Search Manic Mark's Blog

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Dance To The Latin Beat - Al Stefano

Mambo No. 9 (Pres Pardo)

Mack The Knife

Dance To The Latin Beat
Al Stefano And His Orchestra
Cover Photo by Garrett-Howard
Decca Records DL 8645

From the back cover: Beginning as a drummer, Al formed his own orchestra about three years ago and is already firmly established as one of the leading Latin American dance bands. This orchestra can be heard over all Continental broadcasting stations and their records are sold in more than twenty countries around the globe.

Mambo Inn
Amor
Lindisima
Cuba Mambo
Me Tienes Loquito
Mambo No. 9
Starlight Room Mambo
Anna Morena
Jumbo Jumbo
Rosina
Mack The Knife
Dos Trompetas

Friday, March 14, 2014

The First Hits Of 1965 - Frank Chacksfield

I Feel Fine
The First Hits Of 1965
Frank Chacksfield And His Orchestra
London LL 3416

I'm not a big fan of Chacksfield and the cheap cover treatment didn't help help make the sale. None-the-less I bought the LP to hear Chacksfield's Goldfinger cover. Surprisingly, this could be the best Chacksfield album that I can remember listening to. It's a fine mid-60s light pop album and even though the audio technology is, for some reason, mono (London did release a stereo press PS 416)… the sonic quality on this mono release is excellent.

I Feel Fine
The Wedding
Downtown
I'll Be There
Mr. Lonely
Goldfinger
Willow Weep For Me
She's A Woman
Dear Heart
Hawaii Tattoo
Have You Looked Into Your Heart
Walk Away

The Dancing Sound - Les Elgart

Melancholy Serenade
The Dancing Sound
Les Elgart And His Orchestra
Columbia Records CL 684

Lush big band arrangements spiced with a "late night dancehall mood vibe". With a deep, full sound made possible by a great engineering.

From the back cover: In Elgart's own words, the bias of the orchestra is described: "We didn't want a pounding sound. We want it to flow and be good to dance to and play with. Furthermore, this is largely an ensemble band, which is why it's able to work the class spots and appeal to both college kids and the older groups. We give them the melody, but within a good musical context." And that is what is heard on this collection: melody, but with solid musical ideas about sound and texture surrounding it.

Alice Blue Gown
Seems Like Old Times
Makin' Whoopee
Melancholy Serenade
Gimme A Little Kiss
Les' Tango!
Ain't We Got Fun
Senior Hop
I Hadn't Anyone Till You
Love Is Just Around The Corner
Chicago
Girl Of My Dreams

Rafael Colon - Para ti

Retrato De Amor
Rafael Colon
Para ti
Luis Perez y su Orquesta
Remo Records Corp. - New York, N. Y.

Para Ti
Impossible Cheer
Traicionera
Trata De Encontrarme
Amorosa
Paraiso Sonado
Retrato De Amor
Aquella Tarde
Quisiera Encontrar
Sigueme Mirando
Torpeza
Perdoname

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Mood Music Sampler

Gold Coast - Billy Butterfield
Mood Music Sampler
Trans-World TWLP-100
Printed and Manufactured by Crown Album Corp.

This is one budget LP that features an interesting cover design which sets the tone for a decent compilation of mood including this fine Butterfield track which is also included on I'm In The Mood.

How High The Moon
Blue Coast
Harbor Lights
Aphrodesia
Walk With The Wind
Doreen
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
Toselli's Serenade
Our Serenade
Gold Coast
Safe In The Harbor
Majorca

J. E. Mainer With Morris Herbert

Kansas City
Rural Rhythm Presents
The Legendary J. E. Mainer and The Mountaineers with Morris Herbert
Vol. 17
RR-JEM-247
1972

A singing blues number from an otherwise more straight forward "mountain music" LP.

Nobody's Business
Tax On A Hole In The Ground
Sold Down The River
Shout Lula
If You Should See Your Sister
Kansas City
Tabby Let Your Hair Hand Down
Spring Me A Leaf From The Sea
Can't Get You Off My Mind
Down At The Cider Mill
Roll On Buddy
I'll Hate Myself Tomorrow
High Ball Gal Of Mine
Old Man Below
Rebuilding Bridges
Hoop It Up
Uncle Eph

Lani McIntire's Hawaiian Quartet

South Sea Moon
Lani McIntire's Hawaiian Quartet
Royale 18103

Surprisingly good Royale Hawaiian 10 inch 33.

On The Beach At Waikiki
Hula Chant (Ulili Hula)
Alohe Oe
Luana
South Sea Moon
Kuu-Ipo_I-Ka-Hee-Pue-One
Ke Ahi Kuu Ipa (Love Fire)

Jane Froman

You, So It's You
Travatore Jive
Jane Froman and Orchestra
Royale 18108

Budget split 10 inch 33. Four Forman tracks and four studio orchestra tracks.

A Garden In The Rain
Forevermore
Linger In My Arms
You, So It's You
Trust Me
Harvest Moon
Long Ago

Footlight Favorites - From Behind The Iron Curtain

Polka
Footlight Favorites
From Behind The Iron Curtain
Leading Soloists and Theatre Orchestra of Moscow
Waltzes - Polkas - Production Numbers
Colosseum CRLP 167
1954

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Brasilian Impressions - Dick Hyman

Eleanor Rigby
Brasilian Impressions
Dick Hyman
Piano and Woodwinds
Arrangements: Dick Hyman
Cover art by Charles E Murphy
Engineers: Robert Fine and George Piros
Originated and Produced by Loren Becker and Robert Byrne
Command Records RS 911 SD

Lush, sophisticated arrangements flavored, from time to time, with a hint of the pop sound you hear in many Command LPs from the period. Good stuff!

Session musicians: Joe Wilder, Clare Terry, Phil Bodner, Stanley Webb, Romeo Penque, Walt Levinsky, Jimmy Abato, Johnny Mince, Bob Haggart, Bobby Rosengarden, Phil Kraus and Johnny Pacheco

From the notes: "Bossa Nova," he (Hyman) points out, "is not an accurate term any more. It is now being used generically to cover things that go well beyond the earlier conception of bossa nova. Bossa nova was a development of the samba but now there are all kinds of other sambas being played. This new music also has more jazz in it than the bossa nova did and the exact bossa nova beat is now often implied rather than specifically played."

The overall sound he (Hyman) had in mind started with the woodwind chamber works of the great Brazilian composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos. But it also included the unusual woodwind approach to jazz of the Alec Wilder Octet, a group with which that American composer recorded on several occasions in the late 1940s


A Time For Love
Samba De Duas Notas
Mas Que Nada
A Message To Mchael
Song Of The Jet
Jazz 'N' Samba
Insensatez
Eleanor Rigby
Ri
A Day In The Life Of A Fool
O Barquinho