Another Neglected Schubert Work

This is the second in a series of Schubert's early short operas - works that are little recognized but include much beguiling music.

The first such disc was a Heinz Wallberg-led performance of Der vierjáhrige Posten (The Four-Year Sentry), which the composer wrote when he was all of 18.

By the time he had matured to 23, he had moved on to a better (if still stereotypical) story, while losing nothing of his lyrical gift.

Today's tale is of Die Zwillingsbrüder (The Twin Brothers), which contains a predictable case of mistaken identity, compounded by an improbable coincidence, and how these create complications for young lovers before the also-predictable happy ending.

Now you may feel as though you saw something like this on the Hallmark Channel, and you would not be wrong, but it would not have been accompanied by lovely music performed by a world-class ensemble.

Helen Donath, Nicolai Gedda

The young lovers are soprano Helen Donath and tenor Nicolai Gedda, bass Kurt Moll plays the father of Donath, and baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau appears as both the title characters. On the podium is the august Wolfgang Sawallisch, leading forces from the Munich State Opera.

Wolfgang Sawallisch

As is common with productions of unfamiliar material, the critics caviled about what this wasn't than what it was. John Warrack in The Gramophone made sure that we know he preferred Schubert's more serious operas, noting, "The Singspiele with which Schubert believed he must, and would, conquer the stage are very much slighter; and Die Zwillingsbrüder is not even the most appealing of them."

Let's hear from George Jellinek in Stereo Review: "[I]t is a naive and unconvincing Singspiel that unfolds in the course of this well-produced and elegantly cast first recording, and even the uniformly fine singing and loving direction cannot make it effectively theatrical. There are ten arias, duets, and ensembles separated by spoken passages. One of them, a soprano aria (No. 3), is very attractive, with a clarinet interplay anticipating Der Hirt auf dem Felsen. Throughout, the orchestra writing is delicate and highly accomplished - after all, Schubert at twenty-three had already composed six symphonies - and the melodies are always engaging."

He adds that, "Missing, however, is the dramatic flow, the knack of involving the listener in the plot," while then conceding, "Still, it is an excellent performance of an opera by Schubert - and this description alone makes it almost irresistible."

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

"Almost irresistible" is the key phrase - this indeed is most pleasant to hear, and while it may not reach the heights of Schubert's masterworks, it is entirely enjoyable.

Let me mention that although the cover describes the production as a "Gesamtaufname" (complete recording), it actually is only the complete music. The dialog is cut down. Nor did EMI Electrola provide texts or translations with the disc. So I have included such from the Peter Maag-led performance of years later.

The sound, taken from an original pressing, is quite good; not quite as transparent as Der vierjáhrige Posten, which came from a few years later, but very listenable. The production dates from 1975.

LINK

The Gramophone, December 1976

More Songs from the 'Dick Haymes Show'

At the height of his popularity in the mid to late 1940s, the singer Dick Haymes had a weekly radio show that also featured Helen Forrest, the Four Hits and a Miss vocal group, and bandleader Gordon Jenkins. Not long ago, we had a selection of songs from the program, with cleaned up audio and corrected pitch. Today we present Vol. 2, just as good if not better, with 17 songs. And once again, most of the selections are songs that Haymes did not record commercially.

This volume begins with a classic show-opener, the perky "Back in Your Old Backyard," introduced by Al Jolson in 1928 and written by Jolie, Dave Dreyer and Billy Rose. The Four Hits and a Miss add to the festivities.

Helen Forrest

Helen Forrest joins Dick for "Come to Baby, Do," an excellent end-of-the-war song by Sid Miller and Inez James. Doris Day recorded this one with the Les Brown band.

The soulful "I Can't Begin to Tell You," by Jimmy Monaco and Mack Gordon, came from the film The Dolly Sisters, where it was murmured by John Payne. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1946, but this was when the Academy put up 15 songs or so for the Oscar. (That practice would change the next year.)

