Percussion At Work - Pete Rugolo

 

Percussion At Work

Percussion At Work

Pete Rugolo and His Orchestra

EmArcy Mercury Records MG 36122

From the back cover: Pete Rugolo's history as an EmArcy recording artist has followed a unique, symmetrical pattern. In Music For Hi-Fi Buys (Mg 36082) he put all the tweeters and woofers to work in ta simultaneous exposition of the whole range of instrumental sounds from piccolo to tuba. Subsequently, as the titles made clear, he began to break down the instrumental processes with such adventures in sound as Reeds In Hi-Fi (Mg 20260) and Brass In Hi-Fi (MG 20261). As a natural follow-up to these reed and brass section salutes he now focus attention on the omnipresent rhythm team, with distinctive accent on drums.

Pete prefers to think of this as an abstract album of interesting sounds rather than specifically as a jazz set. The basic premise was to provide a variety of rhythms and of percussive tonal effects in a colorful setting; the secondary objective was the revivification of hi-fi of several of the tunes Pete originally created fr the Stan Kenton orchestra during his tenure as that band's chief arranger from 1945-49.

"Bongo Riff; Chorale For Brass, Piano And Bong' Fugue For Rhythm Section and Artistry In Percussion," he points out, "were all originally done for the Kenton band. In this new versions, of course, we had the advantage of not being held down to the three-minuet time limit that restricted the performances in those days. Luckily some of the key men who were in that band ar still working around Los Angeles, so we were able to have a reunion. Buddy Chliders, Milt Bernhart, Shelly Manne, Jack Costanzo and Al Porch, who are on this new session, were all members off that Kenton Band in the '40s, when we first played these tunes."

Bongo Riff is mainly Jack Costanzo's track. Dumerama, with the mambo-tinged piano and the vocal calls by Costanzo, is the non-Rugolo work in the set, the composition begin created to Eddie Cano, Funky Drums, which Pete says "we more or less made up at the end of the session," opens with a few starling and biting measures of the three drummers (Manne, Bunker, Lewis) establishing a triplet rhythm, then settles effectively into some wonderfully funky blues piano by Previn and pursues the rest of its course in a relay race between Andre and the drummers, with the latter taking over briefly again fro eight measures at the end during which the toilet motif returns.

Percussion At Work has everybody busy, with Larry Bunker heard first on xylophone, then on vibes, later on tympani; the later solo tympani passage are by Shelly.

Chorale opens with phrases by Previn answered by Costanzo's bongos and moves on to some brass passages notable for the superb writing and the stately solemnity of mood. Fugue For Rhythm Section, originally recored by the Kenton band in September, 1947, benefits from its aded hi-fi qualities and from a superlative performance in this new version featuring Costanzo, Previn and, briefly, Porch. Artistry In Percussion, which dated back to August, 1946, as a Kenton item, is a shrinking example of the progress made in the past decade, both mechanically and musically, as Manne gets a complete hi-fi workout in one of the most celebrated of Rugolo's originals.

One Plus Four was written to feature Larry bunker. On first hearing, its form may seem hard to grasp; basically, through, it is a blues with a 3/4 bridge added, but the reason for the title is that the time signature in the main phrase changes as follows: a measure of 1/4 followed buy two of 4/4, then the same pattern repeated until the bridge.

Interplay For Drums And Brass is a heady mixture of driving bongo rhythm, grandiose brass section effects, and jazz solo touches by Fagerquist's trumpet, Rosolino's trombone and Previn's piano.

The overall impact of Percussion At work is that of a flamboyant yet tasteful display of tone colors that show in brilliant high fidelity the astonishing variety of drum sounds at the disposal of the modern musician. With the interest in both percussion and hi-fi at a new peak, it can be predicted with assurance that this latest sample of "artistry in Rugolo" will be one of his most popular to date. – Leonard Feather - Author, The Book Of Jazz

Bongo Riff

Drumerama

Funky Drums

Percussion At Work

Chorale For Brass, Piano & Bongo

Fugue For Rhythm Section

Artistry In Rhythm

1 + 4

Interplay For Drums, Brass

A Double Shot Of Joe Saye

 

Wonderful Wonderful

A Double Shot Of Joe Saye

Recorded in New York City, July 21 and 25, 1958

Supervison: Jack Tracy

Mercury SR 80022

Joe Saye - Piano

Spencer Sinatra - Flute

Barry Galbraith - Guitar

John Drew - Bass

Jimmy Campell - Drums (Walter Bolden replaces Campbell on Tenement Symphony)

From the back cover: On hearing this album, it is not difficult to see that Joe Saye has been well-grounded in classical music. Of course, I know this anyway, since I have known Joe personally and professionally since the early '40s.

