Russian Music from Kansas City

The Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra made but two LPs in its 50-year history, both under Hans Schwieger (1906-2000), music director from 1948-70. These worthy recordings of Russian music, the subject of today's post, both come from early 1959.

The recordings were made for Urania, which had assembled an extensive catalogue of LPs sourced from Europe and was looking for projects in the US. Schwieger chose the repertoire, selecting scores that were unusual but still appealing. He chose two works by Sergei Prokofiev, Alexander Glazunov's fourth symphony, and Mili Balakirev's Overture on Three Russian Themes.

Hans Schwieger

Schwieger was born in Cologne in 1906, and did well in his nascent music career until the Nazis came to power. His wife was Jewish, which limited his prospects. Like many others, he ended up in the US, arriving in 1938. All was well until a few days after Pearl Harbor, when he was mistakenly arrested as an enemy agent. He was interred for more than a year. (More about the conductor's life can be found in this excellent series.)

Schwieger succeeded Karl Kruger and Efrem Kurtz as conductor of the Kansas City Philharmonic, which was dissolved in 1982, but soon was succeeded by the Kansas City Symphony.

Prokofiev - Symphonic Suite of Waltzes, Gypsy Fantasy

The major work on the first Urania LP is Prokofiev's Symphonic Suite of Waltzes, which the composer assembled from several of his other works and premiered in 1947. Schwieger and the Kansas City orchestra presented the first US performance in late 1958.

Sergei Prokofiev

The six movements and the sources of the dances are as follows:

• I. The Meeting, from the opera War and Peace
• II. Cinderella at the Castle, from the ballet Cinderella
• III. Mephisto Waltz, from the film Lermontov
• IV. The End of the Tale, from Cinderella
• V. New Year's Eve Ball, from War and Peace
• VI. Happy Ending, from Cinderella

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For me, the finest (and most familiar) movement is the sweeping final waltz from Cinderella. (The composer's suites from the ballet can be found here.)

The Gypsy Fantasy comes from the late ballet The Stone Flower, which was not premiered until after Prokofiev's 1953 death.

In general, the record received good reviews. HiFi Review: "[T]he repertoire is interestingly conducted by Hans Schwieger, the Kansas City Philharmonic's regular music director ... Schwieger is revealed on this Urania disc as a musician of excellent taste and outstanding ability. His beat is firm; he maintains a tightly disciplined control over the ensemble; and he conducts with imagination."

Alfred Frankenstein of High Fidelity, however, was not impressed by the second work, calling it a "very ordinary piece of hack work."

LINK to Prokofiev LP

Glazunov - Symphony No. 4; Balakirev - Suite on Three Russian Themes

The Balakirev and Glazunov compositions were recorded at the same sessions as the Prokofiev. A contemporary article in the Kansas City Times says they were scheduled for March 22 and 24, 1959 in the World War II Memorial Building.

The Prokofiev release was given a relatively elaborate presentation. It came in a box with notes, and the fancy labels bore Schwieger's signature. The second LP was a bare-bones affair - no box, no photos and black-and-white labels.

Alexander Glazunov

Glazunov's symphony had been recorded before - by Evgeny Mravinsky and the Leningrad Philharmonic - but this appears to have been its first recording in the West.

Balakirev's Overture on Three Russian Themes (here called the Overture on Themes of Russian Folksongs), had been recorded twice before in the West - by Lovro von Matačić in London and by László Somogyi in Paris.

Glazunov's symphonies have never achieved popularity in the Western world, but they do have much to offer the sympathetic listener. Initially influenced by such earlier composers as Balakirev, by the time of the Symphony No. 4 (1893) Glazunov had adopted a less nationalist tone and did not make use of Russian themes, such as can be heard in the Balakirev work on the same disc.

Mili Balakirev

Balakirev was 30 years the elder of Glazunov, part of a generation that made extensive use of folk materials. The delightful Overture on Three Russian Themes, an early work (1857-58), is an excellent example. The folksong "In the fields stands a birch tree" would later be used to memorable effect in Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. "There was at the feast" reappears in Stravinsky's Petrushka.

This second Urania LP did not elicit the same positive reviews as the Prokofiev album. The only national review I found was in HiFi Review, where David Hall wrote, "The Balakirev Overture has already received a superb monophonic recording ... and it must be said that Schwieger's merely neat and precise performance is no match for it. The Glazunov performance by Schwieger and his Kansans is in similar vein."

