From the Back Room: Thurl Ravenscroft

This is another in a series of posts from Buster's Back Room, where I keep the many projects I have completed but never offered on this blog.

For these "From the Back Room" items, the transfers, etc., are prepared with the usual care, but my prolix commentary may be abbreviated.

Today we explore the endless reaches of Thurl Ravenscroft's basso voice. Perhaps most famous as Tony the Tiger in Kellogg's Frosted Flakes commercials ("they're GR-R-REAT!"), he also was an officially adjudicated Disney Legend for his vocal work on films, records and park audio tracks (and other things, I'm sure).

Thurl had quite a career as a backup and even lead singer, both with his group the Mellomen and as a single voice. Today's 27-track collection covers songs where he was either a solo voice, or an important contributor to the record. These items are all from the 1950s, and do not encompass his work for Disney. It also is not comprehensive. I suspect there is a fair amount of material I am missing.

Thurl lent his subterranean but perfectly focused bass to a variety of material - kiddie songs, pop, country, gospel, R&B, ads - all of which are represented in this 27-track collection.

The first selection is of the kiddie kind - "The Tubby the Tuba Song," popular among the junior set back in 1950. The label credits the Mellomen for the vocal, but with the tuba the leading character, Thurl is featured ("OOM-PAH-OOM-PAH-OOM-PAH-PAH!"). George Cates conducts.

Thurl does get a label credit for his next outing with Cates and the Mellomen. It's another children's song - "Hi-Diddle-Diddle." Old fashioned, but effective. It's interesting how when the ensemble sings, Ravenscroft scales his voice back so that it doesn't dominate. This is from 1951.

Thurl is the soloist on "Low in the Lehigh Valley" with the Norman Luboff Choir and Paul Weston. This quasi-country song seems to be by Alec Wilder.

"The Bull Walked Around 'Olay'" is a chance for Ravenscroft to adopt an accent (handy, no doubt, for his Disney assignments) which works extremely well, capped (footed?) by a low note that Thurl must have excavated from a subterranean mine. This popular item was directed by Jerry Gray.

Gray also is in charge for "Pale Moon (an Indian Love Song)," a chestnut from 1920 that had been recorded by Crosby and Sinatra, among others.

Cash Box, June 6, 1953

"In the Mood" is best known in Glenn Miller's version, which is an instrumental. Less often heard is the version with effective lyrics by Andy Razaf, which Thurl does quite well, aided by the Elliott Brothers big band.

For one of Ravenscroft's most renowned records, he received no label credit. The song is "This Ole House," in the hit version from Rosemary Clooney. Thurl sings the refrain, "Ain't gonna need this house no longer; ain't gonna need this house no more" and the coda "Ready to meet the saints!"

Two ole houses

But let me point out that the song's author, Stuart Hamblen, did the first version of the song, and it's superior. It also has a bass voice similar to the Clooney cover record, which could well be that of Ravenscroft. (I haven't been able to confirm that.)

Hamblen's version is in the first person; Rosie's is in the third. She's good (and Stan Freeman's harpsichord is all kinds of fun), but Stuart is far more involved in the song. Thurl, needless to say, is terrific in the Columbia record, as is Ravenscroft or whoever the bass may be on RCA Victor.

Next for Thurl was an assignment with Jo Stafford and another bravura singer, Frankie Laine, who sounds light-voiced next to Ravenscroft in "Back Where I Belong."

Also with Paul Weston and accompanied by the Mellomen, Thurl takes the lead on Rod Morris' country song "Bimbo," a hit for Jim Reeves. Thurl is highly effective (as are the Mellomen), but the song, while catchy, doesn't amount to much.

These last few songs are from 1954, when pop music was changing. Thurl and the Mellomen decided to swim with the R&B tide by covering several hit songs as "Big John and the Buzzards." First was a superior performance from Ravenscroft in the highly amusing Jesse Stone song "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' but Trash." This was originally by the Clovers, with the lead by Billy Mitchell.

"Oop Shoop" was an R&B hit for Shirley Gunter and the Queens, then was covered by everyone from the Crew-Cuts to Harry James - including the Buzzards.

There are at least 15 songs called "Hey, Little Girl." This one was by Richard Lewis. Big John and his fellow Buzzards couldn't resist making fun of its repetitive nature.

