My Funny Valentine
Irving Fields At The Piano
King Records 703
1960
From the back cover: Irving Fields and his trio have been supplying their infectious music for so many years that many of the group's fans are surprised to discover that the leader is still a comparatively young man. Fields started his performing career when he was in his teens, and now, 17 years later, and still with the same bassist and drummer with whom he started out, Field's happy brand of music draws crowds wherever the trio appears, in smart supper clubs and night clubs throughout the country. There are few rooms in the United States that have not featured the Fields combo, from New York to Las Vegas to Miami. Right now he is packing them in at the El Borracho in New York.
Perhaps one of the things that has helped the Irving Fields Trio to remain as popular as it has for so long, is the ability of the leader to play any and all types of music. If the audience desires sweet music, Fields can play sweetly, if they want jazz he can play that too. And if they want happy music for dancing, Fields and his Trio are able to handle with ease as well. That Irving Fields knows what the public wants and likes is evident from his successful songwriting as well as his musical career. He is the writer of three pop hits, "Miami Beach Rumba", Managua, Nicaragua", and "Chantez, Chantez".
In this collection of all time favorites selected by Irving Fields from the tunes most requested of his trio over the years, the pianist gets an opportunity to display the various types of rhythms that have made the trio musically interesting for almost two decades. He arranged every tune in the album with an eye to keeping listener attention throughout the entire LP. The Field's version of "Mack The Knife", the Kurt Well tune that recently became a smash pop hit, is handed a concert arrangement here, starting out with Latin Rhythms, then turning into a classical selection and ending with a dazzling display of technique on the part of the pianist. "The Third Man Theme" is given a cha cha flavor and wonderful beat, the "Ebb Tide", another pop hit of recent vintage, is handled in pop-symphonic style by the combo. You are sure to find one of your favorites in this new collection, performed in an engaging and distinctive manner by the Irving Fields Trio. – Bob Rolontz, The Billboard
Ebb Tide
Fascination
September Song
Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers
My Funny Valentine
How High The Moon
Holiday For Strings
Tico Tico
Laura
Mack The Knife Concerto
Danube Waves
Stephen Foster Rumba Medley
