Reviewers in this issue: David Ades, Peter Burt, Roger Hyslop, Barry McCanna, Edward Trub and Edmund Whitehouse

KT Editor's CD Choice

HENRY JEROME & HIS ORCHESTRA 'Brazen Brass' 2-CDs 48 tracks incl. 'Brazen Brass' Stompin' at the Savoy; Glow Worm; Dance of the Hours Cha Cha Cha; Blue Moon; Bugle Call Waltz; The Saints Go Marching In … 'Brazen Brass Goes to Hollywood' Around the World; Moonglow; Three Coins in the Fountain; High Noon; Gigi; The Third Man Theme … 'Brazen Brass Plays Songs Everybody Knows'Alexander's Ragtime Band; You Were Meant for Me; I Can't Give You Anything But Love; Margie; Near You; On the Sunny Side of the Street … 'Brazen Brass Brings Back The Bands' In the Mood; You Made Me Love You; Song of India; Sentimental Journey; Dipsy Doodle; Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing) … Jasmine JASCD 704 (55:30 & 64:37) Henry Jerome, born 1917, started as a bandleader in high school. From the mid-1930s until the end of the 1940s his was a "sweet" band, specialising in light ballads and moderate tempos. After breaking up the band Jerome went into record producing, and ended up forming a new studio band to release a series of LPs for Decca under the name of "Brazen Brass", inspired by the success of Enoch Light's "Percussion" albums and sound (see review in JIM 192 or online at www.rfsoc.org.uk). The trademark "brazen" sound was enhanced through stereo by recording an equal number of trumpets on each channel. According to Jerome, the technique was "To have my open brass section on left speaker talk musically to the muted brass section on the right speaker in musical phrases and be able to reverse them, which was unheard of in those days." He produced and conducted nine Brazen Brass albums for Decca (four of them, including the second album here, making the American Top 10) as well as several more sweet albums, until he left to become an A&R man for Coral in 1959. He released one more "brazen" style album in the late 1960s for United Artists. With good transfers and digital processing this first CD release is swing accented easy listening and, though apart from the rhythm section there is nary a string to be heard, I loved it. PB

MANUEL AND THE MUSIC OF THE MOUNTAINS 'Mountain Fire' & 'Beyond The Mountains' 24 tracks incl. Sailing; Evergreen from 'A Star is Born'; El Porompompero; Forever and Ever; Dancing in the Dark; Cachita … El Rancho Grande; Shangri-La; The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (I will wait for you); Stranger in Paradise'; Dancers of El Paso; Over the Rainbow … Vocalion CDLK 4476 (77:02)Readers who are enjoying the Music for Pleasure LP re-issues from Geoff Love and his Orchestra on this label will also want this release. Geoff used his "Manuel" moniker on 30 albums from 1960 to 1981. The first one here comes from 1977, the second from ten years earlier and they were originally on EMI's Studio 2 Stereo label. The album titles are both Love compositions. PB

EDMUNDO ROS 'Cuban Love Song' 28 tracks incl. Cuban Love Song; Los Hijos de Buda; Maria Elena; No Can Do Calypso; Tico-Tico; Come Closer to Me; The Coffee Song; A Rainy Night in Rio; The Wedding Samba; April in Portugal; Delicado; I Talk to the Trees; Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White; Spanish Gypsy Dance Retrospective RTR 4200 (79:20) This is a timely tribute to the highly popular Latin-American bandleader, who died last year just short of his 101^st birthday! During his 36 years as a bandleader he did much to popularise such exotic rhythms as the bolero, the rumba, the mambo and the paso doblé, all of which rhythms and more are represented here. The compilation takes in his early forties recordings whilst resident at the Coconut Grove in Regent Street, his mid to late '40s recordings when at the Bagatelle, and those made in the early to mid-fifties with his expanded orchestra. It concludes with three tracks from his 1958 album 'Rhythm of the South', one of Decca’s early stereo LPs, and something of a trail-blazer in its day. The original recordings transported listeners to exotic sun-kissed locations; the splendidly remastered sound should have the same effect. BMC

'MERRYMAKERS – BRITISH LIGHT CLASSICS' Iain Sutherland Concert Orchestra Overture – The Merrymakers (Eric Coates); The Girl From Corsica (Trevor Duncan); Little Serenade (Ernest Tomlinson); Dance In The Twilight – from ‘Springtime’ Suite (Eric Coates); Sutherland’s Law Theme (Hamish McCunn); March – Things To Come (Arthur Bliss); The Watermill (Ronald Binge); Playful Scherzo (Peter Hope); Dusk – from ‘Fancy Dress’ Suite (Cecil Armstrong Gibbs); Seventeen Come Sunday (Ralph Vaughan Williams); Theme from ‘Limelight’ (Charles Chaplin, arr. Reg Tilsley); Overture – The Arcadians (Lionel Monckton, arr. Arthur Wood); The Dream of Olwen (Charles Williams); English Dance No. 6 (Malcolm Arnold); My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose (Trad. arr. Gordon Langford); Mexican Hat Dance (Trad. arr. Peter Hope); Suo Gan (Trad. arr. Adrian Staines); Dick’s Maggot – from ‘Suite of English Folk Dances’ (Ernest Tomlinson); Bells Across The Meadow (Albert William Ketèlbey); Overture – Tam o’Shanter (Malcolm Arnold) Alto ALC 1192 (78:29) CD collections like this make life so easy for the reviewer, because the contents automatically recommend themselves! We are blessed with a conductor who loves, and understands Light Music, and his passion shines through in every track. Whether he is dealing with the acknowledged "masters", such as Coates or Ketèlbey, or the slightly less familiar who were once heard frequently on the much-missed BBC Light Programme, the result is the same: polished performances that illustrate what a wonderful world of Light Music is out there for us all to enjoy. I don’t need to comment on the best known works, but I would draw your attention to the two tracks by Peter Hope. I well remember his Playful Scherzo from BBC broadcasts, but even more familiar is his brilliant arrangement of Mexican Hat Dance. It’s also nice to see our "own" new MBE – Ernest Tomlinson, with two of his most appealing numbers. Iain Sutherland has modestly restricted his own contribution to his arrangement of Land of the Mountain and Flood – perhaps he can be persuaded to delve deeper into his own archive next time; because there surely must be another CD like this. It is a pure joy from start to finish. The excellent remastering was in the hands of another of our RFS friends – Paul Arden-Taylor. DA

'CROSS-CHANNEL PACKET' Panorama Musical d’Outre Manche Marianne Melodie 635824 (2 CDs, total 157:29) What a delightful surprise, to discover a new box set of British music celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II – from a French record company! But when you look closely at the credits in the booklet you discover that our friend Ralph Harvey has had a big hand in it, and his wife Patricia has provided the striking cover picture. CD 1 focuses more on "pure" light music, with tracks such as Knightsbridge and other works by Eric Coates, Waltzes by Charles Ancliffe, and contributions from Albert William Ketèlbey and Edward German among others. Robert Farnon is well represented with his arrangements of traditional British airs: Strawberry Fair, Early One Morning, Drink To Me Only, Annie Laurie, All Through The Night and British Grenadiers. On CD 2 we begin with seven tracks by the great Jack Hylton Orchestra – surely one of the finest British dance bands from the 1920s onwards, although it had many fine outfits challenging its supremacy, such as Jack Payne, Henry Hall, Roy Fox, Geraldo, Carroll Gibbons and, finally, Ted Heath. In every respect this is an enjoyable and imaginative collection, cleanly remastered (some of the tracks from the 1930s are astonishing in their clarity), that will give hours of listening pleasure. The odd vocal has been removed by sympathetic editing – some purists may object, but I personally find it acceptable if the end result is a more satisfying listening experience. The bonus is the generous booklet, with notes in both French and English. Such fun! DA

MANTOVANI AND FRIENDS Memory Lane / Yesteryear GLM/Y-38-26a,b,c (3 CDs, total timing 179.18) This is a similar format to 'Yes, Milord!' [reviewed further on] except for the contents. This time the 60 tracks concentrate mainly on light orchestras, with the eponymous Annunzio Mantovani accompanied by Henry Mancini, Frank Chacksfield, George Melachrino, Leroy Anderson, Boston ‘Pops’, Ron Goodwin, Nelson Riddle, Ray Martin, Percy Faith, Edmundo Ros, Stanley Black, Ray Conniff, Bert Kaempfert, Helmut Zacharias, Norrie Paramor, MGM Studio Orchestra, 20^thCentury Fox Studio Orchestra, Mitch Miller, Victor Silvester, Geoff Love and Robert Farnon – whose contributions are Westminster Waltz and Tea For Two. This is a vintage collection of top light orchestras that illustrates just how fortunate record buyers were in the 1950s. Great sound and a great choice of music, with the added bonus of a fine booklet. Just place any of these discs in the CD player, and sit back and wallow! DA

'THAMES DIAMOND JUBILEE PAGEANT – NEW WATER MUSIC' Ensemble H₂0 Fast – Slow – Fast (Anne Dudley); Gigue (Debbie Wiseman); Bourree (John Lunn); Rigaudon (Howard Goodall); Air On The River (Stephen Warbeck); Passepied (Gavin Greenaway); Overture & Allegro (Julian Nott); Jubilee Gavotte-Rock (Christopher Gunning); Slowish (Graham Fitkin); Alla Hornpipe (Adrian Johnston); London Bells (Jocelyn Pook) Silva Screen SILCD1385 (54:31) These new works were commissioned by the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation, and performed for the first time at the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday 3^rd June 2012 as part of the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne. The background was explained in a special feature in the last issue of this magazine, when it was hoped that this New Water Music would be prominently featured during the celebrations. Unfortunately the BBC’s television coverage of this event left much to be desired, so it is good to have this CD as a permanent memento of this historic occasion. The music is inspired by the earlier event almost 300 years ago when Handel composed his famous (and still popular) Water Music. Today’s composers were encouraged to use the original titles as inspiration, but (as Debbie Wiseman says in the booklet) "not to take this too literally, and to use our own musical voice." As a result we have eleven new interesting and contrasting works, which certainly deserve to have a life of their own. Each has been conducted by the composer, and the 17 top musicians forming the appropriately named "Ensemble H₂0" are all given their due credit in the booklet. Also there are explanations of each work by all the composers. It was a wonderful idea, brilliantly executed, and it is good to have this souvenir to enjoy over and over again. DA

DORIS DAY 'A Sentimental Journey With Doris Day : Her 53 Finest 1944-1960' incl. Sentimental Journey Day By Day; It’s Magic; Canadian Capers; Lullaby of Broadway; Moonlight Bay; Mister Tap Toe; Secret Love; Ready, Willing and Able; Singin’ in the Rain; Three Coins in the Fountain; Que Será Será Retrospective RTS 4198 (77:28 & 77:49) It’s rare for me to listen to such a lengthy compilation at one sitting, but this is an exceptional release. RFS member Doris is a tonic, whose voice projects her joie-de-vivre, instantly lifting the listener’s spirits. Her dulcet tones pour forth without strain, whatever the register, she’s a peerless interpreter of the song, and she enunciates the lyrics clearly. This is a superb compilation, which includes nine mid-40s recordings with Les Brown and a number from her many screen appearances. There are several duets; two with Buddy Clark, and one apiece with Frank Sinatra, Frankie Laine, Donald O’Connor, Johnnie Ray, and Paul Weston and Percy Faith figure prominently amongst her accompaniments. Remastering is excellent, and there’s a detailed discography and an informative liner note. BMC

SON YAMBU ‘La Maravilla’ 11 tracks incl. Baila Con Mi Tumbao; Co Co Mai Mai; Mujer Majadera; Cangrejo; Le Sumba El Mango … Apollo Sound APSCD238 (51:08) It’s been some while since our friends at Apollo Sound announced a new release, but one has just arrived, and what a fascinating CD it is! Billed in the press release as the "First Ever Cuban Son Album Recorded in the UK", it features seven distinguished Cuban musicians who are members of London’s growing Latin American culture. Toby Herschmann (the son of Apollo Sound’s founder Heinz Herschmann) writes: "we can’t wait to prove that extraordinary Cuban musicians are not limited to the island and that the potential for a continuation of the Buena Vista legacy can be found on London’s very own doorstep". Upon hearing the music for the first time the words "Tijuana Brass" immediately spring to mind, but you quickly forget that this is not a commercially produced sound for western ears, but a group of dedicated musicians happily making music for their own – and your – enjoyment. A knowledge of Spanish would be an advantage to fully appreciate the vocals, but it is really the infectious rhythm that carries this music along. One can imagine it being played in London clubs on a warm summer evening, with the drink flowing and couples unable to resist taking to the dance floor! This is far from the usual kind of CD you find reviewed in this feature, but if you want something completely different – and are planning a Caribbean themed party – you could do far worse than have this happily playing away in the background creating the perfect ambience. DA

IAN WHITCOMB 'Songs Without Words'  48 tracks incl. The Dickens Waltz; My Blues; Wigwam Wigwalk; Der Pussycat Walk; Montmartre; Tango of the Bears … Rivermont BSW-3136 (70:07 & 77:58) Ian Whitcomb has been a great proselyte for the vanished age of popular music, and  this 2-CD retrospective provides a selection of his instrumental recordings from between 1964 and 2009. It features his piano, ukulele, orchestra and dance bands, and embraces ragtime, blues, tangos, waltzes, laments, and tone poems, and that doesn’t even begin to cover it. To paraphrase Ian’s engaging liner note, this is music to accompany activity, rather than for sitting passively listening. Music has charms, and they are captured here to perfection.  BMC

BILLY BUTTERFIELD 'What’s New?' 24 tracks incl. Stardust; Jazz Me Blues; Stormy Weather; Little White Lies; I’ll be a Friend with Pleasure … Retrospective RTR 4203 (78:42) Billy Butterfield came from that stable of trumpeters who, having been influenced by the playing of Bix Beiderbecke, saw purity of tune as an essential part of their armoury. He was born in 1917, the year of the first jazz recordings, and this fine compilation spans the first two decades of his recording career from the age of 21. It kicks off with one of his first solos with Bob Crosby’s Orchestra, followed by one from the Bob Cats, and thence to Artie Shaw. One of the four numbers he recorded with a studio group led by Mel Powell in February 1942 is included, as are three numbers he recorded with trombonist Brad Gowans & New York Nine in 1946. There are three vocal accompaniments, to Margaret Whiting, Frank Sinatra, and Lee Wiley, and the final two tracks feature him in a Ray Conniff setting. Much of the rest is devoted to recordings made with his own orchestra, and two leading his Jazz Band in a tribute to Bix. Every track is a delight, enjoyment of which is enhanced by Alan Bunting’s audio restoration. The reissue was inspired by trumpeter Digby Fairweather, whose liner note outlines his career, and gives an expert commentary on his playing. BMC

STAN GETZ 'Four Classic Albums' 28 tracks incl. Pan; To the Ends of the Earth; Night in Tunisia; Nature Boy …. Avid AMSC 1058 (78:37 & 76:14) This 2-CD set presents the original contents of four vinyl albums. 'West Coast Jazz' dates from August 1955 and features a quintet, the others being Conte Candoli on trumpet, Lou Levy on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Shelley Manne on drums.'The Soft Swing' was recorded two years later, with Mose Allison on piano, Addison Farmer on bass and Jerry Segal on drums. 'Cool Velvet' was recorded in West Germany in March 1960 with a string orchestra conducted by Russell Garcia. It may not be jazz, but with playing of such quality who cares? Finally, 'Focus'" comes from late 1961, and features Stan improvising against a string orchestra playing arrangements by Eddie Sauter. Of all his recordings, and there were many, this was Stan’s favourite. 'Cool Velvet' and 'Focus' were both recorded in stereo, and the sound quality is quite breathtaking. BMC

TEDDI KING 'Four Classic Albums Plus'  54 tracks incl. That Old Feeling; I Can't Get Started; You go to My Head; The Touch of Your Lips; Porgy; Temptation; Flamingo ... Avid AMSC 1059 (79:58 & 79:58)  This compilation features an undeservedly near-forgotten singer, who died in 1977, after a lengthy illness which kept her out of the limelight. 'All The King’s Songs' was recorded for Coral during 1953 with an orchestra directed by Lew Douglas & Johnny Richards. 'Storyville Presents Miss Teddi King' was  a 10" LP recorded in 1954 with the quartet of Ruby Braff, Jimmy Jones, Milt Hinton and Jo Jones, and six of the eight numbers are presented here, split three aside between the two CDs. The remainder is three RCA albums, namely 'Bidin’ My Time' with Al Cohn & his Orchestra from mid-1955, 'To You from Teddi King' from mid 1956, and 'A Girl and Her Songs' from March 1957, both accompanied by George Siravo & his Orchestra. Teddi King had a glorious bell-like voice, with a controlled vibrato, and the ability to project the lyrics in an understated fashion, relying on dynamics and intonation to convey her interpretation. It’s an exquisite reissue, which will commend itself to Miss King’s devotees, and should help to swell their number. BMC              

'BIG BROADCAST  VOLUME 7'  Various Artists 25 tracks incl. Tampeekoe; My Heart Stood Still; Happy Days & Lonely Nights; Nobody’s Sweetheart; Walkin’ My Baby Back Home; Smoke gets in Your Eyes; Lovely to Look at  Rivermont BSW-1156 (74:56) Every year Rich Conaty, the host of WFUV’s long-running radio programme "The Big Broadcast", draws on jazz and popular music of the twenties and thirties to produce a generous compilation, including curios and rarities. The lavishly-produced liner booklet provides illuminating background information. Just to take a few examples, Moxie was a soda drink, and Arthur Fields’ recording was an advertising jingle for the product. They Satisfy by Mills Music Masters was more subliminal, but the song put across the slogan of Chesterfield cigarettes. Nicotine features elsewhere, with Harold Arlen taking the vocal on Leo Reisman’s Smoke Rings. And a young David Rose joined forces with Louis Prima and Norman Gast (as "The Hotcha Trio") for Chinatown, My Chinatown. Remastering is exemplary, and this is a real gem that I can’t recommend too highly.  BMC

'BRITISH DANCE BANDS' 124 tracks incl. I Got Rhythm; The Swiss Bell-Ringer; The Chestnut Man; Rhythm Lullaby; My Idea of Heaven; Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride!; The Snake-Charmer; Zambezi; By the Lazy Lagoon; Harlem…… Delta 90522 (74:56; 75:42; 74:29; 73:35 & 74:53) On the face of it, a 5-CD set for £12.99 including p&p would seem too good to be true, but like Delta’s earlier 5-CD set'The Golden Age of Swing', the price is the only cheap thing about this compilation. Every CD is self-contained in a separate jewel case, with a comprehensive liner note and clearly annotated tracks, which are arranged in chronological order. Broadly speaking, it spans the thirties and forties, plus a handful of tracks from the fifties. One of the potential drawbacks with such compilations is duplication, so I’ve gone through all those that I can check with a fine-tooth comb. By my reckoning, 50 have never been reissued since their original appearance, and only 14 have been reissued on LP. Leaving aside about 20, only 40 are commercially available already, and you’d need to own a lot of CDs to cover all of them. Three tracks, namely Who Made Little Boy Blue? by Joe Loss, A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody by Tommy Kinsman, and Hands Across the Table by Eddie Wood, were issued on the extremely rare Octacros label. In addition, many groups have been overlooked by compilers, and included here are The Blue Mountaineers, Jack McCormick, Don Marino Barreto, Nat Star, Ben Frankel, The Four Bright Sparks, Syd Seymour & Joe Orlando. The remastering is crisp and clear, and I recommend this package whole-heartedly. BMC

CARROLL GIBBONS & THE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS VOLUME 13 'Rustic Rhapsody' 24 tracks incl. The mood that I'm in; Goodnight, my lucky day; It's always you; Who am I?; Too romantic; The moon and the willow tree; Do I love you?; Journey's end … Vocalion CDEA 6200 (72:57)

ROY FOX AT THE CAFÉ DE PARIS VOLUME 9 'Spin A Little Web Of Dreams' 25 tracks incl. No more heartaches; no more tears; Midnight, the stars and you; You have taken my heart; Gee! Oh gosh! I'm grateful; Paddy; One morning in May; Aloha beloved … Vocalion CDEA 6201 (73:21)

THE NEW MAYFAIR DANCE ORCHESTRA DIRECTED BY CARROLL GIBBONS 'Encore' 25 tracks incl. All by yourself in the moonlight; You're in my heart; Shout Hallelujah! 'cause I'm home; Love me or leave me; One step to heaven; There's a blue ridge 'round my heart, Virginia; I'm a one-man girl; Anita … Vocalion CDEA 6202 (77:37)

These three CDs were issued the day before JIM’s deadline, which left little time to do other than concentrate on the highlights. The first spans 1937 to 1946, and features a number of vocalists, not least Anne Lenner, but also including Carroll himself. The second is set in 1934, March to May, and Denny Dennis is the vocalist on 18 of the tracks, Peggy Dell on all but one of the remainder. Finally, the NMDO compilation covers the twelve months from November 1928, and is weighted towards non-vocal recordings. I should declare an interest, having drafted the liner notes for all three. BMC

'ROARING 20s, CRAZY 30s: 200 Hot Tunes' incl. Rhythm King; Black Bottom; Tailspin; Aristocratic Stomp; Magnolia; Amapola; Harlem Shout… Membran 233377 (approx.60 mins. per disc) This 10-CD set merits a full review, but the space required merely to list 200 tracks makes that impossible. 74 four tracks feature British dance bands, most of which have been reissued elsewhere; the remainder comprises jazz and American dance bands and some outright jazz, and a few rarities are included. A high proportion of the set features vocals. The set has been compiled in quite random fashion, with no attempt at chronology, and some tracks fail to measure up, particularly those from the 1940s. As with other Membran 10-CD boxed sets, the discs are housed in cardboard slipcases, and tracklist information is minimal, and less than accurate. Those drawbacks pale into insignificance against a current price of less than £1 per disc, and my advice would be to snap up a set whilst you can. BMC

'YES, MILORD!' Memory Lane GLM/Y-36a,b,c (3 CDs, total timing 212:20) The sub-heading of this collection is ‘Charming Souvenirs from the Age of Elegance’ and it is a good description of the contents of 65 tracks on these three CDs. The booklet confesses that this compilation has been inspired by the success of the TV series "Downton Abbey" and the revival of the earlier "Upstairs, Downstairs", and each CD has its own separate theme: ‘Enchanted Evenings’, ‘Carefree Times – Reflective Times’ and ‘An Age of Charm’. There is an attractive mix of vocal and purely instrumental tracks, and it is good to see that the temptation to use the best-known (and previously readily available) versions of some well-known numbers has been avoided. As examples we have the Alfredo Campoli 78 of Teddy Bears’ Picnic (not the ubiquitous Henry Hall), Troise and his Mandoliers playing The Grasshoppers’ Dance and the Serge Krish Sextet performing Nola. There isn’t space to list the tracks, but the following names should give an indication of the wide variety covered: Mantovani, Boston Promenade Orchestra, Norman Luboff Choir, Jay Wilbur & New Light Symphony Orchestra, Jeanette MacDonald, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Deanna Durbin, Boyd Neel Orchestra, Joan Hammond, Debroy Somers, Charles Ancliffe Orchestra, D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, Orchestra Mascotte, New Symphony Orchestra, Peter Dawson, Noel Coward, Fred Astaire, Al Bowlly, Sidney Torch, Eric Coates … the list is almost endless! For more information you can visit the website: www.memory-lane.co.uk. Martin Moritz has contributed some interesting booklet notes, but it is a pity that the catalogue numbers of each track have been omitted. I suspect that the music has been acquired from various sources, because there are a few slight variations in the (generally very good) sound quality. This is the kind of collection that you find in the shops at many tourist attractions, and it is ideal for collectors who may not already possess much of the music on offer, but wish to have examples of the kind of records that were once so popular with their ancestors over 50 years ago. You will have already learned more about the enterprise behind this collection in the article on page 14 of this issue . DA

'DIAMOND JUBILEE' The Band of HM Royal Marines, Portsmouth (The Royal Band) DOM Major A J Smallwood with The Medina Community Choir & The Senior Choir of St Catherine's School, Bromley 18 tracks incl. arr. Jacob: The National Anthem; Yates: Jubilee;Waterer: Royal Salute; McDermott: Salute to the Commonwealth; Purcell: Trumpet Tune; Koenig:Post Horn Galop; Boyce: Heart of Oak; Russell: A Life on the Ocean Wave Chevron CHVCD 34(62:02) This release is a celebration in music of the The Queen's Diamond Jubilee and is a well-chosen and deservedly familiar selection for such a significant and historical occasion, thus Walton's stirring Crown Imperial, composed for the 1937 Coronation of George VI, Holst's Jupiter from "The Planets" and Elgar's Nimrod so indelibly associated with the annual Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph. That two tracks, The Mountbatten March and Famous Songs of the British Isles – the latter cleverly woven into a march medley – carry the familiar name of Vivian Dunn who had a long and distinguished career as PDM of the Royal Marines and a champion of British light music, is particularly welcome. Robert Farnon's State Occasion, always very popular with military bands, finds a well-deserved place here; and also worthy of note is Douglas C Doble's (a former RNVR officer) Royal Occasion, music inbred with great natural dignity. The two choirs feature in Brian Knowles Diamond Jubilee Tribute; a re-working in rather more updated and modern idiom of The National Anthem andBritannic Salute: an amalgam of Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory. You don't exactly expect to hear the skirl of the bagpipes on a Royal Marines recording but Highland Cathedral, written for the 1982 Highland Games in Germany, is absolutely captivating – almost worth the cost of the CD alone! – expertly played by Musician Hannah Wright, and earns a place here as it was often played on board HMY Britannia. One minor quibble: at just over a hour space could have been found for more music appropriate to a Royal theme but it's quality rather the quantity that counts and you get the former here in spades. Furthermore the Ferneham Hall at Fareham offers an excellent soundstage and any purchaser of this excellent disc will be helping to support an eminently worthwhile charity that will help all these musicians now and in the future. The booklet includes a message from Princess Anne, and all the technical side of this recording was impressively handled entirely "in house" by the RM Band Service. RH

(This album was "CD of the Jubilee Weekend" on Classic fM – KT Ed.)

Available for £12 (incl. p&p) through The Royal Navy & Royal Marine Charity at Building 29, HMS Excellent, Whale Island, Portsmouth PO2 8ER; or the charity website: rnrmc.org.uk.

CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO Piano Concertos 1 & 2; Four Dances from 'Love's Labour's Lost' · Alessandro Marangoni (piano) Malmő Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Mogrelia Naxos 8.572823 (76:43) Unknown to me prior to discovering this disc, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco was born in Italy in 1895 (he died in 1968) and became one of the 20^th century's foremost guitar composers with over 100 pieces to his credit, as well as writing for a number of other instruments and many other forms from opera to chamber music. He moved to the United States in 1939 – having been banned by Mussolini – where he composed for some 200 Hollywood movies, mainly MGM, and is said to have been an influence upon Messrs Mancini, Previn, Riddle and Williams. His music is melodious, sumptuously scored and immensely accessible, as the works here bear witness. The Four Dances (1953) are not just a first recording but a first performance. With excellent sound throughout I urge you to try this well-filled low-price album for yourself. PB

CHABRIER 'Favourite Orchestral Works' Gwendoline Overture; Espana; L'Étiole; Suite Pastorale Melodies & Piano Pieces; Ode À La Musique; Bourrée Fantasque; Joyeuse Marche; Le Roi Malgré Lui - Fête Polonaise Magdalen METCD 8015 (76:58) The music of French-born Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-94) has great melodic appeal and zest. The exciting Espana, a piece nearly everybody knows, shows him to be a masterly orchestrator. The mono recordings span the years 1936 to 1959. Sir Thomas Beecham and Sir John Barbirolli are among the maestros featured. The final item with Robert Irving conducting the Sinfonia of London appears on CD for the first time. This album should put a smile on your face. ET

GEORGE GERSHWIN Piano Concerto in F; Rhapsody In Blue; Second Rhapsody; Variations On "I Got Rhythm" · Freddy Kempf (piano) Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Andrew Littton BIS SACD-1940 (73:56) Arriving just in time for this issue of JIM, a superlative Super Audio CD of Gershwin's music for piano and orchestra from the Swedish label, The famous Rhapsody in Blue is in the original jazz band version orchestrated by Ferde Grofé for Paul Whiteman with three woodwind players (who play oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet and various sizes of saxophone), a pair of trumpets, horns and trombones, tuba (doubling string bass), accordion, banjo, celesta, orchestral piano, a variety of percussion and eight violins. Håkon Nilsen is the named clarinetist. The lesser known Second Rhapsody came about through the composer's involvement in one of the earliest Hollywood film musicals in late 1930, 'Delicious', starring Janet Gaynor. It is brilliantly played as are the Variations. In the Concerto Martin Winter is the fabulous featured trumpet player in the 2^ndmovement. London born (1977) Freddy Kempf was in 1992 the youngest winner in the history of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition and, although he did not win first prize, was the "people's choice" in the 1998 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow. Andrew Littton knows all about his fellow countryman's music and the Norwegian orchestra play to the manner born. The recording, made in Bergen in August 2011, is supported by the Grieg Foundation. If these works are not in your collection, you can hardly better this release. And even if you already have them, with superb playing and top drawer sound, this is worth adding to your shelves. PB 

EDVARD GRIEG 'Grieg Favourites' Norwegian Dances; Holberg Suite; Peer Gynt Excerpts; Lyric Pieces Excerpts; Lyric Suite Magdalen METCD 8012 (77:49) Delighted to see the name of George Weldon on a new reissue (two of my great aunts were in service with his family in Bexhill) especially with a Gramophone quote that in the first item "[he] seems to fool the RPO that they are playing under Sir Thomas Beecham himself." The other conductors on these mono recordings are Karl Műnchinger, Nicolai Malko, Otto Dobrindt with soprano Emmy Bettendorf (Solveig's Song), and pianist Walter Gieseking (Lyric Pieces). A value-for-money release at under £10. PB

HALVORSEN 'Orchestral Works 4' Melina Mandozzi (violin) · Ilze Klava (viola) · Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Neeme Járvi Chandos CHAN 10710 (72:53) This, the last in the series devoted to the orchestral music of Johan Halvorsen, opens with the two Norwegian Rhapsodiesboth premiered by the composer in 1920 to enthusiastic acclaim. These make imaginative use of traditional Norwegian folk tunes, the outer lovely and more boisterous sections framing a more reflective middle portion. The following two pieces are not "pure" Halvorsen but take their inspiration from other composers, the Passacaglia for violin and viola – a somewhat curious choice that hardly comes within the province of orchestral music – being a reworking of a movement from a HandelHarpsichord Suite, whilst the preceding jaunty Norwegian Bridal Procession is merely an orchestration of a piano piece by fellow countryman Grieg. Incidental music to various theatre productions – a particular cachet of this composer – is much in evidence here featuring a Dance Scene from 'Queen Tamara' and the impressive and impassioned Symphonic Intermezzo from 'The King'. After the rousing Norwegian Festival Overture with its dazzling trumpet fanfares the disc concludes with the 18-minute Norwegian Fairy Tale Pictures, which contains some decidedly quirky music as befits the tale of a princess and a great troll. As to be expected from this series, production standards are uniformly high with an exemplary recording; and certainly in Neeme Jarvi is found a committed and doughty champion for Halvorsen's music. RH

HOLST Walt Whitman Overture; Symphony "The Cotswolds"; A Winter Idyll; Japanese Suite; Indra Symphonic Poem · Ulster Orchestra / JoAnn Falletta Naxos 8.572914(65:25) There is a great deal of early British music which is rarely played and this CD includes a substantial chunk of it. Each piece is a gem in its own right and worthy of repeated hearing. I have no hesitation in thoroughly recommending it to all lovers of good tuneful music as there is much more to Gustav Holst than The Planets. Splendid stuff! EW

RACHMANINOV Piano Concertos 1 – 3 ; 18 Preludes Dame Moura Lympany · Philharmonia Orch. / Nikolai Malko · New Symphony Orch. Of London / Anthony Collins Magdalen METCD 8016 (150:15) A 2-CD re-issue to cherish. "Rach 2" is No.1 in Classic fM's Hall of Fame and this fine 1953 recording is by the pianist born Mary Johnstone in Saltash, Cornwall in 1916. She was made a CBE in 1979 and a DBE in 1992, and died in France in 2005. Her agent once described her as "never late, not temperamental and with wonderful vitality. She never dropped her standards in any way." She herself said she played best after a good night's sleep and a good steak! The other two concertos were also recorded in the early '50s and are, rightly, highly regarded. Miss Lympany was the first Western artist to play in the Soviet Union after the war and in 1945 made the first complete recording of the Preludes. The splendid recording on this release was made by Decca six years later produced by that key figure in the world of the gramophone, John Culshaw. All recordings are in mono but it is the quality of the music making that matters here. ET

SAINT-SAËNS 'Neeme Járvi Conducts Saint Saëns' Royal Scottish National Orchestra incl. Danse Bacchanale (from Samson et Dalila); Le Rouet d'Omphale; Phaëton; La Jeunesse d'Hercule; March Militaire Française Chandos CHSA 5104 (77'40") This well chosen selection of Camille Saint-Saëns orchestral oeuvre features all four symphonic poems including the popular Danse Macabre,and some fascinating rarities. In the latter category are the sparkling Overture to La Princesse Jaune(a comic opera), a delightful miniature – lasting all of a little over 3½ minutes – Une nuit ả Lisbonne,and the substantial and unpublished Spartacus overture recovered apparently in the 1990's. Even more extraordinary is the concluding March du Couronnement written for the coronation of Edward VIII in 1902, which was accepted for the occasion and presumably played during the ceremony. With generous playing time, vivid recording in multi-channel stereo format and intensely likeable music that makes no great demands on the listener, this is well worth seeking out. RH

(This album was BBC Music Magazine's "Orchestral Choice" for August – KT Ed.)

SARASATE 'Music for Violin and Piano - 3' Tianwa Yang (violin) · Markus Hadulla (piano)15 tracks including Boléro; Sérénade andalouse; Introduction et fandango; Prière et berceuse; Airs ecossaise … Naxos 8.570893 (78:55) Do not be put off by the titles, the renowned Spanish violinist Pablo Sarasate was a great melodist. Among his best known works are Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs) and Spanish Dances. The charismatic compositions on this disc are sensationally played by one of the most notable young violinists of today, critically acclaimed as an unquestioned master of her instrument. She is ably accompanied by another accomplished artist; the result a delightful disc. ET

'SCANDINAVIAN SMÖRGÅSBORD' Vienna S O / Øivin Fjeldstad · Danish State Radio S O / John Frandsen · Copenhagen S O / Lavard Friisholm · Halle Orchestra / Sir John Barbirolli 16 tracks incl. Entry of the Boyars; Norwegian Bridal Procession; Festival Polonaise; Herdgirl's Sunday; Midsummer Vigil; Last Spring … Magdalen METCD 8017 (78:34) With its enticing title this is a flavoursome compilation of superior lighter classical music from the pens of Halvorsen, Bull, Grieg, Svendsen, Kuhlau, Nielsen, Alfvén and Lumbye. The last named, of course, wrote The Copenhagen Steam Railway Galop, which is included here together with his equally appealingChampagne Galop and Britta Polka. Alongside some less familiar pieces there is the very well-known Alfvén Vigil, aka Swedish Rhapsody. The original recordings, mostly mono, date from 1955-61 and it is the first time on CD for the five Kuhlau pieces. As with all the recent releases on this label the disc is very well mastered by RFS member Paul Arden-Taylor, and James Murray's booklet notes are exemplary. PB

TCHAIKOVSKY : MENDELSSOHN Violin Concertos Ray Chen · Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Daniel Harding Sony 8697984102 (63:55) 23-year-old Taiwan born, Australian raised Chen is a winner twice over: of both the Menuhin (2008) and Queen Elisabeth (2009) Violin Competitions, respectively playing the two popular works here. Recordings of these abound, several in this coupling, but this is up there among the best. ET

LESLEY GARRETT 'A North Country Lass' The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra · Crouch End Festival Chorus / Paul Bateman 16 tracks incl. The Bold Grenadier; Once I Had a Sweetheart; Blow the Wind Souherly; He Moved Through the Fair; Suo Gan (Lullaby); The Raggle Taggle Gypsies; The Cuckoo; The Collier Lad; Dance to Your Daddy … Music Infinity INS500(64:20) Opera meets folk on this thoroughly enjoyable album. Although as Louis Armstrong once said: "It's all folk singing; I ain't never heard a horse sing!" Interesting arrangements (not all for the purists, maybe) are well played by an orchestra that knows a thing or two about folk music. My favourite track is All Around My Hat accompanied by the solo violin of Concert Master Lucie Svehlova, accordion, acoustic guitar, bodhran, washboard and Crouch End F.C. Recorders, a madrigal choir, harp, bamboo flute, kato, santur, shamisen, cimbaloms, lute, pipes and bagpipes give support on other tracks. (Did Henry VIII really write Pastime With Good Company?) The final "bonus track" is a conductor arranged On Ilkley Moor Baht'at, with a touch of Rossini, featuring the famous Black Dyke Band. As for the "Doncaster diva", the crystal clarity of her words is once again a hallmark of her performance. PB

'THIS IS THE DAY Music on Royal Occasions' The Cambridge Singers · Elin Manahan Thomas (soprano) Aurora Orchestra · Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Rutter This is the Day (Rutter); Laudate Dominum  (Mozart); Psalm 23  (Schubert); How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place(Brahms); The Spirit of the Lord (Elgar); We Wait for Thy Loving Kindness (McKie); Ubi Caritas(Mealor); Ubi Caritas (Duruflé); Holy is the True Light  (Harris); Song for Athene  (Tavener); These Three (Bennett); Set Me as a Seal (Walton); God Be in My Head (Walford Davies); I Would BeTrue (Arr. Rutter); Touch Her Soft Lips and Part (Walton); Choral Dances from "Gloriana" (Britten);Let The Bright Seraphim (Handel); Let Their Celestial Concerts All Unite (Handel) Collegium COLCD 136 (75:21) This is a treasurable album that includes music sung at the Queen's marriage to Prince Philip in 1947, the Queen Mother's funeral, the wedding of Charles and Diana, the funeral of the Princess of Wales, the Queen's diamond wedding in 2007, and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The pieces are glowingly sung throughout by the 28-strong choir with the very best left to the last two pieces by Handel featuring the gorgeous voice of Manahan Thomas (she also singsLaudate Dominum), the brilliant trumpet of Simon Cox and the unnamed percussionist. Sound quality – the recordings were only made in January this year – and documentation are both very good. I challenge anyone not to be moved by some part of this album, which I am likely to return to in our next issue as one of the CDs of 2012. PB

Some more recent releases recommended by Wilfred Askew

ERROLL GARNER with Orchestra conduced by Mitch Miller 'Other Voices' (1957) 10 tracks incl. Misty*; Dreamy*; On the street where you live; Solitaire*; It might as well be Spring*; The very thought of you … (*Repeated as six bonus tracks in solo and/or trio versions). Essential Jazz Classics EJC 55466 (62.48)

RON GOODWIN 'Sir Gawain And The Green Knight' Original Motion Picture Soundtrack(1973) CD1 12 tracks (46:33); CD2 11 tracks (40:16) Intrada Special Collection Volume 196

HOLLYWOOD SAXOPHONE QUARTET arr. by Garcia, Paich, Montrose & Niehaus 24 tracks incl. 'Sax Appeal' Wait till you see her; But not for me; Polka Dots & Moonbeams; Yesterday's gardinias; Four at liberty … 'Hollywood Saxophone Quartet' Nightcap; All the tings you are; You brought a new kind of love to me; Autumn in New York; Ghost of a chance … 2 Liberty LPs from 1955. Fresh Sound FSR 2253 (66:57)

ANITA KERR & The Little Dippers 'Forever' 'Velvet Voices' (1959) incl. Strange little melody; Greensleeves; Pop goes the weasel; Blue interlude … 'Voices In Hi-Fi' (1968) incl. You're my everything; Rockin' chair; Once in a while; Comes love; My love is a kitten … 2 US Decca LPs from 1960. Cherry Red ACMEM 219 CD (79:33)

JAYE P MORGAN 'Up North, Down South' 'Up North' 13 tracks incl. Yankee doodle Boy; Shine on harvest moon; The Whiffenpoof Song; Chicago … 'Down South' 12 tracks incl. The yellow rose of Texas; Kentucky babe; Old folks at home, Dixie … plus 6 bonus singles incl. I walk the line & Brotherhood of Man. 2 MGM albums from 1960. Jasmine JASCD 194 (77:43)

MIKLOS R0ZSA 'Ben Hur' Complete Soundtrack Collection Discs I & II: The Film Score 64 tracks (139:55); Disc III: The Savina Album 32 tracks (73:55): Disc IV: The First Kloss Album 27 tracks (77:34): Disc V: The Second Kloss album 41 tracks 75:24) Film Score Monthly FSM Vol.15, No.1 Limited to 2,000 copies.

DIMITRI TIOMKIN 'The Alamo' Complete Film Score City of Prague P.O. / Nic Raine 3 CDs – 57 tracks Prometheus XPCD 168 (164:21)

FRANZ WAXMAN 'Taras Bulba' Complete Film Score City of Prague P.O. / Nic Raine Limited 2-CD Collectors' Edition 25 tracks, 13 bonus tracks Tadlow Music TADLOW 013 (128:06) 

LAWRENCE WELK & HIS ORCHESTRA 'Calcutta' (1960) 12 tracks incl. Sailor; Bombay; Ruby; Save the last dance for me …''Yellow Bird' (1961) 12 tracks incl. Runaway; Mockin' Bird Hill; Heartbreak Hotel; Harbour lights; Loch Lomond … plus 2 bonus tracks: Melodie d'Amour & MyGrandfather's clock. 2 original Dot albums. Sepia 1181 (60:01)

Reviewers in this issue: David Ades, Peter Burt, Tony Clayden, Barry McCanna, Mike Crowther, Roger Hyslop, Edward Trub, Ken Wilkins and Peter Worsley

KT Editor’s CD Choice for this issue

‘IN LONDON TOWN’ – a musical tour of the historic sights of London The Philharmonic Concert Orchestra Iain Sutherland, conductor Concert Overture: Me And My Girl; Knightsbridge March; Westminster Waltz; Rotten Row; Covent Garden; Overture: Yeoman Of The Guard; London Fantasia; Get Me To The Church On Time; Greensleeves; Four Dances: Merrie England; London Bridge Is Falling Down; Elizabethan Serenade; Prelude: Water Music (Handel); Three English Dances (Quilter); The Sea Hawk (Main Theme) Somm SOMMCD 0117 (70:45) In his review of Iain Sutherland’s ‘Merrymakers - British Light Classics’ (Alto ALC 1192) in the September issue of JIM, David Ades expressed the hope that the maestro might be persuaded to delve a little deeper into his valuable archive for a possible follow-up CD. Well, rather quicker than perhaps even David expected this mid-price album has materialised, digitally remastered as before by Paul Arden-Taylor, selected from the Iain Sutherland/Radio Clyde Archive. Many familiar titles appear here including a sprightly Wally Stott’s Rotten Row and a notably elegant and gracefully played Ronald Binge’s Elizabethan Serenade. What makes this compilation the more enticing, however, is Noel Gay’s Overture to the 1939 hit musical (arranged by the conductor), which King George VI and Queen Elizabeth reputedly went to see three times, Clive Richardson’s Fantasia extract not too far away from the idiom of the celebrated "Denham Studio" concertos, and the welcome inclusion of Sir Edward German’s FourDances, surely deserving of a revival in this Diamond Jubilee year. One puzzle is the apparent connection made between Roger Quilter’s Dances and "Historic Mayfair". The only London connection I can trace, thanks to Tim McDonald’s notes for the composer’s volume in Marco Polo’s British Light Music series (8.223444), is that they received their première at London’s Queens Hall in June 1910. The orchestration was actually by Percy Fletcher, and they are described as possessing an unmistakable "Englishness". Erich Korngold’s main title theme music for the 1940 feature film that ends the compilation makes for a somewhat odd choice with its somewhat tenuous link to the capital (Greenwich: Cutty Sark and the Maritime Museum) when one of the greats of British light music, Haydn Wood, is a notable absentee. Still, this is a minor quibble given the excellent performances, sound engineering and generous playing time; and this splendid disc is certainly deserving of the widest possible support – and what better Christmas present could you possibly give yourself! RH

"THE GOLDEN AGE OF LIGHT MUSIC"

GLCD 5199 Three Great American Light Orchestras 
For track listing see ‘Light Music CDs’ pages on this website or visit guildmusic.com (78:46 mins)

GLCD 5200 A Glorious Century of Light Music
For track listing see ‘Light Music CDs’ pages on this website or visit guildmusic.com (78:37 mins)

It seems scarcely possible that it is eight years since the first GUILD Light Music CD made its debut – but if you look at GLCD 5101 the date definitely says 2004! I doubt if anyone involved – the proprietors of GUILD, together with David Ades and Alan Bunting – could have foreseen that the series would be the unparalleled success which it certainly has become. Much less that in 2012, it would reach its hundredth edition! And yet here we are, and I have been given the honour of reviewing these two new releases.

The Great American Light Orchestras features three of the best conductors in the business – Canadian-born Percy Faith, English-born David Rose, and someone whose work is perhaps slightly less well-known in the UK – Paul Weston, who hailed from Springfield, Massachusets, USA. The CD contains 24 tracks, neatly divided into three sections of eight, each representing one of the three orchestras. The programme ‘kicks-off’ with the orchestra of Percy Faith, in a selection of recordings made between 1950 and 1961, all from American Columbia (CBS or Philips in Britain) label. Five of these are in stereo including a very early (1958) track featuring a Victor Herbert composition Italian Street Song. All of the compositions are delivered in Faith’s usual faultless style and it is not difficult to see why this consummate musician had, and still has, such a devoted following. David Rose’s contribution features tracks from the MGM label – I imagine that he was a permanent artist in that company’s ‘stable’ - and like the Percy Faith selection, all of the arrangements (in fact all but one of the tracks) are by Rose himself. The recording dates range from 1953 to 1961, with three of the tracks being in stereo. Paul Weston’s main claim to fame (in the UK anyway) is the work he did with his wife, the singer Jo Stafford, and also for their ‘spoof’ performances as "Jonathan and Darlene Edwards". Originally a clarinet player, he began studying arranging whilst recuperating from a near-fatal train crash, and eventually became chief arranger for Tommy Dorsey. He worked in radio and TV and acted as MD to many top American stars. Over the years, Weston recorded for both Capitol and CBS, and examples of both are included on the CD. The dates range from 1954 to 1961, with five of the tracks being in stereo. One item, There Will Never Be Another You, features the conductor on piano. As a final bonus, on track 25, Paul Weston talks about his 1958 Jerome Kern recordings which were made for a special promotional feature album for Columbia. (This recording was kindly supplied by our good friend Kevin Stapylton in Australia). It is difficult to pick out specific items for special mention because they are all so good, in terms of the quality of the arrangements, the performances, the recordings, and, of course, Alan Bunting’s digital transfers. As I have remarked before in these reviews, I find myself running out of superlatives! This is a great addition to the GUILD series, and both David and Alan deserve many congratulations.

And so we come to number 100 -

A Glorious Century of Light Music. The task of this landmark collection is to feature some of the very best conductors and composers who created such a wealth of Light Music during the 20^thcentury and to recognise that the GUILD series is dedicated to the preservation of all that is best from the ‘Golden Age of Light Music’. It was decided to concentrate on conductors who became ’ household names’ through their recordings and broadcasts, and the 26 tracks include some of the very best orchestras from the UK, the USA and Continental Europe, with 12 being in stereo. They span the years 1939 to 1961 excepting the final ‘bonus track’ which is a Jack Hylton recording from 1929, although you would hardly know it from the amazing sound quality! AB has worked his usual magic and has also seamlessly edited-out a small vocal section, in accordance with GUILD’s ‘instrumental only’ policy. The programme starts with a great Brian Fahey arrangement of the Jerome Kern number Look For The Silver Lining, by the Starlight Symphony conducted by Cyril Ornadel; this sets the tone for the whole disc. There is a good mixture of great orchestral arrangements of popular favourites, together with some excellent library pieces – in short, something for everyone. A couple of points to mention – track 17 - Butantan - by the Melachrino Orchestra is credited to ‘Wood’. This is neither Arthur nor Haydn, but Guy Wood (1911-2001), the Manchester-born but USA-domiciled composer, who is mainly remembered for his songs, including Till Then, My One And Only Love and The Wedding- a popular song from the ‘60s. I have not come across any other orchestral compositions by him, but they may exist. Track 7 features some great ballet music by Leroy Anderson from his musical Goldilocks, which will be new to most people; this is an almost unknown piece – where has it been hiding all these years? Every single item on this CD can be described as truly excellent, and the whole selection, which was arrived at after a great deal of careful consideration, is more than worthy of comprising the hundredth edition. The total tally of tracks so far is in excess of 2500; I understand that there is plenty more material in the pipeline waiting to be released, and I would like to wish this wonderful series continued success. TC

MAX JAFFA AND THE PALM COURT ORCHESTRA Flight of the Bumblebee; Black Eyes; Vagabond King: Forgotten Dreams; Dobra Dobra; Czardas; Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair; Gypsy Cha Cha; Edelweiss; On Wings of Song; Gypsy Hora; Beautiful Dreamer; Heyken’s Serenade; Hungarian Dances Nos. 1 & 5; Fantasy on Nursery Rhymes; The Last Rose of Summer; Londonderry Air; Barcarolle; Doina Voda; Come Back to Sorrento; All the Things You Are; I’ll See You in My Dreams; Waltzing in the Clouds Yesterday’s Music C141 (74:35) Max was an extraordinary character and his autobiography, A Life on the Fiddle, makes compelling reading. This tribute CD is available only from Evergreen magazine and complements a detailed article they published in their autumn issue. Pre-war the maestro was 90% a dance band leader but after flying bombers and fighters he switched entirely to light music. He appeared on several post-war radio programmes of his own and was also associated with Grand Hotel and Scarborough where he was resident for 25 years. Some of the tracks are with his trio of Jack Byfield and Reginald Kilbey and some with a full orchestra. All are most tuneful and enjoyable with the titles speaking for themselves. PW

This CD may ordered for £9.95 (including p&p) from Evergreen Magazine on 01242 537900. 

BERT KAEMPFERT & HIS ORCHESTRA ‘The Wonderful World Of Bert Kaempfert - Four Original Albums’ 47 tracks incl. Wonderland By Night; As I Love You; The Aim Of My Desire; Stay With Me; Tammy; Lullaby For Lovers; Drifting and Dreaming; La Vie En Rose; Happiness Never Comes Too Late; On The Alamo; Dreaming The Blues; This Song Is Yours Alone; Dancing In The Dark; Twilight Time; Unchained Melody; Funny Talk; Only Those In Love … Tenderly; Cerveza; Ducky; Auld Lang Syne; Savoy Blues; Plaisir D’Amour; Don’t Forbid Me; Morgen (One More Sunrise); Catalina; Midnight Snack; Without Your Love; Louisa; I’ll See You In My Dreams; Yellow Bird; Midsummer Night In Gotland; Echo In The Night; Forgotten Melody; Symphony; There I’ve Said It Again … Jasmine JASCD 216 With generous amounts of trumpet and distinctive bass guitar sound to the fore, Bert Kaempfert (1923-1980), German orchestra leader and songwriter, was very popular in the Sixties and early Seventies, and reckoned by The Stereo Record Guide (1963) to be the most original musician in the field of European light music at that time. Among his successful self-penned numbers were Strangers in the Night, A Swingin’ Safari; Moon Over Naples (a hit for Al Martino asSpanish Eyes), The World We Knew and L-O-V-E (a hit for Nat King Cole). Almost There was a UK No.2 for the late lamented Andy Williams. Bert’s ‘Wonderland By Night’ album was US No.1 for five weeks in 1961 (the title track was also a US No.1 single), and is joined on this 2-CD set by three more of his earliest Polydor albums: ‘Dancing In Wonderland’, ‘The Wonderful World Of Bert Kaempfert’ and ‘With A Sound In My Heart’. A CD copy did not arrive in time for me to listen to but the aforementioned Guide opined that "Each offers excellent sound and varied and imaginative arrangements." PB 

‘SCOTLAND’S TUNES OF GLORY’ Iain Sutherland conducting the City of Glasgow Philharmonic Orchestra with the City of Glasgow Pipes and drums and the City of Glasgow Chorus 17 tracks incl. Iona (The Pilgrim); Briochan And Columba (The Pilgrim); Alba: Fanfare Salute; Here’s Tae The Gordons; The Laddies Who Fought And Won; Flower Of Scotland Delta CD6844 (61:20) Here’s a collection to stir the hearts of patriotic Scots wherever they may be. Iain Sutherland’s latest CD is an unashamed tribute to his homeland, and it is good to see some familiar names among the credits. Firstly the maestro himself, with his compositions Edinburgh Castle, Dunvegan Castle and the theme for the BBC TV series "MacKinnon Country" – plus Iain’s arrangements of The Black Bear Salute, Amazing Grace Anthem, Sutherland’s Law Theme and Reel O’Tulloch. Ernest Tomlinson has arranged My Love She’s But A Lassie Yet/Cock O’ The North and Robert Docker’s name appears as the arranger of Abbey Craig. There is audience applause on some of the tracks, but this is not intrusive. This is a nicely balanced collection of traditional and more modern music that makes a welcome addition to the light music repertoire. DA

DIMITRI TIOMKIN ‘The Greatest Film Scores Of …’ London Symphony Orchestra ˕ London Voices / Richard Kaufman Cyrano de Bergerac; The Alamo; The Old Man and the Sea; The Four Poster Giant; The Fall of the Roman Empire; High Noon; Rawhide; The High and the Mighty; Dial ‘M’ for Murder & Strangers on a Train; Wild is the Wind; The Sundowners; Circus World; Land of the Pharaohs; Friendly Persuasion lsolive LSO 0720 (77:05) This is a splendidly produced and recorded album of movie music delights, played con brio by the LSO at a live Barbican concert. Tiomkin (born St Petersburg 1894, died London 1979) became one of Hollywood’s most celebrated and best-loved composers. He wrote for more than 100 feature films and received nearly two dozen Academy Award nominations over five decades, winning four Oscars: ‘Old Man and the Sea’, ‘The High and the Mighty’, ‘High Noon’, and Do not forsake me, oh my darlin’. The last-named is one of five tracks with vocals supplied by Andrew Playfoot and/or Whitney Claire Kaufman. I would have been happy with purely orchestral versions. There are ten packed pages of notes in minuscule print. Two fascinating bits of information I did gather, though, were that in 1928 Tiomkin was the first pianist to perform Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in Europe, and in 1999 became one of only six Hollywood composers to be honoured with a commemorative stamp issued by the US Postal Service. PB 

JOHN WILLIAMS ‘A Tribute To John Williams – An 80^th Birthday Celebration’ The Boston Pops ˕ The Skywalker Symphony Orchestra / John Williams Sound the Bells (‘American Journey’); Out to Sea/Shark Cage Fugue (‘Jaws’); Sabrina’s Theme (‘Sabrina’); March (‘1941’); Adventures on Earth (‘E.T.’); Dartmoor 1912 (‘War Horse’); The Adventures of Mutt (‘Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’); Harry’s Wondrous World (‘Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone’); Elegy for Cello & Orchestra; Going to School (‘Memories of a Geisha’); The Mission Theme (‘NBC News’); Schindler’s List Theme (‘Schindler’s List’); The Adventure Continues (‘The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn’); Throne Room & Finale (‘Star Wars’); Happy Birthday VariationsSony 88691942532 Fifteen tremendous tracks all from the man whose compositions invariably seem to stand out in compilations involving multiple composers. Winner of twenty-one Grammy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and five Academy Awards. Williams is easily the most successful composer working in film today. This collection contains his personal favorites, chosen from film and television music as well as concert works and festive occasion pieces, and includes (for me, at least) some "discoveries" among his lesser-known works. Of special note is the previously unreleased recording of Williams’ joyous Happy Birthday Variations. All of the music on this album is both composed and conducted by John Williams, and also features two performances each by famous classical instrumentalists Itzhak Perlman (violin) and Yo-Yo Ma (cello). Unfortunately my CD copy is taking longer to arrive than any I have ever ordered, but I have been able to sample tracks online and the Sony sound is splendid. PB

THE JOHN WILSON ORCHESTRA ‘Rodgers & Hammerstein At The Movies’ Maida Vale Singers, Sierra Boggess, Anna-Jane Casey, Maria Ewing, et al. / John Wilson Oklahoma! Main Title / Oh! What a Beautiful Morning; People Will Say We're In Love; Carousel Waltz; If I Loved You; June is Busting' Out All Over; You'll Never Walk Alone; Soliloquy (all from ‘Carousel’); Twin Soliloquies / Some Enchanted Evening); I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair ; Bali Ha'i (all from ‘South Pacific’); The King and I  Overture (from ‘The King & I’); The Sound Of Music - Main Title / Rex Admirabilis; I Have Confidence; Climb Ev'ry Mountain (all from ‘The Sound of Music’) EMI Classics (75:00) John Wilson's latest album brings us into the world of the movie versions of the Rodgers & Hammerstein stage musicals released by 20th Century Fox from the mid-1950's onwards resplendent in Cinemascope, Todd-AO and Stereophonic Sound. Once again J.W. has had to re-create and edit the film scores and has brought together a company of singers drawn from the operatic stage and popular musical theatre magnificently supported by the Maida Vale Singers. The John Wilson Orchestra are in superb form, particularly in the Carousel Waltz and The King and IOverture, and play with élan and panache – a wonderful, wonderful tribute to the 20th Century Fox Studio Orchestra and their conductor Alfred Newman who supervised the music for most of the original films. As expected the singing is first class: Julian Ovenden brings the characters of Curly and Billy vividly to life in his contributions from ‘Oklahoma’ and ‘Carousel’, Joyce DiDonato (recorded in Kansas) brings her gorgeous operatic voice to bear on her songs from ‘Carousel’ and ‘The Sound of Music’. My own personal favourite is David Pittsinger's rich interpretation of Some Enchanted Evening. It comes as no surprise that he has performed the role of Emile de Becque in a recent US National Tour of ‘South Pacific’. The recording is Abbey Road superb and the accompanying booklet a model of perfection. Overall another J.W. success and surely bound for that Christmas stocking. MC

‘THE INSTRUMENTALS’ 75 tracks incl. Hit And Miss; Wheels; Zambesi; Midnight In Moscow; On The Rebound; Walk Don’t Run; Kon Tiki; Moon River; Misirlou; The Stripper; Ebb Tide; S’Wonderful; Canadian Sunset; Misty … Delta 60399 (65:59, 67:34 & 67:21) At first glance this latest in a series of budget reissues under the blanket title of ‘Sweethearts & Stolen Kisses’, and sub-titled ‘Because They’re Young’, is not an obvious candidate for JIM. The content of the first two CDs is fairly eclectic, and includes Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, Dave Brubeck, Russ Conway, Miles Davis, Duane Eddy, Billy May, and Arthur Lyman, plus a number of less well-known musicians from the late Fifties/early Sixties (tracklist information is minimal). In contrast, the third concentrates on light orchestral works, including several movie themes, by such as Percy Faith, Robert Farnon, Ron Goodwin, Bert Kaempfert, Mantovani and Perez Prado, which makes it well worth considering. BMC

‘MELODY MIXTURE’ For track listing see ‘Light Music CDs’ pages on this website or visit guildmusic.com. Guild GLCD 5197 (70:17). As it says at the start of the booklet notes this latest Guild Light Music CD doesn’t have any particular theme, hence the title ‘Melody Mixture’ (reminds me of the wartime BBC programme title Navy Mixture). However it begins in fine style with Cab Rank by Dolf van der Linden from the Charles Brull/Harmonic Library with The Symphonia Orchestra conducted by Ludo Philipp, followed by Henry Mancini’s theme to the US TV series Mr Lucky played by Frank Cordell’s Orchestra, although I must confess I’ve never heard of the programme … was it ever shown in Britain? From the film ‘The Sundowners’ comes Down Under played in fine style by Tommy Reilly, adapted and arranged by Dimitri Tiomkin with Wally Stott and his Orchestra. I checked with Halliwell and as I thought, Tiomkin wrote the film’s score. Getting away from films for a tick I jumped down the play list to three library pieces, firstly Trevor Duncan’s catchy humorous number With Tongue In Cheek followed by Peter Hope’s Spring Collection, perfect for a Pathé fashion news item, then Scurry For Strings by Lester B. Hart played by The Harmonic Orchestra conducted by Dolf van der Linden, under one of his many alias’s "David Johnson". I’ve seen the name Lester B. Hart before but I’ve no idea who he is (or possibly was) although it sounds American; or is it another name for somebody or other? Back to films and Laurie Johnson and His Orchestra play his title music to I Aim At The Stars the story of Werner Von Braun; no Halliwell stars for this one I’m afraid. Angela Morley’s Dear Old Pals is cracking turning-out-of-pub music with clients making very unsteady progress home, just the opposite to Cyril Watters’ Leaps and Bounds from Paul Franklin and his Orchestra (actually Dolf van der Linden again) on the Paxton Label. As you may have guessed library addicts (like me) have been provided with a fine selection of Gaumont British, Pathé and Movietone music not to mention Look At Life and Dave and Dusty (Pathé). There’s Peacock In Piccadilly by Wilfred Burns from Bosworth, Continental Highway by Harold Geller (KPM), Brandy Snaps by Peter Yorke (Charles Brull/Harmonic) but the last track surprised me. Although I’ve got the Paxton 78 ofOn Stage by Billy Mack, I’d no idea it was a pseudonym for Walter Collins and William MacDonnell. I’d like to know more about Walter Collins and I’ve never heard of William MacDonnell but there you are, you usually learn something new with every Guild Light Music release. Another fine collection of easy on the ear light music destined to be ignored by broadcasters supposedly paid to provide musical fare for every taste. KW

THE SOUNDTRACK GALLERY One Day One Night, Trombones and Trumpets, Sunshine Days, Latin Flutes, Saxy, Holiday for Two, Drive, Happymakers, Early Morning Mail, etc… (Gerhard Narholz); Just For You (John Fox); Merry Gerry (H. Egger) 29 tracks Winchester Hospital Radio WHRCD 1201(78:01). This is the latest collection from Steven Wills to support Winchester Hospital Radio, and it is good to see that copies now seem to be widely available (I got mine from Amazon). This time the music all comes from the Sonoton Production Music Library, based in Munich. This is owned by Gerhard Narholz (also known as Norman Candler and various other aliases), so you won’t be surprised to find that his works are prominently featured. But deservedly so, because this is the kind of happy 1960/1970s music that is still enjoyed by many collectors, especially those who like to collect music associated with BBC TV Test Cards from the days before TV was shown for 24 hours. It would have been nice to have had more than one track by our friend John Fox, because he has contributed a vast amount of delightful music to this library (maybe next time, Steven?). The titles probably won’t mean much unless you are a Test Card aficionado, but it is the happy music that is important. Steven has dedicated this CD to the memory of David Allan, who died in January 2012. He chose the music to accompany BBC TV Test Card transmissions during the 1960s and early 1970s, some of which are included in this collection. Only downside – no booklet. DA

