Provocative Percussion Volume 4 - Enoch Light

With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming

Make Someone Happy

Provocative Percussion Volume 4
Enoch Light And The Light Brigade
Originated and Produced by Enoch Light
Associate Producer: Julie Klages
Arrangements by Lew Davies
Recording Chief: Robert Fine
Mastering: George Piros
Art Director: Charles E. Murphy
Command Records RS 834 SD
Grand Award Record Co., Inc.
1962

From the inside cover: Like the three earlier volumes, Provocative Percussion, Vol. 4, is a tremendous exciting listening experience, glistening with the superb performances of such brilliant musicians as Doc Severinsen, trumpet; Stanley Webb and Phil Bodner, the unbelievably versatile woodwind duo; a richly resonant trombone quartet led by Bobby Byrne and including Bob Alexander, Dick Hixon and Chauncey Welch; a rhythm section made up of Moe Wechsler, piano; Tony Mottola, guitar, and Bob Haggart, bass; and an absolutely incredible trio of percussionists – Don Lamond, Bob Rosengarden and Ed Shaughnessy.

From Billboard - March 31, 1962: The succession of three past sets in the "provocative" series has established sales records all over the place, and there is no reason for this newest edition to stray from that pattern. The sound, as usual, is brilliant and clean and a treat for old or new fans of the series. Numbers comprise familiar standards like "I Got It Bad," "Solitude" and newer things like "Make Someone Happy." A "sound" gem.

On The Street Where You Live
You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
That's My Desire
Comme Ci, Comme Ca
I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
Do-Do-Do
Make Someone Happy
You're An Old Smoothie
Solitude
With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming
The Look Of Love
I Love You

Vince Martin Quartet Spins A Roulette

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Mountain Greenery

Vince Martin Quartet
Spins A Roulette
Production: D. Wayne Carmichael
Cover & Art Design: Helen Astarita
Cover Photos: Andrew Aiken
Engineer: Mack Emerman
Mastering: Jack Davis
Bahamian Rhythms and Bahama Records, LTD

Pressings by Miami Records Company
Tops In Island Music BRH 51
1965

Vince Martin: Vocalist
Denis Donaldson: Bass
Bertram Lord, Jr.: Drums
Edwin "Apple" Elliott: Piano
Ralph Munnings: Flute & Alto Sax

Wings Of A dove
Pretty Blue Eyes
Mountain Greenery
Land Of The Sea And Sun
Merengue
Run Come See
Jones Oh Jones
Lemon Tree
Over The Rainbow
Bill Bailey
Shame And Scandal
Amen

Ray Ellis Plays The Top 20

I Just Don't Understand

Ray Ellis Plays The Top 20
Ray Ellis Orchestra and Chorus
Produced by George Avakian and Ray Ellis
Recorded in RCA Victor's Studio A, New York City
Recording Engineer: Ray Hall
RCA Victor LPM-2400
1961

From the back cover: When Ray joined RCA in March 1961, he brought his hit habit with him, scoring with his first single issued under his own star billing – the haunting, provocative title theme from the controversial (just try to get a ticket) Italian film "La Doice Vita."

"So," you might ask, "how come Ray isn't rich?" Well, frankly, he is.

This album is a bit of a switch for Ray. This time he has selected 20 of the current top hits, most of which originated with other artists and arrangers, and has reinterpreted them. In doing so, he has retained the hit-making essence of the original, but he has added to this a rich measure of typical Ellisian elegance. Too many of our today's favorites fade quickly. Dr. Ellis' treatment guarantees their longer life expectancy. It's the nicest thing that could happen to today's (or any day's) Top 20!

From Billboard - September 25, 1961: Arranger-conductor Ray Ellis has managed to capture much of the original hit flavor of such tunes as "Michael," "Little Sister," "Hurt," "The Mountain's High," and 16 other recent hits of other artists. At the same time, the arrangements which occasionally use vocals but are mostly instrumental, quality as fine mood and background wax for both stations and living rooms. Tasteful cover lends more sales appeal.

Michael
You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You Lose It)
As If I Didn't Know
School Is Out
Pretty Little Angel
Little Sister
Let The Four Winds Blow
One Summer Night
I Just Don't Understand
Last Night
Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor (On The Bedpost Overnight)
Who Put The Bomb (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)
Wooden Heart
Crying
Take Good Care Of My Baby
Without You
Hurt
The Mountain's High
Don't Bet Money, Honey
Amor

South Pacific Highlights - Gerhard Becker

Bali Ha'i

Rodgers And Hammerstein
South Pacific Highlights
Johann Strauss 1001 Nights
Gerhard Becker And His Orchestra
Vocalists: Jean Campbell & Bob Dale
The Walter Saul Singers
Ivor Slaney and His Orchestra
Masterseal Hi-Fi
MS 53
1957

Overture
Some Enchanted Evening
Bloody Mary
Bali Ha'i
I'm In Love With A Wonderful Guy
Younger Than Springtime
I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair

Canastos Vol. 3 - Olga Chorens y Tony Alvarze

Amenonos

Canastos Vol. 3
Olga Chorens y Tony Alvarez
Direcccion de Enrique Almanza

Si Te Pica El Alacran - Guaracha - Charles Berry
Un Pedacito De Satin - Cancion - Ferrani-Clante-Lambertucci
Soy Para - Vals - Loturco Daidone-E de Nicolas
Recuerdos De Ipacarai - Canción Paraguaya - Z. Mirkin-D. Ortiz
Suenos De Amor - Tangc Vals - Rosenberg-Comilla-Bietti
Amenonos - Bolero - Montgburn-Ocampo
Los Monos - Garacha - Moises Vivanco
Llama Corazon Y Vida - Vals Peruano - Adrian Flores
Sonriete Nina - Canción - Maria Antonia Farinas
Canastos - Canción Bailo - Lecorde-Locatelli-Palasco
Que Va Usted A Hacerle - Canción - C. Luke
Vieja America - Concion - Lutazzi-Ver. Esp. T. Alvarez

Goldfinger - Jack La Forge

The Midas Touch

Goldfinger
And Other Great Movie Themes
Jack La Forge
Regina Records RS 319
1965

From the back cover: Jack's sincere admiration for the jazz goodness of John Coltrane is evidenced in his own composition, The Midas Touch. This composition is most appropriate here as Jack pays tribute to the avante grade jazziest with some definitive statements of his own. Dimitri Tiomkin's soulful Town Without Pity, Elmer Bernstein's The Magnificent Seven, and another La Forge original A Round Of Love, are surveyed by Jack, also in the jazz vein, but with a straight-forward attention to the melodic line.

