Les Brown's In Town

Spanish Monster

Les Brown's In Town
Capitol Records T746
1956

From the back cover: Dancers all across the nation gather to hear Les, for his band tours far and wide. The group has appeared in Hollywood at the Palladium more times than any other band, and he had his men often set up their stands in the tops spots of New York City. As part of the Bob Hope Show, the band has also done a lot of traveling overseas. In its annual tours, though, Brown's group aims first of all at the crossroads, the small towns, army camps, and campuses of America.

One of the greatest kicks for the band is playing in some of these smaller places year after year. For example, there's a town in the center of Kansas where the band has played a one-night stand for over eight summers. It's one of the big nights of the year, partially a town holiday, with people from miles around jamming the local veteran's hall where the dance is held. Then there's a large pavilion in Indiana where, summer after summer, hundreds of couples dance under the stars to Les Brown's music.

The places in which the band appears are many, and they are all different. But whether it's a lakeside resort in Wisconsin, a ballroom in Oregon, or a college auditorium in Arizona, the result is the same: more renown for the band, more poll-winning popularity.

Just You, Just Me
Harlem Nocturne
Checkin' In
Moonlight In Vermont
The Continental
Spanish Monster
Meanwhile Back On The Bus
Ridin' High
Nina Never Knew
On A Little Street In Singapore
The Piccolino

Wish Me A Rainbow - Living Voices

Chova Chuva

Wish Me A Rainbow
Living Voices
Arranged and Conducted by Bob Armstrong
Produced by Ethel Gabriel
RCA Camden CAS-2147
1967

Wish Me A Rainbow (from the film "This Property Is Condemned")
My Cup Runneth Over (from the Broadway production "I Do! I Do!")
What Makes It Happen (from the Broadway production "Walking Happy")
Constant Rain (Chove Chuva)
Anyone Can Move A Mountain
Tiny Bubbles (Hua Li'i)
Kissing Bridge
The Shadow Of Your Smile (Love Theme from "The Sandpiper")
A Place In The Sun

I Can't Stop Loving You - Exotic Guitars

Till Love Touches Your Life

I Can't Stop Loving You
Exotic Guitars
Arrangements by Bill Justis
Produced by Randy Wood
Lead Guitar: Al Casey
Engineers: Thorne Nogar & Fern Dorrell
Cover Design & Photo: Studio Five, Inc.
Recorded at Annex Recording Studio, Hollywood, Calif.
Ranwood Records, Inc. R8085

I Can't Stop Loving You
El Condor Pasa
Candida
September Song
My Sweet Lord
Who's Sorry Now
Till Love Touches Your Life
Theme From "Love Story"
Honey
Hava Nagila

Indian Love Call - The Exotic Guitars

Sabre Dance

Indian Love Call
The Exotic Guitars
Arranged and Conducted by Bill Justis
Produced by Randy Wood
Recorded at Annex Studios
Solo Guitar: Al Casey
Cover Design & Photos: Studio Five, Inc.
Ranwood Records, Inc. R8051
1969

Indian Love Call
La Paloma
Battle Hymn Of The Republic
Pearly Shells
Red Roses For A Blue Lady
Sabre Dance (From Ballet Gayne)
Vaya Con Dios
Green Door
Petite Fleur
Trying
Moon River

Dick Contino At The Fabulous Flamingo In Las Vegas

Flying Home

Dick Contino
At The Fabulous Flamingo In Las Vegas
Mercury Records SR 60079
1959

Dick Contino - Vocalist, Accordion, Emcee
Don Stanly - Bass
George Everback - Drums
Thomas Maxfield - Piano
Joe Passalaqua - Guitar

From the back cover: Dick Contino and his gang of fun making musickers run thru a rollicking typical 40-minute set, such as they do nightly about six months of every year in the fun capitol of the world, Las Vegas. The ex-Fresno butcher boy, who rose to fame on Horace Heidt's magic carpet, compresses into one set herein all the hits which he's synonymous with "Mr. Accordio" wallops every emotional chord, ranging instrumentally from the torrid "Lady Of Spain" to the haunting "Edd Tide." He gambols vocally through backroom hit's like "Peg O' My Heart" and bounces right back with such a heart-crashing working of "Baby, Baby, All The Time" that it threatens to put the Bobby Troup standard into the immortal class.