TV SOUND AND IMAGE British Television, Film and Library Composers 1956-80 Condition Red (Barry Stoller); Three Days Of The Condor (Geoff Love Orchestra); Man Alive (Tony Hatch Sound); Tomorrow’s World (Richard Denton & Martin Cook); At The Sign Of The Swingin’ Cymbal (Frian Fahey Orchestra); The Contract Man (Bullet) Man Friday (Syd Dale); Echo Four-Two (Laurie Johnson Orchestra); The Persuaders (John Barry); Getting Nowhere In A Hurry (Roy Budd); Dawn To Dusk (Simon Park); New Avengers Theme (Laurie Johnson); Strike Rich (Reg Tilsley); Joe 90 (Barry Gray); Jaguar (John Gregory); Steam Heat (Barbara Moore); Angels (Alan Parker); Face Up (Alan Moorhouse)… 36 tracks on 2 CDs Soul Jazz Records SJR CD257 (110:17 mins). It may be surprising to find a collection like this on a label called ‘Soul Jazz Records’, which perhaps is an indication of the way in which production music (for want of a better name) is accepted in many quarters today, especially when it has either good rhythm, or is still associated with a fondly remembered TV show or film. Featuring music primarily (but not exclusively) sourced from the vaults of De Wolfe and KPM, this features 36 tracks - some commissioned by film and television studios between 1956 and 1980, while the rest was in production music libraries (or even on commercial discs) waiting for someone to choose it. Much of the music will be familiar to people of a certain age, and it covers a range of styles including orchestral, moody jazz, organ led upbeat numbers, and even folk. And as you’d expect, there is plenty of what people like to call ‘easy listening’. Highlights (and there are many) include the Brian Fahey Orchestra's At the Sign of the Swingin' Cymbal - the theme to Alan 'Fluff' Freeman's ‘Pick of The Pops’, and Roy Budd's theme to the original "Get Carter" film starring Michael Caine. Most of the big names are here - John Barry, Keith Mansfield, Barry Gray, Syd Dale, Roy Budd etc. The two CDs are presented in a jewel case that is housed in a cardboard slip case alongside a 48 page booklet. Featuring biographies on all of the featured artists (written by Jonny Trunk), a brief history of Library music, a short essay about de Wolfe Music and archive photos, it's of the standard people now expect from Soul Jazz Records. Confusingly, the introduction highlights a couple of theme tunes – "Mastermind" and "Match of The Day" - to explain how Library music has worked its way into the consciousness of UK television audiences even though neither tune features on the album. But the booklet is something to treasure, even though poor Neil Richardson has his face cut in half through being on two pages that only open flat with difficulty. Also it would have been preferable to see a photo of Barry Gray, rather than the puppet Joe 90 for whom he wrote the TV theme. But if only all CD booklets were like this. Jonny Trunk has done a great job with this collection. DA

THE ANDREWS SISTERS ‘Some Sunny Day’ 117 tracks incl. Heat Wave; Jolly Fella Tarantella; Count Your Blessings; Quicksilver; Tegucigalpa; Adios; Piccolo Pete; In the Mood Jasmine JASBOX 29-4 (78:37, 79:26, 78:40 & 78:25) This is a fantastic bargain, which samples the latter part of the Andrews Sisters’ career from the mid-forties until late 1953, plus reunions in 1959 and 1961. It includes the contents of five Decca LPs, namely ‘Irving Berlin Songs’, ‘Go West Young Man’ with Bing Crosby, ‘I Love to Tell the Story’ a collection of hymns with Victor Young, ‘My Isle of Golden Dreams’a collection of Hawaiian songs with Alfred Alpaka, and ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’. The sisters collaborated with other singers, and in addition to those already mentioned Al Jolson, Dick Haymes, Danny Kaye, and Jimmy Durante are included. There are a number of rarities here also, some of which were only issued in India, Argentina or the UK. Accompaniments include Vic Schoen, Guy Lombardo & his Royal Canadians, Gordon Jenkins, Russ Morgan, Skip Martin, Sy Oliver and Nelson Riddle. BMC

BING CROSBY ‘Through The Years Vol.10’ 30 tracks incl. Happy Holiday; Joy to the World; White Christmas; The First Nowell; Good King Wenceslas; Away in a Manger; Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly; O Little Town of Bethlehem; Silent Night … Sepia 1192 (76:53) This compilation was mentioned in our June issue but re-appears here in view of its content. The first 19 Christmas tracks (44’54") include the ten listed above that Bing recorded in 1955 with Paul Weston and his Orchestra and The Norman Luboff Choir. The remainder feature choirs from around the world, including those of the Mormon Tabernacle, Vatican and Dedham Choral Society in Essex (actually recorded in the UK), taken from the same year’s CBS radio special ‘A Christmas Sing with Bing’. A nice touch is also to have included Bing’s own introductions. There are two other Christmas tracks: a 1935 Silent Nightwith George Stoll and his Orchestra and The Crinoline Choir; and a Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Townfrom 1943 with Vic Schoen and his Orchestra and The Andrews Sisters. More information about the disc and a listing of the nine non-seasonal tracks are in JIM 192. Certainly a Crosby connoisseur’s choice! PB

ELLA FITZGERALD ‘The Voice of Elegance’ 55 tracks incl. Happy Talk; Lover Come Back to Me; My Happiness; Lazy Day; An Empty Ballroom; Come On-a My House; Baby Doll; Old Devil Moon….Jasmine JASCD 707 (79:46 & 79:52) This reissue concentrates on the last eight years of Ella’s recording career with Decca, which ended in 1955 when she switched to Verve. The earliest recording, That Old Feeling, dates from December 1947, as also does How High the Moon. You won’t find that out from Jasmine’s track list, which omits recording dates, although such information should be provided not just for today’s collectors, but also for the future. A number of these songs are well-known from previous reissues, but there are others which are new to me, and two (Soldier Boy and I Can’t Get Started) which don’t appear to have been issued at the time. Ella’s slightly throaty voice and effortless delivery imbued her songs with a feeling of warmth and joy, and she was well-served by her accompaniments, the excellence of which is enhanced by the quality of the remastering. There were occasions when the song became a vehicle for her voice, rather than the other way round, and the choice of material was sometimes less than ideal, but such occasions are minimal, and overall it’s a great compilation. BMC

THE GEORGE MITCHELL MINSTRELS ‘Meet The Minstrels’ The Two Original Albums ‘The Black and White Minstrel Show’’ (stereo 1960) "Meet the Minstrels"; "Leslie Stuart Melodies"; "In the Moonlight"; "Your Requests"; "Meet the Girls"; "A Tribute to Al Jolson"; "Memories of Stephen Foster"; "Grand Finale"; ‘Another Black and White Minstrel Show’ (mono 1961) "Meet the Minstrels"; "The Good Old Summertime"; "Alabamy Bound with Al Jolson"; "Western Style"; "Your Requests"; "Ay Ay Ay"; "Dry Bones"; "Goodbye-ee" Jasmine JASCD 219 (77:59) The Television Toppers, Leslie Crowther, Stan Stennett, George Chisholm, and the solo singing stars of the show: tenor John Boulter, bass Dai Francis and baritone Tony Mercer … ah, the memories! That the "blacking-up" is now considered racist should not detract from the quality of the product, which was required viewing on BBC Saturday night television for 20 years from 1958, and the highest rated variety show of the Sixties winning the Golden Rose of Montreux for Best TV Show in the World in 1961. The stage show ran for 6,477 performances in London’s West End, collecting a Guinness Book of Records entry for the live show seen by the largest number of people (your reviewer among them). It has been a real pleasure revisiting these (then) sales-breaking UK No.1 LPs and a big "bravo" to the label for bringing them back into circulation – with more promised. There is also a good liner note from Sam Hicks May. PB

CATERINA VALENTE ‘Classics with a Chaser’ 26 tracks incl. Tonight we love; Stranger in Paradise; The things I love; La Strada Dell’ 'Amore; Where; I love Paris; Ciao Ciao Bambina; La Canzone di Orfeo (Manha da Carnival); Nessuno al Mondo; Till; Stardust Sepia 1202 (70:00) The latest re-issue from Ms Valente is another winner. The first part of this album brings together a group of popular classical pieces that have been adapted as popular songs – Debussy’s Reverie becomes Larry Clinton's My Reverie and Chopin's Polonaise No 6 becomes Till the end of time – all beautifully sung in English with an instrumental prelude track to each classical piece provided by her regular M.D. Werner Müller and His Orchestra. The remaining bonus tracks are taken mainly from her early Decca years in the late 1950's and include her hits, Till, Personalita and Sucu-Sucu. The remastering by Robin Cherry is superb and the accompanying booklet first class with informative liner notes by Ossie Dales. MC

ANDY WILLIAMS ‘Very Best Of …’ 24 tracks incl. Moon River; Can’t get used to losing you; Music to watch girls by; Can’t take my eyes off you; The Impossible Dream (The Quest); Happy heart; Solitaire; Never can say goodbye; Raindrops keep falling on my head; It’s so easy; Born free; Up, up and away; May each day ... Sony 88697588282 The relaxed and friendly Andy was lost to us this September after almost an 84-year-lifetime in show business and most of his fans are likely to have at least one of his many easy going, middle-of-the-road albums in their collections. But if he does not have a place on your CD shelves and you would like a memento of one of the world’s finest ever popular singers, then look no further than this low-priced compilation from October 2009. PB 

LOUIS BELLSON ‘Four Classic Albums Plus’ 34 tracks Avid AMSC 1066 (79:58 & 79.58) Avid has issued three 2-CD sets featuring drummer-led groups. This one comprises all but three numbers from five 1950s 10" LPs, namely ‘The Just Jazz All Stars featuring Louis Bellson’ (1952), ‘Concerto for Drums’ (1954), ‘The Hawk Talks’ (1955), ‘Louis Bellson at the Flamingo’ (1957), and five tracks from‘Drummer’s Holiday’ (1956). He was a dynamic drummer, who could calibrate his performance from a subtle accompaniment to powerhouse percussion, and the full spectrum of his talent is showcased here. BMC

BARNEY KESSEL ‘Three Classic Albums Plus’ 36 tracks incl. Sweet Sue; By the Beautiful Sea; Satin Doll; Nagasaki; Swingin’ the Toreador; Volare; Angel Eyes… AVID AMSC 1064 (78:17 & 79:08) This falls one track short of four original LPs, all recorded between March 1957 and April 1959. In 1956 guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelley Manne headed the jazz polls of the Downbeat, Metronome and Playboy magazines, and teamed up subsequently to record 'The Poll Winners'. They repeated the hat trick the following year, and celebrated by recording 'The Poll Winners Ride Again' in August 1958, from which the number Foreign Intrigue has been omitted. The choice of material was more eclectic, but the result just as enjoyable. In December 1958, following the surprise success of Shelly Manne’s 'My Fair Lady' album, Barney Kessel assembled a group of musicians with whom to record his arrangements of the score of Bizet’s Carmen. There were three groups involved, with a rhythm section of André Previn on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass and Shelly Manne on drums as a constant. The result did not take off as well as its predecessor, or the subsequent 'West Side Story' album under Previn’s leadership. Nevertheless, it was an artistic success which merited this reissue. The 'Some Like it Hot' album dates from March/April 1959, and was based on the score of the Billy Wilder film of that title, with a modern facelift to songs based in the Prohibition era. This is a delightful compilation, which showcases one of the great bop guitarists in a varied programme, featuring first-class arrangements superbly played by some of the best around. Sound quality is excellent, with much if not all in stereo. BMC

GENE KRUPA ‘Five Classic Albums Plus’ 38 tracks incl. I’m Coming Virginia; Jungle Drums; Day by Day; Love is Here to Stay; China Boy; How High the Moon. Avid AMSC 1069 (73:54 & 79:17)This reissue presents three 10" LPs on CD 1, all by the Gene Krupa Sextet, recorded in April 1953, September 1953, and February 1954, with a varying line-up which included Charlie Shavers, Bill Harris, Ben Webster and Teddy Wilson. CD 2 begins with ‘Hey … Here’s Gene Krupa’ from mid-1957 with Eddie Shu, Dave McKenna & Wendell Marshall, continues with ‘The Gene Krupa Trio Collates’with Charlie Ventura and Teddy Napoleon from 1953, and concludes with the EP ‘Drum Boogie’ which was recorded in Tokyo in April 1952. As you’d expect, this well-planned compilation offers exciting hard-driving jazz, with high-quality sound restoration. BMC

SHELLY MANNE ‘Three Classic Albums Plus’ 37 tracks Avid AMSC 1067 (79:31 & 79:51) This label’s third drummer-led set contains two albums based on the soundtrack of the TV series ‘Peter Gunn’ and, but for two tracks, two albums of numbers from the 1956 musicals ‘Bells are Ringing’ and‘Li’l Abner’. It’s a most enjoyable set, which swings along in a relaxed fashion, under Shelly’s genial leadership. BMC

MEL POWELL ‘Four Classic Albums Plus’ 42 tacks incl. Makin’ Whoopee; You’re My Thrill; Ain’t She Sweet; Pennies from Heaven; Liza; Easy Swing; ‘S Wonderful; Hallelujah…. Avid AMSC 1063(79:58 & 78:58) Mel Powell had a prodigious talent, and his jazz credentials were impeccable, but his interest turned increasingly to classical music, which he studied at Yale under Paul Hindemith. Nevertheless, between 1953 and 1955 he recorded several excellent Vanguard albums, under John Hammond’s hands-off direction. This compilation assembles four and a half Vanguard albums, plus four tracks from a Septet album, and an EP 'Classics in Jazz' which dates from December 1947. The Septet album dates from December 1953, and includes Edmond Hall on clarinet, Buck Clayton on trumpet, Walter Page on bass, and Jimmy Crawford on drums. Avid has included the four jazz numbers from the A Side, and omitted the B Side of the solo Sonatina for Piano. 'Borderline' was recorded in August 1954, with Paul Quinichette on tenor sax and Bobby Donaldson on drums, and'Thigamagig' followed exactly a week later, with the tenor sax replaced by Ruby Braff on trumpet.'The Mel Powell Bandstand' dates from December 1954, and Joan Wile (subsequent founder of Grandmothers Against the War) made her recording debut with 'My Last Millionaire' and 'Soon'.Finally, 'Out on a Limb' was recorded in October 1955, and features two studio groups, in which Bobby Donaldson on drums is the common factor. These recordings showcase Powell’s superb sense of swing; the earliest reflect his Dixieland background, and the later ones chart the growing influence of bop, transmuted by his classical sensibilities. His choice of musicians was astute, and the whole compilation sparkles with variety. Given the scarcity of this material, to have so much made available all at once is a treat that should not be missed. BMC

‘BRITISH DANCE BANDS’ 124 tracks incl. Blue Mountaineers I Got Rhythm; Jack McCormick At the Café Continental; Don Marino Barretto Green Eyes; Billy Munn Night and Day; Nat Star Hummin’ to Myself; Ben Frankel The Donkey Serenade; Four Bright Sparks My Idea of Heaven; Syd SeymourJust Like Jack, Just Like Jill; Tommy Kinsman A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody; Joe Orlando Remember Me?; George Elrick Popcorn Man; Josephine Bradley Tea for Two; Felix Mendelssohn Cherokee; Ivy Benson Stardust; Eddie Wood Hands Across the Table; Len Fillis By the Lazy Lagoon … DELTA 9052(74:56, 75:42, 74:29, 73:35 & 74:53) On the face of it, a 5-CD set for £12.99 including p&p would seem too good to be true, but like Delta’s earlier 5-CD set 'The Golden Age of Swing', the price is the only cheap thing about this compilation. Each CD is self-contained in a separate jewel case, with a comprehensive liner note and clearly annotated tracks, which are arranged in chronological order. Broadly speaking, it spans the Thirties and Forties, plus a handful of tracks from the Fifties. In addition to the more esoteric groups listed above, the usual suspects are also represented, but the degree of duplication with other CDs is lower than I had anticipated. By my reckoning, only just over fifty are commercially available already, mainly in the Vocalion dance band series, plus fourteen on vinyl. Of those that are new to CD, three were issued originally on the extremely rare Octacros label. The remastering is crisp and clear, and I recommend this package whole-heartedly. BMC

CARROLL GIBBONS & the SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS Volume 13 ‘Rustic Rhapsody’ 24 tracks incl. The Mood that I’m in; Amor, Amor; Do I Love You? ; My Favourite Dream; It Might as Well be Spring; Cynthia’s in Love…. Vocalion CDEA 6200 (72:57)

ROY FOX at the CAFÉ de PARIS ‘Spin a Little Web of Dreams’ 24 tracks incl. Midnight, the Stars and You; Aloha Beloved; One Morning in May; My Sweet; True … Vocalion CDEA 6201 (73:21)

THE NEW MAYFAIR DANCE ORCHESTRA DIRECTED BY CARROLL GIBBONS ‘Encore’ 25 tracks incl. All by Yourself in the Moonlight; Spread a Little Happiness; Anita: Nobody’s Fault but Your Own; Dancing Goblin…… Vocalion CDEA6202 (77:37)

Again, a disclaimer insofar as liner notes for these three reissues were written by yours truly, plus amea culpa!

Reissues of recordings by the Savoy Hotel Orpheans tend to concentrate on the thirties, but apart from the first two numbers in this latest compilation, which date from 1937, all the rest were recorded between 1940 and 1946. By then the Orpheans were playing in the then popular homogenous orchestral style, but without any lowering of standards. Carroll took a rare vocal on the song Who Am I? and his delightful piano playing is much in evidence. It introduces Too Romanticwhich is one of nine numbers sung here by his long-time vocalist Anne Lenner.

In 1934 Roy Fox spent three months at the Café de Paris, from March to May, and this compilation contains two dozen out of the 32 sides which came out of that residency. I can find only two tracks which have been reissued previously, both on a Decca LP, so duplication is minimal. Most of the vocals were taken by Denny Dennis, who'd joined Roy Fox at the end of 1933, and show why he attracted the title of "The British Bing Crosby". Trumpeter Sid Buckman sings the swinging Swaller Tail Coat, and the remaining six vocals fall to the mezzo-soprano tones of pianist Peggy Dell. It's a very attractive compilation which features a good mix of ballads and up-tempo numbers, Over My Shoulder in particular underlining what a superb outfit this was.

The New Mayfair Dance Orchestra was the HMV house band, which was reconstituted in 1928 under Carroll Gibbons’ musical directorship, which lasted until mid-1929, when he handed over to Ray Noble. Reissues mainly feature the latter’s recordings, particularly those with vocals by Al Bowlly, but Carroll’s have much to commend them, not least for the presence on some of the great American trumpeter Sylvester Ahola. Many of the numbers reflect the twenties vogue for syncopation, and over half the numbers are instrumentals. Of the vocals, I have erred in crediting Good Little Bad Little You to Eddie Grossbart instead of Eddie Brandt. Mike Dutton’s remastering has captured a very full depth of sound, and many of these treasures will be new to collectors. BMC 

FRANK BANTA ‘Upright and Grand’ 27 tracks incl. I Wonder Where My Baby is Tonight; Ain’t She Sweet; Nola; Go Home and Tell Your Mother; The Doll Dance Rivermont BSW-1142 (78:04) This CD gives a fascinating glimpse of a bygone era, through the recordings between 1923 and 1930 of virtuoso solo syncopator Frank Banta. His background and career is set out in the accompanying liner note by Alex Hassan (another piano virtuoso). He makes the point that Banta’s style of playing was perfect for the recording medium; a light touch, crisp and clear, and he made it sound as natural as breathing. Given the age and rarity of the original recordings, some residual surface noise is inevitable, but Bryan Wright’s remastering enables every nuance to be appreciated fully. BMC

‘DAINTY DEBUTANTES Female Novelty Pianists of the 1930s’ 26 tracks incl. You are My Heart’s Delight; Just by Your Example; Jazz up Your Lingerie; Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart; To a Wild Rose Rivermont BSW-1149 (78:38) This is a stunning compilation of recordings by Patricia Rossborough, the South African Raie de Costa, Renara, the American Edythe Baker, Australian Beryl Newell, and the Canadian Vera Guilaroff. All of the ladies concerned possessed keyboard skills of a very high order, whose artistry elevated popular songs of the day into minor works of art. The standout for me is Raie de Costa, and what Alex Hassan's liner note refers to as her amazing theme and variations on Cole Porter's ‘I've Got You on My Mind’. That alone is worth the price of the CD, most of which sounds as though freshly minted yesterday. BMC

ADAM ‘Giselle – Highlights’ Academy of St Martin in the Fields / Sir Neville Marriner Brilliant Classics 94354 (66:45) Music from the ballet is a good introduction to the whole wonderful world of classical music, and you will find no better value single album of the genre than this one.Giselle is the first ballet still regularly performed that was independent of opera, and is regarded as one of the great ballets of the romantic era. Written in 1841 by the Paris born Adolphe Adam (1803-56) it is now his best-remembered major work, although he is possibly even better known for his much-loved Christmas carol O Holy Night (Minuit, crėtiens!). This first-rate recording was made in December 1994 in the Church of St Jude-on-the-Hill in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, and was originally issued on the Capriccio label. ET

‘BEETHOVEN FOR ALL’ Music of Power, Passion and Beauty West-Eastern Divan Orchestra ˕ Staatskapelle Berlin / Daniel Barenboim Decca B0016871-02 (143:14) Along with John Wilson, of course, another highlight of this year’s BBC Proms was the Beethoven Symphony series played by Maestro Barenboim’s remarkable orchestra of young musicians from Israel, Palestine and Arab countries of the Middle East. On this 2-CD set there are just over 72 minutes of extracts from the above series together with extracts on three tracks each of piano concertos (accompanied by the Staatskapelle) and piano sonatas with the conductor as soloist. This is an excellent release attractively priced and an ideal Christmas gift as an introduction to the greatest classical composer of them all. It would get my vote for being among the year’s best. ET

DELIUS Scottish National Orchestra / Sir Andrew Davis Chandos CHAN 10742 (75:35) If it had not been for Sir Thomas Beecham then we might never have heard of Delius, which would have been a great loss. Brigg Fair and Paris are lovely pieces in a lighter vein while Idylle de Printemps(English translation Springtime Idyll) has never been heard before, which is strange because it is excellent. The Piano Concerto is also enjoyable, especially as it is the rare original three movement piece as opposed to the one movement usually heard. A fine CD. PW

JOHAN SVENDSEN ‘Orchestral Works – Volume 2’ Truls Mork (cello) Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi Chandos CHAN 10711 (72:09) Svendsen (1840-1911) studied at Leipzig, and at one time was a friend of Richard Wagner. Norwegian by birth, he spent much of his career in Denmark, where he became chief conductor at Copenhagen’s Royal Theatre. For one who showed such early promise as a composer, it is sad to relate that by the end of his thirties he had experienced a decline in inspiration and productivity, and from his early forties until his death he completed only a few occasional works. The composer’s great strength lay in his ability as a superb orchestrator, and it was in the field of orchestral music that Svendsen really excelled. Although he wrote very much in the Nordic idiom, his masterly command of the orchestra reminds me of Brahms, and particularly at times of Dvorak. The two Norwegian Rhapsodies Nos. 3 and 4 on this disc make use of several Norwegian traditional folk tunes, and some of this material will be familiar to those who are conversant with the music of Grieg, who was a close friend and near-contemporary. TheConcerto for Cello and Orchestra, Op.7 is a brief work of about 19 minutes, and although written in a conventional three-movement form, these are played without a break, with the last movement reprising much of thematic material of the first. (It has been suggested that the E flat Piano Concertoof Franz Liszt was the inspiration for this format). Although not of the same stature as, say, the Dvorak or Schumann concertos for the cello, it is an interesting work, worth getting to know. TheSymphony No.2, Op.15, written in 1876, was an immediate and well-deserved success, warmly received by both audience and critics. Written at the peak of Svendsen’s composing career at the age of 36, it is at one and the same time (to my ears anyway) both Nordic and Germanic – there are more than a few overtones of Richard Wagner in the writing. The quality of both the orchestral performances and the recordings – made at the Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway – are of the highest standard. This new CD is a worthy addition to the Chandos catalogue, and is highly recommended to those who, like me, are keen to explore the undoubted treasures of Scandinavian 19^th-century musical repertoire. TC

(You will find a review of Volume 1 in JIM 191. – KT Ed.) 

‘NORDIC VIOLIN FAVOURITES’ Henning Kraggerud (violin) Dalasinfoniettan / Bjarte Engeset 21 tracks Naxos 8.572827 (74:48) Our listening pleasure has been enhanced again thisyear by many outstanding value-for-money releases from Naxos, and here is one of the best of them. There was a great deal of Nordic writing for the violin in the two decades from 1910 and this album has six fine examples by Olsen, Atterberg (a World Première Recording of Suite No.3), Stenhammar, Halvorsen, Sibelius and Sinding: Six Old Village Songs from Lom in Norway, Two Sentimental Romances, Norwegian Dance, Six Humoresques and Evening Mood, together with two pieces by "The Nordic Paganini", Ole Bull (1810-80): Memories of Havana and A Mountain Vision. They are all marvellously played by the Oslo-born violinist who has been a recipient of Norway’s prestigious Grieg Prize. He is sensitively supported by the 29-strong chamber orchestra conducted by his fellow countryman. Both have made several highly praised recordings for the label in the past. Be warned, the liner notes pack in so much information they are of necessity in very small print. The recorded sound from Sweden is extremely good and altogether this is a release to be savoured. ET

NICOLA BENEDETTI ‘The Silver Violin’ Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Kirill Kirabits15 tracks incl. Williams Schindler’s List – Main Theme; Korngold Tanzlied des Pierrot; Violin Concerto; Mariettas Lied; Gardel Por una cabeza; Shostakovitch Romance; Andante; Prelude; Hess Ladies in Lavender – Main Theme; Marianelli My Edward & I; Shore Concertino – Eastern Promises Tatiana;Mahler Piano Quartet in A Minor Decca 478 3529 (77:54) Voted Best Female Artist at this year’s Classic BRIT Awards and a star of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, the 25-year-old Miss Benedetti has been critically extolled as one of the foremost violinists of her generation. Here she turns her attention to film music from the 1930s onwards, with the main work being the Czech-born Hollywood composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s 25½ minute concerto for which he drew on themes from his movie scores. That this disc is as much about Korngold as the silver screen, his two shorter pieces are from an opera. On other tracks film buffs may recognise music from ‘Scent of a Woman’, ‘The Gadfly’, ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Shutter Island’, among others. Not surprisingly the album, released in late August, went straight to the top of the Official Classical Album Chart and was still there as I wrote this in late October. It also made the low 30s in the Top 40 UK albums chart. You will note that Decca’s timing is a lot more generous than for many of their lighter music releases I have reviewed in the past. PB

'THE COLOURS OF CHRISTMAS' 23 tracks incl. Ding Dong! Merrily on high; In Dulci Jubilo; Away in a Manger; Hodie Christus natus est; I wonder as I wander; Silent Night; In the bleak mid-winter; O Holy Night; Joy to the world; Deck the hall; The Christmas Song … Decca 2782129 (73:27) Received too late to review at this time last year is this album with fresh recordings of some of the best-loved Christmas music compiled by the Festive season’s popular man-about-music, John Rutter, including what was then his brand new carol that gives the album its name. Other artists are The Bach Choir, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, organist John Birch and Over the Bridge (a nine-voice close harmony group, mainly made up of Clare College choral scholars, featured on three tracks), all conducted by "Mr Christmas" himself. PB

Some more recent releases recommended by Wilfred Askew

COUNT BASIE & HIS ORCHESTRA ‘Broadway and Hollywood .... Basie’s Way’ ‘Broadway’(1966) 12 tracks incl. Just in time; Mame; On a clear day; From this moment on; People; Everything’s coming up roses … ‘Hollywood’ (1967) 12 tracks incl. Secret love; The shadow of your smile; The Trolley Song; Strangers in the night; Hurry sundown blues; Days of wine and roses …Fresh Sound FSA-CD 546 (65:45) Two original Command albums.

FERDE GROFẾ ‘Rocketship X-M’ (1950) 15 tracks mastered from the 1977 Starlog Soundtrack album. Bonus: Noodling On The Theramin MonsterMovie Music MMM-1965 (37:16) 

LURLEEN HUNTER ‘The Velvet Voice’ 4 albums on 2 CDs ‘Lonesome Gal’ (RCA, 1955) w. Al Nevins’s Orch. 12 tracks incl. Brief encounter; A stranger in town; But not for me; On Green Dolphin Street … ‘Night Life’ (VIK, 1956) w. Manny Albam’s Orch. 12 tracks incl. Georgia on my mind; Gentleman friend; Moondrift; Sunday … ‘Stepping Out’ (VIK, 1957) w. Phil Moore’s Orch. 12 tracks incl. Old devil moon; Blues in the night; Under a blanket of blue; Some other time … ‘Blue And Sentimental’ (Atlantic, 1960)

w. Jimmy Guiffre’s Orch. 11 tracks incl. Blue turning grey over you; If you could see me now; Crazy he calls me; Then I’ll be tired of you … Fresh Sound FSRR-CD 662 (147:11) 

HENRY MANCINI ‘Hatari’ Original Film Soundtrack 22 tracks Intrada Special Collection Vol. 200 (61:35) 

‘Charade’ Complete Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 28 tracks Intrada MAF 7121 (77:51)

DIMITRI TIOMKIN ‘Fall Of The Roman Empire’ Expanded Motion Picture Soundtrack – limited to 2,500 units 27 tracks La-La Land LLLCD 1202 (65:00)

World Premiere Recording of the Complete Film Score on 2 CDs City of Prague Philharmonic / Nic Raine 37 tracks A Tadlow Music Production Prometheus Records XPCD 170 (138:14) 

’55 Days AT Peking’ Expanded Original Film Soundtrack on 2 CDs – limited to 2,500 copies 57 tracks La-La Land LLLCD 1184 (114:25)

DAVID WHITAKER (1931 – 2012) ‘The Sword And The Sorcerer’ Original Film Soundtrack The Grounke S.O. / Whitaker 23 tracks BSX Records BSXCD 8910 (68:31)

EARL GRANT ‘Nothin’ But The Versatile Earl Grant’ 4 U.S. Decca LPs on 2 CDs 48 tracks ‘The Versatile Mr Grant’ incl. Blue star; Japanese Farewell Song; Dream; Ol’ Man River … ‘Nothin’ But The Blues’ incl. One for my baby; Basin St. Blues; St. Louis Blues … ‘Stormy Weather’ incl. Canadian Sunset; Ebb tide; Misty; "Exodus" Theme … ‘Paris Is My Beat’ incl. Under Paris skies; Bon soir; Beyond the sea; Two loves have I … Jasmine JASCD 197 (152:46)

PEPE JARAMILLO ‘Salud Pepé’ with his Latin-American Rhythm directed by Geoff Love 30 tracks incl. Cachito, Cachita; A woman in love; Romantica; Pepé; Delicado; Adios; Boy on a dolphin …Jasmine JASCD 193 (75:18) 

BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA ‘Orange Blossom Special & Wheels’ and ‘Berlin Melody’ 2 Dot albums from 1961 25 tracks incl. Are you lonesome tonight?; The Whiffenpoof Song; Green green grass of Texas; It’s a lonesome old town … Wooden heart; Blue moon; Till I waltz again with you; Come September … 3 bonus tracks: Red River Valley; Side by side; You are my sunshineSepia 1183 (66:04)

NORMAN CANDLER AND HIS MAGIC STRINGS Try A Little Tenderness Don’t Cry For Me Argentina; Chanson D’Amour; A Sentimental Moment; Another Suitcase In Another Hall; Nancy (With The Laughing Face); Feelings, etc… Candler By Candlelight Candlelight Waltz; Petite Fleur; Spanish Harlem; With A Song In My Heart; The Way We Were, etc… 28 tracks. Vocalion CDLK4430 [78:44]. The name ‘Norman Candler’ hides the true identity of Gerhard Narholz, born in Vöcklabruch, Austria, on 6 June 1937. A classically trained composer, arranger and conductor, Narholz has also used the pseudonyms Otto Sieben, Sammy Burdson, Jurgen Jänner, Walt Rockman, Mac Prindy, John Epping, Jim Harbourg, Renato Pegado and Tony Tape for various aspects of his wide-ranging musical interests. In real life this charming, modest and talented musician is also a successful businessman. In 1965 Gerhard and his wife Rotheide founded the Sonoton Recorded Music Library [now based in Munich, Germany] which supplies music for professional users in films, documentaries, radio and television. Its sister label is Intersound, which was immediately successful upon its launch with recordings by Horst Jankowski, to be followed later by top international conductors including Billy May, Nelson Riddle and Franck Pourcel. Sonoton has grown into the largest independent production music company in the world. During the 1970s Gerhard made around 20 LPs as ‘Norman Candler’, specialising in gently rhythmic treatments of songs that were popular at the time. He also proved his ability to write appealing melodies, and his own works: A Sentimental Moment, The Other Way, Soft And Tender and Days Of No Return fit comfortably alongside some of the better known numbers. Special mention must be made of the great Richard Rodgers classic With A Song In My Heart. It is not surprising to find a superb arrangement by the English composer, arranger and conductor John Fox [b. 1924] included on a Norman Candler album. For many years, right up to the present time, John has been a major contributor to Narholz’s Sonoton library, creating a wide range of orchestral colours which have been widely accepted by the entertainment profession around the world. He is warmly remembered in Britain for his many broadcasts conducting the BBC Radio Orchestra during its glory years of the 1970s and 1980s. The John Fox Strings were regularly heard on Radio 2, and in concerts John often included a choir together with his glamorous singer Joy Devon. He was also welcome in Europe, notably conducting radio orchestras in Germany, and his "Easy Listening" recordings have gained him many new friends in the USA, partly through new internet radio stations specialising in this repertoire. During his mature years John Fox has devoted much of his time to composing a succession of charming orchestral miniatures, often extolling the virtues of the English countryside, especially his beloved Surrey. Fortunately for his many admirers a good number of his works are available on compact discs. In this collection we can admire John’s mastery of the orchestra with his sometimes dramatic treatment of the Richard Rodgers classic With A Song In My Heart. His score is full of interesting diversions which he weaves like the intricate patterns in a mosaic, with the added touch of a discrete, yet effective, wordless chorale. Few arrangers can match his command of the full resources of a modern concert orchestra with such appealing results. This CD is a pleasant reminder of the kind of music that was so prevalent in the 1970s – undemanding yet enjoyable, and perfectly suited as background to gentle pursuits where the attention can be happily allowed to wander. David Ades

THE COMPOSER CONDUCTS VOL.1 for track listing see Light Music pages on this website. Alternatively visit www.guildmusic.com. Guild GLCD5177 [79:05] As compiler David Ades says at the start of his notes you would expect the ensuing music to be as the composer intended seeing as he or she was on the podium and Ron Goodwin is no exception as it is he and the Concert Orchestra who open the proceedings with his Jet Journey, a scintillating start to the programme. Courses de Toros (Bullfights) by Gerard Calvi is as the title suggests a musical depiction of the Spanish appetite for blood letting, [no way can it be called a sport unless the enraged and injured bull can get its horns into its tormentor] but Gerard Calvi really brings the atmosphere of the arena to life. I’ve got a couple of Spanish CDs which include "bull-baiting" music and the engineers have mixed the cheers and clapping of the watching mob…mercifully that doesn’t happen on the Calvi Recording. Two library pieces follow, Angela Morley’s Fun in the Sun from Chappell, a typical lighthearted newsreel and documentary accompaniment, then Cedric Dumont’s more romantic Les Parfums de Paris played by the New Concert Orchestra though I suppose it’s his own Orchestra in Basle. Woolf Phillips’ Parisian Mode on track five, used by BBC Television as signature tune to the panel game ‘What’s My Line’ was originally on a Columbia disc but it sounds tailor made for inclusion in a Mood Music publisher’s catalogue. Was it ever? I don’t know but I’m sure David does [Editor – I have never seen it anywhere else]. Listening to Rudolf Friml’s Puppets on Parade made me wonder why he called it that….it’s a lively catchy number with strains of "city mobility" type music from a mood catalogue…nothing of an eccentric nature you might have expected from the title and an excellent recording by the 101 Strings conducted by Friml. Bad Timing on track eleven is definitely NOT my idea of light music and it comes from something called ‘Billion Dollar Baby’, a Broadway show co-written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Set in the prohibition era on Staten Island and in Atlantic City the score was written by Morton Gould. It opened in 1945 and ran for 220 performances. Not my cup of tea but maybe the rest of the music is more tuneful. More to my taste are the tunes of Roger Roger and one of them, Along the Avenue from the Chappell library is included here plus a couple of very cheerful and catchy numbers, Montana Round-Up by Kermit and Walter Leslie and Raymond Scott’sHuckleberry Duck. Neiani by Axel Stordahl, like Bad Timing is another piece that wouldn’t find shelf room in my CD collection. David says in the booklet notes that Stordahl realised that his style was more suited to slow sentimental ballads. If this one is anything to go by they’d be eminently suitable for putting people to sleep. However, things started looking up when André Popp and his Orchestra burst upon the scene with his lively and tuneful novelty La Bardinetta quickly followed by the sound of coconut shells and starting pistol introducing Percy Faith’s Fiddle Derby. And another track to keep one alert is Frank Perkins’ Fandango, guaranteed to keep the feet tapping. Now we dip once more into the world of newsreels, Pathe, Gaumont British, Movietone and other users of vintage background music with four tracks from Harmonic, Chappell, Boosey and Hawkes and Paxton. Sports Arena by Wilfred Burns conducting the Harmonic Orchestra, Charles Williams conducting the Queens Hall Light Orchestra in one of his best [I think] compositions Trolley Bus followed by Frederic Curzon’s Boulevardier and bringing up the rear Dolf Van Der Linden and his Metropole Orchestra with his catchy and clever Jack the Dancer…all of them just up my street. And to finish off Volume 1 of "The Composer Conducts" two Big Band type compositions…Blende Auf by Werner Muller conducting the RIAS Dance Orchestra and the First Movement of Otto Cesana’s Symphony in Jazz. Any listener with leanings towards Big Band music will certainly like these. Ken Wilkins

THE COMPOSER CONDUCTS VOL. 2 for track listing see Light Music pages on this website. Alternatively visit www.guildmusic.com. Guild GLCD 5178 [78:12] This is a honey of a disc, in repertoire and [with the possible exception of the Ewing selection] performances. It illustrates the fact that so many of our light music composers have been excellent conductors. Several of the 22 tracks are rousing marches: Things To Come [Bliss], the only one in stereo; State Occasion [Robert Farnon]; League of Gentlemen [Philip Green]; Salute the Soldier, not one of Eric Coates best known but thoroughly characteristic; Amethyst [Leighton Lucas] and Naval Occasion [Clifford], both suitably nautical; Sidney Torch’s busy International Sports; and March of the Bowmen, heard in abbreviated form in the Curzon selection. The Melachrino, Walter Collins, Ivor Novello and Arthur Wood items all exemplify lithe, skilful string writing [it is good to hear the Wood in its original orchestral guise, as nowadays, in my experience, it is usually heard in a brass band version]. Charles Ancliffe’s Thrillswaltz is clearly by the same composer as Nights of Gladness and Don Gilles’ Symphony for Funscherzo is worth revival. And we are reminded that the 1940s was the era of the light concerto with Peter Yorke’s Dawn Fantasy and Hubert Bath’s Cornish Rhapsody, from 1944 and stunningly played by Harriet Cohen, the equal of any performance I have heard of this popular piece. Recording dates are widely spread [1930 to 1959] and three are pre-war, but the customary Guild magic makes the best of the available sound. Generally the CD recommends itself without need for me to do so. I enjoyed it enormously, though. Philip Scowcroft

The KT Editor’s CD Choice for this issue

MATTHEW CURTIS : Orchestral Works [Volume IV] Royal Ballet Sinfonia cond. Gavin Sutherland A Festival Overture; Short and Suite; On the River; Striding Edge; Variations on a Theme of Verdi; Four Winds Suite; Autumn Leaves; Sterling Silver; Summer Serenade; Christmas Rush Campion CAMEO 2085 [79:47] I was quite excited when hearing of this latest recording in Campion’s British Composer Series, having greatly enjoyed RFS member Matthew’s previous discs. The CD plopped through my letter box on Christmas Eve so I immediately went to the last track, an effervescent concert march, which Matthew says in his interesting booklet notes he wrote "in order to fill what I saw as a vacancy in the Christmas repertoire for a light music piece capturing the spirit of anticipation unique to that season, yet avoiding overt references to carols, bells, Santa or snowfall." You will find out how successful he was when you hear the disc – for hear it you must. The obviously named Short and Suite and two other works on this disc were especially composed for the National Children’s Orchestra [under-13s] of Great Britain. The second of these, Striding Edge, a place well-known to Lake District climbers, is another concert march; although Matthew says that any attempt on the actual Edge at anything like the tempo of this piece would be to risk injury or worse! The 10½-minute Variations are on the chorus "Viva Simon!" from the original 1857 version of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra – the 1881 revision usually heard today leaves it out. Autumn Leaves is not the familiar standard but a small orchestra elaboration of a piano piece written for Gavin Sutherland. The conductor was a member of the trio that played on the premiere performance of Summer Serenade,also performed here by a small orchestra. Another spirited item, spotlighting the whole ensemble, isSterling Silver [the longest single track at 7:59], written in 2005 to mark the 25^th anniversary of the amateur West Lakeland Orchestra. With nearly 80 minutes of music this album is every bit as good as its predecessors, being chock-full of melody well played by the RBS. What a joy it is to celebrate a modern composer who can consistently write such good tunes.

JIMMY DORSEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA WITH PATTI PAGE Lets Go To Town Manhattan ; That’s A Plenty; This Is My Song; Lets Fall In Love; What Can I Say After I Say I’m Sorry; Wimoweh; I Went To Your Wedding; South Rampart Street Parade; Lover; Jazz Me Blues; You Belong To Me; Just One Of Those Things; Sweet Georgia Brown; Muskrat Ramble; Hello, Good-Bye, Forget It. Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 822 [59:20]. Four National Guard shows complete with all recruitment announcements, each with opening and closing signature tune So Rare. The Dorsey band sometimes plays Big Band, other times Dixieland. Patti Page, just starting on a solo career, is in fine voice. Paul Clatworthy

BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA, QUINTET & SEXTET AFRS Shows Vol.1 Let’s Dance; Somebody Stole My Girl; On The Sunny Side Of The Street; And The Angels Sing; More Than You Know; I Got Rhythm; I Don’t Know Enough About You; Sing Sing, Sing; Let’s Dance; I Know That You Know; Ain’t Misbehavin’; My Sugar Is So Refined; Blues In The News; Dizzy Fingers; I Don’t Know Why; Oh! Baby: Somebody Stole My Girl; I Know That You Know. Armed forces radio transcriptionsSounds of Yesteryear DSOY 818 [62:37]. Digitally mastered from original discs complete with announcements interspersed with very corny comedy dialogue from Peter Donald. Martha Tilton’s fine vocal on And The angels sing tries to compete with Benny illustrating how fast he can play the clarinet, Second half has guest Johnny Mercer singing My Sugar Is So Refined and Blues In The News. Paul Clatworthy

AFRS Shows Vol.2 Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 828 [60:16]. Second volume of shows previously reviewed, this time containing twenty-six tracks in the same vein from shows three and four. Paul Clatworthy

HITS OF GLENN MILLER AND TOMMY & JIMMY DORSEY IN STEREO The All-Star Alumni Band conducted by Bobby Byrne - featuring original arrangements and musicians 24 tracks incl. Tuxedo Junction; Moonlight Serenade; Little Brown Jug; Sunrise Serenade; Johnson Rag; Marie[Loren Becker, vocalist]; Boogie Woogie; Song of India; Well, Git It!; Opus No.1 … Sepia 1160[77:56] The "big band sound" to people below a certain age probably signifies banks of Marshall or Vox amplifiers with thousands of watts of audio, played by modern pop bands in an open field full of liquid mud in the middle of June. For those above that certain age it evokes memories of ballrooms with sprung Canadian maple dance floors, strict tempo foxtrots, waltzes and jive, accompanied by a genuine no-nonsense high quality dance band orchestra. We danced to such classics as Stardust, In The Mood and String of Pearls [all on this CD] with that special lady with that heady perfume that lingers forever. Just like the perfume our big band sound has and will endure forever. So roll back the carpet, grab "that special lady" and dance, because this CD is irresistible! The two dozen tracks are a good mix of all the old favourite numbers one associates with Glenn, Tommy and Jimmy but with some individual musicality on some of the tracks. That said, the fact that so many alumni musicians came together after the original bands dispersed is in itself no mean feat. Bob Eberly is the vocalist on I understand and The breeze and I, and duets with Dottie Evans on Amapola and Green Eyes. In CD format the stereo remastering and noise reduction of the original recordings is good but not exceptional, particularly the spatial separation. The standout track for me, Stardust, is extraordinary but a lot of you will have your own memories of these recordings and, maybe, that special lady. As a postscript: it is a pity that some of these timeless classics have not been used on the BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ series. Keep on dancing! Roger Chantler

THE HOLLYWOOD FLUTE Louise Ditullio [flute] with Sinfonia Toronto conducted by Ronald Royer Suite from "Hook" [John Williams]; Suite from "Dances With Wolves" [John Barry]; Themes from "Charlotte’s Web" [Danny Elfman]; Theme from "Sleeping With The Enemy" [Jerry Goldsmith]; The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn [Laurence Rosenthal – for unaccompanied flute]; Short Stories [Ronald Royer]; Le Papillon [David Rose]; Theme from ‘Rudy’ [Jerry Goldsmith] [USA] Cambria CD-1194 [72:54]. The track that persuaded me to buy this CD was the composition by David Rose. He wrote it for Louise DiTullio, who had been a regular member of his orchestra since she was eighteen, working on TV shows such as ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Little House on the Prairie’. The piece is calledLe Papillon [the Butterfly], and it is so appropriate for the flute – describing the short life of that most beautiful of insects through its many stages. It was premiered in 1980 and thereafter Louise had the opportunity to perform the work several more times with David Rose conducting. He must have been proud of the work, because he mentioned it in correspondence with us [he was a member of the RFS] in the years before he died in 1989. It is clear that David never lost his flair for composing; it is a beautiful work, and deserves a place in every light music lover’s collection. The other tracks are almost a bonus, and they contribute magnificently to a most enchanting collection. David Ades

JOURNEY INTO MELODY Journey Into Melody (Robert Farnon) - Robert Farnon; Red Shawl (Carr) - Philip Green; Enchanted April (The Olive Tree) (Trevor Duncan) - Norrie Paramor; The Waltzing Bugle Boy (Ray Martin) - Ray Martin; Ebb Tide (Maxwell) - Frank Chacksfield; The Road To Ballingarry (Mantovani) – Mantovani; The Elephant Tango (Landes) - Cyril Stapleton; Elizabethan Serenade (Ronald Binge) - Ron Goodwin; Port-Au-Prince (Bernie Wayne) - Frank Cordell; Faded Lilac(Peter Yorke) - Peter Yorke & His Silver Strings; Venezuela (Coleman) - Wally Stott; L'edera(Seracini) - Semprini (piano), conducting the New Abbey Light Orchestra; Swedish Rhapsody (Alfven) – Mantovani; Blue Grotto (Ron Goodwin) - Ron Goodwin; The Peanut Polka (Robert Farnon) - Robert Farnon; Sadie's Shawl (Carstens) - Frank Cordell; Forgotten Dreams (Leroy Anderson) - Cyril Stapleton; Autumn Concerto (Bargoni) - The George Melachrino Orchestra; China Boogie (Helmut Zacharias) - Sidney Torch with Bert Weedon (guitar); In Old Lisbon (Lisbon Antigua) (Portela) – Frank Chacksfield; Tango Of The Bells (Ray Martin) - Ray Martin; Blue Star (Victor Young) - Geoff Love; On A Spring Note (Sidney Torch) – Sidney Torch; Around The World (Victor Young) - Stanley Black; Under Paris Skies (Giraud) – Mantovani; Three Coins In The Fountain (Styne) – Alyn Ainsworth; April In Portugal (Ferrao) - Norrie Paramor; Summer Star (Cyril Ornadel) - Tony Osborne;Westminster Waltz (Robert Farnon) – Robert Farnon. Bygone Days BYD77058 [77:20]. This recent release from the Delta Music Group is welcome for several reasons: first of all it is a generous helping of light music; secondly its bargain price will help to ‘spread the word’ about light music and hopefully reach some people who do not realise how enjoyable it can be; and thirdly it is simply a top quality product in all respects. Although he receives no credit, we understand that the compiler is Peter Dempsey, who has been responsible for many entertaining collections of light music in recent years. He has made a good choice, picking some comparative rarities among the familiar titles which will ensure that the collection is sufficiently attractive to ensure healthy sales. Indeed we have learned that extra copies were pressed soon after release, so let’s hope that another collection will follow soon. The comprehensive booklet notes are by Ralph Harvey, who many readers will already know from his magazine articles and the collections of continental music released by the likes of EMI and French record companies in recent years. The more CDs like this that are issued, the better it will be for light music. The hope is that any casual purchasers will be encouraged to explore the many other CDs that are currently available – not only compilations of older material, but new recordings by top orchestras and conductors. Top marks all round! David Ades

MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA Classical Encores & Christmas Album Track listing in JIM 186 Vocalion CDLK 4429 [41:24 & 42:09] We previewed this release in our last issue without any catalogue number or timings. Having now heard the 2-CD set I would include the first album with the beautiful seasonal offering as among the best Mantovani albums of all time, even if the latter does not quite give me the tingle I got from the original vinyl . Peter Burt

PALM COURT LIGHT ORCHESTRA [of Canada] conducted by Charles Job Silver Jubilee Little Serenade [Ernest Tomlinson]; Dancing Stars [Herman Finck]; The Mosquito’s Parade [Howard Whitney]; Love Sends A Gift Of Roses [John Openshaw]; The Mad Major [Kenneth Alford]; A Love Long [Haydn Wood]; Side Saddle [Trevor H. Stanford]; Jealousy [Jacob Gade]; Chanson de Nuit [Edward Elgar]; The Glow-worm [Paul Lincke]; In An Old Fashioned Town [W.H. Squire]; Shaftesbury Avenue [Jack Strachey]; Tango [Isaac Albeniz]; Lucy Long [Fred Godfrey]; In The Shadows [Herman Finck]; Fleurette d’Amour [Percy Fletcher]; Rumbolero [A. Marazit]; Humoresque [Anton Dvorak]; Sons Of The Brave [Thomas Bidgood] Palm Court CD05 [70:06] RFS member Charles Job has been organising and conducting concerts in British Columbia with his Palm Court Orchestra for almost 25 years – they actually celebrate this notable milestone next year. This new CD [dedicated to Ernest Tomlinson] features some of their most popular pieces, and it provides a perfect example of the kind of high quality light music of a traditional kind that is shamefully ignored by today’s broadcasters around the world. Happily we can choose to listen to CDs, rather than the radio, and this delightful collection is warmly recommended to everyone who appreciates this kind of repertoire. David AdesFor more information about the orchestra visit their website: www.palmcourtorchestra.com

ANDRẾ RIEU & HIS JOHANN STRAUSS ORCHESTRA Moonlight Serenade 17 track CD incl. Gold And Silver; Barcarolle; Theme from Romeo & Juliet; My Love Song Should Be A Waltz; Vienna, City Of Dreams; Roses From The South; Serenade; Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – Mozart Medley; O Mio Babbino Caro; Lara’s Theme; Romance:The Gadfly .... plus 28 track DVD incl. Seventy-Six Trombones; Blaze Away; Fächerpolonaise; Chianti Song; Nessum Dorma; Elyen A Magyar!; Sportpalast Waltz; The While Horse Inn; Emperor Waltz; Concerto Pour Une Voix; Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again; Botany Bay … Decca 533178 [Total running time 3:28:27] The Dutch violinist was described in The Times as "Today’s face of classical music" while other classical collectors are not so keen. Whatever … this album chart topping outfit has certainly achieved phenomenal success throughout the world in recent years. Mr Rieu is undoubtedly a very good musician and the orchestra play well for him. What I do not understand is why he feels the need to make his own arrangements of everything and does not sometimes leave well alone. Serenade is the beautiful Andante Cantabilefrom Haydn’s String Quartet Op.3 No.5. Moonlight Serenade itself is not played [another Decca slip-up? KT Ed.] Included in the modest price of the CD is a bonus DVD ‘Live In Australia’, which is quite something with its Rieu showmanship and razzmatazz. The enthusiasm from performers and large audience is infectious, giving the viewer a high feel good factor. Despite my initial reservations I found the music on both discs most enjoyable, although long term I shall probably prefer listening to looking. Edward Trub

* Readers who enjoy the music of the Strauss Family and their contemporaries should not overlook the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Day Concert, conducted this year by Austrian-born Franz Welser-Möst, on a 2-CD Decca set 4782601 [46:18 & 54.55].

TEX BENEKE AND HIS ORCHESTRA Here’s To The Ladies [Who Sang With The Band] Lillian Lane; Shirley Wilson; Claire Chatwin; Mary Mayo; Helen Lee; Eydie Gorme; Shirley Jones; Lois Lane; Barbara Edwards; Joan Cavanaugh Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 829 [77:21] Twelve tracks with Tex’s own orchestra, eight with The Glenn Miller Orchestra and six with Ray Martin’s Orchestra, all culled from many private collections of his fans. A bouncy version of The Tunnel Of Love has Helen Lee singing with Tex himself. Dreamin’ is my business sung by Helen is a tune well worth reviving. Evidently Eydie Gorme never sang on any of Tex’s MGM recordings because of "mike fright". Her joyful version of Orange Coloured Sky contained here, shows no sign of fright!Paul Clatworthy 

PERRY COMO At the Supper Club featuring Lloyd Shafer and His Orchestra Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 824 [74:43] Six Armed Forces radio shows, twenty-eight songs popular in 1946 with guests Nat King Cole, Spike Jones, Peggy Lee, Diana Lynn, Paula Kelly, The Modernaires and The Satisfiers. Putting this many into the programme ensures every listener gets something to enjoy. If you were a devotee of Perry’s later years on TV with the Mitchell Ayers Orchestra you will really notice the voice difference, far less intimate and relaxed. Paul Clatworthy

FAIRY TALES OF IRELAND : Favourite Ballads and Folksong Arrangements Peter Dempsey [tenor], Guy Rowland [piano] 25 tracks incl. Love thee dearest; Killarney; Sweet Emerald Isle; Little Brigid Flynn; The Kerry Dance; An Irish Lullaby; Maire my girl; Open the door softly; The little shawl of blue; The Mountains o’ Mourne; The Rose of Tralee; Irish Love Song; The banks of my own lovely Lee; Duna; Shannon river; Macushla; Ireland, Mother Ireland FT1 [73:07] Peter Dempsey follows his recent CDs of Balfe, Tosti, Ketèlby, Coates and Haydn Wood with this varied selection of Irish melodies. Many are well known, though not all in these arrangements – Down by the Sally Gardens is in a Herbert Hughes’ version not Britten’s, for instance. A few are less often heard. ForThe Fairy Tales he returns to Eric Coates, while the rare but delightful My Irish daddy knows is by Haydn Wood. These are two examples of many here where the songs, music or words, emanate from Englishmen. Whatever the provenance there are considerable differences of mood. Three of my favourites are the deftly sung [and played] Kitty my love, the adorable Star of the County Down and the delicious Dublin Saunter, which seems to have stepped from a World War II musical. There is no weak link here. Mr Dempsey’s razor sharp delivery and admirably lucid diction do all songs proud and Guy Rowland’s accompaniments and two piano solos [Irish Air from County Derry and The Dear Little Shamrock] sparkle. I urge you to explore and be delighted by this disc. Available for £9.95 including p&p from Mr Dempsey at 44 Victoria Road, Bidford-on-Avon, Warwicks. B50 4AR Philip L Scowcroft

FAVORITES IN STEREO Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy 12 tracks incl. Will you remember?; Rosalie; Giannina Mia, Rose-Marie, Italian Street Song; Indian Love Call; Ah sweet mystery of life … Nelson Eddy & Gale Sherwood 12 tracks incl. Wunderbar; One night of love; If I loved you; You and the night and the music; The song is you; Just for tonight; Shall we dance? …Sepia 1161 [67:21] Former opera baritone Nelson Eddy and soprano Jeanette MacDonald in duet were one of the biggest cinema attractions in the 1930s and 1940s, stars of eight operetta films including ‘Naughty Marietta’, ‘Rose-Marie’, ‘The Girl of the Golden West’, ‘New Moon’ and ‘Bitter Sweet’. Here, in stereo recordings made in 1957/8, they sing together on disc for the first time since 1938. And pretty good they sound, too, although MacDonald has never been among my singers of choice. They duet on Will you remember?, Indian Love Call, Ah sweet mystery, and Wanting you; the remaining eights tracks being shared equally between them. MacDonald gives us a Latinate version of The Breeze and I, and closes the album with Beyond the Blue Horizon, and it is nice to hear again an old favourite, Stouthearted Men, sung by Eddy. Orchestras are conducted by Dave Rose [8 tracks] and Engel Lehman. The Canadian soprano Gale Sherwood is the least well known of the trio and was chosen by Eddy to sing with him in his night club act. The dozen enjoyable tracks here were recorded in 1960 with an orchestra conducted by Harry Sosnik. The whole disc is a nice reminder of glamorous times gone by. Ray Pavene

NEW DEAL RHYTHM : Musical Cures For The Depression Blues Doug Bowles [tenor], Alex Hassan [piano] Shellwood Productions SWCD 41 [78:38] Here we have thirty songs, a majority sung by Doug Bowles to Alex Hassan’s ever lovely accompaniments, but some arranged as ebullient piano solos. They date from the America of the 1930s. Best known of them is Brother can you spare a dime? It has been said that over half the songs ever written are about love and even here we have titles like There’s no depression in love, I’m an unemployed sweetheart, Put a tax on love, My baby’s on strike and One big union for two. Bitter sweet some may be but all are entertaining, splendidly performed and excellently recorded. Recommended, though as most have a family likeness, the disc is perhaps best listened to a few tracks at a time. Philip L Scowcroft

PATTI PAGE Sings You Go To My Head and Songs from Manhattan Tower You Go To My Head; While A Cigarette Was Burning; I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart; Deep In A Dream; I Hadn’t Anyone Till You; Spring Is Here; I Thought About You; Darn That Dream; I Didn’t Know What Time It Was; What’s New; I’ll Never Smile Again; You Walk By; I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good; Don’t Get Around Much Anymore; Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me; Under A Blanket Of Blue; New York’s My Home; Once Upon A Dream; Learnin’ My Latin; Happiness Cocktail; March Marches On; Never Leave Me; Married I Can Always Get; Repeat After Me; Indian Giver; This Close To The Dawn; The PartySepia 1100 [76:46]. Patti grew up to be the best-selling vocalist of all time. She crowned her career by winning a "Grammy" in 1999 at the age of 72. She was a skilled studio technician who could sing almost every kind of music. Some of the songs here beautifully arranged by Jack Rael were done again on a pure jazz album ‘Patti Page in the land of Hi-Fi’ arranged by Pete Rugolo [no doubt at her request]. The last eleven tracks are from Gordon Jenkins’ narrative tone poem Manhattan Towerarranged here by Vic Schoen and became one of her greatest successes high in the "Billboard" LP chart. Patti’s voice was definitely made in heaven, this issue displays it in all its glory. Paul Clatworthy 

JERI SOUTHERN Romance In The Dark Imagination; Could’Ja?; Give Me Time; A Mighty Pretty Waltz; You Better Go Now; Baby, Did You Hear? That Old Devil Called Love; Miss Johnson Phoned Again Today; The Very Thought Of You; The Cabin; I’m In Love; Where Walks My True Love? You Forgot Your Gloves; My Ideal; I’ve Got Five Dollars; All Too Soon; If I Had You; What’s My Name; My Old Flame; Am I Blue; No Moon At All; Romance In The Dark; It Must Be True; Everything But You.Bygone Days BYD77042 [73:53]. Backed by orchestras led by Sy Oliver, Victor Young, Camarata, Ralph Burns and some small groups, Jeri works her magic on songs popular in the fifties, some well known others fallen by the wayside. Peter Dempsey’s informative sleeve states that she considered herself a pianist rather than a singer but her delectable intimate style won her many fans. Her last partner was the well known film composer Hugo Friedhofer, her skill at the piano helping him considerably in his studio work. She virtually retired from performance in 1961, in despair at declining standards in popular music, after which she spent most of her time teaching. Paul Clatworthy

JO STAFFORD At The Supper Club with Carl Kress & His Orchestra and Helen Carroll and The Satisfiers All The Things You Are; Personality; My Old Flame; Come Rain Or Come Shine; In Atlanta GA; I’m In The Mood For Love; Walking My Baby Back Home; I’ve Got The World On A String; Sioux City Sue; In The Moon Mist; Irving Berlin Medley; April Showers; S’posin, Cement Mixer; Oh! What It Seemed To Be; Strange Love; Great Day; All Through The Day; Just You, Just Me; I Love You-Zy; I’ve Got The Sun In The Morning; All The Things You Are. Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 823 [59:12]. The delectable voice of Jo was featured on many of the V-discs sent to Service men overseas, a wonderful morale booster! The six shows on this CD were originally broadcast on American armed forces radio in 1946. After her first marriage broke up she teamed up with her musical director Paul Weston; two years later she married him and had a long career as a solo singer on the Columbia and Capitol labels. Paul Clatworthy

GARY STEVENS Sings Again with Tex Beneke and The Glenn Miller Orchestra [1946-1948]This Is The Night; The Old Lamplighter; Anniversary Song; Somewhere In The Night; Every So Often; The Heather On The Hill; Oh But I Do; To Each His Own; The Man Who Paints The Rainbow In The Sky; If My Heart Had A Window; At Last; Too Marvelous For Words; Melancholy; True; Two Loves Have I; The First Time I Kissed You; Don’t Call It Love; Passing Fancy; So Far; Night And Day; The Song Is You; Now Is The Hour; Sleepy Time Gal; But Beautiful; I Have But One Heart. Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 820 [71:29]. A pleasant voice but no spark to separate him from other singers. Certainly nothing to rival his predecessors, namely Johnny Desmond and Ray Eberle. Very few of the songs have moved to the present time but as Cliff Richard and Matt Goss are moving into this mode of vocalising perhaps some will be resurrected. The audience is sometimes edited out but sound, obviously culled from several sources, varies. Michael Highton’s sleeve notes relive Gary’s ninety three years in detail. Paul Clatworthy

MEL TORME The Essence Of Mel Torme - featuring 40 of his greatest recordings Blue Moon; Night And Day; What Is This Thing Called Love; It Happened In Monterey; Born To Be Blue; You’re Driving Me Crazy; Until The Real Thing Comes Along; My Baby Just Cares For Me; Careless Hands; A Stranger In Town; All Of You; Blue Skies; Million Dollar Baby; You Leave Me Breathless; It’s A Blue World; I’ve Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good; Isn’t It Romantic; ‘Till The Clouds Roll By; How Long Has This Been Going On; Mountain Greenery; Lulu’s Back In Town; Fascinating Rhythm; Lady Is A Tramp; Lullaby Of Birdland; The Carioca; The Way You Look Tonight; Cheek To Cheek; Something’s Gotta Give; They Can’t Take That Away From Me; Lets Face The Music And Dance; A Fine Romance; Walkin’ Shoes; Cuckoo In The Clock; Hooray For Love; Waltz For Young Lovers; A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square; Gloomy Sunday; ‘Round Midnight; I’m Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life The Christmas Song. Delta 33332 [Disc one 60:57; Disc two 62:12]. There is much of Mel’s vast catalogue available on CD but this is one of the best mixes. Along with some of the "West Coast" sounds provided by Marty Paich and various groups large and small, there are five tracks from the excellent recordings made in England: The Cuckoo In The Clock and Walkin’ Shoes with the Ted Heath orchestra; Hooray For Love with Cyril Stapleton’s orchestra; Waltz For Young Lovers with Roland Shaw’s Orchestra; and top of the list an absolutely superb version of A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square arranged by Wally Stott [Angela Morley]. Paul Clatworthy 

V-DISC ALL STARS WITH THE SINGERS Bob Crosby; Martha Tilton; Jo Stafford; Billy Butterfield; Connie Boswell; Yank Lawson; Jack Leonard; Trummy Young; Buck Clayton: Monica Lewis; Betty Roche; Dave Mathews; Buddy Rich; Ella Fitzgerald; Jimmy Brown; Bob Haggart. Sy Oliver Sounds of Yesteryear DS0D827 [2-CD set 76:10 and 67:05] Above you’ll find just a few of the names on these thirty-three tunes carefully and beautifully mastered by Michael Arie from his collection. Nostalgia from the forties to suit just about every taste. Paul Clatworthy

ANDY WILLIAMS National Guard Shows Five Thru Eight Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 826[58:25] Andy eases through 25 popular songs accompanied by Hank Jones, Mundell Lowe, Eddie Safraski, Bobby Rosengarden and Barry Galbraith. Main difference from other Guard shows, Andy does the short announcements and no audience intrusion. A relaxed unpressured set rather than out and out jazz. Paul Clatworthy

WILL BRADLEY AND HIS JAZZ OCTET Ridin’ A Rift Ridin’ A Riff; Lonely Night; Nimble Feet; When Gabriel Blows His Horn; Midnight Special; Silver Dollar Polka; Winter Time; Lady From Castile; Go Way, Love, Go Way; Hysterical Boogie; Dixie Party; Dust Bowl; Footprints; Tasty Dish; Who Cut The Gorgonzola; On A Boogie Beam; A Little Time To Dream; Jungle Magic; A Ia Carte; Roly Poly Polka; Conga Roo; Bayou Ballad; Slow Freight; On The Front Burner; Eight O’clock Date; On The South Side.Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 819 [69:48]. Will’s smooth trombone graced many bands including Glenn Miller, Freddie Rich and our own Ray Noble before forming his own band. Will here features the trumpet of Billy Butterfield and piano of Stan Freeman. Of all the tracks the ballads set the high standard: Lonely Night, Winter Time and A Little Time To Dream are my pick, closely followed by three "bouncy" numbers: Ridin’ The Riff, Tasty Dish and A Ia Carte. The remainder are "Dixieland" numbers. Paul Clatworthy

DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET The Navy Swings Take The "A" Train; I’m In A Dancing Mood; St Louis Blues; Gone With The Wind; For All We Know; Sounds Of The Loop; Someday My Prince Will Come; In Your Own Sweet Way; Tangerine; Watusi Drums; Thank You; Nomad. Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 830. [58:39]. Four three tune shows each preceded by Brubeck’s signature tune The Duke.Half of the playing time taken up with recruitment notices dated 1948. The sleeve states a "Live" recording. No audible audience on my CD. All the better in my book. Paul Clatworthy

CHRISTIAN CHEVALLIER The Prince of Jazz Night in Tunisia; Summertime; I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’; It Ain’t Necessarily So; Stormy Weather; The Man I Love; Caravan, etc… 63 tracks on 3 CDsEMI France 5099964237329 [199:44]. No doubt our French friends will be familiar with the name Christian Chevallier; for the rest of us this Platinum Collection is a revelation. Compiled by RFS member Serge Elhaik, we are taken back to the 1950s when Christian’s band was paying homage to US giants such as George Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Neal Hefti with some charts that really swing. This continues through the second CD [many numbers are his own compositions], until the third finds him mainly in the 1960s with attractive vocal tracks featuring Henri Salvador, Richard Anthony, Gilbert Becaud and Line Renard, with some tasteful string backings – quite a contrast to the earlier big band numbers. In fact the third CD contains some excellent tracks, some of which are in light orchestral territory. I particularly liked the non-vocal versions of four Gilbert Becaud numbers: Le Mur, Si Je Pouvais Revivre Un Jour Ma Vie, Croquemi-toufle and Il Fait Des Bonds. At an RFS meeting a few years back we showed a video of Dolf van der Linden and the Metropole Orchestra playing the last named in a TV broadcast – I always wondered where it came from! I think it true to say that this is a very varied selection which no doubt provides an accurate portrait of Chevallier’s career. The press release says he merits rediscovery, and I certainly agree. David Ades

CHARLIE VENTURA SEPTET Bop For The People Whatta Ya Say We Go; Body And Soul; Lullaby In Rhythm; Birdland; Boptura; Yesterdays; High On An Open Mike; Embraceable/Blue Champagne; I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles; I’m Glad There Is You; 0-Go-Mo; How High The Moon; I Cover The Waterfront; Jam Session. Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY821 [75:04]. The first five tunes are preceded by a lesson on how to sing "Bop" by Charlie Ventura, Jackie Caine and Roy Kral. The second half includes rare broadcasts with among others Charlie Parker’s All Stars and The Miles Davis All Stars. Charlie’s deft sax playing really keeps things moving. A very enjoyable set. Paul Clatworthy

In Paul Clatworthy’s reviews, Delta, Sepia, Bygone Days and Sounds of Yesteryear CDs are available in the UK from usual outlets; in case of difficulty telephone Submarine Records 0208 360 3486. Also available from The Woods [see Big Band Roundup for further details].

