Swingin' High - Francis Bay

Rusty Dusty Blues

Swingin' High
With The Bay Big Band
Conducted by Francis Bay
Featuring Compositions of Count Basie, Lester Young, Harry Edison and others
Recorded at The Brussels World Fair
Artistic Direction: Peter Plum, Elite Musical Productions
Produced by Dave Hubert
Product Design by Leon Mc Fadden
Cover Photography by Ray Avery
Liner Notes: Cy Schneider
Omega OSL 26
1958

Armand Van De Walle: Drums
Freddy Saunder: Guitar
Francis L'Eglise, Jef Verhaegen, Benny Courdyer, Pres Creado and Guy Dossche: Saxophones
Jean Evans: Piano
Clement De Mayer: Bass
Edmond Harnie, Louis De Haes, Charlie Knegtel, Jean Cortois: Trumpets
Albert Merteng and Paul Annee: Tombones

The somewhat budget Omega label did release a number of packages that featured creative cover design. This example offers us a photo of the Atomium, a giant model of a unit cell of an iron crystal from The 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58). The set, itself, is one of Bay's swinging best for Omega.

From the back cover: The Bay Big Band salutes to the great American and English big bands at the Brussels World's Fair astounded and impressed all who heard their regular performances at the fair. Francis Bay, the leader and an extremely versatile musician and arranger, organized the Bay Big Band in 1954 to become the first regular Radio Dance Band after the end of World War II. The Bay Big Band recently won the highly coveted "Golden Gondol" trophy in a battle of the bands at Venice, Italy. the precision section work and fluid jazz improvisation of the soloists are a product of years of rehearsal and development shared by the same group of musicians without the constant changes in sidemen that have plagued our American bands in recent years. The musical rapport between sections of the band and between soloists is amazing. Francis Bay plays trombone, clarinet, alto saxophone and flute with equal ability and his regular programs on the Brussels N.I.R. Radio conceived by program manager Bob Boon can be heard weekly on the powerful station throughout England, France, Belgium and surrounding countries. – Dave Hubert

April In Paris
Bust Dusty Blues
One O'Clobk Jump
Jive At Five
Lester Leaps In
The Mad Boogie
Fiesta In Blue
Taps Miller
Rock-Bye-Basie
Lady Be Good

Cha Cha Cha - Raoul Martinez

Cha Cha Cha

Cha Cha Cha
Raoul Martinez and His Orchestra
Produced by Dave Pell
Tops Mayfair 9659S
1959

Cha Cha Cha

Raoul Martinez and His Orchestra

Produced by Dave Pell

Tops Mayfair 9659S (audio featured above recorded from this issue)

1959

Mary Tyler Moore cover photo featuring jacket die-cut to display colored (yellow) vinyl and jacket issue without die-cut that still included a very deep red colored disc.

On The Street Where You Live Cha Cha
There Is Nothin' Like A Dame Cha Cha
I Love Paris Cha Cha
Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White Cha Cha
Scampion Cha Cha
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes Cha Cha
Old Man River Cha Cha
In Old New York Cha Cha
Teach Me Tonight Cha Cha
La Cucaracha Cha Cha
I Talk To The Trees Cha Cha

Missa Koongo - Missa N'Kaandu

Processional (Gungula)

Missa Koongo (recorded August 6, 1970)
Missa N'Kaandu (recorded August 23, 1970)
Cover Drawing by George Morrissette
A Recorded Edition Of Serenus Corporation
General Music Publishing, Co., Inc.

From the back cover: Here are two masses of the Bas Congo, of the kind customarily sung in the region of Kisantu, about 100 kilometers to the south of Kinshasa (formerly Leopoldville), the nation's capital.

Tropicales De Pegue

El Manicero - Rumba Moises Simons Canta Estela Rey

Tropicales De Pegue
Sonora Monumental
Cantan: Alfonso Jimenez, Esterla Rey y Los Hnos. Vasquez
Discos San Miguel
LPS-108

La Mentira - Bolero Alvaro Carrillo Canta Estela Rey
El Nero Choforo - Cha Cha Cha Emilio Marir R. Canta Alfonso Jimenez
Un Poco Mas - Bolero Alvaro Carrillo Cantan Hnos. Vasquez
El Manicero - Rumba Moises Simons Canta Estela Rey
La Bola - Guarracha A disposición del Compositor Canta Alfonso Jimenez
El Brindis - Bolero Homero Aguilar Cantan Hnos. Vasquez
Luceros Que Se Van - Bolero Cha Eloy Saldivar Valdespino Canta Estela Rey
Lanza Tus Penas Al Viento - Tropical Guaraldi Herber
Mil Cosas - Bolreo Cha Fco. Corchado V. Cantan Hnos. Vasquez
La Rueda - Guaracha Simon Robles Canta Alfonso Jimenez
Bailan Bien - Cumbia Arnulfo Guerreo Canta Estela Rey
El Cuento - Guaracha Simon Robles Canta Alfonso Jimenez