"It Might as Well Be Spring," one of the great Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, did win an Oscar, in 1945. Haymes was one of the stars of the film - which is charming and has a terrific score - along with Vivian Blaine, and they appeared together on the sheet music. Jeanne Crain shows up in a vignette above, presumably because it was her song in the production. (She was dubbed by Louanne Hogan.) Although Dick didn't sing the tune in the film, he was identified with it and issued the first commercial recording.

Next is one of the many songs that first achieved popularity in another language before being adapted for the American market. "What a Diff'rence a Day Made" started off in Mexico as "Cuando vuelva a tu lado" ("When I Return to Your Side"), written by Maria Grever in 1934. With English lyrics by Stanley Adams, the song was popular in the US in 1944 due to a recording by Andy Russell. But its greatest renown was to come later, under a slightly different title - "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" - in the 1959 hit version by Dinah Washington.

"Slowly" is another movie song, one that Haymes did sing, in the film Fallen Angel, where Dick's Decca record is heard on the jukebox. Haymes didn't show up on the sheet music - stars Alice Faye, Dana Andrews and Linda Darnell did. The three look cheerful on the cover (well, maybe not Darnell), but the story is a grim film noir. The song is probably Hollywood composer David Raksin's second biggest hit, behind "Laura," from the film of the same name. Dana Andrews was also the male lead in Laura, with Gene Tierney rather than Darnell the femme fatale. Neither song was nominated for an Academy Award.

Another end-of-the-war song is next - "Gee, It's Good to Hold You" by Doris Fisher and Allan Roberts. Helen Forrest again duets with Haymes. Among the commercial recordings were those by Jo Stafford and by Woody Herman with a Frances Wayne vocal.

The commercial recording

"Look for the Silver Lining" comes from as far back as 1919. Jerome Kern and Buddy DeSylva wrote it; Marilyn Miller made is famous in Sally. The hit disc back then was by Marion Harris. The song is best known these days via the Judy Garland rendition in the 1946 Kern biopic Till the Clouds Roll By. But Dick and Helen had revived it earlier - for a 1944 Decca recording. This solo-Haymes aircheck presumably comes from the same period. (The flip side of the 78 was "Long Ago and Far Away," a Kern-Ira Gershwin song that is one of my favorite Haymes-Forrest records.)

Now we have another wartime love song - this one about a furlough rather than a homecoming. "Ten Days with Baby" is from the 1944 film Sweet and Low-Down, where it was done by Lorraine Elliott with Benny Goodman's Orchestra. This is another Jimmy Monaco-Mack Gordon composition. Here, "Ten Days with Baby" is more like 60 seconds with Dickie - I don't think this is the complete performance.

"My Heart Tells Me (Should I Believe My Heart)" is another movie song with lyrics by Mack Gordon, working this time with Harry Warren. It comes from 1943's Sweet Rosie O'Grady, where it was sung by Betty Grable. It is a typically skillful song from these composers, here done ample justice by Haymes.

Gordon Jenkins

DeSylva-Brown-Henderson's 1928 tune "Button Up Your Overcoat" is tailor-made for a duet, which you could encounter on half the musical and variety shows on radio and TV in the 1940s and 50s. Dick and Helen handle it affectionately without getting too cutesy. Gordon Jenkins starts this one with some atmospheric effects. The Four Hits and a Miss join in later.

"Symphony" started life in France as "Symphonie," written by Alex Alstone, André Tabet and Roger Bernstein. Jack Lawrence added the English lyrics. Alstone first wrote it as an instrumental; the words were added and it became a hit in 1945. It's a little overheated for me, but this is the sort of thing that Haymes did well.

The 1934 film College Rhythm yielded "Stay as Sweet as You Are." Lanny Ross did the vocal on screen. The Harry Revel-Mack Gordon song was popular with singers for many years - including Haymes.

Haymes material?

