Sweet Leilani - The Polynesians

Hawaiian China Doll

Sweet Leilani
The Polynesians
Cover Design: Paul L. Thomas
Crown Records HI-FIDELITY CLP 5416
1964

Sweet Leilani
Orchid Lei
Hawaiian Doll
Lehua
Aloha Oe
Pulupe
Hawaiian War Chant
Island Moon
Lovely Tahiti
Farewell And Aloha

The Three Suns In Orbit

Chop Sticks

The Three Suns In Orbit
The "Tops" Stars Series
Rondo STEREO 9756
A Product Of Kimberly Records Corp.

Out Of This World
Barcarolle
Five Minutes
More
Chop Sticks
Do You Love Me
Oh Marie
Chopin Dance
All Through The Day
I Love An Old Fashioned Song
Dream

Classic Shearing - George Shearing

Rap You Trouble In Drums

Classic Shearing
The George Shearing Quintet
A&R Research and Coordination: Don Cerulli
Director of Engineering: Val Valentin
Cover Art: Jon Henry
Art Director: Acy Lehman
Design: Don Saffer/Bob Nasasi
VVSP Verve SPS-9

Personnel:

Good To The Last Bop (Recorded Feb. 17, 1949) Shearing, accordion; Marjorie Hyams, vibes; Chuck Wayne, guitar; John Levy, bass; Denzil Best, drums.

Quintessence (Recorded Feb. 2, 1951) and For Evans Sake (Recorded Feb. 7, 1951) Don Elliott, xylophone, replaces Hyams.

Brainwave (Recorded May 10, 1951) and Simplicity (Recorded May 16, 1951) Al McKibbon, bass, replaces Levy.

Appreciation (Recorded Oct. 2, 1951), Joe Roland, vibes, replaces Elliott.

Rap Your Troubles In Drums (Recorded March 13, 1953), Cal Tjader, vibes, replaces Roland; Jean "Toots" Thielemans, guitar, replaces Garcia.

Ill Wind (Recorded Sept. 2, 1953), Cataline Rolon, shaker, and Candido Camero, bongo drums, added for this session only.

Get Off My Bach (Recorded March 26, 1964), George Devins, vibes, replaces Trader.

From the back cover: The George Shearing Quintet first recorded in the studios of Discovery Records on February 8, 1949. The group cut eight titles. Nine days later Shearing's Quintet made the first of more than 100 sides for MGM Records under a contract that ran through the summer of 1954. Some of the songs recorded bye the Shearing Quintet became million-seller for MGM Records, and the Shearing Quintet became an established jazz group while with the label. The most popular Shearing works have already been gathered on long play records, but most of the tunes in this album are reaching microgroove for the very first time. One, in fact, the tune For Evans Sake is released here for the first time. Of the remaining tracks, only Ill Wind and Get Off My Bach have appeared on LP before, but the album in which they were included is no longer available. Collectors note – Good to the Last Bop is a rare recorded appearance of the Shearing accordion.

Brain Wave
Quintessence
Rap Your Troubles In Drums
Basic English
Get Off My Bach
For Evans Sake
Ill Wind
Appreciation
Good To The Last Bop
Simplicity

Contemporary Sound Of Nelson Riddle

Light My Fire

Contemporary Sound Of Nelson Riddle
Produced by Dave Pell
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
Engineer: Lanky Linstrot
United Artists STEREO UAS 6670
1968

Personnel:

Woodwind:
Jim Horn
Harry Klee
Ronald Langinger

Keyboard: Arnold Ross

Percussion: Irv. Cottler

Drums:
Earl C. Palmer, Sr.
Allen Breneman

Organ:
Lincoln Mayorga
Don Randi

Guitar:
Ralph Grasso
Dennis Budimir

Trombone:
Tommy Pederson
Tommy Shepard
Lou Blackburn
Dick Noel
Ernie Tack

Trumpet:
Shorty Sherock
Pete Candoli
Harry Edison

Strings:
Barbara Simons
Alvin Dinkin
Paul Shure
Erno Neufeld
Victor Arno
Bonnie Douglas
Raphael Kramer
Edgar Lustgarden
Alex Beller
Victor Bay

Bass:
Max Bennett
Ray Brown

Bass Trombone: Kenny Shroyer

F. Bass: Lyle Ritz

Light My Fire
Dream A Little Dream
Yesterday's Dreams
Halfway To Paradise
How Are Things In Glocca Morra?
Gentle On My Mind
Where Do I Go?
Don't Rain On My Parade
Sealed With A Kiss
Alouette (The Lark)
Tell Someone You Love Them