FINEST MARCHES The Central Band of the Royal Air Force DOM: Squadron Leader Gordon Bain Imperial Echoes; The Liberators; Action Front; Under the Double Eagle; Wellington; Trafalgar; Blaze Away; The Children of the Regiment; The Britisher; Marche Lorraine; Skywatch; The Royal British Legion; National Emblem; The New Colonials; The Thunderer; Old Comrades; Arromanches; Out of the Blue; Glorious Victory; Royal Air Force March Past Royal Air Force Music RAF MRL008[68:36] Not a new release but a splendid and impressive collection of mainly popular British, American and European marches. The accompanying notes make the interesting point that the majority were composed before 1920 and yet all are still regularly performed at ceremonial occasions and on the concert platform and, until the sharp decline in their regular use, the park and pier bandstand. An exception is a fine modern march Skywatch by R.E.C. Davies dating from the mid-1970s, and it would have been useful to have some information on this piece but the notes are somewhat brief and generalised. All the tempi are superbly judged by the Director of Music who adopts the appropriately more sedate pace for Teike’s famous Old Comrades. The disc ends fittingly with the RAF March Past, which features George Dyson’s noble, dignified and poignant trio tune. The recordings made at RAF Uxbridge are uniformly excellent with production standards exemplary throughout. An undoubted "feather in the cap" for this outstanding band who can certainly look unflinchingly into the eyes of the Household Division and Royal Marines bands. Small wonder that last year they were signed up Decca! Strongly recommended. Roger Hyslop

SOUSA Music For Wind Band, Vol. 8 Band of the Royal Artillery cond. Keith Brion, Martin Hinton [cornet] The High School Cadets; The Northern Pines; Selections from ‘El Capitan’; Boy Scouts of America; Crusader March; Oh Warrior Grim [from ‘El Capitan]; On the Campus; Jack Tar; Comrades of the Legion; Pride of Pittsburgh; Suite: At the King’s Court; The Washington Post Naxos 8.559248 [58:48] If there is ever a composer to cheer one up on a bitterly cold bleak winter’s day [as it evidently was when Roger wrote this. KT Ed.] it must be John Philip Sousa. The most surprising thing about this 2010 release is that the recording sessions for it were held in Woolwich Town Hall as far back as January 2005. As usual with this series the familiar mingles with a considerable number of rarely heard or performed pieces. Thus the popular share the disc with an extended selection from Sousa’s operetta ‘El Capitan’ and a 16-minute suite At the King’s Court’, which Keith Brion tells us in his informative booklet was probably composed in preparation for the Sousa’s Band 1905 tour to England, where it was played for King Edward VII at a command performance. The march Jack Tarreceived its first performance at the Royal Albert Hall with both the King and Queen present and the not inconsiderable forces of the Coldstream, Scots and Irish Guards, Sousa’s Band, a band from New Zealand and the Queens Hall Orchestra – its amazing the roof of the venerable RAH remained intact. Martin Hinton, principal cornetist with the RA Band, takes centre stage with Warrior from the aforementioned El Capitan’ and Campus, an ebullient jaunty piece that comes complete with words by the composer’s daughter and vocalized presumably by the band. This latest release amply vindicates again the reputation of this Band as one of the best in the British Army; and if you haven’t already started collecting this outstanding series – it is not too late! Roger Hyslop

Classical Corner

DVORAK Symphony No.6; Nocturne in B Major; Scherzo Capriccioso Baltimore Symphony Orchestra / Marie Alsop Naxos 8.570995 [68:19] The well received recordings by these forces of Dvorak’s Symphony Nos.7 & 8 [Naxos 8.572112] and the favourite 9th Symphony, ‘From the New World’, coupled with the Symphonic Variations [Naxos 8.570714] have been followed by the latest arrival, the magnificent 6^th Symphony, which has been a "Desert Island" choice for me ever since I became acquainted with the classic account by the late Istvan Kertesz [Decca 473 798-2] in the mid-960s. Naxos have added the popular Scherzo and Nocturne, an arrangement for string orchestra of the slow movement from the Fourth String Quartet. Altogether extraordinary value and strongly recommended if you fancy this life enhancing musical masterwork. Roger Hyslop

HALVORSEN Orchestral Works, Vol. 2 Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi ; *Marianne Thorsen [violin] Air norvégien*; Chant de Veslemoy*; Three Norwegian Dances*; Suite ancienne*; Symphony No 2, ‘Fatum’ Chandos CHAN10614 [75:50] This from the Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen follows hard on the heels of Volume 1 reviewed in JIM 185. It is a particularly attractive release since it includes one of the composer’s most adorable works. The Suite ancienne [1911] was originally conceived as entrácte music for a play by Ludwig Holberg but it was always devised as an orchestral suite in its own right and to begin with was called the Holberg Suite, but to avoid confusion with Grieg’s composition Halvorsen finally settled on ‘From olden days’, which on publication was translated into the French equivalent. He regarded it himself as one of his finest compositions and certainly the 2^nd movement, an Air with variations, is heartfelt and enchanting, and it is difficult to imagine anyone could be immune from its charms. The whole piece is simply bursting with melodic interest and thoroughly deserves to be better known. Also included are several short pieces for violin and orchestra, of which the Air norvégien is imbued with a delightful and unmistakeably Nordic freshness. The major work here is Halvorsen’s Second Symphony, to which on revision he attributed the nickname ‘Fatum’ or ‘Fate’. More challenging fare maybe but in no way can this be described as difficult music, with a notably cheerful third movement ‘intermezzo.’ An immensely likeable disc possessing great charm, integrity and above all melody, from a composer who thoroughly deserves a significantly higher profile in the musical firmament – and what better champion could he have than Neeme Jarvi? Well worth investigating. Roger Hyslop

Wilfred Askew reminds us of more recently received releases

CARL’S WAR Czech National Symphony Orchestra cond. Carl Davis The World at War [Concert Version 2010]; Goodnight Mr. Tom; Echoes That Remain; Anne Frank Remembered; Rhapsody on Themes from The Snow Goose Carl Davis Collection CDC 009 [67:58] All music composed by Carl Davis

FRANK COMSTOCK & HIS ORCHESTRA Changing Patterns 24 tracks incl. The Blue Room; One Morning in May; Isn’t it a Lovely Day; Street of Dreams; Sing Something Simple, Coffee Time; Small Fry; Smoke Rings; Adios … Montpellier Mont CD 069 [69:58] Recorded 1958/59

RAY CONNIFF Concert In Rhythm Vol.II [1960] 12 tracks incl. Liebestraum; Yours Is My Heart Alone; None But the Lonely Heart; I’ll See You Again; Warsaw Concerto; One Fine Day … The Perfect "10" Classics [1980] 11 tracks incl. Bolero; Lullaby for Tamara; A Bit of Beethoven; Theme for Elise; Boogie Woogie Humoresque; Mozart in Latin … bonus track: Moonlight SonataCollectables COL-CD 7878 [72:28] Original CBS recordings.

BING CROSBY El Senor Bing arr./cond. Billy May 20 titles on 10 tracks in stereo, followed by the same programme in mono, incl. I could have danced all night; Marta; Rose in her hair; Old devil moon; Cuban Love Song; Andalucia; Malaguena; Down Argentine way; What a difference a day made; Again … plus 6 bonus tracks [1954/5] with Buddy Cole and his Trio incl. Papa loves mambo; You belong to my heart; In a little Spanish town … Collectors’ Choice CCM 2108 [68:02] Issued in UK on LP by M-G-M as ‘Bing Crosby Goes Latin’.

On The Sentimental Side w. Ivor Raymonde Orch. & Chorus [1962] 24 titles [previously unreleased] on 12 tracks incl. My bonnie; Put on your old grey bonnet; All alone; Blueberry Hill, Beautiful dreamer, Roll on silver moon … plus 5 bonus tracks with Buddy Cole Because; Smilin’ through; Love’s old sweet song, Whither thou goest; Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral Collectors’ Choice CCM 2106 [51:36]

Return To Paradise Islands arr./cond. Nelson Riddle [Reprise 1963] 12 tracks incl. The old plantation; Love and aloha; Adventures in Paradise; Frangipani blossom; Forevermore; Farewell my tane … plus 6 bonus tracks w. Buddy Cole Trio incl. My little grass shack, Yaaka hula hickey dula; Ukulele lady; King’s Serenade … Collectors’ Choice CCM 2105 [51:45]

Seasons w. Pete Moore Orchestra [1977] 12 tracks incl. June in January; April showers; Summer wind; Autumn in New York; September song; Yesterday when I was young … plus 13 bonus tracks cond. by Gordon Rose incl. Feels good feels right; Nevertheless; The only way to go; As time goes by; Once in a while … Collectors’ Choice CCM 2104 [73:45]

THE FILM AND TV MUSIC OF CHRISTOPHER GUNNING BBC Philharmonic cond. by Rumon Gamba Poirot Variants; La Móme Piaf; Under Suspicion; Cold Lazurus; The Rosemary and Thyme Caprice; Rebecca; Pollyanna; Firelight; When the Whales Came; The Hollow; Five Little Pigs; Lighthouse Hill Chandos CHAN 10625 [75:57]

MAX GREGER AND HIS ORCHESTRA Greger’s Groove Party 18 tracks incl. Spinning Wheel; Memphis Tennessee; Good morning Starshine; Night Train; Big Train; I Feel Fine; Aquarius …Polydor 530 7296 [48:19]

NEAL HEFTI AND HIS ORCHESTRA ‘ …. and the winner is’ : The Award Winning Songs from 1934 to 1957 [1957 Stereo recordings] 24 tracks incl. The Continental; Lullaby of Broadway; Sweet Leilani; Thanks for the memory; Over the rainbow; You’ll never know; It might as well be Spring; Baby, it’s cold outside; Que sera sera; All the way … Montpellier MONTCD 067 [59:44]

THE ASPIDISTRA DRAWING ROOM ORCHESTRA Happy Frog and Hot Canary The Happy Frog (Hanf); You are Forever My Favourite (Schmitz); You're Too Pretty (Kreuder); An Eriskay Lovelilt (Trad. arr. M Kennedy-Fraser); The Hot Canary (Nero); Tambourin (Gossec); Dreaming (Haydn Wood); The Goosetrot (Glahé); Pǻ Vestlandsk Bondestemna (Grimstad); Mia Bella Napoli (Winkler); Romances de la Neva (Bakos); Fra Fredriksvǽrn (Bull); Aus Eigensinn (Munsonius); Dream O' Day Jill (German); Roter Teufel (Plessow); The Belle of Brazil (Rubach); I Love Your Eyes of Grey (Haydn Wood); Fiddle Faddle (Anderson) (55:04) The discs of this eight strong orchestra are always eagerly awaited and this latest one, offering many quite rarely issued pieces, is as entertaining as ever. The ADRO field two singers '- Liz Menezes doubles also as a violinist and indeed as arranger '- both of whom have several opportunities. The 18 tracks are varied: foxtrots, tangos and other colourful, exotic numbers (The Belle of Brazil is a delight), lovely songs by Haydn Wood and Edward German, an 18th century piece of popular music (Tambourin, an opportunity for Ray Bell" piccolo), plus Scandinavian items, and they end with a particularly rhythmic account of Fiddle Faddle. All in all spirited playing, nicely recorded. Strongly recommended. Philip L Scowcroft

Available for £8.50 (plus £2 p&p in UK) from ADRO, 49 Bankside,

London SE1 9JE. More details at www.aspidistra.org.

BRIGHT AND BREEZY Guild GLCD5180 (78:52). For full track listing please see the Light Music CDs section of this website, or visit the Guild Music site where excerpts from all the tracks can be auditioned. You could almost hear the call "Lights, Camera, Action" prior to the opening number of this latest Guild release 'Bright and Breezy' which is also the title track by Peter Dennis: a typical show bizz/film opening number and newsreel backing of the 1950s, followed coincidentally or perhaps on purpose by Charles Williams' Jealous Lover which was used as the theme for Billy Wilder" 1960 film 'The Apartment', musical director Adolph Deutsch. The recording on this CD is by Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra and very good it is too. I've always thought of Vaughn as a jazz/swing musician but this is pure concert orchestra and Charles Williams would have given the thumbs up at this version I'm sure. This isn't the first time Charles Williams' music has appeared in an American feature film; one of his many Chappell mood pieces Barrage on C234 was used in 'The Rocketeer' (1991) as backing to a supposed Nazi propaganda cartoon and his name appears on the end credits. This sequence can be seen on YouTube. Upping the tempo somewhat we have the Harry Warren/Bob Russell number Carnival played by Les Baxter and his Orchestra followed by the Robert Farnon Orchestra with Bob" own arrangement of They Call the Wind Maria from 'Paint Your Wagon' and you can almost "see the wagon train crossing the prairie". I'm not sure that Ragazza Romanza as played by The Melachrino Orchestra comes under the banner of "bright and breezy", or Misty played by The Knightsbridge Strings, but Painted Carousels from the De Wolfe Library by Anthony Mawer and Bill Davies" Toy Town Trumpeters from the Josef Weinberger library certainly do. Ernie Freeman, sometimes known as Sir Chauncey (where do they get these monikers from?) and his Orchestra play a piece called Midi-Midinette and as I'd no idea what a 'midinette' is I checked out my Chambers Dictionary: it" a "young female worker, especially in the Paris fashion or millinery business" from the South of France and after all that it" not a bad piece either, the music I mean. The Starlight Symphony conducted by Cyril Ornadel give a super performance of Begin the Beguine from 'Jubilee' by Cole Porter with what sounds like a wordless chorus, then the tempo perks up courtesy of Reg Owen and his Orchestra with Bambalina which needed three writers, Vincent Youmans, Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein to pen it. Although not "bright and breezy" Bob Farnon" Players Cigarettes Commercials music Sea Shore played by Rawicz and Landauer and accompanied by Wally Stott" Orchestra make a pleasing contribution to the programme ... but back to the theme of the CD: Ivor Slaney" Stringendo, Dancing Daffodils by the Guy Luypaerts Orchestra and Up and Coming by the unsung Cyril Watters get the tempo back on track. Still up to speed is a topnotch recording on the Embassy Label of Marquina" Spanish Gypsy Dance by Jacques Leroy and his Orchestra, whoever he is or was. Go to the top of the class if you know. From the MGM 1936 film 'San Francisco' comes the title number in this splendid arrangement by Carmen Dragon who conducts the Standard School Broadcast Orchestra on a transcription disc recorded in Capitol Studios in 1960. The CD ends with a 1937 German recording of the Ernst Fischer suite 'South of the Alps' played by a Concert Orchestra conducted by Bruno Seidler-Winkler. A fine piece of Continental light music to end this 80th Guild Light Music release. Ken Wilkins

GORDON FRANKS AND HIS ORCHESTRA Orchestral In The Night Love in the Open Air; Brazil; It" Nice to Go Trav'ling; You Only Live Twice; Sweet Georgia Brown; La Ronde; The More I See You; A Girl in Calico; Ay Ay Ay; A Walk in the Black Forest; I Remember You; In Old Lisbon Strings In The Night La Dolce Vita; The Young Girls of Rochefort; Carnival; Les Parapluies de Cherbourg; Un Homme et Une Femme; Never on Sunda; Viva Maria; Jeux Interdits; Rocco" Theme; Mondo Cane; Rififi; La Strada Vocalion CDLK 4423   I bought this CD for the essential reason for me, the appeal of the songs. The sound quality is first-class. However my feeling is that for releases from 1967 the arrangements sound pleasant but dated, rather ten years back in time and as such somewhat uninspired. By comparison, for example, Frank Chacksfield and his arrangers had for me moved on better with interpretations of pop songs of the '60s era. Graham Self

RON GOODWIN & HIS ORCHESTRA Gypsy Fire & Rhythm and Romance CD 1: The Gypsy Fiddler; Black Eyes; The ritual Fire Dance; Adaluza; Hora Staccato; Gypsy Moon; Czardas; La Paloma; Bublitschki; Play Gypsy; Two Guitars; Hejre Kati; CD 2: South Rampart Street Parade; Temptation; Cherokee; Jealousy; I'll See You in My Dreams; Brazil; Stardust; Deep Purple; Laura; The Touch of Your Lips; Return My Love (Goodwin); Send in the Clowns Vocalion CDLK 4435 (45:42 & 42:50) After a long wait, how good to have not one but two of Ron" albums back in the catalogue, and both for the first time on CD. The first album, released in 1967, was produced by the legendary (now Sir) George Martin and has been described online as a "real light classic gem". I won't argue with that. The first track was composed by orchestra leader Ralph Elman. The second album, from nine years later, has an exhilarating opening that brings to mind Ron" Trumpet Volunteer on 'The Best of Sellers' 10" LP. The remainder of the album gives us Ron" stylish arrangements of three Latin American popular classics, and some of the best love songs in the business as well as Ron" own romantic number. The oboe led last track is as beautiful a version of Sondheim" evocative opus as I have ever heard. Liner notes by David Ades are as informative as ever. Among all the light music albums reviewed here, this release goes to the top of the pile and is my CD CHOICE for June. Peter Burt

CHRIS DEAN" SYD LAWRENCE ORCHESTRA A Night at the Movies Strike up the Band; Misty; Hooray for Hollywood; It" Magic; With a Song in My Heart; Laura; Put on a Happy Face; Marcel McTattie LeCoq; It" Alright with Me; Boulevard of Broken Dreams; Alexander" Ragtime Band; Tara" Theme; The Pink Panther; Smile; Bond Medley- Theme/You Only Live Twice/On Her Majesty" Secret Service/ Nobody Does it Better/From Russia with Love/For Your Eyes Only/Thunderball/ Live and Let Die/We Have All the Time in the World/Goldfinger Avid IMCD004 (60:45) Ever since the inception of the Hollywood musicals the movies have been a rich source of great songs for bandleaders, and this new release shows that the tradition is alive and well, and in good hands. Gershwin's opener was the title song for the musical play which made it to the silver screen in 1940. Like some of the other numbers it's played in the Roland Shaw arrangement, whilst Billy May and Nelson Riddle get a look in also. The selection provides plenty of variety, with a nice balance between instrumentals '- with precise ensemble playing punctuated by featured soloists '- and excellent vocals. I'm delighted at the inclusion of a number penned especially for the late much-missed Malcolm Laycock, which takes as its title his adopted soubriquet. I can pay this CD no greater compliment than to say he would have loved it. Barry McCanna

MANTOVANI & HIS ORCHESTRA An Album of Favourite Tangos and Waltzes Jealousy; A Media Luz; Araña de la Noche*; Besame Mucho; Tango de la Luna*; Red Petticoats*; Adios Muchachos; Blauer Himmel; El Choclo; La Cumparsita; Chiquita Mia*; Tango Delle Rose / Dear Love, My Love; Greensleeves; Mexicali Rose; It Happened in Monterey; Poème (My Moonlight Madonna); I Love You Truly; Lovely Lady; Love, Here Is My Heart; At Dawning; Was It a Dream; Love" Roundabout (Love Makes the World Go Round); Dancing with Tears in My Eyes [*composed by Mantovani]Vocalion CDVS 1967 (68:39) Having brought us all Monty" stereo output, Mike Dutton now looks as if he is turning his attention to the great man" mono albums. The 'Favourite Tangos' LP was originally recorded at Decca" West Hampstead studios between 20th June 1952 and 10th April 1953 '- the year in which it was released. It makes a fine companion to the later stereo compilation ('Old and New Fangled Tangos'/'Folk Songs Around the World' on Vocalion CDLK4265) with which it has four tracks in common. 'Favourite Waltzes' was the maestro" first 12-inch LP and comes from a year earlier although recording began in November 1951. It is an absolutely delightful compilation of melodies with that distinctive Ronald Binge orchestrated post-Charmaine "Marmite" string sound [love or loathe it] well to the fore but not excessively so. Once again Colin Mackenzie" liner notes enhance the listening pleasure. This is one of three Vocalion CDs priced at £2.99 although, as I have bemoaned before, virtually impossible to obtain at that price from the usual online suppliers. Orders direct to Dutton incur p&p charges. But, still, a great bargain! Peter Burt

PAUL MAURIAT & HIS ORCHESTRA Rhythm And Blues & The Paul Mauriat Orchestra 24 tracks incl. Respect; Unchain My Heart; I've Been Loving You Too Long; Natural Woman; Last Night; You Keep Me Hangin' On ... / El Bimbo; Mandy; Angie Baby; I Got a Name; Rock Your Baby; Have you Never Been Mellow ... Vocalion CDLK 4433 (72:46) One of "Les Grands Trois" of French light music maestros from the 1950s to the 1980s (the others being Franck Pourcel and Raymond Lefèvre), M. Mauriat will probably be quite well represented in our collections as there are over 220 of his albums listed at www.best-cd-price.co.uk. He had one of the largest recording catalogues featuring more than 1000 titles just from his Polygram years of 1965 to 1993. From this period here" a 2-on-1 disc of fairly undemanding Mauriat fare to add to your shelves. The conductor is responsible for all the arrangements on the second album, which features the Hawaiian guitar of Marcel Blanchi on Mauriat" own Pacific Holiday. Presumably Philips thought they knew what the public expected and did not bother with sleeve notes '- hence no liner notes here. Simon Peters

MELACHRINO & HIS ORCHESTRA The Music of Victor Herbert & The Music of Sigmund Romberg 24 tracks incl. Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life; March of the Toys; Gypsy Love Song; I'm Falling in Love with Someone; The Streets of New York; Italian Street Song ... Deep in My Heart, Dear; Lover, Come Back to Me; The Riff Song; One Alone; Wanting You; The Desert Song ... Vocalion CDVS 1968 (74:55) A further release at the lowest possible price point from another of light music" great conductors and orchestra. Both these RCA albums from 1960 are in stereo and it would be difficult to find a more melodic compilation. A review at the time described the playing as "splendidly vital and with an exceptionally live and immediate sound for the string choir". Herbert was born in 1859 (he died in 1924) and became the dominant and most influential composer, mainly in operetta vein, for the musical theatre in America. The selection here will be familiar to most. When I was growing up 'Desert Song, 'New Moon' and 'Student Prince' were standard fare for amateur operatic/dramatic societies throughout the land. All three shows are represented in the second album of best-known tunes from another American composer, the Hungarian-born Romberg (1887'-1951). Vocalion reprint Stanley Green" sleeve notes from the original LPs, and there is a most attractive booklet front. Fine stuff! Peter Burt

THE MELODY LINGERS ON 28 Radio Favourites 1952-1960 Marching Strings (Ray Martin" Concert Orchestra); Meet Mister Callaghan (Frank Chacksfield" Tunesmiths); Marianina (Norrie Paramor" Concert Orchestra); Violin Boogie (The Max Jaffa Quintet); Blue Tango (Ray Martin" Concert Orchestra); Theme From Modern Times ('Smile') (Ron Goodwin" Concert Orchestra); Delicado (Frank Cordell & His Orchestra); Gabrielle (Cyril Stapleton & His Orchestra); Little Red Monkey (Frank Chacksfield" Tunesmiths); Terry" Theme from Limelight (Ron Goodwin" Concert Orchestra); Jamaican Rumba (Mantovani & His Orchestra); Song Of The Sea (Canção do mar) (The Melachrino Orchestra); Serenade To Eileen (Stanley Black & His Orchestra); Carnavalito (Cyril Stapleton & His Orchestra); Cresta Run (Sidney Torch & His Orchestra); Violin Samba (The Max Jaffa Quintet); No Other Love (Ron Goodwin" Concert Orchestra); Zambezi (Joe Loss & His Orchestra); The Banks Of The Seine (Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra); Stranger Than Fiction (Sidney Torch" Orchestra); The Lily Watkins Theme (The Melachrino Orchestra); Flamenco Love (Frank Cordell & His Orchestra); Lazy Cowboy (Ray Martin" Concert Orchestra); The Italian Theme (Cyril Stapleton & His Orchestra); Theme from Last Rhapsody (Stanley Black wIth Mantovani & His Orchestra); Red Cloak(Ron Goodwin" Concert Orchestra); The Windows Of Paris (Tony Osborne & His Orchestra); Theme from A Summer Place (Norrie Paramor & His Orchestra) Delta Bygone Days BYD77062 (73:00). This is the anticipated follow-up to the 'Journey Into Melody' CD reviewed in our last issue. Its success has prompted this speedy sequel, which contains a feast of splendid light music. If you regularly collect similar compilations you will probably have some of the numbers, but there should be sufficient new titles to encourage you to purchase '- especially as it is available at a bargain price. Congratulations to Peter Dempsey for compiling and annotating another entertaining feast of nostalgia. David Ades

WERNER MULLER & HIS ORCHESTRA Learn To Love & Sentimental Journey 22 tracks incl. Let" Stay Together; With You Gone; You're a Lady; Learn to Love; The Impossible Dream; Clair; Theme from 'Lost Horizon' ... / I'm in the Mood for Love; I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm; Moonlight Serenade; At Last; Mood Indigo ... Vocalion CDLK 4432 (77:03) Although he has around 90 albums listed, it seems that there is less information on Werner Muller than practically any other internationally known light music maestro, even with the help of Google! And the various Vocalion re-issues I've seen, good as they are, do not provide any liner notes on the man or his music. I have discovered that he was born in Berlin in 1920 and that he spent many years conducting two of Germany" most popular radio orchestras '- RIAS and WDR. He died in 1998. With this re-issue, on CD for the first time, we have two original Decca Phase 4 albums, the first from 1973, the second from four years later. The Muller concert orchestra is possibly more dominated by the brass section than some of its contempories and, although very well recorded (the recording engineer on both albums is Arthur Lilley, who played such a big part in the success of Mantovani" recordings), maybe does not have as strong a personality of its own as some others. The opening track, Mouldy Old Dough, is one of those tunes you find yourself constantly replaying. The second album is mellower as befits the tune selection, although there is variety as Rimsky-Korsakov" Song of India is followed by Duke Ellington" Satin Doll. One of the best tracks for me is Begin the Beguine. With a nice string sound throughout, this is an attractive release. Peter Burt

WOOLF PHILLIPS The Lullaby of Broadway (The Music of Dubin and Warren) & JACK PAYNE Say It With Music Lullaby of Broadway; I Only Have Eyes for You; You're Getting to be a Habit with Me; The Rose in Her Hair; Would you Like to Take a Walk; Forty Second Street; September in the Rain; Shuffle off to Buffalo; Shadow Waltz; You'll Never Know; Young and Healthy / Say in with Music; I'm in the Mood for Love; I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You); Try a Little Tenderness; Guilty; I Surrender, Dear; There" a Small Hotel; Just One More Chance; Blue Pacific Moonlight; Memories of you; Love in bloom; Love is the Sweetest Thing Vocalion CDVS 1970 (70:22) Another bargain at £2.99! When he died in 2003, aged 84, Woolf Phillips obituary in The Independent described him "as one of the last surviving major big-band leaders of the post-war British dance band scene". Not all our readers may realize that Sid Phillips was his older brother. After war service he had been an arranger for Geraldo" orchestra alongside Robert Farnon and Wally Stott (Angela Morley), and from November 1947 to September 1949 he led the famous Skyrockets orchestra. He is probably best remembered as bandleader, MC and comedy foil at the London Palladium during its heyday between 1947 and 1953. I seem to remember him, too, as MD for Vera Lynn on TV. His album here in full orchestral arrangements features the work of Al Dubin and Harry Warren who wrote some of the biggest hit songs of the 1930s. Jack Payne (1899-1969) may be remembered by our oldest readers as Director of Dance Music for the BBC at Savoy Hill, leading the BBC Dance Orchestra until he was succeeded by Henry Hall in 1932. He returned to the Beeb as Director of Dance Music for five years from 1941. I first became a fan in the early '50s when he was a notable radio disc jockey and in 1955 presenting his own TV show 'Words and Music', which ran for three series. The arrangers on this album are Dick Barrell, Brian Fahey and Tony Osborne. All credit to Mike Dutton (again!) for resuscitating these two immaculately played tuneful albums, with uncredited instructive original LP sleeve notes, from 1956 and 1958 respectively. Peter Burt

FRANCK POURCEL & HIS ORCHESTRA  Magnifique & Girls 24 tracks incl.  Un Jour Se Lève; Yesterday; Mon Coeur D'Attache; (Manuel Benitez) El Cordobés; Le Ciel, Le Soleil et La Mer; Quand on est Ensemble; Solenzara; Előise; Laura; Hello, Dolly!; Lili Marlene; Louise; Maria Elena; Maria; I Want to Be Happy; Mrs Robinson; Delilah; Brigitte; Pilar Vocalion CDLK 4441 [63.23]This superb new Franck Pourcel two-on-one is worthy of your attention not only for its terrific arrangements but also for the carefully crafted inlay notes which outline his distinguished career in some detail. Deservedly so, too, because Franck was one of the leading exponents of the modern orchestral format, making over 200 albums, a fraction of which, unfortunately, were made available in the British Isles. A masterly perfectionist in all he did, Pourcel highlighted the use of high-pitched strings, wordless female vocals and intriguing rhythms so well you could instantly recognise one of his recordings. A particularly good example of his ability to transform a good pop song into an instrumental gem is his treatment of Gilbert Bécaud's Seul Sur Son Ėtoile which later became the English language hit It Must Be Him, sung by Vikki Carr. Other highlights from this collection include the delightful Girl (where the strings reign supreme), Lara's Theme, Thunderball, Eloise and a hauntingly dramatic version of the continental hit Merci Cherie. This timely issue is a worthy testament to the memory of a truly great interpreter of the modern light orchestral album. Scott Raeburn

BARNABAS VON GÉCZY AND HIS SALON ORCHESTRA Volume 1 Cuban Dance; Poeme; Come With Me To Madeira; Blue Sky; Close Your Eyes and Dream; Ragamuffin; Quietly Comes the Night; Fresh Breeze; Siboney; Pony; Rustle of Spring, etc...26 tracks Frank Bristow FBCD262 (77:15).Volume 2 Sicilia; My Beautiful Hungary; Valse Triste; Artists Life; Bavarian Polka; Sparrow" Concert, etc...21 tracks Frank Bristow FBCD263 (78:21). Whenever light music buffs talk about German salon music of the inter-war years the name Barnabas von Géczy inevitably crops up. It seems that collectors simply can't get enough of his recordings, so many of them will be over the moon with these new CDs from our friend Frank Bristow in Australia. The repertoire ranges from catchy light novelties such as Josef Rixner" Ragamuffin (originally called Spitzbub) through familiar 'Palm Court' favourites like Im Chambre Separee to a few more substantial works by Haydn, Hellmesberger and Strauss. The booklets are packed with information, and Mike Redstone" digital restorations are top class. If this is your kind of repertoire, you'll want to snap these two up straight away! David Ades

Frank Bristow" CDs are only available direct from him at 2 Cross Street, Brighton, Victoria 3186, Australia. Tel. 063-9528-3167 Email:  website: www.musicfromthepast.comCredit cards and Paypal are accepted, but no cheques '- details from Frank on request.

HELMUT ZACHARIAS & HIS MAGIC VIOLINS On Lovers' Road & Candlelight Serenade The Man I Love; Body and Soul; Moonglow; I've Got You Under My Skin; April in Paris; You Go to My Head; Makin' Whoopee; I Can't Give You Anything But Love; Love is Here to Stay; Dream; Embraceable You; Love for Sale / Le Chanson d'Orphée; Mare Nostrum; The Gypsy; Angentina Serenade; Namenlos; Adieu Tristesse; Windows of Paris; La Montaña ;The three Bells; Otra Puerta; Mona Lisa; Pernambuco Vocalion 4442 (66:06) The last but no means the least of, at the time of writing, the latest Vocalion re-issues of light orchestral music features Helmut Zacharias (1920-2002) who in the 1950s was considered to be one of the best jazz violinists in Europe and was dubbed "The Magic Violinist" and "Germany" Mr Violin", selling over 14 million records worldwide. His biggest hit with his orchestra was his own composition, Tokyo Melody,the theme for the 1964 Olympics. On this CD the first 12 tracks are standard songs given a lush smooth treatment by the massed strings. The second brace are not quite so familiar but are also highly listenable to in Zacharias" own arrangements. Peter Burt

THE FILM MUSIC OF DOREEN CARWITHEN BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Gavin Sutherland Boys in Brown; Three Cases of Murder; Mantrap; To the Public Danger; Men of Sherwood Forest; East Anglian Holiday; Travel Royal. Dutton Epoch CDLX 7266 (60:00) Doreen Carwithen was the amanuensis of William Alwyn whom she later married. Her music has a distinctive lyrical quality and is thoroughly approachable as light music; indeed had she been a man we would have heard a great deal more about her. This is a great CD and an excellent sequel to her Chandos disc (re-issued on CHAN 10365X) both of which you will want to play over and over again. Very highly recommended, especially as the music has been reconstructed by Philip Lane. The first five works are from dramatic films, the last two from travel documentaries. Edmund Whitehouse

THE FILM MUSIC OF BRIAN EASDALE BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Rumon Gamba The Red Shoes; Kew Gardens; Black Narcissus; Battle of the River Plate; Adventure On; Gone to Earth Chandos CHAN 10636 (75:00) British films from the 1930s to the 1960s often had superb background music, which complemented the storyline perfectly but many, if not most, were jettisoned as being of little or no value once the film was released. Philip Lane has spent a massive amount of time rescoring them for recorded performance and here are his latest offerings, supplemented by John Wilson. The Red Shoes starred Moira Shearer as a doomed ballet dancer;Battle of the River Plate starred John Gregson, Anthony Quayle and Peter Finch chasing the German pocket battleship Graf Spee; Black Narcissus starred Deborah Kerr and Jean Simmons as two nuns in a doomed wartime love story; Gone to Earth starred Jennifer Jones, David Farrar, Cyril Cusack and the semi-blind Esmond Knight chasing foxes and each other; Adventure On (the suite from which was dedicated to Sir John Barbirolli) was a documentary about Massey Ferguson farm equipment; whileKew Gardens does exactly what is says on the label, depicting changing horticultural scenes south of the River Thames. Older film buffs will love these sounds of reconstructed old film music. Edmund Whitehouse

DEBBIE WISEMAN 'The Promise' (Original Television Soundtrack) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Debbie Wiseman. Silva Screen SILCD1354 (74:41). During February Channel 4 in the UK screened an epic four-part drama documentary 'The Promise'. Debbie" score is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and is one of her most ambitious scores to date which, alongside the traditional orchestra, includes a vast array of ethnic performers. The story of the film centres around a British girl who travels to Israel/Palestine and retraces the steps of her grandfather who was a British soldier stationed there in the 1940s. To bring this story to life musically Debbie has drawn on Arabic and ethnic influences, and has featured the Duduk, Kaval, Dud, Arabic violin, Arabic vocal, and ethnic percussion '- as well as a full symphony orchestra of strings and woodwind. In a press release accompanying the launch of the soundtrack album, Debbie said: "Working with director Peter Kosminsky again on 'The Promise' has been one of the most exciting and musically challenging projects of my career. Writing over 4 hours of music for the films, and weaving the western and ethnic eastern instrumentation together for this heartbreaking story was a massive challenge. It was a real delight to conduct the sessions with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the diverse solo performers '- I really didn't want it to end!" Debbie is also heard playing the piano, and the CD comes with a lavishly illustrated booklet that will delight viewers wanting a permanent souvenir of the series. This is the latest in a long series of prestigious projects by one of the finest composers working in television and films today, and it is warmly recommended to readers who like to include this kind of repertoire in their collections. David Ades

THE CLARINET CONNECTION In Accord Tanguisomo; Domino; Canzonetta, Op 19 (Pierné); Sicilienne (von Paradis); Organ Prelude No 8 [BWV560] (J S Bach); I Wiil Wait for You; Misty; Paris Medley; Un Homme et Une Femme; A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square; The Shadow of Your Smile; Second Waltz [Suite for Variety Stage Orchestra] (Shostakovitch); Extasis; Oblivion; Czardas (Monti) DJC Records DJC031 (42:05) The playing, production and presentation here are all excellent and this album has given me much pleasure. Andrew McCullough on clarinet and Peter Ayers on accordion are joined by the double bass of Christopher Finch and the percussion of Ian Chopping in a wide ranging programme including three pieces by Ấstor Piazzolla. Being a pushover for the evocative sound of the accordion, I found it and the tango rhythm irresistible. And who would have expected an accordion to play a Bach Organ Prelude? I also loved the instrument in musette mode on Paris Medley, written to entertain Orient Express passengers. Even one of my all-time unfavourite tunes, A Man and a Woman,composed by Francis Lai (himself an accordionist) is bearable. A slight cavil is that I would have been even happier with a playing time of nearer an hour '- quantity as well as quality. I urge you to get this CD and to share in the obvious enjoyment of the players. Peter Burt

To buy a copy of 'In Accord' for £10 (incl. p&p), contact Peter Ayers, 40 St Michaels Way, Brundall, Norwich NR13 5PF; tel: 01603 713565; email: 

PHIL KELSALL Plays The Technics SX-FA1 The Entertainer The Entertainer, Spanish Eyes; Side Saddle; Midnite Blue; Thunderbirds; Whistle Down The Wind; Music Box Dancer; Twilight Time; Morning Has Broken; Spanish Harlem; Aces High (from 'The Battle of Britain'); Vision On (Left Bank Two); Elvira Madigan; Belle Of The Ball; Peacherine Rag; Lonely Shepherd; Crazy; My Heart Will Go On (Love theme from 'Titanic'); España, My Way Grasmere GRCD 134 (76:20) A pleasant well-filled compilation of varied re-issues from the "King of Blackpool Tower Ballroom" for the past 36 years. But, nota bene, here he is not playing the famous Wurlitzer but his touring organ with its quite different sound. This album has grown on me with repeated hearings, although I still miss the resonance of the larger instrument. Music Box Dancer is delightful and the rather attractive JoplinRag is one I've not heard before. Evidently concert tour audiences are very appreciative of the instrument so good sales should ensue. The disc is produced by Mr Kelsall and our fellow RFS member Tim Wills. Even without the "big W", at under £6 online this is well worth a whirl. Peter Burt

NIGEL OGDEN Pure Nostalgia 14 tracks incl. The Middy; Guys and Dolls Selection; Deep Purple; Funeral March of a Marionette; Is It True What They Say About Dixie?; Tower Ballroom Classics; Quickstepping with Jerome Kern; Moonlight in Vermont; Television Themes ... Grasmere GRCD135(73:47) It is the Tower Ballroom Wurlitzer Organ but at the console the long-time presenter of Radio 2" 'The Organist Entertains' . The recording was evidently made on one of the coldest days in November last year. It arrived in early April on one of the hottest days so far this year. I have heard Nigel live in a nonconformist chapel and he is a fine player. (Interestingly, he includes two hymn tunes in his final selection Lest We Forget). One can only marvel here at his control over this super instrument. The album is an eclectic compilation that should give pleasure to all lovers of that special "Blackpool sound". Peter Burt

TONY BENNETT While We're Young 57 tracks incl. Cold, Cold Heart; Always; Just in Time; It" Magic; Boulevard of Broken Dreams; Stranger in Paradise; Rags to Riches; Blue Velvet; Sing You Sinners ... Jasmine JASCD 679 (79:00 & 79:31) This generous package presents Tony Bennett singing for the most part slow ballads. His rich full-throated voice is admirably suited to the material, and sound quality is excellent. The tracklist shows that he" aided and abetted by some of the best accompanists of the time, in particular Percy Faith. Robert Nickora" liner note hints that the compilation spans the middle to late fifties, but actual recording dates are omitted. Barry McCanna

BING CROSBY Through The Years : Volume Seven 36 tracks incl. Learn to croon; Thanks; Muddy water; Mississippi mud; My kinda love; I surrender, Dear; Oh! Tell me why; If you love me; Down the Old Ox Road; Black moonlight; The day you came along; After sundown; Temptation; Love thy neighbour; May I? ... Sepia 1167 (74:27) The latest volume of this comprehensive series by the great Bing reaches 1954. Most of the tracks between April and June (accompanied by Buddy Cole and his Trio) are from 'A Musical Autobiography', Decca" 20th anniversary celebration issue of five LPs in tribute to their most successful star. Standout tracks for me include two of my favourite songs,Love in bloom and It" easy to remember, and also What can you do with a General? and Count your blessings '- both from the 'White Christmas' movie. All the tracks are introduced by the man himself and, although extremely interesting, might not make this compilation ideal for repeated listening ...? A 12-page booklet of notes by Malcolm Macfarlane is a model of its kind. Peter Burt

BARBARA DICKSON The Essential Barbara Dickson 56 tracks incl: January February; Answer me; Memory; I don't know how to love him; Don't cry for me Argentina; Natural woman; Anyone who had a heart; My Lagan Love; Who knows where the time goes; Farewell to Whiskey; ... // Time after time; September song; Don't think twice it" alright; Sule Skerry; If you go away; She" leaving home; The times they are a-changin' (with Gerry Rafferty);I think its gonna rain today; The dark end of the street; Tell me it" not true; ... Metro CD650 (75:11 & 77:15)A few months ago in Back Tracks I encouraged you to buy a budget price disc by Barbara Dickson, actress, pianist, songwriter and singer. Now, alongside her latest album 'Words Unspoken' (Greentrax CDTRAX 353), on which she returns to her folk roots, we have a 2½ hour 2-CD compilation with good liner notes for around a fiver that must rate as the best bargain of the year so far. It contains a good mix of contemporary show tunes '- in 1985 she had a Top 20 hit with Another suitcase in another hall from 'Evita' and a No.1 with Elaine Paige on I know him so well from 'Chess' (still the all-time worldwide best-selling duet by two females) '- as well as folk numbers and excellent cover versions of other artists' hits. Barbara has a lovely voice, and it is no surprise to read that her debut album in the '70s sold more than 600,000 copies and stayed in the charts for more than a year. She received an OBE in the 2001 New Year" Honours List for her "service to music and drama." Not bad for someone whose early ambition as a wee Scots lassie was just to sing like Doris Day! Peter Burt

HUTCH (LESLIE A HUTCHINSON} Let" Do It - His 50 Finest 1929-1947 incl. Ain't Misbehavin'; Lover; Don't Blame Me; Night And Day; Dinner For One, Please, James; It" De-Lovely; Let" Call It A Day; The Woodpecker Song; These Foolish Things; Deep Purple; My Prayer; Whispering Grass; Let There Be Love; Jealousy; La Mer ... Retrospective RTS 4168 (78:58) & (78:41) a Although in essence this is a compilation that was issued in 2002 on the now defunct Living Era label, it deserves to be judged on its own merits, which are considerable. Between 1929 and 1947 Hutch recorded over 600 sides, initially for Parlophone (including some with Harry Roy, seven of which are included), changing to HMV in May 1940. They took in some of the greatest songs of the thirties and forties, and that" reflected in this selection. Hutch was a song stylist, and the combination of his husky throbbing voice and his accompaniment convey potent charm. Sound quality is excellent, as is Peter Dempsey" liner note. Barry McCanna

PEGGY LEE The Hits and More 53 tracks incl. Manana; Caramba it" the Samba; Riders in the Sky; Lover; Fever; My Heart Belongs to Daddy; Johnny Guitar; Sing a Rainbow; The Siamese Cat Song ...Jasmine JASCD 579 (76:55 & 77:02) This compilation spans just over a decade, from 1948 to 1959, when Peggy Lee was at the peak of her illustrious career. The tracklist shows year of recording and chart place but not accompaniment, although Ossie Dales' relatively brief liner note does refer to her album with George Shearing, from which You Came a Long Way From St. Louis has been included. Barry McCanna

MARGARET WHITING" Great Hits It might as well be Spring; A tree in the meadow; A wonderful guy; My ideal; Come rain or come shine; Baby, it" cold outside (with Bill Lee); That old black magic; Moonlight in Vermont; Now is the hour; Slippin' around; Faraway places; My foolish heart; Guilty; Let" go to church; Morgen; Lavender blue; I've been there; Till there was you; The Three Bells; Broken hearted melody; I loves you Porgy; What a diff'rence a day made; I only have eyes for you; My wish came true; Glad to be unhappy; Little girl blue; One for my baby Sepia 1163 (74:13) Margaret Whiting was a popular singer par excellence who died earlier this year, aged 86. She recorded for Capitol Records from soon after it was founded in 1942 for 15 years and had a string of more than 40 hits from '46 to '54. The biggest of these included Now is the hour, A tree in the meadow, andFaraway places, all Nos.1 or 2 in '48, then with Country & Western star Jimmy Wakely on Slippin' around, No.1 in '49. She joined Dot Records in 1957 and re-recorded in stereo her 'Greatest Hits',which comprise the first 14 tracks on this outstanding disc. She was fortunate in having as her arranger and conductor Russ Garcia, who was in the process of becoming a big name in Los Angeles jazz circles. The next ten tracks were issued as the album 'Top Ten Hits' in 1959. This time Milt Rogers does the honours as arranger/conductor. Great to hear The Three Bells again after many years, though it does not oust the version by Les Compagnons de la Chanson in my affections. Sepia has something of a coup with the last three tracks: the first-time release of rare performances accompanied by pianist Walter Gross. The CD booklet is well up to the high standard we have come to expect. This release is a wonderful memento of a beautiful vocalist singing quality songs, and has given me a great deal of listening pleasure. It will surely do the same for you. Peter Burt

GARY WILLIAMS Let There Be Love - A Celebration of Nat 'King' Cole 18 tracks incl. Let" Face The Music And Dance; It" Only A Paper Moon/This Can't Be Love; Nature Boy; Dance Ballerina Dance; Day In - Day Out; The End Of A Love Affair; Smile; L-O-V-E ... Bos Entertainment BOS6819 [47:49].Back in May 2004 a sound engineer at the Caxton Theatre in Grimsby happened to make a recording of Gary in concert with the James Pearson Trio. It was never intended for release, and Gary had forgotten about it until he came across it last year. Happily for his many admirers he decided that it deserved to reach a wider audience. Gary needs no introduction to readers of this magazine; his work has been praised by us on many occasions in the past. This time we find him in a sophisticated cabaret setting, with superb arrangements by Andrew Cottee. Gary sings in the kind of relaxed and confident manner that can only be achieved by a performer with plenty of experience and bucketfuls of talent. Both Gary and Andrew have deservedly enjoyed considerable success in their careers since 2004, and long may they both continue to regale us with top quality popular music. The future is bright with talents like this around on the scene. David Ades

75 GLENN MILLER MASTERPIECES Original Radio Broadcasts Glenn Miller and his Orchestra 42 tracks Sepia 1165 (67:42 & 65:51) The music of Glenn Miller has been with us for some 70 years and, like all things of quality, one never tires of the emotion that it evokes in one" musical soul. This 2 CD set certainly captures the nostalgia of the wartime austerity years of the early 1940s. What make the recordings even more evocative are the introductions to some of the tracks by Glenn Miller in person. The music is quite a surprise with many tracks unfamiliar to the average dance band listener. But that said, it is for you the listener to decide on your personal preferences. Some of the Miller classics are here but unless you are an avid Glenn Miller aficionado I would be very surprised if anyone has heard all the tracks played by the great bandleader" orchestra. My personal favourite is Perfidia, which incidentally was also played by The Shadows. Listen to both and compare. Another track that is particularly "smooth" is Blues in the night, with delightful vocal accompaniment and quite exquisite muted trumpet. To write too much about such famous people and their music cannot do justice to the listening experience. Suggest you buy and enjoy. Roger Chantler

THE SQUADRONAIRES The Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra : Twenty-Five Original Recordings from 1941 to 1953 Digitally Remastered incl. Amapola; Down Forget-Me-Not Lane; Anchors Aweigh; Harlem Sandman; A Journey to a Star; March of the Movies; No Name Jive; ... Bygone Days BYD77061  (77:55) The first sixteen tracks in this compilation were recorded in wartime, when the RAF Dance Orchestra recorded "by permission of the Air Council", after which it became known as The Squadronaires. But for the last three tracks, which were recorded under Ronnie Aldrich" leadership, Jimmy Miller was the director, and he takes some of the vocals, as do Beryl Davis and guitarist Sid Colin. Two tracks in particular will clinch the appeal of this reissue, namely Come Out Come Out, Wherever You Are/It Must be Jelly,and I Heard You Cried Last Night/I've Found a New Baby, both of which were recorded for ENSA in mid-1944.   Barry McCanna

ALADDIN (ORIGINAL LONDON CAST) / CINDERELLA 23 tracks Sepia 1162 (66:22) 'Aladdin', with music and lyrics by Cole Porter in what was to be his final project, first saw the light of day as an American television musical. A substantially different stage show was produced by Harold Fielding at the London Coliseum for Christmas 1960. It starred a young Bob Monkhouse, Doretta Morrow and Ronald Shiner. Direction and choreography were by Robert Helpmann and Bobby Howell was MD. Songs include No wonder taxes are high, Come to the supermarket, Ridin' high, with Trust your destiny to your star and the witty Wouldn't it be fun,both sung by Ian Wallace. 'Cinderella', from the pens of Rodgers and Hammerstein, had also been a television musical, panned by the critics but seen by a record-breaking 107 million viewers in the States. Harold Fielding brought it to the Coliseum in December 1959. The studio cast on this album includes two stalwarts of the London West End stage, Denis Quilley and Elizabeth Larner. The show is orchestrated and the London Variety Theatre Orchestra conducted by Gilbert Vinter. Among the songs the best known is No other love, which withMarriage type love augments the original score. The whole CD is a pleasing listen, likely to be most appreciated by people who actually saw the shows. Well done to the label for bringing the recordings back into circulation and to Dominic McHugh for his admirable notes. Ray Pavene

AMERICAN CLASSICS : SOUSA The Great American Main Street Band / Timothy Foley 22 tracks incl. Gallant and Gay We'll March Away/Let" Hurrah!; The Pathfinder of Panama; The Gladiator; The Gliding Girl; Who" Who in Navy Blue; King Cotton; The Liberty Bell; The Stars and Stripes Forever!; Le Reine de la Mer; The Fairest of the Fair; Here" To Your Health, Sir! The Washington Post; etc ... EMI Classics 64112222 (66:33) This release is presumably a reissue since the recordings made at the Rye Presbyterian Church, New York, date as far back as 1990. No matter, this is a highly enjoyable compilation of mainly marches '- some not yet included in the excellent ongoing Royal Artillery Naxos series '- intermingled and contrasted with a polonaise, a tango, a waltz and a dance hilarious (!), With Pleasure, crisply played with tremendous verve and panache. The band is clearly a highly accomplished and expert ensemble, and it would have been helpful if EMI had furnished some information about when it was established, its size, instrumentation, etc. One novelty here particularly for British listeners is the Mikado March, an arrangement of themes from the G&S operetta that had apparently taken America by storm in 1885. And, whilst decidedly not a novelty, mention should also be made of the George Washington Bicentennial March, significant because it was premiered in February 1932, only a month before the composer" death. No self-respecting Sousa fan should pass this notable issue by and there is a good deal of interest here for the more general listener who simply has an ear for tuneful exuberant music. With superb recording quality '- strongly recommended. Roger Hyslop

THE WORLD OF BALLET Paris Conservatoire, New Symphony and Royal Opera House Orchestras / Anotole Fistoulari Eloquence ELQ4802391 (70:26 & 63:13) Melody abounds on this 2 CD set from the mid-price Australian Eloquence label '- now widely available in the UK '- under the baton of one of the best ballet and Russian music conductors of his time (he passed on in 1995). The original RCA vinyl of Lecocq" (arr.Jacob) La fille de Madame Angot: and Walton" Façade: Suiteswas enthusiastically reviewed for both performances and recording. And Gramophone opined that the J. Strauss II (arr. Dorati) Graduation Ball was "Strauss as Strauss is played in Vienna". The other equally attractive items are from four "opera-ballets": Mussorgsky" Dance of the Persian Slaves, Rossini" William Tell: Soldiers' Dance, Saint-Saẽns" Samson and Delilah: Bacchanale and Verdi" Aida: Dance of the Moorish Slaves - March, plusWeber"(arr. Berlioz) Invitation to the Dance, and Minkus"Don Quixote: Pas de deux described by a composer of today as "tunes just born to dance". This is real feel-good music and these are distinctly desirable discs from "Down Under". Edward Trub

Wilfred Askew" reminders of recently received releases

JUNE CHRISTY Something Broadway, Something Latin (1965) 12 tracks incl. Do I hear a waltz?; Come back to me; The shadow of your smile; What did I have that I don't have? Cast your fate to the wind; One note samba (bonus track) ... JERI SOUTHERN Meets Cole Porter (1959) 13 tracks incl. Don't look at me that way; Get out of town; It" alright with me; You're the top; After you; Love is the sweetest thing (bonus) ... DRG-CD-8507 (67:01) Original Capitol recordings.

BING CROSBY : LOUIS ARMSTRONG Bing and Satchmo arr./cond. Billy May Muskrat ramble; The Preacher; Brother Bill; Little ol' tune; Rocky mountain moon; Bye bye blues ... & 6 others incl. Lazy river (bonus track) DRG-CD-91515 (38:56) Released 1960 by MGM Records.

PEGGY LEE Jump For Joy with Nelson Riddle & his Orch. 14 tracks incl. I hear music; Just in time; Old devil moon; For or five times; Music! music! music!; The glory of love ... DRG-CD-94784(34:43) Issued in 1959 by Capitol ; first stereo release on CD.

KEN NORDINE : The Complete 1950s Recordings : 2CDs 3 original Dot LPs. Chrome Dreams CDCD5044 (109:33) 3 original Dot LPs. Nordine" narration is accompanied on 'Word Jazz' and on'Son of Word Jazz' by the Chico Hamilton Quintet, billed as The Fred Katz Group; and on 'Next!' by a combination led by Richard Marx.

ANDRÉ PREVIN QUARTET Previn" Touch 'Let" Get Away From It All' (1956) 13 tracks incl. It happened in Sun Valley; Island in the West Indies; Honolulu; Sidewalks of Cuba ... 'Hollywood at Midnight' 12 tracks incl. Invitation; Laura; You are too beautiful; My foolish heart ... Fresh Sound FSR-CD-551 (77:58) Two U.S. Decca LPs.

ANDRÉ PREVIN and DAVID ROSE Like Young : Secret Songs For Young Lovers 12 tracks incl. Blame it on my youth; You make me feel so young; Last night when we were young; A year of youth; Too young to go steady; Love is for the very young ... Hallmark 709472 (36:04)

Like Blue 12 tracks incl. The blue room; Serenade in blue; Little girl blue; The blue subterranean; Blue, turning grey over you; Born to be blue ... Hallmark 709682 (33:38)

Two classic M.G.M. mono recordings on a super-budget label.