You've probably been hearing for years that rock n' roll is on its way out – don't you believe it. Messrs, Lennon and McCartney of the famed Beatles have breathed new life into the rock sound – just listen to Jack's very modern treatment of A Hard Day's Night. Another pair from the pen of Jack La Forge, I'm Glad You're Gone, and Someone To Run To, givers further proof to the longevity of the rock flavor.

In this seventh album, it is proven that the challenge of artistic growth and maturity is no barricade to Jack La Forge – neither are the other activities that make Jack one of the busiest guys alive.

That sleek car on the cover is the original Aston-Martin used by James Bond in the Goldfinger adventure. It's a mighty machine that does everything perfectly. There is an analogy to be made here, and you'll know what I mean when you play this new album by Jack La Forge, one of the top pianists on the scene today. – Bob Ettinger

From Billboard - February 6, 1965: A dynamic new entertainer is making his presence felt in the world of records, radio, TV and night clubs. Pianist Jack La Forge, well known primarily in the more sophisticated music circles, is now on the way to recognition by the nation's air personalities ba his chart climbing recordings of "Goldfinger" on the Regina Label.

La Forge, president of Regina Records, announced this week that arrangements have been completed to syndicate a weekly children's music show for TV.

Current plans call for distribution to begin this month.

Entitled "Moppet Music," the program will emphasize classics and will be a showcase for young musical talent, ages 7 to 14. Jack, who conceived the idea, will produce, direct and emcee the show.

A central theme will be used throughout each 30-minute stanza, for example, "The 18th Century Clarinet" or "Bach and the Piano." Plans are also underway, according to Mort Hillman, vice-president-general manager of Regina, to produce a series of albums culled from the audio of the programs.

An Individualist

The key to the La Forge-Regina approach to music-making is in their current single waxing of "Goldfinger" (his latest LP is entitled "Goldfinger and Other Movie Themes"). While all of the other disks of the hot movie theme (with the exception of the Shirley Bassey soundtrack vocal) are Peter Gunn type arrangements, Jack's recording is a lush, romantic instrumental.

Since its inception a few years back, Regina has dared to be different by concentrating almost exclusively on "class" material at a time when the easiest road to fame and fortune is usually via the hard rock releases turned out with increasing intensity. Regina, under La Forge's tutelage, has also developed its efforts toward album product, releasing outstanding packages by jazz pianist Charlie Mariano, Sylvia DeSayles, Roger Kellaway and the boss, himself.

A perfectionist, Jack supervises all areas of his company's records, from selecting the repertoire to employing top-notch photographers for their distinctive album covers.

"There must be integrity in business," said La Forge. "People must get the best for their money when they buy a Regina Record, that's why we take so seriously the package the LP is presented in and how it is pressed.

Jack is no stranger to the business world. A graduate of Chicago's School of Law, he became controller of a firm that manufactured stamped goods such as pillow cases, sheets, tablecloths and napkins for purposes of embroidery.

When the company closed – "TV started to boom," says Jack, "and people couldn't watch the tube and embroider at the same time." He became controller of one of the world's largest artificial plastic flower concerns supervising more than 3,000 employees around the world. Because of his dealing with various financial policy affairs, he decided to get a degree in accounting as well.

As the flower business was blooming, Jack made his first recording under the aegis of Mrs. Peter De Rose, wife of the "Deep Purple" composer. Intrigued by the record business, and with the encouragement of Mrs. De Rose, he decided to form his own record company.

An accomplished pianist, Jack readily admits the label was a showcase for his own talents. However, as his knowledge increased of the record business Regina began to grow. His music enterprises now include two publishing companies and a record club.

Recently he signed a deal with EMI to distribute his label on a world-wide basis and packed an agreement with Murray Deutsh, vice-president and general manager of United Artist Music Co., to act as selling agent for his La Forge Publishing Co. (BMI) and Kingsland Music (ASCAP) firms.

With a TV show in the works, an expanding record company, and a plastic flower empire, all vying for his time, Jack is currently studying guitar, voice and acting.

Goldfinger
Town Without Pity
Never On A Sunday
Love For Sale
The Seventh Dawn
Iris
Zelda's Theme
The Midas Touch
The Magnificent Seven
Innocent And Starry Eyed
I'm Glad You're Gone
A Hard Day's Night
A Round Of Love
Someone To Run To

Squirt Does Its Thing

By The Time I Get To Phoenix

Squirt Does It Thing
Semi-Soft Music In Tijuana Style
Produced by George Garabedian
Product of Mark 56 Records
The Squirt Company
1970

A Taste Of Honey
Honey
Lonely Bull
Tijuana Taxi
Spanish Flea
Tequila And Squirt
By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Mame
Whipped Cream
Born Free

Latin Dances And Rhythms - Manuel Rivera

Latin Dances And Rhythms
Manuel Rivera & His Orchestra
Photography: Three Lions, Inc.
Crown Records CST 261

Available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the original cover art.

Peanut Vendor
Cielito Lindo
Dark Eyes
Careless Love
Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland
Down By The Old Mill Stream
Cuddle Up A Little Closer
Toreador Song
You Tell Me Your Dream

A Big New Band From Britain - Dave Lee

Piece Of Cake

A Big New Band From Britain
Dave Lee
His Piano and His Orchestra
Produced by Sonny Lester
Album Design by Maurer Studio
Top Rank International RM 336
1960

From the back cover: Dave Lee is a British pianist who has already been heard to vigorous effect in Top Rank's album of the Johnny Dankworth band, recorded at the 1959 Newport Festival, Bundle From Britain (RM 314). Lee has since left Dankworth; and among other recent activities he has written the score for New Cranks, an incisively witty review by John Cranko who was responsible for the original and marvelously mordant Cranks that helped to thoroughly establish Annie Ross' reputation among the New York Opinion-makers in the days before Lambert-Hendricks-Ross.

The concept of this album, recorded in London, was that of an enlightened dance band that could provided uniquely stimulating music for the ballroom floor and also keep listeners-only involved.

