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Saturday, January 25, 2014

Emotions - Richard Shores

Fear
Emotions
Richard Shores And His Orchestra
Mercury Records MG 20130

Shore created an engaging album for his age, presenting us with a tapestry of orchestrated pieces that thematically support the title concept. Each track is arranged in a somewhat "safe" manner. Shore does not push period sonic, conceptual boundaries, but the sound he created perfectly reflects the moody visual vibe expressed on the cover.

From the back cover: There was no question in Shores' mind concerning the type of album he wanted to produce, and finding Mercury in complete agreement, "Emotions" he believes is completely representative of his talents. The youthful composer-conductor-arranger has directed his entire life along one path. Before leaving high school he wrote what is even today echoed through the classrooms and corridors of a Chicago high school as the official class song. His academic graduation also promoted him into concert work around the midwest, with the Army continuing his musical education by assigning him to direct and perform on almost 500 radio programs. Musical comedy composition still delights him when he isn't occupied with writing and arranging background music for radio and television.

Love
Hate
Sorrow
Gay
Blues
Surprise
Frustration
Fear
Hysteria

Burnished Brass - George Shearing

Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
Burnished Brass
The George Shearing Quintet With Brass Choir
Orchestra conducted by Billy May
Capitol Records T 1038
1962

From the back cover: George is playing with a large and varied backgrounds of up to sixteen brass instruments.

A fine smooth blend of Shearing style, rich full brass and creative lounge/mood arrangements.

Memories Of You
Lulu's Back In Town
If You Were Mine
Burnished Brass
These Things You Left Me
Mine
Beautiful Love
Cuckoo In The Clock
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
Cheek To Cheek
Blame It On My Youth
Basie's Masement

Jazz Loves Bach - The Wayland Quartet

The Well-Tempered Clavier - Prelude: C Major
Jazz Loves Bach
The Wayland Quartet
Recorded December 19-23, 1966 at The New England Conservatory Of Music
A Knapp Record
4 Corners Of The World
FCS-4249

From the back cover: In September , 1966, Newt (Wayland) arranged a few movements from Bach's flute sonatas as incidental music for Congreve's restoration comedy, Love For Love. The production took place at the Charles Playhouse in Boston, where Newt is the Musical Director, and nearly every night people in the audience asked where they could get a record or tape of the music. The requests became more frequent, so finally we went ahead and made this record.

Frank Nizzari (soprano, alto, barione saxophones), Frank Gallagher (bass), Fred Buda (drums), Newton Wayland (piano, harpsichord, celeste).

Flute Sonata: E Flat Major
First Movement 1.
Second Movement 2.
Third Movement 3.
Prelude D Major 4.
Prelude C Minor 5.
Invention E Major (Trans to E Flat) 6.
Prelude: F Major 7.

Flute Sonata:
E Major (Trans to E Flat)
First Movement 1.
Second Movement 2.
Third Movement 3.
Fourth Movement 4.
Violin Sonata Number 1: B Minor
Third Movement:
D Major (Trans to E Flat) 5.
From the Well-Tempered Clavier
Prelude: F Major 6.
Fugue F Major (Trans to A Flat) 7.
Prelude: C Major 8.

Louis' Hot 5's and 7's - Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band

King Of The Zulus
Louis' Hot 5's and 7's
Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band
Decca DL 8200

From the back cover: The Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band has already shown how effectively it can carry on the tradition of the past by recordings of the featured tunes of King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton. The present recordings, like Lawson-Haggart's previous albums, are not imitations, but reanimations.

The personnel includes Bill Stegmeyer, clarinet; Lou Stein, piano; Cliff Leeman, drums; George Barnes, guitar; Lou McGarity, 1st trombone; Yank Lawson, 1st trumpet; Bob Haggart, bass.


Cornet Chop Suey
Keyhole Blues
Skit-Dat-De-Dat
Potato Head Blues
Muskrat Ramble
Gully Low Blues
Heebie Jebbies
I'm Not Rough
Melancholy Blues
Weary Blues
Wild Man Blues
King Of The Zulus

Friday, January 24, 2014

Let's Have A Dance Party! - Buddy Morrow

I Wonder Why - Vocal by Frankie Lester
Let's Have A Dance Party
Buddy Morrow And His Orchestra
RCA Camden CAL 381

Big Heap Beat
Stairway To The Stars
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
I Can't Get Started
I Wonder Why
Memphis Drag
Beale Street Mamma
Speak Low
Rio Rita
The Old Black Magic
Confessin' The Blues
I Ain't Got Nobody

Dora Hall Sings Disco

You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You
Dora Hall Sings Disco
Cozy Record Company
PL-479

Vanity Queen, Dora Hall along with the Pat Crotty Singers.

Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home
You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You
When You're Smilin'
April Showers
Lazy River
Rock-A-Bye Your Baby
When The Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along
You Made Me Love You
Toot-Toot-Tootsie
Waitin' For The Robert E. Lee

Thursday, January 23, 2014

America's Top Tunes

Topsy - The Hi-Tones
Volare - Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu Mario Rizzi
America's Top Tunes
Golden Tone
C4001

Susie Darlin'
Rockin' Robin
Little Star
Volare
Bird Dog
Tom Dooley
Guaglione
Call Me
Chantilly Lace
Topsy

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

The Brass Ring Featuring Phip Bodner

Ain't No Sunshine
The Brass Ring Featuring Phil Bodner
Arranged and Produced by Phil Bodner
Executive Producer: Enoch Light
Associate Producers: Jeff Hest/Tony Mottola
Project 3 Total Sound PR5067 QD
1972

Produced late in Enoch Light's career. Light would retire in 1974.

While continuing to create book-fold jackets along the lines of what Light/Command produced, this Project 3 cover design looks somewhat budget by comparison. The photo of Bodner is poorly processed. The sound, also by comparison, seems a bit thin.

Bodner, however, still delivers that good "Command label" sound that is heavy on the "easy".

Sweet Seasons
Ain't No Sunshine
Wave
Beautiful
Main Theme From The Godfather
Sprinkles
Rock & Roll Lullaby
Saxophobia
Baby, I'm A Want You
Willkommen
The Godfather
Old Wine
We're Together

Sunday, January 19, 2014

De Lovely - De Lys

You're Mine, You
De Lovely
De Lys
Helen De Lys
Jubilee JLP-1077

De Lys seems to have made just this one album. I could find no other direct references to her or her father online.

From the back cover: How about Helene: Her polished swinging performances belie a more formal education. She is a "natural" singer having learned by performance literally since childhood. Actually, she worked professionally for the first time when she was four years old. Her mother was a headliner on the Keith circuit, and Helene often traveled with her. This atmosphere had much importance on her feel for theatrics and music in general.

Unlike many of today's quickie singers, she is an accomplished musician, having led her own orchestra (all boys!) while in grade school, and she plays crazy piano.

Though born in Camden, New Jersey, Helene graduated from New York University. After leaving school she temporarily retired from singing to take over as active head of The World-Wide Advertising Agency, which was founded by her father, Emile Scholz, the distinguished newspaper publisher and advertising executive.

The whole of every person is made up of the parts of his or her background, and the stability, insight, and balance, which of necessity became a part of Helene as Advertising Executive, is apparent in the sure, forthright approach she uses to captivate audiences. She's a charmer and her many night club fans in New York and the east will attest to this un-hesitatingly. As a matter of fact, this, her first Jubilee album, is a outgrowth of one of those performances: After seeing her conquer a hard-core New York club audience with her first song, I suggested she tape a portion of the material that she uses in her in-person performances.

– Jack Lazare


Automobile courtesy of Austin Clark, Jr.'s Long Island Automotive Museum, Southhampton, L.I. N.Y.
Gown courtesy of Harold Oberson, Inc., New York, N.Y.
Cover design by Sy Leichman
Photograph by Charles Varon

I've Got My Eyes On You
You're Mine, You
Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere
I Didn't Know What Time It Was
Find Me A Primitive Man
How Long Has This Been Going On
Don't Worry 'Bout Strangers
He Was To Good To ME
I Must Have That Man
Smokey Morning
Let's Misbehave
You've Got To See Mamma Ev'ry Night

Storm

Summer Rain
Storm in Stereo Hi-Fi
Westminster WST 16004
1959(?)

Rossini: The Storm - Vienna State Orchestra - Hermann Scherchen
Beethoven: Tempest And Storm - Vienna State Orchestra - Hermann Scherchen
Debussy: Dialogue Du Vent Et De La Mer - Ochesrtre du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris - Manuel Resenthal
Sibelius: The Storm - Stockholm Radio Orchestra - Stig Westerberg
Grofe: Cloudburst - The Utah Symphony - Maurice Abravanel
Britten: Storm - Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra - Sir Ardian Boult
Alfven: Summer Rain - Royal Swedish Orchestra - Hugo Alfven
Rimsky-Korsakoff: Final Movement From Scheherazade - Vienna State Orchestra - Hermann Scherchen

Crying Time

My Bonnie
Michelle
Modern Sounds
Ms 1022

The cover design is credited to McPherson Studio, Nashville, Tenn.

From the back cover: Every selection on every album has been recorded since 1962 using the finest recording studios, musicians, vocal groups and lead singers in the country.

Crying Time
Lighting Strikes
My Bonnie
Toodle Dee Doodle Dee Do
We Built A 409
My Love
Michelle
Down At Papa Joes
That's All That's Important
The Spirit Of This Land

Calypso Carnival - John Arvin

Castles Of Sand
Calypso Carnival
The John Arvin Quartet Sings Calypso
Cover Photo - Langely
Posed by the Lee Watkins Dancers
Hollywood Records LPH0-26

From the back cover: Once featured with the Ralph Flanagan Orchestra, the John Arvin Quartet's harmonizing is now directed toward pop recordings and singing commercials.