Hans Schwieger in rehearsal

Although the two LPs were recorded during the same sessions, the sound of the Prokofiev was much better received.

Hall's opinion of the second record: "The recorded sound in stereo has fine spread, but not much depth, warmth or the kind of presence that makes for the best kind of symphony orchestra sound."

Actually the two records do sound different. The string sound in the Prokofiev was very wiry, possibly because the violins were too closely miked, which I've tamed. The second LP does not have such a glare, but it also does not, as Hall wrote, offer much depth or warmth.

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But even so, these are worthy representations of a very good orchestra under a skillful conductor. It's too bad more were not forthcoming.

I transferred these records from my collection as the result of a request. The download includes an article on Schwieger from the Kansas City Times, as well as ads, the reviews, scans, etc.

LINK to Glazunov-Balakirev LP

A Celebration of Dimitri Tiomkin

The Russian-born film composer Dimitri Tiomkin (1894-1979) famously thanked all the classical greats when accepting his 1955 Academy Award for The High and the Mighty. But Beethoven and Tchaikovsky would not have thought of having a whistler warble a memorable (and eerie) theme for one of their works - a theme that would become a huge popular success.

Tiomkin may have had roots in the classics, but he also was a powerful hit maker, writing both sweeping scores for his film assignments and theme music that often topped the charts.

Today we look at both sides of Tiomkin via:

• The Popular Dimitri Tiomkin, a set of 21 theme songs from his most fertile decade (1952-61), representing both huge successes and more modest but still worthy efforts.

• Movie Themes from Hollywood, Tiomkin's own 1955 LP of his compositions

• Return to Paradise, his unusual 1953 album of music from the film, with star Gary Cooper narrating the story

• Dimitri Tiomkin Obscurities (on my other blog), with such items as his first record (from 1934), foreign language versions of his themes, a mambo rendition of The High and the Mighty, and other items

The Popular Dimitri Tiomkin

Tiomkin's first huge hit was the theme from the Western High Noon, also known as "Do Not Forsake Me" with Gary Cooper's Quaker wife (Grace Kelly!) threatening to leave him if he shoots the bad guys. It's a bleak tale, with no one in the town willing to stand up to evil, except for Coop.

The story goes that the film was a flop in previews, so the studio wanted to shelve it. But Tiomkin paid for a recording of the title song - the version by Frankie Laine, which became a hit. That led the studio to release the film, which did well. The soundtrack version was by the sonorous Tex Ritter, who also recorded a single for Capitol that sold nicely. Both Laine and Ritter are in our collection.

It of course helped that the simple song was unforgettable. Catchy themes (and Westerns) would mark Tiomkin's career henceforth. The lyrics for "High Noon" were by the brilliant Ned Washington (1901-76), who won his second Oscar for this collaboration with Tiomkin. (The composer won a total of four.)

Our second film is another Western, The Big Sky, but it did not yield a hit for Tiomkin. From that score we do have a heartfelt ballad "When I Dream," sensitively done on a Capitol release by Bob Eberly, the former Jimmy Dorsey vocalist. I don't believe this is sung in the film.

Dimitri Tiomkin with Frankie Laine, Paul Francis Webster (seated), probably producer Milton Sperling, and Ray Heindorf, likely at the Blowing Wild sessions

Tiomkin again teamed with Gary Cooper and Frankie Laine for yet another Western, Blowing Wild, but Dimitri's music and Laine's histrionics did not lead to a hit the size of "High Noon." Paul Francis Webster (1907-84), another frequent Tiomkin collaborator, was the lyricist.

The war film Take the High Ground! did have a theme song, but today we hear the ballad "Julie," a tribute to Elaine Stewart's character. The beautiful Tiomkin melody is graced by a superior performance from studio vocalist Stuart Foster. I've presented this record before, but it merits a reprise.

Like South Pacific, Return to Paradise was based on a James Mitchener story, with Gary Cooper the filmic protagonist. The atmospheric title number was sung by the excellent Kitty White for the soundtrack, but here we have the fine singer Alan Dale with his lovely version for Coral.