Lee is the principal soloist, and as is evident from the opening Lover Come Back To Me onward, he plays with considerable drive and a strong feeling for the blues. His favorites include Bud Powell, Art Tatum and Horace Silver, among others. His sidemen consist of a crack assemblage of British players, including several representatives of the then Johnny Dankworth band and also some form the Ted Heath Guards. Trumpet solos in the album are by Welshman Bert Courtley, currently playing jazz with Ronnie Scott in a combo, and tenor saxophonist Tubby Scott, an enfant formidable of the "hard school" of British jazz.

Dave Lee his piano and orchestra like functional, clear-lined scores of Manny Albam. Amblingly relaxed is Georgia On My Mind, while Chloe reflects the urgency of the search for the enigmatic protagonist of the song.

Piece Of Cake is a British expression for something easy to do, as this arrangement purportedly was. Note the trenchant contributions of Courtley and the robust Tubby Hayes as well as Dave Lee's own straightaway digging for roots.

You You You is a crisply accented reanimation of the standard. London Derriere is a highly personal tale of a traveler's woe, a graphic program piece cued by the profusion of low baritone saxophone and trombone plaints. Blue Denham is not an ode to the weaving industry o Britain but rather a salute to a pleasant residential outside of London with Dave Lee forcefully showing the way.

I Cover The Waterfront is a change of mood and geography with Lee indicating he can be tender as well as aggressively assertive. Note the Eastern (U.S.A.) shakes the arranger has introduced into the trumpet section here and elsewhere. Cheek To Cheek is treated with unpretentious directness and is followed by one of the few jazz-like arrangements of Charles Trenet's usually rhapsodic Beyond The Sea.

The British jazz and popular music scene has changed remarkably since the Original Dixieland Jazz Band arrived in London in 1919. By the 1960s, there is at least one imaginative jazz big band (Johnny Dankworth) and one brilliantly disciplined dance band (Ted Heath). Several striking soloists have been developed, among them West Indian Dizzy Reece (now in America), altoist Joe Harriott, vibist Vic Feldman (now in America permanently), Tubby Hayes, and baritone saxophonist Ronnie Ross, among others. Add to this roster pianist Dave Lee as well as the increasing capacity of British sidemen to grasp the big band idiom and to play with a thrust and verve that indicate how strongly the jazz influence has reached into British popular music practices.

This album, as noted, is for dancing as well as listening; and it also serves to introduce in a framework tailored to him an invigorating British pianist – Dave Lee. – Nat Hentoff

From Billboard - October 17, 1960: British pianist Dave Lee leads this tight, propulsive big band, which can be closely identified with the Basie idiom, thru a series of 11 masterfully played tracks. Most of the cuts are at a very danceable tempo and are culled from the storehouse of American standards. "Georgia On My Mind," "Chloe," "Bye, Bye Blackbird" and "Cheek To Cheek" are just a few.

Love Come Back To Me
Bye Bye Blackbird
Georgia On My Mind
Chloe
Piece Of Cake
You, You, You
London Derriere
Blue Denham
I Cover The Waterfront
Cheek To Cheek
Beyond The Sea

Cafe Rendezvous - Bill Snyder

Black Orchid

Cafe Rendezvous
With Bill Snyder
Featuring the Compositions and Arrangements of Bill Snyder
Decca Records DL 8367

From the back cover: Bill Snyder has a widespread reputation as top-ranking pianist His very first recording, "Bewitched," which made the number one spot on the hit parade, catapulted him into national fame. Subsequent recordings solidified his position as a prominent artist. His playing is distinguished by a style that is both smooth and sparkling, and always original. A critic on the Detroit Free Press described Bill Snyder's playing as having "a transparent quality... as dazzling as a set of fine crystal ware."

This album presents Bill Snyder not only as a performing artist but as a composer. Here, for the first time, is revealed a series of piano solos which are distinguished by their range and delicacy. They are rich in melodic content; they vary in mood from the nostalgic to the sophisticated, from the tender to the piquant, from the estate to the humorous. These compositions do not fall into the usual stereotyped categories of "classical," "jazz," or "popular" ; instead, they combine elements of each of these with an accomplishment that is altogether its own.

In his quest for unusual "new sounds," Bill Snyder has arranged his compositions for a quintet consisting of harp, guitar, bass and percussion, with the piano talking the lead throughout. The accompanying ensemble accentuates the rhythmic patterns, enhances the tonal nuances, and serves to highlight the solo instrument. Here, as fitting sequel to his Decca album "The Lover's Touch" (DL 8237), is "listening music" for any rendezvous, clear, colorful, and completely captivating.

Cafe Conversations
When I'm With You
Sheer Magic
Raggedy Ruthie
Iris
Fountain In Central Park
Black Orchid
This Is Me Loving You
Ridin' The Offbeat
The Window Shoppers
Ginger
Choppin' Up Chopin

Songs For Latin Lovers - The Ray Charles Singers

No More Blues

Songs For Latin Lovers
The Ray Charles Singers
Originated and Produced by Enoch Light
Art Director: Charles E. Murphy
Command Records RS 886 SD
1965 Grand Awards Record Co., Inc.

Song Of The Jet
My Love, Forgive Me (Amore, Scusami)
Maria Elena
No More Blues (Chega De Saudade)
To You
Adios
Desafinado (Slightly Out Of Tune)
You're Mine (I Ricordi Della Sera)
Amo, Amas, Amamos
Carnival (Manha De Carnaval)
My Guitar And My Song
Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You)

I Had The Craziest Dream - Manny Albam

I Had The Craziest Dream

I Had The Craziest Dream

Manny Albam and His Orchestra
Stereo Action
The Sound Your Eyes Can Follow
Recorded in Webster Hall, New York City
Recording Engineer: Bob Simpson
Mastering: Dick Gardner
RCA Victor LSA-2508
1962

From the back side of the disc sleeve: About Manny Albam - "His writing is a firm mixture of good taste and deceptive simplicity..." noted Down Beat in describing the music of Manny Albam. At 39, Albam is one of the select few of popular music: the most-sought-after arrangers. His writing ranges from serious composition to jazz pieces to arrangements of popular composition to jazz pieces to arrangements of popular songs. He was a professional musician at the age of 19 and played baritone sax in the orchestra of Bob Chester and Georgie Auld before serving in the U.S. Army from 1945-1946. He has played with the orchestras of Charlie Barnet, Boyd Raeburn and Sam Donahue, among others. He has arranged for nearly every dance and jazz band. Among his recorded works is one of the most successful jazz albums ever issued, The Drum Suite (RCA Victor LPM-1279). His bubbling sense of humor comes to light in nearly everything he writes, as his arrangements on I Had The Craziest Dream will demonstrate. – Dom Cerulli

