Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra- Chapel By The Sea

This is the last entry in our Continental Week.  Not exactly falling within the genre, I am not sure why I choose this ti end the week , nor why I bought it other than it was a one dollar record on a day where I was buying a bunch of records.

I had a house guest on Christmas Eve and celebrations got out of hand.  When I awoke, my apartment was trashed.  Records, wires, musical instruments, and a bottle of vodka were scattered all over the place.  This record did not survive the night.  A chunk got chipped off.  As a result, I can not play the first songs on either side (“Midnight in Moscow” and the title track.

By here this is, this release from 1962 .  It is ok.  Good song selection.  Ok arrangements.  Billy Vaughn’s work is a mixed bag.  This one is just ok. It did go to #14 on the US Chart. I was going to go with the Bert Kaempfert penned “Wonderland by Night” but it has a skip in it.  There was not much more to choose from, though.  So here it is with skip and all, “Wonderland By Night”.

Meh for the most part.  I hate ending the week with a meh album but it is too late to change things now. On the positive note, this weeks posts were a lot less labor intensive compared to last weeks.

Mantovani- Plays The Immortal Classics

This week’s theme around here is Continental Music and in a strange kind of way that did not come to me at first, this fits that classical Continental definition.  This was 80 cents.  Like a fish, I was probably hooked by the bright colors on the cover.

This was released by UK’s Mantovani in 1956.  Surprisingly enough the album in not overburdened by strings, which was his big thing.  All (well most of ) the big names of classical music are here; Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Handel, Bach, Chopin, and on of my favorites, Tchaikovsky. Again, I thought it would have been more stringy, but Mantovani held true to original work to which I am ambivalent about. Not to say there are no strings on this album. Several songs are string heavy but not in the over the top style of cascading strings that Mantovani is known for.

For a sample, I went with Prelude in C Sharp Minor by Rachmaninoff and Waltz from String Serenade by Tschaikowsky.

It is a toss up.  If he put more strings on it, there is no guarantee that it would have worked or would have been done tastefully.  On the converse, it does not sound bad as it is.  I tried hard to do the other but I just keep coming back to Meh.

Dolf van der Linden- Dutch Sax

dscn6186This was one dollar.  I have owned this and have been trying to post this for the last year and a half but for some reason or another, it always gets pulled from the rotation at the last minute.  Well, no time like the present.dscn6449

This record gives me a good transition into talking about my vacation that I took two weeks ago,  Went to Amsterdam.  It had been two years since I went last.  I was kind of on the fence about going and truthfully, I was still questioning the decision two days into my trip.  However, I wanted to stay somewhat familiar with the city and if I did not go, it would be another two years or so for the next trip. By the end of the trip, I was pretty glad I went.dscn6541

Weather was awful but bearable.  Spent a lot of time at old places I like to go to.  I also went to places where I have not been for a while.  Spent many of the days down in Rembrantplein.  Also spent a good amount of time at Vondelpark, Oosterark, Waterlooplein, Rozengratch, Museumplein, and the northeast area by Prins Hendikkade area.  I spent the nights mostly around the Dam City Center.  I went to one art exhibition, the swap meet, and the zoo among other places.dolph

This album is led by Dolf van der Linden, a popular orchestra leader born in Vlaardingen, Netherlands in 1915.  He was well known in his country wit some significant recognition throughout Europe.  Known for his arrangements of popular music, he died in 1999 at the age of 83.  wwwopac

The alto sax solos were performed by Cees Verschoor.  I do not know anything about him and for some reason was less inclined to do much research on the subject today.  As far as the record goes, it is lush orchestration.  Six Duke Ellington songs grace this album. I liked this the first time I listened to it. Not so much the second time.  For some reason, the third time was a bit better. Other than being done by Dutch musicians, there is not much Dutch about this record.  As far as music goes, it is pretty American sounding.dscn6187

For a sample, I was torn between “Passion Flower”, “Passionata” and “All Too Soon”.  For some reason, I went with “Passion Flower”.metropole-orkest-dolf-van-der-linden-002

As far as this record goes, meh.  A bit too slow for my liking.

