Keeping Track - Dateline March 2007
ERIC COATES CONDUCTS ERIC COATES For Your Delight For Your Delight, Calling All Workers, Wood Nymphs, Summer Days – Suite, By The Tamarisk, The Three Bears, By The Sleepy Lagoon, Cinderella, A Song By The Way, London – Suite, Saxo-Rhapsody, Footlights, Sound And Vision, London Again – Suite, Springtime – Suite, The Jester At The Wedding – 2 movements, Last Love, The Three Elizabeths – Suite, Four Centuries – Suite, The Dam Busters Eric Coates conducting various symphony and concert orchestras Sanctuary Living Era Classics, 2CD set, AJD2013 total timing 156:49 mins. In 1994 Conifer released an excellent 2CD collection of recordings of Eric Coates’ music, compiled by Hugh Palmer and digitally remastered by Ted Kendall. Two years later the same team produced a second 2CD set and, once again, Coates’ own recordings were augmented by versions conducted by leading musicians such as Clarence Raybould, Basil Cameron, Emanuel Starkey and Charles Williams. These two releases provided a wonderful selection that demonstrated the wide range of Eric Coates’ composing talent, and they deserved to remain in the catalogue for many years since they represented such an important part of Britain’s musical heritage. But shortly afterwards BMG bought Conifer Records, and virtually the entire catalogue was deleted with indecent haste. A few years later Naxos released several CDs of Coates’ music (possibly trying to fill the gap left by the Conifer deletions) but the sound quality on some of the tracks was barely acceptable. Happily the situation has now improved dramatically, thanks to this new 2CD collection from Living Era Classics. Although it is obviously impossible to match the wide scope of the earlier Conifers (this new release is two CDs, not four), this is a superb selection of many of Coates’ greatest compositions, and it is obviously a great bonus to have the composer’s own interpretations. No worries about indifferent sound quality this time … Alan Bunting has expertly treated each and every track with the gentle care and love they all deserve – not always easy when you consider that the earliest 78 dates from 1933 with the most recent in 1955, just two years before Coates died from a stroke on 21 December 1957. It is not possible to discuss all the titles in detail, but it should be mentioned that the recording of By The Sleepy Lagoon comes from a 12" Columbia 78 recorded on 4 March 1935 with a larger orchestra, rather than the usual 1940 version on the reverse side of Calling All Workers. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Eric Coates’ passing, and it is to be hoped that his importance will be recognised by the BBC and other broadcasting organisations. Whatever you do, don’t miss this new release. It should have pride of place in every light music admirer’s collection, and these days you can never be sure how long CDs will remain in the catalogue. Remember what happened to Conifer … buy this CD now! David Ades
"Don’t look back" WARREN VACHE and The Scottish Ensemble. It was written in the stars, My Mistress’ eyes, Spring, My love and I, Molly on the shore, April in my heart, Valse Prismatique, I fall in love too easily, Love is for the very young, On the street where you live, Don’t look back. 58:45. Arbors Records ARCD19318). Some while ago I read a news snippet in "Crescendo" written by Duncan Lamont saying that Warren had managed to coax Bill Finegan out of retirement to write some string charts for an album. Excited by the news I intended to write to Duncan for further details but dallied longer than intended! Discussing the project with fellow member Malcolm Fraser he hit me with the surprise news that he had the CD! On first playing I wished the dozen strings had been augmented to a lusher sound but after repeat listening I realised the orchestra used perfectly suited Warren’s intimate style of cornet playing. As listed above you can see Warren knows a good tune! Two by David Raksin, "Love is for the very young" arranged by Warren and "My love and I" originally commissioned to Robert Farnon but with his sad passing (see ‘Jumping Bean’ in this issue) handed to Alan Barnes who grasps the opportunity with both hands! Bill Finegan arranged "It was written in the stars", "April in my heart" and "Don’t look back". Bill had not put pen to chart for ten years but it certainly does not show, especially on Johnny Mandel’s eloquent composition "Don’t look back". Yet another bonus contained here, a lost chart by John Carisi "Spring" which was left off of Charlie Parker’s string backed outing. Warren’s creditably emotional interpretation of good ballads clearly show; he likes a strong melody. CDs of this calibre always welcome in my player! Paul Clatworthy
LIGHT MUSIC WHILE YOU WORK – Various artists. Guild GLCD 5128 full tracklisting in JIM170. Those who are aware of my interest in the radio programme Music While You Work will not be surprised that I’ve been rather looking forward to this the 28th recording in Guild’s splendid series. They will also expect me to listen to it with a critical ear. Fear not, apart from one or two reservations I think it is really very good. The radio programme Music While You Work came about when the BBC was asked to provide programmes of morale boosting tuneful music to Britain’s wartime workers. During the programme’s 27 year run and subsequent revivals, hundreds of dance bands, light orchestras and groups were heard. To supplement the broadcasts in the factories, Decca instituted its own Music While You Work series of records, and it is primarily from this series that the tracks on this CD have been drawn – with the emphasis on light orchestral music – in line with the general theme of these Guild recordings. There is the added bonus of a couple of tracks which were probably earmarked for the Decca series but never issued. Included in this compilation are the orchestras of Richard Crean, Reginald Pursglove, Harry Davidson, Philip Green, Ronnie Munro and Mantovani with the Harry Fryer Orchestra taking the lion’s share with no less than ten items. Whenever I have suggested a CD of Harry Fryer I have been told he is not sufficiently well-known. Well, it’s true that many will be unfamiliar with his name, and even I am too young to remember his broadcasts, but a study of wartime editions of Radio Times shows that he was a big name in radio right up until his untimely death at the age of 50, often broadcasting three times a week, so this CD is partly a tribute to him, particularly as its release date of November 2006 coincides almost to the day of the 60thanniversary of his death! Another radio stalwart of many years standing was Richard Crean whose orchestra’s final broadcast, conducted by Reginald Kilbey, was actually a few days after the maestro’s death in 1955. His four contributions to this disc include a short but delightful version of theHaunted Ballroom which serves as an antidote to the dreadful rendering of this piece by a contemporary orchestra a few years ago. As most items on this CD are played by orchestras of similar instrumentation, i.e. theatre orchestras, the illusion of an actual MWYW broadcast is created, topped and tailed with an exhilarating version of Calling All Workers. I have to say that I felt it a mistake to use the whole piece at the end of the recording. On radio this signature tune always commenced at the trio section (letter c on the music). Perhaps it was decided that as this version by the Tivoli Concert Hall Orchestra has never appeared on CD it should be reproduced in full, but for me it really jarred, spoiling the authenticity of the recording. Nevertheless I applaud the use of this record as opposed to the hackneyed Phil Green Victory Band version so often used whenever a MWYW compilation has been produced. During radio’s golden years the BBC attached great importance to programme building and so