Dick surprisingly comes out with a version of "Old Folks," one of Willard Robison's most celebrated songs, this one with words by Dedette Lee Hill. The song has a rural ethos, which did not match Haymes' usual repertoire all that well, although he did play a farm boy in State Fair. He does well here for the most part. (The performance is unfortunately truncated.) The song dates from 1938; the first recordings included Mildred Bailey - a famous reading - Bing, and Bea Wain with Larry Clinton. The interest of Dick (or Jenkins) might have been stimulated by Tony Pastor's 1946 album of Robison songs. Robison's own recording is here.

A very different type of song is represented by "All the Things You Are," the renowned Kern-Hammerstein composition from 1939's Very Warm for May. The early commercial recordings included Helen Forrest with Artie Shaw. (Helen does not appear here.) The song had been featured in a few films about this time - 1944's Broadway Rhythm (Ginny Simms) and 1946's Till the Clouds Roll By (Tony Martin). Haymes includes the rarely used verse, which is worth hearing. The head voice at the end was not a good idea.

"Some Sunday Morning" comes from the 1945 film San Antonio where it was presented by Alexis Smith, dubbed by Bobbie Canvin (aka Barbara Ames). The song is by M.K. Jerome, Ray Heindorf and Ted Koehler. The first recording was by Haymes and Forrest; they recreate their duet here, although with Gordon Jenkins presiding rather than Victor Young. There are a few minor audio burbles on this recording.

For our final song, Dick breaks out "Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are," which Cahn and Styne wrote for Frank Sinatra to sing in 1944's Step Lively. It's not a great song; the best part of it may be the verse, which Haymes doesn't include. You can hear it in the film version, although first you have to wade through a painful Gloria DeHaven nightclub sequence. Dick's version is quite short.

I believe I have the pitch right on these selections, but please let me know if you disagree.

LINK

Bach Cantatas with Edith Mathis and Karl Richter

This post is a small tribute to a fine singer who passed away recently, with too little notice.

Edith Mathis (1938-2025), was a Swiss soprano who surely was one of the most admired artists in the second half of the 20th century.

Edith Mathis

As Norman Lebrecht wrote the other day, "There has been a muted response to the death this week of the eminent soprano Edith Mathis, Mozart star of the Karajan years at the Vienna Opera and, later on, one of the most exquisite Lieder singers of record. Never as famous as Schwarzkopf or Christa Ludwig, Mathis shunned flamboyance and focused on the musical and emotional core of a song. She was deeply, if not loudly, loved."

Lebrecht quotes Jürgen Kesting's assessment in the Frankfurter Allgemeine: "The voice of Edith Mathis, born in Lucerne, was a gift to lovers of what is lyrical and quiet in the world of music and, to put it paradoxically, to music lovers who think with their hearts. The seraphic beauty of her singing was the sensual manifestation of the spiritual."

Anna Reynolds

With this in mind, it may be appropriate to post one of Mathis' Bach recordings. Here she is heard in duet with contralto Anna Reynolds in the Cantata Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn (Thou God indeed and Son of David), BWV 23. This is the extent of Mathis' involvement in this 1973-74 set, but it is of interest otherwise, of course.

Karl Richter

Let me quote Stereo Review's Stoddard Lincoln on the disc: "Karl Richter is well known as a Bach specialist through his many recordings and concerts with the Munich Bach Choir and Orchestra. Making no attempt to use old instruments or any authentic performance practice, he elicits for Deutsche Grammophon a sound that is thoroughly modern. He uses the best soloists he can find, and they often turn out to be top singers of opera and lieder rather than Baroque specialists. Purists may cavil at this, but the general listener can only rejoice in the results. The choral and orchestral sound is sumptuous, and the individual lines, while not articulated in the Baroque manner, are clean and beautifully projected. The solo singing, for the most part, is superb. Edith Mathis is a joy."

Peter Schreier

Lincoln also praised tenor Kurt Equiluz, apparently confusing him with the excellent Peter Schreier, who is the tenor soloist in both cantatas.

Despite Lincoln's encomium, conductor Karl Richter very much divided opinion among critics. Here's Andrew Porter in High Fidelity: "Du wahrer Gott is a magnificent work that Bach composed, it seems, to demonstrate resourcefulness and mastery, when applying for the Leipzig job. But Richter trudges through it: his textures are thick and heavy. And so they are in Bisher habt ihr nichts gebelen, where his slow tempo makes the alto aria seem interminable, and the lilting 12/8 of the tenor aria (in a major key, after three arias in the minor) has no spring."