Jose Melis & His Latin American Ensemble

Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody

Jose Melis and His Latin American Ensemble
Piano Classics
The Fourth American Way
Mercury Records MG 20006
1950

Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody
Grieg Anitra's Dance
Rachmaninoff Prelude In G
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata
Brahms Hungarian Dance No 6
Chopin Waltz No 9
Liebenstraum
Keyboard Kapers
Stardust
Cumana
Pasion Orientale
Minuet

The Riddle Touch - Nelson Riddle

Cortege

The Riddle Touch
Nelson Riddle
Producers: Dick Peirce & Tommy Oliver
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle
Art Direction: Woody Woodward
Design: Gabor Halmos
Cover Photograph: Gene Trindl
Sunset Records SUS-5233
A Product of Liberty Records

Up, Up And Away
Georgy Girl
Sliphorn Skip
Chestnut Trees
Gabrielle
The 3rd Man Theme
Alfie
Your Zowie Face
Theme From "The Sand Pebbles" (And We Were Lovers)
Cortege

Suddenly It's Swing - Si Zentner

When A Gypsy Makes A Violin Cry

Si Zentner Plays and...
Suddenly It's Swing
Si Zentner and His Orchestra
Producer: Si Waronker
Engineer: Bill Putman
Color Photograph: Garrett-Howard, Inc.
Cover Design: Pate/Francis & Associates
Liberty LST 7139

1960

Trumpets:
Jules Chaikin
Dick Hurwitz
Bill Peterson
Tom Scott

Trombones:
Bob Edmondson
Don Nelligan
Bob Pring

Saxophones (Altos):
Bernie Fleischer
Lanny Morgan

Saxophones (Tenors):
Bob Hardaway
Jay Migliori

Saxophones (Baritone): Dave Madden

Guitar: Tommy Tedesco

Piano: Bob Florence

Drums: Frankie Capp

Bass: Lyle Ritz

From Billboard February 1, 1960: Swingy, big band performances will help the listener recapture his love for this type of material. There are four trumpets, three trombones, three altos and two tenor saxes, one baritone and guitar, piano, drums and bass. Material includes both standards and new tunes.

I Found A New Baby
Dream Of You
If I Love Again
Swingin' On Somethin'
Campton Races
Just A-Wearyin' For You
When A Gypsy Makes A Violin Cry
High Spirits
Estrellita
Shufflin' Blues
I'm Glad There Is You
Like Home

12 Tops Hits - Jack Hansen

Diana

12 Top Hits
Jack Hansen Orchestra
Vocals: Fred Freda, Gloria Clark, Tom Wood & John Clayton
Masterseal Records MTH-6
1957

Honeycomb
Tammy
Around The World
Chances Are
Diana
Rainbow
Mr. Lee
Remember You're Mine
And That Reminds Me
Fascination
That'll Be The Day
Whole Lot Of Shakin'

Mantovani Musical Modes

Edelma

Mantovani Musical Modes
Mantovani and His Orchestra
Made In England
London Records LL 1259
1956

A repackaging of a disc titled "An Album Of Favourite Melodies - Volume 3" (same catalog number).

Lonely Ballerina
Dusk Ma There Amie
June Night
The Desert Ballroom
Nalla
Lazy Gondolier
Begin The Beguine
Intermezzo From Cavalleria Rusticana
Edelma
Reviens

Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites

Come Back To Sorrento

Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites
MGM Records E3791
1960

From the back cover: Connie as all of four years old, dressed in a starched rose pink party dress with matching lace ruffles, when she first performed in public. The occasion? An amateur hour at Olympic Park in Irvington, New Jersey. Connie was slated to play her miniature accordion and sing O Sole Mio.

Nobody believed she could do it. Even the slick master of ceremonies tried to take her out of the show. "She'll panic," he told Connie's father, "and she'll bawl, and we'll have a mess on our hands."

But Mr. Franconero insisted his Connie remain in the amateur hour line-up. There were other students from Miss Masciola's Music School who were scheduled to perform. One by one they went out on the bandstand, and, more often than not, one by one they walked off, unable to sing or play because of stage fright.

Finally came Connie's turn. The tall master of ceremonies announced her name, and doll baby Connie walked out on that podium in her puffy pink party dress, ran her fingers down the black-and-white keyboard of her miniature accordion and began playing and singing O Sole Mio, one of the songs her daddy taught her.