do I – even on a CD where technology enables you to build your own programme. On radio an orchestra leader who included two consecutive waltzes in a broadcast, apart from in a medley, could expect a reprimand from the BBC. Four items out of five in waltz time, such as occur towards the end of this CD, would have seen the orchestra taken off the air! Surely a couple of them could have been used to break up the block of five marches / paso dobles in the middle of this recording? Apart from these minor quibbles I think that this is an excellent CD. Once again, Alan Bunting has worked his magic and produced recordings which sound as if they were performed yesterday. David Ades has again produced comprehensive and informative notes and I appreciate his comment to the effect that my recent book on MWYW was helpful in their preparation. Having said that, I hope he won’t think me churlish in pointing out one or two small discrepancies. The first – probably a typographical error – states that Harry Davidson appeared on MWYW 109 times in the first year of the programme. It was actually the number of programmes which Harry played in the series from 1940-46. Also, following his retirement, the programme Those Were The Days was conducted by Sidney Davey for ten and a half years, not twelve. Finally, Reg Pursglove’s Albany Strings were previously known as the Muted Strings, not the Albany Players, which was a larger and much earlier orchestra. Overall this is a super CD which will appeal to all lovers of traditional light music. Some will say, why were Wynford Reynolds, David Java, Harold Collins and Reginald Burston’s Coliseum Orchestra not represented on this disc? They all recorded on the Decca MWYW label. Well, perhaps they have been earmarked for Volume Two. There has surely got to be one! Brian Reynolds
DIANA KRALL – From This Moment On. It Could Happen To You; Isn’t This A Lovely Day; How Insensitive Plus 8 Other Selections 51:36 mins. Verve B0007323-02. This CD is a most welcome return from the controversial album of songs co-written with her husband Elvis Costello. The mood is, if anything, deeper and richer. This is aided by steamy, hazy arrangements by John Clayton who uses clusters of sound with remarkable Gil Evans-like textures. The opening cut "It Could Happen To You" shows this sound perfectly with sustained brass chords throughout while "Come Dance With Me" is more appropriately Basie / Hefti-like with soft brass and sax with a solid swinging beat. We hear more from Krall as a pianist on this CD than previously on songs such as "Exactly Like You" with a marvellous solo by this singer matching the ebulliently rhythmic vocal line she establishes. And what about the title track "From This Moment On"? The almost passionate arrangement brings practically steals the show! This is a very special CD for it shows off to splendid effect the very best that Diana Krall is capable of providing! Richard Jessen
XAVIER CUGAT – Cugat’s Favourite Rhumbas. Say "si si" (Para vigo me voy) (Lubon; Lecuona); Begin the beguine (Porter); Green eyes (Aquellos ojos verdes); (Utrera; Menendez); Estrallita (My little star) (Ponce); Rumba rumba (Valencia; Parfumy); La golondrina (The swallow) (Serradell); Besamé mucho (Kiss me much) (Velazquez); La paloma (The dove) (Yradier); Cielito lindo (Blue skies); No can do (Tobias; Simon); Bambarito (Rosell); You forgotcha guitar (McCarthy; Monaco); Cugat’s nugats from "Luxury Liner" (Cugat; Angulo); The wedding samba (Ellstein; Small; Liebowitz); Cha-cha-cha (Rizo; Morgan); Zing-a zing-a zing boom (Black-Out-Ze Maria; Moore); Mambo no.8 (Prado); I am a bum (Castro); Night must fall (Shaw; Cugat); Cariberia (Seri); Si si si Senor (Angulo); Para que? (Garcia; Silva); Un poquito de tu amor (Gutierrez); You can in Yucatan (Capullito de alell); (Drake; Shirl; Hernandez); Rio la yagua (Miranda). Vocalion CDVS 1948. This is most certainly my kind of music and my period too but quite a lot of tracks, when reading the titles, do not mean anything to me and it is quite unusual not to see that old standard Brazil listed – perhaps it is not the right rhythm. Outstanding for me are tracks Rhumba Rhumba, Zing-a zing-a zing boom, andUn poquito de tu amor – all titles which I seem to recall from those 40s days of my youth. A lot of these numbers I seem to recall he played when he was fronting his orchestra when appearing in those wonderful MGM musicals. A pity that none of the vocals seem to have the wonderful Lina Romay doing her stuff – a very sexy person was she! I just wonder how long it will be before some more excellent titles in the Latin vein come out. Vocalion certainly seem to have the monopoly in this field these days. Thank you Vocalion for two good CDs for me to end 2006 on. Alec Hellyer
MANTOVANI – Mantovani Today & Musical Moments With Mantovani Midnight Cowboy, Up, up, and away, I’ll never fall in love again, Blowin’ in the wind, Deserted shore, Without love [There is nothing], Everybody’s talkin’, Lemon tree, Good morning starshine, Leaving on a jet plane, Wand’ring star, Love is all / And I love you so, Eye-level, Le Chanson de Maria, For all we know, Tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree, It’s diff’rent now, Say, has anyone seen my sweet Gypsy Rose?, Our last affair, Elizabethan Serenade, Fool, Dear father [70:44] Vocalion CDLK 4315. Another attractive 2-on-1 from the two maestros of music and remastering. The first album saw the light of day in the US in 1970 [there was a UK release of the same name with a slightly different track selection]; the second, recorded in Paris, appeared in the UK four years later on a Decca SKL vinyl. This is the first CD incarnation for both albums. The then newly written Deserted shore, and Our last affair are both Mantovani compositions. Up, up, and away is given a very up-tempo treatment by Roland Shaw. Bacharach’s I’ll never fall oozes class. In his indispensable biography of Mantovani, Colin Mackenzie remarks how in some pieces on the ‘Today’ album the woodwind play a more important role than before. On the second album Monty’s old associate Ronald Binge’s Elizabethan Serenade really is a choice composition. It is good, too, to be reminded of Eye Level, the signature tune for the excellent Dutch-based detective series ‘Van Der Valk’, a version of which by the Simon Park Orchestra topped the British singles chart in 1973. But my favourite track is the arrangement given Neil Diamond’sDear father that closes the programme. If not among his absolute best – using mainly modern pop songs rather than from the classic songbooks precluded that – these albums are two more fine examples of a consummate musician’s legacy to the world of light music. Please keep them coming, Mr Dutton. [NB The CD’s digital information is slightly awry in that there are only 22 tracks shown instead of 23, but it may have been corrected by the time you read this]. Peter Burt