Dream
I Can Dream, Can't I
Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)
Street Of Dreams
Darn That Dream
Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
I Had The Craziest Dream
Out Of My Dreams
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
This Time The Dream's On Me
A Kiss To Build A Dream On

In The Evening By The Moonlight - Johnny Long

Just Friends

In The Evening By The Moonlight
Johnny Long and His Orchestra
King Records - Cincinnati, Ohio
395-521

From the back cover: A pioneer in band ensemble singing, Johnny Long and his Orchestra have been top favorites on every college campus for years. This collection of records represents a happy group of songs played and sung by this excellent group of musicians. For the most part, these songs are the most requested numbers when Johnny plays a college date. Besides the entire glee club, also featured are the Long Shots, Janet Brace and Jimmy Sedlar and The Beachcombers.

Johnny Long was born in Newell, North Carolina (which he describes as a "wide spot in the road near Charlotte") on September 12, 1914. His parents are farm folk.

Johnny, only "south-paw violinist" on record, went to grammar school in Newell and graduated from Central High School (Charlotte) in 1931. At five he started studying violin and at six, the famous "pig incident" occurred. It seems that an over-hungry pig bit young Johnny on the left hand, severing the tendons of several fingers. His teacher, Mrs. Nan Gordon was afraid his hand would be some time healing and might never be the same, so she re-strung his violin. Now he bows with the left hand and fingers with the right, the reverse of what every other violinist in the world does. Now he's quite proficient as a "backward" violinist.

At the age of ten, Johnny did concert work and continued until he was 16. At 17, he entered Duke where he majored in English. In 1931, 11 freshmen organized themselves into a cooperative band and played in the dining halls for their meals. They alternated between the men's and women's halls with another band.

Summer the band played a resort at White Lake (N.C.) and the guests were surprised that the second year they were "The Duke Sophomores," then "The Duke Juniors" and finally the "The Duke Collegians," although their personnel remained the same. After their graduation in June, 1935, the band started off professionally. Hal Kemp and his manager arranged for them to book through their agency. The going was tough, but Johnny climbed steadily to the top, and by now has played every important theater, night club and college prom. A Sigma Nu, he is constantly in demand to play the various functions of one hundred chapters.

During the war, Johnny entertained at as many camps, air bases and hospitals as his busy hours would permit. Highlight, he says, was when he played the President's Birthday Ball in Washington in 1941. That he'll never forget. Nor will he forget his fans, who have been loyal and constantly helpful. "Love 'em," he says with a smile. And they love him. They've helped make his records nearly all best-sellers.

We'll Build A Bungalow
Calico Ball
In The Evening By The Moonlight
The Bee-I-Ee-I-Ee
Keep Your Skirts Down Mary Ann
Just Friends
Silver Dollar
Anytime Is Sweetheart Time
Dixie
Hello
Nobody's Sweet Heart
Just Like That

My Fair Lady Goes Latin - Tito Puente

On The Street Where You Live

My Fair Lady Goes Latin
Tito Puente and His Orchestra
Produced by Teddy Reig
Design by Moscow - Morrison, Inc.
Roulette R 25276
1964

Get Me To The Church On Time (Rumba)
The Rain In Spain (Bolero - Moruno)
Show Me (Joropo)
I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face (Bolero)
Wouldn't It Be Lovely (Cha-Cha-Cha)
You Did It (Rumba)
On The Street Where You Love (Bossa Nova)
Ascot Gavotte (Danzon-Guajira)
With A Little Bit Of Luck (Merengue)
I Could Have Dance All Night (Guaguanco)
Embassy Waltz (Joropo)
I'm An Ordinary Man (Cha-Cha-Pachango)

The New Johnny Smith Quartet

Montage

The New Johnny Smith Quartet
Roost Records
ROOST LP 2216
1957

From the back cover: There was a time – and not so very long ago at that – when the guitar was thought of as little more than just another member of the rhythm section. Occasionally it was expected to speak for itself, but for the most part it was assumed that it would say pleasantly in the background. Exception to the rule was made, of course, for such a guitarist as Charlie Christian or Albert Casey. The rule was clear enough, however: the guitarist was a character actor, whose supporting role was to keep the beat going with a hum, sweet hum.

How things, and strings have changed! The position of the guitarist in jazz is almost precisely the opposite of what it used to be. Far from being a background noise – an amplifier with a head and a heart – the guitar has moved bodily out of the rhythm section. It has asserted its human rights. Now it occupies the soloist's chair almost all the time. And one of the reasons it does so is the work of the musician whose several excellences concern us here and how, John Henry Smith, Jr., better known as Johnny.

Johnny has consistently made commendable the sound of the guitar, solo or in combination with just a handful of other instruments. From the memorable Moonlight In Vermont of 1952 through his distinguished small band collections of recent years, he has been demonstrating with abiding elegance the great variety of which the guitar is capable, the variety of beats, the variety of genres, the variety of textures. Up tempo, middle, and down, very slow, almost funereal, he has plucked away at his instrument. He has outlined with moving simplicity the attractive tunes of such a composer of taste and skill as Jimmy Van Heusen. He has contrived fetching countermelodies to go with the blues and swinging pieces with longer lines. And throughout, no matter what the tune or tempo or mood, he has played with technical precision and splendor of tone, one of the few men who can produce on the electronic version of the guitar some of the sumptuousness of sound we normally associate with such a master of the unamplified instrument as that Andres Segovia whom Johnny so much admires.

In this latest of Mr. Smith's adventures, he goes to vibes and a suitable assortment of figures and beats to take advantage of the association. The mallets are in the hands of Johnny Rae, that youngster who mad his auspicious debut with the George Shearing Quintet in early 1955 and has been showing well ever since, showing well as a swinging vibist capable of a line of his own, but most of all and best of all as a man with a beat. The variety is drawn from a samba with hill-billy overtones, an early American folk tune, a couple of ballads at contrasting tempos, a handful of swinging pieces, and two excursions into the realm of bop (at least for subject matter).

