28 April 2009

Walter Gross Returns

Longtime followers of this blog, assuming there are such creatures, may recognize the name Walter Gross from an early post of the music from a Joan Crawford film called Torch Song. Gross played piano on that LP, and accompanied singer India Adams.

Torch Song featured Gross' big song hit, Tenderly, and my friend Mel surprised me by saying he had been looking for that record for many years.

This one may also be a surprise to Mel - it's another Walter Gross record featuring Tenderly. This one is from 1950, and appeared in a series that Columbia called Piano Moods. Not that Gross was what you would call a moody pianist - the two side-long medleys on this record are quite chipper, in fact, and make a pleasant way to spend 25 minutes. This music is in a style that later would be called cocktail piano; Gross was a very good exponent of the genre.
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9 comments:

  1. mel28 April, 2009 23:50

    Buster, you've made my day! You're right, it is a surprise. I didn't know that Columbia released this one. I am familiar with their Piano Moods series and I still have the one by Buddy Weed. Do you have any others?

    There was another LP by Gross, a 12"-er on either Atlantic or ABC-Paramount, I don't remember which, that I have never been able to find.

    I'm also on the lookout for piano recordings by Alec Templeton.

    Thanks so much for this share.

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  2. Buster29 April, 2009 07:50

    Hi Mel,

    In the Piano Moods series, I know I have the Dardanelle item; maybe another one. Have to scrounge around to see what I have by Templeton.

    ReplyDelete
  3. mel29 April, 2009 23:44

    I am intrigued by Dardanelle - I have never heard of her before. Any chance of a listen sometime?

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  4. Buster30 April, 2009 09:16

    Mel,

    She was a cabaret artist. Actually made records even into the 1980s. I don't recall what the Columbia record sounds like; I'll see if I can locate it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ernie30 April, 2009 13:02

    I thought you were talking about the song Dardenella. Maybe it's not spelled the same, but I've got a great version by Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong somewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lennonka26 January, 2017 04:11

    Dear Buster!
    Can you reupload this album?
    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Buster31 January, 2017 20:49

    Remastered version (Apple lossless):

    https://www.mediafire.com/?3ocoobaqpu3cbs7

    ReplyDelete
  8. Phillip09 February, 2017 00:47

    Lovely. Thanks so much Buster...I missed this the first time round...

    ReplyDelete

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