We're squarely (and I do mean this in both senses of the term) back in pop land with Bob Merrill's opus "Where Will the Dimple Be?" with Rosie Clooney in homey mood. This is a cheerful item with the Mellomen, Thurl and Stan Freeman. ("Where will it BEEE?" Thurl demands.)

The De Castro Sisters had just enjoyed a big hit with "Teach Me Tonight." "Boom Boom Boomerang" was the follow-up with Thurl boom-boom-booming in the background. It also did well.

Cash Box, June 18, 1955

At about the same time and also for Fabor Robison, Thurl backed up the obscure Sky Boys on "Mad, Baby, Mad," and they backed him on "Never Doubt My Love," a pleasant ballad. He was better suited to different material than this.

I don't know if the Sky Boys were actually the Mellomen, but I do know that the latter group's next appearance was as the Crackerjacks, for the Kapp label. The James Shelton song "Be Good" is a splendid outing for Thurl, the Mellomen and the talented tenor Bill Lee - himself a noted studio singer of the time. Shelton's novelty "Shiskebob" also appears. "I'll bet you never eat another fish-kebob," the group enthuses. (They are correct.)

The Mellomen/Crackerjacks: Bob Stevens,
Max Smith, Bill Lee, Thurl Ravenscroft

Also in the set, which appeared on an LP along with several tunes by the Lancers, were "Whispering Winds" (where Thurl and baritone Max Smith both have spots), and "I Wanna Go There with You." The Crackerjacks, er, Mellomen, were really good.

Thurl and the Melloman backed Roberta Linn (a chirpy singer like Teresa Brewer) on the novelty "Fee Fi Fiddlee Aye O."

Cash Box, June 16, 1956

Ravenscroft had a solo spot for the Bally label with "Oh You Sweet One," which turns out to be "Ja, das ist ein Schnitzelbank." This is all professionally done, but really.

Thurl is in cowboy-song mode for "I Ain't Afraid," which is good of its kind.

Finally, Thurl appears on the Balboa label as ol' St. Nick for the novelty "Santa's Too Fat for the Hula Hoop." Here, his basso contrasts with the juvenile-sounding Pixies. 

Thurl extricates himself from the hoop in enough time to participate in the obverse, "Kitty Kats on Parade." 

So with these kiddie tunes, we've come full circle from "Tubby the Tuba." But there's one final item in the set - a musical ad for the new Southern California development "Diamond Bar," where Ravenscroft's talking blues approach makes for one of his best performances. His commanding voice, perfect diction and excellent sense of rhythm made him an ideal spokesman. As the saying went, "He's GR-R-REAT!"

LINK

From the Back Room: Bloch and Herbert

No sooner had I posted Buster's Back Room, where I listed some of the many projects I had completed but never offered on this blog, than a few people asked for this record.

It's a good one - from 1952 and the American Recording Society, it includes two relatively neglected works: Ernest Bloch's Trois Poèmes Juifs and Victor Herbert's Cello Concerto No. 2.

Walter Hendl

The works are split between two conductors: Walter Hendl, an American who at the time was the music director of the Dallas Symphony, and Max Schoenherr, an Austrian whose recorded works tended to be on the lighter side, such as operetta. Both were accomplished musicians.

Max Schoenherr

The record did attract some notable critical acclaim. John Briggs of the New York Times led his column about recent recordings with these thoughts: "The American Recording Society, aided by a grant from the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, is continuing to turn up unusual and interesting works over-looked in the rush of ordinary commercial recording.

"Such a piece is the Victor Herbert Cello Concerto, newly available on records as performed by Bernard Greenhouse and the American Recording Society Orchestra, Max Schoenherr conducting.

Victor Herbert

"The concerto is a workable piece, designed for practical performance, affording the soloist ample opportunity to display his virtuosity. It is by no means a trivial work. The composer of Naughty Marietta and The Red Mill was also first 'cellist of the Philharmonic-Symphony and for some years conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony. His concerto is the work of a musician trained in the thoroughgoing nineteenth-century German school, writing for an instrument which he knows at first hand. Herbert’s manipulation of the orchestra is easy, fluent and unforced."