Surely there are few musicians around today – surely there have never been very many – who could manage the delicate balance of tastes which moves the first side of this record from the artfully constructed ballad mood, the tender chording of It Never Entered My Mind, through the Samba that gets to Brazil only after an unmistakable Arkansas aside, the lovely solo formulations (altogether without accompaniment) of the stately folk-song Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair, the Christian-like single-stringing of the uppish Pawn Ticket, to the similarly zestful 'S Wonderful, even upper.

Overleaf, Johnny helps Johnny happily to hit and settle into a groove, middle-tempo and motto ingratiating in the opening You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To, and the ensuing Blue Light, the adjective of which denotes the form and the mood.

A shimmering vibration of vibraphone and guitar puts out the Light and leads into the appropriately named Montage, a serious set of reflections on handsome melodic material of classical proportions, the kind of thing some of John's old friends from his symphony days might very well blow up into a tone poem or a large-scale set of theme and variations, instead of which the two Johns just blow.

Conclusion to the festivities is wrought by that blues of foppish association, Milt Jackson's always infectious groove, Bags Groove, and the solemn cadences of Monk's Round About Midnight, intoned with a kind of swinging solemnity by the guitarist, the vibist and their rhythm-playing collaborators, bassist George Roumanis (who steps out in several short solos of distinction in the faster jazz) and drummer John Lee (capable not only of a solo break or two but also of a good, firm, steady beat throughout). – Barry Ulanov

From Billboard - April 27, 1957: There is a deftness, almost a slickness, in this offering by guitarist Smith and his new group. Deviating more than usual from a basically ballad format, Johnny's program in this set runs from his meet-the-ballad to folk material to outright jazz blowing. The heavy emphasis is with the blowing. The variety of the program plus the close-knit rapport among the musicians and another fine packaging job by Roost should help sell this one. Jocks can select an extremely well-paced segment from the material available here.

It Never Entered My Mind
Samba
Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair
Pawn Ticket
S' Wonderful
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
Blue Lights
Montage
Bag's Groove
Roun D About Midnight

Sentimental Sy - Sy Oliver

Yes Indeed

Sentimental Sy
Sy Oliver and His Orchestra
Dot DLP 3132
1958

From the back cover: Like almost everybody else, Sy Oliver has his sentimental moments. But Sy's sentimental moments have a special significance that the others usually lack – special, at least, for anyone who remembers the early Forties or thereabouts.

For Sy Oliver was, in many ways, the musical voice of that era. His arrangements gave to the far-famed Tommy Dorsey orchestra, and, earlier, to the great Jimmy Lunceford band, the distinctive sounds that so entranced their listeners everywhere.

Thus, in his sentimental moments, Sy recalls the happy crowds that danced to his music at the Meadowbrook on the Newark-Pompton Turnpike, at the Sherman Hotel in Chicago, at the Casino Gardens on the pier at Ocean Park. Those were the days when Swing was king, the Dorsey band was in its glory, and Sy was turning out arrangement after arrangement destined to become a big band "classic."

In this album, with great delight, Sy presents some of those arrangements once again. Three of the songs are his own compositions – Opus One, Well Git It and Yes Indeed. Sy sings the last of these, as he does East Of The Sun, Blue Skies and On The Sunny Side Of The Street. In the Dorsey days they were sung by another vocalist, one Frank Sinatra, but that doesn't intimidate Sy. In his own subtly swinging way he does an equally convincing job.

Sy Oliver has been making popular music history for about thirty years now (he began a notable trumpet career while still a teen-ager). During this time he managed to do regularly what few arrangers have done at all – to create an arrangement of a song that is so "right" that it in effect becomes the song, and all other versions seem somewhat wrong.

Ranked with Duke Ellington and Benny Carter as one of the arranging giants of jazz, Sy never let himself be trapped by preconceived notions of how a tune should be played. He may shift a normally slow number into high, or slow a normally uptempo tune to a walk; his arrangements may venture into complicated counterpoint or relax in single-finger simplicity. He plays constantly with new sounds and new instrumental relationships; there is always in his work a fresh, dynamic approach to the basic qualities of the music.

On The Sunny Side Of The Street
Then I'll Be Happy
Star Dust
Without A Song
Yes Indeed
Opus One
Well Git It
Chicago
East Of The Sun
Blue Skies
For You
Swanee River

La Pachanga - Rene Touzet

Son Montuno Son

La Pachanga
Rene Touzet
Gene Norman Presents
GNP 57
1961

From the back cover: First the bolero, then the Rhumba, Guaracha, Mambo, Guaguanco, Chachacha, Son Montuno and now LA PACHANGA. Cuba is a fertile land not only agriculturally, but musically. From her bosom have sprung many of the exciting rhythms the whole world dances and dreams to.

For many years the small conjuntos and charangueros of Oriente, the easternmost province of Cuba, played a kind of music which was different from the music which was played in the rest of the Island. But it was only about a year ago that Eduardo Davidson, a noted TV writer gave form to those rhythms by writing a tune and calling it "La Pachanga." The tune in itself caught fire, and the new sound with its pulsating rhythm and exciting strains captivated the fancies of all who love to dance in Cuba. It soon spread to the South American countries, Mexico, and lately, to the U.S., via Miami and N.Y. Despite the short time that it has been exposed, The Pachanga has become a steady part of the "dancing vocabulary" of Latin dance addicts everywhere.

As a technical detail we might add that the Pachanga has a definite two-beat feeling and the dance is simple and flexible enough to be assimilated and enjoyed by everyone.

From Billboard - May 1, 1961: Another in the ever-growing line of pachanga-charanga LP's – this one features the Rene Touzet ork in a very danceable set. There are many vocals with solo singer and vocal chorus.

