Black Coffee - Peggy Lee

Black Coffee
With Peggy Lee
Decca Records DL 8358
1956

Available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the cover art and notes excerpt.

Excellent material, outstanding arrangements and Peggy at her absolute finest backed to perfection by a small studio group.

From the back cover: Hollywood is a big and lonely place; it was not even aware of Peggy's arrival. It was all she could do to get a few obscure singing jobs. Discouraged but not disheartened, she headed back to North Dakota, where she managed to get a singing job on station WDAY in Fargo. Her fortunes took a turn for the better. She began getting local night club dates – dates that soon spread throughout the midwest. While playing in Chicago, she was heard by Benny Goodman, who offered her a place with his band.

Touring with the Goodman aggregation for two years was something which Peggy will never forget. It gave her an opportunity to sing with some of the nation's top musicians. Moreover, it was during this period that Peggy Lee became a "name" with her big-selling record of "Why Don't You Do Right."

Since that time Peggy's star has risen higher and higher. Her successes have taken her into the country's leading night-spots, into television, and radio. Her records, such as her remarkable rendition of "Lover," have been sensational, and she received national acclaim when she sang it, among other songs, in her starring role in Warner Brothers' musical, "The Jazz Singer."

The songs in this collection reveal Peggy Lee at her most captivating. Here she displays a versatility which matches her wonderful vitality, emphasizing the quality of her voice as well as the music. The personnel of the instrumental group which accompanies her consists of Cootie Chesterfield, trumpet; Jimmy Rowles, piano; Max Wayne, bass; Ed Shaughnessy, drums.

Black Coffee
I've Got You Under My Skin
Easy Living
My Heart Belongs To Daddy
It Ain't Necessarily So
Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
A Woman Alone With The Blues
I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(Ah The Apple Tree) When The World Was Young
Love Me Of Leave Me
You're My Thrill
There's A Small Hotel

Music For Wives And Lovers - Nelson Riddle

Yesterday

Music For Wives And Lovers
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
Produced by Sonny Lester
Solid State SS 18013
A Division of United Artists Records, Inc.
1967

Cabaret
Born Free
What Now My Love?
Yesterday
The Shadow Of Your Smile
Somewhere My Love
Winchester Cathedral
Wives And Lovers
A Man And A Woman (Un Homme et Une Femme)
Spanish Eyes
Music To Watch Girls By
Strangers In The Night

Hits Made Famous By Nat King Cole - Charlie Francis

Sweet Lorraine

Hits Made Famous By Nat King Cole
Sung By Charlie Francis
Spin-o-rama M-145

From the back cover: Charlie Francis has done an exceptional job on this album recording Nat's all time great hits. He is one of the finest singers around and his style and voice are as much like Cole's as you will ever hear. He has the same soft and sincere quality that made Nat so famous.

Pretend
Rambling Rose
There Goes My Heart
Sweet Lorraine
That's My Gal
Too Young
Christmas Song
Paper Moon
Route 66
Straighten Up And Fly Right

The Joey Heatherton Album

The Joey Heatherton Album
Produced by Tony Scotti and Tommy Oliver
Arranged by Michael Lloyd
Photography by Harry Langdon, Jr.
MGM Records, Inc. SE 4858
1972

Available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the original cover art.

From Billboard - October 7, 1972: With the inclusion of her heavy chart winner, "Gone," this debut package for MGM should prove an equally potent item on the LP chart. Producers Tony Scotti and Tommy Oliver have come up with some strong material well suited to the powerful Heatherton voice. Highlight performances include a fine redoing of Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry," "Crazy" and a super closer "Someone To Watch Over Me."

Crazy
God Only Knows
Shake-A-Hand
It's Not Easy
Right Or Wrong
I'm Sorry
Gone
Say Hello
The Road I Took To You (Pieces)
Someone To Watch Over Me

Raindrops Keep Falling' On My Head - The Emmett Kelly Jr. Singers

Hey Jude

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
The Emmett Kelly Jr. Singers
Peter Pan 8091

From the back cover: What is Emmett Kelly Jr. all about? He's about the saddest faced clown around, dedicating himself to the laughter of others... for he gets his enjoyment from making youngsters of all ages laugh, although he never ever gives a hint of a smile himself. Emmett Kelly Jr. was born closing day of a circus in Tennessee. At the time, his parents were billed as the fastest double trapeze act in show business, and he traveled with them until he reached school age. Then he went to live with relatives in Indiana and Illinois and visited his parents on holidays.

