Prospective 21 Siecle

Transition I - Mauricio Kagel

Prospective 21 Siecle

Realisation: Pierre HENRY
Philips
Gravure Universelle 836 897 DSY
1960(?)

I'm In The Mood To Swing - Ray Ellis

The Continental

I'm In The Mood To Swing
Ray Ellis And His Orchestra
MGM E3820
1960

From Billboard, May 16, 1960: Ray Ellis, an arranger of talent here fronts a band playing bright and sparkling versions of standards such as Cheek to Cheek, (etc.). Elis gets a pleasing sound from orchestra and chorus. Jockeys will find some attractive programming here.

Side one

Lullaby Of Broadway
Comes Love
I'm Sitting On Top Of The World
Cheek To Cheek
All Of You
Heat Wave

Side two

The Gypsy In My Soul
Button Up Your Overcoat
Everything I've Got
The Continental
My Baby Just Cares For Me
Always True To You In My Fashion

Guitars Galore - George Barnes

Jeepers Creepers

Guitars Galore
George Barnes
Mercury Records PPS 6020
1961

Here is another obscure Barnes release. Also see Guitars By George Barnes and Guitar Galaxies.

This is a rocking, jazzy and swinging disc featuring stellar Mercury engineering. This entry follows Guitar Galaxies and competes nicely with the finely engineered light-pop records that Enoch Light was producing at the time on his Command label.

From the back cover: Four guitars tuned in the key of F, designed by Barnes, were built for this session by the Guild Guitar Company. As Barnes explains, the F guitar offers a range pitched four notes higher than the standard guitar range making it possible to play with the trumpets; even up to F above high C. Leader Barnes used the F guitar throughout the date.

Several years ago Barnes had the opportunity to use a special reverberative Chamber. The result was similar to the pizzicato effect of strings in a large hall. As he was planning Guitars Galore, he remembered the effect and ordered portable reverberation amplifiers. Their use was controlled by individual foot switches with each unit. The reverberation, tremolo, and reverberation-tremolo could be turned off and on at will by the player's foot. The ordinary vibrato effects of playing on a stringed instrument are enhanced by the color derived from these more versatile amplifiers.

Side one

Singin' In The Rain
Have You Met Miss Jones
Jeepers Creepers
Runnin' Wild
Indiana
Guitar Galore

Side two

Liza
Sugar
Waitin' At The end Of The Road
Too Marvelous For Words
Should I
Pickin' Plenty

Bill Justis Plays 12 Top Tunes

El Watusi

Watermelon Man

Bill Justis Plays 12 Top Tunes
Smash Records SRS 67036
1963

From Billboard, July 20, 1963: Bill Justis has jumped on a flock of recent top hits here and has given them swinging renditions very much in the manner of the original waxwings. Teens should dig the Justis-styled recordings of Tamure (that's how Billboard spelled the track title), Pipeline, Hot Pastrami, Watermelon Man, Gravy Waltz and Wiggle Wobble.

This album seems to takes its' cue from other "discotheque" LPs on the market at the time. So, the song approaches are varied but good space age fair.

Compulsion To Swing - Henri Rene

Nature Boy

Compulsion To Swing
Henri Rene And His Orchestra
RCA Victor LPM-1947
1959

From Billboard, March 23, 1959: Smart, tasteful, jazz-flavored, instrumental treatments by Rene mark this collection of swingy standards and oldies. Colorful cover gives item solid display value.

The Blues Room
Cry Me A River
Baubles, Bangles and Beads
Compulsion To Swing
It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
Just A Gigolo
'S Wonderful
Nature Boy
The Hot Canary
Blues Chartreuse
The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
Don't Cry Joe

Donald Byrd & Gigi Gryce - Xtacy

Donald Byrd & Gigi Gryce
Xtacy
Trip Jazz TLP-5016

Tracks are available for online purchase so I will not be posting a sample. But the original cover art is somewhat obscure and great fun.

The music is toe-tapping straight forward small combo jazz.

Blue Lights
Onion Head
Isn't It Romantic
Bat Land
Bangoon
Imagination
Xtacy

America The Bountiful

America The Bountiful
Produced For Invest-In-America Councils
Research Craft Corp., Los Angeles, Calif.
RC 485

Obscure LP with no jacket.