La Pachanga - Eduardo Davidson
Calculadora - Rosendo Russell
Son Montuno Son - Rene Touzet
Incertidumbre - Gonzalo Curiel
Dime Que Si - Rene Touzet
El Panchanguero - Eduardo Davidson
Pachangueando - Rene Touzet
Levantate - Jose D. Quinones
Mango Mangue - Fellove
Total - Ricardo Perdomo
Pa' Chimsos Tu - Rene Touzet
Piano Pachanga - Rene Touzet

Red Hot Harp - Robert Maxwell

Second Avenue Scene

Red Hot Harp
Robert Maxwell
His Harp And Orchestra
Cover Photographs by Robert Randall
MGM Records E3676
1958

From the back cover: The extensive listing of theaters, night clubs, hotels and television shows which have hosted harpist Robert Maxwell gives more than a hint of his popularity with the American Public. Yet, to all intents and purposes, this enormous success of a harpist defies the usual convention. After a few moments o listening to this youthful entertainer performing on his chosen instrument, all doubt to the reason for his popular following will disappear. First and foremost, Robert Maxwell is a musically showman; the harp is merely his channel to entertaining an audience. Bob turns his harp into true theatrical property. Specially fitted with a system of colored lights which he operates with his feet to dramatic effect, the harp takes on a brilliant new role in the Maxwell hands. His repertoire is enormous, including classical selections, show tunes, current novelties and "pop numbers". He can produce mood music or he can, as in this album, "swing". His ability to use his instrument for comic effect as well as straight performance has endeared him to thousands of his fans. Bob's study of the harp has been both comprehensive and unique. While a student in a New York grammar school, he entered a competition with fellow students in a musical aptitude test. He won and was awarded a scholarship to Juilliard School of Music. A choice of instruments was offered to him, but he was so smitten at the sight of a harp that he chose it. His eventual engagement in orchestras in the New York area led to his becoming a member of the National Symphony Orchestra. He was seventeen at the time and the youngest member of that stellar group. Solo recitals in New York and Los Angeles and engagements with such great symphonic conductors as Arturo Toscanini and Serge Koussevitsky followed. But, it was not until Bob became a member of the Coast Guard during the war that he got the chance to show his individuality on the harp. His C.O. was Rudy Vallee, who might be said to have given Bob his first real break. Valley arranged for him to tour the United States and the South Pacific as a soloist entertaining servicemen. This gave the experience and the composure to go on to becoming a solo star in later civilian life. He began modestly in radio, passing quite quickly from there to his present position of fame and demand. He has appeared in motion pictures, on the biggest TV show, and the success of his recording career has been phenomenal. He is the father of two girls, both of who he hopes will become harpists.

Bing Bang Boomerang
Johnson Rag
Runnin' Wild
Just Foolin' Around
Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing)
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Second Avenue Scene
Tarantula
Lullaby In Rhythm
One O'Clock Jump
Good Night, Sweetheart

Francis Bay's Latin Beat

Caravan

Francis Bay's Latin Beat
Philips Records PHM 200-001
Through a licensing agreement, this recording is made available through Philips Phonographische Industries of The Netherlands
1962

From the back cover: "You must never conduct again,: Francis Bay's doctor told him. For a time it was ...well, a possibility, but then the Belgian radio invited him to form a band. How could such a chance – and such a challenge – be refused by a man who had lived for music since the age of seven?

For that is how old Francis Bay was when he started playing the clarinet in local orchestras; at fourteen he was busily getting down to composition; at fifteen he was fast becoming a keen jazz addict; and at sixteen he won the first prize in clarinet at the Conservatoire of Malines.

From then on he increased his technical accomplishments by learning to play the other reeds. This, together with valuable experience in the ensembles of Paul Godwin and Boyd Bachman, was how he attained the complete practical mastery that has made him such an authoritative orchestra leader. Apart from all this, he has also played in other orchestra of many nationalities (Swiss, Dutch, Swedish, German and Belgian), arranged and composed film music, and taken an interest in "trick" recordings and in jazz of the more advanced kind.

The foundations of his music-making are thus as firmly built as could be, but he has never let himself get bogged down. The story of his career, in fact, bristles with meteoric successes. Francis Bay's orchestra, the result of that irresistible Belgian invitation, had existed only 175 days when it won the Golden Gondola at the International Song Festival in Venice. Within a few years it has been hailed as Belgium's Big Band No. 1, and even, in one of the most important American magazines, as Europe's second-best orchestra. And Francis Bay is not the man to rest on his laurels as a result of such appreciation; on the contrary, it only spurs him on to greater efforts, and so his band continues to go from strength to strength. A really solid basis of musical knowledge and practical experience, a talent for choosing the right men for the job (for Bay's orchestra includes some first-rate soloists) and for leading them in the right way, without needing years of adjustment to weld his diverse material into a thoroughly unified team – Francis Bay is indeed an ideal combination of fast mover and mover in the right direction. On this record the direction is south-eastern. Many moods and many styles are within the command of the Francis Bay Orchestra, but swingy view can be played with as much gusto by a Continental band as by any of its transatlantic counterparts.

You don't believe us? The proof is – literally! – in your own hands.

Mambo Jambo
Un Poquito De Tu Amor
Malaguena
Begin The Beguine
The Peanut Vendor
Copacabana
Caravan
Mama Inez
Maria La O (Maria My Own)
Perfidia
Acercate Mas
Para Vigo Me Voy (Say Si Si)

The 20's Roar - The Chicago High Lights

The Sheik Of Araby

An Adventure In Sound
The 20's Roar
The Chicago High Lights
Promenade Records 2120
Mfg. by Synthetic Plastics Co., Newark, N. J.

Bedelia
Goody, Goody
Varsity Drag
The Sheik Of Araby
Give My Regards To Broadway
Ma He's Making Eyes At Me
Rings On Her Fingers
The Bowery
Dixie
Ballin' The Jack
Deep River
East Side West Side

Man With The Horns - Boyd Raeburn

Man With The Horns
Boyd Raeburn And His Orchestra
Volume No. 1
Remastered: Rudy Van Gelder
Notes by H. Alan Stein
Savoy Record Co.
MG-12025
1955

Love Tales - Arr. George Handy
Soft And Warm - Arr. George Handy
Man With A Horn - Arr. Johnny Richards
Hip Boyds - Arr. Ralph Flanagan
Prelude To The Dawn - Arr. Johnny Richards
Duck Waddle - Arr. Ed Finckel

Dale Pierce, Ray Linn, Frank Beach, Bob Fowler - Trumpets.
Burt Johnson, Tommy Pearson, Ollie Wilson - Trombones
Wilbur Schwartz - Alto Sax
Ethmer Roden - Alto Sax and Flute.
Ralph Lee - Tenor Sax and Bassoon.
Gus McReynolds - Tenor Sax
Bill Starkey - English Horn and Bass Sax
Hy Mandel - Baritone Sax
Hal Schaefer - Piano
Tony Rizzi - Guitar
Harry Babison - Bass
Mack Albright - Drums
Ginnie Powell - Vocal