What one critic thinks is ponderous, another may consider monumental. Richter was an organist, and it is impossible to hear these performances without being reminded of that fact. Famous in his time - he was to live for just a few more years - even as these recordings were being released, his style was seemingly being eclipsed by the cantata recordings of Gustav Leonhardt and Nikolaus Harnoncourt that were being issued by DG Archiv's rival Telefunken Das Alte Werk. They were a harbinger of the historically informed performance practices that are now prevalent.

None of this gainsays the artistry displayed by Edith Mathis and all the singers and instrumentalists on this fine disc.

The download includes, as usual, full scans, including the texts and translations bound into the gatefold cover, along with the reviews cited above.

LINK

A Jazz Version of Percy Faith's Music

In 1960, Percy Faith was already famous for his own records and for the many hits he arranged for pop vocalists. He also had written or adapted quite a few songs that had become popular.

By that time Columbia had many Faith albums in its catalog, but its budget arm, Harmony, apparently wanted to market an LP of Percy's music in the then-new stereo format, as opposed to putting out old-fashioned mono reissues.

At about this same time, jazz renditions of pop music became popular. These often encompassed the score from a particular musical, but they also touched the songbooks of pop composers (e.g., André Previn Plays Songs by Vernon Duke).

So (and this is my educated guess) the label might have brought the two concepts together for the album The Songs of Percy Faith, as played by the Lansdowne Jazz Group, a collection of top-shelf English pros. That LP is the subject of today's post.

The Lansdowne ensemble probably took its name from a London recording studio that Dennis Preston and Joe Meek had opened a few years before. That locale had quicky developed a reputation in the jazz community and was presumably where this session (actually two of them) was taped.

The result is very pleasant light jazz from experienced pros, whose names may be familiar to you. Since the cover notes are confusing, let me first provide this key to who is playing where. 

The songs:

• 01 My Heart Cries for You
• 02 Nervous Gavotte *
• 03 Song for Sweethearts
• 04 Be Patient, My Darling
• 05 The Last Dance
• 06 Music Until Midnight
• 07 Swedish Rhapsody *
• 08 Duet
• 09 Da-Du
• 10 The Stars
• 11 Goin' Home Train
• 12 Tropic Holiday *

The musicians:

• Kenny Baker (trumpet) 
• Johnny Scott (flute) on *
• Tony Coe (alto sax)
• Danny Moss (tenor sax)
• Dave Lee (piano)
• Dill Jones (piano), soloist in "Swedish Rhapsody" and most likely on *
• Phil Seamen (drums)
• Martin Slavin (vibes, arranger)
• Jack Fallon (bass) on * 
• Arthur Watts (bass otherwise)

[The liner notes are ambiguous as to whether Dill Jones plays on all the selections with an asterisk or just "Swedish Rhapsody."]

A few words on the music and the players follow.

The first selection, "My Heart Cries for You," was a huge hit in 1950. Percy didn't write it but he did arrange it from an old French melody that had been revived in the 1930s. Carl Sigman added the words. Faith and Columbia honcho Mitch Miller had wanted Sinatra to record it, but Frank told Mitch the piece was "crap." So Columbia brought in new singer Al Cernik, renamed him Guy Mitchell, and he had the hit. It's a pleasant, simplistic tune, one that may remind you of "The Chipmunk Song."

Kenny Baker

The version here features the powerful and agile trumpeter Kenny Baker, who was then performing with his Baker's Dozen in addition to his studio and concert work.

Johnny Scott

The "Nervous Gavotte," a more interesting work with a dislocated rhythm, is taken from Faith's 1951 LP Carefree Rhythms. It is the first number with flutist Johnny Scott as the lead. He later became better known as John Scott, and composed quite a number of film scores.