In the background Dick Stabile's orchestra played softly for fear that they might drown out young Connie's voice. But they needn't have worried. For Connie, at the age of four, sang and played like a trouper and her voice could be heard in the last row of the huge audience. Backstage, in the wings, her father cried, and, many years later, he confessed to Connie that he didn't hear all of her song because of his tears. Had she gone flat he wouldn't have noticed it because he nearly burst from the papa-proudness in his heart.

The reception from the audience that summer day was tumultuous. There was thunderous applause, an endless chorus of bravos, much stomping of feet on the floor.

Little Connie, in her bell-shaped party dress, ran out to take a bow. But the ovation was so strong the audience wouldn't allow her to leave the stage. She had to play another chorus of her song.

This is how Connie's exciting life in the show-business world began. To this day Connie hods the song O Sole Mio dear to her heart – for that matter, all the songs of her colorful Italian heritage.

Even now that she has become a big singing star, Connie loves to sit around the fireplace in the Franconero living room with her family to sing the romantic songs of Italy.

Listen to Connie sing her Italian favorites in this album. It's difficult, if you ask me, to imagine these timeless ballads phrased and sung more beautifully! – George Christy - Mayor, Teen Town

From Billboard - February 1, 1960: Connie, just named the disk jockey's favorite girl singer on records played by them in 1959, dishes out a delightful program of Italian Favorites.

Comm'e Bella A Stagione
Anema E Core
Arrierderci Roma
You Alone (Solo Tu)
Volare
Non Dimenticar
Toward The End Of The Day
Ciao, Ciao
Bambina (Chiow, Chiow, Bambina)
Mama
Do You Love Me Like You Kiss Me? (Scapricciatiello)
I Have But One Heart
There's No Tomorrow
Santa Lucia
Come Back To Sorrento

Disco Italiano - Gene Ferrari

Theme From The Godfather

Disco Italiano
Gene Ferrari and The Disco Roma Band
Produced by Barry Shaw
Executive Producer: Joe Venneri
Engineering: Joe Venneri
Management: Music Media Corp.:
Herb Payloff & Joe Venneri
Sunrise Music, LTD - New York, NY
CN 117

Special Thanks For Production Assistance:
Terry Fabrizio
Armando Noriega
Santo Messina
Herb Payloff

Al Di La
Volare
Mala Femmina
Mama
Come Back To Sorrento
Quando, Quando, Quando
O Sole Mio
Arrivederci, Roma
Anema E Core
Tarantella
C' E' La Luna
Non Pensare A Me
Scusami
More (Mondo Cane Theme
Tra Veglia E Sonno
I Have But One Heart (O Marenariello)
Kiss Me
Theme From "The Godfather"
Santa Lucia Come Prima

Play For Today's Dance-In - The Ringers

Friday On My Mind

Play For Today's Dance-In
The Ringers
Unart - A Division of United Artists Records, Inc.
A Boldex Production
STEREO S21013
1967

All I Need
Don't Sleep In The Subway
Let's Spend The Night Together
Alley Cat
Somebody Help Me
Friday On My Mind
Don't Go Out Into The Rain
I Need Lovin'
Hunky Funky
Coogo-Rooga

Crazy Rhythm - Lionel Hampton

Night And Day

Crazy Rhythm
Lionel Hampton
Recorded: Paris, France March 18, 1955
Custom EmArcy MG 36034
A Product of Mercury Records Corporation

Personnel:

Lionel Hampton - Vibraphones
Sacha Distel - Guitar
Rene Urtreger - Piano
MacKae - Drums
Guy Pederson - Bass
Maurice Meunier - Clarinette and Tenor Sax
Bernard Hullin - Trumpet
William Boucaya - Bariton Sax
Dave Amram - French Horn
Benny Bailey - Trumpet
Nat Adderley - Trumpet

From the back cover: More than a decade has elapsed since General Eisenhower's forces landed on the Normandy beachhead. It might be said that no comparable invasion of France's shores took place until the advancing hordes of General Lionel Hampton descended on this terrain for the first time in the fall of 1953.

Hamp's success overseas has already become legendary. On his second tour, in the fall and winter of 1954-55, he spread his swinging wings to encompass the hitherto jazz-arid land of Israel in addition to most of the European continent. His success was, to put it mildly, unprecedented. In France he took his band to provincial towns which, though they had seldom if ever been capable of supporting a concert by a visiting American attraction, turned out en masse to accord Hamp the kind of reception that probably nobody since the above mentioned liberating troops had enjoyed.