The 'Hajji Baba' creative team: Nat King Cole, Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington

Hollywood (and the musical world) were fixated on exotica in the 1950s, and Tiomkin and Washington managed to make it pay off with their hit title song for The Adventures of Hajji Baba. For "Hajji Baba" they had the good fortune to have the perfect vocalist, Nat King Cole, on both the soundtrack and the Capitol recording, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle.

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The song is very dated - and more than a little creepy - but nonetheless memorable, and a big hit.

The promotion for the Western A Bullet Is Waiting promised "Explosive and overpowering hate and drama in the High Sierras!", but the single from the film spares us the angst and instead provides a pleasing instrumental number called "Jamie," here performed by LeRoy Holmes and his orchestra. The title is mysterious because none of the film's characters is named Jamie. Also, the song has lyrics (which seem to be by Manny Curtis), but those aren't included here. Still, a nice number.

In a very real way, the star of the airplane melodrama The High and the Mighty is the theme music. Based on a tune whistled in the film by the first officer (John Wayne), it has an otherworldly aura that could portend tragedy or intervention by God (and Wayne). The latter is, of course, what happens. Otherwise, the film is an airborne Grand Hotel.

The theme became massively popular because of its haunting quality. The biggest-selling single may have been the LeRoy Holmes record with whistling by Fred Lowery. I've chosen Victor Young's version with perfect and rather godlike whistling by Muzzy Marcellino, who was also heard on the soundtrack. Marcellino was a former Ted Fio Rito vocalist.

Click to enlarge

There were no lack of recordings of the theme. Jumping on the bandwagon (or airplane) in this Cash Box graphic were Tiomkin, Harry James, Perez Prado, Johnny Desmond, Les Baxter, Richard Hayman, Georgie Auld, Eddie Manson, Young, Holmes, Joe Loco, Leo Diamond and the Dorsey Brothers. Prado's mambo version and Desmond's singing can be heard on my other blog. The lyrics, which have nothing to do with the film's plot, were by the ubiquitous Ned Washington. By the way, Tiomkin's own record, which is in his LP below, replaces the whistling with a theremin.

In Friendly Persuasion, Gary Cooper once again starred in a tale of Quaker pacifism contending with a threat to the community The film produced another hit record for Tiomkin, this time working with Paul Francis Webster.

"Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)" was sung both on the soundtrack and on records by Pat Boone, who was otherwise known for covers of R&B hits. (Note that the flip side of "Friendly Persuasion" was a remake of a Big Joe Turner single.) Boone was actually a crooner in the Crosby vein, and quite a talented one as his version of Tiomkin's gorgeous theme song amply displays.

The Rock Hudson-Elizabeth Taylor-James Dean epic Giant actually had two theme songs: "Giant" and "There's Never Been Anyone Else But You (Love Theme from Giant)." Both were recorded, but the love theme more often, so I've chosen it for this collection. It gives me a chance to showcase some excellent vocalese from June Brown on the Mercury record by David Carroll and band. 

Giant was Dean's final film before his early death in a car crash. About 15 years ago I posted two different Dean exploitation records, while are still available.

We're back in the old West with Tiomkin, Washington and Frankie Laine for the title song of Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. It's a legendary tale loosely based on real incidents in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881, involving the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday and a band of outlaws. In the film, Burt Lancaster is Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas is Doc Holliday.

Laine's inimitable singing was a popular success, although the record did not become as iconic as High Noon.

The film Wild Is the Wind takes place on a ranch but only in that sense is it a Western. Otherwise it's a tale of love, loss and betrayal among Anna Magnani, Anthony Quinn and Tony Franciosa.

Johnny Mathis sang the magnificent theme song both on the soundtrack and on records. It's a unique performance, and a favorite of mine. (I owned the single when I was eight.) It only rose to the 22nd spot on the Billboard listing, but even so sold a huge number of records by virtue of its inclusion on Johnny's Greatest Hits, an LP that was on the charts for 10 years!

This is one of the best things Tiomkin and Washington did, and it shows their range following Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Tiomkin and John Wayne re-teamed for Rio Bravo, bringing along two singers as accomplices - Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson. We have three songs from the film, all transferred from a Capitol promo disc in my collection. Dino sings the title song, as he did in the film, and "My Rifle, My Pony and Me," a better song than title. Paul Francis Webster was the lyricist.