THE MAGNIFICENT MARINES – The Band of HM Royal Marines School of Music / Lt-Col. Vivian Dunn; Frederick Harvey (baritone). Finale from 'Carillon', The Preobrajensky March, Famous Songs of the British Isles, Shenandoah, Up from Somerset, Trade Winds, Glorious Devon, Fleet Air Arm March, Sarie Marais, Lilliburlero, Barcelona, La Ritirata Italiana – Drescher, Marche des Parachutistes Belges, Ponderoso. The Alfalfa Club, The United States Marine Corps Hymn, Theme from 'The Great War', Theme and March Glorious, March of the Victors, The Finest Hours, Here Comes the Band, No Hiding Place, 1812 Overture. Eastney Collection RM HSE CO14. This latest release from the Eastney Collection concludes the series of the many distinguished recordings which Vivian Dunn made with the Royal Marines Band for EMI. They have again been subject to digital remastering by Brian Culverhouse, former EMI record producer, who was responsible for supervising the original sessions. Despite the fact that this compilation embraces tracks ranging between 1954-68, all are in stereo with consistently high quality. An excellent selection of marches includes a resplendent Preobrajensky March adapted as the regimental slow march of the R.M. during the corps’ tercentenary year and which was originally the march of the Preobrajensky Guards, of which a great uncle of Mountbatten was one of the last colonels. Subsequently Mountbatten received the score from King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1934. Pierre Leemans’ Marche des Parachutistes Belges is a gloriously ear-tickling patrol march and a great personal favourite, whilst the lively Fleet Air Arm Marchemanated not from a professional musician but from Freddie Stovin-Bradford who wrote the march in 1963 whilst chief of staff to Flag Officer Air at Lee-on-Solent. He subsequently sent a copy of the manuscript to Vivian Dunn with a request that it be scored for military band, which was duly done. This disc is particularly valuable in incorporating three more tracks which the well-regarded and much admired English baritone Frederick Harvey made with this band – he has already featured on several other earlier discs in this series. Here he contributes songs which were immensely popular in the first half of the latter century – Up From Somerset, Trade Wins (words by Peter Masefield) and who better qualified than Frederick Harvey, a Devon man born and bred in Plymouth, to intone Edward German’s stirring Glorious Devon. His crystal clear articulation is impressive and surely an object lesson for many a contemporary singer. Any other compelling reasons for acquiring this disc? Well... there is a rarely heard piece here by a certain Robert Farnon whose title and music is quite unfamiliar to me. Mention is made in the CD booklet that the Guv’nor was a long-standing friend of Vivian Dunn and when Farnon settled in Guernsey he was a frequent visitor to the R.M. School of Music at Deal. Here Comes the Band is described as being, appropriately enough, in cheerful light-hearted style, but I wonder whether a kindly member of our society can provide any further information on this particular score? One or two TV theme tunes included here are notably Wilfrid Joseph’s music for The Great War which chillingly and vividly conveys the utter desolation and bleakness of the Flanders battle fields, and on a contrasting lighter note Laurie Johnson’s dramatic score for No Hiding Place, which conveys visual images to those of us of a certain age – of black liveried police cars hurtling at speed, accompanied by screeching tyres from the portals of New Scotland Yard. The disc is brought to a satisfactorily resounding conclusion by the final section of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture in which the Royds join the Bournemouth S.O. under Constantin Silvestri in a performance recorded at the resort’s Winter Gardens in 1966. An excellent indispensable addition to the ever-growing Eastney collection, well up to the production standards of its predecessors and recommended with all possible enthusiasm. Roger Hyslop
EARLY RECORDED MOVIE MUSIC LIBRARIES For tracklisting please refer to page 76 of JIM 170 – December 2006. This is a special CD, exclusively for members of the Robert Farnon Society, which has been compiled by Graham Newton to accompany his series of articles in Journal Into Melody. There are so many fascinating areas of recorded music during the 20th century, but surely this CD is truly unique. In every respect it is an historical document, and but for the dedicated research and enthusiasm of Graham Newton (one of the world’s leading sound restorers) it is likely that much of this music would have been lost to future generations. It is certainly a labour of love, and something which Graham felt needed to be done to illustrate the wealth of superb music that was written to accompany the early motion pictures. The sound quality of some of the cues is absolutely outstanding considering when the original recordings were made. As a good example compare The Conspirators on track 8 (from "Marked Money") with the same cue from the Victor Pict-Ur library found on track 37. These recordings were made by expert musicians, who were clearly incredibly good at their craft, in one take with no editing possible! Some tracks last only a few seconds, but others are full length. Clearly this music was not written in the expectation that people would listen to it in their homes, so it may not be something you will place regularly in your CD player. But, on the other hand, you are unlikely to find anything like this elsewhere, and anyone with an interest in the history of film music should have this in their collection. David Ades For details of how to order, please see page 37 of this issue.
SHERRIE MARICLE and the DIVA JAZZ ORCHESTRA present TNT: A Tommy Newsom Tribute. Titter Pipes; Pensativa; Three Shades Of Blue; Moonlight Plus 6 More Selections (1:04:13) . Lightyear 54698-2. There’s no more better tribute to one of the mainstays of The Tonight Show Orchestra than this CD release. Sherrie Maricle is the heartbeat of this CD and is one of the few drummers who truly understands the art of both driving a band without overwhelming everyone. Of all of the selections, "Titter Pipes" is the oldest number, dating from the Newsom’s Skitch Henderson days with the Tonight Show of the 1960s. "Pensativa" and "Three Shades Of Blue" represent the flowing eloquence of Newsom’s style with great solos Karolina Strassmeyer on flute on the former and playing soprano sax in a highly individual lyrical manner on the latter. Newsom’s wit comes through on the Nat King Cole medley with a vocal trio drawn from the orchestra singing "Straighten Up And Fly Right" while the entire ensemble makes "Nature Boy" sound more interesting than most would think. The Zoot Sims - Gerry Mulligan composition"Red Door" end everything on a solidly flowing groove with swinging solos by Anat Cohen on tenor sax and Barbara Laronga on trumpet. If ever there is both an enlivening and instructive CD, this is the one to own and cherish for years ahead. Bravos to both Sherrie Maricle and her superb band and for the arranger/composer Tommy Newsom. Richard Jessen
THE MUSIC OF THE ROYAL ENGINEERS – The Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers / Maj. E.H. Keeley. Sesqui-Centennial Celebration March; Imperial March / Mazurka Militaire (Flux); Public Duties (Pryce); On the Countermarch (Keeley); Royal Standard (Brigham); The Acrobat (Greenwood); Amazing Grace (Newton)... Specialist Recording Company SRC136. This disc represents some fine music associated with the Corps of Royal Engineers – popularly known as the Sappers, which may be largely unfamiliar to the general listener. It is nonetheless well worth his time and pocket to purchase this disc when he will be well-rewarded with an unhackneyed and refreshing collection of military music. The disc is timely as it celebrates 150 years of Royal Engineers music, the original band having been formed in 1856, and because it was one of Major Keeley’s last recordings with the band before he retired in August 2006. He has however not been lost to world of military music since he has subsequently taken up the post as D.O.M. of the Honourable Artillery Company (T.A.) band. Following the R.E. Corps Fanfare the first track is the R.E.’s Sesqui-Centennial Celebration March – rather unwieldy title this – composed by Peter Graham, Professor of Composition at Salford University, and proving convincingly that a modern march can be both contemporary and tuneful. Neville Flux became Bandmaster Royal Engineers in January 1905 on the personal recommendation of Sir Alexander McKenzie, Principal of the Royal Academy of Music, and since he was a civilian, caused a lot of adverse comments from both the military and musical press of the day. Two of his pieces are featured here and are testimony