APRIL 2017 BIG BAND NEWS by Music Librarian CHRISTOPHER POPA Memories of the sounds of renown will once again echo this month in Tower City, Pennsylvania, when the 11th Annual Les Brown Big Band Weekend is held from the 21st through the 23rd. Les Brown, born in 1912 in nearby Reinerton, PA, formed what became one of the legendary big bands, the Band of Renown, which is best-remembered for such swing classics as Sentimental Journey, I ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, and Leap Frog, their theme song. Brown led his band until he died at age 88 in 2001. In 2012, Reinerton re-named a street near Brown s birthplace as Les Brown Lane, and the following year they adopted as their slogan Reinerton: The Town of Renown. This year, the Weekend s activities include lots of music, a three-hour dance, trivia contests, and a non-denominational celebration of music worship service. For more information, view their website, lesbrownfest.org, or contact Committee Chairman Joel Guldin via lbrownfest@gmail.com.
REVIEWS AND PREVIEWS COMPACT DISCS OF THE MONTH Larry Elgart and His Orchestra Sophisticated Sixties / The Shape Of The Sounds To Come Blue Moon (Sp) BMCD 881 A very nice job, produced for CD by Jordi Pujol, of two well-recorded 1960-61 MGM LPs from the bearded Elgart brother. The 24 selections include songs by Cole Porter (Just One of Those Things, I ve Got You Under My Skin, Get Out of Town), Fats Waller (Keepin Out of Mischief Now, Ain t Misbehavin ), and originals from such arrangers as Bobby Scott (Arkansas Holler), John Murtaugh (Full Swing Ahead), and Roger Middleton (Sophisticated Sixties). With original cover art and liner notes. Larry Elgart and His Orchestra New Sounds of The Roosevelt / Music from the Broadway Hit Production Saratoga Fresh Sounds (Sp) FSRCD 921 Another fine job, also produced for CD by Jordi Pujol, of two 1959 RCA Victor albums by Larry Elgart. In fact, the Roosevelt LP was nominated for a Grammy! It includes four originals by Al Cohn (Let My People Swing, Cool-Aid, April, Blue Thursday). It s been on CD a couple times but never this nice, with original artwork and liner notes. The Saratoga score was composed by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer.
Mary Ann McCall: Complete Recordings 1950-1959 Fresh Sound Records (Sp) FSCRCD 918-2 Vocalist McCall worked with some of the best big bands of the 30s and 40s, namely Woody Herman and Charlie Barnet. But this 2-CD compilation covers her recordings from 1950 to 1959, including two sides that she did for Decca with Artie Shaw and His Gramercy Five (There Must Be Something Better Than Love and Nothin for Nothin ) and some songs made with saxophonist Charlie Ventura for the Norgran (i.e., Norman Granz) label. Throughout, there are many talented instrumentalists backing her on select recordings, such as Kai Winding and Billy Byers (trombone), Al Cohn and Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Lenny Hambro (alto sax), Dave McKenna (piano), George Duvivier (bass), and Sonny Igoe and Ed Shaughnessy (drums). Woody Herman and His Orchestra The Moon Is Blue Sounds of YesterYear (UK) DSOY 2060 The Status label in England released on CD in 1996 some selections from the same performance dates at Jantzen Beach (catalog number DSTS1020). But these are different songs by Herman s 1954 band that had Dolly Houston on vocals. However, unless you re a Herman completist, it might come off as a rag-tag collection. One track is labeled as Introduction Sound check, two selections are unknown title, there are two versions of Mulligan Tawny (aka Prez Conference), and the title tune The Moon Is Blue is incomplete.
Stan Kenton and His Orchestra Concerts In Miniature: Part 18 Sounds of YesterYear (UK) DSOY 2059 The Kenton band, as heard on the radio, in May 1953. Ray Noble and His Orchestra Music Boutique CD-R Once available as an RCA Vintage Series LP, this presents the same 16 selections, including The Touch of Your Lips and Big Chief De Sota. Dance Party Music Boutique CD-R A selection of some of those newer recordings made for Reader s Digest by such famed bands as Goodman, May, Crosby, Martin, James, Brown, Fields, and Weston, spread out on 4 CD-Rs. Many dance styles are represented.
Bobby Darin & Johnny Mercer: Two Of A Kind: With Billy May And His Orchestra Omnivore OV 216 The original 13 selections as issued by Atco, plus 7 previously-unissued performances (5 of them alternate takes and the other 2 are Cecilia and Lily of Laguna, songs recorded for the LP but left off). By the sounds of things, everyone involved had fun. Nicely done by Omnivore. The Tony Martin Hit Collection: 1936-57 Acrobat Music (UK) ADDCD3191 If you re a fan of singer Martin, you ll recognize the material, but I m only listing it here because there are five Brunswick selections included in this 2-CD set on which he sings with Ray Noble and His Orchestra: The Moon of Manakoora, I Hadn t Anyone Til You, You Couldn t Be Cuter, My Walking Stick, and Now It Can Be Told. Glenn Miller and His Orchestra In The Swinging Mood Sounds of YesterYear (UK) DSOY 2056 Produced by Miller devotee Michael Highton and with very well-written liner notes by Miller expert Tony Eaton, for them as likes their music on the jumpin side Get ready.