Goin' Crazy With The Blues - Claire Austin

On Revival Day

Goin' Crazy With The Blues
Claire Austin
Gene Mayl's Dixieland Rhythm Kings
Jazzology J-52

From the back cover: It was with great anticipation that I spent the entire week, well truly even longer from the time arrangements were complete, to the arrival Friday evening March 7th of Gene Mayl and his Dixieland Rhythm Kings. My excitement was fever high, for my concern was for one member of the aggregation which was expected in town that night. I knew Gene well and we have spent many happy hours together over the years and I knew most of the other members of his current touring band including Ernie Carson who makes his home right here in Atlanta. No it was different this time and the reason was that Claire Austin was coming with them. I was at long last going to meet Claire Austin… to my surprise, she, after many years of absence from the musical scene, had moved from the west coast to just outside of Cincinnati…

…It is a shame that Claire Austin has made so few recordings over the many years that she has been singing. Actually she was a professional singer in Oregon back when she was just a teenage. Her first session was those famous four sides with Turk and then the 10" lp with Ory, Ewell, Garland and Hall. Since those sessions back in the 40's she has only recorded two other albums with the Great Excelsior Jazz Band from Oregon which could have been a great session if it were not for poor engineering and a bad balance on the part of the studio. Claire is really excited about this album session as I am too. – George H. Buck, Jr.

Goin' Crazy With The Blues
Squeeze Me
On Revival Day
World's Jazz Crazy, Lawdy, So Am I
Exactly Like You
That Da Da Strain
New Orleans Hop Skop Blues
Atlanta Blues
Alabama Jubilee
Some Of These Days
Just A Little While To Stay Here

Music For Playboys To Play By - The Hollywood Playboys Orchestra

Music For Playboys To Play By
The Hollywood Playboys Orchestra
Directed by Mahlon Merrick and featuring Russ Taylor
The Sportsmen Quartet
Urania UR 9012
1957

Available through several online vendors so I won't be posting a sample.

From the back cover: The Hollywood Playboys Orchestra is the new name chosen by members of the Jack Benny Radio and TV orchestra. This group of musicians have been playing Jack's show for the past twenty years with very few changes in personnel. Mahlon Merrick, the director, has been with Mr. Benny for twenty-two years. Many of the members of this organization have been featured on Jack's show. Among these are Frank Remley, the left-handed guitar player, Sammy Weise, drummer, Charlie Bagby, pianist, and Lawrence Kurkdjie, violinist, This is the first of a projected series of albums to be issued by this group. This album was recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, Calif. in August 1957.

Enjoy this one for the terrific cover. The last track on the B side, Zulu Wumu, plays with a jazzy driving beat. You will not hear this fresh period exotic sound in any of the other tracks. The rest of the album seems hastily assembled and the remaining songs lack in their support of the "Playboy" theme.

Please
Anyone For Venice
Music For Playboys To Play By
Paradise
Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
I Don't Know Why
Top Hat, White Tie And Tails
The Night Is Young
Morning After
Lady Of The Evening
Sweet And Lovely
Zulu Wuwu

Carnival In Percussion - The Paul Smith Ensemble

The Sword, The Rose And The Cape

Carnival In Percussion
The Paul Smith Ensemble
Verve Records V4051
1962

Paul Smith: piano
Joe Gibbons and Tony Rizzi: guitar
Rollie Bundock: bass
Milt Holland: congas
Chico Guerrero: timbales
Irv Cottler: drums

From the cover notes: Paul Smith… an imaginative and gifted keyboard man who wandered away from home in his youth as a ward of the daring and stimulating arranger-orchestra leader, Johnny Richards. Piano, organ, celeste, harpsichord, and that little wonder of the chimes family, the keyboard glockenspiel – Paul has imposed his musicianship on each and the result have won him wide recognition as a radio, television and recording artist.

Inventive, light, fun and jazzy space age pop arrangements.

Theme From Carnival!
The World Go 'Round
Magic, Magic
She's My Love
Yes, My Heart
The Sword, The Rose And The Cape
Direct From Vienna
Mira
Very Nice

Latin Favorites - Plymouth Latin Orchestra

La Cumparsita

Latin Favorites
Plymouth Latin Orchestra
Plymouth P12-77

The total budget Plymouth label assembles on this release yet another bargain basement package with only enough material to fill one and a half sides. None-the-less, the cover illustration is creative and the set for a Plymouth effort features a few decent tracks.