Because this band works three to six months on the back-bar stage of the Flamingo lounge, the tight little sextet purvey a brand of sharps and flats that's especially contagious. Dig the crowd reaction as proof before, during and after each number.

Featured on the most knocked-out arrangement of "Nature Boy" ever recorded at race-track tempo is Jimmy (Little Red) Blount, a trombone player whose in orbit all during the session.

Lady Of Spain
Ebb Tide
Swinging On A Star
Come Back To Sorrento
Peg O' My Heart
Peggy O'Neil
Flying Home
Ciribiribin
Begin The Beguine
Baby, Baby, All The Time
Nature Boy
Arrivederci Roma

Mandolino Italiano - Iller Pattacini

Mandolino Italiano

Mandolino Italiano
Iller Pattacini
Conducting The Ricordi Orchestra
Recorded In Italy
Vesuvius Records - Union City, New Jersey
LP NO. 4407/ST
Distributed by MGM Records

From the back cover: "Mandolino Italiano", our opening selection, was written expressly for this album by the brilliant Maestro Iller Pattacini, who not only conducts the famous Ricordi Orchestra, but who has so ably and tastefully arranged all of these selections hereon, as well. "Mandolino Mandolino", successfully presented at the 1961 San Remo Festival, follows. The next four songs are inspired respectively by Rome, Venice, Florence and Naples. We dedicate side two in its entirety to Naples in recognition of its "know-how" of presenting these melodies, both sad and gay, that are among the most beautiful songs that this musical city has ever been able to express.

Mandolino Italiano
Mandolino Mandolino
Canta Se La Vuoi Cantar
Gondoli' Gondola'
Mattinata Fiorentina
Anema E Core
Napule Ca Se Ne Va
Voce E' Notte
Duje Paravise
Sciummo
Spingule Frangese
Fenesta Ca Lucive

Listen To The Quiet - Joe Bushkin

Street Of Dreams

Listen To The Quiet...
Joe Bushkin
Arranged and Conducted by Kenyon Hopkins
Produced by Andy Wiswell
Capitol Records T 1165
1959

From Billboard - April 30, 1959: Pianist Bushkin and an ethereal-sounding chorus provide easy listening with dreamy, smoothly paced treatments of standards keyed to the title theme – "Two Sleepy People," "Street Of Dreams," "Good Night Sweetheart," etc.

Listen To The Quiet
Two Sleepy People
In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
Dream Along With Me
Street Of Dreams
Three O'Clock In The Morning
Moonlight Becomes You
Sleepy Time Gal
The Party's Over
Put Your Dreams Away
Let's Put Out The Lights And Go To Sleep
Good Night Sweetheart

Brazen Brass New Sounds In Folk Music - Henry Jerome

Green Fields

Brazen Brass
New Sounds In Folk Music
Henry Jerome and His Orchestra
Produced by Henry Jerome
Arrangements by Dick Jacobs
Chief Engineer: Charles Lauda, Jr.
Mixing Engineer: Lawrence McIntyre
Decca Records DL 74344
1962

From Billboard - November 24, 1962: Having given the "Brazen Brass" treatment to Hollywood tunes, Latin favorites, and the big-band oldies, Henry Jerome travels the Ray Charles route, and applies the arrangement technique to a nice collection of international folk favorites. Tunes include "Tom Dooley," the South African "Wimoweh." "Blue Tail Fly," "Red River Valley," among others. The sound is big, bright and brassy, and Jerome fans and deejays will like it.

Tom Dooley
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Across The Wide Missouri (A-Roll A-Roll A-Ree)
Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
Green Fields
Red River Valley
The Blue Tail Fly
Goodnight, Irene
On Top Of Old Smokey
Michael
Careless Love
Marianne

Norman Plays Novello - Fred Norman

Aruba

Norman Plays Novello
Fred Norman & His Orchestra
Featuring Nickelodeon Rag & Heather Hill
Produced by Tony Tamburello
Glenn Productions - GP Records GPN 5004
1971

From the back cover: "The Black Man's Mancini."

That's what veteran arranger Fred Norman could be called after his new album, "Norman Plays Novello," a lushly swinging instrumental collection with more than a pinch of timely nostalgia.