I have never known anyone with a greater sense of humor in my entire life. No one is more capable of laughing through trail and tribulation than Joe. Being completely without sight, he is very partial to practical jokes, which are idiosyncratic to blind people. He will ask a friend what color shirt someone is wearing, then later, in conversation with that person, will compliment or disparage the shirt, giving the color.

Musically, he has enough good taste to exclude jazz where it should be excluded. These Scotch compositions he features give him a real identity – something which is of the utmost importance to every group. His accent, both personally and musically, is Scotch. There are three adaptation of Scottish folk tunes. A Double Shot is adapted from the reel, Mrs. McLead; Scot Free is adapted from the reel, Rosy O'More; Heather Hop is adapted from The Inverness Gathering.

All the arrangements are made by Joe, and a great deal of skill is shown by obtaining the maximum of tone color and the fullest and most satisfactory musical sound from a group which, because of its size, must necessarily be limited to tone color. The standards round out a most tasteful album. A Double Shot (the album title), was the brainchild of Dakota Staton, a great new singing sensation with whom Joe has worked considerably.

The personnel of the group consists of Spencer Sinatra, flute and alto flute; Barry Galbraith, guitar; John Drew, bass and Jimmy Campbell, drums. On the Tenement Symphony track, Walter Bolden is playing drums. Light Tread, a composition by Joe Saye, and Scot Free are performed without drums. – George Shearing

From Billboard - September 14, 1959: Tasty jazz treatments of standard show tunes laced with originals by the pianist. Group includes piano, rhythm section and flute. The "originals" are Scotch-oriented and based on traditional Scottish tunes. Nice stereo effects are achieved. But the tasty arrangements are the big attraction here.

No Two People

Scot Free

Younger Than Springtime

Heather Hop

Wonderful Wonderful

Tenement Symphony

Double Shot

Let's Call The Whole Thing Off

Light Tread

The Blue Moon

If I Were A Bell

Everything I Have Is Yours - Billy Eckstine

 

Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me

Everything I Have Is Yours

Billy Eckstine 

A&R Coordinator: Ira Stimler

Director of Engineering: Val Valentin

Cover Photo by Charles Stewart

Electronically enhanced for stereo reproduction

Metro MS 537

1965

From the back cover: In an era when too many male vocalists are of the non-singing variety, it's a pleasure indeed to hear th big, masculine voice of Billy Eckstine. New styles enter and depart. Current faddists may sing everything in subdued key or, on the opposite side of the musical coin, treat every song as though it's a Grand Finale. But there remains Mr. B. with his beautifully trained, mellow voice, and his expert showmanship. It's all still there, the gigs, clear as bells and those resounding, vibrating lows that have been much imitated but never duplicated.

The imitation factor, incidentally, is an interesting facet of Billy's career. At 17 he won an amateur contest show by imitating Cab Calloway, as well as singing like himself. Even today, Billy enjoys mimicry, and likes to include the Calloway bit in his night club routines, reminiscent of Ella's charming imitation of Louis Armstrong in here's! And, to round the whole cycle, Billy is, of course, often imitated in other acts, along with Bogey, Lionel Barrymore and Jimmy Stewart. You have to  be a pretty vivid personality to move in that company.

What makes a Mr. B? A lack of gimmickry, for one thing. Sincerity. Discrimination. A genuine respect for and appreciation of the intent of the lyricist. And talent.

Billy's style is more subtle than you may be aware of. It all seems so forthright and commanding. But the underplaying is still there, just beneath the booming surface. In this album, Billy sings old favorites such as Temptation, Blue Moon, That Old Feeling and, of course, Everything I Have Is Yours. He sings them, not only straight from the shoulder, by t straight from the heart.

Everything I Have Is Yours

Temptation

I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me

If You Could See Me Now

Don't Get Around Much Anymore

No One But You

That Old Feeling 

Wonder Why

Blue Moon

Meet The Moon-A-Tiks

 

Moon-A-Tiks

Meet The Moon-A-Tiks

Songs & Fun... From Outer Space

Produced by Jody Cameron from Midnight Music. Inc.