Bernard Greenhouse

Cellist Bernard Greenhouse, who was then a solo artist, would help found the famed Beaux Arts Trio in 1955, with pianist Menahem Pressler and violinist Daniel Guilet.

Ernest Bloch

Bloch's superb Trois Poèmes Juifs also received praise from the Times and the Saturday Review. The Times: "On the same recording is heard a fine performance of Ernest Bloch's sensitive and moving Trois Poèmes Juifs, played by the American Recording Society Orchestra under the direction of Walter Hendl." The Saturday Review added that the piece was "beautifully formulated" and "well-performed," and that Hendl directed with "eloquent effect."

The Bloch may be the sole recording of the work: A Classical Discography does not list another. Herbert's two Cello Concertos have each been recorded a few times.

Both of these performances are listed as being by the "American Recording Society Orchestra," which generally turned out to be a European ensemble. A Classical Discography lists the Herbert as being recorded by the Vienna Symphony, but does not have an ID for the orchestra heard in the Bloch composition.

The recording of the concerto was tubby (I've addressed that characteristic), although the cello was and is well caught. The Bloch is nicely done.

LINK

'Tis Autumn and the Ray Charles Singers Return

I'm calling a cease-fire to the barrage of "From the Back Room" posts to acknowledge the changing of the seasons by posting another in our series of Ray Charles Singers LPs, in this case Autumn Nocturne.

As with the Spring Is Here and Summertime collections, it presents a well-chosen and beautifully performed array of seasonal specialties - some familiar, some less so. The record dates from 1954.

As with the previous LPs, the cover portrays a couple admiring the wonders of nature. It seems to be the same vista as on the Summertime cover, with autumnal colors added.

Here are a few words about the songs, which in general link the passing of summer with lost love.

The LP's title tune, "Autumn Nocturne" by Josef Myrow and Kim Gannon, had some popularity when written in 1941, but that had waned in the intervening years. Like most of the songs on the LP, it is never heard these days, which makes it all the more welcome. (Myrow also had another season covered with "It Happens Every Spring," lyrics by Mack Gordon.)

"Early Autumn" was first an instrumental piece written by Woody Herman and Ralph Burns for Woody's "Four Brothers" band. Johnny Mercer wrote lyrics for it a few years later, and Woody and Jo Stafford (among others) recorded the new version.

The Ray Charles Singers surround Perry Como, early 1950s

"A Faded Summer Love" is nearly unknown today, but Phil Baxter's song attracted a large number of recordings when written in 1931, deservedly so.

Another piece that is unheard today is "Autumn in Rome." It was new when recorded for this LP. Alessandro Cicognini and Paul Weston wrote the music, Sammy Cahn the words; the number appeared in the film Indiscretion of an American Wife, where it was sung by Patti Page.

"Indian Summer" is perhaps the only misfire on the album, not because of the gorgeous Victor Herbert melody from 1919, or the Al Dubin lyrics from 20 years later. It's because of the annoying, stereotypical tom-tom part in the arrangement.

The most obscure song on the LP may be "When Leaves Bid the Trees Goodbye" by Vee Lawnhurst and Tot Seymour, dating from about 1935.

One of the best remembered songs, conversely, is "The Things We Did Last Summer," a superior work by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn written in 1946 for, I believe, Frank Sinatra.

"'Tis Autumn" is an fine song by Henry Nemo that was somewhat popular when written in 1941, but is now unfortunately obscure. This performance begins with the verse, which is even less heard than the song's chorus.

The justly famous "Autumn Leaves" began life as "Les feuilles mortes," written by Joseph Kosma and Jacques Prévert. It was sung in the film Les portes de la nuit by Yves Montand. Johnny Mercer came up with the English lyrics that were first recorded by Jo Stafford.

"Shine On, Harvest Moon" dates from the Ziegfeld Follies of 1908, where Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth introduced it. Their names are on the sheet music, but many people think that Edward Madden and Gus Edwards actually wrote it - or perhaps Bayes' pianist Dave Stamper. In any case, this LP includes the verse, which I had never heard before.

Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson wrote the poignant "September Song" for Knickerbocker Holiday in 1938. Walter Huston introduced it.