Forgetful - Arr. George Handy
Rip Van Winkle - Arr. George Handy
Tonsilectomy - Arr. George Handy
Yerxa - Arr. George Handy

Dale Pierce, Tommy Allison, Johnny Napton Alan Jefferys - Trumpets
Ollie Willson, Jack Carmen, Sy Zentner - Trombones
Hal McKusick, Lenny Green - Alto Saxes
Frank Socolow, Stuart Anderson - Tenor Saxes
Gus McReynolds - Baritone Sax
Boyd Raeburn - Bass Sax
George Handy - Piano and Arrangements
Hayden Causey - Guitar
Ed Mihelich - Bass
Jackie Mills - Drums
Ginnie Powell, David Allyn - Vocals

Little Boyd Blue - Arr. Ed Finckel
Blues Echoes - Arr. George Handy

Frank Beach, Dale Pierce, Ray Linn, Nelson Shelladay - Trumpets
Ollie Wilson, Fred Zico, Hal Smith - Trombones
Harry Klee - Alto Sax and Flute
Wilbur Schwartz - Alto Sax and Clarinet
Ralph Lee - Tenor Sax and Bassoon
Gus McReynolds - Tenor Sax
Hy Mandel - Bariton Sax
Boyd Rarburn - Bass Sax and Tenor Sax
Julie Jacobs - Oboe, English Horn and Tenor Sax
Gale Laughton - Harp
Hal Schaefer - Piano
Tony Rizzi - Guitar
Lloyd Otto, Evan Vail - French Horns
Jackie Mills - Drums
Harry Babison - Bass
David Allyn - Vocal

Available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the cover art and biographical jacket notes excerpts.

From the back cover: Boyd Raeburn, the man, comes from a ranch in South Dakota. His first studies were piano and clarinet, and this stayed with him during his years as a student at the University of Chicago. There, besides playing baseball, studying, and leading a dance band, he entered a contest for bands at the Hotel Sherman, won, and was given a year's contract to play at the World's Fair. This started his professional musical career. Many remember his many broadcasts on the Coca Cola "Spotlight Bands" program, his series on the "Jubilee" show along with the Dizzy Gillespie-Charlie Parker combo for the Armed Forces Radio, as well as his late night air-checks form the Hotel Edison in N.Y., the Band Box in Chicago, the Orient Theater, and many other top spots across the country. When the war ended, Raeburn also introduced Jazz concerts into his many appearances on the road.

Once glance at the impressive list of sidemen who played with one or more editions of the Raeburn band will convince that this was indeed a high calibre organization, in solo work as well as in the performance of the new, and exciting arrangements. Not enough can be said here for the contribution made by George Handy, the man whose arranging skill set the pace for the entire organization. The majority of the selections in this album give proof of this statement.

Man With A Horn
Hip Boyds
Prelude To The Dawn
Duck Waddle
Forgetful
Rip Van Winkle
Tonsilectomy
Yerxa
Little Boyd Blue
Blue Echoes
Love Tales
Soft And Warm

It's About Time - Joe Morello

It's About Time (LSP-2486)

It's About Time
Joe Morello With His Sextet and Orchestra
For The First Time On His Own –
The Drummer Other Drummers Listen To
(And The Jazz Poll Voters Vote For)
Arrangements by Phil Woods and Manny Albas
Featuring Phil Woods, Alto Sax and Bary Burton, Vibraphone
Produced by George Avakian
Recorded in Webster Hall and RCA Victor's Studio A, New York City
Recording Engineer: Ernie Oelrich
RCA Victor LSP-2486 & LPM-2486
1962

From the back cover: About Joe Morello by Marian McPartland

Joe Morello is a drummer's drummer. As Long as I have known him, which is close to ten years (when he first came to New York and sat in with me at the Hickory House in 1952), he has always been surrounded by drummers who came from all over to listen to him play, to talk to him, to work out or to study his amazing technique at close range. Joe joined my trio in 1953, and it was always interesting to me to see how much time he devoted to the study of the drums, even to practicing every spare minute between sets. He was absolutely fanatical about this, and at times there seemed to be a kind of controlled fury in his playing – sort of a fierceness which belies the appearance of this quiet, soft-spoken guy. Only when he plays does he reveal some of the inner conflict and frustrations that have shaped and directed him in his restless drive for perfection.

Joe was a child prodigy on the violin and can play piano quite well. He is a sentimental person who thinks deeply, who loves to daydream and to philosophize while listening to music – every kind of music. His musical tastes run all the way from Casals to Sinatra to Red River Valley. He is a complex person; on one hand, gentle, quiet and imaginative; then, in the next instant, a complete extrovert, doing impressions of his friends and laughing like a schoolboy; then again he becomes remote, moody, shut off from everybody in his own self-contained little world.

In the past few years Joe has traveled all over the world with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. He is now a seasoned performer, and shows the results and benefits of working with Dave. He has made a great reputation, and this is revealed in a different approach to his solos. His musical ideas run along new lines; he uses his fantastic technique to better effect than ever, and he seems to have broadened his scope, not only in his playing but in various little intangible ways – in his increased confidence in a certain gregariousness he never used to have. Yet, he is humble and at time almost disbelieving of his success. He has unquestionably made a great contribution to the Brubeck group, and I am sure that Dave would be among the first to agree that the success of tunes like Take Five, the Paul Desmond composition which put the Quartet on the nation's best-selling charts, is in some measure due to Joe's unique conception of unusual time signatures and his ability to play them interestingly.

The time is right for Joe, now one of the most illustrious sidemen in jazz, to record for the first time as a leader (although, of course, in public he is still the drummer of the Brubeck Quartet). For Joe, this has a very special meaning. It is not just on opportunity to perform with a hand-picked group of musicians, including his great friend Phil Woods as saxophonist and arranger. This album represents the fulfillment of a long-expressed desire which grew out of his first tentative experiments, as a boy, with a pair of brushes on the kitchen table in his home in Springfield, Massachusetts.

I believe that Joe was born to be a brilliant musician. This album will justify and renew the faith he has in himself, as well as the high praise and respect he has received from musicians all over the world. In discussing Joe recently, Buddy Rich called him "the best of the newer drummers; he has tremendous technique, and he is the only one to get a musical sound out of the drums."

