Seduction - Bill Irwin

 

A Swinging Samba

Seduction 

Bill Irwin & Group

Production: Rod McKuen

Cover Photo: Glenn Embree Studios

Cover Design: Jae Brahm

Sound Process: Richard Vaughn

Life Series ALBUM L1022

1964

From the back cover: Hollywood is a strange place. Here you will find some of the most talented people in the world – particularly, talented songwriters. Now, ordinary, when two songwriters get together, they write a song. But when songwriter-singer Rod McKuen met songwriter - organist Bill Irwin, they made an album instead. Rod produced – Bill played – and I flipped! To me, the organ is one of man's finest musical creations. So much can be accomplished on the organ if the performer is creative himself. Believe me, Bill Irwin is tremendously creative!

Bill was born in little old New York and started playing piano at the age of ten. Back in 1950 he was inspired to switch to the organ after listening to the great Milt Hearth and his trio. Immediately things started to happen. Bill had his own radio show in Pennsylvania. He toured the country, playing in the finest lounges from coast to coast... and he eventually wound up going Pop Organ concerts for the famous Hammond Organ Company. Perhaps Bill would still by giving these concerts if it weren't for the fact that he just plain got sick and tired of flying. You see, in order to cover the territory for these concerts, Bill was in an airplane six days a week, so he gave it all up for writing and teaching.

Incidentally, Bill has a most unique hobby. He creates "Carica-Toons". You give Bill your initials, and he changes them into a crazy caricature-cartoon of you.

This album is specially designed to aid you to relax and dream. If you have a good active imagination, as you listen, you can soar from the sandy beaches of Waikiki to the desert sands of the Great Sahara; from the exciting fiestas of Old Mexico to steaming jungles deep in the Tropics. Bill has created magnificent arrangements of colorful songs – some original and some very familiar. Notice the phrasing and the modern light sound – you see Bill is a real craftsman. He plays organ orchestrally rather than organistically, and it adds up to one of the best listening platters I've heard! – Ira Cook - Radio Station KMPC, Hollywood, California.

Romance In The Tropics
Song Of India Bossa Nova
Desert Sands
Montana Magic
La Paloma
A Swingin' Samba
Seduction
Voyage To Hawaii
Fascination
Wistful
Chopin's Nocturne In B♭
Claire De Lune