Holiday In Spain - Lew Raymond Orchestra

Danza

Amapola

Holiday In Spain
Lew Raymond Orchestra
Vocals By Diane Castillo and Nestor Amaral
Tops L1586
1957

From the back cover: With travel bureaus anticipating that more Americans than ever before in history will vacation abroad, the romantic and tradition rich Iberian Peninsula truly ranks high on the tourist's list.

Because of ancient and permeating Spanish influences that have become established on the American scene, the music of Spain has assumed a significant place in our hearts. One of the strongest affinities that Americans appear to possess for the land of Spain lies in its music.

As exciting cultural preparation for that Holiday in Spain, this Tops album brings to you in highest fidelity a representative selection of Spanish melodies old and new.

On the podium is the gifted conductor-composer, Lew Raymond, who has written especially for this album the composition, Danza. Mr. Raymond is more than ordinarily qualified to organize and conduct an album of Spanish music. Before the war he led the orchestra at the celebrated Benito Collado's El Chico restaurant in New York's Greenwich Village, accompanying such renowned performers as dancers Argentenita and Vicente Escudero; flamenco guitarists Vicente Gomez and Carlos Montoya; and numerous singers in the Spanish tradition.

From the flamenco guitar introduction to the martial EL RELICARIO, with its evocation of matadors marching across the hot sands of the bullring before their timeless contest with the brave bulls, this selection vibrantly communicates the passion and struggle, the devotion and romance, the deep-rooted traditionalism that is essentially ESPANA.

Many of the selections feature the soaring voice of Diane Castillo and the romantic baritone of Nestor Amaral.

Singers always have enjoyed lofty esteem in the music of Spain, whether chanting ancient folk melodies that for a thousand years have never been notated on paper... or the more popular and contemporary songs such as those contained herein. La Castillo is heard in two numbers well known to Americans, GRANADA and AY, AY, AY, while the full-bodied voice of Senor Amaral more than does justice to those established founts of sentiment, AMAPOLA AND MARTA.

Particularly outstanding in this album is the high caliber of the various instrumentalists. In addition to the distinguished performers on flute and guitar, we hear the brilliant young pianist, John T. Williams, in MALAGUENA and GITANERIAS.

The vivid trumpet of Ray Linn is beautifully showcased in LA VIRGEN DE LA MARCARENA, hymn to the bullfighter. There is a tragic majesty about this song, reflecting the inexorable struggle to the death between matador and bull. In a sense, LA VIRGEN is a paean to the matador's destiny: Viva el matador: The bull must die: The overpowering emotional impact of this trumpet voice signaling the call to blood and sand should be enough to dispel any naive assumption that bullfighting is a "sport". To Spaniards it is a mystical rite which culminates in "the moment of truth", i.e., the death of the beast raised from calf to killer. One might term LA CORRIDA a violent reaffirmation of man's dignity. Ray Linn's soaring trumpet ode to LA VIRGEN at once captures the tension and drama of what Ernest Hemingway has called "death in the afternoon".

Lew Raymond's Danza is a graceful melody. It is, of course a dance (by no means destined for the American ballroom). And there is more than a hint of sadness implicit in the composition, but a sadness that enhances its very beauty.

The ingredients of this musical potpourri of Espana, well measured, blended and prepared, will undoubtedly abet the tourist trade to that ancient land. The premise of course, is sound: When Americans have the advantage of sampling authentic, alluring Spanish music recorded by simpatico Americans, the next step suggests itself... "When is the next plane to Madrid?"

The sample "Danaz" is from the TOPS mono issue above, and the sample Amapola is from the Mayfair (colored vinyl) issue in stereo (true stereo separation rather than a reprocessed mono application).

El Relicario
Malaguena
Amapola
Inspiration
Granda
La Corrida
Espana Cani
Marta
La Virgen De La Macarena
Danza

Ay, Ay, Ay
Gitanerias