Little World Records LW 910

1965 (disc label date) 1966 (jacket date)

Did You Ever See A Moon-A-Tik?

Meet The Moon-A-Tiks

Song: The Moon-A-Tiks Are Coming

Moon-A-Tiks Meet Little Girl

Moon-A-Tiks Tell Fairytales

Song: Pop Goes The Moon-A-Tik

Song: Earthlings How We Love You

More Fairy Tales

Moon-A-Tiks Say Good Bye

Tammy's Favorite Fairy Tales

 

Sleeping Beauty

Tammy's Favorite Fairy Tales

Little World Records LW-902

1965 Ideal Toy Corp.

Sleeping Beauty

Snow White And Red Rose

The Frog Prince

The Shoemaker And The Elves

The Princess Who Could Not Cry

Songs Of The West That Children Love Best

 

Riding Down The Canyon

Songs Of The West That Children Love Best

Twinkle Records TW 23

A Division of Premier Albums, Inc.

Red River Valley

Big Rock Candy Mountain 

Sweet Betsy From Pike

Home On The Range

The Bad Brahma Bull

Riding Down The Canyon

Golden Slippers

Blue Tail Fly

Cow Poke

Big

Bermuda Is Paradise - Ross Talbot

 

Scotch And Soda

The New Sound

Bermuda Is Paradise

Ross Talbot

"The Talbot Brother"

Audio Fidelity AFSD 6125

1964

From the back cover: There's something new from the creative world of Ross "Black" Talbot, the man whose name symbolizes the greatest progress in modern Bermudian music both here in the States and throughout Europe.

Ross, who has always been an exponent of Bermuda's beauty through his numerous compositions, has complied in this latest recording, twelve of his most famous and most requested numbers.

As he travels throughout the world, on tours with his brothers, the famous "Talbot Brothers of Bermuda", he brings with him a varied repertoire of music from the exciting island beat of "Calypso" to the Samba inspired B"ossa Nova". They all are continually fresh, excitingly new, and current. These qualities, expand and develop this talented singer-composer to his fullest artistic level.

It took a long time before Ross was able to make this album, to find himself in his own definite style and to sing exactly the way he feels. To do this has long been his dream, as well as that of his dear friend and close follow artist, Al Butterfield, whom we hear in this corroding laying drums. They both planned and dreamed of this record becoming a reality for three long years and they both feel and hope you the audience will view this latest musical venture as a truly important stage in Ross's evolution as an artist. He sings here freer, more identifiable with his material than ever before.

In this recording, we hear 12 of his swingin'est songs given new treatments in his strictly "Bermuda Beat", a strange haunting blend of Latin flavored, Afro-Cuban and Calypso beats.

Ross hopes to have this beat as easily recognizable as being strictly "Bermudian" as are its snow white roofs atop its pastel houses and its peaceful pink beaches.

His love of music, any rhythmic beat, uniquely imaginative and colorful, is evident in his selection offered here. In his beautiful "Bermuda Is Paradise" he invites all to visit his island home. And in another mood, lively and infectious, he present the colorful "Scotch And Soda", long a great favorite of his many fans throughout the world.

Giving  swinging support to Ross is the Al Butterfield Combo, currently appearing in both nightclubs and musicals here in New York City.

For everyone who would welcome the chance to be beweticed vy the glorious music of Bermuda and of its leading ambassador of song, Ross Talbot, this album is being presented. Listen to the beauty and charm of his "Isle Of Rest In The Blue Atlantic" through the words of: "My Destiny", "sunset In Bermuda", "Bermuda Is Paradis", "I've Found A Home", "Scotch And Soda", "Calypso Cha Cha Cha", "Castro Twist", "Golf Time In Bermuda" and "This IS Bermuda".

So sit back now, relax and enjoy Ross's enthusiasm on his basic theme – "Music Of Bermuda". These are truly presented in the great new wound, created for all to hear, by Ross "Black" Talbot.

Ross "Blackie" Talbot is fast becoming one of the Colony's foremost tunesmith.

His latest effort – "Castro Twist" – may bee playing now in the White House, Washington homes of the late President John F. Kennedy. That it was heard by the American chief executive and his family, "Black" knows for sure.