A Touch Of Today - Nancy Wilson

Yesterday

A Touch Of Today
Nancy Wilson
Produced by David Cavanaugh
Capitol Records T 2495
1966

From Billboard - May 7, 1966: Miss Wilson's warmth, feeling and musical understanding highlight new dimensions of today's pop hits. The album features the melodious "Yesterday" "Call Me" and "The Shadow Of Your Smile," to which the stylish songstress give exceptional interpretations. Sure to delight the deejays, the package will also appeal to the consumer of the retail level.

You've Got Your Troubles
And I Love Him
Uptight (Everything's Alright)
Have A Heart
Before The Rain
The Shadow Of Your Smile (Love Theme from "The Sandpiper")
Call Me
Yesterday
Wasn't It Wonderful
You're Gonna Hear From Me
No One Else But You
Goin' Out Of My Head

Dixieland Volume 2 - Jimmy McPartland

Pebbles On The Beach

Dixieland
Volume 2
Jimmy McPartland
Palace 751

Budget set sold with McPartland credited for material heard on side one (including the not-so-Dixieland sounding sample presented above) and The Dixie Rebels who are credited for tracks featured on side two.

There'll Be Some Changes Made
Jingling Tingling
Hula Twist
Good Time Baby
Stepping High
Pebbles On The Beach
When The Saints Go Marching In
Down Dixie Way
Daddy, Give
Georgia Blues
Magnolia Tress

Pal Joey - Bill Seymour

My Funny Valentine

Pal Joey
Bill Seymour And His Orchestra
Palace Record Co. SP-3

Budget label package Includes a number of stock tracks to help fill the disc.

Overture
I Didn't Know What Time It Was
Do It The Hard Way
There's A Small Hotel
Plant You Now Dig You Later
Bewitched
Prelude
Entr'acte
The Lady Is A Tramp
My Funny Valentine
Rock It Around
I Could Write A Book
Finale

Businessman's Bounce - Eddie LeMar

Businessman's Bounce
Eddie LeMar
Cover photo by Hall Adams
Warner Bros. Records 1238
1958

Available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the cover art which may not be featured with the downloads.

From the back cover: Eddie LeMar is a veteran of this kind of music ("grown-up dance music"). For years his transcribed dancing parties have been featured on hundreds of radio stations throughout the country. In the past, and in keeping with the unusual tonal qualities of a "society band," Eddie has always featured violins and accordion. Now, updating his group to a more modern sound, he has four bass, four saxes, a rhythm section and himself featured at the piano.

It's Only A Paper Moon
I'll String Along With You
The Very Thought Of You
With Plenty Of Money And You
Ev'ry Day
Remember Me
Sweet Madness
Why Shouldn't I
You're An Old Smoothie
Love Is The Sweetest Thing
I Only Have Eyes For You
You Oughta Be In Pictures

Sweet And Lovely - Buddy Cole

Lullaby In Rhythm

Sweet And Lovely
Buddy Cole And The Mellowaires
Tops Records
L1604
1957


A set that seems to mix Cole's funky small combo lounge tunes and separately recorded swinging harmonies of The Mellowaires.

From the back cover: Certainly the vocal stylings of The Mellowaires are bound to delight. For 15 years they have been titillating the musical palates of America's radio and television audiences. This popular group has appeared in front rank theaters and night clubs the country over; their affiliations with the nation's top name bands have kept this tight, harmonies singing team on a lofty perch in the esteem of America's record buyers.

Helmsman Buddy Cole has long been familiar to fans of Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. The identification with Der Bingle has been over a much longer period, of course, as Buddy served as the crooner's accompanist for many years on network radio.

Fall of 1957 welcome back to CBS Radio a world-beating trio sometimes dubbed "The Three C's" – Crosby, Clooney and Cole. Lord Crosby, and Lady Clooney perform alternately on these daily "Ford Road Shows," and always at the tiller for Bing and Rosemary during the solid soirees is every-popular Buddy Cole and his group. Augmenting Buddy's sharp accompaniment on piano, organ or celeste are ace Hollywood sidemen Don Whittaker, bass; Vince Terry, guitar; and the celebrated Nick Fatool, drums.