JOHN WILLIAMS Cavatina : The Complete Fly and Cube Recordings : 2 CDs Disc 1: 19 tracks incl. Bach Changes; Theme from Z; Cavatina; Spanish Trip; Nuages; Sarabande; New Sun Rising, Pomegranite ... / Disc 2: 18 tracks incl. The Height Below; Horizon; The Swagman; Sheep May Safely Graze; Travelling; The River God; Romanza ... Salvo SALVODCD 215 (127:11)

NANCY WILSON How Glad I Am / Gentle Is My Love 'How Glad' (1964) 11 tracks incl. The grass is greener; The boy from Ipanema; Don't rain on my parade; People; West Coast Blues; Quiet nights ... 'Gentle' (1965) 11 + 3 bonus tracks incl. Who can I turn to; My one and only love; More; Time after time; If ever I would leave you; At long last love ... DRG-CD-8511 (64:34)

JOHN BARRY Revisited 4 CDs: ‘Elizabeth Taylor in London’; ‘Zulu’; ‘Four in the Morning’; and ‘The Ember Singles’ Fantastic Voyage FVQD034 (60:40, 31:44, 68:37 & 35:55) The first was a 1963 US TV documentary, arranged and conducted by Johnnie Spence, and the six music-only tracks are reprised in stereo. Liz Taylor adopted a mid-Atlantic accent for her delivery, and I suspect that it worked better as an integral part of the TV programme. The second CD is the original stereo soundtrack of the 1964 epic film ‘Zulu’, including the narration by Richard Burton, plus six Zulu stamps performed by the John Barry Seven. The score of the 1965 feature film ‘Four in the Morning’ is dark and atmospheric. It comprises fifteen tracks, four of which are excerpts of dialogue only by the actors involved. The eleven music-only tracks are reprised in stereo. The music incorporates a recurring theme, which may become repetitive heard in isolation. Despite its title ‘John Barry Plays 007’, only four of the Ember singles are connected with James Bond films. The first two tracks were a best-forgotten attempt to exploit the 1963 Profumo affair; tracks 7 & 8 are commercial recordings of numbers from the first CD, and tracks 9 & 10 duplicate two tracks from the second. If you can ignore those drawbacks, this is a well-produced and presented boxed set which should appeal not just to John Barry enthusiasts, but also to collectors of esoterica, particularly relating to the Swinging Sixties. Barry McCanna

PERCY FAITH Delicado 54 tracks incl. Many Times; Oodles of Noodles; Syncopated Clock; The Bandit; Fiddle Derby; Bubbling Over; Deep Purple; Tropical Merenge; Sleigh Ride: Little Lost Dog ..Jasmine JASCD 677 (78:39 & 79:44) Many of these tunes are associated irrevocably with Percy Faith, but what you'll find here in addition are six recordings on which he accompanied Champ Butler, including Henrietta’s Wedding and I’m Walking Behind You, together with his accompaniments to Marion Marlowe's If You Love Me, and Mahalia Jackson's Away in a Manger, plus a fair few singles that you may well have forgotten. The term Mood Music has become somewhat discredited, but Percy Faith's arrangements had the ability to create an atmosphere which transported the listener. This he achieved by aiming for a more mellow sound, damping down the normally predominant brass and woodwind sections, and overlaying them with strings. The remastering does full justice to that sound, and Robert Nickora's liner note outlines his career, but as with other Jasmine releases I wish there were more information in the track list. Barry McCanna

GRAND HOTEL Tom Jenkins (violin) directing the BBC Grand Hotel Orchestra with Reginald Kilbey (cello) and Jack Byfield (piano) Mazurka de Concert; By the Sleepy Lagoon; Melodies of Britain; If My Songs Were Only Winged; Parlez Moi D’Amour; Fascination; ‘Dear Miss Phoebe’ – Selection; The Laughing Violin; Jealous Lover; ‘Because You’re Mine’ – Selection; Gipsy Carnival; Dream Serenade; Pizzicato from ‘Sylvia’ (Delibes); ‘Waltzing Thru’ Filmland’; Meditation from ‘Thais’; Air on the G String; To a Wild Rose

Dinmore DRD 056 (76:29) A blast from the past except there is no blast! These are beautifully played highly civilized versions of pieces typical of what so many people – some 10 million in the early ‘50s – enjoyed week by week on BBC radio from the 1930s through to the 1950s. The first 15 tracks were recorded by EMI in 1951 and the last two tracks are live performances from a year later. The Stradivarius-playing Tom Jenkins took over as leader from Albert Sandler in 1948 and left the programme in 1954. I was surprised to read that he was only forty-seven when he died of lung cancer in 1957. A fine memento of a truly popular musical entertainer. Remastering is by Paul Arden-Taylor, whose presentation at the RFS London meeting in May was so greatly appreciated, and is issued on his own label: Dinmore Records, 11 Romsley Hill Grange, Romsley, Worcs, B62 0LN, orwww.dinmore-records.co.uk for £7.50 incl.p&p. Peter Burt

RICHARD HAYMAN Misty 59 tracks incl. Blue Tango; Tammy; Sadie’s Shawl; Off Shore; Summertime; Golden Earrings; Moonlight Serenade; Winter Wonderland; Turkey Mambo; Carol …Jasmine JASCD 676 (78:00 & 79:18) This compilation includes the complete Mercury album‘Richard Hayman Conducts the Great Motion Picture Themes of Victor Young’. Other tracks are drawn from ‘Music for People Who Can't Sleep’, ‘Only Memories’, and ‘Let's Get Together’, as well as his accompaniment to Bobby Wayne's singles Snow, Snow, Beautiful Snow and The Jones Boy. Robert Nickora's liner note includes the comment that Hayman was largely responsible for popularising the harmonica in the 1950s, which ignores the influence of Larry Adler. On the other hand, it is instructive to compare Richard Hayman's approach to that of Larry Adler. The latter played in a very assertive style, so that no matter who (if anyone) was accompanying him, you were never allowed to forget that his playing was central to the exercise (in art as in life!) In contrast, Richard Hayman's style is softer, and he blends his instrument into the accompaniment, so that it complements rather than dominating. Barry McCanna

JAMES LAST  Voodoo Party &  Well Kept Secret 20 tracks incl. Se A Cabo; Sing a Simple Song; Heyah Masse-Ga; Mamy Blue; Jin-Go-Lo-Ba … Jubilation; I Can’t Move No Mountains; Love for Sale; Bolero ’75; Question … Vocalion  CDSML 8477 (74:35)  ROGIER VAN OTTERLOO   On The Move  &  The French Collection 18 tracks incl. Go on Forever; Alfie’s Lullaby; Alone at Last; My Dearest Fluffie; The Eternal Triangle … Les Plaisirs Démodés; The Old Fashioned Way; Summer of ’42; La Gars de Rocherchouart; Mourir au Soleil … Vocalion CDSML 8474  (78:09)

Both of these releases originally made their appearance on the Polydor label in the early/mid Seventies. At this time US West Coast ‘Jazz-Funk’ became very popular and still has many devotees to this day. That influence is much in evidence in these four albums. For those whose knowledge of James Last is confined to the ‘Non-Stop’  and  the so-called, ‘a-Gogo’ series, (which by 1973 had sold forty-seven million LPs  world-wide and made a  vast fortune for Last and the record company) these two albums show him in a somewhat different light. ‘Voodoo Party’  features twelve tracks, mostly Latin–inspired, including three numbers previously recorded by Carlos Santana. Driving, pulsating rhythms dominate, and the excellent and very comprehensive liner notes speak of "enough Latin-American percussion to sink a battleship". ‘Well Kept Secret’  was a  rare excursion away from the German recording studios; Last travelled to Los Angeles, and worked with the cream of the West Coast musicians, including Larry Muhoberac  and Wes Farrell, who also produced the sessions.  Highlights of the eight tracks (for this reviewer) are Summertime (with some frenetic flute playing by Tom Scott) and Slaughter On Tenth Avenue – two pieces played like you’ve never heard them before and well worth a listen! Dutch-born Rogier van Otterloo was the eldest son of the renowned conductor Willem van Otterloo. Having made dozens of arrangements for the famous Metropole Orchestra and guest-conducted that ensemble on many occasions, he eventually succeeded Dolf van der Linden as their MD. I first encountered Rogier on an excellent series of albums ‘Introspection 1 – 4 ‘ (on which he worked with the flautist Thijs van Leer). His career was cut short at the age of 46, after losing a prolonged battle with cancer. Both of the albums on this CD were made in London, using an ensemble largely made-up of the very best session musicians. ‘On The Move’ takes its title from track 3. Seven of the eight tracks were penned by van Otterloo and the wonderfully lush and sometimes dramatic arrangements often feature pulsating rhythms, with brass, wind and electric piano very much to the fore. ‘The French Collection’ uses many of the same musicians, including Don Lusher, Roy Willox, and this time "our own" David Snell. A change is to be found in the programme: the eight tracks here are not original compositions but a  tantalising menu of French popular  melodies, treated to van Otterloo’s modern orchestrations.  These are very distinctive and illustrate just what a consummate musician this man was; it is a tragedy that he never lived to gain the international recognition which he undoubtedly deserved. The sound quality on both CDs is up to Mike Dutton’s usual superlative quality, and the already-referred-to liner notes, by Oliver Lomax, are a model of their kind. All-in-all, highly recommended! Tony Clayden

GEOFF LOVE & HIS ORCHESTRA Themes For Super Heroes & Big Terror Movie Themes 24 tracks incl. Superman; The Incredible Hulk; The Bionic Woman; Spiderman; Blakes 7 … Jaws; The Poseidon Adventure; The Exorcist – Tubular Bells; Rollerball – Toccata in D Minor; Psycho …Vocalion CDSML 8476 (76:36) Although I would not have got out of my chair to turn on the "telly" or gone to the cinema to see any of the TV progs or movies listed on this disc (I was a big fan of Dick Barton – Special Agent, however), I enjoyed this compilation of themes, including as it does five standout tracks from the pen of John Williams, as well as the likes of Charles Williams (who wroteDevil’s Galop used for the radio series mentioned above), Jerry Fielding, Neil Hefti, Ron Grainer, J S Bach (sic) and Bernard Herrmann. The Executioner title music written by Ron Goodwin was unknown to me and, albeit good, in its dissonance not typical of his output. Both these albums were produced by the legendary Norman Newell on EMI’s Music for Pleasure label in 1979 and ’75 respectively. Null points for the designs of the original LP sleeves nor the CD label, but full marks to Oliver Lomax for his booklet notes covering not just the background to the music but the life of a much-loved conductor and the history of the original MfP series. There is too little of Geoff’s work available nowadays and, hopefully, this will be the forerunner of much more. Peter Burt

CD Choce for September

STEVE RACE & HIS ORCHESTRA Take One & Dance To The TV Themes 25 tracks incl. Around the World; Around the World in 80 Days; Over the Rainbow; Lawrence of Arabia; On Green Dolphin Street; Maria; Summertime; Days of Wine and Rose; A Hard Day’s Night; I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face; Never on Sunday; Moon River; The James Bond Theme; Maigret; Naked City; Startime (Sunday Night at the London Palladium); Man of the World; Here and Now; Willow Waltz (The World of Tim Frazer); Route 66; Stranger on the Shore; Doctor Kildare … Vocalion CDLK 4439 (68:33) Steve Race was one of my musical heroes since the early 1950's whether on children's TV or on radio (Mine, too, May we now have ‘Late Race’? – KT Ed.) Mike Dutton has given us the chance to re-live those memories in issuing this CD taken from two World Record Club LPs. Arrangements are all by Steve and his orchestra is made up of the best of British session men including Tubby Hayes, Johnny Scott, Stan Roderick and Dave Goldberg. The album is full of superb tracks including thundering solos from Tubby Hayes on Z Cars and Perry Mason. Many readers will be surprised at the late night André Previnesque arrangement of Coronation Street – "smooching on the Street", I call it – and the ITV soap will never be the same again. Mike has woven his usual magic of remastering and the release has retained the original sleeve notes including those by Steve Race with his wonderful dry and gentle humour. Surely a release for the "Desert Island" or Christmas stocking. Mike Crowther

A RETURN TRIP TO THE LIBRARY For full tracklisting please see page 73 Guild GLCD5183[77:28]. This latest Guild release is just up my alley, and it begins with a real corker, King Palmer’s majestic theme With Pomp and Pride from the Paxton Library. This was the very first Paxton 78 I bought from a local record and piano store and I’m sure UK readers from the Birmingham area will remember Dale Forty’s shops and they had a branch here in Leamington. I still have that 78 and I was thrilled to bits that I could buy Paxton discs locally over the counter. Paul Fenoulhet’sHappidrome on track two is a perfect picture of variety acts rushing on and about the stage in frantic haste, but Tom Wyler’s Lovely Day which follows is a perfect relaxing antidote. Laurie Johnson’s Rue De La Paix first came into my possession on an LP of mood pieces issued by Amateur Movie Magazine in the 1960s with a photo of a young couple and a Eumig 8mm Projector on the sleeve front, the same model as I still have. Another good old’un, Looking Around by Colin Smith (Lloyd Thomas) and Cyril Watters’ Making Merry keep up the momentum on this ‘Library Trip’, quietening down somewhat as The Symphonia Orchestra conducted by Curt Anderson play Cecil Milner’s Wide Horizon. Two cracking pieces follow: Dog Gone by George French and a scintillating number from Trevor Duncan, Little Debbie, dedicated to his daughter. The Club Quintet, whoever they were, on the Conroy label continue the programme with Reg Owen’s Secret Serenade, a familiar tune but I’m blowed if I can remember where I’ve heard it before. Robert Farnon’s Dixielander played by The Dance Orchestra and conducted by him is the sole dance number on the disc under that classification because the items are listed under "moods" as they would be in a publishers catalogue, so under "modern movement" are Anthony Mawer’s Transcontinental from Conroy and Holiday Excursion by Peter Yorke from Chappell, both pieces bringing to mind Rank’s series ‘Look At Life’. During the lifetime of radios ITMA arrangements of well known numbers were written by various composers and Clive Richardson was one of them, and it’s his version of This Old Man Came Rolling Home played by The Group Forty Orchestra from KPM under "humorous" which I suppose it is if you like that sort of thing. However two more Paxton records caught my eye: Le Cabaret by John Foulds and Jack Strachey’s Ascot Parade, both of which I have in their 78 form and played by The London Promenade Orchestra conducted by Walter Collins who remains (to me) a mystery figure. Apart from his connection to the De La Warr Pavilion of Bexhill-on-Sea in I think the 1930s and his own compositions, I know nothing else about him but I’d like to. Two quirky numbers by Van Phillips and Dolf Van Der Linden, Buffoonery and Man from Mars, keep the tempo moving as the library shelves begin to empty. "Space, the final frontier"…no, really it’s just that we’ve reached Stratosphere by Eric Spear (wonder if he called it that to rhyme with his name?) and played by The New Century Orchestra conducted by Sidney Torch who also do the honours with Ronald Hanmer’s warlike Blood and Sand March and I suppose you could couple it with Shades of Destiny by Wilfred Burns, equally dramatic, and played by the Regent Classic Orchestra from the Bosworth library. But we end with a cracking piece of "Industrial" mood music by Charles Williams, A Machine Ballet played by the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra conducted by him. I have three British Rail LMS Gaumont-British Instructional Films and one of them, ‘The Wheels Behind the Walls’ features a factory making steel window frames and A Machine Ballet is used to good effect behind this sequence. The other two films are ‘The Butcher, The Baker’ and ‘The Highway of Steel’, all in colour and made around 1947, needless to say very interesting and like this CD packed with libraries’ vintage mood music. I believe a small amount of distortion was supposed to be on the original 78 but thanks to Alan Bunting’s restoration technique, you wouldn’t know it. Ken Wilkins

ROBERT SHARPLES In A Monastery Garden The Immortal Works of Albert Ketelbey The New Symphony Orchestra of London conducted by Robert (Bob) Sharples In a Monastery Garden; Wedgwood Blue; In a Chinese Temple Garden; Sanctuary of the Heart; ‘Appy ‘Ampstead; In a Persian Market; The Phantom Melody; Bells Across the Meadow; In the Mystic Land of EgyptVocalion CDLF 8143 (50’) This a terrific re-release of an LP with, as usual, excellent remastering by Mike Dutton. The pieces will be mostly familiar but not the speed at which ‘Appy ‘Ampstead scorches along, singeing the grass, swing boats, roundabouts and everything else which took place on Bank Holidays looking down over London from Hampstead Heath. If you like Ketelbey well expressed then you will certainly enjoy this offering. Edmund Whitehouse

ILD is a well-established French record company which releases its own CDs, as well as distributing releases from other labels such as Vocalion and Guild. The following ten CDs, reviewed by David Ades, give a good idea of the wide repertoire covered.

GERARD CALVI AND HIS ORCHESTRA Le Bal Chez Madame de Mortemouille Le Bal de Madame de Mortemouille (Madame de Mortemouilles Ball); Courses De Toros (Bull Fights); Tonnerre Sur La Louisiane (Thunder In Louisiana); La Polka Des Menottes (Polka Of The Handcuffed Men); Les Demons De La Nuit (Devils Of The Night); Vacances (Holidays); Chats De Gouttiere (Alley Cats); Madamoiselle Robot (Miss Robot); Gigue Ecossaise (Scottish Jig); Ballet Moderne (Modern Ballet); Sur La Plage (On The Beach); Muguet Polka (Lili-Of-The-Valley Polka); Bonus tracks - Cop And Lea; Dugudu Follies; Hyde Park; Sur La Plage (sung by Claude Goaty). ILD 642313 [60:42]. Gerard Calvi’s memorable French Vogue LP ‘Le Bal Chez Madame de Mortemouille’ won the French Grand Prix du Disque in 1958, and four titles from this album have already reappeared on Guild Light Music CDs. If they have whetted your appetite for more, then this is your opportunity to acquire the complete LP, together with four bonus tracks. Like all of the ILD CDs being reviewed this time, the attractive 8-page booklet is in French. This LP caused quite a stir in UK light music circles when originally released by Pye, and this CD reissue is warmly recommended.

HELMUT ZACHARIAS AND HIS MAGIC VIOLINS La Fete Aux Violons La Fete Aux Chapeaux; Que Sera Sera; Paris Palace Hotel; Autumn Concerto; Princess De Glace; Le Tapis Volant; Fiddlers Boogie; The Whistler And His Dog; Meet Mr Callaghan; The Tipsy Piano; Scotch Polka; Je Vous Adore; and 12 more. ILD 642273 [67:24]. Helmut Zacharias achieved international fame from the 1950s onwards, and these early recordings are good examples that explain his popularity. 

MICHEL LEGRAND AND HIS ORCHESTRA Cole Porter And His Friends... Paris In The Spring; I Love Paris; Paris; Autumn Leaves; April In Paris; The Last Time I Saw Paris; The Jitterbug Waltz; Night And Day; Love For Sale; Close; I Get A Kick Out Of You; Too Darn Hot; Round Midnight; Begin The Beguine; In The Still Of The Night; Ridin' High; All Through The Night; Just One Of Those Things; Anything Goes; Blow Gabriel Blow; Wild Man Blues. ILD 642274 [70:19]. Again, notes are not really necessary. Michel Legrand became a major player internationally, and here we can sample some of his early work. 

EDDIE BARCLAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA Hit Parade 56 The Portuguese Washerwomen; Un Petit Peu d'Argent; L'Homme Et L'Enfant; Tic Tac Tango; Corps A Corps; Laisse Moi Rever Un Peu De Toi; Tango Magique (Magic Tango); Stormy Weather; Papa Loves Mambo; La Danse Du Baiser; Unchained Melody; Elephant Tango; and 12 more. ILD 642299 [65:55]. Eddie Barclay (real name Edouard Ruault – he changed it in 1944 when he came into contact with American liberation forces) was famous in France for two reasons: his music, and his nine wives. His career took off at the end of World War 2 when he realised that his jazz with a French flavour was much in demand, and started his own band in 1947. Gradually he began extending his talents into conducting and record production for several leading singers, and eventually he formed Barclay Records. Thanks to his contacts with the American record industry he was able to take a leading role in the production and distribution of LP records in France where he became known as the "King of Microgroove". This CD captures the free and easy sound that was so appropriate for this kind of repertoire in the 1950s. His music usually features a full orchestra, with attractive strings and brass, and plenty of rhythm. Simply this is music to make you feel happy!

WAL-BERG AND HIS ORCHESTRA Original Recordings 1957-1959 Danse Ukrainienne; Joue Tzigane; Blue Danube; Volga Boatmen; Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka; Vienna Blood; Adieu Mon Petit Officier (Goodbye from ‘White Horse Inn’); Stenka Razine - Le Bouleau; Plaine Ma Plaine; The Third Man; Libesfreud; Valse De La Chauve-Souris; Two Guitars; La Danse Du Diable (Devil's Dance); and 8 more. ILD 642297 [71:38]. Wal-Berg was born in Istanbul, and his real name was Voldemar Rosenberg. He studied at both the Berlin and Paris Conservatoires of Music, and during the 1930s was closely associated with French recordings by Marlène Dietrich. As his career progressed he worked with many of the leading French artistes, and composed over 300 original works – his Danse Du Diable becoming known internationally (a recording by Mantovani is on Guild GLCD5181). His later recordings often had a Russian, Austrian or Gypsy feel, which is evident on many of the tracks on this CD. He had a large orchestra but, unlike Eddie Barclay, he made few concessions to changing musical tastes in the 1950s. This is pure orchestral light music which is almost dateless. It should appeal to many RFS members.

CARMEN DRAGON and the HOLLYWOOD BOWL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Echoes Of SpainEspana Cani; Cielito Lindo; Tico Tico; Siboney; Espana; Ritual Fine Dance; Andalucia; Jealousy; Estrellita; Malaguena; El Relicario; and 7 more. ILD 642279 [78:16]. Many readers will be familiar with these recordings, which were warmly received upon their original release over 50 years ago. 

ADOLPHE SIBERT AND HIS DANCE ORCHESTRA Les Plus Celebres Quadrilles Francaise Et Viennois (The Most Famous French And Viennese Quadrilles) Les Lanciers; La Fille De Madame Angot; Les Cloches De Corneville; Orphee Aux Enfers; La Mascotte; La Vie Parisienne; and 11 more tracks. ILD 642307 [73:12]. Adolphe Sibert was born in Vienna, so he would have been brought up in a strong tradition of dance music. Like the Wal-Berg CD reviewed above, his orchestra ignores the post-war influences of pop music, making this a charming reminder of the kind of music that was the staple fare of concertgoers in the early years of the last century. The orchestra is a purely concert ensemble, even though it is called Orcheste de Bal. There are faint resemblances to Harry Davidson, but he played in strict tempo which this is definitely not! This is more like the style of music we hear from Vienna each New Year’s Day. 

EMILE NOBLOT AND HIS ORCHESTRA Les Jardins De Grenade; La Polka Chinoise; La Gavotte Des Vers Luisants (The Glow Worm); Revil Du Printemps; Music Box Tango; Bucaro; Refrains; In Old Lison; Les Amants D'Un Jour; Les Maraicheres De Bahia; Gaillardo; Pour Un Reve D'Amour; Domani; Dans Les Jardins De Valencia; Czardas Tango; and 10 more. ILD 642284 [73:33]. These tracks all date from 1953 to 1957 and feature a small orchestra which, in the booklet photos, looks like a Gypsy ensemble, but also often sounds like many of the smaller salon light orchestras of pre-war years. Yet at times it takes on the atmosphere of many 1950s light orchestras with a larger string section, so it seems likely that the personnel varied in size and style to suit the repertoire being recorded. Every so often the world of Light Music throws up previously unknown musicians who were clearly very talented, and who produced some pleasing music. Emile Noblot certainly falls into this category.

JERRY MENGO AND HIS ORCHESTRA Club De Danse Carroll's; Lullaby Of Broadway; Lillette; J'Aime Tout, Tout, Tout (In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening); Anthony's Cat Boogie; Les Oranges De Jaffa; Un P'tit Coup de Chapeau; Tire L'Aguille; Faut Aimer Ca; Oui Mon Amour; Tout Mais Pas Ca; Bing Bang Blues; and 12 more. ILD 642260 [68:01]. The smooth sound of a French swing band of the 1950s.

AIMÉ BARELLI AND HIS ORCHESTRA Charmaine Charmaine; Limelight; Vaya Con Dios; Clair De Lune; The Continental; Quel Temps Fait-Il A Paris ( What's The Weather Like In Paris? from the film "Mr Hulot's Holiday"); Le Monsieur Aux Lilas; Judas; Sanguine; Lady Of Spain; Laura; Gelsomina (from the film "La Strada"); Le Grisbi; Grisbi Blues; Mon Couer Est Un Violon (Love Is Like A Violin); Je Sais Que Vous Etes Jolie; Comedie; Va Mon Mai Va; April In Paris; Siboney; Flirt; An American In Paris. ILD 642248 [72:18]. Like the Jerry Mengo CD above, this is easy listening swing music, with many tracks featuring Aimé Barelli on trumpet. A few tracks are vocal. Ideal for the ballrooms of the 1950s!

ILD CDs can be purchased direct from their own website in France: www.ild.tm.fr Alternatively copies can be supplied to special order from the RFS Record Service. The UK price of the above ten CDs is £10.50 each, plus usual postage and packing.

PHIL KELSALL Waltzing In The Clouds 21 tracks incl. Good Morning; My Isle of Golden Dreams; Tammy; It’s the Talk of the Town; Penny Serenade; Born Free; Says My Heart; Waltzing in the Clouds; Honey; Upstairs Downstairs Theme; Garden in the Rain; I Won’t Send Roses; Night and Day; A Paradise for Two; Little Old Lady; When You’re Smiling; Over My Shoulder … Grasmere GRCD 136(72:44) Following his album reviewed in our last issue Mr. Kelsall is back at the Wurlitzer Organ of Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom for this release of 51 numbers all played in strict tempo and sequence, comprising 14 selections for Modern Ballroom Quickstep to Mayfair Quickstep, Cindy Swing by way of Tango, Square Tango; Cha Cha Cha; Viennese Waltz; Bossa Nova; and Gavotte, etc. Album producer Tim Wills tells me that the liner listings should not have credited Shadow Waltz as being composed by Dubin and Warren but by Paul Dubois, the pen name of Clive Richardson! Now I can’t dance a step but I enjoyed this well-played tune selection so redolent of balmy days past sitting in the sun at a favourite UK seaside resort. Peter Burt

LES PAUL & FRIENDS How High the Moon 76 tracks incl. Lover; Tennessee Waltz; Jazz Me Blues; Meet Mister Callaghan; Bye Bye Blues; Vaya Con Dios; Nuevo Laredo; Out of Nowhere; It’s Been a long, Long Time; Rumors are Flying; Rosetta … Fantastic Voyage FVTD035 (64:57, 61:40 & 73:41) This bargain triple pack is subtitled ‘Hits & Rarities from the Wizard of Waukesha’, and it lives up to that billing. Chronologically the third disc is the earliest; titled ‘Pickin’ & Swingin’ it spans 1937 to 1947, when Les was performing first as Rhubarb Red, then set up the Les Paul Trio. This was a jazzy combo which recorded for Decca, both solo and accompanying various vocalists, including Helen Forrest, Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, and the Delta Rhythm Boys. Also included are eight rare transcription recordings dating from 1947, and two numbers from the 1944 JATP concert. The remaining 52 tracks cover the Capitol years from 1948 to 1958, when he specialised in the multi-tracked recordings which he pioneered, including vocals by his wife Mary Ford, and which established his reputation. Barry McCanna

TWO GRANDS – FOUR HANDS Spectacular and Rare Novelty Piano Duos of the 1920s and 1930s 26 tracks Rivermont BSW-1152 (78:02) Sadly, the piano’s popularity has waned in recent years, but at one time accomplished players were in abundance, and this compilation features a dozen pairs. They include the young Carroll Gibbons, who teamed up with Arthur Young in 1925 to record four exuberant tunes for Vocalion, including Alabamy Bound and Charleston. The latter also recorded with Reginald Foresythe, and in 1939 they produced hot versions of Tiger Rag and St. Louis Blues. Maryan Rawicz and Walter Landauer are featured playing their own tunes for the 1937 filmThe Street Singer, in which they appeared. The playing throughout is of a consistently high standard, and the differing styles and diversity of material ensure great variety. The compilation has drawn on a variety of sources, many quite rare, but the remastering has produced an excellent consistency of sound. Add to that a very informative liner note by Alex Hassan, together with a full discography, and you have a reissue to treasure. Barry McCanna

DEBBIE WISEMAN Piano Stories Music composed and performed by Debbie Wiseman:Isolation Theme from ‘The Hide’; Portal to the Past from ‘Tom’s Midniqht Garden’; Thorn to the Heart from ‘The Nightingale and The Rose’; High Walled Garden from ‘The Selfish Giant’; Oscar from ‘Wilde’; Silver Stream; Fields of Hope from ‘Land Girls’; Joe and Diana from ‘The Upper Hand’; Ray of Sunshine from ‘Children’s Hospital’; Succession from ‘The Throne’; Mists of Edbrook from ‘Haunted’; Journey of a Lifetime from ‘Joanna Lumley’s Nile’; Travels with Uncle Sam from ‘Stephen Fry in America’; Affairs Current from The Andrew Marr Show; Man of Law from ‘Judge John Deed’; Peacekeeper from ‘Warriors’; Occupation from ‘The Promise’; The Quiet Room; The Honeymoon’s Over from ‘Tom & Viv’; Echoes of Carmilla from ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’; Fall of the Last Barrier from ‘Flood’; Christina’s Minuet from ‘Haunted’. Warner Classics 265467188-8 [79:28]. Debbie Wiseman is one of Britain’s most in-demand composers for film and television, and a glance through the list of titles on this CD surely confirms her pre-eminence in this field of the arts. Not only is she a gifted composer, but she is also an accomplished arranger and conductor, as well as being a fine pianist. It is the last of these talents that comes to the fore in this new CD (scheduled for release on 19 September), allowing us to hear how composers originally conceive some of their greatest works on the piano, before they are subjected to the full forces of a large orchestra. In the booklet notes Debbie writes that this album is the most personal of all that she has released so far, because it features her music as it first appears in her mind. The venture has been very close to her heart; her piano conveys such emotional feelings, both tender and sometimes quite strong, and her beautiful playing will surely touch everyone who hears it. David Ades

BRYAN WRIGHT Breakin’ Notes : Ragtime & Novelty Piano Solos Efficiency Rag; Kinklets; Hoosier Rag; Nove de Julio; Key-Stone Rag; The Harbour Rag; Euphonic Sounds; Red Elephant Rag; Soliloquy; Candlelights; Flashes; In the Dark; In a Mist; Breakin’ Notes; Cottontail Rag; Roberto Clemento; Upright and Grand; The Legend of Lonesome Lake Rivermont BSW-2212 (65:18) Bryan Wright’s first CD ‘Syncopated Musings’ (BSW-2204) was devoted to the classic rags of Scott Joplin and his contemporaries, but here he’s broadened that repertoire, and the result is a stunning success. The moment the first notes rang out I was entranced, and I remained captivated throughout. His touch produces a beautiful tone, and the recording is spacious and clear, enabling every nuance to be appreciated. Each of these compositions presents its own challenge, and some are extremely complex. His performance seems effortless, and captures the essence of each piece, not least the four Beiderbecke compositions. Bryan has provided an extensive illustrated liner note on the composers and their works, thereby adding to the disc’s appeal. Barry McCanna

NOTE:  These Rivermont CDs are available from Amazon, but you’ll get a better deal direct athttp://www.rivermontrecords.com/ where you can see the full range. International cost is 20$ each including postage. Postal address is PO Box 3081, Lynchburg VA 24503, USA.

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST OF THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK 60 tracks incl. Come Rain or Come Shine; Stardust; Mood Indigo; Blue Moon; Ten Cents a Dance; Some Enchanted Evening … Delta 60363 (59:41, 61:29 & 70:23) This is one of a new series from Delta which, like its associate Bygone Days, specialises in good-quality budget CDs. The choice of material is excellent, and the range of vocalists includes a track apiece by Cliff Richard (Embraceable You), Shirley Bassey (Night and Day), Elvis Presley (Blue Moon) and Edith Piaf (Autumn Leaves) as well as the more obvious choices of Bing, Frank, Ella etc. Sound quality is excellent, although tracklist information is quite minimal. Barry McCanna

THREE EVENINGS WITH FRED ASTAIRE CD 1 ‘An Evening with Fred Astaire’ (1958) 8 tracks incl. Introduction/Morning Ride; Svengali/Frantic Holiday; Change Partners; Baubles, Bangles & Beads/Mack the Knife … ‘Another Evening with Fred Astaire’ (1959) 9 tracks incl. Like Fast; The Afterbeat; That Face; My Blue Heaven; A Girl in Calico … CD 2 Astaire Medley Two; The Afterbeat (reprise); ‘Astaire Time’ (1960) 10 tracks incl. Romeo & Juliet Overture; Miss Otis Regrets; Not Now, I’ll Tell You When; Sweet Georgia Brown; Valse Triste … ‘Bonus Rare Tracks’ 8 incl. I’ve Got You On My Mind; A Fine Romance; Waltz In Swing Time; They Can’t Take That Away From Me … SEPIA 1168 (71:46 & 77:31) As Dominic McHugh reminds us in his extensive booklet notes, the great dancer was also an actor and musician, playing the piano, the accordion and drums, as well as composing and. singing. Not surprising that these performances won awards – pity we can’t have a DVD. Each show closes with a classic 8/9 minute Astaire medley and there are contributions from Count Basie and his Orchestra, The Jonah Jones Quartet, Barrie Chase, and Joe Williams. Mr. Astaire’s MD is the celebrated David Rose, whose orchestra also has a number of tracks to themselves including several pieces composed by the maestro and three classical items. The majority of the last eight tracks were previously un-issued. Remastering was in the capable hands of Robin Cherry. Unfortunately, as with many similar CDs, introductions, sponsor’s messages and applause – often imposing on the music – pall somewhat with repeated hearings. Ray Pavene

TONY BENNETT & THE GENE KRUPA QUARTET Guard Sessions Just In Time; September Song; I Left My Heart In San Francisco; Big Noise From Winnetka; Dark Eyes; Have I Told You Lately; April In Paris; Flyin’ Home; Sometimes I’m Happy; I Got The World On A String; Small World Isn’t It; Stompin’ At The Savoy; Caravan; Sunday; Tenderly; Fascinatin’ Rhythm; Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 838 [59:25]. Interspersed with twelve conversations between Tony Bennett and Martin Block plus instrumentals, all "live" radio performances designed as recruiting tools for the American National Guard. Paul Clatworthy

BRITAIN’S FIRST NUMBER ONES 1939 – 1945 64 tracks incl. Arm in Arm; Bless ‘Em All; The Last Time I Saw Paris; Amapola; Jealousy; Whispering Grass; Coming Home; I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat …Fantastic Voyage FVTD 104 (66:09, 66:07 & 67:26) Although the British singles chart did not begin until November 1952, weekly charts based on sheet music sales made their first appearance in 1939, albeit confined at first to US trade magazines. This 3-CD set has been produced by drawing on that information to present a pastiche of those hits, given that at this remove which artist sold the most records of a particular song is largely a matter of guesswork. The outbreak of the Second World War is generally regarded as having spelt the end for the dance band era, but Ambrose, Geraldo, Jack Hylton and Carroll Gibbons all scrape in, together with Hal Kemp, Tommy Dorsey and of course Glenn Miller. But this compilation is on the cusp of a transition from a band-led culture to one where the vocalist reigned supreme, represented by the likes of Gracie Fields, Dick Todd, Anne Shelton Vera Lynn and Bing Crosby. This is a very classy production, beautifully designed and packaged, and although the liner note contains a number of elementary mistakes that is a minor fault in a major production. Barry McCanna

BROOK BENTON The Silky Smooth Tones of 54 tracks incl. The Nearness of You; When I Fall in Love; Blue Skies; Moonlight in Vermont; September Song; I Believe … Jasmine JASCD 687 (77.12 & 77.20) This is made up of three complete and two partial Mercury LPs from the late 50s/early 60s, namely ‘It’s Just A Matter of Time’, ‘Endlessly’ and ‘Songs I Love to Sing’, plus edited versions of ‘The Two of Us’ (which paired him with Dinah Washington) and ‘The Golden Hits of Brook Benton’. I would like this more, but for an imbalance between vocalist and orchestra, particularly on ‘Endlessly’. Given the soft timbre of Brook Benton’s voice, this is more critical than would otherwise be the case. Apart from that, it’s an excellent reissue. Barry McCanna

PAT BOONE I’ll Be Home 62 tracks incl. Ain’t That a Shame; Tutti Frutti; Friendly Persuasion; Don’t Forbid Me; April Love; Walking the Floor Over You … Jasmine JASCD 159 (79.55 & 73.28) This is subtitled ‘The Singles, As & Bs, 1953-60’. According to the liner note, he’s "nowadays remembered as a crooner …rather than a Rock’n’Roller", but his relationship to the rock & roll genre was always ambivalent. Even when he was covering R & B songs (for which he drew some criticism, although cover versions were commonplace) his performance was measured, not abandoned. One reason was his strict Christian upbringing, which meant his image was atypical of the average rocker, and one he was determined to preserve. As a result, his songs appealed both to teenagers and their parents. For me, the best-remembered fall in a bloc between December 1955 and January 1958, during which period Pat Boone had a dozen recordings that charted in the UK. Barry McCanna

MARLENE DIETRICH Falling in Love Again 25 tracks incl. Ich bin die Fesche Lola; Give Me the Man; The Boys in the Back Room; Lili Marlene; Falling in Love Again … Retrospective RTR 4180(77:34) This begins with three 1930 Berlin recordings of songs from ‘The Blue Angel’, followed by two of the six songs she recorded in Paris in 1933. Unaccountably she did not make another commercial record until December 1939, when she cut six songs with Victor Young, all of which are included. In November 1951 she made a series of recordings of well-known songs accompanied by Jimmy Carroll & his Orchestra, of which the German versions are included. The penultimate track is a duet with Rosemary Clooney on Too Old to Cut the Mustard, which title she continued to disprove. Barry McCanna

BILLY ECKSTINE & SARAH VAUGHAN Dedicated to You 48 tracks incl. Cheek to Cheek; Summertime; They All Laughed; A Foggy Day; April in Paris; Of Thee I Sing; The Man I Love ... REXX 342 (77.08 & 78.04) This follows on the success of ‘Passing Strangers’ (REXX 314) and comprises twelve solos by Billy and twenty-six by Sarah, some of the latter from her Broadway and George Gershwin albums, plus nine duets, predominantly from the pair's Irving Berlin Songbook album. Billy Eckstine’s husky voice was enhanced by his judicious use of an instantly recognisable controlled vibrato, and Sarah Vaughan’s silky tones are no less individual. Here you can enjoy them separately, and when they duet it’s like coffee and cream. These are sterling performances of classics from the Great American Songbook which should appeal across the board. Barry McCanna

FRANÇAIS CLASSIQUE 90 tracks on 5 CDs incl. Boum! - Charles Trenet; Les Feuilles Mortes - Yves Montand; J’Attendrai - Tino Rossi; La Vie en Rose - Edith Piaf; La Petite Tonkinoise - Josephine Baker; La Fiacre - Jean Sablon; Nuages - Django Reinhardt; Parlez-Moi d’Amour - Lucienne Boyer;Walkin’ My Baby Back Home - Maurice Chevalier … Bygone Days 50200 (52:18) (54:19) (54:00) (55:58) (54:15) Given that music is the food of love, and French the language of romance, it’s easy to understand why Gallic charmers have always had them swooning in the aisles. This generous compilation presents some of the best-loved songs in the genre, and should appeal to Francophiles everywhere. I confess to a blind spot where Maurice Chevalier is concerned, which his contribution does nothing to overcome. The track list is quite basic, and the odd inclusion of Georges Thill’s rendition of the aria O Paradis from Meyerbeer’s opera ‘l’Africaine’ is listed as unidentified. But you gets what you pay for, as the old saying goes, and this is certainly a remarkable bargain. Barry McCanna

GEORGE GERSHWIN ’S Wonderful 51 tracks incl. Swanee; Clap Yo’ Hands; Strike up the Band; Summertime; By Strauss; Nice Work if You Can Get It … Retrospective RTS 4176 (76.50 & 75.57) George Gershwin grew up in New York during the ragtime craze, which like its successor jazz, depended heavily on syncopated rhythms. So it was natural for him to incorporate that new musical alphabet into his own compositions. Most of the lyrics were written by his older brother Ira. The combination of George’s tunes and Ira’s lyrics were a knockout. Brimful of vim and pep, they were perfectly suited to the musical theatre for which they were commissioned. This portfolio presents fifteen Broadway shows, including the opera ‘Porgy and Bess’, which span the period 1919 to 1936, and four subsequent Hollywood films. Some feature members of the original cast, including Fred & Adele Astaire, Cliff Edwards, and Gertrude Lawrence. Others are later cover versions, by such great singers as Dinah Shore, Ella Fitzgerald, Lee Wiley, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Dick Haymes. Barry McCanna

THE HUMAN ORCHESTRA 50 tracks incl. Moonglow; Fit as a Fiddle; Just a Jitterbug; Heebie Jeebies; Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer … Jasmine JASCD 685 (69:44 & 67:22) Taking as its starting point the 1985 LP of the same title, which constitutes the first 16 tracks, this features vocal groups like the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots, in the sense that they used minimal or no instrumental accompaniment. Some are quite obscure, but the Three Keys, the Cats and the Fiddle, and Three Sharps and a Flat (who provide a riotous version of I’m Getting Sentimental Over You) will be familiar to many. The recorded in the thirties and early forties, and the later tracks reflect the emergence of doo-wop. Barry McCanna

JOHNNY MATHIS The Rhythms & Ballads of Broadway 24 tracks incl. I Wish I Were in Love Again; Let’s Do It; Moanin’ Low; My Romance; Don’t Blame Me … Delta 26656 (75:43) This dates from 1960, when Columbia recognised Johnny Mathis’ burgeoning talent by producing two concept albums as a 2-LP set. ‘Rhythms of Broadway’ presents a dozen pulsating showstoppers, played con brio by Ralph Burns & his Orchestra, and delivered with gusto by Johnny, who seems fired up by the accompaniment, as well he should be. The mood changes with the smoother ‘Ballads of Broadway’, and Glenn Osser's beautifully relaxed orchestral sound, against which Johnny's velvet voice glides like a caress. Barry McCanna

NEW ONES, OLD ONES Light Music and Songs for Piano and Voice Gordon Pullin (tenor), John Asher (piano) 24 tracks incl. McLain: Tyger, Tyger; Hippo, Hippo; Adelstrop; Adelstrop Revisited; Ellis: Ma Belle Marguerite; Granados: Andaluza; Johnston: I’ll Remember April; Grieg: Borodin: This Is My Beloved; Coleridge-Taylor: Demande et Reponse; Mayerl: Bats in the Belfry;Lehar: You Are My Heart’s Delight; Tauber: My Heart and I; Rodgers: Younger Than Springtime;Fibich: Poème; Leroy Anderson: Forgotten Dreams … This CD can be generally described as easy listening songs from musicals, popular and light music classics, and 12 tracks by RFS member Johnny McLain, showing that people are still writing new light music. The 12 are divided between gently up-tempo piano solos (Valse Azure, Study in Blue, Busman’s Holiday, Smarty-pants; Feeling Bluesy Waltz and Song to Kirsty), and art songs in the English song tradition (the rest), best among them being the lilting Hardy songs (Yellowhammer, And So Do I). Gordon Pullin’s delivery is notably clear in line and diction; John Archer, clearly a fine all-round musician, plays splendidly. Philip L Scowcroft

Obtainable for £5 (plus £1 postage) from McLain Music, 42 Osidge Lane, Southgate, London N14 5JG

THE NORMAN LUBOFF CHOIR Rise to Fame 43 tracks incl. The Lamp Is Low; No Other Love; If You Are But a Dream; My Reverie; Joy to the World; Silent Night, Holy Night; Calypso Carnival; Yellow Bird; Dansez Calenda; Red River Valley; Tumbling Tumbleweeds; Home on the Range …Jasmine JASCD 683 (73:17 & 71:39) This 2-CD set is made up of four albums, each of which has its own distinctive flavour. The 1959 LP ‘Reverie’ contains a dozen tunes which were lifted from classical works, of which Ossie Dales' liner note identifies the source for six, but they are omitted from the composer credits. The 1956 ‘Songs of Christmas’ contains six medleys with a total of 22 carols, and is in stereo. The second disc opens with the 1957 LP ‘Calypso Holiday’, and concludes with the album ‘Songs of the West’, the latter also in stereo. Sound quality is excellent, and I was particularly impressed by the arrangements for the classical themes. This compilation contains a wide choice of music, offering something for every mood. Barry McCanna

THE SISTERS ANTHOLOGY A Celebration of Four Decades of Singing Sisters 38 tracks incl.He’s the Last Word; Fit as a Fiddle; Dinah; Missouri Waltz; Buttons and Bows; Wheel of Fortune; Take the ‘A’ Train … Fantastic Voyage FVDD094 (50:42 & 50:49) Given the amount of publicity generated by so-called girl bands, this comes as a timely reminder that the concept is by no means a new one. All the usual sister suspects are here (Andrews, Fontane, Boswell and McGuire, etc.), plus some that in all probability you won't have heard before: Duncan, Stafford and Moylan, for example. They enter the ear in varying degrees of mellifluousness, but if you harbour uncharitable thoughts under the young Gumms' assault, remember that had they not prevailed we should have been denied the later Judy Garland. The first CD runs from 1924 to 1946, and the second continues on up to 1959, which gives a fascinating study of an evolving style. A few numbers come from film soundtracks and radio broadcasts, and accompaniments include Ben Pollack, Jean Goldkette, and the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, not forgetting the Gilt-Edged Four, the Nat King Cole Trio, and Chet Atkins. Running time is on the short side, but remastering is excellent, and the two CDs are attractively presented in a gatefold blister pack with comprehensive illustrated liner note and full discography. Barry McCanna

JO STAFFORD At the Supper Club Part II All The Things You Are (Orchestral) What A Deal; I Can’t Begin To Tell You; Love Letters; Yesterdays; Patience and Fortitude; Down Honeymoon Lane; I Didn’t Mean What I Said; Aren’t You Glad You’re You; I Can’t Give You Anything But Love Baby; Sweet Georgia Brown; If I Had A Dozen Hearts; It’s A Grand Night For Singing; Old Man Harlem; Falling In Love With Love; A Little Consideration; Oye Negra; Day By Day; I’ll Remember April; My Romance; Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief; They Say Its Wonderful; All The Things You Are … Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 841 [57:22]. Two orchestras, one led by Lloyd Shafer the other by Carl Kress, Helen Kress vocal group plus guests Bob Eberley, Benny Goodman, Mel Powell, Cozy Cole and Xavier Cugat. Jo made many V discs keeping up the morale of the American armed forces, leading her to become known as "GI Jo" the soldiers’ "girl next door". Johnny Mercer realised her potential signing her to Capitol records and she spent seven years there before following her musical director Paul Weston to Columbia; they later married. The live recordings contained on this CD were made in the 1940s complete with announcements – Jo’s delectable voice the highlight. Paul Clatworthy

DAVID WHITFIELD The Hits and More - The Ultimate Collection 53 tracks incl. I Believe; Answer Me; Cara Mia; Santo Natale; Beyond the Stars; Open Your Heart; Mama; Lady of Madrid; The Adoration Waltz; Marta; Mardi Gras; If I Lost You; When I Grow Too Old to Dream; … Jasmine JASCD 585 (65:14 & 67:06) Many of these tracks have been reissued already on CD, some more than once, but there are six numbers for which, to the best of my knowledge, this is the first digital outing. It's obvious that much thought has gone into this 2-CD set, but I find the packaging somewhat disappointing. The track list shows only a year against the tune, with no indication of accompaniment or original catalogue number. The text itself contains a number of elementary mistakes, and David's career is dealt with in a quite cursory fashion. It is pertinent to mention that David was inspired by two great operatic tenors, Lauritz Melchior and Richard Tauber. He took his art very seriously, and received voice training from Professor Georges Cunelli. All of which is reflected in the majestic timbre of his voice, his control of dynamic and vibrato, and the beauty of his vocal line. David was far more than a singer of popular songs, and his choice of repertoire included standards, songs from the stage and screen, and operetta. Despite my reservations, I rate this new set very highly indeed, and recommend it unreservedly to anyone who is devoted to the tenor voice. Barry McCanna

‘DANCE BAND DELIGHTS’

AMBROSE Limehouse Blues; B’Wanga; Caravan; Copenhagen; Cotton Pickers’ Congregation; Deep Henderson; Early Morning Blues; Embassy Stomp; Hors d’Oeuvres; Hick Stomp; Hullabaloo; Night Ride; Man About Town; Blue Romance; Plain Jane; Streamline Strut; The Penguin; Champagne Cocktail; Tootin’ Around; Swinganola; War Dance of the Wooden Indians; Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life; When Day is Done CDB01 (66:30)

LEW STONE Look What I’ve Got; The Bouncing Ball; Aunt Hagar’s Blues; Blue Jazz; Dinner and Dance; Canadian Pacific; Ebony Shadows; Ja Da; Lazy Rhythm; Milenberg Joys; Plastered in Paris; Solitude; St. Louis Blues; The Call of the Freaks; Vilia; White Jazz; Tiger Rag; Missouri Scrambler; Serenade for a Wealthy Widow; House Hop; Canadian Capers; Etude; Oh Susannah/ That’s a PlentyCDB02 (69:19)

ROY FOX Radio Luxembourg Broadcasts Singing in the Bath Tub; Whispering/Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet; My Heaven on Earth; Big Dipper; Lost and Found; Black Eyes; Singing in the Bath Tub; Mr. Sweeney Learned to Swing; Ooh! Boom!; Two Shadows; Congo; Let’s do it, Let’s Fall in Love; Margie; Finale; Singing in the Bath Tub; Whispering; Happy Feet; You Took the Words Right out of My Heart; Mean to Me; Bob White; Me, Myself and I; Nobody’s Sweetheart; Finale; Singing in the Bath Tub; Whispering; Singing in the Rain; You Appeal to Me; Dizzy Daisy; Someday Sweetheart; Whistle While You Work; Rosalie); Everybody Loves My Baby; Finale CDB03 (62:37)

RAY NOBLE Copper Blues; Mad About the Boy; Blue Danube; Baby, You got the Right Idea; Every Day Away from You; Jog Along; My Heart is Saying; So the Blackbirds and the Bluebirds got Together; Terribly Fond of You; Japanese Sandman; Tiger Rag; What a Perfect Combination; When the Real Thing Comes Your Way; The Sun is Round the Corner; Way Down Yonder in New Orleans; Sleep; El Relicario; Dinah; Chinatown; California Here I Come; Footprints in the Snow; You’re Everything Sweet; Allah’s Holiday; The Very Thought of You CDB04 (68:55) These four CDs from This England () are the first of a new series labelled ‘Dance Band Delights’, and apart from the Roy Fox feature only instrumentals. Most of the individual tracks have been reissued hitherto within LP and/or CD compilations, but I think this is the first time they’ve been grouped together in this way. The Ray Noble album includes ten of the US recordings, four of which are radio transcriptions. The Roy Fox compilation comprises four Radio Luxembourg broadcasts (which were sponsored by Reckitt’s Bath Cubes, hence the recurrence of one particular number) and vocalists include Denny Dennis and Mary Lee. There is a needle skip on track 3, but otherwise these are well remastered and attractively packaged, and a welcome addition to the dance band catalogue.Barry McCanna

THE HOTTEST OF THE PHILIP LEWIS / RHYTHM MANIACS RECORDINGS 1928-1930 Featuring Arthur Lally, Syvester Ahola and Danny Polo 24 tracks incl. My Kinda Love; My Troubles are Over; Doin’ the New Low-Down; Down Among the Sugar-Cane: Building a Nest for Mary; Diga Diga Doo; What is this Thing Called Love?; I’m Crooning a Tune about June; Imagination Goes a Long, Long Way; Little Pal: Red Hair and Freckles … Retrieval RTR 79064 (70:23) This Decca studio group created some uncompromisingly hot sides between mid-1929 and early 1930. All of the musicians involved were masters of their craft, and some played together in the Ambrose orchestra, but these were obviously more informal sessions, where they could play as they wished, and it shows. Trumpeter Sylvester Ahola set a clear lead, and his highly individual style included fast flurries of notes, often creating highly complex effects, such as in his solo in There's One Thing Remains. This he called his "paradiddle rhythm" which he achieved by double tonguing in double time and executed as if it were just a matter of course. Arthur Lally’s full-bodied contributions on most of the sax family and the standard of percussion work, for much of which Max Bacon was responsible, contributes to a CD without a dull track, and on which the quality of playing is quite superlative. Most are vocals, but two instrumentals deserve special mention, both taken at a fierce pace. The old warhorse Tiger Rag is given a facelift by some splendid ensemble playing, which develops to accompany the obligatory smears produced on bass sax rather than trombone, after which Max Bacon takes an extended cymbal solo against a background of riffs. Max is also much in evidence onThat’s a Plenty, and if there’s a hotter version of this number I have yet to hear it. Nick Dellow has worked wonders in coaxing a very full sound spectrum from these early Decca 78s, including a wax master for the previously unissued final title. It should be an essential purchase for devotees of the golden age of British dance bands, particularly those who like their music piping hot. Barry McCanna

GEORGE SHEARING Lullaby of Birdland 52 tracks incl. More Than You Know; Cherokee; September in the Rain; Jumpin’ with Symphony Sid; Isn’t it Romantic? … Retrospective RTS 4178(78:38 & 77:28) This timely tribute spans the period 1939 to 1960. It includes early piano solos, a collaboration with Leonard Feather where George plays accordion, and one apiece of his recordings with Hatchett’s Swingtette, Stephane Grappelli’s Quartet, and Harry Parry & the Radio Rhythm Club Sextet, plus two sextet and one trio recording from 1944. His January 1949 recordings for the Discovery label feature another performance from George on accordion, playing Ray Noble’sCherokee. Thereafter he signed with MGM, and stayed for five years, before switching to Capitol in 1955. The later 50s recordings include backings by Billy May, and four vocals by Peggy Lee (from the famed Miami concert) and one by Nancy Wilson. Barry McCanna

JACK TEAGARDEN BIG T A Hundred Years from Today 46 tracks incl. Makin’ Friends; You Rascal, You!; Christmas Night in Harlem; Jack Hits the Road; Stars Fell on Alabama; High Society …Nimbus RTS 4182 (77:31 & 76:10) Jack Teagarden’s trombone playing was deceptively simple; it favoured the upper register, and wove mellifluous patterns with apparent disregard to the ground beat. His bluesy playing was reflected in the lazy bonhomie of his vocals, enhanced by his southern drawl. His earliest recorded solo was She’s a Great, Great Girl with the orchestra of Roger Wolfe Kahn, and he joined Ben Pollack's Park Central Orchestra soon after. He also recorded with Eddie Condon, Louis Armstrong, Red Nichols and Benny Goodman; all are represented here, together with later recordings under his own name, of which the most evocative is Davenport Blues with its ethereal introduction. This superb sampling of Jack's art spans 1928 to 1954, and has been beautifully remastered with a full discography. It's memorable for the consistently high quality of his playing (to quote from the Penguin Guide "there are scarcely any moments when he sounds less than wonderful"). If you're not a devotee already, buy this and be converted. Barry McCanna

MORGANA KING Four Classic Albums 47 tracks including There’s a Lull in My Life; Mean to Me; Body and Soul; I Can’t Get Started; How High the Moon; I’ll Remember April; That Ole Devil Called Love; … Avid AMSC1021 (70:26 & 72:25) This 2-CD set gathers together four ‘50s LPs by Morgana King, namely ‘For You, For Me, For Evermore’ from March 1956; ‘Sings the Blues’ from January 1956;‘The Greatest Songs Ever Swung’ from 1959; and ‘Let Me Love You’ from July 1958. My own preference is for the 1956 recordings, where Morgana's silky cream-smooth voice is the centrepiece and is embellished by the restrained playing of the musicians in her backing group. On the later sessions some of the accompaniments sound at odds with the song and she seems to be striving for effect, as a result of which her vocals are more mannered. However, this is a matter of personal taste, and what strikes me as a slight falling off will appeal to others. Overall this is a superb reissue, and my reservation about the second CD is only in comparison with the very high standard set by the first. It is also a considerable bargain, which you'll appreciate if you try to acquire these four albums separately. Barry McCanna

ANNIE ROSS Four Classic Albums Plus 48 tracks incl. The Way You Look Tonight; Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea; Gypsy in My Soul; I Love Paris; Manhattan; Everything’s Coming Up Roses; You Took Advantage of Me; I Feel Pretty; Give Me the Simple Life … Avid AMSC1015 (78:44 & 78:17) This comprises a variety of riches from seven different sources, including the album ‘Annie by Candlelight’ recorded in London in 1956 with the Tony Crombie Quartet; the 10 numbers from the LP ‘A Song with Mulligan’ which was recorded in New York in December 1957; and the albums ‘It’s A Gasser’ and ‘Gypsy’ both recorded in Los Angeles in 1959. Annie is in fine fettle throughout, interpreting the lyrics in her highly individual manner, but always respecting the songwriter's intention. Her rendition of Skylark is a thing of beauty, and I've Told Every Little Star, recorded at the same session, is a delightful exercise in droll vocal delivery. Buddy Bregman, the arranger on the‘Gypsy’ album, was the nephew of Jule Styne, the score's composer. I doubt this was a big seller when it first came out, but it's certainly stood the test of time. Good as the first CD is, it's merely the curtain-raiser for Annie's recordings with two of the heavyweights of the then contemporary jazz scene. Despite the prominence of Zoot Sims' name on the original LP sleeve of ‘It's A Gasser’, he was replaced on three numbers by Bill Perkins, and the backing quintet was led by pianist Russ Freeman, who also produced the arrangements. Apart from a couple of up-tempo songs, it's lovely, smoky, small-hours jazz with a perfect understanding between all concerned. It's Annie's partnership with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet that produces her jazziest performances. In addition to the leader, it features either Chet Baker or Art Farmer on trumpet, Bill Crow or Henry Grimes on bass, and drummer Dave Bailey. The choice of material is excellent. All concerned play their socks off, and produce jazz of a very high order. Barry McCanna

ANYTHING GOES Criswell, von Stade, Hubbard, Groenendaal, Gilford, Ambrosian Chorus, et al. London Symphony Orchestra / McGlinn 22 tracks incl. Anything Goes; I Get a Kick Out of You; You’re the Top; All Through the Night; Blow, Gabriel, Blow … EMI Classics 9489442 (74:22) I understand that theatre historians have long considered this to be the quintessential ‘30s musical. Both music and lyrics are from the pen of the incomparable Cole Porter. (It has been suggested that buying this CD should be a requirement for all history students as Porter’s lyrics tell us about the decade’s current events). Ethel Merman was the star of the show in 1934, and on this 1988 recording Kim Criswell is in fine form belting out Ethel’s numbers but with more sweetness. The lovely Frederica von Stade, from the world of opera, sings beautifully although she is not ideally suited to her role. Chris Groenendaal and the African-American operatic baritone, Bruce Hubbard, are in good voice. Jack Gilford provides the humour with Be Like A Blackbird. John McGlinn, who helped reconstruct the original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett and Hans Spialek, conducts the LSO and oversees the entire joyous proceedings with élan. For me, Mr Porter, YOU are the top! Ray Pavene

GILBERT & SULLIVAN The Mikado D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, New Symphony Orchestra of London / Isadore Godfrey; SULLIVAN Overtures Boston Promenade Orchestra / Arthur Fiedler; Pineapple Poll Pro Arte Orchestra / John Hollingsworth Magdalen METCD 8002(73:33 & 73:31) Recorded under the direction of Bridget D’Oyly Carte at London’s Kingsway Hall in October 1957 and originally released on a Decca SKL double LP, this performance of ‘The Mikado’(without dialogue) was opined at the time as the most desirable of all versions. It may have been superseded over the years but with Paul Arden-Taylor’s remastering it still remains a recommendable disc. For people who prefer Sullivan solo the second CD is completed by three overtures – The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, Iolanthe – never before issued on CD; and a lively version of Pineapple Poll, recorded by Pye in 1958. This is a generously timed, well-produced issue in every respect. Ray Pavene

GILBERT & SULLIVAN The Pirates of Penzance D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, New Symphony Orchestra of London / Isodore Godfrey; Medleys and Choral Arrangements Magdalen METCD 8007 (77:04 & 77:13) Another extremely well-filled and well-presented 2-CD set at a very favourable price. Like the issue above this recording, also from 1957, has always been considered to be one of the work’s liveliest and best sung performances. The stellar cast includes Thomas Round, Peter Pratt, Donald Adams and Jean Hindmarsh. Included for those who like their Sullivan sans Gilbert is another overture in mono and new to CD, The Mikado, by Fiedler and the BPO, as well as three ‘Gilbert and Sullivan Medleys’ – Pirates, Pinafore and Patience – arranged by Cruikshank, from 1955 and also new to CD, played by Harry (‘Those Were The Days’) Davidson* and his Orchestra, which are really rather good. The final 13 tracks are an engaging ‘A Gilbert and Sulllivan Songbook’ arranged by Ralph Hunter and performed by his Choir and Orchestra. This was recorded in 1959 and is another new to CD. James Murray’s first-rate notes inform us that Mr Hunter was a church organist before studying at Juilliard. He worked with Toscanini, NBC and Radio City Music Hall prior to forming the Ralph Hunter Choir. He also provided arrangements for Harry Belafonte and Miriam Makeba. Ray Pavene

(* "Harry Davidfils et Son Orchestre de Vieux Temps", as we used to call him as teenagers! – KT Ed.)

MY FAIR LADY & GIGI Original Casts 1956 & 1958 42 tracks Retrospective RTR 4181 (79.08)This reissue celebrates Alan Jay Lerner and Fritz Loewe, whose partnership reached its pinnacle in 1956 with ‘My Fair Lady’. Shaw opposed the transformation of ‘Pygmalion’ into a musical, but had he lived to see the result he would surely have been delighted. Everything about it was judged to be perfection; Shaw’s play remained unaltered as the basis, casting was superb, and many of the songs have become standards. The play enjoyed phenomenally long runs, both on Broadway and in the West End, and a hugely successful film version was made in 1964.

‘Gigi’ required a more elliptical approach, being based on Colette’s 1945 novella about the training of a courtesan, a subject acceptable in Parisian society but unmentionable in the supposedly more moral Hollywood! The quality of the songs was matched by the casting, albeit that Leslie Caron’s singing voice had to be dubbed by Betty Wand. Cast details are set out with the soundtrack, and the liner note provides background to the two productions, and a synopsis of the plots. They have been beautifully remastered and sparkle as if recorded yesterday. Barry McCanna

JOHAN HALVORSEN Orchestral Works Vol. 3 Ragnhild Hemsing (Hardanger fiddle); Marianne Thorsen (violin); Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Neeme Järvi Chandos CHAN 10664 (79:53) This release embraces the composer’s final 3^rd Symphony, which was sketched in the summer of 1928 and completed the following autumn and winter. The work does not appear on first acquaintance to possess quite the same appeal as its two predecessors (see JIM 185 & 187) but these are, I stress, first impressions. The longest item here is incidental music to ‘Fossegrimen’, the mythical music master of all underground creatures from which Halvorsen extracted a 30-minuteDramatic Suite that prominently features the Hardanger fiddle, the Norwegian "national instrument", which I suspect may be something of an acquired taste. The most immediately appealing music here is undoubtably Bergensiana, an attractive set of variations probably based on a minuet by the French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully; and according to the informative booklet notes performed during the opening ceremony of the annual Bergen International Festival. With excellent recording and with the shorter pieces included on this disc (Black Swans, Wedding of Ravens in the Grove of the Crows, andWedding March Op.32 No.1) well worth having, plus maximum playing time and not withstanding my reservations on the Symphony, which will I am sure grow in appeal on repeated hearings, anyone collecting this series will want this latest offering. Roger Hyslop

EDUARD KÜNNEKE The Prof & The Show Girl Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / KünnekeDance Suite; Glückliche Reise (Bon Voyage) Highlights EVELYN KÜNNEKE Swings Songs of the 1940s Magdalen METCD 8005 (74:02) At the risk of some readers wondering "Where has he been?", I admit that here is a composer, singer and label all new to me. I gather that Eduard (1885-1953) was a successful composer of 1920s and ‘30’s operettas using dance forms. He also wrote the well-known song I’m only a strolling vagabond. His daughter Evelyn (1921-2001) was unfortunate in rising to fame as a singer, dancer and actress during WWII and her comments on the Nazi regime almost resulted in an early death. She remained popular even through the rock ‘n’ roll years and in old age toured in cabaret with two others in an act called Three Old Bags! The Dance Suite is subtitled Concerto Grosso in Five Movements for Jazzband and Large Orchestra. Each movement features a popular dance form such as tango, slow waltz and foxtrot. Including the overture to Glückliche, the disc contains 32½ minutes of orchestral music. More please! The nine songs are not really my thing but, apart from the attractively wistful Sing, Nachtigall, Sing (Sing, Nightingale, Sing), a German The White Cliffs of Dover, they maintain the jollity of the album. Paul Arden-Taylor has remastered the original mono recordings from Telefunken, Philips and Odeon; and the liner notes by James Murray are a mine of information. Edward Trub

(There are three tracks by Künneke from the "Dance Suite" already reissued on Guild – KT Ed.)

LEOPOLD MOZART Kammerorchester Berlin / Koch Toy Symphony; Peasant Wedding; MusicalSleigh-Ride WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Staatskapelle Dresden / Suitner A Musical Joke - Sextet for Small-town Band Berlin Classics 0300137BC (71:35) Another album that will appeal to anyone who appreciates humour in music. Father Leopold’s Peasant Wedding credits soloists on bagpipes and rattle! The boy genius son’s last track of his Joke will be familiar to those who have watched BBC’s show jumping coverage on TV. This is Mozart-lite, costing around £5 online, to put a smile on your face in these straitened times. Edward Trub

SULLIVAN Pineapple Poll; Henry VIII; Victoria and Merrie England Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir Charles Mackerras; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Royston Nash Eloquence ELQ4801284 (66:12) This reissue features the third and final recording Sir Charles Mackerras made of his ‘Pineapple Poll’ ballet captured in 1982 in gloriously full vivid vintage Kingsway Hall sound: an object lesson for any of today’s aspiring recording engineers. The ballet was originally premiered on the 13^th March 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain and, apparently, Mackerras used tunes from all of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas save ‘Thespis’, ‘Utopia Limited’ and ‘The Grand Duke’. The resultant tuneful score and exuberant orchestration makes this a self-recommending disc, although as makeweights there are further attractions of short excerpts from ‘Henry VIII’ and the ballet‘Victoria and Merrie England’ in performances by the RPO under Royston Nash recorded in a noticeably smaller acoustic, Decca’s West Hampstead studios. For the curious there is still available a recording of the ballet complete on Marco Polo 8.223677 – 78 minutes of music well worth investigating. Roger Hyslop

TCHAIKOVSKY Orchestral Favourites London Symphony Orchestra / Kenneth Alwyn Magdalen METCD 8007 (58:48) 1812 Festival Overture; Marche Slave and Capriccio Italien are from a legendary album: Decca’s very first stereophonic LP in 1958 (costing 28s 9d plus Purchase Tax). The booklet notes tell us that prospective purchasers were advised to warn their next-door neighbours before playing! It still sounds magnificent, with the addition of the Band of HM Grenadier Guards for the 1812. Kenneth Alwyn, Principal Conductor of the Royal Ballet, was a Tchaik specialist. (He also had a feel for light music and should have been better used by the record companies of the time). Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy features the great Sir John Barbirolli and his beloved Halle Orchestra in a 1957 version from Pye described as "white hot". This re-issue should be in your collection. Edward Trub

THE ART OF JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER 37 tracks on 2 CDs incl. Saints Saëns The Swan; DebussyClair de Lune; Massenet Mėditation (from Thaļs); A Lloyd Webber Pie Jesu (from Requiem); Music of the Night (from The Phantom of the Opera); Theme from the South Bank Show; Elgar Chanson de Matin; Brahms Lullaby; Albinoni Adagio; Franck Panis Angelicus; Rutter Mary’s Lullaby; Rimsky-Korsakov Flight of the Bumble-Bee … ClassicfMfullworks CFMGA12 (77:58 & 77:32) The master of that beautiful but sometimes rather melancholic instrument, the cello, personally choose this selection on two packed albums available exclusively from HMV stores at a budget price. Julian’s ownSong for Baba was inspired by the birth of his son. There is the added attraction of a new recording: Menotti’s Arioso for Two Cellos and Strings on which Lloyd Webber is joined by his wife Jiaxis Cheng, with John Wilson conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. All the pieces are melodic and the majority are ideal for quiet reflection or to help one "wind down". Edward Trub.