Oscar Levant- Levant Plays Gershwin/ Rhapsody In Blue

dscn6184This was one dollar.  I got it because of “Rhapsody In Blue”‘s connection with United Airlines.united-airlines

I scheduled this post to correspond with my trip to Amsterdam two weeks ago.  Being from Houston, I tend to fly United quite a bit as IAH is a major hub.  This trip’s flights were ok I guess.  I watched movies pretty much through both flights.  Of the movies I saw, I really liked the Chet Baker story (more on that next month).  The Miles Davis movie was ok.  Did not like the Hank Williams movie at all.  From the non music movies, I really liked The Lobster.  Anyway, the pre flight safety video, a highly produced feature was interesting, taking the “Rhapsody” theme and setting it to different musical styles of the world, including Scottish, Chinese,Peruvian, Hawaiian, and Chicago blues among others. Pretty interesting, musically.

I was wrong about what I thought were the origins of United’s usage of this song.  Based on the CEO message from the front of the In Flight magazines some time ago, I thought the song’s licensing was done by Jeff Smisek in an act of extravagant management spending after the United/Continental merger.  I had this image of him in a hot tub smoking stogies listening to this song for some reason.  Anyway, this is wrong.  The licensing was done back in 1976 for $500K, way before the merger. Never really liked Smisek much.  I did not like Larry either but many ex-Continental employees tell me he was alright.  Hard to say much about Oscar at this time.  It should be noted that I draw my opinion of the CEO’s based on their In Flight blurbs.

Gershwin
Gershwin

But regardless, here is this album, featuring actor/ pianist Oscar Levant, tackling the works of George Gershwin backed by orchestral arrangements.  “Rhapsody In Blue” features Levant backed by Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra.  On “Concerto In F For Piano and Orchestra”, Levant is helped by Andre Kostelanetz conducting the Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York.  A third track, “An American In Paris” is done by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Artur Rodzinski.dscn6185

For a sample, I am going with “Rhapsody” as this was the dominate theme of the post.quote-roses-are-red-violets-are-blue-i-m-schizophrenic-and-so-am-i-oscar-levant-17-35-68

As far as the album goes, meh.

Sauter Finegan and their Orchestra- The Return of the Doodletown Fifers

dscn5561This was $1. The color scheme as well as the production value of the album cover probably hooked me to buy this.  I have never heard of either of the two arrangers of this album before buying this. It is Thanksgiving in the US.  I am in Amsterdam for the week.0sf

Ed Sauter and Bill Finegan were big band arrangers who came together to lead this orchestra.  They had some modest success in the 1950’s and were known for their imaginative arrangements which often used non-traditionally instrumentation.  Formed in 1952, the duo briefly split in 1957.  They reunited in 1959 to do this album as well as jingles.  Sauter would die in 1981 of a heart attack at age 67.  Finegan continued to perform under the Sauter-Finegan name until his death of pneumonia in 2008 at age 81.

Link to Allmusic entry

As stated above, this was a comeback album of sorts for the duo.  Released by United Artists, it contains a collection of interestingly arranged instrumental numbers, which I believe were written by the duo.  I am told these arrangements are not as interesting as their earlier work.  However, I find them adequate.  There are some valleys here but there are a lot of hills as well.  Perhaps, it could have been more imaginative but it is not a bad effort.dscn5562

For a sample, I went with “Thursday’s Child”.sauter-finegan

Meh. It is not a bad album but i did have higher hopes for it, something more Esquivel in nature. I would like to hear some of the duo’s earlier work for comparison,

 

The Jay Gordon String Orchestra- Music For A Lonely Night

dscn5544Been awhile, huh? This was a dollar. I found the title funny.  Not sure to whom this album is marketed to.llli

This record was released in 1957, a year before the label, Tops merged with PRI Records. I am guessing these guys were a budget label.  I could not find anything on Jay Gordon other than there are a handful or records under his name.  He may or may not even exist.  It could be the label’s house band for all I know.dscn5545

Anyway, the album itself is okay, although I do not see how it fixes a lonely night.  The songs are well orchestrated and the arrangements are pretty silky smooth.  2fimage2f3212372f936full-de-lovely-poster

For a sample, I went with Cole Porter’s classic, “Begin the Beguine”.  I have been somewhat influenced this month by the movie De-lovely, which has been playing on cable as of late.  It is the story of Porter and his marriage to Ashley Judd.  Kevin Kline plays Porter.  It also features several artists of the 2000’s singing Porter standards.  Overall, I thought it was a decent movie.