Not only is Cole a longtime personal friend of Crosby, but he perennially arranged and directed the music for Rosie and Bing when they sang on their own CBS radio program, before the Ford Show ever hit the ground

Starting in show business as a teenager, Buddy toured as traveling pianist with the Gumm Sisters in the waning era of vaudeville. Most vocal and vivacious of the sisters was a child who in later years was to captivate the nation with her performance as Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz. Her name? Judy Garland, of course.

Like most of today's skilled studio musicians, Buddy Cole really got his "beat" wet in the band business in Mr. Cole's case, his first break with a band came when Alvino Rey hired him for the ivory chores. When the Rey band broke up, most of the sidemen headed back to New York, home base for touring name bands. Buddy, however, having had a taste of sun-spattered Hollywood, elected to return to that glamor land. This was one decision that worked out well for everyone.

Today Buddy Cole may be seen in Movietown's recording studios, working with such bright lights as Doris Day and Frankie Laine. Or you may chance to meet him in any of the lavish Las Vegas resort hotels. No, you won't find Buddy at the gambling tables; most likely you'll catch him rehearsing backstage with some top liner heading the bill at one of Vegas' glittering supper clubs.

Lullaby In Rhythm
Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night In The Week
La Cinquantine
I'm Beginning To See The Light
Pavanne
Yes, We Have No Bananas
Bicycle Built For Two
Tabby The Cat
Sweet And Lovely
Mémoires Of You
Louise
Rocking The Blues

Adventure In Sound - Danny Guglielmi

Out Of Nowhere

Adventure In Sound
Multiple Instrumentation By Danny Guglielmi
Vocals By Dena
Tops Musical Enterprises
Jackets fabricated by Globe Albums, New York, N.Y.
L1580

Sweet concept package, solid from jacket art through the creatively arranged and engineered set.

From the back cover: On the morning of October 8, 1955 Danny and Dean Guglielmi were awakened by the insistent jangle of the telephone in their San Fernando Valley home. Still befogged with sleep, Danny lifted the receiver and mumbled, "Lo, who is it?" He was convinced he was still dreaming when the voice at the other end identified itself as that of Col. Robert L. Schult, military aide to Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of The United States. Expressing the enthusiastic appreciation of the President himself and those in attendance on the chief executive who was bedded after a serious heart attack, Col. Schultz confided to the dumbfounded Danny, "Everybody... has been enjoying your music. We've played it over and over. Ti's very soothing to President Eisenhower".

That this experience was far from a dream fantasy had been confirmed by the arrival of the following letter:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Guglielmi,
It was indeed kind of you to think of the President with a gift which I know will be most welcome to him.

Your tape recording arrived safely, and I am sure it will bring much pleasure and relaxation to the President. 

With many thanks, and best wishes to you,
(signed) Mamie Down Eisenhower

The tape gratefully acknowledged in the First Lady's letter consisted of eleven multi-tape recordings arranged and played by Danny Guglielmi, with vocals by his wife, Dena. In this Tops album, Adventure In Sound, the same exciting multiple process is employed by Mr. Guglielmi in a selection of cherished standards and clever original compositions showcasing his superb musicianship and electronic wizardry.

In layman' terms, the multi taping process consists simply of recording one "track of sound on top of another, all on the same strip of tape. It's like a lofty layer cake with the different layers applied one atop of another to make up the entire concoction (or shall we say, confection). Thanks to the marvel of tape recording, and the great talents of Danny Guglielmi, we have a finished product of orchestrated music – an entire band, if you will – with every instrument played by the same musician.

In Danny's case, however, "every instrument" consists in toto of bass, guitar, piano and violin. Yet, with these four instruments he manages with the aid of electronic trickery to achieve the sound at times of a 40 piece orchestra. When one considers that the bass and guitar are played by Guglielmi for rhythm alone, the piano figures only for purpose of occasional color, it's nothing short of a new wonder of our age that the rest of the orchestra is comprised solely of one violin.

In the hands of Danny Guglielmi, the violin is a eloquent voice indeed. Though he plays all the string family, the violin is his main instrument and has been since he started playing at the age of seven years. When it became obvious that music was the only career for Danny, he quickly mastered the violin, supplementing his technical work with courses in arranging and composition. As he became more and more involved in the writing end of music, he forsook the violin and concentrated on arranging.

It was as arranger that Danny broke into the musical Big Time. As staff writer for the Lucky Strike Hit Parade, he remained three years with Al Goodman's orchestra. Prolific Danny arranged for the famous Glenn Miller Army band; for Carl Hoff (who bestowed on him the name of "Danny Gool") with whom his stayed six years.