Crazy Otto Goes Sentimental

Perfidia

Crazy Otto Goes Sentimental
Vocalion VL 3663
1959

From Billboard, July 20, 1959: This is Crazy Otto which his regular ricky-tick fans will find a stranger. It's society, cocktail lounge piano with traces of the Garner after-the-beat style. Nice performances but rack buyers who go for the Otto standard sound may have a surprise in store when they turn on the set.

The Soul Of Paul Mauriat

You Keep Me Hangin' On

The Soul Of Paul Mauriat
Philips PHS-600-299
1969

This is an album, along with other Mauriat LPs, that you often find untouched in the discount bin. I've blogged a number of Mauriat albums now and find his work, for the most part, unique in easy listening. He creates unusual arrangements and applies instruments and subtle effects in a way that captures and hold the attention.

This album, while all of the tracks aren't as psyched as the sample above, is one of his more awesome efforts.

I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
I've Never Loved A Man
I've Been Loving You Too Long
You Keep Me Hangin' On
It's A Man's World
When A Man Loves A Woman
Respect
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
In The Midnight Hour
My Girl
Love Child

Ba Ma Hit Parade - King Eric

Zombie Jamboree

Bama Hit Parade
A Collection Of Favorite Melodies
From The Exotic
Islands In The Sun
King Eric And His Knights
From The Famous Ba Ma Supper Club – Nassau In The Bahamas
Inside The Windsor Inne's Famous Ba-Ma Room
Carib 1960

From the back cover: Here are the chords of Eric Gibson on the guitar, Ronald Butler swinging from vocal to bongo drums, Frankie Adams singing his happy heart out, and Mickey Newbold on the bass. Here is the first album from all of us at the Ba Ma.

Check out the follow-up King Eric/Ba Ma album: Calypso Encores

Zombie Jamboree
Choucoune
Island Woman
Jamaica Farewell
Ah Baby
Day O
Mary Ann
Big Bamboo
Crazy Like Mad
Bahama Lullaby
Mama La
The Conch
Island In The Sun

Music For Belly Dancing

Violin/Kanun/Bouzoukia/Solo

Music For Belly Dancing
The Turkish Way With Ozel
Murray Hill Records
944332

This is a three record box set. The cover suggests that this set has something to do with "instruction". This usually means the music is going to be rather "canned" or "stock". Other than the instruction booklet (which is missing in the copy I found), this album set consists of three records packed with very good music. The engineering is also very good. And you get a hot photo of Ozel on the cover. She helped spark a resurgence for belling dancing in the U.S. in the early 1970s.

Crazy Calliope - Margie Meinert

Sugar Blues

Crazy Calliope
Margie Meinert
Dot Records DLP 3440
1962

I know... it's crazy!

Meinert also made a crazy organ album with a crazy cover! Hi-Fi And Mighty. Love it!

A Decade Of Music - Hi Hopes

Need To Be

People First

A Decade Of Music
Hi Hopes
Hope College
1982

Here's a fabulous compilation of tunes from the fantastic Hi Hopes. Hi Hope tunes alway put a smile on my face. Great stuff!

A few tunes samples found on this album and information on the Hi Hopes can be found on these additional Hi Hope posts: Hi Hopes To You With Joy, Hi Hopes, Hi Hopes Play And Sing.

Side one

Day-O
Freedom Is The Song Of My Country
You Were There
Impossible Dream
I Believe In Music
Need To Be
God Bless America

Side two

Proud Mary
Love Makes The World Go 'Round
Whole World In His Hands
People First Song
Wipeout
America, My Homeland
Star Spangled Banner
Hi, Neighbor
May The Good Lord Bless And Keep You

For Latin Lovers - Stanley Black And His Latin Rhythms

Baia

For Latin Lovers
Stanley Black And His Latin Rhythms
London Records LL 1681
1958

From the back cover: Here is another scintillating selection of exotic music from that man of many parts, Stanley Black. Composer, conductor, arranger and wizard of the piano keyboard, he needs little introduction to anyone on either side of the Atlantic who has acquired a taste for his music with its many varied facets.