It started when he and the Talbot Brothers played at a private party at the home of Mr. Carroll Dooley, Bermudiana Hotel manager, a short time ago. One of the guests, Mr. Edward McLaughlin, Lieut.-Governor of Massachusetts, heard "Black" play and sing his as yet unpublished song.

The official, at the time, was so taken with the tune, that he expressed the wish to  be able to take a record to Washington for President Kennedy. Nothing was available but the demonstration disc, which "Black" gave him.

Mr. Dooley received word that the record was in fact present to the late President with "Blackie's" (and all Bermuda's) compliments. And for Mrs. Jackie Kennedy – a copy of "Short Skirts And Polly Pants," latest Ross Talbot hit.

From Billboard - February 13, 1965: Impressive solo debut for Ross of the internationally famous Talbot Brothers. He offers an intriguing combination of Latin-flavored Afro-Cuban and calypso beats with a smattering of the Twist thrown in. Standout vocals include "Scotch And Soda," and his catchy composition "Calypso Can Cha" plus the lovely, "Child Don't You Call Me Boo Boo."

Bermuda Is Paradise

I Found A Home

It's My Destiny

Golf Time In Bermuda

Calypso Cha Cha Cha

Scotch And Soda

Sunset In Bermuda

Cognito At Midnight

Castro Twist

Child Don't You Call Me Boo Boo

Short Skirts And Polly Pants

This Is Bermuda

Dave Guard & The Whiskey Hill Singers

 

Nobody Knows You When Your Down And Out

Dave Guard 

And The Whiskeyhill Singers

Cover Photo by Ian Samson

Production Supervised by Henry Jacobs

Capitol Records T 1728

1962

From the back cover: The group idea began long ago – it had to. Everyone I asked to join said yes right away, so there must have been a lot of stored-up energy there. There are four of us: Judy Henske, originally of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and lately of the East; Cyrus Faryar, formerly of Teheran, London, Honolulu, Paris, and now Sausalito, California; another  Sausalito dweller is David "Buck" Wheat, although born in Texas, and myself, Dave Guard, ex-Honoluluan turned Californian in Palo Alto.

In getting the group together, I was looking for three other people who were at least as interested in music as I, and so much better than I as far as performing the material that I would have to hustle every minute of every day just to keep my job. Also tops in requisites were both the ability to talk beautifully believable nonsense when it was called for, and the ability to cut a problem down to its essentials in a hurry and come out with answers that were both logical and sincere. At this point, I think I've gotten pretty close to the middle of the target.

Cyrus was the first to join. We were high school friends in Hawaii and it was many years since we had seen each other, but he had sone lots of singing and dramatic work in school and I heard he had become a folksinger, and had in fact owned a coffeehouse in Honolulu for a time. A few phone calls and some outlandish promise brought him up from San Diego, where he had been singing on the same bill with Judy Henske. As soon as Cyrus got here, he started praising Judy' work, so I flew to Oklahoman City, where she was then appearing. When a performer moves me I laugh – whether the performance be funny or serious. I spent the whole of her show grinning from ear to ear. and Ada Moore is the only other lady singer who can affect me that way. So I told her that if she did good, she could be famous and have a ranch in Oregon with wild horse on it. O.K., said Judy. Then we had to wait for my long-time friend, Buckwheat, to finish a job which had taken him touring around the East, and that got us all together by December of '61.

The whole group reads music well enough so that we are able to kick around ideas in a fashion that makes rehearsing a joy, which is especially necessary when you have to get a blend out of four throughly individualistic voices. When we start learning a tune we're likely to be miles apart in viewpoint – but by the time we finally put it into our program we hope to be pretty monolithic about it. Of course, that isn't the end of the song, for our musical background becomes larger with time. So don't be surprised if you ever see us in person to find that we've made changes in our approach since this recording was made.

We've tried to make our marcia l base as braid as possible and I don't think we're kidding ourselves into expecting that we will be equally communicative in all areas we attempt. But there is such a wealth of material from every inhabited spot on this earth, and from any time in history, that we've just got to try everything we think we can do justice to. – Dave Guard

The Banks Of The Ohio

Plane Wreck At Los Gatos (Deportees)

The Bonnie Ship, The Diamond

Shine The Light On Me (Salomila)

The Wild Rippling Water

Brady And Duncan

Ride On Railroad Bill

We're The World's Last Authentic Playboys

Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out

Isa Lei

When The War Breaks Out In Mexico