Emmett Kelly Jr. was discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1945 after making the invasion of Leyte,

P.I., Iwo Jima and Okinawa. From 1945 to 1960, he worked as an automotive mechanic, furniture woodworker and then railroad switch tender on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. 

 It was in 1960 that Emmett decided to enter show business and carry on the clowning debut in Peru, Indiana at the 1960 Circus City Festival. From that time to 1964 He made numerous appearances. 

Then on April 22, 1964, Emmett Kelly Jr. began his most memorable experience to date... He opened the New York World's Fair at the Kodak Pavilion with top billing, his photo in full color on the picture tower with the world's largest color prints measuring 30 x 36 feet. A news article stated... "Emmett Kelly Jr., clowning around at the Fair, is running right behind the Unisphere as the most photographed subject on the lot. He continued till the fair closed a year later, but remained on with the camera company, visiting every major city in the United States... as Goodwill Ambassador.

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
The Green Grass Grew All Around
Georgy Girl
Scarlet Ribbons
Hey Jude
Everything Is Beautiful
Whatever Will Be Will Be
Paper Of Pins
Hello Dolly
The Man On The Flying Trapeze

Take Me Along - Marty Paich

Sid Ol' Kid

Take Me Along
Marty Paich and His Jazz Piano Quartet
Produced by Dick Peirce
Recording Engineer: Al Schmitt
Recorded at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World, Hollywood, California, on September 14, October 6 and 7, 1959
RCA Victor LPM-2164

From the back cover: We tried to be very careful in selecting the eight hands for the album. I don't know any octopi who play great jazz, but we found something even better: Pete Jolly, Jimmy Rowes and Johnny Williams. I provided the seventh and eight hands myself. We rounded out the "orchestra" with guitar, bass, two drummers and trumpet. All of us seem to think a lot alike, but each man contributes a slightly different "personality" to the music. Pete has a wonderful modern jazz concept. You can see what I mean on the first improvised chorus of the title tune.

Jimmy's work has a lot of warmth and shows a very broad knowledge of all types of jazz, from early jazz to modern. He plays the second solo on Take Me Along. Johnny is our "anchor man." He has a tremendous classical background and technique, and still with a fine jazz understanding. This is especially important on tunes like Little Green Snake where I based the whole thing on an almost classical type of fugue or canon. The trumpet provides color and changes of pace. I often have him playing without any piano background at all.

I tried to write each man's part especially for hime. I write best this way and it seems to add more color and depth. On Nine O'Clock, Jimmy and John play celeste while Pete and I play piano countermelodies. Then when we all play together, it builds up to quite a climax. These boys are really good musicians. With all this piano talent around, I was at first content to sit back and let them take all the solos. However, the temptation got the best of me and I had to give a little of my own solo interpretation to the song of Sid, Ol' Kid.

I might comment of the overture. It's sort of musical "editor's preface." I wrote it to give the listener an idea of what's coming next. It sets the mood for whole album.

This has been a real challenge. I've tried to keep strictly in the jazz idiom. Everything was written out except the improvised solos. In order to give the whole thing continuity, I often took a classical approach to the form. – Marty Paich (as told to Bill Olofson)

Overture – Take Me Along
Nine O'Clock
Little Green Snake
Promise Me A Rose
But Yours
Sid, Ol' Kid
Patience Of A Saint
Staying Young
Thinkin' Things
We're Home

Brazil! Brazil! Brazil! - Bud Shank

Elizete

Brazil! Brazil! Brazil!
Bud Shank
Featuring: Laurindo Almeida, Chet Baker, Joe Pass, Clare Fischer & Joao Donato
Producer: Richard Bock
Art Direction: Woody Woodward
Design: Bernard Yeszin
Cover Photo: Fred Poore