to the fact that he was a highly accomplished composer – an imposing Imperial March and a catchy Mazurka Militaire. Quite properly there are also two of Maj. Keeley’s own compositions – On The Countermarch and Spongs Leap, a distinctly unusual title inspired by a McSpong who lost control of his horse, careered through the arch to Brompton Barracks and horse and rider cleared a 6-foot iron fence and disappeared down a drop of 42 feet! Amazingly neither were seriously hurt and were able to continue on their way. There is even a plaque commemorating this bizarre incident at the R.E. HQ Officers’ Mess! One of the highlights on this CD is an outstanding slow march, Royal Standard, by Earl Brigham, a pseudonym of Maj. A.L.F. Young, D.O.M. of the band 1944-58. The piece has been used by the band as its unofficial slow march and for a while was also used as the Kneller Hall slow march, and deservedly so. John A. Greenwood’sThe Acrobat is one of those infernally irritating pieces you seem to have known forever but never discovered the title. The booklet notes remind us that it was Percy Thrower’s theme tune in his BBC radio gardening series back in the 1960s and it is delivered here flawlessly played on the trombone by L.Cpl. M.P. Lawday. The familiar strains of Amazing Grace come complete with piper in the person of staff Sgt. Kenny Kerr, a past Pipe Major of the Royal Highland Fusiliers. The vivid recording was made in an interesting and unusual location, the Royal Dockyard Church, Chatham. The band are on top form throughout, and the CD comes with usual high standard of artwork and excellent notes – so this production is something of which the recording company and the band can feel justly proud. A noteworthy and fascinating release; one not to be missed. Roger Hyslop
A SONG FOR CHRISTMAS Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly, Once in Royal David’s City, Jingle Bells, etc. 12 tracks Mantovani and his Orchestra 40:45 mins Vocalion CDLF 8122. Promised at our November 2004 meeting, this was announced too late for mention in the last JIM which was a pity because good sales might encourage Mike Dutton to release the earlier and even better million-plus selling ‘An Album of Christmas Music’. Monty is accompanied by the Mike Sammes Chorus & Singers on the first two tracks listed above as well as on The Holly and the Ivy, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Mary’s Boy Child and I Saw Three Ships. All the tracks are a delight, especially so Monty’s own trademarked Christmas Bells and Charles Chaplin’s Toy Waltz, prompting thoughts again of what an underrated tunesmith he was. The standout track for me is Cecil Milner’s 4.42 minute arrangement of the Handelian O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings from ‘Messiah’. The unacknowledged organist for the recording, made in Holborn’s Kingsway Hall in August 1963, was Harold Smart. If the selection appeals, buy now for around a fiver – it will soon be Christmas! Peter Burt
STANLEY BLACK Conducting the London Festival Orchestra Film Spectacular Vol. 5Casablanca, A Man and a Woman, Intermezzo, Blood and Sand, La Strada, Love Story, Gone With The Wind Film Spectacular Vol. 6 Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, Bridge on the River Kwai, The Guns of Navarone, Victopry at Sea, 633 Squadron, The Longest Day, Western Approached (Seascape), The Great Escape, Mrs Miniver Suite. Vocalion CDLK 4328. These two LPs (now occupying two CDs for the price of one from Vocalion) were, in my humble opinion, highlights in Stanley Black’s career as a conductor (and on some tracks arranger) and I am delighted to see that they are available once more. Decca sound engineers were world leaders in 1975 (when both LPs were recorded) and it certainly shows. Superb music – and spectacular sound! David Ades
MULLIGAN MEETS MONK. ‘Round Midnight; Rhythm-a-ning; Sweet And Lovely; Decidedly Plus 4 More Selections (59:31). Riverside OJCCD-301-2. On paper, this looks like a definite clash of ideas. Yet it’s just the opposite. Gerry Mulligan, baritone sax virtuoso, was actually good friends with pianist / composer / arranger Thelonious Monk which resulted in this remarkably fine album. "‘Round Midnight" is appropriately stark whereas Rhythm-a-ning" is a delightfully crazy romp with a catchy theme as is Mulligan’s own "Decidedly." "Sweet And Lovely" is about as rough as this duo gets with Monk’s pungent chords and runs on the keyboard contrasting with Mulligan’s appealing lyricism. "Straight, No Chaser" refers not only to a drink but also to this relaxed swinger with plenty of room given to not only Mulligan but bassist Wilbur Ware. Everything winds up in everybody’s pocket with "I Mean You" by Monk, a swinging number showing off Monk’s striding pianistic skills while both Thelonious and Gerry accompany Wilbur Ware. Shadow Wilson provides the rock solid rhythm pattern for this session which was originally to be recorded in stereo with an expanding group of musicians. Such isn’t the case as all four men were playing so well that it was decided to keep things just the way they turned out. For 1957, the stereo effect by Riverside engineers is flawless with a good deal of presence and air surrounding the musicians. A truly remarkable recording for all music enthusiasts. Richard Jessen
MANTOVANI and his Orchestra play Strauss Waltzes Blue Danube, Roses From The South, Vienna Blood, Voices Of Spring, Artist’s Life, Tales From The Vienna Woods, Emperor Waltz, Morning Papers, Accelerations, You And You, Wine, Women And Song, Village Swallows, Gypsy Love Waltz, Tell Me You Love Me, Le Chaland Qui Passe [46:25] Goldies GLD 63237. Of Portuguese provenance and not the easiest to find [I obtained my copy online for a few pence under £4.50], this CD consists of ten tracks taken from one of Monty’s earliest and most popular LPs, recorded and issued in 1952, reckoned by some Mantovanians to be better than the subsequent stereo re-make. Although probably not for the purist, these wonderful flowing melodies are given the full Milner/ Mantovani treatment. The second "Bonus Track" is of great historic interest: Tell Me You Love Me being an adaptation of Puccini’s On With The Motley and the very first example of Ronald Binge’s "New Sound" for Monty from 1951 making its first album appearance. Despite rather veiled sonics this is definitely worth seeking out. Peter Burt Editor: to avoid correspondence, may I mention that "Tell Me You Love Me" has already appeared on a Guild CD – Mantovani By Special Request Vol. 2 GLCD 5113.
The Symphony Sessions – THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER. City of Prague Symphony Orchestra / Cory Allen. Route 66, Candy, Embraceable You, That’s the Way it Goes, A Nightingale Sang, Because you are all heart, To You, Vibrate, Clouds, The Quietude, The Offbeat of Avenues, Birdland. (56:49). Rhino 8122-74740-2), available Compact Disc Club. Six of the tracks are arranged by Cory Allen and he provides backgrounds of fine stimulation and subtlety – Embraceable You in particular, vocals arranged by Gene Puerling. Route 66 and Candy are arranged by Billy Byers, the first title with echoes of Nelson Riddle, and Vibrate is arranged by Gil Goldstein. This is group vocalising at its best! Vocals also arranged by Dick Reynolds, Al Capps and group members. Paul Clatworthy