Recently received by Wilfred Askew including releases held over from our last issue

RAY CONNIFF The Singles Collection Vol. 3 26 tracks incl. Midnight Lace (Part II); Wednesday’s Child; Winds of Change; A Banda; It’s Only a Paper Moon; I Will Follow Him; Never Gonna Fall in Love Again … Collectables COL-CD-7943 (70:44)

RON GOODWIN Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2-CD set; 33 tracks Intrada Volume 161 (112:07) Limited to 2,000 copies

SKIP MARTIN AND HIS ORCHESTRA Speakeasy Blues 23 tracks incl. Truckin’; East of the Sun; Bye Bye Blackbird; You Turned the Tables on Me; Vilia; The Untouchables; Chicago; Charleston …

Montpellier MONT CD 073 (66:57)

THE McGUIRE SISTERS May You Always 28 Coral tracks incl. Volare; One Fine Day; Sugartime; Around the World; Weary Blues; Kiss Them for Me; The Last Dance; Anniversary Song; Shuffle Off to Buffalo … SEPIA 1152 (73:10) With Dick Jacobs, Neil Hefti, Lawrence Welk and Skip Martin.

THE MILLS BROTHERS Sing Their Great Hits In Stereo 48 tracks on 2-CD set incl. Paper Doll; Till Then; Lazy river; Margie; My Buddy; My Mother’s Eyes; Sleepy time Gal; My Wild Irish Rose; I’ll See You in My Dreams; Stardust; Once In a While … Jasmine JASCD 555 (125:56) Four original Dot albums.

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS(The Golden Age of Light Music)For full tracklisting, please refer to JIM 189 page 74 >Guild GLCD 5185(78:00) It is highly probable that, since the very inception of the recorded music industry, there have been records specially made for Christmas. Over the years hundreds if not thousands of titles must have been produced in both single and album format, and these have been extremely popular with the record-buying public. For performers and record companies alike, they have been a perennial and very lucrative money-spinner. But just like that famous brand of yeast extract spread, or the even more famous Irish beer, you either love ‘em or hate ‘em! Well now, if you happen to be in the latter category, you might just find this new CD to be the perfect antidote. In keeping with established Guild policy, all of the tracks are non-vocal featuring large orchestras fronted by some of the finest conductors in the business.   The programme consists of fine arrangements of traditional carols and hymns, together with a selection of popular Christmas songs and a couple of other "seasonal" compositions. Much of the material has been taken from two 1958 LPs featuring the conducting and the arranging talents of Percy Faith and Billy Vaughn with their respective orchestras.  They are joined by the orchestras of George Melachrino, Angela Morley, Annunzio Mantovani, and Arthur Fiedler with the Boston ‘Pops’ Orchestra.  With the exception of the Mantovani items, which were issued on British Decca [London in the US], all emanate from US labels [Columbia, Dot, RCA, and Warner Bros.] They were obviously targeted at the enormous North American market; this style of big orchestral production was very popular over there at the end of the '50s. I have not been able to establish whether they were actually released in the UK, or were only available as imports. They nevertheless found their way into the vast collections of David Ades and Alan Bunting; the latter has done his usual superlative job of digital restoration. A further bonus is that all tracks are in stereo. As David’s booklet notes state  " …In the hands of the top arrangers and orchestras assembled on this CD, there is every chance that the discerning listener will discover some new sounds that  add a welcome vibrancy to old familiar friends". I was able to give the album several hearings on a recent lengthy car journey and, in my opinion, this is a very enjoyable compilation and a most worthy addition to the Guild series.Tony Clayden

KT Editor's CD Choice

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT A Celebration of the MGM Film Musical Kim Criswell, Matthew Ford, Sarah Fox, Seth MacFarlane & Curtis Stigers, Maida Vale Singers, The John Wilson Orchestra / John WilsonMGM Jubilee Overture; The Trolley Song; Steppin' Out With My Baby; The Heather On The Hill; Barn Dance (Seven Brides For Seven Brothers); You're Sensational; I Got Rhythm; Singin' In The Rain; An American In Paris – Main Title; Love Is Here To Stay; Well, Did You Evah?; The New Moon (Sequence): One Kiss/Lover Come Back To Me; Broadway Melody Ballet; That's EntertainmentEMI Classics 0288452(77:52)> The much anticipated first album by JW under his new contract with EMI has arrived. Was it worth the wait – it certainly was! A celebration it is right from the start. The overture takes us back to the nostalgic world of the MGM musical and more importantly to the sound of the MGM Studio Orchestra of the 1940's and 1950's. The playing has a zing and pizzazz, which John has evidently instilled into his fine orchestra, and through his skilled re-construction of these wonderful scores. The soloists engaged for this recording are all excellent but special mention should be given to Kim Criswell on her superb performance of the two Judy Garland numbers,The Trolley Song andI Got Rhythm. Curtis Stigers is in suitably wistful mood forLove is here to stay which appropriately follows the Main Title music fromAn >American in Paris. The highlights for me are the two concluding numbers: the penultimate track with Matthew Ford in Gene Kelly mode and then the title track where all the soloists with the Maida Vale Singers take their final bow. The playing and singing on these tracks, as on the whole album, is absolutely electric. The album is also a tribute to the genius of Conrad Salinger (the principle arranger at MGM) and his team including Johnny Green and Lenny Hayton. This is my "Album of the Year" – and many thanks to John Wilson.Mike Crowther

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENTDeluxe Edition Disc 1:as aboveDisc 2 Bonus DVD:The Making of That's Entertainment; Interview with John Wilson; Music Clips: The Heather on the Hill(Matthew Ford), The Trolley Song(Kim Criswell); Singalong with the John Wilson Orchestra: The Trolley Song; I Got Rhythm; Singin' in the Rain; Love is Here to Stay; That's EntertainmentEMI Classics 0288432(40.00) The two discs are contained in a 84-page CD-size glossy hardback book. Although you are not likely to return to the DVD as often as to the CD, I reckon that it and the book are worth the extra £4 or so, not least in the case of the former for John's engaging personality!Peter Burt

Reviews of two more John Wilson releases on page ??

RUSS CONWAY The Hits And More … The Party Pop Stylings of Russ Conway2 CDs:70 tracks incl. Party Pops (Parts 1 & 2); Got A Match; Toby's Walk; More Party Pops (Parts 1 & 2); The World Outside; Love Like Ours; Side Saddle; Pixelated Penguin; Roulette; Trampolina; China Tea; The Wee Boy Of Brussels; Snow Coach; Time To Celebrate; More and More Party Pops (Parts 1 & 2) … /Happy Go Lucky Day; Loch Lomond; The Man Who Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo; Ma (He's Makin' Eyes At Me); Waiting For The Robert E Lee; Abie, My Boy; Pennies From Heaven; Don't Fence Me In; Easter Parade; Comin' Round the Mountain; It's A Sin To Tell a Lie; The Music Goes 'Round And Around; On The Banks Off The Wabash; April Showers; Isle Of Capri; Silver Dollar; Red Sails In The Sunset …Jasmine JASCD 182(78:22 & 77:10) Pianist and composer, Russ Conway made his first record in 1957 and became an immensely popular pianist/entertainer on radio and TV, frequently playing his own compositions. During 1959 he had his first big hit withSide Saddle, followed byRouletteandChina Doll.By 1961 he had sold 250,000 LPs. Disc 1 of this remarkable mono budget-priced compilation contains all the A and B sides of all his hits, with a few extras. Ten of the 34 tracks are medleys. Disc 2 has 36 tunes suitable for a super singalong. I don't suppose anybody will want to play both these discs straight off but they are ideal to dip into to raise the spirits.Peter Burt

ANDRE KOSTELANETZ & HIS ORCHESTRA On The Air With Lily Pons 20 tracks incl. Carefree; Tales From The Vienna Woods; Ay,Ay,Ay; Chanson De Marie Antoinette; Hymn To The Sun from 'Le Coq D’or': L ‘Invitation Au Voyage; Dancing Doll; Waltz from 'Romeo Et Juliette'; Kiss Me Again; Dreamland Rendezvous … Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 856 (74:23) This should have been titled in reverse order as Kosty's wife Lily dominates the proceedings – impassioned soprano sometimes verging on parody! That’s probably because my idea of singing is Peggy Lee, June Christie etc. The few solely orchestral numbers bought back happy memories of my youth spending Sunday afternoons delving through my father’s Kostelanetz 78s, even with unforgiving steel needles sounding pretty good.

On The Air With Ginny Simms. 24 tracks incl. Carefree/That’s For Me; Slowly; I Concentrate On You; I’ve Got You Under My Skin; On The Atchison Topeka And The Santa Fe; In A Monastery Garden; I See Your Face Before Me/ Dancing In The Dark: I Concentrate On You; Full Moon And Empty Arms; It Might As Well Be Spring; The Man I Love … DSOY 858 (76:19). More nostalgic air checks, singer changed, still sounding a little stilted but I enjoyed this more than the Lily Pons as the orchestra gets more of the proceedings. Bonus for me was David Raksin’s composition Slowly – new to me, I’ve always loved his work. Michael Highton deserves high praise for his informative sleeve notes. Paul Clatworthy

MITCH MILLER It's Miller Time! – Come On And Join The Party!2 CDs:59 tracks incl. Song For A Summer Night; Autumn Leaves; Willie Can; March from The River Kwai and Colonel Bogey; Blackberry Winter; Silly Little Tune; Sabrina; Java; Song Of The Sparrow; The Bowery Grenadiers; Lisbon Antigua; The Sleigh …/ Sing Along; Hey Little Baby; Bonnie Eloise; Hey, Betty Martin; I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time; Beer Barrel Polka; Don't Fence Me In; Oriental Polka; Ginny, My Joy; Whistle Stop; Do-Re-Me; Dixie …Jasmine JASCD 167(77:58 & 79:38) As Robert Nickora reminds us in his liner notes, Mitch Miller (1911-2010) was an especially skilled oboist (also English Hornist), an orchestra and choral conductor with Columbia Records, and an executive who guided some of the most popular recording artists of the 1950s, among them Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Mahalia Jackson, Guy Mitchell and Johnnie Ray. He became one of the most successful record producers of all time and was responsible for ten individual discs which hit the million mark: Frankie Laine'sMule Train,That Lucky Old Sun,Jezebel,I Believe, Guy Mitchell'sMy Heart Cries For Youand Tony Bennett'sBecause of Youamong them; and it is said he invented the "Greatest Hits" concept. Earlier in his career he had played in symphony orchestras and chamber groups, and later with Percy Faith on two LPs,'It's So Peaceful In The Country'and'Music Until Midnight'. On the two extremely well-filled compilation discs under review we have a wonderful selection of Mitch's work with his own instrumentalists and singers, including the big hits likeTheYellow Rose of Texas,Tzena,Tzena,Tzena,Meet Mister Callaghan,Under Paris Skies (the movie theme title), andThe Children's Marching Song(from 'The Inn of the Sixth Happiness'). I always associate the sound of this Miller with the French horn (e.g. his backings for Guy Mitchell) and for me a favourite track on the first disc isTira Lira Madeira, in which the horns combine with an insistent drum beat and Stan Freeman's fine harpsichord. Another good example of the horn sound is onGreensleeves. Most of the titles are in mono, being popular singles, but the sound is very acceptable. On Disc 2 there are also tracks from several of Mitch's'Sing Along'and'March Along'LPs. Definitely a most entertaining release at a very fair price and another release to cheer you up. Perfect for that Christmas stocking, I'd say.Peter Burt

TONY MOTTOLA & HIS ORCHESTRA Roman Guitar / Mr. Big24 tracks incl. La Strada; Anna; Arriverderci, Roma; Sorrento; Violetta; Volare … / Danger; Carioca; What's New; Dancing On the Ceiling; I Didn't Know What Time It Was; Carnival Time …Sepia 1174(63:53) This label only occasionally reissues non-vocal albums (I seem to have missed their earlier'Persuasive Percussion') but they are invariably highly entertaining. This one features "the brilliant and legendary guitarist" Tony Mottola (1918-2004). He was a presence on a lot of recordings and had a long association with Perry Como. (He can be heard on the new Jane Morgan disc reviewed below and, quite likely, was on the Mitch Miller discs above). The two albums here were both best sellers – imagine that happening today! The first dozen tracks are all typically evocative Italian numbers that are in his blood.'Mr. Big'(that's Tony, folks) has him performing with Al Caiola and three other guitarists on well-known American songbook standards together with three numbers he composed:Danger(written for the TV series),Carnival TimeandHumorescapade(an adaptation of Dvořák'sHumouresque). The sound is very good and, judging from the extravagant separation, probably comes from the early days of stereo on the celebrated Command label. Apart from an uncharacteristic lack of label and recording date information, Sepia keep up their high booklet standards by providing the original liner notes, which run to eight pages.Peter Burt

PIANO THEMES & RHAPSODIES  21 tracks incl. First Rhapsody; Tango (Albeniz); Liebestraum; Dream of Olwen; Theme from The Story of Three Loves; Warsaw Concerto; Rooftop Rhapsody …Bygone Days BYD 77067 (78:11) This compilation mainly features the pianist Semprini, who is featured conducting the New Abbey Light Symphony Orchestra in ten compositions, and on a further eight tracks he is the soloist with the orchestra of George Melachrino. Two other pianists have a track apiece, both with Melachrino’s Orchestra, namely William Hill-Bowen (Robert Docker'sLegend) and Monia Liter. The latter is the soloist inRhapsody in Blue, which performance suffers from a haphazard clarinet introduction. Apart from that, it’s a delight from beginning to end, with a full, rich acoustic, and Peter Dempsey’s liner note illuminates the music, the composers and the performers.Barry McCanna

NELSON RIDDLE & HIS ORCHESTRA The Joy Of Living & A Riddle of Contrasts2 CDs:58 titles incl. The Joy of Living; Moonglow; Birds Of Paradise; Around The World; There's A Gold Mine In The Sky; "Markham" Theme; Poor Jud Is Daid; All Er Nothin'; Somethin' Special*; I Speak To The Stars; Stowaway; Bonsoir Lisbon*; Midnight Blue … / "The Untouchables"*; Please Remember; Drive-In; Ill Wind; In The Mood; Idle Chatter; Green Leaves Of Summer; Pendulum Song; An Affair To Remember; Make Her Mine; Caravan; Three Little Stars …Jasmine JASCD 166(78:35 & 78:21) Another packed compilation from a label that invariably gives us value for money. Nelson Riddle was an arranger, conductor, composer and trombone player. In the '40s he played with Tommy Dorsey among others. It was, of course, working with Frank Sinatra from April '53 that Nelson became the best-known arranger in Hollywood. He first came to prominence as an arranger when he collaborated with Nat King Cole, and there are eight examples of their work here. Also featured are tracks with Margaret Whiting (4), Betty Hutton (2), The Lancers (2), The Andrews Sisters (4) and The Four Freshmen (1). There are, too, examples of his own compositions includingTing-A-Lay-O,"Pal Joey" Theme andSea of Dreams, as well as those asterisked above. All the tracks are in mono – apart from eight on Disc 2 that are presumably album tracks – and were Capitol releases with the exception of those with the Andrews Sisters for Decca in 1952. Although perhaps not quite so distinctive sounding as Nelson's later work, these discs contain some fine quality material and are to be unreservedly recommended.Peter Burt

DAVID ROSE & HIS ORCHESTRA King Of Strings - The Hits and More … 2 CDs: 55 tracks incl. Holiday For Strings (1955 version); Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing; Holiday For Trombones; Calypso Melody; Swingin' Shepherd Blues; September Song; Autumn Leaves; The Autumn Waltz; September In The Rain; Indian Summer; Blue Autumn; Shine On Harvest Moon … / Portrait Of A Flirt; Paris Oui Oui; The Flying Horse; Vanessa; Zing-Zing Zoom-Zoom; Theme From 'Wings Of Eagles'; Take My Love; Stars Shine In Your Eyes; Love Is Eternal; Summertime In Venice; Bordeaux; Pam Pam … Jasmine JASDCD 597 (78:46 & 79:32) If there has been a better compilation of reissues this year it has yet to come my way! Composer and conductor David Rose was born in London in 1910 but became a US citizen at age four when his parents moved to Chicago, where he attended the Chicago College of Music. In the mid-1930s he went to Hollywood and was MD of a radio network there. He joined the US Air Force and directed their official show, 'Winged Victory', and in 1943 wrote his big hit, Holiday for Strings, the original version of which ends the second disc. It has been said that this piece signaled a revival in light orchestral music and set a fashion for string section writing. He returned to Hollywood as MD of MGM movies and wrote numerous film scores. He recorded many albums in the 1960s and presented and conducted his own concerts at the Pasadena Pops and Hollywood Bowl. He died at Burbank in 1990. This impressive mono selection contains 21 of his own compositions, whose titles are invariably very descriptive of the music (On A Country Road In Switzerland, Parade Of The Clowns, Roman Holiday and A Frenchman in New York, for example), although unfortunately The Stripper is missing. I am intrigued by the marvellous Satan And The Polar Bear. André Previn is featured on his own Like Young and also on Young Man's Lament. The trademark Rose pizzicato is well in evidence throughout these discs. All the tracks, some of which have been provided by RFS members Philip Farlow and Brian Henson, are either 45s or from LPs on the MGM label. The two albums will, no doubt, give Mr. Rose's many admirers much pleasure and, hopefully, attract anybody who appreciates a good tune immaculately played. It is available online at under £7 – that's around 12p a track. Peter Burt

DON SESTA / TROISE MANDOLIERS / JACK SIMPSON Serenade in the Night Don Juan/Serenade in the Night/Napolitana; Evening Star; Don Estas' Corazon; Grinzing; Cupid's Army; Dreamy Serenade; All Through the Night; Santiago Waltz; Schubert's Serenade; Vienna in Springtime; Santa Lucia; Little Valley in the Mountains; Blue Danube; Raymonde Overture; A Girl Like Nina, Tonight (from 'The Queen's Affair'); My Heart is Calling You; Loch Lomond, My Antoinette; In a Sled; Song of the Rose; Moonlight Kisses; Goodnight Vienna; Hungarian Dance no.1 (Brahms); Old Bohemian Town. Cottage Industry Records FBCD282 (75.10) This CD is the result of another collaboration between Frank Bristow in Australia and our own Brian Stringer and, unlike most of the recordings of light music available these days, features speciality combinations rather than conventional light orchestras. I think that many members will be familiar with the name of Troise and his Mandoliers, perhaps less so with Don Sesta's Gaucho Tango Orchestra. There are also several tracks from a combination called the Marimba Serenaders led, we are told, by Jack Simpson, a distinguished exponent of the xylophone and marimba. This recording will appeal to lovers of traditional light music, of the sort that was popular in the 1930s and 1940's – sparkling tangos and novelties with a sprinkling of long established favourites. Some of the titles will not have been heard for decades and this recording gives them a richly deserved lease of life. I particularly enjoyedCupid's Army. The CD comes with detailed notes about both music and the musicians provided by Brian Stringer and Frank Bristow. Brian Reynolds

Available from Frank Bristow, 2 Cross Street, Brighton, Victoria 3186, Australia. Tel: Aus. (03) 9528 3167. E-mail: info@musicfromthe past. com. Website: www.musicfromthepast.com.

TOP DOG – A RETROSPECTIVE OF CLASSIC TV & RADIO THEMES 1960-1982 All tracks are mentioned below De Wolfe DWCR 004 (55.57) This release surely ranks as one of the best TV (& Radio) theme CDs on the market – with all 26 original tracks re-mastered from the session tapes held in De Wolfe’s vast library. Whilst some of the themes have already been released commercially, many are new to CD and two tracks have never previously been issued – not even as library discs. There are three themes from the series ‘Vision On’ which ran from 1964 to 1976: firstly Claude Vasori’s main theme, Accroche-Toi, Caroline; the lesser-known ‘Humphrey the Tortoise' Theme (Merry Ocarina) composed by Pierre Arvay and the well-known ‘Gallery’ Theme, Left Bank II, composed by Wayne Hill. One of the best-known composers of library music, Johnny Hawksworth, composed the famous Thames TV ident (Salute to Thames) and many other television themes; and on this CD alone we can hear Up To Date used as the theme for ‘Man About the House’ (1973-76);Ready to Serve the theme for the BBC series ‘Delia Smith’s Cookery Course’ (1978-9) – a series for which he composed the entire score; Roobarb from ‘Roobarb & Custard’ shown in 1974; and one of the standout tracks, the first series theme from ‘George & Mildred’ (1976). The latter are two of the shortest titles on the CD at less than 40 seconds! The title track, Ivor Slaney’s Top Dog, was used for a BBC Radio comedy, ‘The Men from the Ministry’, which ran from 1962-1977; and his Comedy Hourwas the theme for the BBC comedy ‘Here’s Harry’ (later called ‘Harry Worth’) throughout the 60s and 70s. There are three themes by another popular library composer, Jack Trombey. Firstly, Eye Level, the No.1 hit single from 1973 which opens the album and was the theme from ‘Van der Valk’ for its entire run from 1972; and Trombones on Parade used as the theme for Yorkshire TV's ‘Junior Showtime’ from 1969-74. The third contribution is Domino from ‘Never the Twain’ (1981-91). Simon Haseley (aka Simon Park, who conducted the aforementioned Eye Level single both on record and live on ‘Top of the Pops’) is represented by two tracks: Precinct is the gritty theme used from 1972-78 in the Thames TV game show ‘Whodunit’ – hosted by Edward Woodward and later Jon Pertwee – which is a particular favourite of mine; and the theme he composed with Peter Reno used for ‘Crown Court’ (1972-84). This tune, Distant Hills, was actually the B-side of the single Eye Level and was used as the end theme to the weekday ITV series shown in the 70s. Percussionist Reg Wale also contributes Fruity Flutes (used in YTV’s ‘Farmhouse Kitchen’ – 1971-89) and The Mugwamp, the ATV ‘Angling Today' theme (1973-1982). The album also contains strong themes by other composers. Sousa’s original Liberty Bell (arranged by A.W. Sheriff) was used in ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’ between 1969 and 1974. It was De Wolfe who provided most of the soundtrack music used in the series. Herbert Chappell’s The Gonk was used as the theme for an ITV schools programme in the 60s called ‘Seeing and Doing’. Wayne Hill’s theme for ‘The Power Game’ won an Ivor Novello award and was recorded as a single on Pye in 1966 by Cyril Stapleton. This CD presents the original which was curiously released many years ago on a promotional Pascall Murray record. Peter Reno (aka Peter Taylor, the in-house composer at Granada) contributes The Greatest Show on Earth used for the ITV series ‘Queenie’s Castle’ between 1970 and 1972. Roy Budd had commercially recorded the theme for ‘Inspector Rose’ for Pye in the '60s but The Odd Man is released here in it’s original form composed by Granada musical director Derek Hilton under his pseudonym, J. Snow. There’s also a theme from French film composer, Georges Delerue – Radioscope – used for BBC Radio 4’s ‘Round Britain Quiz’ since 1947. Henry’s Cat (1982) by John Hyde and Flatrock composed by Willi Andrea, who is session guitarist Billy Bell, was used in ‘The Kids from 47A’. The two remaining tracks areTonight and Every Night by composer Frank Spencer, who was Hammer’s regular composer until 1952, for ‘Tonight’; and finally, who could forget the end title theme from the early 70s ATV series ‘Timeslip’ – Edward Michael’s Rite De La Terre – Earth, heard here in full. This CD is a sheer delight to listen to and De Wolfe must be congratulated for such a strong and varied track listing – offering some real gems. Whether you’re a fan of music from TV or Radio, or just light musical in general, this is a "must-have"! It’s hard to isolate my favourite tracks as there are so many. Gareth Bramley

'Dance Band Delights'

HARRY ROY 23 tracks incl. Bugle Call Rag; Canadian Capers; Limehouse Blues; Spanish Shawl; Tiger Rag; Twelfth Street Rag; San Sue Strut; Leicester Square Rag … CDB05 (64:43)

JACK HYLTON 23 tracks incl. Black & Blue Rhythm; Ellingtonia; Hylton Stomp; The Selfish Giant; Grasshoppers’ Dance; Morris Dance from Henry VIII; Bolero; Three Bears Suite … CDB06 (78:53)

GERALDO 23 tracks incl. It’s d’Lovely; In Charlie’s Footsteps; My Guy’s Come Back; Concerto for Drums; Rhapsody for Reeds; Taps Miller; Two Moods; Blues in the Night … CDB07 (71:40)

JACK PAYNE & HENRY HALL Jack Payne: 12 tracks incl. Yes Sir, That’s My Baby; Hot and Heavy; Hot Bricks; Lucky Me, Lovable You; Harmonica Harry; Choo Choo; Entrance of the Little Fauns;Henry Hall: 14 tracks incl. Five-Fifteen; East Wind; Thank You, Mr. Bach; The Waltz in Swingtime; Swing Patrol; Here’s to the Next Time… CDB08 (69:54) Four more CDs in this series have been issued by the This England magazine (), in the same instrumental groove. Most of these have been reissued previously, but a good proportion only in vinyl format.

The Harry Roy compilation features some of his best-known tunes, played in his inimitable barrelhouse style. The band’s exuberant approach can have the effect of overshadowing their musicianship, but here they give a good account of themselves, not least in Casa Loma Stomp. Incidentally, since the penultimate track is non-vocal it should be shown as dating from August 1944, not October 1936.

Jack Hylton had a broader approach, as befitted a show band, and as well as hot numbers the selection features arrangements of classical pieces and light music. Strictly speaking, Chaminade’sPas des Echarpes should be shown as recorded by the Kit-Cat Band, albeit that it was under Hylton’s control. It’s also worthy of note that My Melancholy Baby and Darktown Strutters Ball were arranged by Fletcher Henderson, and feature Coleman Hawkins.

By the late thirties Geraldo had metamorphosed from a faux Latin-American outfit into a smooth-sounding big band, and this is a varied selection which showcases the virtuosity not just of the ensemble, but also of the individual soloists. I’m pleased at the inclusion of Russian Salad by the Geraldo Swing Septet, but wish that its coupling Sea Food Squabble had not been omitted.

The Jack Payne tracks include one of his first recordings, with his Hotel Cecil Dance Orchestra, and the miniature 78 made to publicise his move to Imperial, but most of the remainder are drawn from his Columbia recordings. The stand-out track for me is She’s My Slip of a Girl with Frank Wilson’s Bixian solo. Some (including Syd Colin) have dismissed Henry Hall as a somewhat anodyne bandleader, but the remainder of this CD demonstrates the unfairness of that judgment. Just try outWild Ride (his own composition) for fast precision section playing, and his versions of Joe Venuti’sApple Blossoms and J. Russell Robinson’s Eccentric. This would be my pick of the bunch, followed closely by Geraldo. Barry McCanna

ROSEMARY CLOONEY Mixed Emotions Clooney Defined! 4 CD set 115 tracks incl. I Haven't Got A Worry; I Do, I Do, I Do; Lovely Weather For Ducks; Tenderly; Marrying For Love; You're Just In Love; I Could Have Danced All Night; You'll Never Know; In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening; When You Wish Upon A Star; On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe; Over The Rainbow; The Continental, It Might As Well Be Spring; Hello, Young Lovers; Come Rain Or Come Shine; Memories Of You; Beautiful Blue Eyes; I Could Have Danced All Night; It Don't Mean A Thing; If Teardrops Were Pennies; White Christmas; The Best Things Happen While We're Dancing; Sisters (With Betty Clooney); Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me; Gee, I Wish I Was Back In The Army; Mandy; Count Your Blessings … Jasmine JASBOX 27-4 (79:22, 79:47, 78:40, 79:41) Just in time for the Christmas market comes this competively-priced comprehensive compilation of Rosemary's clear, melodically styled singing, chiefly on Columbia, in the 1950s and early '60s. Included are all her major hit singles (Come on-a my house, Botch-a-me; Half as much, Hey there!, This ole house, Mambo Italiano,Mangoset al) with Percy Faith and his Orchestra having the lion's share of the accompaniments throughout but also featuring, among others, the orchestras of Paul Weston, Duke Ellington, Nelson Riddle, Mitch Miller, and the Benny Goodman Trio (including a toothsome Memories of you). There is also Rosie's standout eight track album of Academy Award Winners recorded with Harry James, and'Hymns From The Heart', a 14-track album with The Ralph Carmichael Singers and Orchestra from MGM Records. Other artists who join Rosie are Guy Mitchell, Thurl Ravenscroft, The Mellowmen, Jimmy Boyd, The Hi-Lo's, and Marlene Dietrich with harpsichordist Stan Freeman (Two old to cut the mustard and Dot's nice donna fight). Listeners will probably also recognize selections from three of her films: 'The Stars Are Singing', 'Red Garters' and 'White Christmas'. This is an outstanding memento of one of the great female singers of the 20th century whose art is timeless. Peter Burt

PERRY COMO At the Supper Club Part 3 29 tracks incl. All The Things You Are; Sweet Lorraine; Your Father's Moustache; Harriet; How Deep Is The Ocean; Just Sittin’ And A Rockin’; Rockin’ Chair; My Melancholy Baby; Here Comes Heaven Again; When You’re Away; Moonbeams; I’m Falling In Love With Someone; Tramp, Tramp, Tramp; Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life; Blue Skies … Sounds of yesteryear DSOY 857 (72:01) More from Perry’s stint at the Supper Club* reviewed in a previous JIM, guests Helen Carroll and the Satisfiers, Anne Andre, The Mills Brothers; Kitty Kallen; Jo Stafford and Carol Landis. Recorded between 1945 and 1946. Paul Clatworthy

(* The Chesterfield Supper Club began in December 1944 as a live 15-minute NBC radio programme sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes. Perry initially hosted it five nights a week. During WWII, the broadcasts were transcribed for re-broadcast on Armed Forces Radio Service. KT Ed.)

DORIS DAY My Heart Hurry, It's Lovely Up Here; Daydream; The Way I Dreamed It; Heaven Tonight; My One and Only Love; My Heart; You Are So Beautiful; Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries; Disney Girls; My Buddy; Happy Endings; Ohio Sony 88697927752 (41:39) All her fellow RFS member fans will want this, Ms Day's first studio album of previously unreleased material in nearly two decades. It was recorded from 1951 to 1994 and includes nine tracks from sessions originally produced by her late son Terry Melcher, with her newly recorded spoken introduction to his vocalizing on Happy Endings. I understand that Doris was fully involved with the musical selections for this special release – described by The Daily Telegraph critic as "lush and pure" – which reflect her love of animals and for her son. Peter Burt

Day By Day 60 tracks incl. Secret Love; The Black Hills of Dakota; The Deadwood Stage; No Two People; Love Me or Leave Me; Sentimental Journey; When I Fall in Love; I Can Do Without You; It Had to Be You; On Moonlight Bay; ‘Tis Harry I’m Planning to Marry; The Way You Look Tonight; I Enjoy Being a Girl… Delta 60385 (54:27)(53:19)(58:49) Doris Day has a warm, friendly personality, and those characteristics are reflected in her voice, which is clear and sweet without being cloying. During the course of her long career she has made a great number of songs her own, and many of them are included in this well-remastered budget compilation. Alternatively, you can buy just the first two CDs under the title 'The Best of Doris Day' (Delta 38337) or the first one only as 'With Love fromDoris Day' (Delta 6826).

Sings Hollywood & Broadway 40 tracks incl. Cheek to Cheek; That Old Black Magic; Pennies from Heaven; Three Coins in the Fountain; Over the Rainbow; When You’re Smiling; I’ve Grown Accustomed to his Face; Fit as a Fiddle; Let’s Fly Away… Delta 38336 (64:35)(56:05) The first CD draws in large part on two Columbia LPs entitled 'Hooray for Hollywood', which date from 1958/9 and on which the orchestra was that of Frank de Vol, and the second CD is partly based upon a 1960 Columbia LP entitled” 'Show Time' with Axel Stordahl providing the orchestral accompaniment. Although this and the CD package above are budget compilations they boast a “high quality luxury slipcase”, which duplicates the jewel case artwork and which I would happily forego in exchange for more detailed tracklists and liner notes. Barry McCanna

THE FORCES' SWEETHEARTS & HEART-THROBS OF WW2 : The 50 finest 1939-1945 Tracks incl. We'll Meet Again; I'll Be Seeing You; Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy; Skylark; Serenade in Blue; J'Attendrai; Stardust; Only Forever; When the Lights Go On Again …. Retrospective RTS 4186 (155:04)  This features original mono recordings from both sides of the Atlantic, split evenly between male and female vocalists, including the British-based Vera Lynn, Gracie Fields, Anne Shelton, Chick Henderson, Denny Dennis, Al Bowlly, Donald Peers and Sam Browne.  Some of the titles reflect the conflict then raging, others are suffused with the bitter-sweet mood of the times. At just over two-and-a-half hours of music, this is a veritable wallow in nostalgia, and as always with reissues from Retrospective presentation is exemplary. Barry McCanna

PEGGY LEE At The Supper Club 29 tracks incl. All The Things You Are; You Was Right, Baby; Waitin’ For The Train To Come In; I’ve Got A Walkie-Talkie; I Don’t Know Enough About You; I Can See It Your Way; I’m Glad I Waited For You; A Reasonable Facsimile Of You: All The Things You Are; Smoke Dreams; You Call Everybody, Darlin’ Love Your Magic Spell Is Everywhere; Love Somebody; Maybe You’ll Be There; Little Jack Frost … Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 854 (68:04) Recorded live between 1946 and 1949 switching between the orchestras of Lloyd Shafer and Dave Barbour with guests Helen Carroll and the Satisfyers, The Starlighters, Frankie Lame, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.Paul Clatworthy

BETTY MADIGAN Am I Blue? & The Jerome Kern Songbook 29 tracks incl. I Get Along Without You Very Well; I'm A Fool To Want You; I'll Never Be The Same; Love, You Funny Thing; I Miss The Boy; The Lonesomest Girl In Town …/ They Didn't Believe Me; Bill; She Didn't Say Yes; The Song Is You; Smoke Gets In Your Eyes; I Won't Dance; A Fine Romance …Sepia 1177 (77:11) A name new to me and obviously one to conjure with. The label's website tells us that Miss Madigan (who is a bit of an Alma Cogan lookalike) became a musical sensation overnight following her hit recording of the ballad Joey in 1954, included here Evidently she was often seen on American TV and headlined posh supper clubs. She signed for MGM Records and then moved to Coral. Her recordings have been virtually impossible to find on CD, so Sepia have rectified that with these two albums, recorded in 1956 and 1957 respectively, plus five bonus singles of which four made the charts: Always You has a tasty tango backing, and Dance Everyone Dance is especially interesting to me in that it based on one of my favourite pieces, the Jewish folk song Hava Nagila. The Kern numbers are, of course, all classics – Ossie Dales in his liner notes reminds us that They Didn't Believe Me is 97 years old – and all are performed in a good strong musical voice with imaginative arrangements (e.g. the Bolero-like accompaniment to The Folks Who Live) from an orchestra conducted by Dick Jacobs. I have been pleased to make the lady's acquaintance and look forward to hearing more from her. Peter Burt

JANE MORGAN The Ballads of Lady Jane & The Second Time Around The Ballad of Lady Jane; The Riddle Song; Turtle Dove; Molly Malone; Ten Thousand Miles; Kisses Sweeter Than Wine; Scarlet Ribbons; Cotton Eyed Joe; The Foggy, Foggy Dew; I Know Where I'm Goin'; Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies; Greensleeves / The Second Time Around; My Favourite Things; Our Language of Love; Romantica; The Twilight Waltz; The Bells of St Mary's; The Angry Sea; Somebody; Love Is a Simple Thing; Odyssey; I Am a Heart; Why Should I Cry Over You?; Meme s'il arrivait quelque choses; Tete du bois; Fais-toi belle SEPIA 1176 (73:01) We have had to wait over a year for a follow-up to Ms Morgan's previous four well-received CDs on Richard Tay's enterprising label. But the current album – 24 tracks from two LPs remastered in stereo plus three bonus tracks – was well worth waiting for. The first dozen tracks, recorded in 1959/60, demonstrate the singer's versatility with her interpretations of traditional folk songs, and is an absolute delight from first note to last. There is minimal support from the orchestra conducted by Nick Perito with sometimes accompaniment just provided by the guitar of Tony Mottola, harpsipiano and bass. The second half of the album is a 1961 compilation of the singles she had made during the previous 18 months.Romantica was the Italian entry in the 1960 European Song contest, the march-like The Angry Sea is particularly ear-catching and Odyssey has a lovely melody. Jane's fluency in French can be heard on the final three tracks: Tete is from the pen of Gilbert Bécaud who wrote her UK No.1 hit, The Day the Rains Came, and on Fais-toi she sings in harmony with herself. Robin Cherry's remastering and Dominic McHugh's liner notes are as excellent as ever. I hope, like me, you look forward to more of the same from this super songstress who, until Sepia took her up, was so incredibly ignored. Peter Burt

FELICIA SANDERS I Wish You Love & That Certain Feeling 24 tracks incl. I Wish You Love; Said I To My Heart, Said I; If You Go; I'm Through With Love; Warm All Over; Lonely Town …/ It Never Was You; Dancing In The Dark; Music, Maestro, Please; A Woman's Love Is Never Done; Rabbit At Top Speed; I Happen To Like New York … Sepia 1175 (76:44) Miss Sanders was only aged 53 when she died of cancer in 1975. 22 years earlier she had a No.1 hit with The Song from Moulin Rouge with Percy Faith and his Orchestra. I understand that the two LPs here, from 1960 and 1958 respectively, have long been sought after by her fans. She performed mainly in nightclubs and cabaret and was much admired by other singers. She had an attractive rather seductive voice and this disc is a pleasurable listen with a number of unfamiliar songs. I especially enjoyed Cole Porter'sI Happen to Like New York. Irving Joseph is her MD throughout and also wrote all the arrangements on 'That Certain Feeling'. Robin Cherry's remastering is again exemplary. Peter Burt

JO STAFFORD At the Supper Club Part 3 32 tracks incl. It’s Only A Paper Moon; Come Back To Sorrento; My Guy’s Come Back; Tampico; Give Me The Simple Life; Thou Swell; I’m Always Chasing Rainbows; Catfish Take A Look At That Worm; Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds; Storybook Romance; 0l’ Man River; When Your Lover Has Gone; I May Be Wrong; I Don’t Know Enough About You; You Always Hurt The One You Love … Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY851 (75:49) More of the previously reviewed Jo Stafford sets, this time featuring Lloyd Shaffer and his orchestra, Paul Weston and his orchestra, Helen Carroll and The Satisfyers, The Starlighters, and guests: Woody Herman, Smiley Burnette, Phil Moore Trio and the Mills Brothers. Paul Clatworthy

THE STARGAZERS Plus … 30 tracks incl. Sugar Bush; The Happy Wanderer; Twenty Tiny Fingers; Hey There; Hernando’s Hideaway … This England C135 (69:15) You have only to play this compilation to be transported back to a more innocent time. The tracks radiate good cheer, and the themes include some of those silly songs that were all the vogue then (can you imagine Feet Up, Pat Him on the Po-Po or Close the Door catching on today?). The first 19 tracks are devoted to the Stargazers, the remainder to The Johnson Brothers and The Keynotes (who back Benny Lee & Petula Clark on Two Lips, and Dave King on Memories are Made of This). Accompaniments include Nat Temple, Syd Dean, Johnny Gray, Malcolm Lockyer, Harry Roy, Johnny Douglas and Roland Shaw.Barry McCanna

SARAH VAUGHAN It’s Magic 57 tracks incl. My Tormented Heart: Deep Purple; My Reverie; Whatever Lola Wants; And This is My Beloved; Maybe it’s Because; Misty … Jasmine JASCD 678(78:53 & 78:54) This generous compilation spans the fifties, and contains Sarah Vaughan’s hit recordings for Columbia and Mercury. She had a quite extraordinary voice, richly-textured and wide-ranging but without any need to strain for the high register. Her talents are on display throughout this superb set, which is worth buying not only for her classic vocals, but also for the accompaniments, which include the orchestras of Percy Faith, Paul Weston, Joe Lipman, Hugo Peretti and Hal Mooney, as detailed in the tracklist. Barry McCanna

MARGARET WHITING There Goes That Song Again! - The Songbook and the Legacy 4 CD set: 113 tracks incl. That Old Black Magic; Moonlight in Vermont; Far Away Places; Slipping Around; It Might As Well Be Spring; Guilty; A Tree In The Meadow…The Gypsy In My Soul; Sentimental Journey; Let's Fall In Love; Waltz To The Blues; Hit The Road to Dreamland; It Might As Well Be Spring; Like Someone In Love…Nobody But You; Time After Time; You're An Old Smoothie; If I Had You; Along with Me; Dream Peddler's Serenade; Solid As A Rock…There Goes That Song Again; Passé; Beware My Heart; Old Devil Moon; Someone To Watch Over Me; (We've Got A) Sure Thing; Ain't That Just Like A Man … Jasmine JASBOX 26-4 (78:20, 79:49, 78:20 & 79.39) Miss Whiting was a class act and rightly claimed by the label as one of the most respected pop singers of the 20^thcentury. Here is a follow-up to what I understand was her earlier highly successful box set, 'My Ideal – The Definitive Collection' (JASBOX 17-4), which I missed, and is another great compilation. It includes many tracks appearing on CD for the first time as well as rare items and her million sellers re-recorded in stereo. Featured are her collaborations with, among others, Glen Campbell (he plays guitar on Let's Go to Church), Bill Lee (Baby, It's Cold Outside), trumpeter Billy Butterfield, and Jack Smith. There is a stellar line-up of conductors – some probably also being responsible for the orchestrations: Lou Busch (her husband from '50 to '53), Ralph Carmichael, Frank Comstock, Frank DeVol, Russ Garcia, Jerry Gray, Pete King, Johnny Mandel, Skip Martin, Marty Paich, Nelson Riddle, Milton Rogers, Pete Rugulo, Freddie Slack, Billy Vaughn, and Paul Weston. I have greatly enjoyed listening to these discs and reading Robert Nickora's extensive notes in the accompanying 12-page booklet. If you only want a single disc selection of this superior singer's work, please see Back Tracks. Peter Burt

BASEMENT JAXX Vs. METROPOLE ORCHESTRA. Battlement Jaxx; Red Alert; Raindrops; Mozart’s Tea Party; Bindo Bango; Hey U; Lights Go Down; Violin Solo; If I Ever Recover; Do Your Thing; Where’s Your Head At; Good Luck; Drill Loops; Hush Boy; Samba Magic. Atlantic Jaxx recordings(62:52) I’ve been a devoted fan of the Metropole since the fifties, then on the Paxton label under the name Dolf Van Der Linden. I also try to kid myself I’m still young, liking both dance and soul music by doing the occasional review in a mail order magazine The Soul Survivor. I can’t imagine how this will be catalogued – 71 players and a chorus of 16. A mixture of orchestral, jazz, voices (almost operatic in places), and a live audience revelling in all the excitement without spoiling the sounds. It’s a spellbinding album full of musical scope and emotional power, something for most musical tastes. If you only like one genre this may not fit the bill; as an emotionally infused mixture of sounds it will intrigue and fascinate anyone sampling it. Paul Clatworthy

NAT GONELLA The Early Recordings Featuring Nat Gonella & His Trumpet with vocals, Lew Stone & The Monseigneur Band Roy Fox & His Band I Can’t Believe You’re In Love With Me; I Heard; Rockin’ Chair; When You’re Smiling; Sing; That’s My Home; Stormy Weather: Nobody’s Sweetheart; Georgia On My Mind; Sweet Sue Just You; Moon Country; Troublesome Trumpet; Carolina; I Can’t Dance / (with Roy Fox) Whispering; Oh! Mo’nah; Jig Time; Georgia On My Mind; You Rascal You; Corrine Corrina; Kickin’the Gong Around; How’m I Doing; (with Lew Stone) Junk Man Blues; Lying In The Hay; Look What I’ve Got; Lazy Rhythm; Lazy Bones; Nagasaki; Blue Jazz; White Jazz; Eadie Was A Lady: Tiger Rag; Milenberg Joys; Emaline; That’s A Plenty; Isle Of Capri; Miss Otis Regrets; Judy; The Continental. Sounds of Yesteryear DOUBLE DS0Y859 (39:57 & 73:01) Traditional jazz from the thirties – many of the titles not having seen the light of day since! Paul Clatworthy

BENNY GOODMAN AFRS Shows Volume 7 (1946) After You’ve Gone; Pity The Poor Lobster: St Louis Blues: Prelude In C Sharp Minor; The Sheik Of Araby; King Porter Stomp; If You Were The Only Girl In The World; Hora Staccato; Warsaw Concerto; Honeysuckle Rose; I Know That You Know.Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 852 (60:50) Interspersed with comedy spots by Victor Borge, Don Wilson, Edward G Robinson and Charlie Cantor, the music tracks use both orchestra and sextet. Paul Clatworthy

THE FRANK GRIFFITH BIG BAND Holland Park Non-Stop 12 tracks incl. Oh You Crazy Moon; Strollin'; Baby Won't You Please Come Home; Body And Soul; These Foolish Things … Hep 2005(66:48) This compilation is a no-nonsense album of loud brassy jazz, played with passion by the musicians. That said, I have personally never heard of Frank Griffith (he is an American jazz activist who is Director of Performance in the School of Arts at Brunel University in London) but the band is absolutely professional and for fans of the genre it will be a pleasant experience of really well-played music. There are three vocals included, all well performed by Tina May. The recording engineers have excelled on this CD and the recording throughout is superb. If you are a jazz fanatic this recording is undoubtably worth a “spin”. Roger Chantler

TOM HARRELL The Time Of The Sun The Time Of The Sun; Estuary; Ridin’ The Open Door; Dream Text; Modern Life; River Samba: Cactus; Otra. Highnote HCD7222. (62:17). Tom continues his consistently inventive music-making composing all titles and soloing on both trumpet and flugelhorn, backed by the same five piece who have been with him on the last three CDs, all masters of their instrument. The title track uses the musical harmonies of the magnetic field surrounding the sun, cleverly captured by scientists from America and the UK. I suppose it could be called a gimmick but merged with the other instruments the sound is arresting. Paul Clatworthy

ANDRĖ PREVIN Four Classic Albums 35 tracks Avid AMSC 1042 (159:57) Somehow Avid has managed to shoehorn four complete albums into two CDs. The earliest album is 'Collaboration', which and dates from 1954 and appears to be monaural. It features André and Shorty Rogers in a somewhat gimmicky formula alternating leadership of a group of nine. The three remaining albums are far more straightforward. 'Pal Joey' and 'West Side Story' date from October 1957 and August 1959 respectively, when André’s Pals were Shelly Manne and Red Mitchell; and for the November 1958 'King Size' Frankie Capp was on drums. Sound level is a bit on the low side, which is not a problem unless you're shuffling CDs. Barry McCanna

GEORGE SHEARING The Blind Genius (of) 26 tracks incl. Guilty; How’s Trix?; Nothing but D Best; So This is Cuba; Strolling; Bop, Look & Listen … This England C137 (76:59) This follows hard on the heels of Retrospective’s recent tribute album, and eleven of the tracks are duplicated. Even if you’ve bought the first it is still worth considering, because it fills in some of the gaps, including two 1941 numbers with Hatchett’s Swingtette: Wrap Yourself in Cotton Wool has a vocal by Billie Campbell, and Dorothy Carless sings Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat. Barry McCanna

CAN-CAN Original Soundtrack 24 tracks Delta 6820 (62:55) This budget reissue presents the eleven numbers from the film sung by Frank Sinatra, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jordan and Shirley MacLaine. This was not one of Cole Porter’s best scores, and the quality of the vocalists is variable. My preference is for the second half of the compilation, which presents Nelson Riddle’s separate instrumental arrangements. There’s not much of a gap between tracks, and the absence of a liner note is regrettable. Barry McCanna

NOËL COWARD A Talent to Amuse 22 tracks incl. Josephine; Sail Away; Uncle Harry; Mad Dogs and Englishmen; Matelot … Bygone Days BYD 77069 (77:02) This comes hard on the heels of Retrospective’s double album (RTS 4168), with which it duplicates four tracks, and needs to be viewed with some caution. Three of the tracks (Twentieth Century Blues (Al Bowlly), Regency Rakes, and The Stately Homes of England) are not sung by the "Master"; the opening Coward Hits medley and the last seven tracks all come from the celebrated 1955 Las Vegas concert. None of this is apparent from its cover, but if you’re aware of that before you buy it you shouldn’t be disappointed.Barry McCanna

MUSIC FOR REMEMBRANCE The Band of the Irish Guards / D.O.M. Lieut. Col. M G Lane 28 tracks incl. Heart of Oak; A Life on the Ocean Wave; Red, White & Blue; Great Little Army; Old Comrades; RAF March Past; Boys of the Old Brigade; Abide With Me; Eternal Father Strong to Save; Rule Britannia; Isle of Beauty; Nimrod; Solemn Melody; O God Our Help in Ages Past; March Past (Medley) … Bandleader BNA5014 (74:23) This is emphatically not a new release, being recorded way back in the late 1980's at CBS Studios in London, but one I have only recently caught up with. Included on this brilliantly recorded disc is much of the music performed at both the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and the Cenotaph Ceremony on Remembrance Sunday. Valuable to have in itself but what adds greatly to the appeal here is no less than a 17-minute medley in march tempo of popular songs of the two World Wars. This includes It's a Long Way to Tipperary, Pack Up Your Troubles, There'll Always Be an England; Kiss Me Goodnight, Sergeant Major, Wish Me Luck (twice!), Beer Barrel Polka, Lili Marlene, etc. It is the music played as various contingents of veterans march past The Cenotaph at the end of the Act of Worship and, if you are watching the event on TV, is largely drowned out by the continuous drone of the non-stop commentary. A moving, heart warming CD. First rate! Roger Hyslop

THE MUSIC OF THE ROYAL LOGISTIC CORPS 32 tracks incl. A Foggy Day in London Town; Salamander; Sunset; Forming Corps Bugle Calls; Sugar & Spice … Specialist Recording Company SRC140 (72:18) The RLC is by far the largest corps in the British Army, being founded in April 1993 and absorbing five different corps including the Royal Corps of Transport and the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, thus inheriting a rich heritage of military music, some of it on display here. A number of the marches are of comparatively recent origin, many new to me, and all the more welcome for that. Lion, Sword and Crown is an impressive piece adopted as the Corps slow march in 2010, while Roger Swift's Royal Celebration contains a fine dignified and stately trio tune as befits the title. Terry Kenny is a superb composer of tuneful, foot-tapping marches and two fine examples are to be found here: Ship to Shore, with its echoes of All the Nice Girls Love a Sailor, and Air Despatch. In complete contrast On the Flip Side, written in swing style, features a saxophone solo (Musn. Anthony Kitchen) whilst the Gershwin number, suitably atmospheric, shows how quickly the band can transform itself into an authentic sounding "big band" demonstrating the remarkable versatility of military musicians. What makes this new disc particularly appealing is its generous salute to British light music by including Sidney Torch's descriptive London Transport Suite and Montague Phillip's charming, evocative if more sedate Surrey Suite – we are not exactly over endowed with recordings of either works. Appropriately the disc ends with On Parade by Albert Elms, which was adopted as the Regimental March of The RLC upon its formation. The recording was made in the Aldershot Royal Garrison Church that allows full, well detailed sound although a little discreet reverberation would have avoided the somewhat abrupt cut-off in sound at the end of each track. However this is a minor quibble and Director of Music, Major Philip Stredwick, and his excellent band are to be congratulated on an unusually interesting programme, well executed and deserving of the widest circulation. Roger Hyslop

SOUSA Music For Wind Band · 9 The Royal Norwegian Navy Band / Keith Brion ; Sarah Oving (Violin) From Maine to Oregon; The Charlatan – Overture; Flags of Freedom March; Nymphalin; The Dwellers of the Western World – Suite; Chris and the Wonderful Lamp:The Man Behind the Gun; The Lily Bells; The Chantyman's March; When My Dreams Come True – Fantasy; U.S. Field Artillery March; Harmonica Wizard March; University of Illinois March Naxos 8.559396(57:31) For this release in this notable series of recordings of Sousa's complete wind band music Naxos and Keith Brion have forsaken the Royal Artillery Band after eight volumes, taken a trip across the North Sea and engaged The Royal Norwegian Navy Band. Originally founded in 1820 and currently with some 29 musicians it's a smaller ensemble than the nearly 50 strong RA Band but that seems not to be a drawback here and is certainly not particularly evident in the glorious sounds produced for this recording. As will be gleaned form the details at the top of this review almost all the contents can be considered rarities although anybody with some knowledge of the American military may recognize the U.S. Field Artillery March as the official march of that nation's army. Intriguingly this compilation includes a rare violin solo by Sousa, Nymphalin, a salon piece dating from 1880 and beautifully played by Sarah Oving. The 16-minute Dwellers Suite is a musical depiction of the three major races who occupied America: The Red, The White and The Black Man. Notable also is the late fantasy When My Dreams Come True, a medley based upon popular tunes of the day but somewhat implausibly including He's Going to Marry Yum Yum from 'The Mikado' ….. I could go on but that might be risking the KT Editor's ire in taking up too much of his valuable space! Suffice to say, given splendid performances and recording, this disc earns a well deserved commendation. Roger Hyslop

BRAHMS / MENDELSSOHN Violin Concertos Henryk Szeryng ; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam / Bernard Haitink Newton Classics 8802053 (70:06) Together with his illustrious contemporaries, Arthur Grumiaux and Salvatoré Accardo, Szeryng was one of the leading virtuosi on the much missed Philips label whose valuable back catalogue is now emerging principally on Decca but also here on the recently introduced Newton Classics label. This is a reminder of Szeryng's outstanding artistry in two staples of the violin concerto repertoire captured in glorious rich analogue sound from the mid-1970's. Anyone with a passion for superlative fiddle playing and a breathtaking purity of tone should seriously consider this outstanding disc. Roger Hyslop

ERIC COATES CONDUCTS ERIC COATES with The Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra, New Symphony Orchestra of London & Symphony Orchestra London Suite; London Again Suite; The Three Elizabeths – Suite; Four Centuries – Suite; Three Bears – A Phantasy; By the Sleepy Lagoon – Valse Serenade Heritage HTCD 222 (79:59) The English composer, the redoubtable Dame Edith Smythe, whilst rehearsing the Queen's Hall Orchestra in 1910 greeted Eric Coates (playing in the viola section) to his delight: “Good morning Mr Coates, the gentleman who writes tunes". And what tunes we have, recorded in 1940, ’49 and ’53, on this new album from Heritage with signature music from ‘In Town Tonight’, ‘The Forsyte Saga’ and, of course, ‘Desert Island Discs’. Eric Coates brings a lightness of touch to his music and the orchestras respond with playing of vitality and sheer joy. Special mention must be made of the light brisk tempo to Covent Garden and Oxford Street, whilst in contrast we have the suitably elegiac playing of Langham Place and the beautiful oboe solo in Elizabeth of Glamis when Coates pays his own tribute to Delius. As an "encore" we have By the Sleepy Lagoon with wonderful piano continuo and warm muted trumpets evoking not only tropical beaches but swaying palms from an Edwardian Palm Court – lovely. Even if you have these titles in your collection I am sure there is room for this magical album from the composer himself. Mike Crowther

DELIUS BBC Symphony Orchestra / Sir Andrew Davis with Tasmin Little (violin) and Paul Watkin (cello) Violin Concerto; Cello Concerto; Double Concerto Chandos  CHSA 5094(68:59)With Delius you get what it says on the tin – tuneful music in an unmistakable manner. Purists on both sides of the serious/light music divide cannot agree exactly where he fits in but does it matter?Edmund Whitehouse

HAYDN Symphonies Nos. 94 & 100, BRAHMS Haydn Variations Vienna Philharmonic & London Symphony Orchestras / Monteux "Irresistible" said the Stereo Record Guide when the original RCA LP of the Haydn 'Surprise' and 'Clock' symphonies was released in 1959 – a genial conductor's take on a genial composer's work – and later when it appeared on Decca's Eclipse label it was described as "one of the finest bargains in the symphonic catalogue". Recording producer was the celebrated John Culshaw. A year earlier Gramophone called the Brahms "thrilling". (As an aside: it was an 86-year-old Pierre Monteux who insisted on a 25-year contract with the LSO). All three pieces still sound good in their CD incarnation and at budget price are a good introduction for light music devotees to the classical repertoire. Edward Trub

LOUIS FERDINAND HÉROLD Piano Concertos Nos. 2, 3 & 4 Jéan-Frédérick Neuburger (piano) Sinfonia Varsovia / Herve Niquet Mirare MIR 127 (61:00) In this digital age it is quite amazing how the record companies seem able to dig out from obscurity the works of composers which have either never been heard before or which have largely been forgotten. The excellent Romantic Piano Concertos series launched by Hyperion several years ago and which has continued to grow into a library of over 50 CDs of neglected works is a case in point. Here, courtesy of the centre of French romantic music Palazetto Bru Zane, a French research and educational foundation, comes three previously unrecorded piano concerti by Hérold, more popularly associated with La Somnambule and La Fille Mal Gardée ballets and various operas. He hid his concertos away during his lifetime so that they would not distract from what he regarded as his more successful works. The music, as one would expect, is extremely melodious and infectious with various catchy tunes. The pianist is very accomplished, if perhaps a tad heavy handed at times. The piano sound is very lifelike and the accompanying orchestra very polished. Unfortunately the manuscript for the first piano concerto was discovered to be so mutilated that it was impossible to use to make a performance, so hence the rather shorter than average playing time of the CD. However what is provided is extremely enjoyable. The CD comes with a glossy bookfold case rather than the usual standard plastic case, and is well provided with illustrations and notes regarding the music and the performers. The CD is available from the usual online retailers. Brian Stringer

HERRMAN Danish National Symphony Orchestra Moby Dick; SinfoniettaChandos CHSA 5095(63:24)This is the American composer Bernard Herrman, not the conductor of the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra, who has just had released a double CD of lost recordings, more of which at a later date. This is definitely not light music but if you like a dramatic edge to your films then it might be right up your street, especially if you like the original sounds which eventually surfaced in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.Peter Worsley

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Seattle Symphony/Gerard SchwarzCapriccio espagnol; Overtures to: 'May Night'; 'The Tsar's Bride'; 'The Maid of Pskov'; Overture on Russian Themes; Dubinushka; Russian Easter FestivalNaxos 8.572788(67:05) Anyone with a zest for brilliantly orchestrated and colourful music bursting with melodies will surely want this release showcasing the composer's not inconsiderable compositional talents. All this engaging and thoroughly entertaining music is played to the manner born by the orchestra, formed in 1903, under maestro Schwarz – and with full vivid recordingthis is a "dazzler" of a disc, worth every penny of its very modest asking price.Roger Hyslop

SOUNDS OF THE SEA Various artists classicfm CFMD21(73:51 & 69:38) Apart from pieces by the out-and-out classical composers, like Mendelssohn, Khachaturian, Debussy, Britten, Rimsky-Korsakov, Elgar, Ravel, Bax and Wagner, this 21 track 2-CD set of music inspired by the sea has Henry Wood'sFantasia on British Sea Songs: Sailor's Hornpipe, Ronald Binge'sSailing Bysung by a male voice choir, Einaudi'sLe Ondeplayed by Myleen Klass, Sullivan'sPirates of Penzance Overture, McCunn'sThe Land of the Mountain and the Flood, Coates'By the Sleepy Lagoonfrom the Frank Chacksfield Orchestra,Stanford'sSongs of the Sea: Homeward Bound, the hymnEternal Father, Strong to Save, andRule Brittania!It makes for good varied listening with the added incentive to buy that at least £1.84 of its modest cost will go to the RNLI.Edward Trub

John Wilson conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

JOHN IRELAND with John Lenehan (piano) Piano Concerto; Legend; First Rhapsody; Pastoral; Indian Summer; A Sea Idyll; Three DancesNaxos 8.572598(77')

MADE IN BRITAINfor tracks see reviewAvie 2194(72')

John has already recorded a CD of Ireland’s music with the Hallė Orchestra, (Hallė CD HLL 7523, see JIM 183), and he is a great admirer of this composer, whose music he has described to me as "amazing". ThePiano Concerto in E flat (1930) is a work which I feel needs at least a couple of hearings in order to get to know it. It was originally dedicated to Ireland’s protégé, Helen Perkin, with whom he had a relationship, but when that broke down and she married another he subsequently withdrew the dedication. It became one of the composer’s most successful works, being performed over time by, amongst others, Clifford Curzon and Artur Rubenstein. Combining virtuosic piano writing with sparkling orchestration, it sometimes makes use of muted trumpets; this being suggested to Ireland by the famous dance band leader Jack Payne. There are at times some melodic and harmonic echoes of the French composer Maurice Ravel. Helen Parkin also gave the first performance ofLegend at the Queen's Hall in 1934. This is altogether a very different work, a dark brooding evocation of an ancient landscape. It tells the story of a strange experience the composer had whilst walking on his beloved Sussex Downs in which he imagined he saw a group of children dancing dressed in archaic white clothing. In addition to these two big orchestral pieces, the CD contains two extended compositions and some shorter works for solo piano, two of which are world premiere recordings The pianist on all the tracks is John Lenehan, whose diverse career has seen him working in both jazz and classical genres, and who has more than 60 CDs to his credit. John Ireland has always unfairly suffered from being rather overshadowed by some of his contemporaries. His music really deserves a wider audience; hopefully, this new budget-priced CD (together with the previous Halle recording) will help in that regard.

