Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli- Live at the London Palladium

Not exactly Broadway but very Broadway theme, we have this little gem I have been kicking around for some time. For a double record set, it only cost me a dollar.  I bought it because I thought I could get a good story out of it and it was only a buck.  However, soon after purchase, I kind of dreaded listening to it, seeing it was a double album.  In the words of my friend Sam, it seemed a bit much for one listening, at least for a straight man who likes old school country music.

However, I will say, for a double album, it went quick and relatively painless.  I mean two records of two women singing showtunes, it could of been a lot worse. It could have easily spun into a Sweeny Sister’s type affair (even though that would not be bad either).

So there was this, recorded at London’s Palladium during a series of concerts Judy Garland put on in 1964.  The first show sold out quick, prompting a second performance, which did the same, at which point the duo performed an hour long set for the BBC.  This was Judy’s first performance from her daughter, Liza Minnelli, who I believe was still in High School at the time and was really not too famous at the time, other than for being Garland’s daughter.  Garland would pass five years later in 1969. This album, incidentally, came out in 1965 and peaked at #41 on the Billboard charts.

This show is from the first performance, although I am not 100% sure “live” is in quotes.  For a rising up and comer, Liza has a good chunk of songs on her own, along with duets with her mother.  The album does a really good job of showcasing Liza’s then emerging talent  at times, kind of serves as a debutante’s coming out party of sorts.  Of course there are solo efforts by Judy as well.  Mostly all stage and movie standards on this. Medley count is a bit high with four (so it is slightly Sweeny-ish in that regards).  Did I mention I dreaded listening to this?  In actuality, it was not a bad album but I would not listen to it again any time soon.

 

For a sample, I went with Liza’s Medley on side 3, as I was really impressed with her work on this record.  Consisting of songs in tribute to her famous mother, here is “Take Me Along”, “If I Could Be With You”, “Tea For Two”, “Who”, “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”, By Myself”, ‘Take Me Along”, and “Mammy”.  Also for good measure, here is one of the encores which is mentioned at the start of the album, “Chicago”, featuring the duo.

OK.  I was pleasantly surprised by this album.  Not nearly as painful to listen.  Satisfactory.

Original Cast Recording- Hello Dolly

So somewhat already getting sick of the Broadway theme we are ding this month, but too late to change gears now.  This was $1.20.  Not really familiar with Hello Dolly as compared to other works I have put on this month.  I had an opportunity last night to watch the movie for some background but a romance between Barbara Streisand and Walter Matthau is a bit much for me to bear.

Hello Dolly was a musical with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Michael Stewart, all based on Thorton Wilder’s 1938 play The Merchant of Yonkers.  It tells the story of a matchmaker who tries to find a mate for a unmarried half-millionaire.  The producers had Ethel Merman in mind for the lead role who turned it down.  Ditto for Mary Martin.  After consideration of Nancy Walker, the role went to Carol Channing, who went on to make it her signature role.

After some rocky reviews in previews, the show was retooled and opened on Broadway on Jan 16, 1964.  It became a smash hit, running 2,844 performances, a record at the time.  In fact, despite the advent of rock and roll, ten Broadway productions in the 60’s would run past 1,000 performances,  Three of which would go over 2,000 Anyway, back to this, Hello Dolly won 10 out of 11 Tony’s a record until 2001.  Channing won for Best Actress in a Musical despite stiff competition between Streisand with Funny Girl.

And as inferred above, a film version which was directed by Gene Kelly, came out in 1969.  It would win three Oscars. As this still remains highly popular, various revivals have been performed through out the years including a 2017 run with Bette Midler.

The album was pretty darn successful as well, going to the #1 spot in the US.  The theme song has become a standard of sorts, is some part due to Louis Armstrong’s cover version, which knocked the Beatles out of the #1 spot in 1964. In 2002, this album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, although I am not too certain what that means.

But here is this, featuring Channing, David Burns, Charles Nelson Reilly, Jerry Dodge, and Eileen Brennnan. For a sample, I went with “Dancing” as it features most of the principles.

Not bad little record but not one pf my favorites .  But still…. satisfactory.

The Stereo Brass Choir- Stereo Dialogue for Brass

This gem was only 50 cents.  A lot of songs I like on this.  When I wrote yesterday’s post, I was somewhat unsure how this month would play out.  However, between now and then, I took a trip down memory lane and looked at some for the older posts.  Some of it was pretty painful, going back to when I could not get the pictures straight, did not know how to display links, or properly record songs.  But overall, I felt that the output nowadays is more diverse than in the past and as I have always tried to make diversity a point of this blog, this is saying something. Anyway, Happy Fourth of July.  Nothing more patriotic than a bit of brass.