VIKKI CARR: The Ultimate Collection. It Must Be Him (Sung In English, Spanish and Italian) Plus 78 tracks on 3 CDs. EMI Gold 0946 3 68615 2 4. The title explains itself more than adequately. What we get are 3 CDs full of songs exploring every facet by the well loved and honored lady of song, Miss Vikki Carr. And what a collection! Most of these song titles have not been available for more than 40 years which is a shame for they explore every style and genre of song this lady can sing with an overwhelmingly magnetic power. Her big international hit "It Must Be Him" is the thread on all 3 CDs and she sings it with conviction in three different languages (English, Spanish and Italian). The styles covered include the great American Songbook (Where Are You), Broadway (The Surrey With The Fringe On The Top), big band swing (Time After Time), jazz (Moanin’), Latin (Mas Que Nada), current pop standards (Can’t Take My Eyes Off You) and country (Make It Rain). This is not your usual Vikki Carr compilation. Instead, what you get is a collection of songs new and fresh interpreted with vibrancy by one of the truly great artists who is still very much around and performing at the same level of these recordings. No greater tribute need be added except that this record set is consistently beating out all others. The program notes are written with mastery by Randy Cordova and Vito Cifaldi with plenty of thank yous and a special note written by Vikki Carr. And as she so truthfully says, "the best is yet to come." Let’s hope there is a fresh release by EMI of this great artist!Richard Jessen
EDMUNDO ROS and his Orchestra – New Sounds on Broadway / Broadway Sing Along. New Sounds On Broadway (Decca LP PS 352 (1963) Stereo) The Cutty Wren from the show "Chips With Everything" (Farrell); High Is Better Than Low "Jennie" (Dietz; Schwartz); Gonna Be Another Hot Day "110 In The Shade" (Schmidt; Jones); Waitin’ For The Evening Train "Jennie" (Dietz; Schwartz); My Wish "Here’s Love" (Willson); Here And Now "The Girl Who Came To Supper" (Coward); That Man Over There "Here’s Love" (Willson); I’ll Remember Her "The Girl Who Came To Supper" (Coward); Is It Really Me "110 In The Shade" (Schmidt; Jones); London (Is A Little Bit Of All Right) "The Girl Who Came To Supper" (Coward); You Don’t Know "Here’s Love" (Willson); Where You Are "Jennie" (Dietz; Schwartz). Broadway Sing-Along (Decca LP SKL 4123 (1961) Stereo). (There’s No Business Like) Show Business from the show "Annie Get Your Gun" (Berlin); People Will Say We Are In Love "Oklahoma" (Rodgers; Hammerstein); Get Me To The Church On Time "My Fair Lady" (Loewe; Lerner); There Is Nothing Like A Dame "South Pacific" (Rodgers; Hammerstein); I Love Paris "Can Can" (Porter); Hey There "The Pajama Game" (Adler; Ross) Heart "Damn Yankees" (Adler; Ross); I Could Have Danced All Night "My Fair Lady" (Loewe; Lerner); They Say It’s Wonderful "Annie Get Your Gun" (Berlin); On The Street Where You Live "My Fair Lady" (Loewe; Lerner); Standing On The Corner "The Most Happy Fella" (Loesser) Almost Like Being In Love "Brigadoon" (Loewe; Lerner).CDLK 4330. What a terrific collection this is, especially New Sounds On Broadway. And it is nice to get 12 tracks of rarely if ever played numbers - and I for one would not expect many people to know many of them. For myself, I am lucky in that I have original cast recordings of them all, and just to see the titles like High Is Better Than Low, Waitin’ For The Evening Train and Where You Are fromJennie brings to mind Mary Martin in the show. Then there are numbers from 110 In The Shade,Here’s Love and The Girl Who Came To Supper - and in fact the only number on this collection I had not heard before is the first track The Cutty Wren from the show "Chips With Everything"; perhaps it is because I did not see the play or the film. When it comes to Broadway Singalong, I thought when I saw the list of numbers, oh no not again, but then get them dressed up as merengue and cha-cha-chas you can’t go wrong – they come out very well with this treatment. What a shame that the dances on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing don’t dance to these rhythms as the rhythms they dance to are unrecognisable. As usual the Ros rhythms are superb and I am glad to have this album at last. A must for all Ros fans. 24 tracks in all. Alec Hellyer
THE WORLD’S GREAT MARCHES – The Band of HM Royal Marines / Lt-Col. Vivian Dunn.Grand March from 'Tannhauser', Soldiers Chorus from 'Faust', Entrance and March of the Peers from 'Iolanthe', March Militaire from 'Suite Algerienne', All Marcia from 'Karelia Suite', The British Grenadiers, The Dashing White Serjeant, A Southerly Wind and a Cloudy Sky, Braganza, Espana, Le Pere de la Victoire, Belphegor, Under the Banner of Victory, Old Comrades, The Gladiators' Farewell, Under The Double Eagle, The Champion, National Emblem, On The Square, Blue Devils, Namur, Army and Marine, Glorious Victory, March from 'Little Suite' (Arnold). Eastney Collection RM HSE CO13. Eastney continue their trawl through the rich legacy of recordings which Sir Vivian Dunn and the Royal Marines Band made for EMI, concentrating on this new release on the years 1960-67. Like others in this series, Brian Culverhouse, who supervised the original recordings made at Abbey Road, has been responsible for the digital remastering of these valuable tapes. The first tracks are taken from the concert hall and opera house, thus the Grand March from Tannhauser, the Soldier’s Chorus from Faust and the Alla Marcia from Karelia. Particularly valuable, however, is the inclusion of Saint-Saens’ splendid march from his Suite Algerienne, of which there are not exactly a plethora of alternative recordings, and fascinating to listen to Chabrier’s Espana, cleverly transformed into an effective quick march. The remainder of the disc is a compilation of familiar parade marches with the exception of the concluding item, the march from Malcolm Arnold’s Little Suite. Despite the familiarity of such pieces as Old Comrades, Under The Double Eagle, National Emblem and On The Square, you will never hear them better played than here; they positively sparkle under the inspired baton of Sir Vivian. Look out especially for Charles Williams’ Blue Devils, composed early in his career and a great favourite with military bands. The Blue Devils of the title was the nickname given to a T.A. unit called the Kensington Rifles that had served in South Africa during the Boer War. Eastney’s claim that this disc features really stunning foot-tapping stuff is certainly borne out and if you want only one representative military band CD on your shelves – shame on you! – this quality production could be it. As with all this series of re-releases; strongly recommended. Roger Hyslop
PRODUCED BY GEORGE MARTIN Highlights from 50 years in recording including George Martin and his Orchestra – Theme One, The Pepperland Suite, Friends and Lovers; Ron Goodwin – Elizabethan Serenade; Tommy Reilly – Melody on the Move; plus various pop stars and comedy records EMI 375 4862. Five years ago EMI issued a 6CD box set of recordings produced by George Martin, from which the tracks on this CD have been extracted. As one would expect, the Beatles are included, together with Cilla Black, Gerry and the Pacemakers and Billy J. Kramer. A bit more up-market are Shirley Bassey and Matt Monro, and to provide variety we have Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Flanders & Swann. It is particularly nice to have Tommy Reilly’s 1952 recording of Clive Richardson’s Melody on the Move which, according to the booklet note, showed George Martin’s "position at the front of new recording technology with the first use of tape echo". Tommy’s widow Ena has told us that Tommy returned home from this particular Abbey Road session on the back of George Martin’s motorcycle! Full marks for the CD booklet – and the CD label which reproduces a familiar Parlophone 45. Even without his work as the Beatles’ recording manager, Sir George Martin has secured his place of honour in the British recording industry, and he fully deserved to be inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame on 14 November last year. David Ades