The tunes and arrangements by Manny Album and Phil Woods give him ample scope to express himself – whether with sticks on a hard-swinging, white-hot, uptempo tune such as Just In Time; or Every Time We Say Goodbye. In Joe Morello's playing you can hear the fire, the relentless drive, the gentleness, and the humor that is in him, and he has surrounded himself with some of the best musicians there are, to help him make this – his first album on his own – great.

Also from the back cover: About This Album by George Avakian

A basic small combo is heard throughout the album, with a brass ensemble added for four numbers (I Didn't Know What Time It Was, Every Time We Say Goodbye, Time On My Hands and It's About Time). Manny Albam, arranger and conductor for these numbers, has integrated the combo so that there is frequently a concerto gross quality to the sound of the ensemble.

Phil Woods, alto saxophonist throughout this set, is the arranger of five of the six remaining selections. Completing the album is a trio improvisation (Fatha Time) by pianist John Bunch, bassist Gene Cherico and Joe.

Joe's approach, in assembling the musicians and asking Manny and Phil to write for them, was that the music must, at all times, swing. There was no attempt to use complex rhythms for their own sakes. The musicians, of course, had to be chosen with care. The principle soloists – Woods, Bunch and vibraphonist Gary Burton – are strong "blowers." They are soloists of the type who dig in and go.

Woods, the best-known soloist; is one of the finest saxophonists of the post-bop era. He is a musician whose blazing musical temperament is perceptible even on ballads. Gary Burton is a teen-ager virtuosos who has bowled over seasoned musicians for the last two years and is just beginning to became known. He impressed Chet Atkins, RCA Victor's recording manager in Nashville (and one of the great guitarists of all time), so deeply that Chet promptly signed him. His first RCA Victor album will appear shortly. John Bunch, whose vigorous piano is sprinkled liberally throughout this album, is a youthful veteran of the Benny Goodman, Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson bands, and has also played in the small combos of two of the country's most popular drummers, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich.

From Billboard - March 17, 1962: Morello, who is the star drummer with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, has a wonderfully varied album here. The set switches up to medium to ballad temp on different selections without loss of feeling or concept. The highly facile arrangements are by Phil Woods (who also stars as alto sax soloist) and Manny Albam. Also featured is Gary Burton on vibes. Since the theme of the album is time, each of the track titles, both standard and originals, has the word in the title. "Just In Time," Everytime," Fatha Time" and "Mother Time," are a few of them.

I Didn't Know What Time It Was
Time After Time
Every Time We Say Goodbye
Just In Time
Summertime
Time On My Hands
Mother Time
Fatha Time
It's About Time

Sabor A Mi - Lucho Gatica

Romantica

Sabor A Mi
Lucho Gatica
Con Acomp. de Orquesta
Direction: Jose Sabre Marroquin
*Direction: Vicente Bianchi
OSeon Industria Argentina LDM-8148

La Noche De Mi Amor (A noite do meu bem) - Bolero*
Sabor A Mi - Bolero
Romantica - Bolero
Lloraras - Bolero
Esclavo De Tu Piel - Bolero"
You A Apagar La Luz - Bolero
Al Caer La Tarde (Quando vien la sera) Mambo - Rock
Es Cierto - Rock Lento
Preguntaselo A Dios - Bolero
Arrivederci - Bolero
Santa - Bolero
Palabras De Mujer - Bolero

Emotion, Inc. - King Guion

No Blues Is Good Blues

Emotion, Inc.
King Guion And His Orchestra
Musical Arrangements by Elliot Jacoby and Pee Wee Erwin
Title "Emotion, Inc." suggested by Jack Lazare
Produced by Sid Feller
Cover Photo: William Bell
ABC Paramount
A Product of Am-Par Record Corp.
ABC 172
1957

From the back cover: The name King Guion has, for years, been surrounded with an aura of respect and admiration from his colleagues and contemporaries of the music business. For more than a decade, he was known to be among the handful of studio musicians and arrangers in the Hollywood film studios who were on call by any studio at any time. This accounted for his status as one of the highest-paid sidemen in the world for a period of many years.

Ever since he had begun his career as a musician, King had pursued a natural desire to exploit the field of instrumental voicing and shedding to an ultimate conclusion of having created a sound so distinctive and compelling that it could readily embody an elusive, almost mysterious quality. To do this – and yet to preserve the basic melody theme – presented somewhat of a formidable challenge. Still, with the same perseverance which has been characteristic of King Guion since childhood, he was determined to attain this objective.

Within this album, then, you will hear the result of years of painstaking effort, research and constant application of purpose. With his sincere modesty, the maestro feels that it could be considered presumptuous to term this "The King Guion Sound" – but, in truth, the distinctiveness of what you are about to hear is basically and unalterably his. It is doubtful that other arrangers, musicians and composers will be able to decipher the extraordinary recipes which King Guion has concocted – at least, not for some time, and then only after some nerve-wracking and painstaking analysis.

The complexity of the arrangements and instrumental voicing notwithstanding, the listener will never be in doubt as to which of these standard compositions is being played. Mr. Guion has a deep-rooted respect for composers whose works are outstanding enough to become perennial standards, and feels that being disguised through the progressivism of some arrangers represents a flaunting of dramatic license. You will find, therefore, that the familiarity of these compositions is still preserved in King's renditions and the nostalgic flavor takes on new beauty and awe as a result.

In the development of "The King Guion Sound" and its coordinated presentation to the public, King feels that due credit should be given to those associates and interested observers who supported his theory. In this regard, important names are Mr. Gray Gordon, long an associate of Mr. Guion, a musician and ex-leader himself, who now serves as Mr. Guion's personal manager; Mr. Sid Feller, Co-Director of Popular Artists & Repertoire of ABC Paramount, who sense the tremendous portent of the sound; and to Rusty Dedrick and Al Heckler, who accomplished the amazing task of the arrangements, in collaboration with Mr. King. – Nat Hale

From Billboard - June 10, 1957: Guion continues his long-time pursuit of a "new sound," and weights his reed section too much for comfort, producing a sound that is not always attractive. As a dance band, it's often too heavy – hardly irresistible. There always are jocks looking for something different in the band line, but from the commercial viewpoint, this one hasn't got it.

My Silent Love
Don't Blame Me
When The Lover Has Gone
Someone To Watch Over Me
Lover's Paradise
(What Did I Do To Be So) Black And Blue
Alone Together
Penthouse Serenade
No Blues Is Good Blues
You Call It Madness (I Call It Love)
My Melancholy Baby
The Orient Express