From the back cover: Recently, I've had the opportunity to send some tape dubs of our North American bossa nova to a friend in Sao Paulo. These dubs included the work of Bud Shank, Clare Fischer, Laurindo Almeida, Joe Pass and the rhythm sections working in the present album. Let me tell you that my faith in certain occasionally disputed truths was immediately reaffirmed. When you listen to Bud with Laurindo playing bossa nova recorded in 1952, you know and I know you're not going to let anybody tell you that these guys didn't start the whole thing. And when you listen to Bud and Clare and Joe Pass play as they do here, as it was recorded in 1963, you're not going to let anybody convince you that these guys weren't right in the middle of the first North American bossa nova craze. In fact, when you tune into Clare Fischer playing his tribute to Joao Gilberto (Carnival) and Jobim's One Note Samba, may I ask you to bear in mind that these two tracks were in an album that critic Gene Lees termed one of the best bossa nova albums ever released in this country – high tribute in the face of the simply gorgeous packages by Jobim, Sergio Mendes, Astrud Gilberto and so many others that almost weekly reach these shores from heartland Brazilians.

Arranged by Julian Lee, a lovely flowing string section is present in this LP that for me, and I hope you, enhances the qualities that I feel are the most lasting – the introspective, the romantic, the quietness of these performances. All in all, the result is one of the very best collections of the bossa nova currently available from our better jazzmen. – John William Hardy

From Billboard - November 26, 1966: An exciting collection of 12 Brazilian tunes given the fossa-jazz treatment by Bud Shank, with top players Laurindo Almeida, Chet Baker, Joe Pass, Clare Fischer and Joao Donato, backed by a lush orchestra. Perfect for both easy-listening and jazz lovers. "Summer Samba" and "I Didn't Know Time It Was" excellent.

Summer Samba (So Nice)
Elizete
Nocturnio
Item A Note
Carnaval
Sausalito
If I Should Lose You
Carioca Hills
Samba Do Aviao
I Didn't Know What Time It Was
Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
The Color Of Her Hair

Interplay - Derek And Ray

Interplay

The Keyboard Sounds Of Today
Derek And Ray
Arranged and Conducted by Marty Gold
Co-Conducted by Sandy Block
Produced by Marty Gold
Recorded in Webster Hall, New York City.
Recording Engineer: Bob Simpson
Piano by Baldwin
RCA Victor LSP-3530
1966

Available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Present here to share the cover art.

A groovy pop/mood set of 12 inventive, balanced orchestral arrangements featuring the keyboard sounds of Derek and Ray.

Danke Schöen
Interplay
The Sweet Charity Theme
Wailing Waltz
Tell Me More
How High The Moon
Runnin' Wild
Brasileira
Makin' Whoopee
Dizzy Fingers
Serenata
Sophisticated Swing

Looking At You - Pat Suzuki

You Better Go Now

Pat Suzuki
Looking At You
With Ralph Burns and His Orchestra
Produced by Herman Diaz, Jr.
Engineers: Ray Hall and Ernest Oclrich
Recorded in RCA Victor's Studio at New York City, Recording
RCA Victor LSP-2186
1960

From the back cover: "I never minded slugging out an upbeat song as a change of pace but it was ballads that I began with and loved. So this album is me. I've never had more fun or been more relaxed in a studio. I've never been so satisfied with a recording session. I walked into a nice, clean studio and found my favorite nucleus of musicians – Doc Severinsen, Milt Hinton, Don Lamond and Barry Galbraith; and there, as an added attraction, was Ralph Burns conducting his own wonderful arrangements. And we went to work with pretty, simple tunes and it made me feel so good for after four years I was again singing what I wanted." – Martin Cohen (frequent contributor to TV Guide)

From Billboard - June 20, 1960: Here is a very attractive new album by thrush Pat Suzuki; in fact, one of her best releases to date. She handles the ballads with warmth and meaning, especially such items as "He's My Guy," "You Better Go Now," "Small World." The arrangements by Ralph Burns are striking. Good wax.

Looking At You
Small World
Cheek To Cheek
He's My Guy
My Funny Valentine
You Better Go Now
You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me
I See Your Face Before Me
Easy Living
Don't Look At Me That Way
Let Me Love You

Rock And Roll - Hen Gates

Rock Around My Baby

Let's Go Dancing To Rock And Roll
Hen Gates And His Gaters
Masterseal MSLP 5005
1957

Rock Me Sugar
Rock Around My Baby
Love To Rock With You
Choo Choo Rock
Rock Rock Rock
Rock'n And Walk'n
Shoe Shine Rock
Juke Box Rock
Rock Around Rosie
Fish Beat Rock
Rock'n Time
The New Rock