One-time big band "charts" expert Norman is graduated on this LP to orchestral arranger and, for the first time on record, leader of his own orchestra – with honors. But the occasion is momentous for other reasons, too. The songs are all by Gene (no-relation-to-Ivor) Novello, some old, mostly new, all melodic and often recalling a time when the popular song was a more gentle, bittersweet medium of universal communication; a time when hearts yearned mainly for other hearts and far-away places. Norman playing Novello revives this sweeter age with a rich, freshly "now," even occasionally jazz-tinged approach to the material.

New Jerseyan Novello has been in the construction business full-time since 1930, but as he puts it (and his tunes back him up), "Music is my first love. Whenever possible I take time out to compose." In 1937 he met and worked with Norman for the first time at, appropriately, that Mecca for big bands during their Golden Age, Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook in Cedar Grove, N.J. They have teamed often since then and, according to Norman, "This new album is the culmination of our friendship and the abilities of both of us.

"I feel 'Norman Plays Novello' is meaningful for another reason," Novello says. "It's unique within my experiences for a black man to arrange and conduct an album like this, one that fits into what is today called the 'easy listening' category. And I don't think anyone could have done as fine a job as Fred Norman.

Norman has proved his versatility time and again over the years. Born in Leesburg, Fla. in 1910, his mother was a pianist in a local church and introduced him early to music. At 14 he took up the trombone and later studied music at the Fessenden Academy, where he boarded. He played in the school band and afterward with professional aggregations that led hi to New York, his current base of operations.

"Up to then, I had never taken any lessons in arranging." Norman reveals, "but I used to go to the Library of Congress in Washington to study what books on orchestrations I could find. Believe me, I learned a lot there. I used to go to listen to the best bands that came to town, too, and also paid close attention to their records... The first arrangement that I wrote was "Penthouse Serenade" for the Elmer Calloway Band, for which I was playing trombone. (Elmer was Cab's brother.) I was very happy to see it included in the permanent repertoire of the band and to notice that the musicians liked to play it."

Norman's arrangements have been recorded by, among others, Claude Hopkins and His Orchestra, Etta James, Damita Jo, Jimmy McGriff, Sonny Stitt and the late Dinah Washington. "The most fantastic experience was working for Dinah Washington," he notes. "What temperament! Dinah always made loud entrances, accompanied by dozens of people and a good stock of brandy. She would announce 'Tea Time!' and distribute the brandy. Then she would start recording saying, 'I'll only do each selection once and you have to get it the first time.' She was terrific. Dinah! She never had to repeat. She only asked to have the introduction played, that's all. When she 2as in shape she recorded a dozen selections in one hour like nothing."

Norman has worked in radio, TV and films, too, although he hasn't played his trombone now for years.

He has arranged and written for big band leaders such as Harry James, Gene Krupa, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Spivack, Jack Teagarden and Bunny Berigan. His new album, therefore, which brings back the big band sound with a contemporary orchestral bang, seems a natural evolution. – Doug McClelland - Editor, Record World Magazine

Roadrunner
Let Me Tell You 'Bout Suzanne
Nickelodeon Rag
When
Heather Hill
Sunset At Sanibel
Echoes Of Rome
Aruba
Fedela
Milano Rose
Apple Turnover
The Secret

I Pretend - Des O'Connor

Never My Love

I Pretend
Des O'Connor
Accompaniment by Alan Ainsworth and His Orchestra
Recording Produced by Norman Newell
Recording Engineer: Peter Brown
Odeon (EMI) SCX 6295
Made and Printed in Great Britain
1968

From the back cover: Most comedians merely sing songs to finish their act but if Des wished, he could just sing and never crack another joke. For proof one only has to listen to this LP. His singing voice compares with the best and one only has to hear the great variety of songs presented here to know Des rates with the top singers of the day. My Cup Runneth Over, The Other Man's Grass, Didn't We are all first class examples of vocal sincerity. Also included is the magical I Pretend, a song that has lasted longer in the 1968 Hit Parade than any other and must always be classed as Des O'Connor's song. – Patrick Hess

My Cup Runneth Over
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
Heartaches
You No-One But You
Just In My Dreams
The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener
I Pretend
This Guy's In Love With You
Sunshine Of Love
Thinking Of You
All I Need Is You
Happiness And Heartaches
Didn't We
Never My Love