Well, there is this, which bills itself as “the most enjoyable musical event in stereo history”.  It is a collection of show tunes and standards in stereo with trombones on one side and trumpets on the other. It was the brainchild of Lew Davies (1911-1968) who besides arranging for Perry Como, Lena Horne, and Lawrence Welk, also worked closely with fellow audiophile Enoch Light and Command Records.

Davies’ Space Age Pop Page

The songs, by such luminaries as Rodgers, Porter, Loesser and Lowe, and Berlin, contain back and forth sections between the competing brass sections. As the title would suggest, this showcases the “dialogue” between groups.  Good arrangements.  Nice song selection.  As this was on Columbia records and released in 1960, you know this is a serious effort.  Besides the brass, the vibes/xylophone and other percussion make for a good effect.

For a sample, I decided to go with Irving Berlin’s staple “Anything You Can Do”.  

Good album.  Satisfactory.

 

The Stradivari Strings- Ping Pong Percussion of Rodgers & Hammerstein

There are two things I frequently post on this page: percussion and Rodgers and Hammerstein.  Maybe three things if you separate the duo. And perhaps a more accurate thing to say is among the things I frequently post as I have many recurring theme on this blog.  Anyway, this was a dollar.  I bought it because it combines two of the said recurring themes.

It is not that Rodgers and Hart did not write successful songs a lot of their works have become standards.  It is just with Hammerstein, the everything about productions seemed to be on a grander scale.  Other than Pal Joey, I can no think of another Rodgers/Hart musical.  I can name five Rodgers/Hammerstein musicals off the top of my head.

This record came out on Pirouette Records, a subsidiary of the Synthetic Plastics Company.  I did a post on them sometime back but can not remember which album.  Anyway, apparently there is a whole series of Ping-Pong Percussion records with such stars as Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and Leroy Anderson.  Okay, perhaps, three does not a series make, but you get the point. I am sure the Stradivari Strings was a house band.  Not sure why you would connotate a percussion album with a string band, but this is what Pirouette chose to do.  From what I can tell, this came out sometime in the early ’60’s

Overall, I felt the album was a pretty good interpretation of the duo’s work.  On a personal level, I could have used more songs that I like, but to counterpoint, it probably made for a better album by highlighting lesser known songs.  As far as the percussion goes, the album does ok at the beginning of the songs but does tend to go more into the strings about mid-way each tune. I have heard worse percussion albums but I wonder the reasoning behind naming this Ping Pong Percussion.

For a sample, I was torn between Carousel‘s “June is Busting Out All Over” and South Pacific’s “Some Enchanted Evening”.  Carousel, in particular, has been steadily rising for me, while Oklahoma keeps slightly falling.  I feel that the whole resentment of Judd is kind of messed up. Well back to this, I could not choose between the two so here is both.

Satisfactory.

 

Doc Severinsen- Doc

I am two years old today.  Wow, how time flies. I am posting this album due to the fact that this blog started two years ago with a Doc Severinsen album. I probably bought this back in 2014 due to how much I enjoyed the album I first posted. This was one dollar.

Welcome to another month of Donkey Show.  Due to this being an anniversary month, I am putting albums from both artists and genres that have been frequently showcased on this site. I took a bunch of records (well, the good ones at least) out of last month to insert into this month.  I also found I had to do Sunday posts this month as I wanted to get as many records in as possible.

Anyway, happy birthday to me.  It has been a roller coaster of events which has either allowed me time to do this blog or has taken the time away from me to really elaborate on some subjects.  Regardless, here are a few links to some of my favorite posts thru the years. I have noticed that a lot of video links go dead over time and I am not going to relink them.

The Mikado with Groucho Marx

Three Penny Opera with Raul Julia

Spanish cast recording of Evita

Misc Irish Album

Rosemary Clooney and Perez Prado

Ian and Sylvia

 

This album was was released in 1972 during a string of records he made for RCA.  By then, Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show was in full swing.  Carson’s era officially ended with the retirement of Leno and Letterman, the last two retirements of his class.  Nowadays, late night talk shows have evolved into something that I can not understand or more accurately, something I am not that inclined to stay up for anymore.

