Remembering Two Great Singers

I was sorry to hear about the death Sunday of a great singer, Vic Damone, who has appeared on this blog as many times as any artist. While I have nothing new prepared to mark Damone's passing, I do want to take the occasion to honor another talented vocalist who died in the recent past. Marlene VerPlanck never achieved the renown of Vic Damone, but she was nonetheless a supremely talented singer who made many fine records.

Marlene VerPlanck

VerPlanck started recording early, with a solo LP under the name Marlene for the Savoy label in 1955, when she was 21. That effort was reissued on CD a number of years ago. She did not record again under her own name until the late 60s, with two records on her own Mounted label. Then she was not heard from until 1979, when she signed with the Audiophile label, where she recorded for the balance of her career. Audiophile has also reissued her Mounted recordings.

VerPlanck was in demand as a singer even when not busy under her own name, first as a vocalist with some of the remaining big bands, then as a member of a cabaret act, the John LaSalle Quartet, and notably as one of the most in-demand studio singers. If you are as old as me (and I hope you are not), you have heard her voice - taking on the Campbell Soup tagline ("M'm, m'm good") and Nationwide Insurance's motto ("Nationwide is on your side"), among many others. Her perfect diction and intonation allied to an innate warmth made her a highly successful representative for these brands.

Today I wanted to share what I believe is her second recording. In it, she appears as a member of the John LaSalle Quartet, which also included Hugh Martin and Bill Smith. This LP, dating from 1959, is titled Jumpin' at the Left Bank, even though it was surely taped in the studio, not at the New York night spot where the group was appearing. The Left Bank was owned by Dick Kollmar, an actor, producer, radio personality and husband of columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, both of whom are name-checked on the LP.

It's a good record by a fine group, with interesting arrangements by Billy VerPlanck, Marlene's husband. The quartet went on to record another album for Capitol, and LaSalle did a solo LP for Columbia a few years later.

You can learn more about VerPlanck via a detailed New York Times obituary and a knowledgeable Marc Myers appreciation.