Peters Township High School Stage Band 70

Dot Dash

Peters Township High School
Stage Band 70
David D. Pew - Director
EAR-10147

The International Pop Orchestra

Miserlou

The International Pop Orchestra
110 Men
Cameo SC-2001

Here we have an album featuring no title and an uninspired cover design. The orchestra name also screams "leave me in the discount bin". And why 110 Men? From the back cover: If you enjoy listening to beautiful melodies played with a spirit, depth and fullness that only an orchestra comprising 110 men can offer, then this album is a must for your collection.

Apparently, Al Cahn, the fellow that wrote the notes failed to hear the female chorus...

Despite all the above, I bought the album. LOL! Surprisingly... it plays like a decent 101 Strings with a little light pop thrown in.

Dancing and Dreaming - The Jay Norman Quintet

Solamente

Dancing and Dreaming
The Jay Norman Quintet
Concert Disc CS-24
1959

I bought this one because I was attracted to the unusual cover illustration/color scheme. I didn't expect much from the music, but was pleasantly surprised by the Arthur Lyman small combo lounge approach.

Good stuff.

Somebody Loves Me
Dont' Blame Me
The Breeze And I
The Way You Look Tonight
Solamente
Easy To Love
Time On My Hands
Green Eyes
Out Of Nowhere
It Had To Be You
How Deep Is The Ocean
Amor

Ralph And Buddy Bonds At The Twin Organs

Stormy Weather

Ralph And Buddy Bonds At The Twin Organs
Vocalion VL3627

I picked this album up for the fab cheesecake "bad habits" cover (smoking). The tunes lack space age sparkle, however, Stormy Weather (sample above) sound almost like an early electronic piece due to the "storm" effects created by Bonds.

It's Monkey Time - The Dials

Sneakin' Around

It's Monkey Time
The Dials
Time Records 52100

1963(?)

From the back cover: The greatest new dance craze to capture the public's imagination is the Monkey Dance or Monkey Music. The dancers are allowed a great deal of freedom as they move about to exciting riffs and back beats. The Dials, a great new group out of Nashville, generate a new kind of excitement as they tear through 12 great songs with the authentic feel.

The Monkey Dance? I missed out on that deal an, apparently, I also missed the references that appeared on The Simpsons. But thanks to wiki, anyone can do The Monkey Dance while listening to the sample. See instructions below:

1. Taking a fighter's crouch, face your partner and stand with feet apart, knees bent. Bend arms and close fists, thumbs up.
2. Bend forward from waist to the left, raising right arm. As your body bobs, your head also bobs forward on each count. The whole effect is jerky.
3. Straighten up to original position.
4. Bend forward from waist toward your partner, facing centre, switching arms as you do so.
5. Straighten to original position. Hands and head should give impression of monkey holding two bananas.
6. Bend forward from waist to the right. Straighten to original position.
7. Bob back to centre, bending at waist and again switching hands.
8. Repeat entire pattern. Counts are double time, hitting every accent in the music.

I'm In The Mood For Love

Tenderly

I'm in the Mood for Love
Frank Washburn And His Orchestra
Promenade Records 2052

Bought this one for the Jayne Mansfield cheesecake cover. Mansfield's cover image is all she had to do with the album. I always like to be positive about some aspect of the music... but... did I mention the great cheesecake cover?

Another Korean Pop Album

Universal Record Co., Seoul Korea

KLS-49

To Sir, With Love

To Sir, With Love

To Sir, With Love and Other Favorites
Romantic Moods
Diplomat DS 2428

This looks like a awful budget record. I bought the LP for the dark and and moody cover art (I could swear that I've seen this illustration on another album). I expected the music to be pretty lame. Surprisingly, the album is a good light pop collection. Most tracks seem to be from one session group, with the title track being one of several exceptions. Most tracks feature more of a light big band vibe with background vocals (doing it up in the standard 60s oohs and aahs).

New Music For Organ

Last Rites

New Music For Organ
William Bolcom Black Host
William Albright Organbook II
William Albright, Organ with Sidney Hodkinson, Percussion
Electronic tape realized at The University of Michigan Electronic Music Studio
Nonesuch Records Commission
H-71260
1971

From the cover notes: The title of the Bolcom work, written in the summer of 1967, takes its cue from the black mass envisioned by St. Secaire (as mentioned in Frazer's encyclopedia of the occult, The Golden Bough). St. Secaire is supposed to have said black mass in the crypt of his church in order to purify that institution of its own sin.

...the current work (Organbook II), akin to Black Host, is wrapped in the direction of the darker, more sinister aspects of religion-nocturnal rituals, the devil, mortality.

I found another copy recently that was autographed on the back jacket by Albright and contained a few reprinted articles from March 1972 issue of The A.G.O.-R.C.C.O. Magazine. The article featuring Albright is posted below.

Side One:

William Bolcom (b. 1938)
Black Host (1967)
for organ, percussion & tape
Sydney Hodkinson, percussion

Side Two:

William Albright (b. 1944)
Organbook II (1971)
1. Night Procession
2. Toccata Satanique
3. Last Rites (with tape)

Jacob Druckman - Animus III

Jacob Druckman
Animus III
Synapse, Valentin for instruments & electronic tape
Arthur Bloom, Clarinet - Alvin Brehm, Contrabass
Electronic tape realized at The Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center
A Nonesuch Records commission
Nonesuch H-71253
1971

You can check out a Turnabout album I blogged titled Electronic Music III that features Druckman's Animus I. Now I need to look for Animus II. Why? Because Druckman's stuff rocks. Yes, I know that none of my reviews are very deep.

This recording takes you on a journey to some dark and mysterious land. The best of these records tend to do that for me. They go beyond a collection of interesting sounds and inventive tracks and paint an audio picture of a far out trip.

Jacob Druckman's wiki page.

Let's Dance The Cha Cha Cha

Cha-Cha Charinete

Circumstancia

Let's Dance The Cha Cha Cha
Seeco Records SCLP 9054

1955

From the bilingual back cover: Contained herein are authentic CHA-CHA-CHA rhythm selections as performed by artist who have basically the "Native Feel" for such music, such as Machito and His Afro-Cuban Orchestra; the melodic and sensuous voice of Vicentico Valdes; the number one musical group of Cuba, The Sonora Matancera; Bobby Capo, sometimes called the 'Songbird of the Tropic'; the beautiful blend of harmony and tempo of the Trio Avileno; Frank Souffront, the new voice with a beat; and to round out this all star cast, the peppery and exciting Trio Alegria.

Cha-Cha-Chainete
Yo Quiero Tranquilidad
Por Que Te Empenas En Decir
Me Lo Dijo Adela
El Jamaiquino
Joseito
Rico Vacilon
El Tunel
Oyeme Mama
Aprende Cha-Cha-Cha
Este Cha-Cha-Cha
Circumstancia