In the second new CD, which was released in early October at full price, John and the RLPO  perform what is described in the liner notes as "A Harvest of English Music";  all the works were written at the end of the 19th / beginning of the 20th centuries. The programme opens with the Scapino Overture by William Walton, which positively ‘fizzes’ along under John’s baton. This is followed by some gentler music in the shape of two English Idyllsby George Butterworth.  Had this composer not met his tragic end on the Somme in 1916, I am convinced that he would have undoubtedly become a second Ralph Vaughan Williams in the canon of English music. Vaughan Williams himself is represented on the disc by two works:  the very popular The Lark Ascending (with a lovely performance by violinist James Clark), and the English Folk Song Suite.  Although the latter was originally written for military band, it is more familiar in the orchestral arrangement by RVW's pupil Gordon Jacob heard here. In the first movement (Seventeen Come Sunday) John strangely omits the repeat of the tune Dives and Lazarus. I cannot imagine that this was done for space-saving reasons; perhaps he feels that a repeat is superfluous! Arnold Bax’s The Happy Forestis a little-known work which was originally written for piano and orchestrated later. It depicts an Arcadian scene of cavorting shepherds and satyrs, with a sumptuous string tune in the romantic central section. The Walk to the Paradise Garden is taken from the opera 'A Village Romeo and Juliet', and is probably amongst the most well-known pieces by Frederick Delius. The Paradise Garden in question is in fact the name of a pub! Sir Edward Elgar’s Salut d’Amourneeds no introduction; it was written as an engagement present for his wife-to-be, Caroline Alice Roberts. Elgar received a fee of two guineas for the solo piano version as well as the violin/piano and full orchestral arrangements; whilst his publishers must have grown considerably richer such has been the enduring popularity of this composition. The final item is theNell Gwyn Overture by Edward German, who became musical director of the Globe Theatre in London at the age of only 26; the boisterous outer sections of this piece are contrasted by a more reflective episode incorporating the folk tune Early One Morning. For those who enjoy English music, this CD is warmly recommended.Tony Clayden

A SONG REMEMBERED Ballads and Piano Solos by Eric Coates Peter Dempsey (tenor) Guy Rowland (piano) 27 tracks incl. Pierrette's Song; Three Burns songs; Dream o' Nights; By the North Sea; An Elizabethan Lullaby; The Stars Above; Through All the Ages; Since Yesterday; Song of the Wild; In Town; The Gates of If-Ever; A Song Remembered; Stars and a Crescent Moon; A House, Love Made For You and Me; I Looked For You; Ship of Dream … EC2* (69:34) This is the latest of Peter Dempsey's recorded revisiting of the ballad repertoire and the second such devoted to Eric Coates, who was as much a songwriter as a purveyor of light orchestral music. Of course many of these songs have a family likeness, but there is variety here. We have three Robert Burns settings, unpublished and previously commercially unrecorded, as are 18 of the tracks. Coates' Who is Sylvia?bears comparison with Schubert's famous version. There are "character songs" like The Widow of Penzance and Stone-Cracker John, Coates' first setting of Fred Weatherly, represented four times on the CD. The best known tracks are the title song and Homeward to You (both with words by Royden Barrie) and the heartbreakingly lovely Green Hills o' Somerset . Repertoire covers the years 1906 (the likely composition date of the Burns) to 1954 (The Scent of Lilac). Mr. Dempsey's ringing delivery and outstandingly clear diction do much for the album, and I like Mr. Rowland's positive accompaniments; his solo, Three Lyric Pieces (1931: the last a lilting Valse), a rare example of a Coates original piano item. Coates admirers should not be without this. Philip L Scowcroft

* Available at £9.95 from Mr P Dempsey, 44 Victoria Road, Bidford-on-Avon, Warwicks B50 4AR

Noted by Wilfred Askew

LES BAXTER Four Classic Albums : South Pacific; African Jazz: Jungle Jazz; Wild Guitars Real Gone Jazz RGJCD215 (121:43) 2-CD set Eight Classic Albums (Vol. 1) : Music Out Of The Moon; Perfume Set To Music; Arthur Murray's Favourites: Tangos; Waltzes; Ritual Of The Savage; Festival Of The Gnomes; Thinking Of You; The Passions Real Gone Jazz RGJCD261 (206:31) 4-CD set

BUDDY COLE Hot And Cole : The Swingin' Buddy Cole at the Organ 12 tracks incl. The Dipsy Doodle; Lullaby of the Leaves; Idaho; Amor; Opus One; I'll Remember April… Tartare T-8032(32:23) Original Warner Bros. album

CARL DAVIS The Beatles For Orchestra Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Davis 20 tracks incl. And I Love Her; Eleanor Rigby; Yellow Submarine; Yesterday; Blackbird; Norwegian Wood; The Fool on the Hill; A Day in the Life … Carl Davis Collection CDC 012 (69:27)

THE FIFTY GUITARS OF TOMMY GARRETT Border Town Bandido & Down Mexico Way 24 tracks incl. Love Me with All Your Heart; The Magnificent Seven; El Paso; Tangerine; Tico-Tico; Say Si Si; Cascada; Adelita …Garrett Music Enterprises GME1019 (59:52)

MAURICE JARRE Villa Rides! & El Condor (Soundtrack) 24 tracks Emarcy 2771362 (76:40)'Villa' originally Dot, 'El' 1st release.

ALFRED NEWMAN A Certain Smile : Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2-CD set 39 tracks La-La Land Records LLL CD 1178 (54:04 & 44:41) Limited to 2,500 units

ANDRĖ PREVIN QUARTET Previn’s Touch ‘Let’s Get Away From It All’ (1956) 13 tracks incl. It happened in Sun Valley; Island in the West Indies; Honolulu; Sidewalks of Cuba … ‘Hollywood at Midnight’ 12 tracks incl. Invitation; Laura; You are too beautiful; My foolish heart … Fresh Sound FSR-CD-551 (77:58) Two U.S. Decca LPs.

ANDRĖ PREVIN and DAVID ROSE Like Young : Secret Songs For Young Lovers 12 tracks incl. Blame it on my youth; You make me feel so young; Last night when we were young; A year of youth; Too young to go steady; Love is for the very young … Hallmark 709472 (36:04)

Like Blue 12 tracks incl. The blue room; Serenade in blue; Little girl blue; The blue subterranean; Blue, turning grey over you; Born to be blue … Hallmark 709682 (33:38)

Two classic M.G.M. mono recordings on a super-budget label.

ROLAND SHAW & HIS ORCHESTRA James Bond In Action : Themes for Secret Agents CD1:24 Bond Themes CD2: Spy Thrillers – 13 tracks incl. Casino Royale; The Ipcress File; The Saint; The Avengers; I Spy; Our Man Flint; Peter Gunn; Wednesday's Child … Cherry Red – Poker DECKCD2 007 (107:20) Original Decca Phase 4 recordings

KAI WARNER The Fantastic Sound Of Kai Warner His Orchestra & Singers 26 tracks incl.Whispering; Flamingo; My Prayer; Sally; Canadian Sunset* ; Melody Fair*; Love is Here to Stay; Show Me the Way to Go Home …(* with Tommy Reilly) Universal 5322803 (71:15) Original Polydor tracks 1966-1970.

JOHN WILLIAMS Cavatina : The Complete Fly and Cube Recordings : 2 CDs Disc 1: 19 tracks incl. Bach Changes; Theme from Z; Cavatina; Spanish Trip; Nuages; Sarabande; New Sun Rising, Pomegranite … / Disc 2: 18 tracks incl. The Height Below; Horizon; The Swagman; Sheep May Safely Graze; Travelling; The River God; Romanza … Salvo SALVODCD 215 (127:11)

NANCY WILSON How Glad I Am / Gentle Is My Love ‘How Glad’ (1964) 11 tracks incl. The grass is greener; The boy from Ipanema; Don’t rain on my parade; People; West Coast Blues; Quiet nights … ‘Gentle’ (1965) 11 + 3 bonus tracks incl. Who can I turn to; My one and only love; More; Time after time; If ever I would leave you; At long last love … DRG-CD-8511 (64:34)

Correction to catalogue numbers (JIM 189) Tchaikovsky Orchestral Favourites MET 8006; Mills Bros. JASCD 577. Apologies.

CHAQUITO The Great Chaquito Revolution & Latin Colours Revolution; Aquarius; Carol of the Bells; Old devil moon; Echo of a Serenade; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; Carioca; Mother Earth; Desafinado; Goin’ out of my head; Maria Elena; The Big Country ⁄ Meditation; Trains and boats and planes; Africaan Beat; La Paloma; Light my fire; La Peregrinación; Do you know the way to San Jose; Little Boat; Walk on by; One summer’s day; This guy’s in love with you; Upa, Neguinho Vocalion CDLK 4410 [73:13] Chaquito was the most notable of arranger-composer-conductor John Gregory’s alto egos and his first great aggregation was formed in 1958 as an "authentic" Latin American band. The creative arrangements and the band’s exciting style ─ many of the players coming from the Ted Heath orchestra ─ generated much interest. So much so that in the 20 years to 1977 the Chaquito band went on to record 14 LPs and, including compilations and re-releases, over 20 albums were released during this time, several of which featured in the charts. The first album here dates from 1970 and the second, a slightly gentler selection, from two years later. Everyone will have their favourite tracks: be it Gregory’s own title tune and One summer Day [Un Jour d’Ėté], the joyfulCarol, Carioca with its brilliant trumpet soloists or Bert Kaempfert’s bouncy Africaan Beat, but the whole CD has oodles of oomph and is my Best Disc for this issue.

Peter Burt

JOHN IRELAND: ORCHESTRAL WORKS. HALLÉ ORCHESTRA Conducted by JOHN WILSON. Mai-Dun, The Forgotten Rite, Satyricon Overture, "The Overlanders" – Suite, A London Overture, Epic March. Recorded March 2007 at BBC Studio 7, New Broadcasting House, Manchester. Hallé Concert Society HLL7523. Born in Bowdon, Cheshire – just south of Manchester – John Ireland studied composition at the RCM under Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. He subsequently returned to teach at the college, where his pupils included E. J. Moeran, Geoffrey Bush, Helen Perkin (see JIM 182) and – so it is reported – a somewhat uninterested Benjamin Britten. These duties were combined with the post of organist and choirmaster at St Luke’s Church, Chelsea, London. Considering that he created a not insubstantial canon of compositions, which have been well represented on many recordings over the years, it is unfortunate that Ireland is not as universally known as he really should be. Rather, he has tended to languish on the sidelines, in the company of Alwyn, Bax, Finzi and others, all victims of a totally unwarranted prejudice against much of Twentieth Century British music, which has only really evaporated in recent times. As may be deduced from my comments above, all the compositions represented here have previously appeared on record. This new CD is nonetheless most welcome, featuring as it does the undoubted abilities of one of our finest orchestras, under the direction of a prodigiously gifted conductor. John Wilson has a real feel for this music and during a recent conversation said to me that he thinks it is "amazing". Although he lived in Chelsea for much of his life, Ireland was drawn to the countryside, particularly places of historical significance such as hill forts and burial sites. His frequent visits to Sussex, Dorset and the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey are reflected in his compositions, which often also have literary connections. The programme opens with the symphonic rhapsody Mai-Dun, which was inspired by Maiden Castle, a prehistoric fortification near Dorchester, Oxford, and also by the writings of Thomas Hardy. The music depicts the ancient Briton community at the castle, which was invaded by the Romans in AD43, and represents the fort at war and in peace. This is followed by The Forgotten Rite, an orchestral tone-poem which was influenced by visits to Jersey, where two sites were being excavated which were associated with ancient rituals, some sacrificial, some concerned with witchcraft. The overtureSatyricon is based on the eponymous book by the Roman writer Petronius, and is subtitled a recital of lecherous happenings, which include references to the whipping scene in Petronius’s book! Ireland’s first and only foray into the world of film music follows next – a concert suite (arranged by Sir Charles Mackerras in 1971) for the score of the 1946 Ealing Studios production The Overlanders . This patriotic movie tells of an epic journey in Australia, where thousands of cattle were moved great distances to protect them from possible Japanese aerial attack or invasion. The 1936 London Overture evokes a journey around the capital, rather in the spirit of Elgar’s Cockaigne Overture(although not really attaining the musical heights of the latter) and makes use of some of the classic hallmarks of British Light Music in the writing for strings, woodwind and percussion, which are somewhat suggestive of Eric Coates. The final work is entitled Epic March and was composed in 1942 as a patriotic piece of anti-fascist propaganda, in order to foster community spirit and a democratic aspiration for peace. It was written for the wartime Ministry of Information, which commissioned similar works from a number of other composers, including Ralph Vaughan Williams. Whilst much of this music is not on the regular RFS "bill of fare", it is well worth getting to know and this excellent new release deserves to make many new friends. As we go to press, I have just received another CD of British music conducted by John Wilson on the Dutton Epoch label, which I hope to review in the next edition of JIM. Tony Clayden

RON GRAINER & HIS ORCHESTRA The Maigret Theme & Other Film and TV Themes SinglesThe Maigret Theme; Bistro; Night prowl; Petit Louis; Arlette; Golden fleece; & 7 other tracks … / Petit Louis [from the TV series ‘Maigret’] [Grainer]; That Was The Week That Was [Grainer, Sherrin]; Indian Blues [Grainer]; Station Six Sahara [Grainer]; Theme from the film ‘Sparrows Can’t Sing’ [Bart]; The Seventh Dawn [Ortolani, Webster]; Main theme from the film ‘Lolita’ [Harris]; My Lost Love [from the film ‘Big Red’] [Sherman, Sherman]; Sky West and Crooked [from the film] [Arnold]; Madrigal [from the film ‘The Chalk Garden’] [Arnold]; The Kiss [theme from the TV series ‘Love Story’] [Parnell]; ‘The Hidden Truth’ theme [from the TV series] [Parnell]; The Iron Maiden [from the film] [Rogers]; Sweet and Sour [the ‘Bootsie and Snudge’ TV series film] [Franks, Rusby]; Theme from the TV series ‘Sam Benedict’ [Riddle]; ‘Hand in Hand’ theme [from the film] [Black]; The Last Tycoon [from the film] [Jarre] Vocalion CDLK 4044 [75:46] The album on this CD was issued in mono on Decca’s Ace of Clubs label 47 years ago. In stereo Ron Grainer’s pieces portraying Parisian low life in the ‘30s are even more effective; the French capital being the background for the classic 1950’s BBC TV drama of over 50 episodes based on Georges Simenon’s detective starring Rupert Davies in the title role. Ah, memories! The second set is a mixed bag of 17 Decca singles, the earliest being the Bart opus from May ’61 and the latest, the Jarre, from April ’77. Nothing much here to excite although I did enjoy the tuneful My Lost Love with soloist Tommy Reilly, the dramatic‘Hidden Truth’ Theme composed and conducted by Jack Parnell, and Stanley Black’s customary seductive piano on his ‘Hand in Hand’ Theme. Other orchestras involved are conducted by Roland Shaw, Ivor Raymonde, Eric Rogers and Gordon Franks. John Dankworth takes the solos on the last track with the Maurice Jarre Orchestra. Informative booklet notes are provided by Geoff Leonard and Pete Walker. I doubt that anyone would buy this disc for the compilation but it is an interesting addition to an eminently collectable album. Peter Burt

THE VOICES OF WALTER SCHUMANN La Danza, Shadow Waltz, Dancing In The Dark, Sentimental Journey, Orchids In The Moonlight, Spinning Song, Black Is The Colour Of My True Love’s Hair, Cecilia, That Old Black Magic, etc…58 tracks on 2 CDs Jasmine JASCD 670 [total time 154:04].Walter Schumann died in 1958, so his name is probably unfamiliar to most people today. His trademark sound was a small orchestra (often with solo instruments such as the harmonica or saxophone to the fore) backing a choir usually comprising nine girls and sixteen men. Some of the time not a word was sung or spoken: the choir wafts around each melody in a similar manner to many film musicals of the 1930s. Walter’s choir was well trained, and they gained considerable popularity through their concerts and recordings. The final eleven tracks are given over to a feature called "Exploring The Unknown" which is a fictional story about man’s first journey into outer space. It reminded me of Gordon Jenkins’ "Manhattan Tower" in the way that the narrator Paul Frees blended with the choir and orchestra. Certainly an oddity, complete with some sound effects! The composer was Leith Stevens and parts of it might be more enjoyable without the narrator. These two CDs offer a very generous amount of choral music in one go. I suggest you may want to dip into several tracks at a time, rather than leave the discs running without interruption. It is an interesting example of the wide variety of popular music that was around in the middle years of the last century, before rock ‘n’ roll became such an overwhelming force. David Ades

Jasmine Records has recently issued its latest catalogue, running to an impressive 114 pages (plus index). This company has produced many interesting collections (including Robert Farnon on JASCD 661!) and keen collectors should find many pleasant surprises. Through its mail order outfit ‘Jazmail’ you can also obtain CDs released by Sepia, Flare and other labels. If you would like a catalogue, write to: Jazmail, Unit 8, Forest hill Trading estate, Perry Vale, London, SE23 2LX – or email:

‘ORCHESTRAL GEMS IN STEREO’ Full tracklisting on page 72 Guild Light Music GLCD 5165[78:20 mins]. When I saw the title "Orchestral gems In Stereo" I didn’t exactly jump for joy – stereo doesn’t interest me one iota! Who cares which speaker the strings and brass are coming from? Anoraks – that’s who! There’s nothing wrong with a good mono recording and music you like played by a first class orchestra. Okay - rant over! But stereo or not, it is a first class orchestra that opens this Guild CD with Tolchard Evans’ Lady Of Spain arranged by Carmen Dragon, who conducts the Capitol Symphony Orchestra. It meanders a bit in the middle but, on the whole, a spirited performance. Paul Weston and his Orchestra follows on track 2 with Jerome Kern’s She Didn’t Say Yes’ from "The Cat and the Fiddle" – arranged by Weston. The show ran in London in 1932 for 219 performances. A track that caught my eye was Les Baxter’s Shooting Star, recorded in 1958 with the composer’s orchestra. Would it be anything like Sidney Torch’s piece of the same name – no, not a bit. I know which I prefer. Our Love Affair, a very nice piece from "An Affair To Remember", a 1957 CinemaScope release, gets a lush treatment from Conrad Salinger with an orchestra conducted by Buddy Bregman – but it is Bob Farnon’s Mr. Punch played by Leslie Jones and his Orchestra of London which gets the feet a’tapping! I’ve had the EP since its release in 1959. Peter Yorke and his Concert Orchestra provide a rather dreamy rendition of Ivor Novello’s Glamorous Night from the 1935 show of the same name. It ran for 243 performances at the Drury Lane Theatre. Another tune to set the feet a’tapping once again is Cole Porter’s After You on track 11 with an infectious performance by Victor Silvester’s Silver Strings. Quite a difference from his usual ballroom strict-tempo style. But it’s the David Rose Orchestra that really sets the disc alight with his own composition Majorca – a sparkling piece! And in similar lively mood is Ernesto Lecuona’s Damisela Encantadora (quite a mouthful!) played by Percy Faith and his Orchestra, who also arranged it. Billy Mayerl’s ever popular Marigold gets an orchestral treatment for a change, courtesy of Ronald Binge’s arrangement with him conducting his own orchestra. And lastly I was pleased to hear the 101 Strings in an effervescent form with Chabrier’s Espana – a fiery finale! Ken Wilkins

JOHN GREGORY Cascading Strings & Contrasts Raindrops keep falling on my head; Wand’rin Star; The green leaves of summer; Love is blue; Plaisir d’amour; Those were the days; Somewhere my love; The fool on the hill; Four of hearts; Light my fire; Londonderry Air; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly / Diamonds are forever, I don’t know how to love him; Look around and you’ll find me there; Where did they go?; The theme from ‘The Onedin Line’; Devils Highway; The theme from ‘The Persuaders’; Another time another place; Contrasts; My chérie amour; Sleepy Shores [theme from ‘Owen M.D.’]; Spinning wheel Vocalion CDLK 4407 [69:13] There have been a number of light orchestral CDs from Vocalion since our last issue with releases from Frank Chacksfield [2], Will Glahé, Ray Martin, Ricardo Santos, Roland Shaw and a Victor Young soundtrack in addition to those reviewed in this issue. This one is particularly welcome as John Gregory has been sorely neglected in the reissue stakes. Born Giovanni Gregori, he was rated one of the UK’s best ever light orchestra conductors for three decades from the Fifties, as well as writing numerous vocal arrangements and accompanying a range of singers. The success of his Cascading Strings bore witness to his talented writing for that section of the orchestra, likewise his Moods Orchestral series. With great expectations of this 2-on-1 release I can only give it a restrained welcome. All the arrangements are attractive but for my liking the strings don’t "cascade" enough and there is a tad too much rhythmic beat, although the inclusion on some tracks of what sounds like an electric harpsichord is appealing. The best tracks include maestro Gregory’s own compositions Four of Hearts and Contrasts. It is good, too, to hear again the Khachaturian [arr. Gregory], Johnny Pearson’s Sleepy shores, and Spinning Wheel is a fun piece. The orchestra sounds smaller than that fronted by Mantovani or Chacksfield, or it may be Philips not quite matching the legendary Decca sound. Enjoyable enough, these albums just do not "light my fire." Many of you, however, will be looking to add the disc to your CD collection, and will appreciate our esteemed Editor’s extensive booklet notes. Peter Burt

ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Conducted by RONALD CORP Music by Ronald Corp: Guernsey Postcards, Piano Concerto No. 1 (featuring Leon McCawley, piano), Symphony No. 1 Dutton Epoch CDLX 7233 [65:57]. Ronald Corp has been a magnificent ambassador for light orchestral music, and there is no doubt that his landmark recordings for Hyperion have contributed to the revival of light music as an important part of the music scene. It is therefore only right that he should be given the opportunity to record his own music, which makes this CD especially welcome. Guernsey Postcards was a special commission in 2004, and the three contrasting movements must have delighted the locals at the premiere on the island. Ronald’s firstPiano Concerto dates from 1997, and it was also a special commission. Like many similar new works, the listener will gain much from repeated hearings. The most recent work is the Symphony, completed in 2009. I do not feel that I know the work well enough yet to be able to write a proper review; all I will say it that I look forward to becoming acquainted with something which, even on a first hearing, sounds impressive – especially the final movement. I’ve said it many times before, but it needs repeating: today’s lovers of exciting new music owe a great debt of gratitude to Mike Dutton, whose Epoch catalogue now contains some truly wonderful recordings. David Ades

MANTOVANI Golden Hits / More Golden Hits 24 tracks incl. Moon River; Summertime in Venice; Diane; Exodus Main Theme; True Love; La Vie en Rose; Around the World … / Stranger in Paradise; Gigi; Deep Purple; A Certain Smile; Limelight; The way you look tonight; Long Ago [And Far Away] …Vocalion CDLK 4409 [77:31]

Mr Music …. Mantovani / More Mantovani Film Encores 24 tracks incl. Smile; Ebb tide; Softly as I leave you; Spanish flea; Theme from ‘The Oscar’; How soon; Yesterday … / The high and the mighty; A certain smile; Friendly persuasion [Thee I love]; Whatever will be, will be; Tammy; Be my love; April love … Vocalion CDLK 4412 [74:49] It is hard to find anything new to write about Monty’s discs. What other orchestra maintained such a high standard of work over so many years? His arrangements were invariably interesting, not fussy or over-complicated, and the orchestral playing beneath his baton was impeccable. As a Gramophone reviewer [remember the days when they covered our kind of music?] once so rightly wrote about a trio of his albums: "These testify to his unique niche in the annals of international light music." If you are only going to have one Mantovani disc in your collection then I suppose the first 2-on-1 is the one to have with four of Monty’s six singles million sellers on the first album [1967]: Charmaine, The Moulin Rouge Theme, Greensleeves and Swedish Rhapsody, but not Wyoming or Lonely ballerina. Two other stand-out tracks are the string-laden Some enchanted evening ─ surely the best-ever orchestral version ─ and on the second album [1976] the dramatic Love is a many splendored thing, although I don’t think this sounds any better than it did on the LP track I nearly wore out all those years ago! The second CD, with albums from 1966 and 1959, is almost worth its price alone for the spine-tingling string intro toWhen you wish upon a star. It is interesting to learn from Colin Mackenzie’s customary comprehensive booklet notes that two-thirds of the albums arrangements and the piano playing onCara Mia are by the Maestro himself. ‘Mr Music ….’ is less familiar to me than most of Monty’s output and I think is even more enjoyable a listen because of it. Peter Burt

"SHOWTIME – 25 Years of BBC Concert Orchestra Favourites" Crown Imperial (William Walton); Les Petites Valses Parisiennes (arranged by Sidney Torch); Farandole from "L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2" (Georges Bizet); The Two Imps (Kenneth J. Alford); A La Claire Fontaine (Robert Farnon); Aces High from "Battle of Britain" (Ron Goodwin); I Love Paris (Cole Porter, arr. Stanley Black); Main Titles & Love Theme from "Ben Hur" (Miklos Rozsa); Pops Hoedown (Richard Hayman); Showtime Carousel (arr. Gordon Langford); Calling All Workers (Eric Coates). BBC Concert Orchestra Conducted by Roderick Dunk. Dutton Epoch CDLX 7242 [64:41]. A quick glance at the title of this CD might lead some people to think that the BBC Concert Orchestra is only 25 years old, but we all know that it has already celebrated its half century. ’25 Years’ refers to the BBC Concert Orchestra’s Supporters Club who sponsored this CD to celebrate their 25^th Anniversary. Rather than adhere to the usual format of "Friday Night Is Music Night", readers will be relieved to learn that this collection is entirely orchestral. And there are some great gems among some of the more familiar works. Sidney Torch’s arrangement of French waltzes is so typical of many similar delightful selections he created over the years. Another arranger of note is Gordon Langford, whoseShowtime Carousel provides over 14 minutes of great show tunes. Naturally we are pleased to find Robert Farnon’s A La Claire Fontaine appearing in a new performance; at eight minutes conductor Roderick Dunk takes it noticeably slower than the composer, whose Decca version lasts just under six minutes! I have to confess that I always felt that Bob could have slowed it down a bit (which he did in his 1991 recording with the RPO), and Roderick Dunk’s interpretation gives it an added majestic atmosphere. Members of the BBC Concert Orchestra’s Supporters Club received a free copy of this great CD. Everyone else should rush to buy theirs without delay! David Ades Contact details: BBC Concert Orchestra’s Supporters Club, PO Box 213, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 6ZP, UK.

"MEXICO" Cielito Lindo, Pepe, The Three Caballeros,La Cucarache, La Paloma, etc. "WESTWARD HO!" Riders In The Sky, The Yellow Rose of Texas, High Noon, The Big Country, Don’t Fence Me In, The Magnificent Seven, etc. Roland Shaw and his Orchestra. Vocalion CDLK4402 [61:34]. Roland Shaw was one of the great arrangers, and his work provided a touch of class to many Decca LPs, notably for Frank Chacksfield. Perhaps Decca felt that he deserved to emerge from the shadows and have his name on the kind of albums he created for others. "Mexico" is probably what you would expect – some may think it a pity that there are some vocals. I prefer the "Westward Ho!" album, and although an annoying vocal occasionally creeps in most tracks are purely instrumental. No doubt both these collections were commissioned by Tony D’Amato for Decca’s US London label. It’s a shame that there are no notes to tell purchasers something about the talented Mr.Shaw. David Ades

HARD TO FIND JUKEBOX CLASSICS : FABULOUS FIFTIES INSTRUMENTALS & MORE Manhattan Spiritual / Reg Owen*; March From The River Kwai & Colonel Bogey / Mitch Miller*; The Yellow Rose Of Texas / Mitch Miller Orchestra & Chorus; Giant / Les Baxter Orchestra & Chorus; Honey-Babe / Art Mooney Orchestra & Chorus; Children’s Marching Song / Cyril Stapleton with Children’s Chorus*; Joey’s Song / Bill Haley*; Smiles / Crazy Otto; Glad Rag Doll / Crazy Otto; Yellow Dog Blues / Joe Darensbourg & His Dixie Flyers; Little Dipper / The Mickey Mozart Quintet; "Man With The Golden Arm" – Main Titles & Molly-O / Dick Jacobs Orchestra & Chorus; Petticoats Of Portugal / Dick Jacobs Orchestra & Chorus; Theme From "The Threepenny Opera" / Richard Hayman & Jan August; Ciao, Ciao Bambino / Jacky Noguez & His Orchestra*; The Italian Theme / Cyril Stapleton; When The White Lilacs Bloom Again / Helmut Zacharias; The Poor People Of Paris / Lawrence Welk; Theme From "The Threepenny Opera" / Lawrence Welk; The Bandit (O Cangaceiro) / Eddie Barclay; 11^th Hour Melody / Lou Busch; Almost Paradise / Lou Stein; Autumn Leaves / Steve Allen with George Cates & His Orchestra; Around The World / Mantovani; My Beloved / Otto Cesana; Devotion / Otto Cesana*; Fascination / David Carroll*; It’s Almost Tomorrow / David Carroll (with chorus); Melody Of Love / David Carroll (* = Stereo) Hit Parade Records 12310 [72:00] Bill Buster of Canada’s Eric Records has put together this superb collection based on the 1950s American Billboard charts. All of the recordings are the original versions, not later re-recordings. Many of the tracks are orchestral, several with chorus, plus a sprinkling of instrumental and solo ones, some by artists not familiar to me such as Joe Darensbourg, Jacky Noguez and Micky Mozart. One or two tracks may come as a surprise to British listeners as different artists charted the songs in the UK. For example, although there are two excellent versions of Theme From The Threepenny Opera, we are probably more familiar with the one by The Dick Hyman Trio. Similarly I recall that, in my record shop days, we sold more copies of Henry Leca’s The Bandit than the equally good Eddie Barclay one featured here. Nor do I remember the Steve Allen/George Cates version of Autumn Leaves being very popular, although it deserves to have been. Several titles never featured in the UK charts at all so I enjoyed hearing them for the first time. Sound quality is first class with only Mantovani’s Around The Worldand David Carroll’s Fascination not quite attaining the 5-star rating I can give to the impeccable re-mastering on the other 27 tracks. A 12 page booklet with comprehensive and informative notes by Greg Adams completes this very attractive package, very little of which has previously been available on CD. I don’t know if it can be ordered from local record shops in the UK but it’s readily available from several on-line sources including Amazon and Play.com or direct from ericrecords.com. Alan Bunting

SHIRLEY BASSEY The Performance Almost there; Apartment; This Time; I love you now; Our time is now; As God is my witness; No good about goodbye; The Girl from Tiger Bay; Nice Men; After the rain; The performance of my life Geffen 2720780 [42:07] Despite some of the titles this is an album of all new compositions and the 73-year-young diva Dame’s first studio performance for over 20 years. Produced by David Arnold with songs by such popular music luminaries as Gary Barlow, John Barry, Don Black, The Manic Street Preachers and KT Tunstall, to my mind this album is up there with her best ─ a remarkable achievement. The track I have returned to the most, not least for the arrangement, has been Rufus Wainwright’s Cinderella fairytale song The Apartment. The orchestrations and conducting are in the hands of Nicholas Dodd, with a few stellar names among the musicians. No plaudits to Polydor for the short measure, though. Peter Burt

‘HIGHLY STRUNG’ Full tracklisting on page 76 Guild Light Music GLCD 5166 [79:38 mins]. This latest Guild offering begins in cracking style with Jack Mason’s Pops Polka – can’t say I’ve ever heard of him but I’m certainly familiar with the players – the Boston ‘Pops’ (I prefer ‘Promenade’) Orchestra with their long-time conductor Arthur Fiedler. In the notes David reckons his association with the orchestra began in 1930, but I have a 12" HMV 78 of Strike Up The Band which I thought was recorded in 1929, but I could be wrong. Steve Race keeps the rhythm going with one of those pieces that seem so familiar but the title unknown. Here it is – Ring Ding, played by the Knightsbridge Strings. George French wrote the CD’s title tune Highly Strung for the KPM Library and it’s played here by the Group Forty Orchestra conducted by Eric Cook. It dates from 1959 when the Musicians’ Union ban was briefly lifted, allowing production music libraries to record once again with British musicians for a while. It’s a great piece and I hope compiler David looks kindly on the idea of issuing another French composition – from the Paxton Library this time – his Parade Of The Championsplayed by Dolf van der Linden and his Orchestra. Eric Jupp and his Orchestra continue this lively concert with what sounds like a Spanish rhythmic number. But the inspiration comes from just over the border in Portugal, and Song Of Lisbon was a minor hit for Carlos Rocha – whoever he might be. Then a Synchro Library item Paris Pullman by Roger Roger and played by The Paris Studio Orchestra conducted by Philippe Pares, who also contributed library music. Philip Green’s theme from the film"Sapphire" played by the Pinewood Studio Orchestra, conducted by the composer, featuring Johnny Dankworth’s saxophone is next. On the other side of the Top Rank 45 from which this track was taken is Laurie Johnson’s theme to the film "Tiger Bay", and another Rank 1959 45 I have is the music by Tony Crombie for the TV series "Man From Interpol" conducted by the composer. It also appears in the first edition of the Ember Mood Music Library catalogue. The three pieces on the disc are Man From Interpol, Interpol Cha Cha and Interpol Chase. They’re a bit jazzy but might find favour with film and TV music buffs – are you listening, David? Two rather gorgeous pieces played by the orchestras of Boris Sarbek and Ronald Binge respectively – Le Soir (I’d Love To Fall Asleep) andAfraid To Dream (nice juxtaposition of titles) – are followed by Fred Hartley and his Music (a light orchestral name from the past) with his own catchy composition Jack In The Box from the Chappell Library. Gay Spirits by David Rose and played by his own orchestra on MGM could easily have come from a recorded music library catalogue, as does Kurt Schick’s Sheerline (Charles Brull) and Bob Farnon’s Little Miss Molly (Chappell) – two very contrasting items. Morton Gould’s orchestra has fun with Zez Confrey’s Stumbling with what sounds like a bar room piano and xylophone joining in – great stuff! Monty Kelly and his Orchestra spring a surprise part way through Life In New York with a wordless chorus, while Gerard Calvi’s catchy piece Gigue Ecossaise (Scottish Jig) really sets the feet a’tapping. I believe the Harmonic/Charles Brull Library went out of business some years ago (Editor: they were acquired by KPM in the mid-1990s) which seems hard to believe when they could issue such smashing recordings as Frank Chacksfield’s Sunshine Beguine played by the Symphonia Orchestra conducted by Curt Anderson, resplendent in Alan Bunting’s treatment. Ron Goodwin’s orchestra zips along nicely with his own composition All Strung Up, and I’m sure there are echoes of the "Miss Marple" films’ theme in there somewhere! Geoff Love’s orchestra gives a splendid performance of Rudolf Friml’s Ma Belle but it only emphasises the dearth of such light orchestras and programmes from the airwaves today. The string section of Percy Faith’s orchestra really work overtime with his composition Perpetual Notion as we head towards the end of this "strung up" collection of great light music. Irving Berlin’s A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody is the penultimate track played by Peter Yorke and his Concert Orchestra. And finally a piece from the soundtrack from "Some Like It Hot" – Park Avenue Fantasy scored by Adolph Deutsch conducting the Studio Orchestra. A fine way to end another great Guild Light Music compilation! Ken Wilkins

"DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS" & "DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 AD" Film soundtracks Silva Screen SILCD1244 [75:23 mins]. It is perhaps surprising that only two cinema films were made featuring Dr. Who, considering its huge popularity on TV back in the 1960s. UK readers will not need reminding that Dr. Who is again one of the BBC’s hottest properties in the 21^st Century, after a sustained period of neglect during the closing decades of the last century. Today the music is electronic, but back in the 1960s it was felt that orchestral scores were more appropriate – at least, for the big screen. So those masters of the soundtrack genre, Silva Screen, have finally lovingly restored the only two big screen Dr. Who films ever made - the 1965 release "Dr. Who And The Daleks" and 1966 "Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.". The music was composed respectively by Malcolm Lockyer and Bill McGuffie with sections enhanced by electronic sounds created by Barry Gray. The album also includes contemporary single releases and a 20 page inlay booklet packed with memorabilia and detailed production notes. David Stoner at Silva Screen kindly invited me to contribute some biographical details on Malcolm Lockyer and Bill McGuffie, so fans of Dr. Who will learn something about the two talented composers involved. Malcolm has the larger share of the CD, and his music is more ‘traditional’ light film music: at times I am reminded of Miklos Rozsa’s superb score for "Double Indemnity". The more I hear it, the more I find it very appealing. As usual with releases such as this, the music is often fragmented to fit in with the on-screen action, and the music created for "Dr. Who And The Daleks" is presented in its entirety, including some pieces composed and recorded for the film, but not subsequently used. Sadly the score to "Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D." by jazz pianist and film composer Bill McGuffie no longer exists but some of the music has been retained via a music and sound effects master recording that was sent abroad for foreign dubs to be made on the film. This is used for the CD release and Mark Ayres (who deserves special credit for his restoration) has edited the material to remove sound effects where applicable. Included also on this release are the instrumental singles from the original records that promoted the two features and some of the sound effects (incorporating original material from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop) produced by Barry Gray - famous for scoring many of Gerry Anderson's series. Silva Screen releases are always notable for the very high standard of the booklets, and this one is certainly no exception. If you are a fan of soundtracks and/or Dr. Who, you will not want to pass this by! David Ades

BING CROSBY Through The Years Volume Four 1952─1953 26 tracks incl. On the 10-10 from Ten-Ten-Tennessee; Zing a little zong [with Jane Wyman], The moon came up with a great idea last night & Watermelon Moon [with Peggy Lee]; You don’t know what lonesome is; Open up your heart; To see you is to love you … Sepia 1139 [75:53] There was nobody quite like Bing Crosby and this is another fine selection from his œuvre over the years. As well as the above-named he is also joined by Bob Hope on three tracks from ‘The Road to Bali’, The Andrews Sisters [South Rampart Street Parade], Gary Crosby [Fatherly advice], and Connee Boswell [That’s a-plenty]. Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians are with him on Hush-a-bye and Mother Darlin’; the former earlier recording their part in New York with Bing overdubbing his vocals, allegedly using a portable machine at a golf course. Mitchell Parish’s words to Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride fit Bing to a T ─ or should that be "tee"? Interesting, too, to hear the great crooner’s take on two Bernstein-Comden-Green songs from‘Wonderful Town’: Ohio and A quiet girl. Bing is accompanied on eleven of the tracks by John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra, which includes Red Nichols on cornet and Buddy Cole on piano. A 16-page booklet with authoritative notes by Malcolm Macfarlane gives added value to the disc. Peter Burt

ROSE MARIE 25 tracks incl. the Title tune, Hard-boiled Herman; The Mounties; Lak Jeem; Indian Love Call; Why shouldn’t we; Minuet of the minutes; Door of my dreams … Sepia 1140 [76:17] This is a well-filled disc of two contrasting halves. It has the pedigree of music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart with lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein 2^nd. The first 11 tracks are from the 1958 RCA Victor early stereo studio cast recording made in London to accommodate Julie Andrews who was appearing in My Fair Lady. Her co-star is Metropolitan opera star Giorgio Tozzi who had provided the voice for Emile de Becque in the film version of South Pacific. The proceedings are under the direction of Lehman Engel conducting the New Symphony Orchestra of London with the Michael Sammes Singers. Equally enjoyable are eight tracks by the original 1925 London cast with the Drury Lane Theatre Orchestra conducted by Herman Finck. The last four tracks are the legendary duo Jeanette Macdonald and Nelson Eddy singing Indian Love Call from 1936, Marion Bell [sometime wife of Alan Jay Lerner] with Pretty things, and two in stereo, Totem Tom Tom and Finale, sung by Elizabeth Larner with [on the latter] Andy Cole, The Rita Williams Singers and Tony Osbourne and his Orchestra. Sepia’s usual well-produced booklet, notes by Rexton S Bunnett, complete an attractive package. Ray Pavene

FRANK CHACKSFIELD AND HIS ORCHESTRA

The Incomparable Jerome Kern: The Last Time I Saw Paris, All The Things You Are, The Folks Who Live On The Hill, Look For The Silver Lining, etc. FC Plays Hoagy Carmichael: Skylark, My Resistance Is Low, The Nearness Of You, Georgia On My Mind, etc. Vocalion CDLK4408 [75:27].

New York: Broadway Medley, Harlem Nocturne, Manhattan, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Autumn in New York, etc. The Best of Cole Porter: I Love Paris, Easy To Love, Begin The Beguine, In The Still Of The Night, etc. Vocalion CDLK4413 [77:46]. Just before Christmas Mike Dutton added to his impressive list of Frank Chacksfield reissues with these two generously filled collections. The Kern collection (originally a Phase 4 stereo LP in 1974) was arranged by Roland Shaw, and features the talents of Kenny Baker (trumpet), Keith Bird (clarinet), and Ronnie Price (piano). There is also the occasional wordless choir, and several tracks have anonymous vocals. The arranger responsible in 1977 for Hoagy Carmichael’s melodies is not credited, but Kenny Baker is again featured on trumpet in Georgia On My Mind and a lady called Joanne Brown crops up with vocals on three titles. The original LP sleeve notes are reproduced in the booklet. Eric Rogers arranged the 1970 ‘New York’ collection (most enjoyable!), but we are left to guess who was responsible for Cole Porter’s timeless standards – the earliest LP of the four dating from 1959 before Decca introduced Phase 4. This second CD lacks any notes. The Cole Porter collection is not the same as the one released by Polygram in 1996. David Ades

"WHITE HORSE INN" Selections 23 tracks incl. Introduction/Yodel Speciality; White Horse Inn; I cannot live without your love; High up on the hills [In Salzkammergut]; We prize most the things we miss; It would be wonderful … Sepia 1141 [76:26] This disc is a fascinating compilation. The centrepiece is a 20-minute rare radio broadcast of the titles listed above from the first-ever American 1936 Broadway production of the international hit ─ it premiered at Berlin’s Grosses Schauspielhaus in November 1930 ─ with among others the legendary Kitty Carlisle and William Gaxton. By way of an overture the disc opens with Fox Trot and Waltz Medleys from Jack Hylton and His Orchestra. Later Alfred Drake sings It would be wonderful [from a BBC Radio broadcast of 1959], as does Pat O’Malley who also contributes Your eyes. There is then a track of ‘Vocal Gems’ from 1931 by The Light Opera Company with Orchestra conducted by Ray Noble, followed by Good-bye and My song of love sung respectively by Sam Browne and Cavan O’Connor, both with Rolando and His Blue Salon Orchestra. Max Hanson sings Im Weissen Rössl am Wolfgangsee with the Paul Godwin DanceOrchestra & Animal Imitations [sic], before the disc finishes with seven German language vocals never before heard on CD. Wonderful stuff! Ray Pavene

NEW YEAR’S DAY CONCERT 2010 Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Georges Pretre Decca [2CDs] 4782113

Readers who, like me, were glued to their radio/TV for the above will want this as a souvenir of the occasion. It was a happy return to the Austrian capital’s Musikverein for the 95-year-old French maestro who came to eminence conducting for the great opera singer Maria Callas. As well as the customary items by the Strausses [Johann I and II, Josef and Eduard] the programme, with four premieres, also includes pieces by Nicolai, Offenbach and Hans Christian Lumbye. There is also a DVD available. Edward Trub

TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 OVERTURE Mariinsky MARO503 [64:17] There are folk who are no great lovers of classical music but have this overture in their collection, and anyone wishing to join them could do a lot worse than this recent release conducted by the firebrand Ossetian conductor Valery Gergiev with the Orchestra, Soloists and Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. It is coupled with four other listenable Tchaikovsky compositions: ‘Moscow’ Cantata, Slavonic March [‘Marche Slave’], Festival Coronation March and Festival Overture on the Danish National Anthem. Good if not demonstration quality sound throughout. Peter Burt

PATTI PAGE with PETE RUGOLO orchestra Nevertheless, Out of nowhere, The lady is a tramp, The thrill is gone, A foggy day, Mountain greenery, I’ve got my eyes on you, My kinda love, I didn’t know about you, My sin, Taking a chance on love, Love for sale, No moon at all, I’m glad there is you, Nice work if you can get it, I never knew, The masquerade is over, What am I here for? Let there be love, Gone with the wind, They all laughed, I guess I’ll have to change my plan, Here I’ll stay, Lullaby in rhythm. (Fresh Sound Records FSR CD 544) 55:08. The first twelve tracks "In the land of hi fi "were issued on CD not long ago and reviewed in these pages. Here it is coupled with her second with Rugolo "The west side" I am now the proud owner of the original LP’s and the first CD transfer! Not something I regret, you never know how long such good material will be in circulation! "The west side" adds arrangers Marty Paich, Bill Holman and Shorty Rogers collaborating with Rugolo, that really is a star team! It’s a good guessing game trying to work out who arranged each tune on the second album! Were they used as presented or did Rugolo do a little tweaking? Definitely the best jazz Patti ever sung! Paul Clatworthy

TRAINCHA with the METROPOLE orchestra "Who’ll speak for love". Any day now, Love is still the answer, What the world needs now, One less bell to answer, In between the heartaches, This girls in love, God give me strength, Who’ll speak for love, Stronger than before, I just don’t know what to do with myself, Don’t go breaking my heart, Don’t make me over, Raindrops keep falling on my head, Painted from memory, On my own. (Blue Note 5099952055126) 62:07. Subtitled "The Burt Bacharach songbook two" this is something special! Given the magnificent Metropole orchestra to work with, arranger Pat Williams pulls out all the stops. Conducted by Vince Mendoza and mixing less familiar Bacharach songs with the hits of the past really is a treat. Evidently it has gone platinum in America, no mean feat nowadays when some pundits are saying CDs and DVDs are on the way out!Paul Clatworthy

JILL COREY with BILLY MAXTEDS Manhattan jazz band "Lets go to town". Another twenty four tracks culled from the National Guard show (see comments in Big Band Roundup) Sounds of yester year (DSOY 795) 61:35 The instrumental songs are firmly in Chris Barber territory of which I am no expert so I will make no other comment! Jill Corey sings with unnamed players with run of the mill arrangements. She has not got the sort of voice that merits repeated playing but that’s probably my fault! Paul Clatworthy

PHIL NAPOLEON and the Memphis Five "Memphis blues". Thirty tracks. Sounds of yester year ( DSOY 793) 70:29. "Dixieland" once again, not my bag! Ten of the tracks are just commentary which in my book is wasted space! Terrific if you want a social history lesson but not much in the way of music! Paul Clatworthy

PADDY ROBERTS Strictly for Grown-Ups. 29 tracks incl : Love Isn't What It Used To Be; Follow Me; Don't Upset The Little Kiddywinks; The Architect; The Big Dee Jay; L'anglais Avec Son Sang Froid; The Ballad Of Bethnal Green; Love In A Mist; A Short Song; Growing Old; I've Got The Blues; Lavender Cowboy; Poor Little Country Girl; I'm In Love For The Very First Time; Evermore; The Heart Of A Man; The Book; It's A Boy; Good Companions; Where There's You There's Me; 'Round The World In Eighty Minutes. Must Close Saturday Records MCSR 3046 [76:02]. This enterprising label mainly known for classic West End cast recordings, have recently re-issued one of their most successful non-cast recording titles. The original Decca LP was a surprise hit in the album charts (where it remained for five weeks, peaking at position 8) in September 1959. The best remembered track, and one that received the most airplay on the BBC Light Programme, was The Ballad Of Bethnal Green, winner of an Ivor Novello award for the most outstanding novelty song of 1959. The songs on this LP captured a witty, irreverent public mood, and although they then seemed a bit risqué, their effect today invokes nostalgia, with the self-effacing charm of Paddy Roberts delivery, accompanied by the rather quaint sounding small group arrangements of Dennis Wilson. This CDincludes the complete 1959 album, plus a generous selection of bonus tracks featuring earlier songs written (or co-written) by Paddy Roberts between 1954 and 1959, a period when he was one of the most successful British songwriters on Denmark Street. He had over 80 published songs (including several Top 10 hits) recorded by popular singers of the era including Anne Shelton, Ruby Murray, Frankie Vaughan, and David Whitfield, all artists included on this CD. There are also Paddy Roberts film songs from An Alligator Named Daisy, The Heart Of A Man, and especially The Good Companions. The five tracks from the latter (in excellent Alan Bunting restored sound) benefit from the arranging skills of Laurie Johnson, who skilfully arranges for large orchestral forces (the Associated British Studio Orchestra conducted by Louis Levy) and an angelic chorus in the 8 minute spectacular 'Round the world, arguably the finest song and dance number staged in a 1950s British musical film. This CD will make you feel very nostalgic about the 1950s, and will raise a smile or two as well. My favourite track (among many) has to The big dee jay - I cannot imagine this being written today! Roger Mellor

BERNARD HERRMANN: "Hangover Square", "Citizen Kane". Another release in Chandos’ acclaimed Film Music series. BBC Philharmonic conducted by Rumon Gamba. Chandos CHAN 10577.

More releases [not necessarily new] noted by Wilfred Askew

RAY CONNIFF The Singles Collection Vol.1 26 tracks incl. Moonlight brings memories; I’ve got my eyes on you; Dear world; La Felicidad; A walk in the Spring; Rain; Look homeward Angel; Sleepy shores; Singalong Song; Loss of love … Collectables COL-CD-7697 [68:37] Vol.2 26 tracks incl. Cuddle up a little closer; And this is my beloved; The world looks good again; Winds of change; Song of the Islands; Muskrat Ramble; Charlotte’s Web; Frost Festival; Delta dawn; Are you lonesome tonight? … Collectables COL-CD-7641 [70:50]

PERRY COMO The Scene Changes ─ Perry Goes to Nashville ─ with The Anita Kerr Quartet 12 tracks incl. Funny how time slips away; Here comes my baby; Sweet adorable you; I really don’t want to know; Stand beside me … Lightly Latin ─ conducted by Nick Perito with the Ray Charles Singers 12 tracks incl. How insensitive; The shadow if your smile; Meditation; Yesterday; Dindi; Baia … Collectables COL-CD-7880 [71:52]

BOBBY HACKETT The Most Beautiful Horn In The World w. Glen Osser’s Orchestral Pipe Organ Moods 12 tracks incl. Lazy afternoon; Love letters; Moonlight in Vermont; Polka dots and moonbeams; Chances are … Night Love w. Glenn Osser’s Midnight Strings 12 tracks incl. Themes from 2^nd Piano Concerto [Rachmaninov]; 3^rd Symphony [Brahms]; 5^th Symphony [Tchaikovsky]; Prince Igor [Borodin]; Samson & Delilah [Saint-Saëns] … Collectables COL-CD-7881 [78:34] Original [US] Columbia recordings from 1962

NEIL HEFTI How to Murder Your Wife and Lord Love A Duck CD1: Original Soundtrack Recording of ‘How To Murder Your Wife’ 22 tracks CD2: Original Album Presentation of ‘How To Murder Your Wife’ and Original Soundtrack Recording of ‘Lord Love A Duck’ Kritzerland KR 20013-3 [54:27 & 57:19] – Limited to 1000 copies

ERNEST GOLD Exodus The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nick Raine [2CDs] World Premiere Recording of The Complete Film Score; also music from ‘It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World’; ‘Ship of Fools’; ‘Judith’; ‘QBVII’; ‘Schindler’s List’; ‘Cast A Giant Shadow’; plus ‘Exodus’: Rhapsody for Cello & Orchestra; Concert Overture Tadlow Music: Tadlow 007 [132:36]

FERNANDO LAMAS With Love Original 1958 Roulette recordings conducted by Glenn Osser 24 tracks incl. You belong to my heart; Love is here to stay; Tenderly; I love Paris; Mam’selle; Anema e core; & 10 bonus tracks incl. The Merry Widow Waltz [with Trudy Erwin]; Indian Love Call [with Ann Blyth] … Flare ROYCD 288 [68:06]

JERRY VALE Time Alone Will Tell & Other Great Hits Of Today [1967] Arr.Cond. Marty Manning10 tracks incl. My cup runneth over; Born free; Love me with all of your heart; Games that lovers play; This is my song … This Guy’s In Love With You [1968] Arr./Cond. Jimmy Wisner 11 tracks incl. A man without love; Honey; Do you know the way to San Jose; The look of love; Can’t take my eyes off you; By the time I get to Phoenix … Collectables COL-CD-7877 [63:42] Original [US] Columbia recordings

We apologise that in our last issue the catalogue details for André Previn’s ‘Two For The Seesaw’should have read Kritzerland KR20012-5.

The KT Editor’s CD Choice

CAROL JARVIS Smile What are you doing on New Year’s Eve; When you wish upon a star; Carol’s Tune; How high the moon; Polka dots and moonbeams; But beautiful; Caravan; Sång till lotta; Night and day; Alfie; For absent friends; Tico-Tico; Principal uncertainty; Spain; In the wee small hours of the morning; Smile Divine Art Diversions DV 24150 [62:47] This is something special. Acclaimed trombonist Carol, who our 12-year-old granddaughter describes as "well pretty", graduated from the Royal Northern College with the highest qualification possible and is now a member of the faculty at Trinity College in London. Since 2004, when she was in her mid-20s, she has been fighting ─ and how ─ the disease of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma involving pioneering treatment. Yet she has maintained her position as one the UK’s leading instrumentalists. She recently learnt that a school in London has a class named after her due to her story. Carol herself says "that a cancer diagnosis doesn’t have to be a death sentence. It can be a very dark and lonely place but it also opens your eyes to the world. If anything my life is so much better since that diagnosis as I don’t take anything for granted anymore and treasure even the smallest things." Miss Jarvis’s rich as molasses timbre is well suited to a choice selection of tunes, some jazz tinged. The languorous opening track is a Frank Loesser number new to me. Sång till lotta was written by Jan Sandstrom for a friend’s young trombone playing daughter on her birthday. [I understand she now works for the United Nations sanstrombone!] Jimmy Van Heusen’s But beautiful is arranged by Miss Jarvis. She is accompanied throughout by 34 hand-picked musicians, including her pianist brother James, led by Cynthia Fleming. The conductor is Roderick Dunk, who also wrote Carol’s Tune and arranged a number of the tracks: my favourite being the Ellington classic with its clever quotation from Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia used as an intro. I like, too, the staccato start to Tico-Tico. The front of the CD booklet has a Rolf Harris painting of Carol called "Golden Girl" donated by the artist. At least £1.50 + VAT of each CD sold will go towards Macmillan Cancer Support. On grounds of both musicality and contributing to such a worthwhile cause, I hope that JIM readers will not think twice about adding this admirable mid-price album to their collection.

BRITISH CINEMA AND THEATRE ORCHESTRAS – Volume 3 For full tracklisting please see pagexx of this issue GLCD 5168 [79:23] In this latest of the Guild Light Music Series to come my way, prepare yourself for a feast of "get-up-and-go" light music that was an every day "listen to" once ─ but sadly has gone the way of the dinosaur as far as the BBC is concerned. The London Palladium Orchestra conducted by Clifford Greenwood gets the show on the road with a bright and breezy selection of music from productions that have graced the Palladium stage up to when the original recording was made in 1939. It was issued as Palladium Memories but compiler David puts forward the theory that the two sides of the 12" HMV 78 were accidentally reversed in the pressing stage. His full notes in the booklet make interesting reading. After this energetic ‘overture’ the Commodore Grand Orchestra conducted by Joseph Muscant on an Edison Bell Winner recording of 1932 (yes, really) play Leon Jessell’s well known Wedding of the Rose, followed by Arthur Anton conducting the Paramount Theatre Orchestra of London in Waldteufel’s valse militaire, The Grenadier, with Al Bollington at the organ. Another selection, Vincent Youmans’ Hit the Deck is next, played in a spirited performance by the London Hippodrome Orchestra conducted by Joseph Tunbridge and recorded, would you believe, in 1927? It ran for 277 performances. Walter Collins was a composer/conductor I’d love to know more about as he composed and conducted a varied selection of attractive and catchy pieces for the Paxton Library in the 1940s, and I believe he was the musical director of the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea earlier in his career. This digressing is caused by track five which has Richard Crean and The London Palladium Orchestra playing what must be Walter Collins’s most popular light composition, Moontime. I’ve got two or three different recordings of it. Now here’s one to take note of on track six: Perfection by J H White, (unknown to me) and played by the Commodore Grand Orchestra, again conducted by Joseph Muscant ─ but it’s the brilliant solo trumpet playing of Albert Coupe, coupled with Alan Bunting’s restoration of this 1933 Edison Bell Winner disc that really makes one sit up. Quite stunning! Another bright and breezy selection played by the Adelphi Theatre Orchestra conducted by Francis Collinson, Home and Beauty by Nicholas Brodszky, is next and it ran for 128 performances, although I think most people would associate Brodszky with the film world. A novelty number by Theo Bendix, The Busy Bee, (nothing to do with Arthur Askey) and played by The Plaza Theatre Orchestra conducted by Frank Tours is a catchy piece as is Les Sylphides by Oliver Cussans and played by The London Palladium Orchestra, Richard Crean conducting. This piece is also in the Boosey and Hawkes Mood Music catalogue. Eduard Kunneke’sThe Song of the Sea selection is played by His Majesty’s Theatre Orchestra, the composer conducting, and regular purchasers of Guild Light Music discs will already have three movements from his Dance Suite. The music from this show is, I think, most impressive and the production ran for 158 performances in 1928. Herman Finck was a prolific composer of highly tuneful light music and the Plaza Theatre Orchestra conducted by Frank Tours recorded his A la Gavotte on a Columbia disc in 1929. It’s one of Two Little Dances, the other being A La Minuet. Really delightful! The Commodore Grand Orchestra with regular conductor Joseph Muscant, but this time from a Regal Zonophone recording of 1934, gently waltz onto the stage with Carl Zimmer’s What the Forest Whispers; then the London Palladium Orchestra play The Valley of the Poppies ─ a catchy number by Charles Ancliffe, usually known for his marches and waltzes although, as noted previously, he has a number of "mood" pieces in the Bosworth Archive catalogue. Frantisek Drola’s Serenade played by The Paramount Theatre Orchestra and Chanson (In Love) by Rudolf Friml from Frank Tours and the Plaza Theatre Orchestra lead up to the penultimate track which is Paul Lincke’s Beautiful Spring, played by the Regal Virtuosi conducted by Emmanuel Starkey with Sidney Torch at the organ. David’s booklet notes tells us that the Virtuosi is actually the second orchestra used by the Regal Cinema and half the size of the original ─ and doesn’t seem to have lasted long. Finally, the curtain comes down on a selection of Emmerich Kalman’s score to Countess Maritza, played in fine style by the New Coventry Hippodrome Orchestra conducted by William (Bill) Pethers. But, unlike the Regal Virtuosi, this theatre orchestra lasted much longer ─ after which the Hippodrome became a Bingo Hall, finally being demolished in 2002. Rather a sad note to end on but a super selection of tunes all the same! Ken Wilkins

Carol is thrilled to have the opportunity

THETTOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA starring WARREN COVINGTON Tea For Two Cha Chas Tea for two cha cha; Por favor [Please]; Patricia; I still get jealous – Cha cha; Corazon de melon; Dardanella – Cha cha; Rico Vacilon; I want to be happy cha cha; Together 1-2-3; Trumpet cha cha cha; Dinah- Cha cha; Cha cha for Gia/ More Tea For Two Cha Chas Tea for two cha cha No.2; An occasional man; Santa Isabel De Las Lajas; Dream; Everybody’s cha cha; Santiago de Cuba; Sweet and gentle [Me lo dijo adela]; Nunca; Don’t worry ‘bout me; Silencio; The Sheik of Araby – Cha cha; Esto es Felicidad Sepia 1142 [63:05] I think this is the first orchestral CD I have encountered from this source and it’s a good ’un. Tommy Dorsey died in 1956 and a couple of years later the brilliant trombonist Warren Covington was invited to succeed him. The first album on this 2-on-1 was their first LP recording and the second came in 1959. The orchestra comprises four trumpets [including Covington], three trombones, four saxophones, clarinet, piano, bass and drums. They make a fine sound, brilliantly re-mastered by Robin Cherry. Some might think that just over an hour of cha cha rhythm is too much of a good thing but you don’t have to play all the tracks straight off. I enjoyed every minute of it and if I did not have two right feet [I’m a "leftie"] would probably appreciate it even more for being eminently danceable to. Peter Burt

DENNIS FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA Caution! Men Swinging & The Enchanted WoodsCaution! Men Swinging; Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year; Lover Come Back To Me; Shoo-Shoo Baby; Just You, Just Me; Isle Of Capri; South Of The Border; It Don't Mean A Thing (If it..); Why Don't You Do Right; Three Little Words; Resume Speed / Among My Souvenirs; Moonlove; Cecilia; Right as Rain; Fools Rush In; The Lady Is a Tramp; Snowfall; Winter Wonderland; If You Are But a Dream; I Hear a Rhapsody; Day by Day Vocalion CDNJT 5312 [77:44] Dennis Farnon recordings have always been scarce, and vinyl copies of the these two albums have been notching up some fair prices on Internet dealer sites, so this new 2-on-1 reissue from Dutton is particularly welcome. ‘The Enchanted Woods’ is an intriguing collection because Dennis uses only woodwinds and rhythm on a fine collection of standards featuring on one track, Right as Rain, a sax solo from brother Brian Farnon. There is humour to be found on Cecilia and The Lady is a Tramp. In contrast ‘Caution! Men Swinging’ is pure jazz and features two original numbers from Dennis [Caution! and Resume] plus great standards all played immaculately by some of the best West Coast musicians of the time, many of whom featured on so many recordings of the day. Faultless re-mastering by Mike Dutton brings out all the detail. It's sad that Dennis never returned to big band recordings of this nature, because this is an example of just how good it can get. This CD deserves a place in your Farnon collection.Albert Killman

ANDRE KOSTELANETZ & HIS ORCHESTRA Gershwin, Kreisler, Rachmaninov Love walked in; A foggy day; S’wonderful; Fascinatin’ rhythm; The man I love; Someone to watch over me; Medley: I got rhythm, But not for me, Embraceable you, Wintergreen for President, Promenade; Porgy and Bess Medley; Strike up the band; Tambourin Chinois; Caprice Viennois; The old refrain; Stars in my eyes; Melodie in E; Piano Concerto No.2; 18^th Variation on a Theme of Paganini Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 798 [67:44] Listening to this lush recording brought back happy memories of playing my father’s 78s back in the early fifties. All memorable tunes with one in particular, Fritz Kreisler’s Stars in my eyes, played many times with steel needles becoming almost transparent. Michael Highton’s informative notes worth the price of the CD alone! As I said when reviewing Kosty’s‘Richard Rodgers’ CD, Dick O’Connor’s article on Kostelanatz arrangers in JIM December ‘07 is a mine of information. Paul Clatworthy

STRINGS IN RHYTHM For full tracklisting please see page xx of this issue Guild GLCD 5167[77:57] I thought this sounded a good collective title for this Guild release and it certainly begins with a fiery opening courtesy of Percy Faith and his Orchestra and Victor Herbert’s Habanera from ‘Natoma’ ─ a cracking start. Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra follow with a fine arrangement by Roland Shaw of Swinging on a Star. If you only remember Victor Silvester’s strict tempo dance style, his Silver Strings make a really super job of Cole Porter’s You do Something to Me on track three, followed by Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra with his own composition In the Heat of the Day. There are names that crop up on these Guild Light Music releases that I’m afraid I’ve never heard of and the next two are prime examples of my ignorance: J. George Johnson whose composition Greenwich Village is played by the New World Theatre Orchestra, and Eros Sciorilli. His (?) lively tuneful piece,La Colpa Fu, is played by the Orchestra of the 6th San Remo Festival conducted by George Melachrino. Brass and piano vie with the strings of the Philip Green Orchestra in a relaxing version ofIn a Sentimental Mood; however, the mood changes abruptly with Georges Boulanger’s Da Capo, in a spirited performance by Hans-George Arlt and his Orchestra ─ it really sets the pulses racing. Paul Weston and his Orchestra play In Love in Vain by Jerome Kern from the 1946 Technicolor filmCentennial Summe, starring Jeanne Crain and Cornel Wilde, "a pleasing family comedy with music" according to Halliwell. Noel Coward’s well known Poor Little Rich Girl, in an arrangement by Peter Yorke and played by his Orchestra, is next; but this is followed by a not so well known piece, Sunset on the Tiber, by Dave Dexter (and here’s another example of my ignorance) neither of which I’ve heard of, but the music is a nice catchy piece played in a very smooth manner by Norrie Paramor and his Orchestra, from 1959. While listening to Carmen Dragon and the Capitol Symphony Orchestra playing La Cumparsita, I noticed in the play list Neapolitan Nights Mambo, played by Monty Kelly and his Orchestra, one of the composers being Zamecnik, a name that crops up frequently in early recorded mood music. So I was rather interested to read more about him and to discover John Stepan Zamecnik had written over 2,000 compositions, mainly for the Sam Fox Co. during his lifetime, 1872 to 1953. This particular number was used as the theme music for a silent film, "Fazil" (1925). Pepe Gonzalez and his Orchestra set the feet a-tapping with a spirited performance of La Cucaracha on a Brunswick disc of 1957 as does Otto Cesana with his own piece Let’s Beguine on a Columbia recording of two years earlier. Wonderful sound recording from that era, enhanced by Alan Bunting’s magical touch. Dolf van der Linden and his Orchestra (as Van Lynn) with a delicate piece by Joseph Francois Heyne La Petite Gavotte, is on track twenty two. Would they be the same players who formed the Metropole Orchestra and also recorded for the Paxton Library? Werner Muller and his Orchestra (as Ricardo Santos and his Tango Orchestra) bring this fine collection of light music almost to a close with Jacob Gade’s Glamour-Tango, a worthy successor to his Jealousy. Lastly, theFireworks Polka by Johann Strauss arranged by Robert Farnon (on the label, Jack Saunders) and played by his Orchestra. As the orchestra struck up I thought we were in for The Loveliest Night of the Year, then the fireworks really began. It wouldn’t have been out of place in a New Year’s Day Concert from Vienna. Great stuff! Ken Wilkins