Individually, each member is an accomplished soloist, having recorded under their own names on a variety of labels. They are baritone Jack Daniels, bass Bill Sontag, tenor Dick Warren and tenor John Arvin, the group's leader-arranger who penned serval songs for the album.


Nineteen Trunks Full Of Money
Jamaica Farewell
Mother In Law
Castles In The Sand
De Tourists are Restless Tonight
Papano And Chips
No Love For Me
The Banana Boat Song
Marianne
Calypso Rock And Roll
Long White Gloves
Happy Harry

Powder Puff Jazz - Johnny Hamlin

Strange Perfume
Powder Puff Jazz
By Johnny Hamlin Quintet
RCA Victor LPM-1565
1958

From the back cover: Those who met the Johnny Hamlin Quinete on their previous RCA Victor visit ("Polka Dots And Moon-Beams," LPM-1379) need not be told how successfully this group has drawn a variety of sounds and colors from the thirteen instruments played by its five members. With the quintet's return in this aptly titled second volume, it may be timely to acquaint your more closely with its versatile members.

Johnny Hamlin was born May 19, 1921, in San Diego, California. He studied accordion privately, worked locally and in Los Angeles, served with the Air Force in Iceland and England during World War II. He began doubling on piano in 1949 and the next year formed a quintet, of which Kenneth Earnest is the only remaining member.

Although the combo has spent much of its time in and around Chicago, there have been many months of road travel, coupled with the frustration of being booked opposite rock-'n'-roll and comedy groups. Through it all Johnny, maintaining the musical integrity, decided to "sell jazz in a more commercial form and possibly pave the way for a better appreciation of the truly great artists of our time by creating a larger audience… We have tried to keep our things on a fairly simple basis, not trying so much for a complex harmonic structure but using rather fundamental ideas of more of a swinging nature."

Kenneth Earnest, who plays bass and tuba is another San Diegan, born January 17, 1925. After earning degrees in accounting and music at San Diego State College, he worked with big bands in the area, play in a U.S. Army band and jobbed locally with small combos before joining Hamlin.

Art Mooshafian, Jr., whose instrument include trumpet, valve trombone and baritone horn, was born March 18, 1928, in Los Angeles and was a music major at Compton Junior College. After serving with the U.S. Infantry band in Hawaii and Korea, he worked around Los Angeles before joining Hamlin in 1954.

Charles McFadden, newly added to the group since its previous album, is a Chicagoan, born January 31, 1926. After majoring in music at the University of Illinois, he played with big bands in the Illinois territory, taught music and served in the U.S. Air Force band. Joining the quintet a few months ago, he showed almost limitless instrumental capabilities; among his media are clarinet, baritone and tenor sax, piccolo and flute.

Donald E. Hamernik, the drummer, was born October 11, 1926, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, He attended the Boy Knapp Percussion School, served in the U.S. Army band and with Chicago territory bands, then joined Hamlin in October 1955.

The quintet earned an early helping hand from Lionel Hampton, whose communicative enthusiasm helped to produce its first booking. Though Hamlin's "Pied Pipers" average some 20,000 miles a year on the road, they have occasionally sat down long enough to earn a few TV credits, from an Arthur Godfrey talent scout victory in New York to the Al Jarvis Show in Los Angeles.


– Leonard Feather, Author of The Book Of Jazz and The Encyclopedia of Jazz

Powder Puff
Blue Mascara
Strange Perfume
Sweet And Lonely
Oh! Look At Me Now
Ain't She Sweet
Hello Beautiful
Shari
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
At A Perfume Counter
You're A Heavenly Thing
Pancake

The Jazz Mass by Joe Masters

Angus Dei
The Jazz Mass by Joe Masters
Joe Masters, musical director
Allan Davies, choral director
Produced for records by John Hammond
Columbia CS 9398
1967

The sample above is the beautiful last track from an unusual and engaging conceptual project.

From the back cover: God isn't dead as you well know.

The dead are those who want to keep us feeling guilty about guitars in Church and pop songs at Mass and trumpets at Vespers. They are dead. They died in 1285. They can't love the city, the real one with the dirt and the grubby kids who laugh and make giants out of fire hydrants and are sure that eggs come from refrigerators and not chickens.

This is what this Mass is all about, the Mass by Joe Masters, a kid from the city, the city of Boston.

Session artists: Loulie Jean Norman (Soprano), Clark Burroughs (Tenor), Mike Wofford (Piano), Bobby West (Bass), Johnny Guerin (Drums), Jerry Williams (Timpani), Gary Barone (Trumpet), Harold Land (Tenor Sax) and Antony Ortega (Alto Sax)

Kyrie
Gloria In Excelsis
Credo
Sanctus
Benedictus
Pater Nostros
Agnus Dei