Sweet And Gentle
Be Mine Tonight
Serenata
Blue Star
Baia
Tenderly
Bem - Te - Vi
Peanut Vendor
A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening
Again
Out Of Nowhere
It Happened In Monterey
Delicado

I'm In The Mood - Billy Butterfield

Gold Coast

I'm In The Mood
To Listen to The Magic Trumpet Of Billy Butterfield And His Orchestra
Somerset High Fidelity P-2200

Produced by Miller International Co.
1959

Street Of Dreams
Blue Coast
Moonlight On The Ganges
South Sea Island Magic
The Last Time I Saw Paris
I Cover The Waterfront
East Of The Sun
Gold Coast
The Swan
What's New

Sounds For The 60s - Onzy Matthews

White Gardenia

Sounds For The 60s
Onzy Mattews
With The Big Brass, Reeds And Piano
Capitol Records ST 2479
1966

From Billboard Apirl 23, 1966: Purely beautiful instrumentals by Onzy Matthews and orchestra... "Mexicali Brass" has that Latin-American flavor, but is strong with the beat sound teen-agers love to dance to. Easy listening stations will find this LP great programming and that could boost sales even higher.

Mexicali Brass
You'll Know The First Time
Lilies Of The Field
Moon River
Play Me Some Blues
White Gardenia
Ballad For Orchestra
Blues For The Reverend
I Left My Heart In San Francisco
Ray-On-Blues

We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye - Barbara Carroll

These Foolish Things

Cherry Point

We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye
Barbara Carroll
RCA Victor LPM-1296
1956

From the back cover: Mood music as envisioned by Miss Carroll is quite a different thing from the lush arrangements that usually characterize this enormously popular wing of the recording industry. For although the pace is leisurely, the jazz impulse is strong, and the trio performances are uniformly tasteful and inventive – never glossy.

From Billboard - October 20, 1956: The swinging Miss Carroll gets into a slow, quiet mood on this new package. It's different from what fans have been used to expecting from the gal and the interpretations make for very agreeable listening. Standards like "You Do Something To Me," "These Foolish Things," "All Of You" are included, plus a couple of the pianist's own compositions in the same easy-going mood.

You Do Something To Me
Today
We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye
These Foolish Things
Royal Garden Blues
Just One Of Those Things
Cherry Point
You're All My Girl
All Of You
Lost In A Crowed Place
You Make Me Feel So Young
Goodnight My Love

Boogie Woogie - Billy Rowland

Momo Combo

Boogie Woogie
Billy Rowland
Grand Award Records GA 259 SD
1961

This is pure Enoch Light 60s light pop twist on this "rich vein of American musical invention".

Rhumboogie
Sentimental Journey
Shoo - Shoo Baby
Undecided
Blues In The Night
Cow - Cow Boogie
Scrub Me Mama
When It's Sleepy Time Down South
Mad About Him, Sad Without Him, How Can I Be Glad Without Him Blues
Bye Bye Blackbird
One For My Baby
Momo Combo

Nashville Steel Guitar

Big News

Nashville Steel Guitar
Starday Records
SLP 138

1961

This is a fine space age country swing compilation featuring: Pete Drake, Little Roy Wiggins, Don Helms, Jimmy Day, Herbie Remington

From the back cover: Most of these recordings were made at the Starday Sound Studios in Madison, Tennessee. Recordings were made in stereo and remixed for maximum monaural quality. Supporting musicians were from the Jim Reeves Band known as The Blue Boys.

Star Gazing
Pushin' Pedals
For Pete's Sake
Big News
Station Break
Wired For Sound
Steel Guitar Wobble

Ting A Ling
Liberty Drive
Southern Sunday
Wiggins' Wiggle
Theme Time
Steel After Hours
Steel Guitar Special

Music From The Graduate - Living Brass

The Sounds Of Silence

Music From The Graduate
And Other Simon And Garfunkel Hits
Living Brass
RCA CAS-2323
1969

This is a really fine space age brass album. And the reason is that, in really small type on the back cover, we find that Ray Martin arranged and conducted. Martin produced some of my favorite space age material. Check out Thunderball And Other Thriller Music and follow the link to Goldfinger And Other Music From James Bond Thrillers.