Firehouse Five Plus Two Plays For Lovers

 

Love Songs Of The Nile

Firehouse Five Plus Two

Plays For Lovers

Volume 4

Good Time Jazz Record Co. GTJ L-12014

1956

Ward Kimball - Trombone

Danny Alguire - Trumpet

George Probert - Soprano Sax

Frank Thomas - Piano

Dick Roberts - Banjo

Ed Penner - Tuba

Jim MacDonald - Drums

From the back cover: All the world loves a lover, they say. And and the world loves the Firehouse Five Plus Two. What could be more inevitable then the Firehouse Five Plus Two Plays For Lovers? "There were so many albums for lover," Ward Kimball said, "and not one of them by the Firehouse Five. It was a gap in the Schwann catalogue which cried aloud to be filled."

The gap is now filled. Lovers everywhere, particularly lovers of the Firehouse Five Plus Two can relax. As Chief Kimball explains, "I think we're making a valuable contribution to the subject. If Romeo and Juliet had heard this album I feel sure their story would have had a different ending."

This, their first new only-playing recording in two years, has been eagerly awaited by their many and far-flung fans, for after seven years as American's favorite jazz band the incredible FH5 were riding higher than ever as 1956 started.

Their undimmed popularity was the more interesting in view of the tremendous success the modern jazz movement was enjoying. The FH5's record sales (and those of GTJ's Kid Cry and Bob Scobey proved that traditional jazz was still popular music, more popular than ever.

A most of the world now knows, the FH5 is a spare-time hobby for a group of talented artist, writers, producers and directors at the Walt Disney Studios in Hollywood. Over the years they have played only for the fun of it, and their own enthusiasm for the music has been one of the key factors in their success. During 1955 they accepted as many engagements as they could without interfering with their busy schedule at Disney's. They played for schools, colleges, private parties and dances. They made only one night club appearance, however, because as Ward explains, "the smoke bothers us." They played for their largest audience in August when most of the nation's TV viewers watched them on the hour-and-a-half coast-to-coast program celebrating the opening of Disneyland, Mr. Disney's fantastic amusement park near Los Angeles.

Through their GTJ records they reached and international audience. As the world export markets opened up their albums were available in stores throughout Europe. Switzerland was especially Firehouse crazy, and during a recent meeting of foreign ministers at Geneva, GTJ had to fly FH5 long-playing sets from Los Angeles, so great was the demand. It has been widely noted in the press that jazz is America's strongest force for good will on the international scene today, and reports reaching the GTJ office would seem to bear this out. In France one of our far-flung correspondents reports, "Records by Les Cinq Pompiers et Deux are selling like hot-dogs."

And through it all, the authors of this excitement continue to report to the Disney Studios, participating in key roles in the production of feature films, cartoons and TV programs. Ward Kimball is a producer-director for the Tomorrowland TV series, and worked on such films as Man In Space and Man And The Moon. The moon show has been nominated for an Academy of TV Arts & Sciences "Emmy" award for the best production of 1955, and Ward was nominated for the best direction award. Currently Ward is working on Man And Mars. The Kimball family have a six-inch refractor telescope and every two years when Mars rolls around they spend the summer watching it. They'll be at their post again in 1956. "Mars will be a little closer this year," Ward reports, "about five million miles, so things will be a bit sharper." In addition to the Mars show, Ward is also working on The Miracle Of The Wheel for Disney, and for his own Grizzly Flats railroad (located in his back-yard) he is restoring the third of his full-size locomotives, a sugar cane plantation engine from Hawaii named Chloe after his young daughter. It will be dedicated on Chloe's 10th birthday, May 9, 1956.

Danny Alguire the FH5' trumpeter since 1949, and George Probert, who joined the band on soprano sax  & clarinet in 1955, are both assistant directors. Danny works in the cartoon department, and George is working on the feature Sleeping Beauty. Their talents as musicians make them invaluable at the studio since a good part of their work consists of timing music and sound effects, and checking musical scores. Before coming to Disney, George played with Bob Scobey's Frisco Band for three years, with the Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band for a year, recording extensively for GTJ with both groups.

Pianist Frank Thomas has been an Animation Director for many years, in charge of a unit of animators and responsible for bringing many characters to life from Dopey in Snow White to Captain Hook in Peter Pan. He's currently working on Sleeping Beauty. In his spare time he's an active Parent-Teachers-Association man, campaigning vigorously in Flintridge, suburb of Los Angeles, for a new school bond issue.

Ed Penner, the iron man of the tuba, in real life is a famous screen writer who had had innumerable credits on Disney productions for the past twenty years: Pinocchio, Fantasia, Cinderella, Ichabod & Mr. Toad, Fun & Fancy Free, Make Mine Music, Alice In Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Lady & The Tramp, and currently Sleeping Beauty. On Beauty he's working with George Burns adapting Tchaikovsky' music to the cartoon. Burns, composer of Davy Crockett, is a versatile jazzman who acts as chief substitute for the FH5, playing piano, trombone, or tuba as the occasion demands.

Jim MacDonald, the original FH5 drummer, is back as regular member of the group after several years absence dictated by his extremely heavy work load as head of the Disney sound effects department. He is one of the busiest men in town, still responsible for all sound effects at the studio, and personally handling the daily Mickey Mouse Club TV coast-to-coast show. The FH5 appeared on the program just before New Year's as guest stars.

Dick Robert, GTJ' Banjo King, and one of the best-known banjoist in the world today, is currently holding down the FH5 banjo chair. He does not work at Disney regularly, but is called when his talents are needed.

Lunch hours at Disney find the band getting together, as they've done for the past eight years, playing for their own pleasure and to the delight of their colleague at the studio. In the unique and fortunate position of being able to play only when they want to, they have written a fascinating chapter in the ling and varied history of American popular music, combining two American traditions: the great basic jazz tradition and the lusty, extravagant tradition of American humor. As these notes are written, Ward is looking forward to the band's next public appearance on February 17th before the Los Angeles Obstetrical and Gynecological Assembly, for which the band has composed a special number titles The Baby Snatcher Blues. – Lester Young - February 12, 1956

What Is This Thing Called Love?

Girl Of My Dreams

I Can't Give You Anything But Love

My Honey's Lovin' Arms

Love Nest

I Can't Believe That Your In Love With Me

Love Is Just Around The Corner

I Love My Baby

Careless Love

I Love You Truly 

Love Songs Of The Nile