Even more extraordinary was the booking of the Hampton band into the Olympia, a famous Parisian music hall completely unaccustomed to entertainment of this type. Hamp's European impresario was assured that such an undertaking, in a spot that had devoted itself almost exclusively to typical music hall acts, was destined to meet with a catastrophic failure. One prominent jazz personality assured Lionel that if he had to be cancelled out at the end of the first week, an effort would be made to find other work enabling him to fill in the lost time.

So what happened? So Lionel Hampton broke every existing record at the Olympia, playing there for three weeks. He grossed nine million francs the first week, ten the second, eleven the third, and if the hall had not already had another attraction booked, he could have stayed for a least three weeks more.

The records in this LP were made after Hamp's triumphant tour had ended. While the band was playing its final engagement at Lille, Sonny Parker, Hamp's blues singer was taken seriously ill. Most of the band sailed for New York, while Lionel and his wife went to Paris, hoping to be able to take Sonny home with them. As it turned out, this proved to be impossible (though Sonny has since recovered), but the day before Hamp sailed he took part in a record session that produced what are undoubtedly the best sides he has made in France.

The idea behind this session was to give a group of young French musicians an opportunity to record in Hamp's distinguished company. As Hamp himself expressed it: "These French boys are really picking up hard, studying to compete with the Americans. They are really crazy about modern jazz in France now, and I was amazed to find so much great new talent around."

Crazy Rhythm
Night And Day
Red Ribbon
A La French

Flight Of Friendship 7 & The Astronaut - Mercury Storyteller

The Astronaut

Flight Of Friendship 7
The Astronaut
Storyteller - 2 Complete Stories
Dramatically Enacted, Accompanied By A 40 Piece Orchestra
A Product of Beck-John Productions
Mercury Records SLP 115
1964

From the back cover: The Mercury Storyteller series has been produced with the same high standards and quality that have always been associated with Mercury Records.

The Complete library of 24 stories, on 12 records will bring years of enjoyment to your child and introduce the great stories and legends from the world's treasury of literature.

Nat King Cole Sings - George Shearing Plays

There's A Lull In My Life

Nat King Cole Sings
George Shearing Plays
With the Quintet and String Choir
Arrangements by George Shearing and Ralph Carmichael
Produced by Lee Gillette and Tom Morgan
Cover Photo: Capitol Photo Studio - Ken Veeder
Capitol Records SW 1675
1962

From Billboard - March 17, 1962: This pairing seems almost natural for heavy action, radio and storewide alike. Cole warbles in his usual polished, professional manner against Shearing's fine, often gospel-styled piano here, all of it augmented neatly by a choir of strings. "September Song," "A Beautiful Friendship" (once recorded by Ella Fitzgerald) and "I Got It Bad" are among the tracks. Buyers, incidentally, get an extra LP bonus of six tracks of Cole and another six by Shearing, from earlier albums by each, which should assure success.

September Song
Pick Yourself Up
I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
Let There Be Love
Azure-te
Lost April
A Beautiful Friendship
In Other Words
Serenata
I'm Lost
There's A Lull In My Life
Don't Go

Hits Made Famous By Country Queens

I Fall To Pieces - Faye Tucker

It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels - Dolly Parton

Hits Made Famous By Country Queens
Country And Western Hits By Country Queens
Fay Tucker sings the hits made famous by Patsy Cline
Dolly Parton sings the hits made famous by Kitty Wells
Somerset Records ALBUM P-19700
An Alshire Production
1963

Crazy
I Fall To Pieces
Bill Bailey
Walkin' After Midnight
Since You Went Away
It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
Making Believe
Letter To Heaven
Release Me
Two Little Orphans
Little Blossom

The Music Man - Gypsy - London Theatre Company

You'll Never Get Away From Me

The London Theatre Company Presents Music And Lyrics
From Meredith Willson's The Music Man
From Sondheim and Styne's Gypsy
With Joyce Blair, Janet Waters, Bryan Johnson & The Michael Sammes Singers
Orchestra directed by Bob Sharples
Cover Photo: Mel Mills
London Records High Fidelity B 20072

Till There Was You
Seventy Six Trombones
Ya Got Trouble
Goodnight, My Someone
Lida Rose And Will I Ever Tell You
Everything's Coming Up Roses
Some People
Small World
You'll Never Get Away From Me
Together Wherever We Go