Ricky also sings this in the film, but not on the disc. His hit from the film was the traditional song "Cindy," which I've not included here but which can be heard on YouTube in an extract from the Nelson family's TV show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. You can spy guitarist James Burton in Ricky's band. The appropriate excerpt from Rio Bravo also is online.

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The third number is "El Degüello" (on the Capitol label "De Guello"). Tiomkin patterned this baleful trumpet motto on the music played by Gen. Santa Anna's buglers before the siege of the Alamo in 1836. "Degüello" literally means "throat-slashing" - it portends that the attackers will show no mercy. Santa Anna's men did not.

For the Capitol recording, Nelson Riddle was in charge, Manny Klein the trumpeter. Tiomkin and Wayne soon were to reuse the theme in Wayne's film The Alamo.

"Degüello" was very influential. Such ominous trumpet themes are a feature of the "spaghetti Westerns" of the 1960s.

When it came to the theme song for the Eric Fleming-Clint Eastwood Western TV show Rawhide, Tiomkin and Washington turned to (who else) Frankie Laine, and for inspiration Frankie's 1949 hit "Mule Train." In one, Laine was driving a team of mules, for the other a herd of cattle. In both cases, he got to shout "hee-yah!" to striking effect.

This stereo version is from Frankie's LP Hell Bent for Leather. The conductor is Johnny Williams, who later turned into famed film composer John Williams.

John Wayne's The Alamo spawned two outstanding songs. "The Ballad of the Alamo," written by Tiomkin and Paul Francis Webster, was clearly inspired by Marty Robbins' incredible "El Paso" of the year before. Fittingly, Robbins got the assignment to perform Tiomkin's story-song. It's an affecting record, even if it does use the same Spanish guitar backing as "El Paso," played by the same guitarist, Grady Martin.

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Almost as fine is the elegiac ballad "The Green Leaves of Summer," here in the hit version by the folk group The Brothers Four. They are effective, but I also recommend the intense Spanish language single by the superb Lucho Gatica, which can be found in the collection on my other blog.

There were no big hits from the war film The Guns of Navarone, but the theme music did stimulate several instrumental versions. This collection includes the adaptation by guitarist Al Caiola, who simplified the film's title to "Guns of Navarone."

The final selection from Tiomkin's great period is the title song from "Town without Pity." Washington's lyrics don't have anything to do with the plot except in a general way. I believe the song is used in the film as source music from a jukebox.

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Despite this throwaway use, it's a great number that was a huge hit for Gene Pitney in his first outing on record. Pitney's distinctive vocalizing became one of the best things about early 1960s music. The singer's next hit was "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance," based on the Western of the same name but not used in the film. This is the type of song that Tiomkin and Washington could write, but it was actually by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

These selections come from Internet Archive and my collection.

LINK to The Popular Dimitri Tiomkin

Movie Themes from Hollywood

The Coral label invited Tiomkin to make an instrumental LP of his finest movie themes in 1955. Here are a few words about each of the songs, many of which are covered elsewhere.

The High and the Mighty - as mentioned above, Tiomkin uses a theremin rather than a whistler in this version. Heretical but ethereal (and spooky).

Champion - For this Kirk Douglas boxing melodrama, Tiomkin produced a tune that veers too close to "The March of the Wooden Soldiers" at times. There also was a ballad from the film called "Never Be It Said," which can be found in the collection on my other blog.

A Bullet Is Waiting - Tiomkin's version of the ballad "Jamie," also in the collection above via the LeRoy Holmes single.

Strange Lady in Town - This ambling Western tune was a tribute to the "strange lady" - Greer Garson as a doctor who moves to Santa Fe.

Dial "M" for Murder - Tiomkin's dramatic theme for the Hitchcock film can also be found in my collection of "Alfred Hitchcock Obscurities."

Return to Paradise - We have full coverage of this score, with Tiomkin's theme here, the music from the soundtrack below, and a vocal version of the theme on my other blog.

High Noon - Tex and Frankie are above, Dimitri here, "Forlad mig ikke" on the other blog.

Land of the Pharaohs - This one involves Jack Hawkins designing a tomb for a pharaoh. Somehow Joan Collins shows up in a bikini. The music is good, though, and if you want to hear it on a harmonica we have that, too. There's also a song based on the the score, added as a bonus below.