Scott is a full-toned flutist, with his fluent work set off by the vibes playing of Martin Slavin, who arranged all the songs on this set.

Tony Coe

"Song for Sweethearts (Come Close)" is a pretty piece that Faith and Sigman wrote for the 1954 LP Songs for Her, where it had a vocal by Betty Cox. The featured soloist on this LP is the acrobatic alto saxophonist Tony Coe, who was then in Humphrey Lyttleton's band.

Sigman and Faith wrote "Be Patient, My Darling" for a 1953 Lu Anne Simms single. Kenny Baker is again featured.

Danny Moss

"The Last Dance" originated with a 1956 Faith single. Featured here is the robust tenor sax of Danny Moss (presumably; the liner notes identify him as "Danny Ross," possibly conflating Moss with Ronnie Ross). Moss was then with Johnny Dankworth's band.

Faith's original is much more legato; Moss and group take a punchy approach. Percy's is more in tune with the title, certainly.

Dave Lee (in later years)

Faith wrote "Music Until Midnight" for Mitch Miller's oboe on their joint 1953 album of the same name. The melody line is carried by the alto of Tony Coe, who also contributes a fine solo. This is one of the best performances on the LP. Dave Lee has the thankless task of carrying the piano ostinato behind the theme.

Dill Jones

Faith also did not write "Swedish Rhapsody;" he arranged it from Hugo Alfven's Midsommarvaka (Swedish Rhapsody No. 1), which you can find here in the composer's own early stereo recording (well worth hearing). On the Lansdowne album pianist Dill Jones and Johnny Scott take a light approach that is most pleasing. Jones was a Welsh musician who emigrated to the US in 1961 and had some success in New York thereafter. Percy's own memorable recording of the "Swedish Rhapsody" was a chart topper in 1953.

"Duet" is another excellent theme that provides the basis of a well-fashioned solo work out by Danny Moss, who impresses. This another title from the Music Until Midnight LP.

Percy's "Da-Du" comes from a 1952 single that had a vocal by the Ray Charles Singers, recently featured here (with more to come).

Phil Seamen

"The Stars" was originally a 1957 single, and here the stars are Kenny Baker, Martin Slavin and Dave Lee. There is more fascinating interplay between Slavin and Lee in this one. You will notice the support of drummer Phil Seamen here (and elsewhere on the disc). A persuasive side.

"Goin' Home Train" is a strong swinger powered by Seamen and the walking bass of Arthur Watts, not to mention Danny Moss' tenor. This song is from Faith's 1958 album Carefree (not the same as the earlier Carefree Rhythms; the two discs only have the song "Carefree" in common).

And now the final number, which actually was the impetus for this post. Friend and frequent commenter centuri (the French conductor Jean Thorel) asked me if I had this LP; it contains one of his favorite Faith compositions - "Tropic Holiday," originally on the 1953 album Adventure in the Sun; redone on the 1966 disc Bim! Bam!! Boom!!!  I sent my transfer along to Jean, who enjoyed the jazz performance a great deal, as did I.

Although the album starts with its (to me) weakest material, it does build to become most enjoyable - I hope you agree. The early stereo is vivid.

LINK

Noel Mewton-Wood

In the early days of this blog, I often featured the Australian Noel Mewton-Wood, who died very young, leaving a striking legacy of inspired piano playing.

In all Mewton-Wood appeared here seven times, in concertos by Schumann, Chopin, Stravinsky, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.

I've now gone back to the original files and greatly improved the sound, due both to improved tools and many years of experience. The downloads now also include complete scans. 

All the Mewton-Wood records here - and most of the ones he appeared on - were for the Concert Hall Society. Almost all the discs below were issued in the 10-inch format on its budget subsidiary, the Musical Masterpiece Society.

Very little documentation survives as to when these recordings took place, and the orchestras usually were pseudonymous. The Classical Discography dates then from 1951 to 1954. The latter must be the year of issue. Mewton-Wood died in December 1953.