"September in the Rain" is a terrific song that Harry Warren and Al Dubin wrote for 1935's Stars Over Broadway, only for it to be used as background music. But a few years later it popped up in Melody for Two, where it was sung by James Melton.

The LP ends with the optimistic "Autumn in New York," Vernon Duke's anthem from the 1934 revue Thumbs Up! This version is good; I also recommend the astonishing Sarah Vaughan recording from 1956.

The singers on this LP include Katie Carnes, Fran Carroll, Miriam Workman, Lois Winter, Lillian Clark, Rae Whitney, Elise Bretton, Marilyn Palmer, Peggy Powers, Barbara Nelson, Artie Malvin, Mike Stewart, Jerry Duane, Steve Steck, Alan Sokoloff, Ed Lindstrom, Murray Kane, Gene Lowell, Clyde Seckler, Gene Steck, Bob Spiro and Rudy Williams. Charles himself has excellent solos in "Faded Summer Love" and "'Tis Autumn."

Among the instrumentalists are Bernie Leighton, piano, George Barnes, guitar, Bernie Kaufman, reeds, and Nick Perito, accordion.

The sound is generally good and the performances all that you may have come to expect.

LINK

From the Back Room: Anita Ellis in the 40s, Vol. 1

One of the surprises in my recent post of "Buster's Back Room" of unrealized projects was the interest in vocalist Anita Ellis. So today we start a three-part series covering her work in the 1940s, with almost all of the material derived from non-commercial releases.

This first volume comes from three sources: Lang-Worth Transcriptions, a V-Disc and several Personal Albums from the Armed Forces Radio Service. There are 21 songs in all.

For these "From the Back Room" items, the transfers, etc., are prepared with the usual care, but my seemingly endless commentary may be mercifully abbreviated.

About Anita Ellis

Ellis (1920-2015) was born in Montreal but moved to Hollywood at a relatively early age. Her parents both sang (her father was a cantor), instilling a love for vocalizing in both her and her brother, Larry Kert.

Anita was singing on local radio before age 16, went to study at the Cincinnati Conservatory, and before long began singing there on a local station. She discovered her crippling stage fright during a brief period as a dance band vocalist. Thereafter the radio studio was her haven. She did quite well there, a regular both on the Personal Album programs and on the Red Skelton show, while making the transcriptions also heard in this collection.

Eventually she would work as a vocal double for the movies. That aspect of her art will be sampled in the next volume.

There's more about Ellis on James Gavin's site.

Lang-Worth Transcriptions

Anita made at least two sets of Lang-Worth Transcriptions with Mitchell Ayres' orchestra in 1945. These were all well chosen songs from the period - "Stardust," "My Heart Sings," "Stormy Weather," "You Always Hurt the One You Love," "More and More" and "Strange Music."

This collection also includes two of my own favorites: "Invitation to the Blues," by Allan Roberts, Arthur Gershwin and Doris Fisher, and "Sleigh Ride in July," by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. Both are rueful songs of misbegotten romance, the type of material that Ellis with her simplicity and sincerity did so well.

Mitchell Ayres

Her Only V-Disc

Although Anita did several Personal Albums for the AFRS, she recorded only one V-Disc. The V-Disc Discography speculates that this material was taken from 1945 appearances on New York's WNEW with the Merle Pitt ensemble.

The two numbers were both popular at the time - "He's Home for a Little While" by Kermit Goell and the irredeemable "Good Good Good" by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher. (I liked their work above but not this time.)

Songs from Personal Albums

We also have 11 songs derived from various iterations of the AFRS Personal Album programs that sometimes featured Ellis.

Dennis Morgan and Anita Ellis
recording for AFRS (Morgan is not heard here)

Based on the material, my sense is that these programs date from 1944-46. I don't have any details on the accompanists.

1945 ad

The lesser-known songs are "Tonight I Shall Sleep with a Smile on My Face" by Duke Ellington, Irving Gordon and Mercer Ellington, and Alec Wilder's "I'll Be Around" - and the latter is not all that unknown.

Otherwise we have "I'm in the Mood for Love," "Shoo Shoo Baby," "I Never Mention Your Name," "I'll Be Seeing You," "Blue Skies," "Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine," "More Than You Know" and "Summertime."

