Although Elgart is listed as directing the record, the music was composed and arranged by Charles Albertine. Little known today, Albertine worked extensively with the Elgarts and later with the Three Suns and Sammy Kaye. (More info here.)
 |
| Larry Elgart |
The "Barefoot Ballerinas" music is most enjoyable, with Albertine drawing on French and Russian composers for inspiration, and Elgart's alto adopting a purer sound than is usually found in pop or jazz alto solos. (I find it hard to listen to many jazz altos.) You may find this album described on the web as avant-garde or akin to Bob Graettinger's City of Glass. Neither claim is true; it is entirely euphonious.
Albertine had begun working with the Elgarts in 1952 or 1953, and had already arranged one LP for Larry, 1953's Impressions of Outer Space, a record I wish I owned for its fantastic cover alone. Albertine composed five of the eight tunes on that record; one other was by Kermit Levinsky (Leslie), who recently made an appearance on this blog.
Much of Albertine's work for the Elgarts was far more conventional than "Barefoot Ballerinas." Earlier in 1954, Les had taped Albertine's "Bandstand Boogie." It's quite a good big-band riff tune in a Jerry Gray vein, one that will be familiar to most Americans of my generation as the theme music for Dick Clark's television show American Bandstand.
Larry continued recording into the 1980s, scoring a hit with his album Hooked on Swing, which was not as disreputable as its counterpart Hooked on Classics. Both were mainstays of an 80s record library.
Decca's cover for "Barefoot Ballerinas" is much different from its usual blatant approach to art. It does not even display the Decca logo, which makes an appearance on the back (see below). I will admit, though, that the drawing looks like it might have been scribbled by a lovesick high school student. The sound is fine.
Albertine had begun working with the Elgarts in 1952 or 1953, and had already arranged one LP for Larry, 1953's Impressions of Outer Space, a record I wish I owned for its fantastic cover alone. Albertine composed five of the eight tunes on that record; one other was by Kermit Levinsky (Leslie), who recently made an appearance on this blog.
Much of Albertine's work for the Elgarts was far more conventional than "Barefoot Ballerinas." Earlier in 1954, Les had taped Albertine's "Bandstand Boogie." It's quite a good big-band riff tune in a Jerry Gray vein, one that will be familiar to most Americans of my generation as the theme music for Dick Clark's television show American Bandstand.
Larry continued recording into the 1980s, scoring a hit with his album Hooked on Swing, which was not as disreputable as its counterpart Hooked on Classics. Both were mainstays of an 80s record library.
Decca's cover for "Barefoot Ballerinas" is much different from its usual blatant approach to art. It does not even display the Decca logo, which makes an appearance on the back (see below). I will admit, though, that the drawing looks like it might have been scribbled by a lovesick high school student. The sound is fine.
16 comments:
Checked out a couple of these tunes on YouTube and then quickly downloaded the whole dang album from you. Very, very ear-pleasing stuff. Thanks!
The world--or at least the world of your regulars--would benefit from some of your top-notch transfer of Les Elgart's many enjoyable albums. Albertine gave the band one of the most distinctively identifiable sounds in dance band history. Oh, how I wish I kept all those vinyl versions I bought from the Columbia Record Club!
Thanks so much Buster for this incredible and original discovery !
I never heard something like this: fabulous orchestrations, well-defined pictures in between film and easy listening music (that I do love even I play more Varese and Boulez stuff), high quality all through !!
Tim - Glad you like them!
David - I know I have several of Les's albums.
centuri - Thanks as always for your kind words.
Very many thanks for this.
If I were the betting type, I might risk a small sum on the notion that the cover graphic was the work not of any passing lovesick student but of Jules Feiffer.
dave_bruce - Goodness, I think you are right!
I will download this one just for the cover! Never seen this one before, and I've seen those horrible George Peed covers that showed up on some Les & Larry covers in the late 70's/early 80's.
Hi Ernie - Hope you rode out the big storm in good stead.
I'm fine. Much better than most of my neighbors. Never lost power, cable or internet. The storm stayed east of me, so I was on the easy side of it. I moved about 5000 Christmas records into some interior closet space just in case, but nothing happened. Couldn't bear the thought of them all getting waterlogged if something broke through.
Ernie - So glad to hear you are well. Good idea to move the records - gotta protect those LPs!
I did the same as Tim. YouTube and then a quick download. Excellent music and absolutely new to me from Larry. Thank you so much
Thanx for this off the path disc. Larry & his Bro were 2 of the greatest..........
Buster this was a really nice album. It reminded me of the few musical films I have on DVDs with Astaire or Kelly where they include a ballet (type) sequence. Plus my favorite O. & H. film, The Flower Drum Song.
Bryan - Glad you liked this one. The Kelly ballet you are thinking of is probably the one from An American in Paris. The music from his relatively unknown all-ballet film is here:
https://big10inchrecord.blogspot.com/2014/09/invitation-to-dance-music-by-ibert-and.html
Yes you are correct come to think of it. I read that it was one of his best films, so I bought it about 10 years ago I think it was. I will have to get it out and rewatch it again.
The Astaire film I remember is one of my favorites, even though it isn't not well thought of, Daddy Long Legs. It features one of my favorite songs, Dream. Besides, I love the collected cast in it.
Most of their films are excellent.
Post a Comment