About Mewton-Wood

Mewton-Wood was born in Melbourne in 1922. A prodigy, he moved to England at a young age to study at the Royal Academy of Music. His debut performance at the Queen's Hall was in 1940 - Beethoven's third concerto with the London Philharmonic and Sir Thomas Beecham.

His death was by his own hand at age 31. He blamed himself for his partner's death of a ruptured appendix.

His obituary in The Times of London described the effect of his 1940 debut: "At once his remarkable control and his musicianship were apparent: the ascending scales in octaves, with which the pianist first enters, thundered out with whirlwind power, but he could summon beautiful cantabile tone for the slow movement and the phrasing of the rondo theme was admirably neat for all the rapidity of the tempo." You will find all that captured in the recordings below.

Walter Goehr

Walter Goehr

A word about the hugely skillful conductor Walter Goehr, who is in charge of the varied orchestral forces in all these recordings.

Born in 1903 in Germany, he came to England in the 1930s, soon becoming a house conductor for EMI. He became a free-lancer later on, making many recordings for the Concert Hall Society. Goehr also was a composer - as was Mewton-Wood. Goehr son, Alexander, was also a well-known composer who died last year. Walter Goehr died in 1960.

Schumann - Piano Concerto

The recordings all were made over the period of a few years and the dates are uncertain; the discussions below are not in chronological order.

The Schumann concerto was apparently released in 1954, which suggests but does not prove that it was one of the last ones recorded. (The Pristine release dates it as "circa 1952.")

As with several of these records, the orchestra is billed as the "Netherlands Philharmonic." While there is an orchestra by that name today, it did not form until 1985. The band accompanying Mewton-Wood is thought to be either a Dutch radio orchestra, or an ensemble chosen from players in those orchestras.

This was a good recording and a superb performance by the pianist. Goehr, as always, is highly effective.

LINK to Schumann Concerto

Chopin - Piano Concertos No. 1 and 2

The Chopin piano concertos, both masterfully done, date from about 1952 and 1953 respectively. (Please note that the Pristine release dates the latter as being from 1948.)

The sound of the first concerto was a trifle tubby, which I've tamed. The second concerto has an "empty hall" sound and was somewhat steely sounding, which I have again addressed.

The first concerto is with the "Netherlands Philharmonic." The ensemble in the second concerto is listed as the Radio Zurich Orchestra, which as far as I can tell was a pseudonym. A Classical Discography lists the performers as the Radioorchester Beromünster, but that ensemble did not exist under that name until 1957.

That said, the performances are fine. As others have noted, the orchestras are nothing special, but Goehr has them on alert.

LINK to Chopin Concerto No. 1

LINK to Chopin Concerto No. 2

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4

The majestic Beethoven concerto comes from 1952, per the Pristine release. The accompaniments are by the Utrecht Symphony Orchestra, which actually existed, but had changed its name to the "Utrechts Stedelijk [Municipal] Orkest" by the time this record was made. To complete the circle, that ensemble was to become part of the newly formed Netherland Philharmonic in 1985.

Neither the recording nor the orchestra is the equal of the Vienna Philharmonic, who recorded this concerto with Maurizio Pollini and Karl Böhm, recently uploaded here. The pianist is another matter.

LINK to Beethoven Concerto No. 4

Tchaikovsky - Piano Concertos No. 1 and 3, Concert Fantasy

By the time the Tchaikovsky first concerto came out circa 1954, the Musical Masterpiece Society had run out of pseudonyms, so it just listed the band as the "MMS Symphony Orchestra." It seems likely that this is a Dutch ensemble of some complexion.

The third concerto - coupled with the rarely heard Concert Fantasy - comes from Winterthur, Switzerland and 1951. (Pristine says 1952.) Concert Hall Society listed the orchestra as the "Winterthur Symphony," which is likely the Winterthurer Stadtorkester. (It later became the Musikkollegium Winterthur.)

The recording of the first concerto is OK; the third was fog-bound, which I've tried to dispel. The latter was also well off pitch, which has been corrected.

The performances seem fine to me, but I am far from a Tchaikovsky piano concerto aficionado.

