Paul Weston

The recent Matt Dennis post elicited some compliments for Paul Weston's arrangements, so I decided to bring forth one of his first LPs, called Music for Easy Listening.

Weston certainly didn't invent "easy listening" - records that are recognizably from that vague genre go way back. The numbers in this collection are far more varied in style than you would find in most albums of its type. Also, Weston, with his dance band background, generally establishes a firm pulse in his arrangements. It's not just swoop and swoon here. I wonder, though, how many albums had been called "easy listening" before this one came out.

This 1950 LP compiles Weston singles from the previous few years. Three items have soloists, identified on the original 78s but not on the album. They are pianist George Greeley in Swedish Rhapsody, Skitch Henderson at the keyboard in Full Moon and Empty Arms, and violinist Paul Nero with his composition The Hot Canary.

The latter is one of the most successful novelty instrumentals of all time - in my opinion - and this is the first version. The tune became so popular that at one time in 1951, Capitol had three versions on the market, all with Nero fiddling - this one, a vocal version and a Nero LP with a small instrumental group (which I may present here later on).

According to the label, Full Moon and Empty Arms was written by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman. If Sergei Rachmaninoff hadn't died a few years before this tune made its appearance, this might have finished him off. Considering that Rachmaninoff wrote the melody, Weston did the arrangement and there are no words, one wonders what Buddy and Ted contributed. Not even as much as Skitch, I'd say, who adds some pianistic curlicues that Rachmaninoff hadn't contemplated.

Weston these days is known best for being the husband of and arranger for Jo Stafford, but he had a very long and successful career on his own - and was the music director for Capitol when these sides were made. I don't think I've ever seen a photo of him where he didn't have the same grim look on his face. He bears something of an resemblance to actor Wally Cox (below). Looker or not, he made many fine records, and this LP provides a good sampling.