Hajji Baba - You certainly don't need anything but Nat Cole above, but Tiomkin's version is from the source.

Duel in the Sun - This dates back to 1946. A Western with Joseph Cotten and Gregory Peck vying for Jennifer Jones. Fiedler and the Boston Pops did an album of the music back in the day.

I Confess - Another score for Hitchcock. An enjoyable theme that also can be found in an odd tea-dance version on my other blog.

Lost Horizon - Tiomkin's first big success was with the score for this popular 1937 film.

BONUS: "This Too Shall Pass" from Land of the Pharaohs. Tiomkin recorded a single of this number for Coral with Johnny Desmond singing Ned Washington's words. Worth hearing even if Johnny is a little overbearing. I don't believe a vocal was used in the film.

The LP is from my collection.

LINK to Movie Themes from Hollywood

Return to Paradise

Return to Paradise came soon after High Noon, and was a departure in locale and music. The soundtrack LP also was a departure - Coral took music from Tiomkin's soundtrack and added a narration voiced by the lead character, Gary Cooper.

It's a good idea that comes across well on the first listen, but I'm not sure how often you might want to listen to Coop's laid-back delivery.

The music is, however, well worth your time.

I remastered this from an LP on Internet Archive. 

All the selections throughout this post are in ambient stereo, with the exception of Frankie Laine's stereo running of the cattle in Rawhide.

LINK to Return to Paradise

Two Views of Taneyev's Suite de Concert

Sergei Taneyev

The music of Russian composer Sergei Taneyev (1856-1915) is seldom heard in concert, but there are far more recordings available than years ago. When these discs of Taneyev's Suite de concert pour violon et orchestre were released there were just a handful.

It's a shame that Taneyev remains relatively obscure because his works are rewarding to hear. Previously I've posted his Symphony No. 4 in a powerful reading from the London Symphony and the Russian-Israeli conductor Yuri Ahronovitch (1932-2002). Today, Ahronovitch returns with the Suite de Concert, this time with the Vienna Symphony and the then-young violinist Christian Altenburger (b. 1957). The recording is from circa 1981.

Yuri Ahronovitch

For contrast, I've added a much different interpretation from violinist David Oistrakh, the Moscow Philharmonic and conductor Kirill Kondrashin, dating from about 1958.

The Altenburger-Ahronovitch Recording

Writing in High Fidelity, the critic R.D. Darrell put the composer in historical perspective: "As neither an overt nationalist nor an unabashed romanticist, Taneyev got lost in the abyss between, on the one hand, the favorites of connoisseurs, the Mighty Handful (Mussorgsky, et al.), and on the other, the darlings of the mass public, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff." Darrell described this present work as a "prodigally ingenious experiment in setting up and solving the problems of creating a bravura concerted work for violin and orchestra."

"On first acquaintance, one may be over conscious of the work's scarcely disguised contrivance: on rehearings, however, one will respond more readily to its genuine attractions - especially those of the piquant Gavotte, the oddly evocative (indeed, Berliozian) Conte, and the extended Tema con variazioni."

Christian Altenburger

David Hall in Stereo Review provided a fair assessment of the album: "Young Christian Altenburger's new recording will not make me forget the famous Oistrakh performance [note: a different one from the record discussed below], but he does a much more than merely creditable job with the solo part, bringing to it a sweet but not overly lush tone and ample dexterity. Yuri Ahronovitch and the Vienna Symphony provide warm and wholehearted collaboration."

The LP is derived from an early digital recording, pleasing but with the violinist backwardly balanced. This is a fairly truthful perspective, but it contributes to the impression that Altenburger is a cool customer - a marked contrast to the Oistrakh recording discussed below.

As with the Taneyev fourth symphony, the recording was made by producer Wolf Erichson, probably for his Seon label. My transfer is from an American pressing in my collection.

The link below is to the 16-bit, 44.1kHz version. A 24-bit, 96kHz version is available on request.

LINK to Altenburger-Ahronovitch recording (16-44)

The Oistrakh-Kondrashin Recording

David Oistrakh

The eminent Russian violinist David Oistrakh (1908-74) was a proponent of the Suite de concert. An on-line Oistrakh discography shows him as recording it as early as 1950 (although I suspect this is a transfer of a concert). In 1956, HMV produced a commercial recording with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Nikolai Malko. A few years later came this Russian effort with the Moscow Philharmonic and Kirill Kondrashin (1914-81). There was yet another version in 1960 with Kurt Sanderling.