Beso Ardiente
La Cumparsita
Rhumba Rhapsody
Obsession
Chiracha
Cielito Lindo
Blue Rhumba
Dim Light
Mi Passion
Good-Bye Fellows
Rhumba Serenade
Vasilando

Guitar Man - Living Guitars

Mission Impossible

Guitar Man
The Living Strings Play The Top Popular Tunes
Produced by Ethel Gabriel

Recorded in RCA Victor's Studio A, New York City

Recording Engineer: Bob Simpson
RCA Camden CAS-2245
1968

Guitar Man
Caravan
Love Is Blue
To Each His Own
Mission Impossible
Guitar Woman
Just As Much As Ever
I'm Coming Home
Am I That Easy To Forget
Walk Away

Duck Wars

I Write The Songs

Duck Wars
Irwin The Dynamic Duck And The Wibble Wabble Singers And Orchestra
Big Hits Dance Party
Peter Pan Records 8206

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Dance, Dance, Dance, Yowsah, Yowsah
How Deep Is Your Love
Stayin' Alive
Love Is Thicker Than Water
We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You
I Write The Songs
Jack & Jill
Wonderful World
The Name Of The Game

Nonstop Discotheque Party Dance

Fame

It Only Takes A Minute

Nonstop Discotheque Party Dance
Produced by John J. Cevetello
Photographed in Hollywood by David Alexander
Recorded at Sound Book Studios, NYC
Dance Instruction: Pat Tatosian
Cover Design: Lee Myles Assoc., NYC
Gillette Madison Company
GSLP 3530

The Hustle
Fame
Let's Do The Latin Hustle
7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Blow Your Whistle
Lady Marmalade
It Only Takes A Minute
Do It 'Til You're Satisfied
Bad Luck
Get Down Tonight
Shining Star

Ike Cole

Ike Cole
The Brother Of Nat "King" Cole
Guest Star GS 1502

Thought I'd share a good example of this nice, but somewhat obscure, Guest Star cover. The set is available online, so I will not be posting a sample.

Guest Star, a budget label, delivers a sweet and smooth sounding set by Nat's brother, Ike.

Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
I've Got The Whole World On A String
Who's Sorry Now
Stars Fell On Alabama
That's My Desire
Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
Hands Across The Table
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
Don't Worry 'Bout Me

Percussion Front Row Center - The Randy Heller Percussionists

In The Still Of The Night

Percussion Front Row Center
The Randy Heller Percussionists
PRI Records

This LP appears to be one of Heller's more obscure sets. Pressed on colorful yellow vinyl the set features a colorful Latin/Jazz vibe and that early Command label "ping-pong" bongo sound. The arrangement of In the Still Of The Night is just crazy.

From the back cover: When Randy Heller was in college, studying to be an ophthalmologist, his favorite pastime was sitting in his dormitory room in front of his record player, listening to original cast albums of Broadway shows, and accompanying the performances on the bongos. But instead of turning out to be the best bongo playing ophthalmologist in Beverly Hills, he wound up being perhaps the only bongo player in Hollywood who could spell ophthalmologist.

Randy Heller is kept might busy nowadays, however, arranging, playing and conducting albums that feature his "Percussionists." "Fortunately," says Randy, "I've been able to do a lot of what I like best – the great Broadway show songs played with all kinds of Latin rhythms and instruments." Randy's not the only fortunate one; the listener and dancer are lucky, too. As record buyers have come to realize, dance packages are often not worth listening to, and many displays of Latin-jazz fireworks defy dancing to. But Randy Heller's Percussionists fall into neither classification. Without compromising in either direction, Randy comes up with tunes, tempos, sounds and ideas that make for equally fascinating dancing and listening. It's what he chooses to call "vertical stereo," the kind of music that appeals to both the top and bottom, the ears and feet, of the human body.

I Love Paris
Be A Clown
A Foggy Day
Easy To Love
Small World
The Jones Boy
My Heart Belongs To Daddy
Manhattan
Always True To You In My Fashion
Malaguena
Just A Little
In The Still Of The Night

My Moods And Feelings

Love

My Moods And Feelings
A Self-Discovery Record
Ultrasound Records ULT 3384
1975

Happiness
Unhappiness
Afraid
Love
Angry
I've Got The Giggles
Shy
Envy
Pretending
Feeling Good All Over