LINK to Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1

LINK to Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 3 and Concert Fantasy

Stravinsky - Firebird (1919 Suite), Concerto for Piano and Winds

The Stravinsky disc is the only one where Goehr is given a solo turn, so to speak. He leads a lively reading of the 1919 suite from Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird, a 20th century masterwork.

Mewton-Wood is heard in Stravinsky's neo-classical Concerto for Piano and Winds, from 1923-24 and often described as "spiky." That it is - except the work begins with a dirge-like Largo.

The performance does show Mewton-Wood's range - at least after he joins in to a motoric passage following the Largo. He has this work well in hand - and the orchestra is much better too.

These performances are listed as by the "Netherlands Philharmonic." A Classical Discography claims the concerto is with the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague. It dates the concerto as being from 1952 and The Firebird from 1956.

LINK to Stravinsky works

Buddy Clark with More 1934-36 Recordings

The superb singer Buddy Clark has been a frequent visitor around here, most recently in three posts devoted to his early career. At that time - 1934-36, when Clark was in his early 20s - he was heard on the radio and was a recording voice for hire, often appearing incognito, as is the case in all but four of today's 15 selections. He actually did not reach great popularity until the 1940s. His renown was at its peak when he died in a plane crash at age 37.

The previous posts devoted to Buddy's early career included sets with Lud Gluskin's orchestra, with the bands of Dick McDonough and Nat Brandwynne. and with ensembles led by Freddy Martin, Archie Bleyer, Ruby Newman and Wayne King (plus duets with Hildegarde).

Today, Clark is heard with Bleyer and Newman once again, and with the bands of Benny Goodman, Joe Moss, Bob Causer and Joe Reichman.

Two More Songs with Archie Bleyer

Young Archie Bleyer

The earliest recordings in today's package come from a 1934 Vocalion session with the 25-year-old maestro Archie Bleyer, who had just taken over the band at Earl Carroll's Vanities. I believe this was the first record date for Bleyer, who would go on to have an successful career as bandleader and then as the head of the Cadence label, where he gave the world hits by Julius La Rosa, Andy Williams and the Everly Brothers.

Archie and Buddy's first effort was one of the big songs of the year - "Stay as Sweet as You Are," written by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel for Lanny Ross to croon in the film College Humor. Good song and performance; the arrangement is typical of the time.

The coupling was the lesser-known "The World Is Mine," a Yip Harburg-Johnny Green opus that, the label tells us, was "inspired by the picture The Count of Monte Cristo." More to the point, it was used in the film, sung by Clarence Muse. It's a worthy tune, handled well by the young singer.

Two with Benny Goodman

Benny Goodman

Clark's two recordings with Benny Goodman's nascent big band are fascinating, although for reasons that have little to do with the vocalist. The first song dates from November 1934 and was the product of Ben Oakland and Mitchell Parish - "Like a Bolt from the Blue." An accomplished song, but the Jiggs Noble arrangement sounds more like the Archie Bleyer records than the next Goodman selection, which dates from just five months later and features virtually the same personnel.

Benny begins to swing

That song, "I'm Livin' in a Great Big Way," embodies the swing rhythm that would bring Goodman fame just a few months later. The reason for the change? Almost certainly the arrangement, which was provided by bandleader Fletcher Henderson. The story is that John Hammond brought Henderson to Benny, and then had Henderson's musicians teach Benny's crew how to play the charts properly. Benny became the biggest thing in music; Fletcher was to disband his ensemble in the early 40s.

"I'm Livin' in a Great Big Way" was the handiwork of Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields, written for the film Hooray for Love. There, the performers were Bill Robinson, Jeni Le Gon, Fats Waller and The Cabin Kids.

Interestingly, Clark sounds at home in both dance-band and swing modes. His excellent sense of rhythm and secure technique seldom if ever let him down.

The Bleyer and Goodman records are the only ones in this set where Buddy is credited on the label. From here on in this set, he provides anonymous vocal refrains. Thanks once again to discographer Nigel Burlinson, whose work has been invaluable in identifying the uncredited items below and in dating all these records.