Anyway, Doc brings along his fellow Command Record’s label mate and collaborator, Dick Hyman who co-produced, arranged, and conducted on this record.  The songs are a decent mix of movie soundtracks/ show tunes including themes from The Godfather, Portnoy’s Complaint, Living Free, and the Summer of ‘ 42. This is a decent album.  It really showcases Doc’s skills on the horn.

For a sample, I went with “Bonnie” which is a nice lively number that derives itself from the old standard ” My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean”, although it takes its own pleasant time getting there.

Good album.  Satisfactory.

Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte- Porgy and Bess

I think this was $4.  I also think I got this specifically for Black History Month.  Tried getting caught up this weekend but failed miserably and now have to gun thru this post.

Porgy and Bess is a mixed bag of sorts.  George Gershwin’s’ great jazz opera premiered in 1935 but received mixed reviews due to its racial charged theme.  Basically, it appealed to no one.  Several of the songs, however, including ” Summertime” and “I Got Plenty O’ Nothing” became popular standards.  Oddly enough, the musical/opera got a second life when it was done in 1976 at the Houston Grand Opera.  I meant to write more about all these subjects but time has gotten the better of me.  Use Google to answer any questions you may have.

The director for the HGO’s production had trouble finding black actors who wanted to play the roles.  This would be a common theme for stagings of the musical.  In particular, Harry Belafonte refused the screen role of Porgy in the 1950’s film.  Which makes his participation of this record strange on one hand and a testament to the quality of the song writing on the other.   It might also explain his lackluster effort on this album.

This was released in 1959.  Both Lena Horne and Belafonte recorded their solo pieces with their own orchestras.  They came together for a few duo’s.  Horne’s performance, is in stark comparison to Belafonte’s, whereas she hits the songs out of the park.  

Well, for a sample, I went with “There’s  A Boat That’s Leaving Soon For New York”, as it showcases the two together and I really did not have time to write about any of the other songs.

Good Album. Satisfactory. Spelling, grammar, and facts be damned.

 

Nancy Walker- I Can Cook Too

DSCN4822 (800x786)This was $4.00.  I have been holding on to this for more than a year now.  Not sure why I bought something on the strength of being from Rhoda’s mother. 69f5e4c4011c53fce7e4d05a65475fab

Nancy Walker, born in Philly in 1922 to a vaudeville family, became a star of the stage on Broadway with some work in film as well. Television roles followed, most famously the above mentioned re-occuring role on Rhoda.rhoda

Finally, she may also be remembered for her lifelong advocacy of the absorbing spilled liquids.  Walker died of lung cancer in 1992.  Nancy_Walker_Rosie_Bounty_ad_1977

This album, released in 1956, is a collection of popular Broadway songs of Walker’s era including roles performed by Walker on Broadway.  On such role was Hildy from On The Town, which Walker originated (“I Can Cook Too”). Composers include George and Ira Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Betty  Comden, Adolph Green, David Craig, and David Parker among others.  Walker is backed only by a piano so the album itself is pretty sparse.   Overall, it is a good illustration of what musical theater in the US was before Rodgers, Hart, Hammerstein, Sondheim, and Wilson.cover-78s_Look-Ma

I should put a disclaimer out that I do not support the song I am posting.  It is a number from Hugh Martin’s Look Ma, I’m Dancing.  Martin, best known for his scoring of the MGM movie Meet Me In St Louis, wrote the lyrics and the music. The show ran  for roughly 7 months in 1948.  Walker was the star.  From what I can piece together, it is about a millionaire and a former vaudevillian who pay a Russian ballet company to perform so they can dance in the act.  I am not sure what causes all the Texas hate or how it resolves but there it is, “I’m Tired of Texas”, a pretty derogatory statement especially at the end of the song.DSCN4823 (800x774)

Just for that alone, this album is getting meh from me.  Also, i paid a bit too much for it as well.

Petula Clark- My Love

DSCN2498This was $2.39.  Still somewhat catching up from working all day yesterday.60sGroove_PetulaClark_t700Petula Clark, born in Epsom, Surrey, UK, in 1932, began her career in radio at age 9.  She would entertain troops during WWII as well as tour the UK along with her fellow child star, Julie Andrews.  Recordings came in the 50’s.  Around that same time, she began work on both TV and movies.  International fame came with her smash hit “Downtown” and to most Americans, she would be associated with the swinging sixties.  She continued making albums and movies including the critically hated Finnegan’s Rainbow.She is still alive and still working sporadically.

