You Better Believe Me - Ramsey Lewis - Jean DuShon

Night Time

You Better Believe Me
The Ramsey Lewis Trio
Jean DuShon
Argo LP-750
1965

This is a split album, featuring DuShon on side one with Ramsey Lewis -piano, Eldee Young - bass, Red Holt - drums, Ronald Wilson - alto saxophone - flute and Roland Faulkner, guitar. And side two featuring just the trio performing instrumentals.

From the back cover: Jean DeShon is making her second recorded appearance on ARGO. Her first album, which rapidly drew rave reviews and many plays from disc jockeys throughout the country, was recorded last summer. This album can only help to add to the well-deserved praise and recognition that her first ARGO effort won for her.

I was drawn to the cover photo which struck me as curiously informal. Whether planned, or not, the vibe one side one also sounds "informal" which could be due to how the recording was engineered. The album was recorded at Universal Recording Studio, Chicago, Illinois, on December 19, 1964 and January 14, 1965).

You'd Better Believe Me
Who Can I Turn To
Night Time
Something You Got
He Was Too Good To Me
Goodbye Lover, Hello Friend
Corcovado
Ain't Nobody's Business
It Had Better Be Tonight
My Coloring Book
I'm Beginning To See The Light

Songs Of The Islands - Sam Makia

Lili Ue

Songs Of The Islands
12 Exciting Instrumentals Hits From Hawaii
Sam Makia And His Islanders
Surrey Records SS-1035

Here is another album, Hawaii The Fabulous Fiftieth State, featuring the artist "Sam Makia" in association with Frank Hunter.

The tunes blend pop influenced passages with the traditional pedal steel island vibe.

Cool & Carefree

Cool & Carefree
Prepared Exclusively For Carrier Air Conditioning Company
Columbia Special Products CSP 119

There is a nice collection of tracks to be heard on this promotional release from Carrier.

Silk 'N' Latin - Caterina Valente - Edmundo Ros

The Fool On The Hill

Be In

Silk 'N' Latin
Caterina Valente with Edmundo Ros And His Orchestra
Phase 4 Stereo
London Records SP 44125

I enjoy Ros albums. The album formula is very often light pop/Latin instrumental along with several vocal numbers by Ros. In this case, the album is heavier on the light pop vibe and all vocal, of course featuring Valente.

The sound is fresh and interesting all the way through. Enjoy the samples recorded from a sealed copy I found.

I can't confirm, but I think the cover model is Valente.

Valente recorded with Ros at least once and before this release on a Brazilian LP titled Caterina Valente com Edmundo Ros.

Visit her website caterinavalente.com

She also made an album with Stanley Black titled I Wish You Love

La Banba
Azulao
The Fool On The Hill
La Peregrinacion
Sabor A Mi
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
Be In
Samba De Verao
O Meu Violao
Maria Elena
La Rosita
Canto De Ossahna

Neil Diamond Song Book - The Mariana Strings

Solitary Man

The Mariana Stings Play The Neil Diamond Solid Gold Songbook
20 Century Records T-404

Here's an obscure mid-70s easy listening. The jacket was sealed. That's all I got on this gem...

Jerry Colonna Plays Trombone Along The Dixieland Hi-Fi-Way

Slippery When Wet

Jerry Colonna Plays Trombone Along The Dixe Hi-Fi-Way
With His Dixie Highwaymen
Liberty Records SL-9004
1956

The jacket is an elaborate book-fold production. The record label itself is marked, "Deluxe Series". This release could have been the run-up to Liberty's Premier Series of gatefold jackets.

From the inside cover: During his years that Colonna played with the staff orchestra at CBS, he was considered to be one of the five top trombonists in the country.

From Billboard December 22, 1956: Comedian Colonna, a trombone man with a number of name bands before his original emergence as a comic, gets back to music here in the company of Matty Matlock, Nick Fatool, Eddie Miller, Clyde Hurley and others known collectively as the Dixie Highwaymen. The 16 tunes are not particularly familiar to the idiom, but don't discount the fact that this is very easy listening Dixie. The playing is clean and sharp and it swings in a nice but unobtrusive style. The package is a de lux job in a four fold cover. It deejays give this a break it could overcome the common impression of Colonna as a funny man and help sell him on a music kick.

