Review • Jazz Records • Blindfold Test • in Person • Popular Records • High Fidelity • Radio-TV • Tape Recordings • Jan Best-Sellers • Films
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
music in review • Jazz Records • Blindfold Test • In Person • Popular Records • High Fidelity • Radio-TV • Tape Recordings • Jan Best-Sellers • Films recommended TONI ARDEN Fou Took Advantage of Me; Easy to we've come to expect from his studio * Lot>e; Come Rain or Come Shine; Makin’ chest ra, lend to overpower rather than Meet Toni Arden «Decca DL 8651) is ment the vocalist's performance. I he ar an introduction to a dramatically effective Whoopee; Hulkin’ My Baby Back Home, and Lazy River. Backing by Jack Kane's rangement on Back in Your Own Rak pop singer via a set of vaiied material. Yard, for example, sounds more like Skia- Backed by Ralph Bums' studio orchestra. studio band is somewhat heavy, but Law nay Ennis than Riddle. The band, too, Miss Arden engage« in a series of diversified rence manages to project over it (D.G.) sounds labored at times. Pianist moods and projects most of them quite PEGGY LEE Over all, though. Miss Lee soars supreme, Ihe sofi successfully. While Jump for Joy «Capitol T 979) fust in Time is a delightful illustrate tiositior Vniong the tunes included are You of her unique vocal quality, while OU stepped Out of a Dream; Let’s Face the abounds with the warmth and intimacy Devil Moon is a paiticularly oulstandhy Music and Dance; Autumn in New York; that is the personal mark of Miss lee. this track. If I Forget You. Pennies from Heaven; All album falls below previously set standards in her LPs. While most of the band personnel flue the Things You Are; That's All, and Italian 0 mated during the different sessions, the and French medlies. Miss Arden, one ot Muth of the fault lies with Nelson rhvthm section was constant. Jimmv Rowles the few pop singers without a Southern ac Riddle's top heavy arrangements which, piano; \1 Hendricksen. guitar; Joe Com cent, manages to communicate the diversi though plaved with the clean expertness fied messages capabh Her presentation of fort. bass, and Mel Lewis, drums, serve like the veterans they are Hendricksen is haul the Italian material, however familiar it in some tasteful figures from time to tune may be (Mattinata, Scrappricciatiello and If this latest lee offering doesn't jump« «rJi Torna a Sorrienta), is properly beguiling. Noted high for joy as it might, it's still pad She might consider cutting an I.P entire!' St. Louis Blues—Eartha Kitt bait. (J.A.T.) of Italian songs. Dom Cerulli, 11 cherubino with Shorty Rogers ant! orches scintillante di Nuova York, might buy (hat CARMEN MCRAE one. (D.G.) tra (RCA Victor LPM-1661). All the songs from the \\. C. Miss McRae sings Noel Coward sonp fa GIGI Handy film, sung rather drably Mad About the Mau (Decca DL 8662). She wanders through a dozen <ow»d There’s a lot to be said fot both the by Miss Kitt, whose vibrato often becomes uncomfortable. tunes—some romantic, some perceptive, ill original-cast album (M-G-M E 3611 ST), sophisticated—quite slickly, backed by three starring Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan. Shorty is heard brieflv. although studio groups directed by Jack Pleis. The Leslie Caron, and Heimione Gingokl. and the cover bills his groups as the three groups, basically, are trombones aad the studio version oi the score (RCA Victor Giants. With such as Matty rhvthm; reeds (with Charlie Shaven a WTC Ll’M-1716), staiTing Gogi Grant and Tony Matlock, Nick Fatool. and John trumpet) and rhythm, and strings aw .Martin, with Dennis Farnon’s orchestra. Best aboard, the group is hardly rhythm, with Mis« McRae’s own rhvthn Hirmoni The Alan Jay I .erner-Frederick Loewe nuns bl of that stature. Matlock's ar «ection <Rav Bryant, piano; Ike Isaaa, score is witty, melodic, romantic, and. in recticn rangements lean toward outright bass: Specs Wright, drums) in forcr spots, quite brilliant. The standout songs throughout Dixie. Disappointing. (D.C.) are Gigi; The Night They Invented Cham In ihis Cowaidian escaj>ade are If Im pagne: I Remember It If ell. and I'm Glad The Fabulous Dorseys in Hi Were AH; A Room with a View; Poor Littb I’m Not Young Anymore. In both albums, Fi— Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey Rich Ghl; If hy Does Love Get in the the charming and nostalgic air of the duet, 0 Orch. (Columbia C2L-8). This Bin?; I’ll See You Again: Mad About At I Re member It Well, is caught by Martin Boy, and six others. Miss McRae make Grant and Chev alier-Gingold handsome, two-LP set contains some rather routine, often medi the most of the trite aspects of Coward! 1 suppose the original-cast album will creations and enhances his better rifab ocre Dorsey band offerings, mean more to those who have seen the with considerable warmth and discipliw. movie, but I felt the Victor had bettet marred by churning rhythm and (D.G.) sen nd and better singing. But, then again too liberal use of echo chamber. the M-G-M has Chevlaier. Either one is a The sides were cut by Tommy KEN NORDINE fund of listening pleasure. (D.C.) the summer before his tragic In Son of Word Jazz (Dol DI P- 5096). death. His usually lovely trom Nordine delves deeper into his sulxonscio« STEVE LAWRENCE bone sound is lost in the echo for a tine companion piece to that inde In Here’s Steve Lawrence (Cora) CRL chamber. Jimmy sounds fine on scribable first LP, Word Jazz <DI P W5) 57204), the personable Lawrence makes his clarinet, as does Charlie Shavers Essentially, these are weirder, and at At was through the customary dozen tunes same tune less mystic, than the earlier Mt with considerable ease and talent His (although a bit hollowly) on Among the vignettes: Miss Cone (a d* Hoik is less inspired, in an improvisators trumpet. None of the originals light, but tragic) : Down the Drain; RuM sense, than his in-person perfot malices tend by Neal Hefti, Ernie Wilkins, Gum; I ooking at Numbers; The Hullfight to be, and there is a perfunctory, recording and Dean Kincaide has any of er-, and funk Man. The backing by Fn< studio air to several tracks, but basically the Dorsey spark Only Sy Oli Katz and a group including Paul Hora this is tasteful singing. In most ways, it is ver’s Wagon Wheels sustains the John Pisano, Hal Gay lord. Red Holt, 1M G'Mt J» superior to the mass of pop LP- being is memory of what this band was. Dick Marx, i« excellent The sound »Heel» sued today. Disappointing. (D.C.) particularlv on the telling Outer Spots, fam,"* Included are Fom Made Me Love You; are fabulous. (D.C.) 22 • DOWN BEAT.