Love Is Blue - Living Marimbas

Mission Impossible Theme

The Good And The Bad And The Ugly

Love Is Blue
Living Marimbas
Arranged And Conducted By Leo Addeo
Produced By Ethel Gabriel
RCA Camden
CAS-2253
1968

Another creative installment in the "Living" series of records.

Love Is Blue
In The Heat Of The Night
Scarborough Fair
Theme From The Fox
The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde
Mission Impossible Theme
Theme From Valley Of The Dolls
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Fascination
Greensleeves

Twin Pianos & Percussion - Stradivari Strings

Blue Skies

None But The Lonely Heart

Twin Pianos & Percussion
Stradivari Strings And The Montigo Choir
Pirouette Records RFM 73

Twin Pianos & Percussion

Metropolitan Strings And The Montigo Choir

Promenade 2241

I bought this LP (finding the Promenade version at a later date) because I'm a record hoarder and can't pass up the word "percussion" in the album title... In other words... I expected nothing in return for my $1. But, hey... this is a crazy record on which the percussion segment just isn't tacked on at the beginning of some canned studio orchestral piece. The arrangements are interesting. Add in bongos and the vocals and I could hardly believe my ears.

You're Just In Love
Blue Skies
Soft Lights And Sweet Music
Say It With Music
They Say It's Wonderful
It's A Lovely Day Today
Love Me Forever
One Lonely Night
Tell Me You Love Me
'Til Your Heart Is Mine
None But The Lonely Heart

The World We Know - Stan Kenton

Gloomy Sunday

The World We Know
Stan Kenton And His Orchestra
Capitol Records ST 2810
1968

This is a great Kenton album. The LP kicks off with an inventive and subdued cover of Sunny, but the mood quickly grows a bit more "somber". The vibe becomes more moody, slow and smoky. The "spy/secret agent" flavored track titled Interchange interjects energy at the end of side one, but side two jumps right back into bluesy covers of Invitation, Girl Talk and This Hotel. Kenton's Changing Times presents a more upbeat tune that features cool tempo changes. The LP closes out with yet one more moody track and one of my favorite songs, Gloomy Sunday.

Good stuff!

Sunny
Imagine
A Man And A Women
Theme For Jo
Interchange
Invitation
The World We Knew
This Hotel
Changing Times
Gloomy Sunday

Cha Cha Cha - Pedro Garcia And His Del Prado Orchestra

Abrete Sesamo

Cha Cha Cha
Pedro Garcia And His Del Prado Orchestra
Audio Fidelity AFSD 5810

One of a series of peppy Gracia Cha Cha records produced by AF around 1957.

Cha Cha Paganini
Luna De Miel En Puerto Rico
Las Classes De Cha Cha Cha
Cha Cha Chavela
Rico Vacilon
Nicolasa
Abreto Seasmo
Senorita Catalina
Pedro Y Pablo
Mi Lo Dijo Adela
Pimpolio
Baila

After Dark - Marian McPartland

Sand In My Shoes

After Dark
Marian McPartland
Cover Photo by Burt Goldblatt
Capitol Records T699
Recorded in New York City in October, 1955

Personnel:
Piano: Marian McPartland
Bass: Bill Crow
Drums: Joe Morello
Cello: Lucien Schmit
Harp: Betty Glamann (Chelsea Bridge - Sand In My Shoes Easy Come, Easy Go - For All We Know) & Margaret Ross (If I Love Again - I'll Be Around - Pour Little Rich Girl)

From the back cover: One night at the table nearest the kitchen in New York's vast Hickory House a few friends lingered over the dinner hour, talking to lean, elegant Marian McPartland. The waiters served the group with a joshingly put-on air and frequently bantering remarks about Marian: her respectable red dress, her piano playing. From the doting tone of their remarks, though, and the constant attention paid to her it was obvious that she was the idol of everyone alike. Marian's charm – at once as basic and warm-hearted as laughter – sustained itself miraculously throughout questions from her dinner companions, and a lot of intense talk about her craft.

Someone in the group asked her the typical, but unfailingly interesting question. "What kind of music do you like to play best?"

