Are Made Of This (Gilkyson-Deher-Miller)
Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo ( Deutsch-Kaper)
Fascination (F.D. Marchetti)
Catch A Falling Star (Pockriss-Vance)
Anything You Can Do (Irving Berlin)
Prelude In C Sharp Minor (Rachmaninoff)
Sabre Dance (Khachaturian)
Nola (Felix Arndt)
Stout Hearted Men (Romberg-Hammerstein)
The Girl I Left Behind Me (Traditional)
Volare (Modugno - Miguacci)
Autumn Leaves (Kosma-Prevert-Mercer)
Brahm's Lullaby (Johannes Brahms)

Maid With The Flaxen Hair (Debussy)
Vaya Con Dios (Russell-James-Pepper)
I Got Rhythm (George Gershwin)
Till (Sigman Danvers)
Near You (Craig Goell)
Almost Paradise (Norman Petty)
Rock 'N Roger (Rodger Williams)

The Warsaw Concerto (Richard Addinsell)
Turkish March (Mozart)
Taking A Chance On Love (Vernon Duke)
Ghost Riders In The Sky (Stan Jones)
Hungarian Rhapsody In C Sharp Minor (Liszt)
Cumana (Barclay Allen)
Ritual Fire Dance (De Falla)
Somebody Love Me (George Gershwin)
Flight Of The Bumble-Bee (Rimsky Korsakoff)
I Know That You Know (Sinding)
Let's Fall In Love (Harold Arlen)
Spring Song (Mendelssohn)
Hungarian Rhapsody In C Sharp Minor (Liszt)

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Jo Basile and His Accordeon di Roma

Te Vojo Ben
Jo Basile and His Accordeon di Roma
Photography by Bob Witt
Production - A&R: Sidney Frey
Audio Fidelity AFLP 1871
1958

From the back cover: Jo Basile is much in demand both in the United States and abroad as an accordion virtuoso. Winner of the coveted Grand Prix du Disques, France's outstanding recording award in 1957, Basile has received critical acclaim everywhere, both as soloist and accompanist. He has been the accompanist for France's fabulous Patachou ever since the internationally known singer first won widespread recognition, and as an accomplished performer in his own right has been heard in France and in the United States in leading supper clubs, on radio and television. With his accordion, Basile here recreates the haunting beauty of Italian song favorites, playing with consummate skill of a fine musician well versed in his subject.

From Billboard - November 10, 1958: Basile has a listenable accordion sound on the popular Italian and International melodies. The talented artist displays his mastery on such fare as "Carnival of Venice," "Ciribiribin" and "O Mari."

La Roma Nina
Te Vojo Ben
Esperanza Perdutas
Carnival Of Venice
Vieni Vieni
Notte Di Napoli
Volo Degli Angeli
Cirbiribin
La Cirbiricocola
Serenata
O Mari