Brass Laced With Strings - Vic Schoen

Summertime

Stereo Action

Brass Laced With Strings
Vic Schoen And His Orchestra

Produced by Lee Schapiro
The Sound Your Eyes Can Follow

Cover Photo: Scotty Sapiro

Recorded at RCA Victor's Music Center Of The World, Hollywood, California

Recording Engineer: Al Schmitt

Assistant Engineer: Dave Hassinger

Mastering: Al Schmitt
RCA LSA-2344
1961

From Billboard - May 1, 1961: Vic Schoen achieves a smooth stereo sound (subtitle of LP is "The sound your eyes can follow") via a 12-brass choir, six cellos, four rhythm and one woodwind, which doubles on a variety of instruments - alto flute, piccolo, tenor sax, etc. It's a pleasant, listenable wound with solid programing possibilities.

Love For Sale
Summertime
Lover, Come Back To Me
Lover
Lonely Town
Trees
By Myself
Easy To Love
Let's Take The Long Way Home
Hello, Young Lovers
Without A Song
Glad To Be Unhappy
And The Band Played On

Frank Stitt Plays The Baldwin Ogra-sonic Spinet Organ

Snake Charmer

Meet Mister Stitt
Frank Stitt Plays The Baldwin Ogra-sonic Spinet Organ
First Edition D-D4
Manufactured by Columbia Records

From the back cover: Born in San Bernardino, California, Frank Stitt played the organ commercially in the Chicago area for several years after World War II. In the last six years he has traveled extensively, particularly in the west coast states, playing the Baldwin and Orga-sonic Organs on radio and television plus numerous personal appearances.

The Orga-sonic Spinet Organ, which Mr. Stitt plays for this recording, was designed by and is currently built by the Organ Division of The Baldwin Piano Company, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Les Paul & Trio

I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me

Les Paul & Trio

The Windjammers
Rondo R-2002
1963

Dark Eyes

I Surrender Dear

The Sheik Of Araby

I Can't Believe That You're Falling In Love With Me

Ain't Misbehavin'

Cherokee

Love And Roses

Sweet Smell Of Sunday

Powder, Paint And Perfume

Sun Dance

Les Paul And Trio

Tops Hi-Fi L1602

1957

From the back cover: Les was born Lester Polfus in Waukesha, Wisconsin, 1916. By the time he reached 16 he was working in radio stations around Chicago, where he remained until 1937. His next stop was with the Fred Waring band for two years. In 1940 he returned to Chicago and radio work until California lured him in 1942. Greatly in demand as a studio guitarist in Hollywood, Les kept building a reputation throughout the early Forties. He sought an extra-curricular outlet for his jazz inclinations, however, and sat in at most of the jazz spots in the movie city, becoming well known to the jazz fraternity there. His brilliant style at that time has been compared to that of the late renowned French Gypsy, Djengo Reinardt.

In 1944 Les decided to form his trio, soon had more bookings for the combo than he could handle. He played several of the early Jazz At The Philharmonic concerts which, fortunately, are persevered on record. Les' last jazz recordings were made in 1946.

Mention the name "Rhubarb Red" to Les today and it's sure to evoke a shudder, for that name was the pseudonym he worked under during his early radio days when he played the character of a typical hillbilly guitarist.

The following explanation reputed to have been offered by Les may account for his having turned away from playing jazz in recent years. "When I was playing commercial radio shows in the Thirties, I was doing fine, making around $175 a week, sitting pretty. Then I began reading what certain jazz critics wrote, saying that I should stick to jazz, that I had a real talent for the idiom and was wasting myself by playing corn. So I switched. I played jazz guitar and worked the jazz spots. Pretty soon I was making $75 a week."

Stompin' At The Savoy

Dark Eyes

I Surrender Dear

Sheik Of Araby

All Of Me

I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me

Danger, Men At Work

Coquette

Ain't Misbehavin'

Cherokee

Rose Rome

At Sundown

The Down Homers

Kentucky Rain

The Down Homers
Design SDLP-318

Here's an budget album sporting a cover that looks sort of like a country album... a folk album or maybe a soul album. And why the 70s science fiction type face?