“Begin the Beguine” sung in the movie by Sheryl Crow, is one of Porter’s most popular songs.  It has become a pop standard and has been covered by many artists.  It is known for its complex structure. Porter wrote the song in 1935 while on a cruise between  Indonesia and Fiji.  Here is the Jay Gordon String Orchestra’s take on the classic.  I particular like the woodwinds at the beginning.  Overall, it has a very exotica sound to it.people_20131122_dark

Meh.  I mean this is better than some of the budget orchestra albums I have bought over the years but it does not have enough merits for me to rate it any better.

Paul Mauriat- Blooming Hits

dscn5298-800x772This was 80 cents.  At the time, I kept seeing this record over and over in the used record bins.  I guess I still see it from time to time.  After I while, I break down and bite at the repeat offenders.  The inclusion of “Penny Lane” also probably influenced the decision to buy.

© http://paul-mauriat.com
© http://paul-mauriat.com

Paul Mauriat was a French orchestra leader, born in Marseille in 1925.  Starting in music young, he began recording in 1957.  He recorded what looks like at least 100 albums.  His big hit was 1968’s “L’Amour Est Blue (Love Is Blue)”.  It was a #1 hit single in the US for 5 weeks. As of this writing, he is the only French performer to score the #1 spot in the US.  Mauriat would die in 2006 at age 81.

A more in depth Biography from his web site.

This album was released in late 1967 by Philips.  I am guessing it was a vehicle to promote the hit single discussed above.  Despite being a prolific composer, the songs on this album are all covers of pop tunes.  The album does showcase Mauriat’s arranging skills as he brings out the colors of each song.

There a a bunch of decent moments.  Highlights include not only the hit single, but “Adieu A La Nuit”, “Inch Allah”, “This Is My Song”, and “Mama”.  The rest of the songs, sadly, are a bit too corny for my liking.dscn5299-800x786

For a sample, I wanted to go with “Penny Lane” when I bought this.  Normally, I really like rock/pop songs that are translated into orchestrated works.  However, songs such as “Penny Lane” that are already heavily orchestrated kind of fall flat.  I mean, not a whole lot is added.  So I went with the hit single “L’Amour Est Blue”.  Sonny and Cher’s “Mama” was up for serious contention as well.paul-mauriat-1968

Overall meh for me.  Maybe because it is Tuesday. Maybe because the corny moments can not save the good parts, which I should note that I really do like.

Mantovani- The Mantovani Touch

DSCN5263 (800x780)This was 40 cents with discount.  I am sure the cheapness is what pushed me to by this along with the inclusion of “The Impossible Dream”.  mantovani-518436

I did a post of Mantovani last year.  If you want to rehash that, you can link to it here. Otherwise, I have nothing really to add about the arranger except that he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.mantovani_recording

This record, recorded in 1968, came out towards the end of his recording career.  It features a wide array of songs and composers including Mancini (“The Days of Wine and Roses”), Bacharach/David (“Alfie”), Lane/Learner (“On A Clear Day”),and Rodgers/Hammerstein (“Edelweiss”). There are a lot of soundtrack/ musical numbers on here. Although Mantovani is known for his strings and they are evident here, this album features a good amount of brass as well.  Or it least that is what my memory recalls.  I am not listening to this again. A lot of soundtrack/ musical numbers on here as well.DSCN5264 (800x784)

For a sample, I decided to go with one of the more brass heavy songs from the album, the French “A Man And A Woman”. p01bqgfh

I would normally say meh but given how little I paid for it, plus the fact I knew what it would sound like, you know what, I am still going to say meh.

Billy Vaughn- Michelle

DSCN5073 (1024x1024)This was 80 cents.  I got it for the Beatles’ cover (its the title track).