Kirill Kondrashin

Oistrakh's affinity for the work shows in this commanding performance - with the soloist close-up and the band in a very resonant space behind. The contrasts in Taneyev's work are emphasized by Oistrakh and Kondrashin, who is at one with the violinist. This oversized reading is not something you might hear today (not often, anyway), but it is impressive - and enjoyable.

This transfer comes from an American pressing as found on Internet Archive and remastered in ambient stereo for this post.

LINK to Oistrakh-Kondrashin recording

The Summer of Reups

It occurred to me that I have been producing any number of remastered versions of my previous uploads, without telling anyone about them, except for people who may requested a reupload. Today I've brought together quite a number of these, in case some of you might be interested.

Here they are, separated by genre. The header links lead to the original posts, which in some cases have been revised and often have new artwork. The sound files have been thoroughly reworked and are now in ambient stereo (assuming the original was mono).

Classical

Leinsdorf Conducts Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Schubert and the Strausses. Several LPs conducted by the young Erich Leinsdorf, including the Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances, Mozart's Symphonies No. 35, 40 and 41, the Schubert Unfinished Symphony, and waltzes from the Strauss family.

Ravel and Debussy from Cleveland and Rodziński. Excellent 1940-41 recordings from the Cleveland Orchestra and its music director Artur Rodziński - Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2 and Rapsodie Espagnole and Debussy's La Mer. 

Schumann, Rimsky-Korsakov and More from Cleveland and Leinsdorf. Leinsdorf's 1946 valedictory recordings from Cleveland, including the Schumann Symphony No. 1, Rimsky-Korsakov's Antar and music by Mozart, Schubert and Josef Strauss.

Joseph and Lillian Fuchs Play Mozart. A fine 1961 LP from the Fuchs siblings, with the duo in Mozart's E-flat Sinfonia Concertante, and Joseph in an Adagio and Rondo by the same composer. Frederic Waldman conducts the Musica Aeterna Orchestra.

Jazz

Poetry Set to Jazz Music. Poets and jazz musicians began collaborating in the 1950s, and this LP is one of the outcomes. For me, the high point is Bob Dorough's recitation and music for Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem Dog. A classic!

Mary Osborne's A Girl and Her Guitar. This is the only LP the talented instrumentalist Mary Osborne recorded under her own name, for the short-lived, but very interesting Warwick label, in 1959. She also sang, as you can hear on my other blog.

Baby Dodds - Talking and Drum Solos. The pioneering and legendary New Orleans drummer Warren "Baby" Dodds talks about his craft and demonstrates his work via drum solos. Originally issued in 1946 on Asch, this is a 1951 reissue on Folkways.

Vocal

Lena Horne Sings. In this, her first LP, the great singer Lena Horne collects records that she made in the late 40s for M-G-M. These are among her earliest releases, ones that in some ways were never surpassed.

Polly Bergen - Little Girl Blue. If Lena Horne was cool, Polly Bergen was the opposite. Every song was a mini-melodrama, even in this, her first LP, from 1955. The wonder is that she does it so well, it is compelling listening.

Johnny Green on Decca. OK, Johnny Green was not a singer, but this is a vocal record, because he features vocalists Kay Thompson, Ralph Blane and Barbara Ames throughout this early LP that collects 1944 recordings. I've now augmented it with a few other Green releases.

Johnny Desmond - Hands Across the Table. Crooner Johnny Desmond recorded for M-G-M for several years. For this post, I transferred his first LP, included four more songs from its 12-inch reissue, and then added a few for good measure.

And Finally ...

Morton Gould - Manhattan Moods. The composer-conductor Morton Gould never made a better album than this set devoted to New York. It starts off with Louis Alter's familiar "Manhattan Serenade," with the other selections of similar quality.

Chuck Wagon Gang - Favorite Country Hymns. The family group of country gospel singers was on the air for decades. This early LP collects some of their first recordings (1936-40) along with two songs from 1948.

A Merry Christmas from Signature Records. It's Christmas in July! This 1947 album comes from a label that didn't last very long but still put out some interesting records. Presenting the holiday tunes are singer Monica Lewis and bandleaders Johnny Long and Ray Bloch.