Dixeland Highway
Soft Shoulders
Tallahassee Detour
Post No Bills
Caution – Go Slow
Dangerous Curves
Coffee Shop
Wait Outside
Slippery When Wet
Watch Out For Wild Life
Keep Off The Grass
Tourists Are Welcome
Twenty-Two Miles To Conchita's
Big Fat Minnie
Dim You Lights
Hurry Back

Cha Cha! - Billy May

Artistry In Rhythm-Cha-Cha

Cha Cha!
Billy May
Produced By Dave Cavanaugh
Capitol Records T1329
1960

In A Mellow Tone-Cha-Cha
Twelfth Street Rag-Cha-Cha
Artistry In Rhythm-Cha-Cha
The Poor People Of Paris-Cha-Cha
Good Bye-Cha-Cha
Leap Frog-Cha-Cha
Flyin' Home-Cha-Cha
Snowfall-Cha-Cha
In The Mood-Cha-Cha
I Remember-Cha-Cha
Tuxedo Junction-Cha-Cha
Bijou-Cha-Cha

Subliminal Sounds - Leo Diamond

Jungle Drums

Subliminal Sounds
Musical Magic With Leo Diamond And His Orchestra
ABC-Paramount
ABC-303
1959

From Billboard September 7, 1959: Harmonica artist Leo Diamond – also an expert in the recording art – has put together a beautifully done package of standards. Album cover includes one of those magical blinking orbs, which, with the album title, lends a touch of mystery to the contents. The performances are really fine, and include "Laura," "Off Shore" and "Jungle Drums."

From the back cover: Mr. Diamond has gone far above and beyond the call of musicianship. Continually searching for new and greater applications of sound, this virtuoso spends countless hours in experimentation with recording techniques, expansion of range and perfection of construction. To this end, he employs a tremendous number of instruments which he has assembled himself.

Oh darn... my copy is missing the blinking eye...

Oh well... not to worry... I've still got the great music to enjoy. OK OK... I want the blinking eye cover!

Until I find a blinking eye cover, enjoy a sample from one of Diamond's best albums.

Laura
How High The Moon
Through The Lonely Night
Rain
Jungle Drums
Off Shore
Three Coins In The Fountain
Dream Train
Autumn Leaves
High On A Windy Hill
The Last Round Up

More Drums Of Passion - Olatunji

Mbira

More Drums Of Passion
Olatunji
Columbia CS 9307

From the back cover: Mbira: Contrary to popular opinion, a variety of musical instruments other than drums exists in Africa, The sansa (a thumb piano or finger xylophone) is native to Africa and is common throughout the continent. It is not known anywhere else except in parts of the Americas, where it was used years ago in place of the bass fiddle. The instrument is made in a variety of styles; the ones used in this selection have a number of metal rattan tongues attached to a sounding ball and box. An additional resonator is used to increase the volume. Each tongue is a simple idiophone which is struck to produce a soft sound like that of a xylophone, but with more of a plucked tone quality. On one of the sans as used, metal pieces are hung from the box handle to add rattling sounds of a different quality. Another instrument used in this selection is the African xylophone, which adds an exciting tonal quality to that of the sansa.

Ayinde
Wasalu
Ire Dodo Ye
Frekoba
Bethelehemu
Mbira
Omo Pupa
Alose

The Music Of Lex Baxter - Don Tiare

Bankok Cockfight

The Music Of Les Baxter
Don Tiare And His Orchestra Exotique
Mercury Records MG 20845
1963

From the back cover: Don Tiare is an international performer whose expressive combo is an familiar in Bangkok as in Bordeaux, as comfortable in Nikko as in Nice, and as suited to the dinner jacket of the London Savoy as to the pareu on the beaches of Tahiti. Long an admirer of the unique Les Baxter creations, he asked the composer to write some original pieces for this album; and those, along with such Baxter standards as Quite Village, Bangkok Cockfight and Crickets Of Karachi, make up a dazzling and somewhat intoxicating tour of the far away places.

If I could tell, from the cover notes, which tunes Baxter apparently wrote for this LP I would post one as a sample.

Quite Village kicks off the album and sounds good, but the vibe is very close to close to Baxter's version. Soon the album takes on a more personal sound that, I assume, reflects Tiare who must play piano on the album(?). I can't find any real info on the man. But the piano seems to be the featured instrument whose sound rings in a strong shimmering fashion over the other instruments. Some of the tunes are pretty jazzy.

The engineering is excellent featuring a rich low end. A terrific listen over all.

Quite Village
Bankok Cockfight
Sampan Landing
Crickets Of Karachi
Girl Behind The Bamboo Curtain
River Of Dreams
Cockatoo
Sunrise At Kowloon
Jacaranda
Jungle Trail
Corazon
Quai Bir Hackeim