FRANK CHACKSFIELD AND HIS ORCHESTRA "KING OF KINGS" : King of Kings, Song of Delilah, The Robe, Quo Vadis, The Green Leaves of Summer (from 'The Alamo'), Exodus, Parade of the Charioteers and Love Theme from 'Ben Hur', The High and the Mighty,The Prodigal, The Sundowners. FILM FESTIVAL : The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Elvira Madigan, Doctor Zhivago, The Mercenaries, A Countess from Hong Kong, Zorba's Dance, Alfie, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Irina (from 'Shalako'), James Bond Theme, Rose of Saigon (from 'Tell Me Lies'), A Man and a Woman. Vocalion CDLK 4322? 71:45 mins. For some years now the Vocalion label has been responsible for the very commendable reissue of several Frank Chacksfield albums from the 1950s and 1960s, and this particular disc, released in 2005 but not previously reviewed in this magazine, should also command your attention, as it encompasses this orchestra's excellent interpretations of selected film themes from the era in question. Included are several items not available elsewhere, thus adding to the attractions of this mid-price reissue. Of the LPs under consideration, the first to be issued originally was 'King of Kings', and this is by far the rarer - it appeared originally, in mono only, on the Ace of Clubs Label in 1962, with only ten tracks. Here we have an expanded version in stereo, available for the first time in Britain. As the title track suggests, we have Frank Chacksfield's lavish and tasteful recordings of music which dates from a time when 'road show' spectaculars were designed to lure people away from the ever-encroaching challenge of TV in the home. Many will be familiar with the two selections on offer from 'Ben Hur', of course, but the rest of the LP included several rarities such as 'The Prodigal' and 'Francis of Assisi', the latter being a particularly beautiful piece. Even the extract from 'Quo Vadis' contains music not normally found on any other soundtrack album for this film. Amongst the other highlights are a stirring rendition of Ernest Gold's magnificent theme from 'Exodus' (so much a part of the film music 'scene' in the early 1960s) and a beautiful realisation of Alfred Newman's theme from 'The Robe'.? The sound has come up very well indeed, and Mike Dutton's usual wizardry has ensured that the best possible stereo spectrum has been derived from the original tapes, with particularly enticing string tone, as befits much of the scoring for these pieces. The second LP here reissued (actually placed first on the CD) dates from 1968, and the difference in mood is immediately apparent - epic lushness has been replaced by shorter, more varied melodies reflecting the change in cinematic tastes of this period. Frank Chacksfield's ability to alter his interpretations to 'suit the occasion' is immediately obvious, and we have an extremely colourful selection of items in arrangements by Roland Shaw. Robert Farnon enthusiasts will be delighted to have his 'Irina' (from 'Shalako') included - aptly described by Nicholas Briggs in his liner notes as 'a slow, swaying theme of deceptive simplicity'. Two other rarities are the themes from 'The Mercenaries' - a highly rhythmic yet memorable track - and the alluring 'Rose of Saigon' from the somewhat obscure feature 'Tell Me Lies'. Even the James Bond theme here sounds freshly minted, and the familiar main theme from 'Doctor Zhivago' is given a very effective 'piano concerto' treatment. The original LP was in the Decca? Phase 4 format, and again the remastering has resulted in sound which is both clear yet comfortably full, with a wide stereo 'spread'. It is good to see that much time and effort has gone into providing extremely informative notes, as the original LPs were notably deficient in this regard; both the films and their music are placed in the correct historical context. This is therefore a significant release, which should be high on your list of priorities. Lawrence Preston
"LONDON TOWN" Film soundtrack: Overture, You Can’t Keep a Good Dreamer Down, Daffodil Hill – ballet music. My Heart Goes Crazy, If Spring Were Only Here to Stay, So Would I, The ‘Ampstead Way, Sid Field Plays Golf featuring Sid Field, Beryl Davis, Ann Sullivan, Scotty McHarg with Salvador Camarata and the London Town Orchestra plus 13 ‘bonus tracks’ featuring the film’s stars plus the Film Songs Selection by Peter Yorke and his Concert Orchestra on Columbia.SEPIA 1076, 79:26 mins. For many years I had noticed the 78s from "London Town" in the Decca catalogue but none of them ever seemed to come my way. So I was pleased to discover this recent release from Sepia Records, a small British independent producer that has built up an impressive catalogue since it was launched in 2002. They believe in giving full value for money, because the remaining time available is fully utilised with 78s from the same period by some of the stars who appeared in the film. Foremost among these (from a light music viewpoint) is the fine Peter Yorke non-vocal selection. Although J. Arthur Rank is reported to have spent £1 million on the film in 1946 (compared with around £50,000 for "Spring in Park Lane" which was a massive hit) it was a financial disaster, and is remembered today mainly because both public and critics panned it. It should have succeeded: it was in glorious Technicolour, and Rank hired top American talents Camarata (music director), Wesley Ruggles (director) and Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke (music and lyrics). Sadly Van Heusen and Burke failed to come up with a hit song – only So Would I being vaguely memorable. The ballet sequence Daffodil Hill composed by Camarata is similarly disappointing; a certain Robert Farnon would have been a much better choice! And as for Sid Field’s golfing sketch … words almost fail me. Over the years we have been told that Field was greatly admired within the profession, but maybe the big screen couldn’t capture the magic of his stage act. I’m pleased that Sepia has made this available, and the extra tracks are certainly entertaining (for example there is Beryl Davis with Stephane Grappelly and George Shearing in 1944). The booklet is excellent for a medium priced release, but it would have been nice to have included the original catalogue numbers of the records. David Ades
GORDON JENKINS – A Musical Prodigy Manhattan Tower, You Have Taken My Heart, Blue Prelude, When A Woman Loves A Man, With You So Far Away, Homesick That’s All, P.S. I Love You, Blue Evening, Goodbye, Alone Again, Marietta’s Waltz, The Lady And The Cellist, Mood At Midnight, California – a Musical Narrative, Maybe You’ll Be There, I Don’t See Me In Your Eyes Any More, Again, Don’t Cry Joe, My Foolish Heart, Bewitched, Seven Dreams – a Musical Fantasy Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra plus soloists Jasmine JASCD 660, 2-CD set, 138:55 mins. In Britain many of us are probably unaware that Gordon Jenkins made a lot of 78rpm recordings featuring singers, because his name in later years was mainly associated with his orchestral albums plus, of course, his superb arrangements for the likes of Nat ‘King’ Cole and Frank Sinatra. The big exception is his ‘Musical Narrative’ Manhattan Tower which launches this collection. It was warmly received in the USA, where it was recorded more than once, and resulted in another similar tribute a few years later in praise of California. The other fascinating work in this collection is Seven Dreams which I have to confess is new to me. It is similar in style to Manhattan Tower and California but I do wonder how often people would wish to hear it since the narrative is something you’ll either love or hate. If you want an interesting collection of Gordon’s popular recordings from the 1940s and 1950s then don’t hesitate to add this to your collection, but if you prefer his purely orchestral offerings you’ll have to look at what is currently on offer in the Guild Light Music series. David Ades