4134366Billy Vaughn was a band leader from Glasgow, Kentucky.  Born in 1919, Vaughn was a multi-instrumentalist who became the musical director for Dot Records in 1954.  Besides working with Pat Boone and the Fontane Sisters, he formed his orchestra and released a slew of records, almost 50, I believe.  He released multiple LP’s a year up until 1971.  His biggest hit was “Sail Along Silvery Moon” which featured his twin saxophone sound that he was known for.  Vaughn charted 42 singles and 36 albums on Billboard.  He also had 19 Top 40 hits in Germany as well as success around the globe.  Vaughn died of abdomen cancer in 1991.  He was 72.

Spaceage Pop page for Billy Vaughn

This album came out in 1965 and was only his second release that year.  It would reach 56 on the US charts, but the title single would go # 1 in Argentina and Malaysia.  vaughn3

I found the title track to be pretty weak.  It is the only track that has a vocal chorus according to the back cover (although “See See Rider” has vocals).  I felt it was a tepid version not offering anything really radical to it.  That being said, the rest of the tracks on this album are pretty good.  “Organ Grinder’s Swing”, “Chim Chim Cheree”, “Elaine”, Mancini’s “I Could Have Danced All Night”, Watermelon Man”, and “See See Rider” are all pretty good.  That is nearly half the album.  DSCN5074 (1007x1024)

For a sample, I went with “Mexican Shuffle” which is well thought out and well executed.billy uupp

Despite a let down on the title track, the rest of the album is pretty good.  Satisfactory.

Houston Pops Orchestra- Live from Carnegie Hall

DSCN4651 (796x800)Keepin’ it local with this album I picked up for $1.00. I do not believe Houston has a dedicated Pops Orchestra anymore but apparently we used to, independent from the Houston Symphony.  From what I can gather, the Houston Symphony handles both classical and Pops performances.  There is a Kingwood Pops Orchestra that seems to be pretty good but as to what ever happened to the Houston Pops, I do not know.  From one article I read, there seemed to be no animosity between the local orchestras, at least in 1988.

This picture of Battista was hard to find
This picture of Battista was hard to find

Ned Battista, director on this record, seems to have a pretty good background.  After studying both at Julliard and University of Houston, Battista joined the Houston Symphony in 1965.  After hearing Henry Mancini conduct a symphony with popular music, Battista decided to give it a try at the Miller Outdoor Theater in 1971 .  Thus, the Houston Pops Orchestra was born .  Ten years later, he quit the symphony to devote himself full time. I put together a few pieces from scant clippings of the Interweb.  Apparently, the Orchestra played around 30 shows a year, mostly at Jones Hall but also around the US on occasion as well.  The Orchestra was heavy on winds and percussion, at least in 1988.  Battista compared them to a typical Hollywood Orchestra. The Orchestra played at the Smithsonian during Reagan’s inaugural.  After that, and after 1988, I am not sure what happened.  I believe Battista has an orchestra which can be booked for gigs here in town.  If any information is incorrect, it was Friday before long weekend when I wrote this and my appetite for fact checking was greatly diminished.

Link to the Ned Battista Orchestra

In the one article, Battista lamented how Pops selections are usually of low interest to symphony musicians, rehearsals are down on the quick, and as a result, performances are half assed attempts at money grabs to a wider audience.  That is why he formed a dedicated Pops Orchestra and why Pops music is still important today.  It exposes orchestral arrangements to people who would not normally attend symphonies.  Nothing against the Houston Symphony and I imagine that musicians today are probably more open minded to material as compared to 40 years ago, but it is a shame Houston does not have a dedicated Pops orchestra.DSCN4652 (789x800)

Anyway, this gem was recorded in 1977 during a performance at Carnegie Hall, which was their east coast debut according to the back of the record. It is a great selection of what a dedicated Pops Orchestra can be. For a sample, I was really torn as I really liked a lot of songs on this album, most notably “Oklahoma” and “Dueling Banjos”.  I felt both songs really showcased what a great pops orchestra can do.  However, rather than post half the album, I  was gravitated towards “Girl From Ipanema”.  Where as the other songs are fun, loose, and airy,  I felt this one was smooth and sophisticated and in the end, very well done.  Maybe I am misjudging my audience.  Maybe they really want light and airy.  In that case, here is “Dueling Banjos” just so nobody can say I shorted them on music.MichiganPops

Satisfactory record.