WERNER TWARDY The Fantastic Sound of Werner Twardy 26 tracks incl. Merry Go Round; Ramona; Blueberry Hill; Siberia; Lovely Lady; It’s a lonesome old town; On a Persian market; I’m in the mood for love; Avant de mourir; The more I see you; Always; Old Man Moses … Polydor 06007 5324561 [77:01] Most of the CDs I review have to be bought [a fact reflected in my bank balance!] but sometimes a "freebie" comes my way and this is one of them. The liner notes are nearly all in German but I have discovered that Herr Twardy [1926-77] worked with the Kurt Edelhagen Band as arranger and composer before leading his own orchestra. It seems that only two tracks are by Orchester Werner Twardy [my German not being up to finding out whether they accompany on the others] but the maestro is responsible for all the arrangements, which are mainly tracks taken from Polydor’s ‘In Gold’ series with Hammond organist T.W.Ardy (sic), trumpeters Horst Fischer, Heinz Schachtner and Leif Ulvemark, trombonists Otto Bredl and Jiggs Whigham, clarinetist Henry Arland, and pianists Fritz Schulz-Reichel and Werner himself, with the Gunter-Kallman Choir on nine tracks. The spine of the jewel-box spine refers to "Jazzclub/Easy" and the fact that the album found a degree of favour with two visiting pre-teen grandchildren for dancing to will give you some idea of what to expect. It’s sorta-James Last and at budget price I’ll be surprised if the album does not make you feel happy, too. Peter Burt

JOSHUA BELL At Home With Friends I loves you Porgy; Come again; Oblivion; Cinema Paradiso; Para Ti; My Funny Valentine; Maybe so; Grieg: Violin Sonata No.3, Movement II; Eleanor Rigby; Rachmaninoff: O, cease thy singing, maiden fair, Op.4, No.4; Il Postino; Left Hand Song; Chovendo Na Roseira; Look away; Variant moods: duet for sitar and violin; I’ll take Manhattan; White Christmas Sony Classical 88697554362 [77:37] Chosen by David Mellor on Classic FM as his "Crossover CD of the Year" for 2009, you get what it says on the tin. Classical violinist Joshua Bell joins with some friends on 17 eclectic tracks including Sting [singing Dowland], vocalist Josh Groban, sitar player Anoushka Shankar, trumpeter Chris Botti and pianist/arranger Marlin Hamlisch. Oblivionby Astor Piazzola and Il Postino both feature Carel Kraayenhof playing the bandoneon [a type of concertina popular in South America]. The most fascinating track is the Grieg piece which, by the wonders of modern technology, Bell recorded in July last year with accompaniment at the piano by one Sergei Rachmaninoff, recorded in September 1928! Altogether a disc that is a bit "different" but musically rewarding. Peter Burt

A TOUCH OF CLASS [Four Hands At One And Two Pianos] Rachel & Vanessa FuidgeMilhaud: Scaramouche; Gershwin arr. H Levine: Rhapsody in Blue; Saint-Saens arr. composer: The Carnival of Animals; Philip Lane: Badinages 1 - Mouvement Perpetual; Grieg: Norwegian Dance No.2; Anitra’s Dance; Casella: Puppets; Camilleri: Paganiana; Paola di Biase: Duo Tango; Leroy Anderson:Fiddle Faddle Divine Art DDV 24146 [70:40] Whether to play or hear, piano duets are fun. These players, identical twins born in Glossop in 1988, clearly find them so and the freshness and bloom of their work ensure that we do, too. The Milhaud, unique here in being a two piano work, Gershwin and Saint-Saens are the most recent recordings [2009]. By themselves they would have offered short measure, so the other tracks are taken from an earlier CD, now deleted, made by Dunelm Records in 2005 when the twins were still at school. These latter tracks offer less well-known but equally tuneful items from the duet repertoire. Fine recording; the sense of musical enjoyment is something to treasure. Philip L Scowcroft

PHIL KELSALL Welcome To My World Imperial Echoes; Second Waltz [Shostakovitch]; The Cactus Polka; Vera Lynn Medley [Part 1]; George Gershswin Medley; You raise me up; I’ve got the world on a string/Welcome to my world/What a wonderful world; La Danza; That’s amore/My resistance is low/Que sera sera; Limehouse Blues/Vera Lynn Medley [Part 2]; Wurlitzer March; Jerome Kern Medley; Russian Rag; Jerry Herman Medley; Noel Coward Medley; Twelfth Street Rag Grasmere GRCD 132 [70:08] This album, only recorded in January, celebrates 75 years of the distinctive sounding Blackpool Tower Wurlitzer organ from the current ─ and for the past 35 years ─ king of its keyboard. Available at mid-price, it is a very pleasant selection of nicely varied items. What a potent tune You raise me up is. Based on the Londonderry Air, it has been recorded more than 125 times and become popular at funerals and memorial services, and is well-suited to the Wurlitzer. Peter Burt

A BREEZY BALLAD Songs and Ballads of Haydn Wood Shae Apland [bass-baritone], Sharon Wishart [piano], Marissa Famiglietti [soprano], Marjorie Cullerne [violin] A Breezy Ballad; The Little Ships [Dunkirk 1940]; The Stars Looked down; Khaki and Gold; Casey the Fiddler; Think on these Things; I Bless the Dawn; I Love Your Eyes; Roses of Picardy; Memories of Yesterday; Bird of Love Divine; Three Sea songs: The Call, Ship o’ Mine, The Sea Road; Fairy Water; This is My Dream; Prayer in the Desert [A Soldier – His Prayer]; A Rose Still Blooms in Picardy; Somebody’s in Love With You; Love’s Garden of Roses; The Foray; The End of the World [A Manx Spiritual]; Your Prayers Are Asked; This is the Song of Life [67:39] Haydn Wood wrote many ballads and some more serious songs [his wife Dorothy Court was a popular soprano]. His 50^th anniversary last year brought forth two song CDs, by Peter Dempsey and Guy Rowland and this one, from Canada, which luckily overlaps relatively little ─ even Roses, present on both, appears here in its otherwise unavailable duet version. The principal singer, Shae Apland, a virile-sounding bass-baritone clear and fresh in delivery, is positively accompanied by Sharon Wishart. I could have done with hearing more of Miss Famiglietti ─ perhaps in songs written for Dorothy Court ─ as she is only heard in the Roses duet, but the CD is pleasantly varied: many "outdoor" songs like the grimly portentous The End of the World and others [Khaki, Ships and Prayer] which between them recall two World Wars; the disc spans the period 1910-50. We hear Bird with Wood’s violin obbligato played by his great-niece Marjorie Cullerne, who has devised obbligati for Casey and Love’s Garden. Recommended heartily. Philip L Scowcroft

[Available at £15.00 from www.haydnwoodmusic.com]

GRACIE FIELDS Our Gracie : The Best Of Gracie Fields Gracie’s Requests: Sally – My Blue Heaven – Looking on the bright side; When I grow too old to dream; Wish me luck [as you wave me goodbye]; Walter, Walter lead me to the alter; Red sails in the sunset; Danny boy; A nice cup of tea; Indian Love Call; Little old lady; Love walked in; Sing as we go*; That old feeling*; Irving Berlin Medley*: This year’s kisses – The song is ended – How deep is the ocean; Lancashire Blues*; Smile when you say goodbye*; The biggest aspidistra in the world; Pedro the Fisherman; Bless this house; Oklahoma! Part 1: Oh, what a beautiful mornin’! – The surrey with the fringe on top – People will say we’re in love; Oklahoma! Part 2: I cain’t say no – Out of my dreams – Oklahoma!; How are things in Glocca Morra?; He wooed her and wooed her and wooed her; Take me to your heart again [La vie en rose]; Now in the hour; Gracie Fields featuring Jane Horrocks "Now is the hour" Decca 5324560[79’43"] Following the very successful showing last autumn of the BBC4 drama ‘Gracie’, starring Jane Horrocks, and no doubt hoping to emulate their 2009 best-selling collection from Vera Lynn, Decca bring us a selection of Miss Fields’ best known recordings, plus five [see * above] which have never been released before. These new tracks were taken from Fairy Soap radio programmes made in 1938 that were discovered in a storage facility and saved from destruction. The last track is also fascinating: a duet of Gracie’s biggest chart success, her voice combining with that of Jane Horrocks. Nine of the first ten pre-war tracks were originally on the old Rex label with MDs Jay Wilbur or Fred Hartley. Wish me luck is from a film soundtrack issued by Regal-Zonophone. On the majority of the original Decca tracks the MD is Phil Green although Victor Young wields the baton for Aspidistra, and on La vie en rose Gracie is accompanied by our own Bob Farnon and his Orchestra. Where this new collection scores over previous releases is in the first-rate final restoration and remastering by RFS member Alan Bunting. He was most pleased to be able to do something about an extremely bad edit on the 78 of Wish me luck. Ray Crick is responsible for the compilation and very good booklet notes, although it’s a pity that among other listing errors The Lord’s Prayer track referred to seems to have got lost somewhere along the way! Surprisingly there is not a lot of duplication with the two albums featured in Back Tracks in our March issue. Most enjoyable. Peter Burt

JUDY GARLAND Over The Rainbow : The Very Best Of Judy Garland Over The Rainbow, Stompin’ At The Savoy, You Made Me Love You, Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart, I’m Just Wild About Harry, Embraceable You, Swanee, I’m Nobody’s Baby, I’m Always Chasing Rainbows, How About You, Blues In The Night, On The Sunny Side Of The Street, For Me And My Gal, When You Wore A Tulip, That Old Black Magic, But Not For Me, I Got Rhythm, The Boy Next Door, The Trolley Song, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Love, You’ll Never Walk Alone, On The Atchison Topeka And The Santa Fe, Look For The Silver Lining, A Couple Of Swells, Get Happy, Can This be The End Of The Rainbow? Decca 75326184 [77:58] Ray Crick, former manager of ASV’s Living Era label, has already compiled two big sellers for Universal/Decca with his Vera Lynn and Gracie Fields collections. Now it is the turn of Judy Garland, and if Universal fund a similar amount of TV advertising this could well prove to be the most successful of the three. Once again the sound restoration is in the safe hands of Alan Bunting, so I hardly need comment upon the fine quality of the recordings ─ some now incredibly 70 years old (the second track is actually her very first release from 1936 when she was just 14). As for the music, it is a delightful mix of studio recordings and film soundtracks, and many of your own favourites must surely be included. Along the way Judy sings with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, and the forthcoming West End production of "The Wizard Of Oz" will certainly rekindle the public’s interest in the original Dorothy. My promotional copy did not include the CD booklet, but I am confident in predicting that it will be full of useful information about her recording career. Top marks to Ray Crick for a delightful collection. I wonder who he will choose next time? David Ades

MARIO LANZA Serenade: A Mario Lanza Songbook 22 tracks incl. Tosti: Marechiare; Toselli:Serenade; Tosti: A vucchella; Di Capua: O sole mio; Fusco: Dicitencello vuie; Padilla: Valencia;Cottrau: Fenesta che lucive … RCA Red Seal 88697573892 [66:34] This is rather a splendid new collection at budget price [I paid under £6 online] of reissues with seven previously unreleased recordings by the celebrated romantic tenor prematurely lost to us at age 38 in 1959. As well as the lovely melodies with titles we may not recognize, included are songs such as Siboney, Granada,Besame mucho, Mattinata, Ay-ay-ay, Because and Arriverderci Roma. A number of the tracks were originally recorded for ‘The Mario Lanza Show’ on radio; three of these being introduced by Lanza himself in a voice as mellifluous speaking as it is singing. Conducting duties are shared by Constantine Callinicos and Ray Sinatra. The remastering brings the sound up as fresh as the proverbial paint, and the excellent booklet notes by album compiler Derek Mannering help make a most desirable package. Peter Burt

VERA LYNN Songs From ‘The Vera Lynn Show’ 27 tracks incl. I love to sing; In the middle of an island; When I fall in love; Hey there; Mr Wonderful; No, not much; With all my heart; In the wee small hours of the morning; Witchcraft; Put your arms around me, honey; The last time I saw Paris; Sometimes I’m happy; Only you, I’ll be seeing you … Sepia 1143 [77:15] On 13^th September last year, Dame Vera became the oldest living artist to top the UK album chart, at the age of 92. This album of transcribed radio show numbers, the majority of titles never having been recorded commercially, date from 52 years ago ─ although you would never think so from Robin Cherry’s re-mastering. She did, however, record How green was my valley no less than three times: with Mantovani [1941], Robert Farnon [1947], and Geoff Love [1961]. These are tiptop interpretations from one of the finest vocalists this country has ever produced. It is interesting to hear Vera’s "take" on songs associated with other singers, such as True love, Mangos, Tammy, and Love letters. No standout tracks ─ they’re all good! Vera receives stellar support throughout from the well-remembered Eric Robinson and his Orchestra. If you, like me, are a Lynn fan you will need no encouragement to buy this disc. If you have nothing of hers in your collection, then note Tony Middleton’s reference in his detailed booklet notes to Vera’s "perfect diction, attention to lyrics and overall sincerity" and give this disc a spin. You’ll not regret it. Peter Burt

RUNAWAY LOVE Billy Mayerl’s 1930s Show Songs Alex Hassan [piano], Rachel Barrell [soprano], Colin [baritone] 24 tracks incl. Hand in glove; I feel so safe with you; I’ve got a sweetie on the radio; It’s not fair; I know something that you know; Song of the fir tree; Just a little love; A house on a hill-top; Over she goes, Why not, Madame?; Your sunny disposition and mine; Miss Up-To-Date … Shellwood SWCD39 [70:27] Another new release that has come my way, I’m afraid that there is not a track here that I recognize and the shows they come from ─ ‘Charlotte’s Revue’, ‘Love Lies’, ‘Darling I Love You’, ‘Silver Wings’, ‘Nippy’, ‘Over She Goes’, ‘Runaway Love’, etc. ─ are all equally unknown. But I enjoyed it quite a bit with the performers sounding eminently matched to the material. Alex Hassan in his liner notes writes: "There are some soaring melodies here, mixed with a healthy dollop of toe-tapping syncopation." Agreed! It is for the latter, of course, that most of us will know the name of Billy Mayerl. I understand that this album is a follow-up to an earlier release ‘Honeymoon For Three’ [SWCD28]. So if you liked that, you’ll want this. And if Billy Mayerl the songwriter is new to you, then this is another disc to try. Peter Burt

A SONG FOR YOU Favourite Ballads, Songs of Cabaret and Screen and Piano Solos Peter Dempsey [tenor], Guy Rowland [piano] Trotère: I Did Not Know; E. Purcell: Passing By; Bartlett: A Dream; Lohr: Where My Caravan Has Rested; Silesu: A Little Love; Gartner: Trusting Eyes; Brahe: I Passed By Your Window; Penn: Smilin’ Through; Openshaw: Love Sends a Little Gift of Roses; Kennedy Russell: Just Because the Violets; "Lozanne": Dark-Haveh Marie; Schonberger:Whispering; Strickland: Mah Lindy Lou; Grofe: Wonderful One; Donaldson: My Blue Heaven; C. Gibbons: A Garden in the Rain; Lenoir: Speak To Me of Love; Cole Porter: In the Still of the Night; R. Noble: By the Fireside; Spoliansky: My song For You; Piano solos: Coates: Bird Songs At Eventide; F. Hartley: Starry Night; Mayerl: The Song of the Fir Tree ASFY1 [66:30] Fresh from their success with the CDs of Coates, Haydn Wood and Ketèlby songs, Messrs Dempsey and Rowland enjoyably turn their attention to a miscellaneous disc of ballads, etc. by English composers ─ I like particularly those by Trotère, really Trotter [!], Kennedy Russell and Ray Noble ─ and, even more so, American ones, not to mention Italian [Silesu] and French [Lenoir]. Several were written for or incorporated in films; the time scale of the vocal items is 1890-1937. Mr Dempsey’s passionate, incisive tone and clarity of diction [the French in the popular Lenoir song is not quite idiomatic] do well for this repertoire and he is well supported by Mr Rowland, who extends the CD’s scope with three solo tracks, all by British composers. "Lozanne", incidentally, was Canadian-born Alma Rattenbury, accused in 1934 of murdering her husband but acquitted, ‘though she later committed suicide. Philip L Scowcroft[Available from Mr P Dempsey, 44 Victoria Road, Bedford-on-Avon, Warwicks. B50 4AR [e-mail Demsini @ aol.com] at £9.95 incl. p&p]

THE BEST OF THE COLLIERY BANDS The Music Lives On : Now The Mines Have Gone The Champions – Desford Colliery Band; Gallop from William Tell – Grimethorpe C B; Russian Dance – Point of Ayr C B; Concierto de Aranjuez – Betteshanger Brass Band; Songs of the Tyne – Bearpark & Esh C B; He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother – Hatfield Powerfuel C B; New World Symphony – Grimethorpe C B; The Day Thou Gavest – Newbridge Celynen B B; La Danza – Northumbrian Water Ellington C B; Bayview – Buckhaven & Methil B B; Jerusalem – Grimethorpe C B; You Needed Me – Thorseby C B; Lightwalk - Carlton Main Frickly C B; Songs of the Quay – Thorseby C B; MacArthur Park – Grimethorpe C B Island 2732604 [63:25] This would be a good representative album of the genre to have in your CD collection. It comes to mark the 25^th anniversary of the end of one this country’s bitterest and most decisive industrial disputes. Subsequently Margaret Thatcher’s government decimated the pits and the only ones named above still operational are Thoresby and Hatfield, the latter closing in 1994 but re-opening in 2006. Here is quite a varied mix of music with the best pieces being those, like the opening track, written specifically for bands to perform. Most of the items are upbeat with little of the longueurs non-aficionados sometimes associate with brass band music. Barrie Gott’s Lightwalk really swings. New World Symphony is a felicitious rendering of theGoin’ Home theme from that work. The day after this disc arrived I read in The Times that "The British brass band tradition is under threat from all sides." By buying this mid-priced album we could be helping the struggle to keep it alive. Peter Burt

DINNIGTON COLLIERY BAND A Band For Britain Largo; Death Or Glory; Abide With Me; Floral Dance; Annie’s Song; Pirates Of The Caribbean; Jerusalem; Great Escape; Danny Boy; Slaidburn; Conquest Of Paradise; Born Free Decca 2732796 [41:30] 35 years ago there were 35,000 registered brass bands playing in the UK, today there are only 700. The South Yorkshire based aggregation playing here has only survived the demise of the local pit in 1992 thanks to a 3-part BBC television documentary leading to a £1M record deal with Universal. However, they do the band no favours by providing only 41½ minutes of playing time for a tenner. What we do have, conducted by MD Jonathan Beatty, are spirited versions of standard band fare including the ubiquitous ‘Hovis’ theme, the hymn tune beloved by the FA Cup Final crowd, echoes of another band of years past and a Terry Wogan singalong, the John Denver song adopted by Sheffield United ["The Blades"] football team as their signature tune, a quartet of toothsome film themes ─ Conquest by Vangelis stands out for me ─ and a couple of items written to be performed by brass bands. From a revitalized group of musicians, this is an album with soul and a good listen. Ashley Studdal

BAND OF THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS Music From Trooping The Colour 1952─2008 Ketèlby:With Honour Crowned; Bidgood: St Patrick’s March; Wright: Whitehall; Jansea: The Ambassador;Wagner: Rienzi; Siebert: Marching Sergeants; Jaeger: Freedom of Windsor; Double X; Howe: Scottish Colours; Bellini: Grand March from ‘Norma’; Renton: Guards Independent Parachute Company; Eley:Royal Heritage; Machin: Advance to Glory; etc. … Bandleader BNA 5199 [75:00] This recording brings to an end a series of releases featuring marches played at various Trooping the Colour Ceremonies since 1864, and all have been judiciously selected by the Director of Music, Lieutenant Colonel Graham Jones, to minimize duplication for even the most avid collector of military music ─ so there’s not an Alford or Sousa march in sight on this collection. Instead we have contributions from such luminaries as "Jigg" Jaeger, long-term and celebrated DOM of the Irish Guards, Jimmy Howe, long-associated DOM of the Scots Guards, Frank Renton, still happily presenting ‘Listen to The Band’ on BBC Radio 2, and to bring as right up-to-date a march by Greg Machin: Advance to Glory played for the first time in 2008. Also of particular interest is the inclusion of an example, Royal Heritage,composed by the Coldstream Band’s first Music Major, Christopher Eley [1785-1794], in an effective rescoring for modern military band by Graham Jones. Particularly welcome is the first track from a composer usually associated with penning romanticized musical postcards depicting exotic places such as Persian markets and Chinese temple gardens. With Honour was written to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935 and featured in the Birthday Parade that year. The only other recording I possess of this piece is in an orchestral version by the London Promenade Orchestra under Alexander Faris on a Philips CD. In sum this is a magnificent cornucopia of military marches, uplifting and stirring, and played by a band at the top of their very considerable form. The album is a superb testimony to the skill and talent of young military musicians who do not always receive the recognition they deserve. With vivid recording and generous playing time this disc is self-recommending. Roger Hyslop

HOLST IN CHICHESTER The Band of HM Royal Marines Portsmouth [The Royal Band] directed by Principal Director of Music, Lt Col Nick Grace RM; Chichester Cathedral Choir directed by Sarah Baldock; Mark Wardell [organ] Holst: First Suite in E flat for military band Op.28 No.1; Second Suite in F for military band Op.28 No.2; Hammersmith Op.52; Turn Back O Man, Planets Suite – Jupiter Op.32; Parry: I Was Glad; Stanford: Te Deum in B flat; Vaughan Williams:English Folk Song Suite Chevron CHVCD30 [71:00] Having acquired some three years ago Gordon Jacobs’ orchestration of the two suites by Gustav Holst ─ available on Lyrita SRCD210 [LPO/Nicholas Braithwaite] ─ I was particularly delighted by this latest and imaginative release from the "in house" label of the Royal Marines Band Service that includes the original military band versions, especially in such outstanding performances as these. Both are delivered with incisive, crisp and stylish playing, as are Vaughan Williams’ attractive and jaunty Suite, a 1923 commission from the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, and Jupiter; whilst the sombre strains of the brooding atmospheric and rarely performed Hammersmith are vividly conveyed by a band that possesses a rich tonal palette. Some slight reservations creep in with regard to the purely choral items. The modest-sized choir seems a little backwardly balanced and thus rather lacking in impact and presence, whilst the organist rarely makes his presence felt. But getting everything into perfect balance within the difficult cathedral acoustic is a well nigh impossible task and I’m sure the Royal Marines engineering team in charge of this production made valiant efforts to obtain the best possible results in attempting to blend together band, choir and organ. So the highlights on this disc are undoubtably the purely wind band items, vividly recorded and reflecting good inner details, and it’s difficult to imagine they could easily be bettered for some considerable time ─ if at all. One final small quibble: it would have been helpful to have included individual track timings. Otherwise strongly recommended. Roger Hyslop[Available from The Blue Band Magazine HQBSRM, HMS Nelson, Queen Street, Portsmoth, Hants PO1 3HH, enclosing a £10 cheque made payable to "The Blue Band", or order online at www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk]

RED NICHOLS AND HIS FIVE PENNIES featuring MARION MORGAN The Navy Swings Dixie; A foggy day in London Town; Corky; Marry a rich woman; Fidgety feet; Come rain or come shine; Buglers Lament; I’m shooting high, Lassus Trombone; Stardust; Blues at midnight; Almost like being in love; Parade of the Pennies; My funny valentine; Maple Leaf Rag; I’ve got a crush on you Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 797 [59‘51"] Featuring jazz veterans of the 1920s who made thousands of records, sometimes under different names. It is complete with all the usual recruitment announcements of the 1950s. Paul Clatworthy

THE OSCAR PETERSON TRIO The Complete World Transcriptions 24 tracks incl. Fine and dandy; Someone to watch over me; Heatwave; Makin’ Whoopee; Just you, just me; Sweet Georgia Brown; A fine romance; Should I?; How about you; Zing went the strings of my heart, September in the rain; Imagination; Don’t blame me … Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 800 [58’06"] Three fine musicians working steadily through a good collection of standards. Of not a single track could I honestly say, "I’ve got to hear that again." One for Peterson completists only. If you have your arm twisted into helping wash-up, good background sound but still conveyer-belt music. Sounds of Yesteryear discs are available from The Woods and other good retailers. Paul Clatworthy

CHOPIN 14 Waltzes, etc. Dinu Lipatti 17 tracks EMI 9659302 [64:48] This year marks the 200^thbirth anniversary of the Polish composer Frederic Chopin, who is described in Classic fM’s ‘Classic Ephemera’ miscellany [Elliott & Thompson ISBN 1904027814] as "sort of a Henry Ford of composers, whose catchphrase might have been ‘you can have any instrument as long as it’s the piano.’" The waltzes recorded in 1950, the year the brilliant 33-year-old Romanian-born pianist tragically died, have never been out of the catalogue and here they are re-mastered in EMI’s new low-priced Masters series. Included are the best-known waltzes Minute [as in tiny] and Brilliant. Delightful!Edward Trub

TCHAIKOVSKY Sleeping Beauty Ballet Royal Opera House Orchestra, Covent Garden, conducted by Mark Ermler Sony 88697575302 [172:01] Tchaikovsky’s ballets are surely in a class of their own in possessing a symphonic breadth and sweep unrivalled or surpassed, in my view, either before or since. The Sleeping Beauty received mixed reviews on its first appearance in Russia and its popularity didn’t really begin to take off until Diaghilev staged it with his Ballet Russe in London in 1921. These CDs are a new reissue of an account recorded in 1989 at St-Jude-on-the-Hill, Hampstead Garden Suburb [a church designed by the famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens]. It straddles three discs simply because it is commendably played absolutely complete whereas most rival accounts are contained on two CDs, making some cuts unavoidable. This is a magnificent and compelling score, made the more so with melodies pouring from the composer’s pen in a veritable flood and, with sumptuous recording quality and a price tag of around £15 [less online], is treasure trove indeed. Roger Hyslop

SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN Ivanhoe BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by David Lloyd-Jones Chandos CHAN 10578 Sullivan always wanted to break free of his less serious mode and succeeded with Ivanhoe, one of the very few patriotic English grand operas, neatly shown in the packaging which represents the Cross of St. George.  Dedicated to and therefore possibly commissioned by Queen Victoria, it deserves a listing because of its epic story and three hour duration, not to mention its links with the Royal Opera House built specially by Richard D’Oyly Carte but ultimately turning into the Palace Theatre.  If you like grand opera then this is for you. Mid-price for a 3-CD boxed set. Edmund Whitehouse

More releases noted by Wilfred Askew

COUNT BASIE AND HIS ORCHESTRA Play Music by Neal Hefti : On My Way and Shoutin’ Again! 10 tracks incl. Dirty Bumps; Jump for Johnnie; Shanghaied; Skippin’ with Skitch; Rose Bud; Together Again … Verve 1790904 [34:21] Recorded in 1962.

TONY BENNETT For Once In My Life ; I’ve Gotta Be Me Something in your smile; Out of this world; Baby, dream your dream; How do you say Auf Wiedersehen; Keep smiling at trouble … and 4 more Arranged/conducted by Marion Evans, David Rose, Torrie Zito & Ralph Burns / Play it again, Sam; Alfie; What the world needs now is love; They all laughed; A lonely place; Theme from ‘Valley of the Dolls’ … and 5 more Arranged/conducted by Terrie Zito. Original Columbia [CBS] recordings from 1967 and 1969. Beat Goes On Records BGOCD 886 [64:11]

CLASSIC WESTERN SCORES FROM M-G-M, Vol.2 Original Motion Picture Soundtracks Disc 1:Northwest Passage [1940] Herbert Stothart 31 tracks; Disc 2: Many Rivers To Cross [1955] Cyril J Mockridge [cond. Miklos Rozsa] 30 tracks; Escape From Fort Bravo [1953] Jeff Alexander; Disc 3: A Thunder Of Drums [1961] Harry Sukman 25 tracks; The Godchild [1974] David Shire 14 tracksF.S.M. Vol.12 No.18 [217:16] Limited to 2,000 copies.

JOHNNY DANKWORTH Let’s Slip Away Film & TV 1960-1973 [2-CD set] Disc 1 – Big Screen 20 tracks incl. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning; The Servant; Darling; Sands of the Kalihari; Accident; Modesty Blaise … Disc 2 – Home Entertainment 19 tracks incl. The Avengers; Little Nell; Pickwick Club; Aquarius; The Frost Report; Off Duty; Night Owl; Tomorrow’s World; Bitter Lemons …Universal – Eclipse 531761 [107:29] The majority of tracks appeared originally on Fontana between 1960 and 1973; Cleo Laine is on nine of them.

KEN GRIFFIN [Organ] Drifting & Dreaming [2-CD set] 52 tracks incl. Ebb Tide; Green Eyes; Until Tomorrow; Marie; Jealous; Isle of Capri; Always; Valencia, Whispering; All Alone; Now is the Hour; I’m Lost in the Clouds; When Irish Eyes are Smiling; April in Portugal; In the Chapel in the Moonlight … Rex REXX 334 [132:52]

QUINCY JONES Explores The Music Of Henry Mancini 12 tracks incl. Baby Elephant Walk; Dreamsville; Mr Lucky; [I love you] and don’t you forget it; Soldier in the Rain; Moon River; Peter Gunn Verve 1799574 [38:22]

THE MASTERSOUNDS : WES MONTGOMERY Kismet and The King And I 17 tracks Cherry Red ACMEM174CD [78:49] Genteel, chamber jazz reminiscent of the MJQ; and of the Previn/Manne/ Vinnegar recordings of show tunes on Contemporary.

SHIP MARTIN’S ALL STAR JAZZ BAND Symphonies In Jazz Scheherajazz – adapted from Rimskky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade [4 movements]; Swingin’ with Prince Igor - adapted from Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances [4 dances]; Tannhäuser – adapted from Wagner’s overture. Flare ROYCD302 [62:13] The big band alternates with a concert orchestra on all nine tracks, recorded in stereo in 1959.

MIKLÓS RÓZSA TREASURY [1949 – 1968] Original Picture Soundtracks: Madame Bovary; The Red Danube; The Miniver Story; The Ashphalt Jungle; East Side, West Side; The Light Touch; Quo Vadis [on 2 CDs]; The Story Of Three Loves; Young Bess; All The Brothers Were Valiant; Knights Of The Round Table [UK recording]; Crest Of The Wave; Beau Brummell; Something Of Value; Crisis; Tip On A Dead Jockey; King Of Kings; El Cid; Ivanhoe; Knights Of The Round Table [US recording]; The V I Ps; The Power FSM Box 04 [19:13:31] 15-CD set, in 3 cases in a sturdy box with 48pp booklet. Limited to 2,000 copies.

THE BEST OF BRITISH LIGHT MUSIC BBC Concert Orchestra, Martin Loveday [leader], conducted by Vernon Handley 633 Squadron; Coronation Scot; Westminster Waltz; London Suite - Knightsbridge: March; Covent Garden: Tarantelle; Nights of Gladness; Mexican Hat Dance; Sailing By; The Horse Guards - Whitehall; Elizabethan Serenade; Little Suite - March; Jamaican Rumba; Concert Jig; By The Sleepy Lagoon; Puffin’ Billy; Vanity Fair; Jumping Bean; Grasshoppers’ Dance; Barwick Green; Dam Busters March Sony Classical 88697707372 [68:24] Hot from HMV, this release plopped through my letterbox on the last date for reviews to be sent in. Although the last to arrive it is the first this quarter deserving an enthusiastic recommendation. The selection of mellow 1997 recordings here presents no big surprises for the light music lover ─ some of the British connections may raise a quizzical eyebrow or two ─ but it will make a wonderful introduction for someone who has little knowledge of or thinks they have no liking for our kind of music, conducted as it is by the acclaimed British classical conductor and champion of all British music, the late Vernon "Tod" Handley. And it is meat and drink to the orchestra involved. The Concert Jig is from Ernest Tomlinson’s ‘Silverthorn Suite’, the ‘Little Suite is by Trevor Duncan, and Peter Hope arranged theMexican Hat Dance. At a list price of £4.99 [I got it for a pre-release price of £2.99!] it is a great bargain. So, go on, buy it for yourself and treat an "unbelieving" friend. It’s not long until Christmas!Peter Burt 

BUDDY BREGMAN CONDUCTS Symphony Of The Golden West The Brussels World Fair’s Pops Symphony Orchestra Song of the Golden West, The Streets of Laredo, Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie, Colorado Trail, The Cowboy, Whoopee-Ti-Yi-Yo, Billy Boy, Red River Valley, Home on the Range, The Old Chisholm Trail, No Use For Women, Jesse James ; A Lovely Afternoon The Conrad Salinger Orchestra The Continental, I Cover The Waterfront, Long Ago and Far Away, The Boy Next Door, Our Love Affair, That’s Entertainment, I Concentrate On You, Singin’ In The Rain, Let’s Fall In Love, The Trolley Song, I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star, I’m In Love With A Wonderful GuyFrank Bristow EXCD 59 [67:19]. If you have bought a Guild ‘Golden Age of Light Music’ CD recently, the chances are that one of the tracks from the Conrad Salinger LP ‘A Lovely Afternoon’may have been included. Most of the inspired arrangements from this genius of MGM Musicals have already been made available again on Guild, but this should certainly not stop you from jumping at the chance to get the complete album. If you need any further encouragement, movie-buff Richard Hindley has updated his article on Salinger from JIM which now appears in full in the CD booklet. The LP has been remastered to a very high standard [the booklet doesn’t divulge his or her name] and listening to twelve great movie songs performed so immaculately is surely a great way to escape from the troubles of our modern world. The accompanying LP is almost a bonus. Its subject matter suggests it was aimed at the American market, but it avoids too much corny cowboy nostalgia. Billy Boy [which I had always assumed to be a traditional British air] receives a most melodic treatment that completely transforms it. If you share my enthusiasm for the great days of film musicals, don’t hesitate to get this CD while you can. David Ades For details of how to obtain the Frank Bristow CDs mentioned in this feature, please refer to the review for the Reg Owen albums. 

TEX BENEKE ORCHESTRA Goodbye, Glenn Miller Strings 27 tracks incl. Just you just me; Blue champagne; Cherokee Canyon; The man I love; Saturday date; Can’t help lovin’ that man; A woman always understands; St Louis Blues March; A string of pearls; Until; Every day I love you; Little Jack Frost got lost; East of the sun; At last … Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 811 [79:07] Glenn’s Army Band had a large string section but back in civvy street the economics became too much for its successor’s budget. Compiler Michael Highton has collated some of the last string outings made: some bought from the late Bill Holland, former secretary of The Glenn Miller Appreciation Society, others from broadcasts made by the late Jimmy Crawford. Enjoyable, with the highlights for me being Bill Finegan’s arrangement of My Buddy, Ralph Wilkinson’s setting of Laura, and Henry Mancini cutting the band loose on ‘S Wonderful Paul Clatworthy 

JOHNNY DOUGLAS AND HIS ORCHESTRA & SINGERS On Broadway 10 tracks from ‘No, No, Nanette’ incl. Too many rings around Rosie; I’ve confessed to the breeze; Tea for two; Take a little one step; I want to be happy … ; I believe in you; Paris original; The brotherhood on man; To look upon my love; Inevitable; I’m just taking my time; Comes one in a lifetime; Shalom; Everything beautiful; His own little island Dulcima DLCD 123 [62:36] Our esteemed Editor heaped so much praise on the last Douglas release [JIM 182] he probably thought somebody else should have a bite at this latest cherry of a disc. It comprises two original RCA albums in their Living Strings Collection – the third from this label. The first album is of the 1925 Vincent Youmans’ stage show [filmed 1930, ’40 and ’50] regarded on its original release in 1971 as the best recording of the songs. Youmans went for simplicity and many of his tunes were just a repetition of three or four notes as in Tea for two. The second album, after which this CD is named, is a 1962 selection of unhackneyed hits from the Broadway musicals of the previous year: ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying[Loesser]; ‘Kean’ [Wright/Forrest]; ‘Subways are for Sleeping’ [Comden/Green/Styne]; ‘Milk and Honey’ [Herman]; and ‘Let it Ride’ [Livingston/Evans]. All the arrangements are by the conductor, who captures the real show-music sound from a full orchestra. Although every track is vocal there are some superior string sounds surrounding the singing. Top marks, too, for re-mastering and recording. Peter Burt 

A FIRST A-Z OF LIGHT MUSIC Guild GLCD5169 For full tracklisting please see page 66 of JIM 184 (June 2010)

This sounded an interesting title for the 69^th Guild release promising more to come, alphabetically speaking, and it begins in great style with Vivian Ellis’s Alpine Pastures played by the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra, arranged and conducted by Sidney Torch from the Chappell catalogue. I’ve often wondered why a programme producer chooses a particular piece of music [Alpine Pastures was the theme music for the BBC radio programme ‘My Word’ many years ago 1956-1990], considering the hundreds of musical themes available in mood music libraries. Alpine Pastures begins very gently for the first 31 seconds ─ not at all the theatrical opening you might expect a radio producer to look for. Then the main jolly tune comes in and I’ll bet Tony Shryane, the producer [I think it was he], sat back, lit up a cigarette and thought, "that’s the piece." Another very jolly tune is David Rose’s The Christmas Tree as played by his Orchestra. David [Ades] tells us in his notes that this was used each Yuletide on the Red Skelton TV Show, and it’s not hard to see why; it’s just the piece to get the audience in a festive mood. Hans-Georg Arlt and his Orchestra make another appearance on Guild with an attractive number, Through You This World Is Beautiful, on the Ariola label. A composer who’s intrigued me for some time since coming across her works in publishers’ mood music catalogues is Joyce Cochrane, and thanks to David’s notes we know more about her with the inclusion of Flowing Stream from the Francis, Day & Hunter catalogue. Another of her compositions I’d like to see included on a future Guild issue is Round the Square. I’ve got the Chappell 78 but it would be nice to have it on CD. Another mood music composer, very prolific in his lifetime, was Cedric King Palmer, and here’s one of his typically catchy numbers, Going Concern, played by The Grosvenor Studio Orchestra conducted by Dolf Van der Linden on track seven. The sort of happy carefree music that used to come off the soundtracks of short supporting cinema films such as the "Look At Life" series from the Rank Organization. Another composer whom we don’t hear too much about is Henry Croudson whose composition Jump For Joy, played by The Connaught Light Orchestra, is included in this collection. Philip Green [writing as Jose Belmonte] provides an exotic flavour with his number The Kiss played by Angela Morley and her Orchestra, while Hal Mooney and his Orchestra follow on track 12 with his own curious march-like rhythmic piece, Leo. Perhaps it was written in honour of the MGM Lion… who knows? Another curiosity is Moonlight on the Ganges by Sherman Myers [Montague Ewing] and Chester Wallace, played by Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra. Not the sort of dreamy piece I expected from Mr. Ewing, having a number of his lighthearted pieces in my record collection. Joseph Kuhn was another prolific composer judging by the times his name crops up on the 101 Strings recordings, and here’s another of his sparkling contributions, Noche Amour, played by The Rio Carnival Orchestra. George Melachrino conducting the Orchestra of the 6^th San Remo Festival play Parole E Musica by Silvestri, [don’t ask!] Back to my territory, a piece of Bosworth Catalogue Archive music from 1938, Rose-Beetle Goes A-Wooing by Jose Armandola and played by the Regent Classic Orchestra [Louis Voss and his Orchestra?] Still in "mood music" mode, but this time from 1959, the Group Forty Orchestra conducted by Eric Cook gives us Jack Cole’s Sunshine Express from the KPM Library. I first heard this on an LP collection of mood pieces from KPM issued in 1966 by Amateur Cine World magazine. It included a licence to re-record on film or tape without payment of additional dubbing fees and I’m looking at the LP now as I write this, with its photo on the front sleeve of a young couple and a Eumig Projector, the same model I still have. Good old cine days. Yet another library piece, the overture Vanity Fair by Percy Fletcher from Boosey & Hawkes with Jay Wilbur conducting the New Concert Orchestra, recorded at Levy’s Sound Studios I’m sure. It has what I can only describe as that distinct Levy sound, and it made me re-read Bill Johnson’s fascinating article "Memories of Levy’s Sound Studios 1955-1961" in the June 2004 issue [No.159] of Journal into Melody, although Vanity Fair was recorded in 1946. Getting to the end of the alphabet must have been a tricky move but the compilers have done it withXarafes, a tango arranged and played by Dolf Van der Linden and his Orchestra. This is followed by Jeff Alexander’s Yellow, a cheerful piece played by a Symphony Orchestra conducted by Frank Sinatra. And finally Z for Zingara by Cecile Chaminade, a charming number played by The Melachrino Orchestra, and arranged by Arthur Wilkinson. A spirited ending for yet another Guild Light Music CD. Ken Wilkins 

MORTON GOULD & HIS ORCHESTRA Showtime ‘Famous Operettas’: The Waltz Dream; Sari; The Merry Widow; The Vagabond King; The Cat and The Fiddle; Why Do I Love you? … ; ‘Oklahoma – Suite’… 4 tracks // ‘Carousel – Suite’ … 5 tracks; Fanny; Why be afraid to dance?; Almost like being in love; I’m sure of your love; Three-quarter Blues; The perfume of your love; My best love; Merry Andrew; Love for two; Happy with the Blues; Lullabye time; Tonight I love you more; Once in a million moons; Nightwalk Frank Bristow FBCD 220/221 [77:49 & 73:57] Coming to this disc I was aware of Morton Gould [1913-96] for his classical compositions [the ballet Fall River Legend, Latin-American Symphonette, etc.] and The Deserted Ballroom, one of my all-time favourite Mantovani tracks. However, as arranger, pianist and conductor he bridged the musical worlds. This generously timed 2CD-set includes tracks from four albums [one Columbia, three RCA] and is easy listening melody all the way. Two of the operetta tracks, Cole Porter’s Silk stockings and All of you, were originally RCA 45 rpm promotional discs. The Harold Rome numbers, Fanny and Why be afraid to dance?, were also recorded on 45s. The most interesting tracks are the last ten listed above all featuring that master of the harmonica, Larry Adler. In his informative booklet notes [although it’s a pity no recording dates are given] Frank Bristow tells us that these had been discarded for one reason or another by their creators, and discovered only after their deaths, apart from those by Gould himself: Love for two and Nightwalk. Of particular note is George Gershwin’s Lullabye time[c.1919], which came to the attention of Adler and is transcribed here for orchestra with harmonica playing the first violin part. It was premiered by him at the 1963 Edinburgh Festival. 

Time To Listen Love walked in; I’m in the mood for love; Let’s fall in love; Tell me that you love me; Speak to me of love; Easy to love; My silent love; I love you; I love Thee [Ich liebe Dich]; Mack the Knife; Speak low; Lost in the stars; Train to Johannesburg; My ship; I got a marble and star; September song; Mack the Knife; Mary Galante; Surabaya Johnny; Theme from ‘Mahagonny’; Polly’s Song; Bilbao Song; Morton Gould talks about Kurt Weill Frank Bristow FBCD 227 [77:52] Another well-filled RCA originated album arranged and conducted by the phenomenally talented Mr Gould. The first nine tracks are a nice selection of romantic titles; things move a bit up-tempo with some of the remaining Kurt Weill numbers. The first Mack the Knife track is based on the first New York presentation in April 1933, the second on the original Berlin production of 1928. The piece and its composer are the subjects of the last track: an interesting three-minute illustrated talk by the maestro. New to me and very enjoyable are Train, from the 1949 show "Lost In The Stars", andSurabaya, from "Happy End" twenty years earlier. There’s an occasional bit of roughness in the sound and some might have appreciated a little more warmth in the recording, but it’s not just time to listen … it’s time to enjoy. Peter Burt 

THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by José Serebrier; Roderick Elms [piano] 15 tracks of themes & excerpts from ‘The Big Country’; ‘Casablanca’; ‘The Guns of Navarone’; ‘Spellbound’; ‘Psycho’; ‘Ben-Hur’; ‘The Sea Hawk’; ‘Dangerous Moonlight’; ‘Gone with the Wind’; ‘Taxi Driver’; and ‘The Magnificent Seven’ Royal Philharmonic Orchestra RPO017CD [77:26]

THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD 2 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by José Serebrier;

Clio Gould [violin]; Jamie Talbot [alto saxophone] 15 tracks of themes and excerpts from ‘Vertigo’; ‘Citizen Kane’; ‘The Godfather’; ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’; ‘North By Northwest’; ‘Dial M for Murder’; ‘The Caine Mutiny’; ‘The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes’; ‘Sunset Boulevard’; and ‘A Place in the Sun’ Royal Philharmonic Orchestra RPO022CD [73:38]

Composer-conductor José Serebrier continues to surprise. His career has not followed the institutional way of being principal conductor of this orchestra or that. Opportunities are instead offered to him, and sometimes taken, often refused. In this way a real freshness hangs over much that he does. The recording studio has yielded sessions for recording the new, the exotic and fairly often the unfashionable. Examples are legion and his Janáček and Chadwick [Reference Recordings] leap immediately to mind. In the case of these two discs Serebrier squares up to film music. It’s a serious selection too, charting the vintage Hollywood years from 1939 to 1976. While Hollywood film scores are not the be all and end all and the time will surely come to explore methodically the film scores of the USSR, of Germany and France the fact is that Hollywood has been the home of some of the most sumptuous music for the silver screen. That word "sumptuous" certainly applies to the sound secured by the Serebrier and the engineers for Volume 2 at Cadogan Hall in London. Herrmann’s ‘Vertigo’ has never sounded as ripe. There’s also real rosiny grit and the panicky heat of the chase in the violins of the ‘North By Northwest’ prelude. The sound of the music is reminiscent of the chilliness of ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’. Steiner’s ‘Caine Mutiny’ march has the requisite brazen blast and sheer excess ─ strangely at odds with the psychological dimensions of the film. That could never be said of the Herrmann music for ‘Citizen Kane’ with its sour Gothic afflatus contrasted with childlike nostalgia. Serebrier sustains the atmosphere without a single gasp or hesitation. The lush violins are superbly floated for the Korngold ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’. Elmer Bernstein’s miniature suite from ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ has a Gallic lightness and yearning poignancy. Clio Gould cozies up close and husky for the Rozsa ‘Sherlock Holmes’ music which is drawn from the Violin Concerto. The Hungarian skirl is a Rozsa trademark on display again here. The Waxman ‘Sunset Boulevard’ is given a viciously urgent spur and is driven so hard that it moves into Herrmann territory. A year later Waxman turned in another signature score in ‘A Place In The Sun’ complete with world-weary saxophone and uncanny pre-echo of the Shostakovich Symphony No.11 in the chase music. Serebrier is especially good, in these moments, at unleashing a sort of controlled wildness. Tiomkin’s ‘Dial M for Murder’ is a lush romantic score but Tiomkin lacked the blazing genius of Herrmann or Waxman and this shows in what ends up being pleasantly intriguing rather than riveting. Nino Rota’s ‘Godfather’ music is pastoral shimmering in the Sicilian Pastorale, shiveringly doom-laden in Michael and Kay and operatic lump-in-the-throat tender in The Love Theme. There’s lovely legato playing by the RPO’s oboist. This is altogether a classy album. Volume 1 has its moments but seems a notch down from its successor in all settings. There is clarity about the sound but the well known Watford Colosseum, on this occasion, fails to yield the sort of lush amplitude balanced with a degree of transparency found on Volume 2. It’s intrinsically perfectly enjoyable but suffers in the comparison. I found this in the book-end Western themes especially ‘The Big Country’ by Moross, though the ‘Magnificent Seven’ Overture was less affected. Serebrier certainly knows how to accent this music and those eruptive golden horns in the Bernstein are matchlessly glorious. Steiner’s ‘Casablanca’ Suite suffers from what was already pretty much of a hokum score with much tired play made of national anthems. Steiner’s fault ─ I had the same problem with the RCA Gerhardt Steiner Classic Film Music album. Nothing has changed. The ‘Spellbound’ Concerto by Rozsa is nicely dispatched by Elms and the rest. The four movements from ‘Psycho’ have urgency, macabre cold atmosphere and tensely freighted threat ─ the latter wonderfully done in the Sibelian tremble that makes up most of The Stairs. The shrieking violins for The Murder are very sharply delineated. Tiomkin’s ‘The Guns of Navarone’ lumbers somewhat but soon develops a rather English film music style perhaps a little like Addison’s miniature masterpiece ‘A Bridge Too Far’ [Chandos; Ryko; EMI Classics]. Serebrier imparts real tenderness to the Love Theme from ‘Ben-Hur’ and plenty of swagger for the Charioteers’ Parade. Herrmann’s ‘Taxi Driver’ score was his last and was written contra torrentum in a world where cinematic scores seemed to be abandoning the orchestra. Phil Todd delivers a caramel smoochy saxophone solo. I have only recently heard Previn’s LSO ‘Sea Hawk’ music [Korngold’s ‘Sea Hawk’, ‘Prince and Pauper’, ‘Elizabeth and Essex’ and ‘Captain Blood’ - Abbey Road, July 2001, DG 289 471 347-2]. While Serebrier is often more than very good he is a rung down from Previn in terms of sheer sound. That said, the brass interlacing and terracing he secures is impressively and excitingly done. The Addinsell Warsaw Concerto is well executed but failed to stir me. ‘Gone With The Wind’ is more Steiner but this is Steiner at his personal best andTara’s Theme yearns very nicely indeed ─ at first in a delicacy worthy of Elmer Bernstein and later in swooping strings. Speaking of Bernstein I cannot praise too highly again those whoopingly exultant RPO French horns in the final ‘Magnificent Seven’ track ─ glorious glorious. There you have it: two generously packed CDs, well documented, each with great strengths and featuring sharply imaginative and challenging playing. CD 2 stands a step up in recorded sound terms over CD 1. They’re each a great way to survey the Hollywood classic scores. It’s what Serebrier brings to the podium that now makes me want to hear him tackle some of the complete film scores. I keep whitening on about recording Prokofiev’s war-time film music (not Nevsky and not Kijé) but its also well past time that Mario Nascimbene’s score for ‘The Vikings’ and Hugo Friedhofer’s ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’ were revived and recorded afresh; the latter has been done in modern sound but Frank Collura’s conducting on Intrada seemed flat and undifferentiated to me. Serebrier would be an ideal choice for these projects. Rob Barnett

The above two reviews are included by kind permission of Rob Barnett and www.musicweb-international.com 

MANTOVANI & HIS ORCHESTRA Mantovani Presents His Concert Successes Charmaine; Die Fledermaus – Overture; Moon River; Hora Staccato; Aquarius; Autumn Leaves; Gypsy Carnival; Seventy-Six Trombones; Greensleeves; Capriccio Italian; Theme from ‘The Virginian’; Fantasy on Italian Melodies: Tarantella/ O Sole Mio/ A Frangesa/ Santa Lucia/ Maria, Mari/ Funiculi, Funicula; Charmaine Vocalion CDLF 8145 [51:23] It is good that Monty’s music lives on and hardly an issue of JIM passes without a review or a mention. This is the first of four new releases. Previously issued studio recordings are used together with actual concert sounds from the Royal Albert Hall. Mantovani introduces the music with what his biographer, Colin Mackenzie, calls "his usual whimsy." The arrangement of Moon River, featuring the soprano sax of Norman Baker, was a new one when the album first came out on LP in 1988. The disc is warmly recommended as a fine reminder of what a Mantovani concert was like. At budget price, it is my CD Choice for this issue. 

The Magic Of Mantovani Double CD set 40 tracks incl. Charmaine; September Song; La Vie En Rose; Cara Mia; Exodus [Main Theme]; Swedish Rhapsody; Some Enchanted Evening; La Mer // Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing; Stardust; As Time Goes By; Till; And I Love You So; Moulin Rouge Theme; Tonight … Decca 5326904 I understand that this has proved something of a sales success thanks to TV advertising. We are told that it "takes a lifestyle approach to the original recording, presenting his best loved recordings via a new and accessible animated TVC treatment which references 1950s animation styles." If any reader can tell me what that means I’ll be grateful [and surprised]. There are no inlay notes and there is a bad error in that Summertime is played twice, the first time instead of the listed Summertime in Venice! For anyone not in possession of a Mantovani compilation CD, however, this with its good sound quality and low price could be the one to have. 

Mantovani The Complete Collection 5-CD set 125 tracks … Spectrum SPECSIG 2046 For little more than the price of the set above you can get this, the biggest collection ever outside of Japan. Most of the tracks you would expect to find are here [there is, of course, some duplication with ‘The Magic Of’’] but there are many less familiar but well-remembered tracks such as Answer Me,Unchained Melody, Over The Rainbow, Vaya Con Dios, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo, Sibony, Faraway Places, I Dream of Jeanie, Blue Star, Jamaica Farewell, A Walk In The Black Forest, The Missouri Waltz, The Yellow Rose of Texas, The Happy Wanderer, The Whiffenpoof Song, Tulips From Amsterdam, If I Only Had Time, The Anniversary Waltz, Little Green Apples, and Where Have All The Flowers Gone? This set does have good inlay notes, by Hugh Palmer, and would be the one I’d go for ─ it’s a veritable stringfest. And ordering from the likes of HMV online it works out at around 8p per track! 

MANTOVANI & MARIO del MONACO A Song For You Serenade [from The Student Prince], Musica Prohibita; Love’s Last Word Is Spoken; To Voglio Tanto Bene; Tonight; Cateri, Cateri; Be My Love; Girls Were Made To Love and Kiss; Cara Mia; Lolita; White Dove [Lehár], Ciao Ciao BambinoVocalion CDLF 8145 This, recorded in London’s Kingsway Hall in 1962 and released in the UK a year later, was never the success it promised to be ─ except in Japan ─ and this is its first appearance here on CD. The last two tracks were not on the original album. Sadly, the once great tenor was past his peak; but not so Monty and his musicians or Cecil Milner’s arrangements, so this is worth acquiring at budget price. Peter Burt 

GEORGE MELACHRINO Rendezvous In Rome & Memories Of The Ballet & Waltzes The Melachrino Strings and Orchestra Rome the City; Volare; Castel Sant’ Angelo from ‘Tosca’; Tesoro mio; Three Coins in the Fountain; View of the Vatican [St Peter’s]; Colosseum; Autostrada; Regazza romanza; Vista Roma; Italian Fantasy; Arriverderci, Roma; Memories of the Ballet … 9 titles; Waltzing through the Operettas … 9 titles; Woodland Revels Vocalion CDVS 1953 [58:20] This joins five other collectable Melachrino CDs on Mike Dutton’s wonderful label: ‘Begin the Beguine’[CDEA6014], ‘Soft Lights and Sweet Music’ [CDVS1956], ‘Our Man in London’ & ‘Lisbon at Twilight [Highlights]’ [CDLK3337], ‘Under Western Skies & ‘The Immortal Ladies’ [CDNJT5205] and ‘Music for the Nostalgic Traveller’ & ‘Music for Relaxation [Highlights]’ [CDVS1960]. Four of the tracks on this new CD’s first album, released as a stereo LP in 1959, are composed by Melachrino himself and are quite evocative of the Eternal City. The renowned oboe player, Leon Goossens, is featured on the ear-catching Vista. There are also some lovely string sounds throughout. Three Coins is given an especially fine arrangement. The dance tempo treatment in the reprise of Volare even makes my feelings towards that tune soften a little. The accordion, which I associate more with Paris than Rome, is used on several tracks. I have always considered Melachrino’s to be the most symphonic sounding of all the great light orchestras and so on the second album they have no problems with the Maestro arranged ballet memories of pieces by Gounod, Delibes, Tchaikovsky, Rossini, Respighi, Luigini and Ponchielli. The operetta waltzes come from the pens of Cuvillier, Stolz, German, Messager, Friml, Kerker and Coward. With these selections we are offered that old trick of the early electric recording era, the musical switch. Interestingly this 1956 album originated as a Stereosonic tape. Recording is good without being outstanding. The CD is priced at £2.99, but you try buying it for that [apart from Dutton direct where postage will cost you half as much again]. It is, of course, still worth adding to your collection at any bargain price. Peter Burt 

REG OWEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA

Music For Your Listening Pleasure featuring tracks from the RCA LPs ‘Dreaming’, ‘Cuddle Up A Little Closer’, ‘Coffee Break’ and ‘Holiday Abroad in Dublin’ FBCD229 [79:34].

Come Relax With Me featuring tracks from RCA LPs ‘Dream Time Waltzes’ (with Vienna State Opera Orchestra), ‘Holiday Abroad in Dublin’, ‘I’ll Sing You 1000 Love Songs’, ‘Candlelight & Wine’ and ‘Coffee Break’ FBCD230 [79:48].

Two Faces of Reg Owen featuring Bally LP ‘Swing Me High’ and Palette LP ‘Get Happy’. FBCD231[79:41].

Nice Knowing You featuring tracks from RCA LPs ‘Deep In A Dream’, ‘Girls Were Made To Take Care of Boys’ and ‘Coffee Break’ FBCD232 [78:42].

Parisian Flavoured featuring tracks from RCA LPs ‘Under Paris Skies’, ‘You Don’t Know Paree’ and ‘Deep In a Dream’ FBCD 233 [79:13].

Twixt England and Ireland featuring tracks from RCA LPs ‘Holiday Abroad In London’ and ‘The British Isles’ FBCD234 [79:42]

A Touch of Red, White and Blue featuring the RCA LPs ‘Fiorello’ and ‘The Best of Irving Berlin’FBCD235 [79:42]

Anyone who has previously purchased CDs from our good friend Frank Bristow will know that he seems to be on a mission to make available so much glorious music that the major companies persistently ignore. The latest "neglected" arranger/conductor to receive his attention is Reg Owen, and it is clear from the fact that almost all of these LPs were issued in the USA so it probably made Reg better known in the USA than in his home country of Britain. Unfortunately we don’t have enough space here to include all the track listing details, but you can find this on Frank’s website. You will have noted that each CD enjoys very generous playing time, which is achieved through Frank’s careful selection of extra tracks from certain LPs to fill each disc. The sound quality is consistently good and, although Frank confesses that it has proved difficult to discover a lot of biographical information about Reg, each booklet is well presented. If you want a comprehensive collection of Reg Owen’s music, these seven CDs will fill the bill admirably. Should you just want one or two you have a varied selection from which to choose, ranging from sultry mood music [FBCD229] to big band [FBCD231]. Top marks to Frank for saluting a talented musician who has been unfairly neglected.David Ades

Frank Bristow’s CDs are only available direct from him at 2 Cross Street, Brighton, Victoria 3186, Australia. Tel. 063-9528-3167 Email  website: www.musicfromthepast.comCredit cards and Paypal are accepted, but no cheques – details from Frank on request. 

ROYAL AIR FORCE SQUADRONAIRES In The Mood : The Glenn Miller Celebration In The Mood; Pennsylvania 6-5000; Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree; Moonlight Serenade; American Patrol; Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy; String of Pearls; Chattanooga Choo Choo; Little Brown Jug; Tuxedo Junction; At Last; St. Louis Blues March; Song of the Volga Boatman; Adios Decca 2736453 [46:27] Superlatives cannot do justice to these exquisite renditions of Glenn Miller classics; smooth trombones and saxophones that are the Miller trademark "chromium plated" by the Squads under the direction of their leader Sergeant Ken Miles. This is big band dance music at its best with the orchestral polish of the unique Glenn Miller arrangements. It is difficult to pick out favourites from such jewels, but String of Pearls [written personally by Glenn for his wife] and Adios are particularly evocative. Vocals also deserve an accolade; just listen to voices from the past, the Andrews Sisters, on Track 3. Finally of historical interest: The Squadronaires started out in 1939 as the Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra, which makes their performances span 71 years. Like good port wine they have matured superbly! Roger Chantler 

WAR AND PEACE : LIGHT MUSIC OF THE 1940S Guild GLCD5171 [xx:xx] For full track listing please see page xx of this issue.