FRANK SINATRA ?Romance – Songs from the Heart’ I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Time After Time, Day By Day, All The Way, Too Marvellous For Words, My Funny Valentine, Love Is Here To Stay, I’ve Got A Crush On You, Cheek To Cheek, Try A Little Tenderness, I Wish I Were In Love Again, Angel Eyes, Nice ‘N’ Easy (previously unreleased version), If You Are But A Dream (CD debut)etc 21 tracks EMI 363 3772. Released in February in time for Valentine’s Day, this collection is taken from Frank’s time at Capitol (1953-1960). Sinatra fans will already have most of these on various CDs or LPs, but EMI state that the tracks have all been remastered from the original tapes so you may find that the sound quality is better than your existing copies. As we went to press we had only received a promotional CD and list of titles, so we cannot comment on the booklet. David Ades
MIKLOS ROZSA? : Selections from QUO VADIS and BEN HUR. Quo Vadis: Prelude, Marcus and Lygia, Fertility Hymn, The Burning of Rome, Petronius' Banquet, Ave Caesar, Chariot Race, Assyrian Dance,, Aftermath/Hail Galba, Finale, Epilogue. Ben Hur : Fanfare, Friendship, The Burning Desert, Arrius' Party, Rowing of the Galley Slaves, Parade of the Charioteers, The Mother's Love, Return to Judea, Ring for Freedom, Lepers' Search, Procession to Calvary, Miracle and Finale. Royal Philharmonic / National Philharmonic Orchestras and Chorus, conducted by Miklos Rozsa.Recording dates : 1977 / 1978. Vocalion CDLK 4332 (Two-disc set). During the late 1970s, the Decca Record Company invited Miklos Rozsa to London to record selections from two of his finest scores, using the cream of the capital's best musicians. The two resulting LPs originally appeared on Decca's Phase 4 label, but disappeared quite quickly when Decca was subsumed into the Universal group. Both titles did appear, apparently, in the very early days of CD, but were again quickly deleted and soon commanded the inevitable (and regrettable) inflated prices for interested collectors. This Vocalion reissue, therefore, represents quite outstanding value for money and should be eagerly snapped up by all those who appreciate some of the finest film music ever written in Hollywood's 'Golden Age'.? The two LPs here reissued far surpassed in terms of sound quality and orchestral playing all previous selections of this material, and did much to cement the renewal of interest in classic film scores which had been growing throughout the 1970s, when several record companies spared no expense in releasing newly-recorded selections of vintage material which one could only vaguely appreciate when viewing the films in question. It is difficult to decide which is the finer of the two scores. 'Ben Hur' has always been regarded as Rozsa's 'magnum opus' - the composer, fully conscious of the fact that the future of MGM rested on this epic, certainly regarded this score as the apex of his career, and several of the themes (particularly the Parade of the Charioteers) became very well-known in the late 50s/early 60s. The score for 'Quo Vadis' was much less familiar, partly because much of the music was buried under the dialogue in the film, which certainly disappointed the composer at the time. The CD in question here revealed for the first time the extremely varied nature of Rozsa's score : not for him the writing of two or three main themes with endless reprises ( a fault of many modern scores) - the selection from 'Quo Vadis' on this CD is, if anything, more varied musically than its companion, but it was always difficult to choose ideal extracts from such an interwoven score as Ben Hur to make an ideally balanced LP. Rozsa's own selection for Decca was about the best that could be achieved for this purpose. Mike Dutton has worked his usual magic in re-mastering the two LPs. The sound quality on both?discs was, and remains,?extremely good, with none of the excesses of balance which sometimes marred earlier 'Phase 4' issues.? We have here two of the best examples of orchestral sound in the late analogue era - resplendent brass, rich string tone and a wide stereo spread. Probably 'Quo Vadis' has the slightly finer quality in terms of clarity and presence. My own LP of the 'Ben Hur' selection was cut at such a high level that there was a tendency to overload, but this has been rectified for this CD reissue. The two-disc set is released at the cost of a single mid-price CD. As if all this were not enough, we also have five pages of exemplary notes by Alan Hamer of the Miklos Rozsa Society. It is almost certain that these two LPs will not be re-released again in such a convenient form, and Vocalion is to be congratulated for its enterprise in offering such high-quality material for such a reasonable outlay. Nicholas Briggs
ANTHONY COLLINS - Orchestral works. Festival Royal – Overture, Vanity Fair, The Song of Erin, Victoria the Great – suite, The Saga of Odette - Valse Lente, The Lady with a Lamp - Prelude & Valse Variation, Eire – suite, Santa Cecilia, Louis XV Silhouettes, Symphony for Strings. BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by John Wilson. Dutton 'Epoch' CDLX 7162.?? 73:52 mins. For most?readers, the name of Anthony Collins (1893 - 1963) will be synonymous with either his much-praised set of the Sibelius symphonies recorded for Decca in the early 1950s (recently reissued on the Beulah label, incidentally) or else his own best-remembered composition 'Vanity Fair', which has indeed been recorded several times in the past. That 'bonne bouche' is, of course, included on this new CD under review, but a glance at the remaining titles will show that there was very much more to?the man than this short calling-card. As the excellent notes by Lewis Foreman?make clear, Anthony Collins pursued an extremely varied career within both the UK and the USA, which allowed him to make full use of his manifold talents as?composer as well as conductor. A great deal of time and effort has gone into producing this most enterprising CD, as much of the music was difficult to source - indeed, were it not for the tenacity of all concerned, it?is doubtful if several of the pieces on the disc would have?surfaced at all, let alone?have been recorded. Specifically, Collins was able to fuse a generous melodic gift with great clarity of orchestration, and the disc in question portrays an excellently-balanced programme in which the level of inspiration remains consistently high. The opening 'Festival Royal' overture has?a magnificent central theme for strings? (almost a cross between Elgar and Walton) framed by passages of brassy splendour, into which?Collins subtly interweaves references to 'God Save the Queen' and the Westminster chimes - a marvellous start to the disc. My own favourite piece, however, is the short 'Song of Erin', which employs a haunting, wistful melody initially given to cor anglais and harp. The composer was also responsible for the scores of several well-known films of the period, the best remembered of which is probably the waltz from 'The Saga of Odette'. In all these pieces one notes again the subtle variety of mood and texture, underpinned by sharply memorable themes. Moving to the suite 'Eire', this is one instance where Collins does use existing melodies but is able to imprint his own characteristic arrangements on the material, resulting in another delightful short work. I also particularly enjoyed the 'Louis XV Silhouettes', which comprise?a series of pastiche dance numbers - light music at its very best. I was rather reminded of the composer Gretry, whose often obscure pieces Sir Thomas Beecham used to dig out (and sometimes record) on his periodic visits to France later in his career - he would surely have approved of Anthony Collins's short work, which was published in 1939. The final?item on the disc, 'Symphony for Strings', instantly belies its rather severe title by offering three short movements of immediate melodic appeal, of which the highlight for me was the wistful central 'adagio'. The recording quality, as one would expect from this source, is in the finest traditions of the house : it has a very wide dynamic range, great clarity of detail and broad stereo information, all set within a sympathetic acoustic - just right for appreciating the composer's flair for a colourful orchestral patina. In his notes, Lewis Foreman reveals that many of Collins's works are either missing or definitely lost, which is a pity, as the quality of what is on offer here would certainly justify a second CD. In the meantime, the combination of unhackneyed yet memorable material, excellent performances and recording quality, together with superb liner notes, leads me to conclude that this was one of the most significant new releases of 2006, which should be investigated urgently by all those who are looking for something quite special. Nicholas Briggs