With Joe Moss

Joe Moss

Joe Moss was a society bandleader who fronted ensembles carrying both his own name and others such as Meyer Davis, with whom he made many records, usually issued as by "Meyer Davis and His Hotel Astor Orchestra." Under his own identity, Moss led the band at the Waldorf-Astoria, among other locales.

In 1936, Moss engaged Clark for a Brunswick session with the bandleader's "Society Dance Orchestra." The date yielded four songs. The first is "Here's to You," a peppy ballad of the time. It was coupled with Ray Noble's "If You Love Me," not one Noble's best songs. The arrangement has an unusual duet for low-register clarinet and Hawaiian guitar.

Joe tells the society folks to jump on a wild mustang

On the second 78 was "West Wind" by Milton Ager, Charles Newman and Murray Mencher, along with "Saddle Your Blues to a Wild Mustang." I can't imagine the latter tune - also recorded by likes of the Rocky Mountaineers and the Bunk House Boys - was much of a favorite in the Waldorf ballroom, nor is Boston-born Buddy the likeliest advocate. The arrangement features twangy mouth harp and wheezy harmonica effects.

Surprisingly, the song appears to be work of the distinguished Richard Whiting, perhaps working with Buddy Bernier. Not much of a country pedigree there.

With Bob Causer

Bob Causer and His Cornellians

Bob Causer was a bandleader who lent his name to a large number of recordings on the ARC labels (Perfect, etc.) in the mid-1930s. Many of these actually turned out to be by Freddy Martin, Gene Kardos and others. However, as far as I can tell, this particular coupling on the Romeo label was by Causer and his Cornellians (the group he formed at Cornell University), as stated on the label.

From Cornell to Wyomin'

The first song from this coupling came from the 1936 film Palm Springs - "The Hills of Old Wyomin'," sung by Smith Ballew and Frances Langford on screen. Buddy again gets saddled with a cowpoke tune. He does his best to be sincere while singing about "cattle to tend." I wonder if that is him whistling.

The distinguished team of Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger wrote the piece, but unfortunately for them - and for Causer and Clark - the hit from the film was "I'm in the Mood for Love," composed by Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields and George Oppenheimer.

The other side of the Causer record is a break from the horse opera fare - "Love Came Out of the Night" by Fred Rose and Eddie Nelson. This is more in Clark's line, although as a radio singer, I imagine he was used to warbling almost anything.

One More with Ruby Newman

Ruby Newman

Buddy's next assignment was with society bandleader Ruby Newman, who engaged him to sing Johnny Mercer's new song, "Welcome Stranger," recorded by several other bands that year. This is early Mercer, accomplished but without the wit or irony that would mark his later efforts. Buddy's performance is proficient.

Four with Joe Reichman

Joe Reichman

In his early career as instrumentalist, Joe Reichman billed himself as the "Pagliacci of the Piano," but by 1936 he had become yet another society bandleader, although continuing to feature his ringing keyboard acrobatics.

Joe had Buddy in for the vocals on four of his 1936 records for the ARC labels. First is "I'll Never Let You Go," a tune by Fred Astaire, Dave Dreyer and Jack Ellis. It's no better or worse than a lot of the other material in this set.

Buddy covers Shirley Temple

Better known is "But Definitely," which Harry Revel and Mack Gordon wrote for the Shirley Temple opus Poor Little Rich Girl, where it was shared among Alice Faye, Jack Haley and Shirley. This material is well suited to Clark, allowing him to show off his perfect diction and keen rhythmic sense. 

Even better known is "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'," from Gershwin's then-new Porgy and Bess. Clark handles it well, although he does slip into a bit o' unwelcome dialect here and there.

The final song in this set gets one of the best performances. "Me and the Moon," by Lou Handman and Walter Hirch, was hugely popular with the bandleaders (and Bing Crosby) in 1936.

The sound on these recording is almost uniformly fine, showing the progress made in the industry just a decade after the introduction of electrical recording.

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