Danny's other arranging credits include stints with Harry Sosnick, Buddy Clark, Lenny Ross, Johnny Green and his MGM Studio Orchestra, Kay Thompson, Connie Boswell, Kay Starr, Dinah Shore, Tony Martin, Ray McKinley, Jerry Gray, Eddie Cantor and Frank Sinatra.

Dena has become almost as well known for pipe smoking as for singing. When the Eisenhower -Guglielmi story broke in the nation's newspapers, a picture of Dena, pipe in mouth, inevitably accompanied the news account of the Guglelmi's gift to the President. Dena is most certainly one of the world's loveliest pipe smokers and, as singer, who is second to none. For years a "ghost " voice for some of Hollywood's most glamorous stars in many motion pictures, she also has to her credit considerable experience in radio work with NBC and CBS. During that period, incidentally, she was known as Berna Deane". This was after she had served an auspicious term with the orchestra of Rudy Valee. Dena is a native of Kansas City, Missouri.

For the record, Danny cites as his earliest violin idols Joe Venuti and Stuff Smith. Indeed, their influence is apparent in the solo segments of the tunes in this album and accounts for his very definite latter, don't miss the humorous dialogue between Danny and himself. Again, on the Shiek Of Araby, Danny reflects yet another influence – Stefan Grappelly of the quintet of the Hot Club of France. This is especially noticeable in the first chorus why the rhythm bass and guitar (played by Danny, of course) manage to achieve a very definite "Hot Club" feel.

It's So Peaceful In The Country
Cherokee
I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance
Jealous
A-E-I-O-U
Georgia On My Mind
Na-Wa-Da-Ha
I'll Remember
April
Mosquito Festival
Out Of However
Bullfrog
Firelight Reveri
Hot Scottish
The Sheik Of Araby

The Big Bossa Nova - Bob Freedman

Devil

The Big Bossa Nova
Bob Freedman And His Group
Coronet Records
CXS 185

Energetic sound but featuring little variety in the arrangement approach from track to track.

Oneness
Alone
Tell Me
Yes
Blue Eyes
Why Not
I Wait For You
Devil
Golden Star
Black Moon

The Leisurely Loveliness Of Neal Hefti

Li'l Darlin'

Repetition

The Leisurely Loveliness Of
Neal Hefti And His Orchestra
Featuring Two Dozen Violins, Troops Of Flutes & A Hip Harpsichord
All songs composed by Neal Hefti
Budd Grandoff Productions, Inc.
Movietone Records
MTM 1006
1965

From the back cover: Let's get personal: for twenty years the jazz world has been calling Neal a "Musician's Musician," an "Arranger's Arranger" and other such complimentary redundancies. From these accolades you'd figure that One: He's a combination hipster and scholarly musicologist who probably wears a goatee. Two: That goatee is grey because he has been on the scene for so many years. The facts are that Neal is "hip" without being "hipster." His music is self-taught and he kept on teaching himself since the day he packed his trumpet and left his hometown (Hastings, Nebraska). Joe wouldn't wear a goatee even if his beautiful wife (former band singer Frances Wayne) would let him (which she won't), and he just turned forty... a milestone rubbed in with much hilarity by his friends whence Neal snarled and made threats. So you see, he's an outrageously average sort of a guy... for a genius.

Genius he is. That can be said without prejudice. That can be heard – just listen to the ingenious arranging  – the juicy humor – that Neal has put into "Duet." "Debt" has been a swinging staple for the Basie band for years. Now Neal has taken this driving jazz ingredients and pitted them against slyly dignified minuet. As Neal's producer-publisher Budd Granola desires it: "It sounds as if the cast of 'West Side Story' crashed a bash Marie Antoinette was giggling." Listen to the leisurely loveliness of "li'l Darlin'" (written for his daughter Marguerite, now a lovely, but far from leisurely 14 year-old. Happily, however, she's out of the rock-n-roll stage). And listen to "Should I or Shouldn't I," the luxurious strings, the simple yet beautiful melody line. (Neal has written his own lyrics to this one.) With the Basie band, Neal feels he was identified with the school of gospel-oriented music known as "shout." He was afraid the "shout" tap would type-cast him unjustly. He needn't have worried, but do listen to "Sunday Mornin' " – a softly shimmering "shout" if ever a "shout" softly shimmered. Listen to Cute, Pensive Miss, Late Date, and Rosebud – and then get set to listen to more and more Neal Hefti. You'll be hearing more Hefti via movie scores, musicals – and most important: songs. Remember the name: Hefti. He's my Friend, the Melody-Writer. – Atra Baer

Cute
Should I Or Shouldn't I
Duet
Late Date
Li'l Darlin'
Scoot
Pensive Miss
Sunday Mornin'
Nice To Be With You
Rose Bud
Repetition