Another slice of nostalgia from this new Guild release and it begins in fine style with Charles Shadwell’s Orchestra and a real curtain raiser, Down The Mall, by Tony Lowry and Douglas Brownsmith writing as John Belton. I remember hearing this on the BBC World Service many years ago as intro music to a long forgotten programme. This piece has appeared twice before on previous Guild CDs by Philip Green and his Orchestra and also by Fodens Motor Works Band. Then Percy Faith and his Orchestra with an arrangement by him of Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust which leads us into Eric Coates’s fine concert waltz Footlights, with him conducting the Light Symphony Orchestra [thought to be The London Philharmonic Orchestra]. The Fugue, divorced from the Spitfire Prelude is next, written by Sir William Walton for the 1943 film "The First of the Few", the moving tribute to the Spitfire designer Reginald Mitchell, with the composer conducting the Halle Orchestra, later reissued on an HMV45 7P 312. Amongst the many works by Charles Williams is Girls In Grey, which I think is one of his best and it’s included on this Guild CD played as usual by the Queens Hall Light Orchestra and conducted by him. Boogie Woogie Moonshine from the 1946 film "Piccadilly Incident" is a five minute ballet diversion devised by Wendy Toye and played by Louis Levy and his Music from the Movies, on track ten. The musical director of the film was Anthony Collins and Piccadilly 1944composed by Vivian Ellis was also in the film. The Voice of Industry by Jack Beaver on track 11 was a familiar theme in newsreels and documentaries of this period and it’s used to good effect in a British Railways LMS colour documentary film I have, made I think in 1947. About the same time as I became aware of this Beaver piece, so did I hear on the radio Willie the Whistler by Bob Farnon. Quickly writing to the BBC for information came back the dreaded news that it was"a Chappell recording – not available commercially". Not to be outdone I wrote to Bob Farnon c/o the BBC and lo and behold a copy of Willie the Whistler arrived from Bob, the first Chappell disc I had ever seen and I still have it among my 78s. And that first Bob Farnon composition for Chappells is included on this new Guild CD. The Prelude from the film "A Matter of Life and Death" and played by the Queens Hall Light Orchestra conducted by Charles Williams is among a handful of film scores Allan Gray wrote in his life time. He also wrote the music to the Gaumont British/UFA co-production film "FP1" and the 1938 London Film Production "The Challenge" about the climbing of the Matterhorn. I wish this film’s music could be issued…it was really great. Three very tuneful library pieces follow in succession: Ronald Hanmer’s Olympic Games March, The Fairy and the Fiddlers by Edward White and the grand march Bonaventure by Frederic Curzon. These are followed by Louis Alter’s American Serenadeplayed by Meredith Willson’s Orchestra and for some strange reason the actress Gene Tierney came to mind whilst listening to the piece. Perhaps there were echoes of Laura in the melody. A number from the not so well known EMI Mood Music Library is Marche Fantastique by Leighton Lucas conducting his Orchestra, included on this CD with Short Overture to an Unwritten Opera by Don Gillis and played by the New Concert Orchestra conducted by Rae Jenkins next. And the penultimate 1940s item is Royal Cavalcade by Albert Ketèlbey, played by the Grand Orchestra of Louis Voss. But to round off this 71^st Guild CD is a piece of music from the film "The Phantom of the Opera", a piano concerto by Edward Ward, Lullaby of the Bells. The film starred Claude Rains, Susanna Foster and Nelson Eddy and came out in 1943. A fitting end to another fine collection of ignored light music. Ken Wilkins 

ROSEMARY CLOONEY : JOHNNY GUARNIERI QUINTET Voice Of America I still get a thrill; Come rain or come shine; Grieving’ for you; It’s only a paper moon; A little bit independent; I didn’t slip, I wasn’t pushed, I fell; On an ordinary morning; I didn’t know what time it was; Count every star; I’ll always love you; I’ve got a crush on you; It had to be you; Them there eyes; I never had a worry in the world; Nice work if you can get it; Just you, just me; three little words; How deep is the ocean; Our very own; It’s love; Crying myself to sleep; Thou swell; I had a talk with the wind and the rain; Chicago; Can’t help lovin’ that man; If I were your girl; Bye Bye baby Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 804 [62:32]. I did my National service with a Clooney fan; I am sure he would have given his right arm for this recording! Originally broadcast on the Voice of America so unless a resident of America or having a good radio he would have been deprived of this delightful set. Ably backed by the excellent Quintet of Johnny Guarnieri, Rosemary’s sweet voice works wonders with well known titles plus compositions not so well known but still worthy of a place. Paul Clatworthy 

MARGOT HIELSCHER Hello Fraulein Double CD set 53 tracks incl. 4 with Mantovani: Why, I’ll Never Know; Ding Dong; Frere Jacques; Anette Bear Family BCD 16162 [86:39 & 83:43] Margot is a singer and actress who appeared in numerous German language films over a lengthy period, and this was issued on the occasion of her 90^th birthday in September 2009. She sings with various orchestras and duets twice with Vico Torriani, who recorded with Mantovani in the 1950s and appeared in a couple of films with him. Of interest, too, is a German language version of Yours, the hit Monty recorded with Vera Lynn back in 1942; and even Bert Kaempfert turns up as producer of Margot’s Allein in Barcelona recording. But the bonuses for Mantovani completists are the four tracks she recorded with him at Decca in 1951. These perhaps are meant to show how well she could sing in English [she certainly could] but were never released commercially and appear here for the first time. The orchestra Monty used was a pre-Charmaine one, but the quality nevertheless shines through, and there is additional support from the Stargazers on the last two melodies listed above. It would be interesting to know whether Ronnie Binge did the arrangements. The actual record labels are illustrated in the notes and show that they were made in England and issued as samplers [not for sale] in 78 rpm format. Colin Mackenzie 

TONY MARTIN and GOGI GRANT with DENNIS FARNON & HIS ORCHESTRA Gigi 11 tracks incl.Overture, Thanks Heaven For Little Girls, The Parisians, Waltz at Maxim’s, The Night They Invented Champagne, I Remember It Well … Gogi Grant Welcome To My Heart Title song, The More I See You, Paradise, So Do I, They Didn’t Believe Me, But Beautiful, With All My Heart, How Deep Is The Ocean, At Last At Last, If I Should Lose You Frank Bristow FBCD237 [78:45]. When was Tony Martin born? Certainly not in 1942 as the booklet notes state [obviously a misprint] but was his birthday 25 December 1912 or 1913? It could be either, according to which reference sources on the internet you choose to believe! His style of singing may not be emulated by today’s young popular entertainers [unlike Sinatra], but for many people he had a most pleasing tenor voice and he made a lot of very good recordings that have stood the test of time. In the ‘Gigi’ selection Martin shares honours with Gogi Grant – sometimes in duet while on other tracks each singer solos. This is a splendid album, beautifully arranged by Dennis Farnon with the bonus of a choir in the best Hollywood tradition. All in all this is a sumptuous production that has top quality stamped all through it. The second LP on this disc is entirely Gogi Grant, with a nice selection of carefully chosen standards. If you are unfamiliar with Miss Grant you may be tempted at times to wonder if she went to the Ethel Merman School of Singing, which is occasionally disappointing because she can handle the quieter moments with great charm and very clear diction – today’s singers please note! On both albums arranging and conducting credits belong to Dennis Farnon, the only remaining member of the three talented Farnon brothers, born in 1923. For three years he was Artist and West Coast Album Director for RCA Records, where his conducting and arranging assignments also included albums with Harry Belafonte, George Shearing and the Four Freshmen. Dennis was one of the five founders in 1957 of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, who present the annual Grammy awards. These two LPs form a most entertaining package, with both singers on top form. Farnon’s arrangements are also as good as they get. David Ades 

JANE MORGAN Jane In Spain The moon was yellow; Adios; Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps; Perfidia; You belong to my heart; Baia; Granada; I get ideas; Be mine tonight; What a difference a day made; Let me love you tonight; Magic is the moonlight; Happy anniversary; C’est la vie, c’est l’amour; The sound of music; I’m in love; I’m new at the game; Love is like champagne; With open arms; Climb every mountain; Was it day, was it night?; My foolish heart; It’s been a long, long time; If only could live my life again Sepia 1147 [56:59] Although they are no longer able to supply review copies, I will be forever grateful to Sepia for introducing to me such a wonderful singer – surely one of the most undervalued popular music divas of our time. I recently consulted two leading encyclopaedias of popular music and she did not feature in either of them! Jane was born Florence Catherine Currier on Christmas Day in 1920 and began to train as an opera singer from the age of five, eventually enrolling at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. When she started singing professionally it was considered that "Janie Morgan" was a more glamorous name. Her early opera training is reflected in the excellent quality of her singing, which has taken in night clubs, television and Broadway. This, the fourth compilation since 2007, finds her with orchestra conducted by Frank Hunter in Latin mood as the first 12 tracks comprise the 1959 stereo LP that gives the CD its title. So, for example, we get What a difference as a bolero and I get ideas as a tango. Most of the tunes will be familiar and are recorded in a mixture of original Spanish lyrics and English translations. The second dozen tracks recorded in 1957-59 bring Jane back to some of the American songbook classics that are probably her forte. Dominic McHugh maintains the high standard set by this label with his booklet notes. The CD gives unadulterated pleasure from beginning to end. Peter Burt 

GARY WILLIAMS Gary Williams Meets Frank Sinatra All or nothing at all; I get a kick out of you; Moonlight Serenade; You bought a new kind of love; Dancing in the dark; Where or when; Brazil; The girl from Ipanema; Please be kind; Day in day out; How about you? I’ve got you under my skin; The way you look tonight; They all laughed; Luck be a lady; Let’s face the music BOS 6817[77:00]

The Best Of Abbey Road I remember you; Music to watch girls by; Anything goes; You’re never really dressed without a smile; Why shouldn’t I ?; Life is just a bowl of cherries; Always look on the bright side of life; Sweet Lorraine; I thought about you; This can’t be love; Surrey with the fringe on top; I can’t give you anything but love; More than you know; All I need is the girl; My buddy; You’re sensational; Isn’t it a pity; Save the last dance for me BOS 6808 [72:00] Has Britain got talent? Well, yes, but we don't need second rate TV shows purporting to tell us we have. Now there is a great British talent that has been on the music scene for many years and two new superb CD's have just been released that showcase the fine voice of Gary Williams. Gary played and sang the Sinatra role in the West End production of ‘The Rat Pack’ so he is familiar with "Ole Blue Eye's" songs. On the first CD we have no fewer than 17 selections. Many favourites here and all played in their original arrangements by the great Chris Dean and his Big Band plus strings. Nelson Riddle's arrangements feature prominently including some less often heard gems such as Moonlight Serenade, which Gary gives a lovely reading. The classic Sinatra recording of I've Got You Under My Skin is a tour de force for any singer; Gary handles it skilfully complete with classic trombone break here faultlessly re-created by Gordon Campbell. Nelson Riddle's daughter has personally endorsed this album and has written the sleeve notes ─ that’s praise indeed!

The second collection is a compilation of Gary’s sessions at the legendary studios during 2004 and 2008. It has to be said that Gary works with the best of British musicians and arrangers under the baton of John Wilson. Whilst the songs may be familiar, the inventive arranger can give them a new "coat of paint" and, with the likes of Richard Rodney Bennett, Clive Dunstall and Paul Campbell, be prepared to be surprised. The Monty Python classic Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life is given what must be the smoothest version ever. Small group tracks sit perfectly alongside the lush string ones. The Cole Porter song Why Shouldn't I? is quite stunning, an Andrew Cottee arrangement with a wonderful performance from Gary, is the standout track amongst many. How often have we remarked "they don't make records like that anymore." Well, they still do and here's the glowing proof. There are many so-called "tribute" singers who just seem to go through the motions. Gary, however, shows how it could be and should be done, but then it's Gary who has the talent and, boy, does it show. It seems like a sign of the times that these superb albums are not widely available but can be obtained by mail order from Dress Circle, 57-59 Monmouth Street, London, WC2H 9DG. telephone (+44 207 240 2227) or as a download from iTunes. Albert Killman 

CLASSIC MARCHES A Grand Procession Of Orchestral Favourites Elgar; Verdi; Strauss; Beethoven; Bizet; Wagner; Tchaikovsky; Prokofiev; Coates; Sousa; Berlioz; Mendelssohn … & moreABC Classics 4763772 [CD1 79:06, CD2 78:59] This very generous 2-CD compilation set from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is culled from recordings made between 1980 and 2010 featuring mainly the Adelaide, Queensland and West Australian Symphony Orchestras under various conductors. Most of the choices are predictable enough, thus The Dambusters, Colonel Bogey, Pomp & Circumstance No.1, etc, but also included are some welcome surprises including Ron Goodwin’sPlymouth Hoe, a very good account of Mendelssohn’s War March of the Priests, one of the best accounts I’ve heard of Vaughan Williams’ breezy Sea Songs, the splendidly staggering Marche Militaire Français by Saint Saëns, and the quirky Gum-Suckers march by Melbourne born Percy Grainger. Of considerable interest is a piece with the somewhat cumbersome title of The United Australia Commonwealth March by James W Tate, who I believe contributed some of the music for ‘The Maid Of The Mountains’ and is certainly stylistically closely associated with the music of the Edwardian musical theatre. It’s sheer infectious tunefulness positively demands that once heard it demands instant repetition. An even more obscure choice is the Lifesavers March from the ‘Sydney Suite’ by one Tommy Tycho (see www.tommytycho.com.au - KT Ed.). Occupying the longest track at 9’:55" is Tchaikovsky’s glorious March Slave in a splendid performance by the MSO conducted by Hubert Soudant. One disappointment is that the two Sousa items, Washington Post and Stars and Stripes, are inexplicably played straight through without repeats, with the former clocking in at under 2 minutes. With recording dates spanning 30 years some variation in recording quality is inevitable but is never less than good and frequently approaches demonstration standard. The accompanying CD booklet describes the collection as "bold, inspiring and thrilling" and exhorts us to "lift your spirits and put a new spring in your step." At around £21 [cheaper online] this set boasting 40 tracks represents very good value for any connoisseur of the march. And I have nearly forgotten to mention that Eric Coates makes another appearance, not with his famous Knightsbridge but withLondon Calling conducted by John Lanchbery who made some well regarded recordings of all the Tchaikovsky ballets for EMI in the 1970s. Roger Hyslop 

THE REGIMENTAL BAND OF THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS At Their Very Best : DOM Major R G Swift Walton: Crown Imperial; Alford: Army of the Nile; Colonel Bogey; Ward-Higgs: Sussex by the Sea; Reveille; Pope: Nightfall in Camp … etc. / Sousa: Semper Fidelis; King Cotton; The Stars and Stripes Forever; The Liberty Bell; Holzmann: Blaze Away; Bagley: National Emblem; Teike: Graf Zeppelin; Javaloyes: El Abanico; Texidor: Ampanto Roce; Verdi: Ceremonial March [‘Aida’]; The Slaves Chorus [‘Nabucco’] … etc. METRO 643 [122:36]

This 2-CD set is a reissue of material previously available sometime ago on the Japanese Denon label, and must surely constitute one of the bargains of the year. Available from HMV stores for a mere £8 [less online] and, if you are fortunate enough to track it down, in one of our larger supermarkets it will cost no more than a fiver. What we have here is one of the very best bands in the Household Division on top form recorded in stunningly good sound playing some of the best marches in the military band repertoire, too many to fully detail here. The first CD concerns itself with British Marches including those listed above plus all the Quick and Slow Marches of the Brigade of Guards. Contrast is afforded by Reveille and Nightfall, which are beautifully played and richly atmospheric. The second CD is devoted to American and European Marches, beginning with a group of eight Sousa marches played with tremendous verve and panache, before moving on to such American standards as Blaze Away. It’s refreshing to note amongst the European selection Carl Teike represented not by the very familiar Old Comrades but by the rarely heard Graf Zeppelin. Of the two Spanish items, El Abanico stirs distant memories that many years ago a section of this delightful march was often sung to words which, if I recall accurately, were "You’d be far better off in a home" [!] Does anyone know the origins of this refrain? As for the sprightly charm of Amparito Roce, there is some doubt as to its origin. It is thought that it was composed by a British Director of Music at Kneller Hall, Reginald Ridewood, who apparently failed to apply for the necessary copyright, and Texidor merely rescored the piece and claimed it as his own! Two of the concluding tracks visit Grand Opera. Much of the music here is redolent of a sunlit parade ground conjuring up all the glitter of pomp and pageantry vividly conveyed. These two discs are not just for the military band enthusiast but for the general collector as well, and are surely guaranteed to elevate even the lowest in spirit. Roger Hyslop 

ELGAR The Fringes Of The Fleet Roderick Williams [solo baritone], Nicholas Lester, Duncan Rock, Laurence Meikle, [baritones], Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Tom Higgins Elgar: The Fringes of the Fleet [for four baritones & orchestra]; Elegy for Strings; Big Steamers [for four baritones unaccompanied]; Ireland: The Soldier; Blowout, You Bugles; German:Big Steamers [songs for solo baritone]; Ansell: Plymouth Hoe; The Windjammer; Wood: A Manx Overture; Elizabeth of England Somm 243 [61:26] The major work on this release is an Elgarian rarity: The Fringes of the Fleet, which duly salutes the contribution of the smaller warships of the Royal Navy in the First World War. Dating from 1917 with words penned by Rudyard Kipling the music, in Elgar’s lighter populist style, was a huge success with performances at the London Coliseum and subsequently at various music halls, and within weeks of the show’s opening a recording from HMV. Alas, Kipling, possibly affected by the death of his soldier son and feeling perhaps the piece was too jingoistic, forbade further performances much to Elgar’s distress. Therefore this new recording is the first orchestral version since the original one. To the light music enthusiast the value of the CD lays probably more in some of the attractive makeweights. Included are both of John Ansell’s nautical overtures and two items by Haydn Wood: the march that closes the disc was a late work ushering in the new Elizabethan age, and the A Manx Overture from the 1930s here receives what is claimed as a premiere recording. While we should be duly grateful to have so much of Eric Coates’ oeuvre in outstanding modern recordings, it is surely about time that the likes of Chandos and Dutton turned their attention more to his illustrious rival, Haydn Wood, and his many as yet unrecorded splendid orchestral compositions. On the strength of this excellently recorded disc, perhaps the Guildford Philharmonic, which is claimed to be the only orchestra in the U.K. completely owned, managed and financed by a local authority, might be just the vehicle for such a project. An interesting, rewarding and enterprising release, then, which can be recommended with enthusiasm and fully justifies a place in one’s CD collection. As an additional inducement, our own Philip Scowcroft gets a mention in the accompanying informative booklet! Roger Hyslop 

LES BROWN & HIS BAND OF RENOWN featuring PEGGY LEE and GISELLE MACKENZIE Lets Go To Town Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 809 [Double CD 58:52 and 61:05] Eight National Guard shows complete with announcements and enthusiastic audience. I have never heard a bad Les Brown outing, this is no exception but the commercials have no relevance today. I admit editing out would have been difficult as the announcer sometimes insists in talking over the opening notes. Paul Clatworthy 

RALPH FLANAGAN ORCHESTRA Plays For Dancing Volume Two Linda, Stars fell on Alabama, Joshua, Ballin’ the Jack, Stardust, Shortnin’ bread, Some enchanted evening, Blue room, Hot toddy, My hero, Penthouse serenade, Joshua, Irving Berlin medley, Careless, Love is here to stay, Hot toddy Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 810 [60:17] I had already submitted the Big Band roundup when this arrived. This second set consists of one night stands split between recordings at Steel Pier Atlantic City and the Starlight Ballroom, Hershey, PA. Vocalists are Kay Golding and Sandy Cee, this time complete with announcements. Paul Clatworthy 

JOHNNY HODGES QUINTET with LALO SCHIFRIN Buenos Aires Blues Mama knows, I’m in another world, Dreary days, I can’t believe You’re in love with me, B.A. Blues, Wanderlust All too soon, Somebody loves me, Away from you, Something to live for, In a Sentimental mood, I didn’t know about you, Guitar Amour, You blew out the flame, Theme from "The eleventh hour" Love song from "Mutiny on the Bounty" Solitude, Satin doll, Don’t blame me, Prelude to a kiss, Warm ValleyLonehill Jazz LHJ 10373 [67:17] The first nine tracks are with a quintet, producer Creed Taylor taking advantage of the fact that Lalo was available. Lalo’s piano skills and Johnny’s ability to weave his tuneful sax into every song is particularly well captured. Second half of the CD has Johnny with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson. Something to live for has a slightly "cheesy" string sound, Johnny saving the day with his beautiful tone and exemplary improvisation. The string work on I didn’t know you shows a good deal more potential. Johnny is on top form throughout but I suspect Oliver Nelson had to work to a short deadline because he has written better! Available from Submarine Records 0208-360-3486.

Paul Clatworthy 

FRANK MANTOOTH Ladies Sing For Lovers If you could see me now [Karrin Allyson]; When did you leave heaven [Kirsten Gustafson]; You’ll see [Paula West]; You don’t know what love is [Sunny Wilkinson]; It never entered my mind [Jay Clayton]; Good morning heartache [Margaret Carlson]; My heart won’t lie [Oleta Adams]; Imagination [Rebecca Parris]; Why stars come out at night [Stacy Rowles; Ballad of the sad young men [Sheila Jordan]; The nearness of you/You’re nearer [Anne Hampton Callaway]; I got it bad and that ain’t good [Dianne Schuur] Meg Jazz MCGJ1OI8 [62:29] I wish I had heard this stunning album when it was first issued in 2005, then maybe it would be easier to obtain. I’ve always loved Frank’s big band writings ─ this was pastures new for him utilizing a full string orchestra. His vivid and moving orchestrations belie the fact! He never lived to see it issued but thanks to Carrie Mantooth and his many friends in the music profession the CD was completed. It is a fitting memorial to his musical talent. Search the Internet, beg, borrow or steal a copy or you will always regret not hearing such a treat in music. Paul Clatworthy 

PHIL NAPOLEON AND HIS MEMPHIS FIVE That’s A Plenty Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY8O5[78:08]. Second volume of a CD I gave a pretty uncomplimentary review to a couple of issues ago so I was surprised to get this one for review! I am not a "Dixieland" fan but as with the first set my main grouse is the inordinate space taken up with commentary. Here there are 31 radio transcription recordings of "Dixie" music fans would probably enjoy without the social history lesson taking up so much space. Evidently the recordings are very rare so serious collectors will put up with narrator Dean Taylor’s sometime humorous commentary. Paul Clatworthy 

LES PAUL & MARY FORD, WOODY HERMAN and HIS THIRD HERD Let’s Go To Town Sounds of yesteryear DSOY 806 [58:34]

LES PAUL & MARY FORD, RALPH MARTERIE AND HIS ORCHESTRA Let’s Go To Town Sounds of Yesteryear DSOY 807 [59:02] Two albums with the same format and title, the Marterie band play the sweeter sounds of the big band era, the Herman puts more meat on the bone! Both CDs contain four National Guard shows complete with announcements, commercials and applause. Les Paul and Mary Ford sing and play on their own, the bands also play separately. Both big bands are on good form. Les and Mary were very popular in the fifties; her singing still cuts it but despite Leslie’s dexterity on guitar today’s more advanced technologies make the sounds dated. Compere Eddie Carter’s strident introductions cut into some of the tracks, very annoying! Titles available if you phone me. All Sounds of Yesteryear CDs available from The Woods, Bognor Regis. Paul Clatworthy

ARTIE SHAW AND HIS ORCHESTRA The Complete Thesaurus Transcriptions 1949 52 tracks incl. They can’t take that away from me; Softly as in a morning sunrise; Things are looking up; Stardust; Tea for two … I concentrate on you; ‘S wonderful; Orinoco; Love walked in; Krazy Kat // I cover the waterfront; Carnival; Comes love; Together; Too marvellous for words … Time on my hands; Love for sale; Mucha De Nada; I get a kick out of you; Love walked in Hep Records HEP CD 89/90 [76:08 & 79:09] Arthur Jacob Shaw, once described as one of the two or three outstanding clarinetists in all of jazz, announced in 1948: "I’m through with dance bands. There are only so many times you can play Stardust". How come, then, he is here in 1949 with a new edition of his orchestra? Well, all this and much else is explained in James Langton’s 10½ page background notes for this generously timed 2-CD set. The very acceptable mono recordings were made for RCA/NBC Thesaurus, one of four major transcription services that leased libraries of radio shows to affiliate radio stations. The band line-up was four trumpets, four trombones, five saxophones, four rhythm and "girl vocalist". Five tracks are by a new edition of Shaw’s Gramercy Five [Shaw, the rhythm section and trumpet] and there are five vocals each for Pat Lockwood and Trudy Richards. Artie is heard introducing and signing off the music. I was surprised how much I enjoyed something I would not normally listen to ─ so recommended. Peter Burt 

BLOSSOM DEARIE Four Classic Albums Plus Avid Jazz AMSC967 [155:20]. I have been a fan of Blossom since hearing Sweet Georgie Fame [still got the 45!] and seeing her perform at Ronnie Scott’s club clinched my devotion. Dave and Anne Bennett have put together four albums plus tracks from ‘The Blue Stars of France’ and ‘King Pleasure’ into one marvellous two-CD package, the re-mastering so good it could have been recorded yesterday. Blossom’s delectable voice and piano playing gets additional help from Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Jo Jones, Mundell Lowe and Ed Thigpen. A recording to treasure! Available from Submarine Records – in case of difficulty you can telephone them on 020-8360-3486. Paul Clatworthy 

NAT "KING" COLE & HIS TRIO The Forgotten 1949 Carnegie Hall Concert 15 tracks incl. Yes Sir, that’s my

baby; Sweet Lorraine; Tiny’s exercise; I used to love you [but it’s all over now]; Laugh cool clown; Lush life; Go bongo, For all we know / Embraceable you; Tea for two … Hep Records HEP CD 91[51:37] I did not get to know and appreciate Nat’s singing until his post trio years, so this is for me an interesting disc ─ with the added frisson of a live performance. Particularly entertaining is Cuba Libra, probably written by Cole, with its quotations from Stars and Stripes Forever, La Marseillaiseand Mendelssohn’s Spring Song. The trio joins up with the mighty Woody Herman Orchestra for the closing number, More moon. Jazz devotees will likely enjoy the album even more than I did. This and the Artie Shaw [reviewed above] are the first releases I have come across from Hep and they are both quality packages, including here half-a-dozen pages of closely printed but readable background notes by Will Friedwald. Peter Burt 

LAURA COLLINS Introducing Laura Collins Ladies in Mercedes, On the street where you live, The night we called it a day, Too close for comfort, Baltimore Oriole, How deep is the ocean, But not for me, Wichita lineman, Go away little boy, Blizzard of lies, A beautiful friendship Spotlight Jazz SPJCD589 [50:33] The sleeve notes contain accolades from several musicians; I am not a musician but I know what I like and there is not a single track on this selection that made me think I must hear that again! In its favour you can hear every word, but the backing group have to drag her along, most times she seems a beat behind, cannot swing and when she "Scats" sounds like she has forgotten the lyrics. It’s almost amateur night down your local [if you still have one!] The recording was sent to me for review via another society member; if it had passed muster I am sure he would have kept it! Paul Clatworthy 

JOHAN HALVORSEN Orchestral Works Vol.1 Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Neeme Järvi; Marianne Thorsen [violin] Entry March of the Boyars; Andante religioso for violin & orchestra; Suite from Mascarade; La Mélancolie; Symphony No.1 in C minor Chandos CHAN 10584[76:48] This release makes the bold claim that the native composer’s music is one of the best kept secrets in Norway; a claim amply vindicated as one progresses through a generously filled disc. He was associated for many years with the National Theatre in Kristianie [now Oslo] as conductor, and as a result composed a good deal of incidental music for its various productions including Ludvig Holberg’s ‘Mascarade.’ This may best be regarded as quality light music in a delightful inventive and tasteful pastiche style deftly and expertly scored. Halvorsen [1864-1935] turned to the symphony late in life. He was one of those brave and independently minded composers who remained completely unaffected and indifferent to prevailing modern trends in the first part of the 20^th century. He continued to doggedly plough his own furrow, producing accessible and, above all, unashamedly melodic music. The shorter pieces are also well worth having and, since it is one of the few chances you will get to encounter this attractive and beautifully crafted music, better buy this excellently performed and brilliantly engineered disc. Roger Hyslop 

FANTASY – A NIGHT AT THE OPERA Emmanuel Pahud, Juliette Hurel Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Yannick Nézel-Séguin Fantasies on ‘La Traviata’; ‘Rigoletto’; ‘Der Freischűtz’; ‘Die Zauberflöte’ [‘The Magic Flute’] ; and ‘Carmen’; Lenski’s Aria; Menuet & Dance of the Blessed Spirits; ‘Carmen’ ─ Entr’acte Before Act 3 EMI 4578742 [70:46] This is a very accessible classical album of gorgeous operatic melodies for people who don’t care for the words. It features the flute – the instrument closest to the human voice – played by the acclaimed Swiss born long-time principal flautist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, who is joined on two tracks by the Dutch orchestra’s solo flute. Pahud recently described the background to this album: "In the 18^th and 19^thcenturies, there was a tradition of salon music because people did not have CD or MP3 players as we have nowadays. They had no access to the internet or the radio so they would have to have transcriptions in order to hear this music in their homes." The enjoyment in the making of the disc is reflected in the listening. Incidentally, there is a lovely tune at the start of the Mozart Fantasy on ‘The Magic Flute’ that the KT Editor tells me Methodists use to sing the hymn Behold the servant of the Lord! Edward Trub 

CHARLES MACKERRAS CONDUCTS ERIC COATES Favourite Music Of Eric Coates London Symphony Orchestra The Merrymakers Overture; ‘At The Dance Suite’ – Summer Days; The Man from the Sea from suite ‘The Three Men’; March: Oxford Street from suite ‘London Again’; The Three Bears [A Phantasy]; By the sleepy Lagoon; March: Queen Elizabeth from suite ‘The Three Elizabeths’; Sullivan Overtures Philharmonia Orchestra The Mikado; The Yeoman of the Guard; Iolanthe; Ruddigore Vocalion CDVS 1964 [68:04] The passing of the outstanding Australian-born conductor celebrated for his wide musical sympathies was announced just before we went to print. He had a well documented love of both the composers featured here. So this album taken from original stereosonic tapes [1956-57], released for the first time on CD earlier in the year, now makes a fitting light music tribute re-issue. Peter Burt 

More releases noted by Wilfred Askew

JOHNNY DANKWORTH Let’s Slip Away Film & TV 1960-1973 [2-CD set] Disc 1 – Big Screen 20 tracks incl. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning; The Servant; Darling; Sands of the Kalihari; Accident; Modesty Blaise … Disc 2 – Home Entertainment 19 tracks incl. The Avengers; Little Nell; Pickwick Club; Aquarius; The Frost Report; Off Duty; Night Owl; Tomorrow’s World; Bitter Lemons …Universal – Eclipse 531761 [107:29] The majority of tracks appeared originally on Fontana between 1960 and 1973; Cleo Laine is on nine of them.

KEN GRIFFIN [Organ] Drifting & Dreaming [2-CD set] 52 tracks incl. Ebb Tide; Green Eyes; Until Tomorrow; Marie; Jealous; Isle of Capri; Always; Valencia, Whispering; All Alone; Now is the Hour; I’m Lost in the Clouds; When Irish Eyes are Smiling; April in Portugal; In the Chapel in the Moonlight … Rex REXX 334 [132:52]

SKIP MARTIN’S ALL STAR JAZZ BAND Symphonies In Jazz Scheherajazz – adapted from Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade [4 movements]; Swingin’ with Prince Igor - adapted from Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances [4 dances]; Tannhäuser – adapted from Wagner’s overture. Flare ROYCD302[62:13] The big band alternates with a concert orchestra on all nine tracks, recorded in stereo in 1959.

MIKLÓS RÓZSA TREASURY [1949 – 1968] Original Picture Soundtracks: Madame Bovary; The Red Danube; The Miniver Story; The Ashphalt Jungle; East Side, West Side; The Light Touch; Quo Vadis [on 2 CDs]; The Story Of Three Loves; Young Bess; All The Brothers Were Valiant; Knights Of The Round Table [UK recording]; Crest Of The Wave; Beau Brummell; Something Of Value; Crisis; Tip On A Dead Jockey; King Of Kings; El Cid; Ivanhoe; Knights Of The Round Table [US recording]; The V I Ps; The Power FSM Box 04 [19:13:31] 15-CD set, in 3 cases in a sturdy box with 48pp booklet. Limited to 2,000 copies.

DAVID CARROLL Fascination : The Great Hit Sounds of David Carroll & His Orchestra 2-CD set of 64 tracks incl. Now is the hour; Till we meet again; It’s only a paper moon; The ship that never sailed; Sugar loaf; My Evening Star // It’s almost tomorrow; ‘The Swan’ Theme; Blue moon; All I do is dream of you; Tambourin Chinois; I’ll be home for Christmas … Original Mercury recordingsJasmine JASCD 536 [155:12]

COUNT BASIE Dance Along With Basie Count Basie & His Orchestra incl. It had to be you; Makin’ whoopee; Misty; Secret love; Give me the simple life; Back to the apple // M-Squad Theme; Moten Swing; Imagination; Gee baby, ain’t I good to you; Love me, baby; J & B … The original LP’s 11 tracks [1954] + 10 bonus tracks [1957/8], arr. Thad Jones & Frank Foster Poll Winners Records PWR 27206 [75:15]

DIANA DORS Swingin’ Dors with the Wally Stott Orchestra The point of no return; That’s how it is; Let there be love; Namely you; Imagination; Roller Coaster Blues; The gentleman is a dope; April heart; I’m in love for the very first time; Crazy he calls me; Come by Sunday; Tired of love Original 1960 recording for Pye Records Universal-Sanctuary CMFCD 1554 [33:02]

JOE "FINGERS" CARR / LOU BUSCH Let’s Do It Again! 2-CD set of 62 tracks incl. Portuguese Washerwoman; Moonlight Bay; Sam’s song; Margie; Aloha Oe; Down Yonder; The Darktown Strutters Ball … // Zambezi; Eleventh-hour Melody; Sunrise Serenade; Cumana, Friendly persuasion; Nola; Rainbow’s End … Original Capitol recordings Jasmine JASCD 534 [157:34]

JERRY FIELDING ‘Straw Dogs’ Original Motion Picture Score 16 tracks Intrada Special Collection Vol. 126 [41:55] 2.000 copies

ALAN HAVEN [Organ] Haven For Sale & St Elmo’s Fire 10 tracks with Keith Mansfield’s Orchestra [guest Maynard Ferguson] incl. 1,2,3; Goin’ outa my head; Norwegian Wood; Exodus; Love for sale; What the world needs now …. 1969 CBS recording // 10 tracks incl. Charade; St Elmo’s Fire; Girl talk; Soliloquy [‘Carousel’]; Flying free; Air on a G String … 1971 CBS recording. Cherry Red/RPM Retro 864 [78:40]

HENRY MANCINI ‘The Hawaiians’ 2-CD set: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 26 tracks, Original United Artists Score Album 10 tracks Intrada Special Collection Vol. 124 [63:45 & 30:40] 1,500 copies

KEN THORNE ‘Inspector Clouseau’ Original Motion Picture Score 15 tracks Kritzerland KR 20013-9 [34:18]

THE MASTERSOUNDS : WES MONTGOMERY Kismet and The King And I 17 tracks Cherry Red ACMEM174CD [78:49] Genteel, chamber jazz reminiscent of the MJQ; and of the Previn/Manne/ Vinnegar recordings of show tunes on Contemporary.

WINTER WONDERLAND – A Christmas Celebration Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians 32 tracks incl. Ring those Christmas Bells; Caroling, Caroling; Carol. Brothers, Carol; The Star Carol; Gesu Bambino; O Come All Ye Faithful/Come, Dear Children; Bright, Bright the Holly Berries; While By Our Sleeping Flock We Lay; I Wonder As I Wander; Silent Night, Holy Night; O Holy Night …The Meaning of Christmas; The Song of Christmas // The Andrews Sisters, Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians 20 tracks incl. Winter Wonderland; Christmas Island; Christmas Candles; Merry Christmas Polka; Stars Are the Windows of Heaven … Dick Haymes There’s A Big Cloud [Next to Heaven]; Christmas Dreaming; The Christmas Song; The First Noel; Cradle Song of the Virgin; Ave Maria [Schubert]; It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; O Little Town of Bethlehem; Joy to the WorldJasmine JASCD 149 [79:29 & 79:06] An essential part of the Christmas celebrations in chez Burt has been Fred Waring’s ‘Now is the Carolling Season’ [Collectors Choice CCM 01662] ever since I bought it on a World Record Club LP more years ago than I care to remember. So imagine my delight on finding this new reissue – sensibly released in good time for this Christmas – with the first [stereo] disc giving us just under three dozen sacred and secular tracks, none taken from the earlier album. Five of the carols were written by jazz musician Alfred S Burt [no relation!] Listening to these pieces, it is no wonder Fred’s Christmas albums were best sellers in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Of the second [mono] disc, it is no surprise to learn that the joint recordings by the Andrews Sisters and Guy Lombardo listed above also sold in their millions. Mr Lombardo, like Robert Farnon Canadian-born, migrated to the USA in the early ‘20s where his Royal Canadians became billed as "The sweetest music this side of Heaven." Completing the disc is the entire Christmas album recorded by Dick Haymes, considered a strong rival to Crosby and Sinatra in the 1940s, appearing on CD for the first time. We have here, then, two attractive exceptionally well-filled discs available for around £9 – and unquestionably my Best Buy for Christmas! Peter Burt

MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA Christmas Carols Adeste Fideles [O Come, All Ye Faithful]; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen; White Christmas; Good King Wenceslas; O HolyNight; The First Nowell; Joy To The World; Silent Night; Holy Night; O Tannenbaum; Midnight Waltz; Nazareth; O Little Town Of Bethlehem; Skaters’ Waltz // Classical Encores Slavonic Dance No.2 In E Minor, Op.46; Etude No.3, Op.10; Tango; Barcarolle [from Tales of Hoffman]; On Wings Of Song; Hungarian Dance No.5; Solveig’s Song [from Peer Gynt]; Air For The G String; Cradle Song; None But The Lonely Heart; Ave Maria; Largo Vocalion [Catalogue number & timings not available on going to press] The Christmas album is the CD Mantovanians have long been expecting from this source. [It was released on the US Collectors Choice Music label CCM 20852 very late last year]. This is the 1958 stereo re-recording and is, along with Percy Faith’s no longer available ‘Music for Christmas’, just about the finest album of Christmas music by a light orchestra. At the Kingsway Hall organ featured on some tracks is Harold Smart, whose father Charles played on the original mono LP ‘An Album of Christmas Music’ in 1953. Midnight Waltz is one of the maestro’s loveliest compositions. The album joins Monty’s follow-up ‘A Song for Christmas’,already available on Vocalion CDLF 8122, and is a happy reminder of the first 78 rpm record I ever bought, White Christmas/ Adeste Fidelis, which began my affair with our kind of music. This new 2-CD set is completed by an album recorded in May 1962 for issue in America but held back until 1965 for British release and then, inexplicably, only briefly available. With it I understand that Vocalion have now reissued all of Monty’s stereo LPs. Including it does mean, of course, that this release is not just for Christmas! And there is also the customary added value of Colin Mackenzie’s authoritative liner notes. Three cheers all round for Mike Dutton. Peter Burt

BOTTICELLI AND HIS ORCHESTRA Presenting Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree; My Love; Killing Me Softly With His Song; It Never Rains in Southern California; Day by Day; Mammy Blue … Unlimited Seasons In The sun; Waterloo; Melody of Love; I Won’t Last a Day Without You; The Air That I Breathe; etc. … 22 tracks Dutton Vocalion CDLK4431 [67:24]. I wonder how many of us missed these recordings the first time, nearly 40 years ago? There seemed to be a glut of similar outfits around, with few clues as to who was responsible for them. The title of the orchestra almost suggests that it might be pseudo-Mozart, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is not what we would call "light music", because there are pop elements in the gentle rhythm and the girly chorus, which happily is only occasionally and quite tastefully used. The music concentrates on what was popular at the time, rather than harking back to the 1920s and 1930s, which many others were still doing in those days. The string section is really quite lush at times – pity it wasn’t used more extensively. I suspect many of the players may have been recruited from the ranks of the superb Metropole Orchestra, because the man behind the "Botticelli" albums was Dick Bakker, who later became conductor of that fine outfit founded in the mid-1940s by Dolf van der Linden. The recordings were made in the Dutch Dureco studios, where Bakker was appointed manager when they opened in 1972. Five years later he started his own music production and focussed on composing, arranging and conducting film music, audiovisuals, company presentations, commercials and album projects. In London he established an orchestra with musicians from The London Philharmonic, St. Martin in The Fields and top musicians from the freelance sector. With this orchestra "The London Studio Symphony Orchestra" he recorded his music for the next fifteen years, often for leading multinational companies. By 1987 Dick Bakker was enjoying his international success which resulted in recognition such as the Edison Award for ‘Musica di Gloria’. Today Bakker remains actively involved as an artistic adviser with productions involving the Metropole Orchestra, and occasional music specials on radio and television. With such a pedigree you’d expect a quality product, and if you enjoy the kind of pleasing, undemanding sounds you sometimes hear in the background in public places, then this is for you. As an accompaniment to happy moments spent simply relaxing, and reminiscing about the 1970s, this could hardly be bettered! David Ades 

PHILIP GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA Moments in Mayfair These Foolish Things; Someday I’ll Find You; Room 504; She’s My Lovely; Midnight in Mayfair; Love is the Sweetest thing; London Fantasia; A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square; We’ll Gather Lilacs; Limehouse Blues. Music for Leisure – Easy Listening Stardust; La Vie en Rose; Barcarolle; Caravan; Dizzy Fingers; Maneater; Mexican Madness; Farewell Blues; The Merry Mountaineer; Arkansas Traveller; (Back Home Again in) Indiana; West of Pecos; Moonlight in Vermont; St Louis Blues; The Missouri Waltz; By the Waters of Minnetonka Dutton Vocalion CDEA6177 [78:03]. This has to one of the best CDs of 2010. At long last that superb Philip Green 10" Columbia LP from 1956 has been reissued, and now for the first time in stereo! Before stereo LPs arrived EMI issued a small number of "stereosonic" reel to reel tapes, and this was one of them. Very few will have been purchased for two reasons: their high price and the lack of equipment on which to play them. Top marks to Mike Dutton for securing the stereo tapes that have transformed this collection, which sounded great in mono but is now simply amazing. The music has taken on a new vibrancy, thanks to Mike’s expertise, and the sound quality is equal [if not better] to the very latest recordings. The titles confirm that Philip Green chose his material with great care [mostly by British composers] and one assumes that he had a hand in the arrangements. It is nice to hear the romantic theme from Clive Richardson’s London Fantasia which takes on a pleasing new identity divorced from the war atmosphere of most of the work. The title of the other album in this collection has probably prompted some head scratching! Almost as a bonus Mike Dutton has unearthed another early EMI tape to pair with ‘Mayfair’. Before cassettes were invented, EMI and some other companies were trying to encourage us to use our growing number of tape recorders as tape players. The reel to reel tape featuring Philip Green was compiled from various sources – previous 78s, tapes and an LP [the final seven tracks are taken from ‘Pan-American Panorama’]. Highlights include a wonderful – almost hectic – version of Caravan; the Zez Confrey "classic" Dizzy Fingers; Laddie Busby featured on trombone playing his own Maneater; Philip Green’s The Merry Mountaineer; and Mexican Madness by Cyril Stapleton and Bob Sharples. Finally there is even more good news: this great CD is in Dutton’s low price CDEA series. Simply a most enjoyable selection of music, expertly restored, that will be on many RFS members’ "wants" list this Christmas! David Ades

THE LOST TRANSCRIPTIONS Volume 1 For full track listing please see details in the ‘Light Music’ section of this website. Guild GLCD5174. Previous issues in the Guild Light Music Series have explored the vaults of the Recorded Music Libraries. For this release another musical treasure house has been tapped, namely recordings of the various transcription services made of live performances for use by, eventually, broadcasters worldwide, although the practice began in the US in the early 1940s when they were also distributed to Service personnel. A number of such transcriptions have, almost against the odds, survived and a generous selection is reproduced here in recordings excellent in quality for their time and with modern wizardry sounding very enjoyable even in the 21^stcentury. Many of the names of bands and conductors familiar from previous Guild releases reappear here: Dolf van der Linden, Percy Faith, George Melachrino, Philip Green and David Rose. Yet there are surprises to be found among them. Rose’s catchy The Butterfly and the Alligator seems to be otherwise unknown; new to me also were Rose’s Pepper Tree Lane from his ‘Hollywood Bowl Suite’and his arrangement of Ding Dong the Witch is Dead from "The Wizard of Oz" [Rose was briefly married to Judy Garland] which begins like a piece of "train music". A Jota by Anthony Collins and performed by Philip Green’s orchestra has breathtaking energy. Several tracks are from the Second World War, especially those by Melachrino and the young Sidney Torch with the RAF Concert Orchestra, about which not much is known except that it seems to have been based in Blackpool. The junior service, incidentally, headhunted most of the best available musicians during 1939-45. The last nine tracks have perhaps most interest for me personally. Don Gillis is best known for Symphony No.5½; here his Three Sketches [Enchantment, Whimsy, and Day Dreams] are small in scale and economical in instrumentation but are distinctive. Lamar Springfield was also American and his Dance of the Frogs, based on the nursery rhyme A frog he would a-wooing go [inserted, as many will remember, as a fugato in Roger Quilter’s A Children’s Overture], is a gorgeous find. I first encountered Jarnefelt’s Praeludium in the 1940s when it was used to introduce a radio adaptation of one of Walter Scott’s novels; maybe even this performance was used, ‘though at that time there was a commercial 78 of it and its companion piece Berceuse. The name Eric Robinson as conductor of this wartime track is of interest. Eric Coates’ ‘Three Men Suite’ is pieced together by combining recordings, also wartime, from Melachrino’s Orchestra in Khaki [first movement] and Dunn’s Royal Marines Portsmouth Orchestra – a characterful, energetic overall performance. And finally to music by Keler-Bela [1924-84], born in Hungary and who played in theatre or dance orchestras in Vienna and Berlin and later toured Europe, including England, with his own orchestra. He composed 12 overtures, perhaps his major compositions, and lots of dances [a Keler-Bela Czardas was appropriated by Brahms for his Hungarian Dance No.5]; if all have the same colour and sparkle as this Romantic Overture, then a revival of his music generally is overdue, indeed imperative. I hope I have written enough to tempt prospective purchasers; repertoire and performances are alike stimulating, exciting even. Very highly recommended; let’s have more "found" transcriptions!

Philip L Scowcroft 

PAUL MAURIAT AND HIS ORCHESTRA El Condor Pasa Love Story; El Condor Pasa; To Be The One You Love; Melancholy Man; Black Harlem; My Sweet Lord, etc… L.O.V.E. Oh Happy Day; Get Back; Windmills of your Mind; Aquarius; Serenade to a Summertime; etc. … 22 tracks Dutton Vocalion CDLK4437 [xx:xx] When the album ‘El Condor Pasa’ was released in 1971, Paul Mauriat had already made more than thirty LPs, and he was in the happy position of knowing that he had an army of admirers who would readily snap up everything new that he offered them. His ‘L.O.V.E.’ LP had been released two years earlier – in France it was called ‘Un Jour, Un Enfant’ – and both collections tended to reflect the way in which popular music was developing in the post-Beatles era. Considering how prolific Paul Mauriat was [looking at lists on the internet one is tempted to say that he may have made more LPs than any of his peers] it is surprising that new CD releases do not feature many more examples of his work. In 1968 he shot to fame when his recording of Love Is Blue was number one in the US charts for five weeks. It had been written by his fellow countryman André Popp as Luxembourg’s entry for the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest where it came a disappointing fourth [Sandie Shaw was the winner for the United Kingdom that year with Puppet On A String], but Mauriat’s elegant orchestration managed to capture the public’s attention. Already well-known in France, his career was now firmly launched internationally. In 1965 Mauriat signed a recording contract with Polygram, and this lasted until 1993. He produced a large catalogue of recordings, selling more than 40 million albums worldwide. He embarked on the first of many world tours in 1969, visiting countries like United States, Canada, South Korea, Brazil and especially Japan, where he would undertake 28 tours in the following years, during which it is estimated that he conducted well over 1,000 concerts. Such was his popularity in Japan that he appeared in television commercials, and made new recordings with their Pony record label when his Polygram contract expired. Paul Mauriat gave his final performance in 1998 in Osaka, Japan, where tribute concerts have been held in recent years. He died on 3 November 2006 at Perpignan in southern France, aged 81. RFS member Serge Elhaik has been a champion of Mauriat’s music for many years, having written his biography with Mauriat’s blessing. This new Vocalion release should help to make music lovers take further notice of a talented man who created a vast army of adoring fans, especially in Japan. David Ades

GLENN MILLER AND THE ARMY AIRFORCES BAND Medley Time 2 CDs 34 tracks Sounds of yesteryear DSOD812 [79:03 & 77:36] Fourteen medleys that according to sleeve were songs most often requested. Guests include Johnny Desmond, Artie Malvin, Peanuts Hucko, Tony Martin, Bob Carroll and the Crew Chiefs. These fifteen minute medleys were broadcast three times a week: by using this format Glenn could double the tunes used! Paul Clatworthy

THE PRISONER The Complete Chappell Recorded Music Library Cues DJR 001a [58:50] DJR 001b [50:29] DJR002 [65:19] For the benefit of any readers who might still be unfamiliar with the cult 1967 television series, it contains a vast range of often spectacular and very tuneful light music, with many items by Robert Farnon, that can be relied on to cater for all tastes. This special Collectors’ 3-CD set makes available for the first time the complete archive collection of incidental music as used in the 1967 Everyman TV production. Aimed at the connoisseur of "Prisoner" music and specialist communities dedicated to the appreciation of library music, television incidental music and British light music, its features include a 56-page booklet containing an episode by episode, scene by scene listing of all the music library original soundtracks and commercial tracks used in the series. There is a total of 174 minutes of music on 100 tracks, many on CD for the first time, and all in high quality sound. For contractual reasons some commercial tracks are omitted but these can mostly be obtained from other sources. This CD set is beautifully presented in a limited edition of 1,000 sequentially numbered and is highly recommended. It is not available from any shops and is available at £26.99 [+ £1.99 p&p] by personal application only from No2YourVillage, 65 Oxford Avenue, Guiseley, Leeds LS20 9BY or on-line. Further details including track-listing etc. can be seen at www.theunmutual.co.uk Peter Luck

JOHN FOULDS Keltic Suite, etc. BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Ronald Corp Keltic Overture; Keltic Suite; Sicilian Aubade; Isles of Greece; Holiday Sketches – Festival in Nuremburg, Romany from Bohemia, Evening in the Odenwald, Bells at Coblenz; An Arabian Night; Suite Fantastique – Pierrette and Pierrot, Chanson Plaintive, The Wayside Cross, Carnival ProcessionDutton Epoch CDLX7252 [68:06]. A few weeks ago in my locally owned recorded and sheet music/instruments shop I ordered a John Foulds CD I’d seen on a forthcoming issues list, and since receiving it it’s hardly been out of my CD player. Apart from Paxton and Bosworth recordings of his music, I really didn’t know much about John Foulds [1880-1939] but this Dutton Epoch disc is light music at its best. Lewis Foreman in the CD booklet notes that Foulds was frustrated that his light music was played in preference to his more serious works and listening to this CD I can see why. The programme begins with the Keltic Overture, rather similar I think to Hamish MacCunn’s The Land of the Mountain and the Flood and this is followed by The Clans, A Lament and The Call, which make up the Keltic Suite. All very colourful especially The Call, which begins as a jig and works up to a grand martial movement then coming back to its original dance rhythm before once again returning to a martial climax. Sicillian Aubade could have come from a mood music catalogue, it has that Mediterranean melody yet it is one of eleven tracks having their world premiere recordings on this CD. Isles of Greece is a plaintive piece which apparently was dedicated to a couple of dancers, Alexandre and Clotilde Sakharoff , who used it for a short ballet. The suite Holiday Sketches was published by Bosworths but to my knowledge hasn’t ever appeared in their mood music library catalogue as has the Keltic Overture and Lament. The first movement is Festival in Nuremburg but nothing to do with the infamous rallies, it’s a holiday style march and very catchy. The BBC Concert Orchestra’s Cynthia Fleming is the solo violinst for the gipsy Romany from Bohemia as is cello soloist Katherine Wood in the quiet Evening in the Odenwald. Holiday Sketches ends in quite a tumultuous fashion with Bells at Coblenz ringing out. An Arabian Night is a quiet affair with as you’d expect eastern overtones but the CD ends with four movements from the Suite Fantastique; The Wayside Cross builds to an impressive organ climax played by Roderick Elms, and the final movementCarnival Procession has the Concert Orchestra and conductor Ronald Corp sounding as though they’ve enjoyed themselves immensely playing this much neglected composer’s light music. Ken Wilkins

RAIE DA COSTA – The Parlophone Girl Volume 3 The First Thing I Knew; One Hour With You – Medley; Sunshine Susie – Medley; Hexentanz; Fairies’ Gavotte; The Punch and Judy Show; Butterflies In The Rain; Sarie Marais; I’ll Follow My Secret Heart; etc. … 24 tracks Shellwood SWCD 40[70:00]. This is Shellwood’s third collection devoted to a young lady pianist from South Africa with considerable talent, who died at the tragically early age of 29. Many of her recordings could best be described as syncopated piano solos, but sometimes she was joined by musicians such as Fred Hartley [on celeste] and in duets with the likes of Harry Jacobson. From the brief tracklisting details above, keen eyes will have spotted compositions by top songsmiths such as Sherman Myers [who we all now know was Montague Ewing], and she is also featured as composer on Toyland Holiday. If you’ve enjoyed the first two volumes you’ll be keen to get this one as well. The fine restorations are complemented with comprehensive booklet notes and recording information. David Ades If you have difficulty finding Shellwood CDs, they can be obtained from the RFS Record Service.

PETER DEMPSEY My Dreams : Songs by Francesco Paolo Tosti 26 tracks incl. Io son l’amore!; O Ma Charmante; Shall We Forget?; Marechiare; Beauty’s Eyes; Ici-bas!; Triste ritorno; On Lido Waters; Because of You; Le Rose che mi desti; Senza l’amore!; My Dreams; Petite Valse Romantique [piano solo]; Spring; Serenata allegra; Inverno Triste!; Serenata Allegro; Inverno triste!; Seconda mattinata; ‘A vucchella … FPT 1 [78:39] Here is another of tenor Peter Dempsey’s growing collection of CDs devoted to Victorian or Edwardian ballads and notable, as always, for his clear, passionate delivery and admirable diction. Tosti [1846-1916] is best remembered for the English ballad Good-Bye [not recorded here], but his output of 350-plus songs included, besides English ballads [mostly to lyrics by Fred Weatherly, with six of them here], French chansons [three here including the charmingPour un baiser!, beloved of Caruso] and Italian songs, many specifically Neapolitan ones. Strongly recommended, not least because at least 12 of the 25 song tracks have probably not previously been recorded. Recording quality is excellent. Accompanist Guy Rowland, who supports well, arranged his own solo from a Tosti waltz song. Available from Peter Dempsey at 44 Victoria Road, Bidford-on-Avon, Alcester, Warwicks B50 4AR at £9.95 including postage Philip L Scowcroft

GEORGE BEVERLEY SHEA The Wonder Of It All 2 CDs 48 tracks Jasmine JASCD 674 [65:13 & 69:33] The canyon-deep baritone of "Bev", now in his 102^nd year, was a key part of Dr. Billy Graham’s great Christian crusades held throughout the world during the second half of the 20^thcentury. Many old favourites are here such as Somebody bigger than you or I, If I can help somebody, How great thou art, He’s got the whole world in His hands, The Lord’s Prayer and Blessed assurance. The last 12 tracks on Disc 2 are devoted to Christmas titles. Both generously-timed CDs [at mid-price] will bring back moving memories to many people of their lives being changed. Peter Burt

CENTRAL BAND OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE Reach For The Skies Battle Of Britain March; Fanfare For The Common Man; 633 Squadron; RAF March Past; Lawrence Of Arabia; It’s A Long Way To Go; The Dambusters March; Winston Churchill: "Their finest hour" [Jerusalem]; Reach For The Sky; Danny Boy; Pomp And Circumstance; Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines; Spitfire Prelude; Wind Beneath My Wings; Evening Hymn and Sunrise; Winston Churchill: "Never in the field of human conflict" [The Day Thou Gavest] Decca 2747513 [48:36] Released to mark the 70^thanniversary of the Battle of Britain, this is guaranteed to lift the spirits with its mix of RAF-related classics, including three composed by Ron Goodwin, and tunes traditional and modern. The 45-strong band is conducted by the RAF’s principal director of music, Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs. I am not enthusiastic about the three vocal tracks: It’s a long way sung by Fl. Lt. Matthew Little, which was especially written for the album by two of the bandsmen, Danny Boy [Hayley Westenra], and Wind beneath [Kerry Ellis]. The two speech extracts give added poignancy to an otherwise fine album with a very high level of musicianship. I recall 55 years ago how proud I was to march behind this band with bayonet fixed as RAF Wyton received the Freedom of Huntingdon. Not for the first time my mainquibble with this CD is the short measure. When will Decca match the quality with quantity on their popular band releases? Peter Burt 

BOB SCOBEY AND HIS FRISCO JAZZ BAND featuring CLANCY HAYES Feelin’ The Spirit Frisco jazz parade; Georgia blues; Too much mustard (take five) There’s nothing in Dixie (take three) Memories of bunk; Sudan (take six) Geary Street blues; Feelin’ the spirit; That’s for sure; Strawberry time; My hearts in Dixie (take three) Hobo blues (take two) Don’t count your kisses; Southern comfort; Bourbon street; Tailgate romance; Cable car swing; Clarinet capers; While you are away; Along the Wabash shore; Hobo blues (take three) Too much mustard (take four) What a lonesome day (take five) Bob’s blues (take one) Two beat (take four) Sounds of yesteryear DSOY 817[67:50] One for Chris Barber fans! Paul Clatworthy

JOE VENUTI AND HIS BLUE FIVE Blue Five Swing Hoe-down low down; Tango interlude; Hot ‘N’ trot; Bohemian bounce; Blue five swing; Nobody loves me; Red sea rumba; Fickle fiddle; Orchids; Concerto for new sounds; Black rhythm; Desert flower; Fleur-de-lis; Beautiful Oregon; Loco motives; Gee its great; Could I care; Noveletta; The distant lake; Sambalina. Sounds of yesteryear DSOY 815 [55:02] Joe Venuti is considered the father of jazz violin. He worked with major big bands such as Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden and Benny Goodman. Bing Crosby’s radio show featured him on a regular basis. A great practical joker, he used to send one armed trumpet player Wingy Malone a single cufflink every Christmas. Another time annoyed by a band member’s insistent foot tapping he nailed the culprits shoe to the floor! These tracks were recorded in 1957 and make pleasant listening; few violinists could coax so much joy out of the instrument in a small group setting.

Paul Clatworthy

DON REDMAN ORCHESTRA featuring COLEMAN HAWKINS Free And Easy Last night in town; To the river; Ballad ‘N’ bounce; Dreamy melody; Desert dance; Chevy’s chase; Christmas in the valley; Donnybrook; Ain’t gonna get fooled again; Voodoo; Peetni Petite; Waiting on the corner; My dream of yesterday; Fall leaves; At the swing cats ball; Free and easy; Echoing; Coffee light; The black cat; I dream of summer. Sounds of yester year DSOY 816 [51:58] Don Redman made his mark as an arranger in early big band jazz providing scores for Louis Armstrong, Ben Pollack and Paul Whiteman [my Dad’s favourite band]. He later worked for Jimmy Dorsey, Count Basie then as musical director for Pearl Bailey. All twenty tracks are absorbing listening, I would dearly love to know who did the composing and arranging as there are no credits on the sleeve. Coleman Hawkins puts extra colour in to these rare sessions which are undated. The sleeve says Don stopped leading his own band in 1940 so I assume the music predates, if so either excellent first recording or wonders worked in the remastering. I loved the title and tune Chevy’s chase although unfair to pick one among so many goodies. Paul Clatworthy

LALO SCHIFRIN Mambo in Paris featuring the Orchestras of Eddie Warner and Lolo Martinez Harkit Records HRKCD8347 [63:15] Twenty-one tracks arranged by Lalo. His piano teacher told him the Conservatoire de Paris was offering scholarships for foreign students, so he set off with his book of arrangements. The year was 1952, these tracks were originally issued on The Barclay and Odeon labels between 1953 and 1955 A fascinating look at Lalo’s early writings, four original compositions, others by Gillespie, Perez Prado, Juan Tizol, Morales and names familiar in South America but less well known in Europe. Paul Clatworthy

MONICA MANCINI I’ve Loved These Days These days: God only knows; American tune; Blame it on the sun; Without him; How can I be sure; I’ll follow the sun; Ballad of the sad young men; Something so right; I’ve loved these days. Concord 08880072307452 [43:15]. Despite arrangements by Jorge Calandrelli I wish I had given this one a miss. Revisiting hits by others only works if you can improve or add something. Some tracks have the original artists involved but it is still a letdown.

Paul Clatworthy

FOLLOW THAT GIRL 17 tracks incl. Tra La La; I’m away; Follow that girl; Solitary stranger; Life must go on; Three Victorian mermaids; Doh, Ray, Me; Song and dance; The Chase; Taken for a ride; Lovely meeting you at last … & 2 other tracks Hooray For Daisy! 12 tracks incl. She coming on the 4.48; I feel as if I’d never been away; No lullaby; How when and where?; If only you needed me; Nice day … Must Close Saturday Records MCSR 3047 [76:21]

FOLLOW THAT GIRL [Original London Cast] 17 tracks …& 7 other tracks Sepia Records Sepia 1156 [72:64]

Not a blast from the past but the gentle zephyr of a breeze! My wife and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary by going to the Vaudeville Theatre in London to see Julian Slade and Dorothy Reynolds’ delightful follow-up to their then record breaking show "Salad Days." And now, 50 years on, here is not only its first re-issue on CD but mirabile dictu its second as well. Starring Peter Gilmore [later of the popular BBC series ‘The Onedin Line’] and Susan Hampshire [later of ‘Forsyte Saga’ and ‘Monarch of the Glen’ fame] with musical direction by Philip Martell, it ran for 211 performances and was one of the first show recordings to be made in stereo. The story is about a young Victorian girl whose parents want her to marry a businessman so she runs away followed by her two suitors, Tancred and Wilberforce. The policeman sent to find her, who himself was lost 20 years ago while his parents [played by Marion Grimaldi and Newton Blick] were Shopping in Kensington, falls in love with her. Among the good tunes and witty lyrics Waiting for our daughter, sung in mock-opera style by James Cairncross and Patricia [Hyacinth "Bucket"] Routledge, is especially fun. Slade and Reynolds also wrote the Christmassy ‘Hooray for Daisy’, a dozen numbers from which are included on the Must Close album performed by the Bristol Old Vic Company. As well as the tracks from the two stage shows there are two additional tracks: Michael Collins’ orchestral selection from ‘Follow’, and the title tune played as a slow foxtrot by Victor Sylvester and his Orchestra. This CD also has the added appeal of the recording being restored by our friend Alan Bunting. Aside from that the Sepia album is only slightly shorter in length and is £2 or so cheaper. It has some fascinating "bonus" tracks: two selections from ‘Follow’ played by composer Julian Slade himself at the piano, a "pop version" of the title tune sung by Mr Gilmore backed by Tony Osborne and his Orchestra, three tracks [two songs from ‘Follow’] from the 1955 recording ‘The Music of Julian Slade’, and Christmas Madrigal from another Slade show "Look Who’s Here". All wonderfully nostalgic. Peter Burt 

LANG LANG The Best Of Lang Lang 27 tracks Deutsche Grammophon 4779014 [131:70] Here is the phenomenally talented 28-year-old pianist [his name translates as "very brilliant"], about whom some music purists are a bit sniffy, playing on a new mid-price 2-CD collection of recordings ranging from Liebestraum to – of special interest to JIM readers – Nigel Hess’s 23½-minute Piano Concerto, commissioned by The Prince of Wales in memory of the late Queen Mother. In between there is an eclectic mix of pieces: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini; Träumerei; Tchaikovsky’sPiano Concerto No.1, 3^rd movt.; Mike Oldfield’s Harbinger; Alexandre Desplat’s River Waltz [from the film "The Painted Lady"]; The Yellow River Piano Concerto, 2^nd movt. Ode to the Yellow River; Schiller’s Time for Dreams, other tuneful works by Liszt, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Satie, Rachmaninov, Schumann, and some particularly fascinating ones by Chinese composers, about which I would have liked some information in the booklet notes. Put this on your Christmas gift list.Edward Trub

More reminders from Wilfred Askew of recently received releases

THE CREATIVE SOUNDS OF FRANK DE VOL – Portraits 55 tracks on 2-CDs incl. Stranger in Paradise; Moments to Remember; My Foolish Heart; Unchained Melody; Chances are; Tammy; True Love; Say One for Me; Love Letters in the Sand; Silver Moon; When I Grow Too Old to Dream; Wonderful one; I’ll See You Again …Jasmine JASCD 538 [156:51] Original Capitol, CBS & RCA Recordings including 21 vocal tracks: Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford, Margaret Whiting, Dinah Shore, Mel Torme & Gordon Macrae.

MAURICE JARRE ‘Lion Of The Desert’ & ‘The Message’ The Original Film Sountracks on 2-CDsTadlow Music Tadlow 008 [138:32]

HENRY MANCINI Mancini Marches [issued in 1959 as ‘March Step In Hi-Fi’] National Emblem; Entry of the Gladiators; The Billboard March; Under the double Eagle; Colonel Bogey; On the Mall … & six more titles Sousa In Hi-Fi [reissued in 1963 as ‘Sousa’s Greatest Marches’] Semper fidelis; National Fencibles March; Stars & Stripes Forever; The Invincible Eagle March; King Cotton; Manhattan Beach March … & six more titles Collectors’ Choice CCM-959 [65:05] Original Warner Bros. albums from 1959.

RALPH MARTERIE Into The ‘Fifties 50 original Mercury recordings on 2-CDs: Pretend; Caravan; Shish-Kebab; Moonlight in Vermont; La Rosita; Beautiful Ohio; Alice Blue Gown; Alone; Once in a while; Boulevard of Broken Dreams, John and Julie; In a Persian Market … Jasmine JASCD 541[132:13]

THE ARHUR MURRAY ORCHESTRA directed by Ray Carter Arthur Murray’s Music For Dancing Cha Cha 12 tracks incl. Watermelon Heart; Cheerful Little Earful; Arrivederci, Roma; Rico Vacilon; Arthur, you should smile more; It might as well be Spring … Sbme SBMk700725 2 [31:40]Fox Trot 12 tracks incl. Mack the Knife; Autumn Leaves; Canadian Sunset; There’s a small hotel; April in Portugal; Arthur Murray taught me dancing in a hurry … Sbme SBMk 700726 2 [28:26]Mambo, Rumba, Samba, Tango, Meringue 12 tracks incl. Red Petticoats; Tequila; Dansero; Bandolero, [La La] Colette; Ole Guapo … Sbme SBMk700727 2 [29:06] Waltz 12 tracks incl. Tenderly; Wunderbar; Under Paris Skies; A Kiss in the Dark; Alice blue gown; Wonderful One …Sbme SBMk 700728 2 [29:43] Original RCA recordings 1959.

KEN THORNE ‘Juggernaut’ & ‘The Bed Sitting Room’ Original Motion Picture SoundtracksKritzerland 20016-1 [33:56] 1,000 copies