Without any hesitation at all, Marian replied, "Ballads. I seem to like to indulge in feeling slightly nostalgic and sad, and people tell me that they really feel what's being said, and I guess that' some sort of artistic achievement."

To the left of the little group a man was explaining loudly to his blonde girl friend why he could not stand barbecue sauce. But even in the face of such noisy competition the conversation went on, unabashed.

"And I like knowing the words of the ballads I play," Marian said. "Because when I do I can sort of 'think' them to myself as I play, and can play their moods into my performance.

Somebody murmured about how keenly she does indeed appear to be thinking as she plays, and then Marian continued, intently picking up part of an earlier conversations.

"I like to have someone to play for, and if I know that someone in the room is really listening – it need only be one, really! – I think I can project my mood to that person and perhaps others, too

"But to project this kind of mood in the best possible way the whole trio has to feel it, not just me, and I must say that my two boys, Bill Crow and Joe Morello, are tremendously sensitive people. That reminds me. Did you know that Joe was named New Star in Drums in Down Beat's 1955 Jazz Critics' Poll? Anyway, sometimes just a delicate touch on the cymbals with the brushes, or a low note feeling played on the bass can give me such a warm feeling, knowing we are all of one mind. When it happens, it's a wonderful thing, and it happens quite often.

"Every time we play a tune, though we may have a set idea of how parts of it are to be played, there are always certain passages that come out differently each time, with each person adding his or her little suggestion."

She paused, and someone said, "I understand you're using more instruments than just the bass and drums in your new album. How come?" The questioner indicated Bill Crow and Joe Morello, who had joined the friends for coffee.

"They were only added for the ballads," Marian said. "A cello and harp. They're so nice for gentle, lyrical things. I really love the quality that they give to a song."

And with that there was a general dispersal of the group. Marian and the other two musicians prepared for the first set; the man with the blonde girl friend and the antipathy to barbecue sauce left; and Marian's friends moved up to the bar, the better to hear her.

From Billboard - April 14, 1956: There's something very magic about the McPartland gal, and that great feeling gets over in big gobs on this classy and tasteful disking. In the ballads "Chelsea Bridge," "Sand In My Shoes," "Easy Come, Easy Go," etc., she uses cello and harp to augment her regular group and the added sound contributes much warmth and luster. But no matter who the back-up people may be (and Bill Crow on bass and Joe Morello on drums are tops in this set) the British artist makes elegant sounds and she's at her best here. Should Be a sickout counter item.

Poor Little Rich Girl
Chelsea Bridge
I Could Write You A Book
For All We Know
Sand In My Shoes
Struttin' With Some Barbecue
Easy Come, Easy Go
Falling In Love With Love
If I Love Again
Royal Garden
I'll Be Around
Everything But You

The Beat Goes On - Living Percussion

Jungle Fantasy

The Beat Goes On
Living Percussion
Camden RCA CAS-2255
1969

Why is this... sort of "budget" record... so amazing? Well, the "Living" series album producer, Ethel Gabriel teamed up some of the 60s best mood music/session artists to produce a number of excellent easy listening pop concepts. On closer inspection, if you read the jacket notes, you'll find that Dick Hyman (on loan from Command) arranged the pieces and Phil Kraus, one of the most creative studio percussionists of the period conducted the set.

Good stuff.

Quiet Village
Green Tambourine
White Silver Sands
Me. The Peaceful Heart
The Beat Goes On
Jungle Fantasy
Air Mail Special
Soul Coaxing
Humoresque
Step To The Rear

Sixteen Great Performances - Tony Mottola

Yesterday

Sixteen Great Performances
Tony Mottola
ABC Records

ABC's reissue of Command/Mottola tracks as a part of their series of "Sixteen Great Performance" albums. The album covers in this series had a similar look, printed on matt stock.