Gone With The Wind - Movie Favorites - Magic Strings

Story Of Three Loves

Gone With The Wind
Movie Favorites
Magic Strings
Diplomat DS 2427

Tara's Theme (from "Gone With The Wind")
Story Of Three Loves
Yesterthoughts
Melody De La Mer
The Love Song
Kamenoi Ostrov
Undercurrent
Serenade For Strings
Vilia
Intermezzo

Half Sweet Half Beat - Billy Williams

I Wonder

Half Sweet
Half Beat
Billy Williams
With Chorus and Orchestra directed by Dick Jacobs
Cover: Van Steen
Coral Records CRL 57251
1959

From the back cover: Although he was celebrated for his starring role in his own Billy Williams Quartet, it wasn't until he began recording as a single that Billy Williams was recognized for the real vocal talent he is.

Described as "the high-pitched vocalist with the yodel." Billy possesses a distinctive voice and an ability to project it into many moods with equal success. Success is something with which Williams is very familiar. He has met with only that on television (100 appearances with his quartet on Max Liebman's Show Of Shows with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca); nightclubs, theaters and hotels in cities like Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Miami Beach, St. Louis, Toronto, Montreal and New York.

This album presents Billy Williams at his best on twelve numbers, six sweet and six swingin'. With an orchestra and chorus under the direction of Dick Jacobs. Billy lives up to all the adjectives which have been rained on him like versatile, infectious, warming and entertaining. His personality comes winning through on every number.

When you consider that he started his professional career as a member of the famed Charioteers (while still a student at Wilberforce College) you can see from where the strong blues and gospel elements in his style come.

Whether he is swinging like mad as in the humorous, wishful thinking of Smack Dab In The Middle or waxing romantically sweet and sad on I Wonder (the number that Cecil Gant, at that time a private in the Army, wrote and recorded with great success during World War II), Williams communicates with his listeners in a direct manner. You've soon got your mind off the mundane and on the enjoyment of the song that Billy is singing. This is the mark of a real entertainer and, above all, Billy Williams is an entertainer – an excellent showman.

From Billboard - August 3, 1959: Billy Williams' distinctive stylings are showcased by the tasteful arrangements of Dick Jacobs. Much of the charm of the package is in the selection of material which covers an exceedingly broad range. There's "Nola," "Goodnight Irene," "Smack Dab In The Middle," "The Little Boy," etc. Excellent listening.

Nola
Goodnight Irene
I Wonder
Four Or Five Times
The Little Boy
You Don't Know
A Kiss And A Rose
Smack Dab In The Middle
Dream Of You
Red Hot Love
Pour Me A Glass Of Teardrops
Walkin' By The River

Belly Dancer Favorites - Gus Vali

Medley Number One

Belly Dancing Favorites
Gus Vali and His Orchestra
Album Coordinator: Irwin Rawitz
Music Records Stereo MS 3352
1973

Medley Number One
Miserlou
Nica
Delilah
Semra
Zexpa
Apostolis
Kopelara
Politisa

Medley Number Two
Catskilleen Sampan
Elam Haleela
Mohamud
La-La-La-La
Sonia
Yaba G'Albee
Oorakh
Shamel Kookaim
Sepastima Bar

Medley Number Three
Sala Sala
Ahlaw Sahla
Gamel Gamel
Ala Dole
Aghvoor Aghcheeg
Yaba Hei' Ya
Ala Mesbo Daog' Albee
Mimak
Tamara

Pireaus Cafe Theme From Zorba The Greek

Medley Number Five
Harmar Aghchig
The Seventh Veil
Rahks Port Said
Aghvorig Aghchig
Amara Ya Amara
Ya-Ba-Hey-Ya
Barhoum Ya Barhoum
You Are The One
Hulvage

Medley Number Six
Yelakaiki
Nina Nay Nay
The Canary Song
Fiyeh Fiyeh
Oglan Oglan
Danny Lo Lo
The Maharajah
Moustafa
Vatikiotissa

Gazel

Medley Number One (side two)
Kashlarin Inge Inge
Erzurum
Delilo
Beyruit
Adanaly
Verisario
Itya
Golfo

Topkapi

Medley Number Three
Soode Soode
Alasfouria
Kyprunun Alte Tiken
Wein Saba
Halis Asap Kizi
Ach Babina Yaein
Kevork
Yala Yelee Mlaha
Agh Eem Anoush Yar

Medley Number Four
Tamzura
She
Marinella
Arabamin Atlari
Gelin Gelin
Ishtar
Marmara
Rampee

Elath

Lawrence Of Arabia

Maya