Petula’sWeb Page

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This album, released in 1966 has been called her high point by some critics.  Released after Downtown and I Know a Place, this album was her first to be recorded in the US.  The album would produce to hit singles, “My Love” and “Sign of the Times”.  The vocal group the Breakaways performed back up vocals on this.  I got a compilation CD of theirs a few years back.  It is excellent.  Getting back to Petula, besides the singles, the album features The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” and “The Life and Soul of the Party” which was scrapped as a single as the producer was told this phrase is meaningless to Americans.

As a sample, I had to go with the musical number “If I Were a Bell” from Guys and Dolls, although truthfully, I prefer the movie version better. There were a few decent songs to choose from, but I like the musical so there.6a010536b86d36970c017ee52c5441970d

Satisfactory record.

 

Glamorgan Elementary School Choir- World Today, Hello Tomorrow

DSCN2255This was a dollar.  It had decent songs on it , plus it was Canadian. It was also sealed.bannerGlamorgan Elementary is a public schools serving the Glamorgan community, a south-western neighborhood of Calgary, AB.  It was opened in 1958.

Glamorgan Community Association

This is a collection of songs sung by the school choir augmented with monologues from kids.  While most of the credits on the album go to Mr Kuzmar, the conductor, I wondered more about Mrs Slaught, who I assume is the overworked and underappreciated music teacher who played the piano on this.  Poor Mrs Slaught.

The theme of the album is peace and unity between all people.  It is strange now, just how optimistic this album is.  I am not sure when this came out.  I am guessing late 70’s/ early 80’s.  Regardless, this was made during the Cold War and it sort of makes one misty thinking about the kids’ message of peace.  On the other hand, how could we live thru the threat of nuclear annihilation only to have these current times, where despite the threat of mass extinction being diminished, the dream of unity among people is now further than ever?  That is because there was no internet during the Cold War. If there was, we would most likely have nuked the planet silly.

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For a sample, I went with two popular Broadway numbers which were put together; “Sunrise, Sunset” from Fiddler on the Roof and “Impossible Dream” from Man of LaMancha.  These are combined with a monologue from a Valerie Miller and one from a Kathy Buck.  Additionally, “Sunrise” has a solo from Heather Gargan.

This is satisfactory for the price and for a kids record.  I have heard a lot worse.

 

The Barry Sisters- Sing Fiddler on the Roof

DSCN1231This was a quarter. I could have made a phone call 20 years ago for this. I bought it because I like Fiddler.

The Barry Sisters were a vocal pair who specialized in American Klezmer and Jazz vocals.  To the laymen, think Yiddish-Swing.  The sisters (Minnie and Clara Bagelman) were born in the Bronx and started singing Yiddish Songs at an early age.  Their first break came in the 30’s on radio shows.  At the suggestion of a producer of the radio program Yiddish Melodies in Swing, they dropped the Bagelman moniker and became Claire and Merna Barry. (Not sure why they changed the name. I would think Bagelman would be a better name on the Yiddish Entertainer circuit.)  They would perform Yiddish versions of popular jazz songs on the show from 1937 to the mid 1950’s  .  From here, they appeared on Ed Sullivan, The Jack Parr Show, and the Tonight Show.  They also entertained troops during the Yom Kippur War. The sisters stood out greatly from other Yiddish entertainers due to their glamorous appearance.  Also, according to Wikipedia, they spared no expense with their orchestra.  Merna would die of a brain tumor in 1976 at the age of 53.  Claire would hold on until 2014, where she past on at age 94.

Merna (left) and Claire
Merna (left) and Claire

As far as the album goes, it is alright. It is what you expected, a swinging take on Fiddler. The Sisters’ harmony is impeccable and their voices are very pretty.  At times, I kind of think of a Jewish version of the Sweeny Sisters.  But kidding aside, the Sister’s do a fine job with the songs from the musical.  Everything is in English so there is nothing showcasing their Yiddish skills.

DSCN1232My favorite song from the musical is “Tevye’s Dream” which is a chorus number and therefore, not on this album.  However,  all the rest of the big tunes are on here.  “Matchmaker”, “Sunrise, Sunset”, “If I Were a Rich Man”, and the title track all stand out.  However, I went with two of my other favorite songs, “To Life” and “Tradition”.  Both showcase the Sister’s voices and swinging sound.

Satisfactory record, although I must admit it grew on me after a few listens. And again, it was only a quarter so go call someone who cares.