Satisfaction
Vaya Con Dios
Brasilia
Skip To My Lou
Arrividerci Roma
Twelfth Street Rag
Quando Vuelva A Tu Lado
Poor People Of Paris
Carnival Time
Yesterday
Am I Blue
Mexican Hat Dance
Tenderly
Tijuana Taxi
You Make Me Feel So Young
Volare

Gee, Our 1st Album - The Rock-afire Explosion

Gee, Our 1st Album
The Rock-afire Explosion
Creative Records
1982

I had no idea what the deal was with this album when I found it in the discount bin today. I was living under a rock when the robots pictured on the jacket were singing songs at a pizza place.

If your are interested in the particulars of Rock-afire you can start with the rockafiremovie facebook page.

I love to post a sample, but these guys are not that obscure... so I'll refrain unless one of the actors in the play demands that I do so. Then... which track to pick? That's a tough choice, because so many of the tunes are, like, totally awesome.

If you read my blog you know that I'm a big song-poem fan. The best way that I can describe what is going round and round on this record is that the vibe is a blend of song-poem and private press lounge. None of the tracks come off as kids record boring or even so much as a parody of the covers.

Fun stuff.

Paul McCartney's tune, My Love would be at the top of my list.

Little Sister
The Music Goes Round And Round
Light My Fire
My Love
Satisfaction Medley
Baseball
Goin' Crazy You May Be Right
Sal's Birthday
Unchained Melody
Too Shy
Beatles Medley

Tuff Guitar Tijuana Style - Al Caiola

The Shadow Of Your Smile

Tuff Guitar Tijuana Style
Al Caiola
Produced by Leroy Holmes
Cover Photo: Frank Gauna
United Artists UAS 6473
1966

From Billboard - July 9, 1966 (copy from an advertisement which apparently ran before the actual track list was set): "Help!," "Yesterday" and "Just A Little Bit Better" are among the dozen tracks that improve in flavor with the tasty Caiola treatment. Al is at his ingenious best throughout, with exciting arrangements that produce solid programming material. Al Caiola on tour, on television or on records, plays an Epiphany Al Caiola model guitar, which he helped design. Epiphone – choice of those who can hear the difference.

El Flicko
The Shadow Of Your Smile
Never On A Sunday
Spanish Harlem
Cuando Calienta El Sol
Thunderball
South Of The Border
Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars
Fascination
Baubles, Bangles And Bead
Morgen
Pablo

Satin Brass - The George Shearing Quintet With Brass Choir

Chelsea Bridge

Satin Brass
The George Shearing Quintet With Brass Choir
Produced by Dave Cavanaugh
Capitol Records ST1326
1960

From the back cover: George points out: "Having worked with just the Quintet for so long, I just felt the desire to have a big-band sound that boots you in the back! I believe that, in presenting this new sound of ours, we have found a fresh and appealing approach, and I'm very pleased with the blend we've managed to develop.

"Hal Rood scored "If I Had You," "Stairway To The Stars", and his own compositions, "Just Plain Bill" and "First Floor Please" (Hal, incidentally, plays trombone with the 'Satin Brass' group). Jimmy Jones arranged Duke Ellington's lovely "Chelsea Bridge," and I arranged the remaining seven numbers.

In the grim days just before World War II the first regular English jam sessions were held at the Orange Tree Pub in the sleepy North London suburb of Friern Barnet. George Shearing was always the star performer. It was there that Shearing was first discovered and acclaimed by the British critics.

Chris Hayes of "Melody Maker" declared at the time, "I predict that George will be the first British musician to give something new to American music." 

History proved Hayes to be right, of course. George not only brought something new to American; he stayed, fell in love with the country, and became a citizen. And now the new sound he presents in this album is further evidence of the creative musician outlook is always Shearing's. – Howard Lucraft

(Howard Lucraft is a long-time friend of George Shearing, having known him since the early Shearing days in England. He is well-known to Los Angeles FM listeners as host of the Jazz International Show on KPRK, and is also a regular contributor to Metronome Music USA, and Melody Maker (Great Britain).

Deep Night
In The Blue Of The Evening
I Could Write You A Book
Sleepy Manhattan
If I had You
Just Plain Bill
First Floor Please
Chelsea Bridge
A Ship Without A Sail
Stairway To The Stars
You Look Like Someone
Night Flight