... And with thanks to Wilfred Askew for news of the following releases
MIKLOS ROZSA – Three Choral Suites. Cincinnati Pops Orchestra / Kunzel; Morman Tabernacle Choir. Ben-Hur; Quo Vadis; King of Kings. Telarc CD-80631
NELSON RIDDLE and his Orchestra – Sing a Song with Riddle (1959) / Hey Diddle Diddle (1959, released 2005-6). Little White Lies Darn That Dream Near You; Day In-Day Out; The More I See You; My Baby Just Cares For Me; Everywhere You Go; I Had The Craziest Dream; Fools Rush In; You Make Me Feel So Young; It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie; You’re Driving Me Crazy! (What Did I Do?); The Farmer In The Dell; Little Jack Horner; Oh Dear What Can The Matter Be; Jack And Jill; Little Bo Peep; London Bridge; Tom, Tom, The Piper’s Son; Polly Put The Kettle On; Three Blind Mice; Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; Hickory Dickory Dock; The Muffin Man. DRG Records DRGCD 19097
HORST JANKOWSKI – A Walk in the Black Forest (1967-69). Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; A Walk In The Black Forest; My Gerti; Moon River; By The Time I Get To Phoenix; Turkischer Marsch; Tiflis Melody; Our Beach Affair; Games Of Memories; This Guy's In Love With You; I Will Wait For You; Slick; Man & A Woman; Yesterday; Days Of Wine & Roses; Fly Me To The Moon; Lover's Concerto; Mcarthur Park; Violinkonzert D Dur; And We Got Love. Universal 983 776-2
GEORGE SHEARING – Swinging in a Latin Mood (1974). Lullaby Of Birdland; Continental; Do You Know The Way To San Jose; East Of The Sun And West Of The Moon; Thine Alone; Aquarius; We'll Be Together Again; I'll Be Around; Alone Again (Naturally); Nearness Of You; Hands Of Time; To A Wild Rose; Superstar; Eleanor Rigby; When Your Lover Has Gone; Roses Of Picardy; You Are The Sunshine Of My Life; Killing Me Softly With His Song; Someone To Watch Over Me; Way We Were.Universal 985 857-4
THE MARIACHI BRASS – A Taste of Tequila (1966) / Hats Off (1966). Featuring Chet Baker, Arrangements by Jack Nitzshe and George Tipton. Flowers On The Wall; Tequila; Mexico; Love Me With All Your Heart (Cuando Calienta El Sol); Hot Toddy; Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa; .Speedy Gonzales ; Come A Little Bit Closer ; El Paso ; La Bamba ; Happiness Is ;.Sure Gonna Miss Her; Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) ; The Phoenix Love Theme (Senza Fine) ; These Boots Are Made For Walking ; On The Street Where You Live ;.Armen's Theme ; Spanish Harlem ; Chiquita Banana ; When The Day Is All Done ; You Baby ; It's Too Late ; Colonel Bogey March (Bonus Track). Ace CD BGPD 178
LENNY DEE – Double Dee-Light: Hi-Fi Organ solos with a beat (1954-56). 2 CD compilation.Plantation Boogie ; Laura ;Yes Sir That's My Baby ; Birth Of The Blues ; Little Brown Jug ; September Song ; Ballin' The Jack ; Exactly Like You ; Siboney ; Sweet Georgia Brown ; World Is ; Waiting For The Sunrise ; Donkey Serenade ; Coquette ; I'm Beginning To See The Light ; Chinatown; Charmaine ;Five Foot Two Eyes Of Blue ; Out Of Nowhere ; Caravan ; That's My Weakness Now ; This Ole House ; Five O'Clock Whistle ; Twelth Street Rag ; Good Night Sweetheart ; Delicious ; Stompin' At The Savoy ; Diane ; Honky Tonk Train Blues ; Alabamy Bound ; Tarragona ; At Sundown ; Jersey Bounce ; Hawaiian War Chant (Ta Hu Wa Hu Wai) ; What Is This Thing Called Love ; Toot ; Toot Tootsie Goodbye ; Jumpin' On The Organ ; Avalon ; Somebody Stole My Gal ; Hot Foot Boogie ; Josephine ; Way Down Yonder In New Orleans ; Oh You Beautiful Doll ; Indian Love Call ; Ain't She Sweet ; Yodelin' Organ ; Let Me Call You Sweetheart ; China Boy. Jasmine JASCD 427
CARMEN CAVALLARO – Stairway to the Stars (1941-55). 2 CD compilation. You're Mine, you; Dancing In The Dark ; I'm Always Chasing Rainbows ; Oh, Marie ; I Love You ; Medley of hits from 1932 - In A Shanty In Old Shanty Town/Speak To Me Of Love/Play Fiddle Play/Paradise; Medley of hits from 1932 - Forty Second Street/Of Thee I Sing/Shuffle Off To Buffalo; Someone To Watch Over Me ; Tonight We Love ; If I Had You ; Medley of hits from 1921 - Peggy O'Neil/When Francis Dances With Me/Song Of Love ; Medley of hits from 1932 Louisiana Hayride/You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me/Alone Together ; Come Back To Sorrento ; A Bushel And A Peck ; I've Never Been In Love Before ; I'll Know ; Fugue For Tinhorns ; My Time Of Day ; Medley of hits from 1932 - April In Paris/I've Told Every Little Star/The Song Is You ; I'll Follow My Secret Heart ; My Reverie ; Moon Love ; Body And Soul ; Our Love ; It's All Right With Me ; Medley of hits from 1932 - Soft Lights And Sweet Music/Night And Day/Underneath The Harlem Moon ; Medley of hits from 1932 - Brother Can You Spare A Dime/Just An Echo In The Valley/Let's Put Out The Lights ; Dream Of Love ; Lover ; Medley of hits from 1921 - Say It With Music/Tuck Me To Sleep In My Old Kentucky Home/My Mammy ; Guys And Dolls ; More I Cannot Wish You ; Luck Be A Lady ; If I Were A Bell ; Sue Me/Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat ; Medley of hits from 1921 - Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me/Yoo-Hoo/I'm Just Wild About Harry ; Medley of hits from 1921 - Sweet Lady/Make Believe/April Showers ; All Through The Night ; I Concentrate On You ; Falling In Love With Love ; Stairway To The Stars ; Ain't Misbehavin' ; Will You Remember? ; So In Love ; Love, Your Magic Spell Is ; Everywhere ; P.S. I Love You ; Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea ; September Song ; Tenderly. Jasmine JASCD 430
DANNY KAYE In Selections From The Soundtrack Of MERRY ANDREW Arranged And Conducted By NELSON RIDDLE (1958) / Music Of The BIG TOP CIRCUS BAND Conducted By Nelson Riddle (1950). The Pipes Of Pan ; Chin Up, Stout Fella ; Everything Is Ticketty Boo ; You Can’t Always Have What You Want ;. The Square Of The Hypotenuse ;. Salud (Buona Fortuna) ;. Medley: Thunder And Blazes / Billboard March ; Hippopotamus Rag ; Circus Waltz ; Lassus Trombone ; Minor March ; Bozo’s Song (March). DRG Records DRGCD 19082
BING CROSBY – A Musical Autobiography. 4 CDs. AVID AMBX147. Includes the complete 1954 5-LP set with between-track chat by Bing, accompanied by Buddy Cole and his Trio, followed by recordings with co-stars Mary Martin, Bob Hope, Andrews Sisters, Judy Garland, Al Johnson, Louis Armstrong and Jane Wyman. Selections from Paris Honeymoon and The Star Maker complete CD3. The 4th CD has 20 tracks of film soundtracks and publicity discs.
Classic Rey – ALVINO REY and his Orchestra with the Four King Sisters. Original recordings from 1940-44. Tiger Rag ; Not a Star in Sight ; Rose Room [Instrumental] ; Cielito Lindo (Beautiful Sky) ; Oh! For Heaven's Sake ; Dearly Beloved ; Drowsy Old Riff [Instrumental] ; Lover's Lullaby ; He Wears a Pair of Silver Wings ; Strip Polka ; How Green Was My Valley ; Gobs of Love ; William Tell [Instrumental] ; Daybreak ; Woodland Sympathy [Instrumental] ; I'm Old Fashioned ; Army Air Corps Song ; Sand in My Shoes ; Liebestraum (A Dream of Love) [Instrumental] ; Yo Te Amo, Oh! Baby ; Ferris Wheel ; Having a Lonely Time ; My Buddy ; San Fernando Valley. Flare ROYCCD 242