Well... Design used some folk tracks on side one and then, just when you are about to fall asleep... they kick off side two with this whacky Elvis sound-alike version of Kentucky Rain. And then back to the folk fest.

Cha Cha Cha And Rhumbas - Esy Morales

Cha Cha #8

Cha Cha Cha And Rhumbas
Esy Morales And His Latin Rhythm Orchestra
Promenade 2060

There is more info on the back of this album that can be currently found on Morales wiki page:

Esy Morales, immortal maestro of South-of-the Border rhythm groups, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1916.

At the age of eight, Esy was already adept at the saxophone, clarinet, and flute. Papa Morales, a hard-working tailor moved his wife and nine children to Venezuela. One by one, the kiddies joined their Uncle Augusto Sanabia's concert orchestra. Word reached the Venezuelan President's ear of the family's unusual musical talent. As a result, the Morales were soon playing in the Chief Executive's palace and living there in undreamed or luxury.

Esy came to the U.S. at the age of 20 and engaged in concert work. He attracted the attention of Xavier Cugat, Esy did considerable movie work and arranging, at the same time building a reputation as one of the world's foremost flute virtuosos.

He left Cugat in '43 to help his brother, Noro, launch his band. Three years later, Esy decided to wield a baton himself. The big break came early one summer when Esy's band was invited to play the July 4th weekend at a prominent resort in the New York Catskills. The exciting rhythm of Morales orchestra proved such a crowd pleaser that the band was held over the rest of the summer.

A real showman, Esy enjoyed much success in television, particularly on his own CBS show. He was featured in a Universal motion picture with Burt Lancaster, Criss Cross, and was a big favorite of college prom-goers.

On this recording, Uncle Augusto appears along with brother, Pepito, who is featured on the baritone sax. Brother Noro claims Humberto in his band, while two of the sisters are famed as concert pianist and violinist in their native Puerto Rico.

According to his wiki page, Morales died at the age of 34 from a drug-induced heart attack.

Summer '73

The Right Thing To Do

Ain't No Woman Like The One I Got

Rocky Mountain High

Summer '73
Recorded By The Sound Effects
QMO 117

Yes, here's another fine 2 Record set of 20 tracks by studio musicians that strain to achieve the "perfect" cover of your favorite tunes from the summer of 1973.

Hits From The Horn Of Nini Rosso

Carcara

Hits From The Horn Of Nini Rosso

Produced by Ettore Stratta

Arranged and Conducted by Joe Sherman

Columbia CS 9374

You can find a brief Rosso bio can be found on Wiki.

From the back cover: This particular recording, made in Rome but conducted and arranged by the gifted young American arranger-composer Joe Sherman, was designed to display the haunting sound and the unique virtuosity that Nini Rosso is able to evoke from his horn.

I couldn't nail down the release date, but probably in short order after after Rosso's 1965 hit II Silenzio was released in the U.S. (1965).

La Pachanga - Rafael Seijo

Pachanga Brasilera

La Pachanga
Con Orquestra Charanga
Direction Rafael Seijo
Somerset SF-14200
1961

Here's a Somerset album that was apparently manufactured for the Latin American market in the U.S. or for export? The brief jacket notes are printed bi-lingual but offer no real insight.

You get the fab cheesecake cover and music of surprising high quality. Not that Somerset didn't release some good stuff, they did. But this music rises above the traditional Somerset fare and comes off  (for the period) as enjoyable modern space age Latin.

A Man & A Woman - Frank Pourcel

Under Which Star Was I Born

A Man & A Woman
Franck Pourcel
IR Imperial LP-9343
1967

This is another great easy album by Pourcel.

Aquarius - Franck Pourcel

Daydream

Aquarius
Franck Pourcel
Atco SD 33-299
1969

Here's another fine Pourcel album featuring his trademark blend of easy listening and light pop.

Side one:

Aquarius
The Lonely Season
Marry Me! Marry Me!
Goodbye
Free Again
My Time Has Come

Side two:

Good Morning Starshine
Daydream
Where Is The Summertime?
Hey Jude
The World Around Us
Through The Eyes Of A Child