Anita is in excellent voice throughout these programs, and sings all numbers with a high degree of artistry. 

After some tinkering, the sound through this set is quite good, regardless of source. That said, the pitch from the transcriptions and Personal Albums was often questionable; I've adjusted it.

LINK

From the Back Room: Janáček and Slavický

This is one of my "From the Back Room" posts, featuring recordings that I've been working on for some time, but haven't yet published for one reason or another.

For these items, the transfers, etc., are prepared with the usual care, but my commentary may be less extended than usual.

I was surprised and pleased to see the interest in these early 1950s recordings on the Supraphon label. 

Leoš Janáček

The influence of Czech composer Leoš Janáček and, more broadly, of Moravian folk music permeates the works in these performances from 1952-53.

Janáček (1854-1928) himself is represented by his Lachian Dances, based on music from the Lachian area of Moravia, a Czech region. The dances, dating from 1889, were his first mature composition.

Klement Slavický

These were influenced by Antonín Dvořák's Slavonic Dances of 1878 and 1886, and in turn both influenced the Three Moravian Dance Fantasies by Klement Slavický (1910-99), which date from 1951.

Leading the Janáček dances is one of his pupils, Břetislav Bakala (1897-1958), a specialist in the composer's music. He conducts the Brno Radio Symphony Orchestra in these 1952 recordings.

Břetislav Bakala, Karel Ančerl

The Slavický work is directed by the distinguished Karel Ančerl (1908-73). The orchestra is the Czech Philharmonic, which he led from 1950-68.

Here is what critic Andrew Porter wrote in The Gramophone: "Janáček was from Lachia, and in this fascinating set of six Lachian Dances we find, in pure and lively form, rhythmic and melodic motifs which recur in his operatic and orchestral music. It is amazing to discover how much variety and complexity of rhythm is possible, within the two-bar phrases that make up most of the music. This is an immensely attractive score.

"Klement Slavický ... recalls Dvořák rather than Janáček. The outer pieces are bright and arresting, the central one more tranquil, and within each there are contrasting sections. This is also a pleasant work. The Slavický score is evidently very well played, and is well recorded."

The Lachian Dances are occasionally heard in this country; the Moravian Dances Fantasies not at all, to my knowledge. The performances here are indeed excellent and the recordings are good for their day.

LINK

From the Back Room: Sue Raney Singles

This is another post resulting from my offer of the contents of Buster's Back Room. One of the most requested was Sue Raney, a gifted singer who has never achieved the renown she deserves. Sue is one of our greatest living vocalists, although her name would surely be unfamiliar to most people.

Here we are concentrating on her early years, when she already was a voice with few peers, collecting all her non-album singles for Capitol, along with some singles from the Imperial label, plus a bonus obscure release from 1974.

This post is an expanded and reworked version of one that I published many years ago. There are 23 songs in all.

Capitol Singles

The first Capitols

Raney was first heard on a record issued by small label from Kansas City (which I do not have). She was signed by Capitol in 1956, when she was about 17. Here first release seems to be from the Ray Anthony-Mamie Van Doren filmic escapade The Girl Can't Help It. Sue was allotted a number called "Ev'rytime," not to be confused with Martin and Blane's "Ev'ry Time." Sue is superb in this good song from Tony Iovello and Mel Levine, backed by Ray's orchestra. It's an amazing performance for a 17-year-old.

Soon thereafter, the label issued the "promotional debut record" above, with one of the cool picture labels it was then using for some promos. The initial plug side was "What's the Good Word, Mr. Bluebird," a conventional period pop item; still, it is not unattractive.

Capitol also promoted its discmate (see below), the title tune from the teen-angst weepie The Careless Years, which Sue handles nicely. IMDb tells us that this was heard on the soundtrack as well, where she also did something called "Butterfingers Baby," but I somehow let that number slip through my fingers and you won't find it here. (Actually, I don't think it was issued on record.)

Picture sleeve for DJ copy

"Please Hurry Home" and "Don't Take My Happiness" were next, followed by her vocal chorus on a Nelson Riddle record of "Til There Was You," an excellent version that was issued before The Music Man opened on Broadway. All these predate Raney's first LP.

The year 1958 brought "My, My, How The Time Goes By" and "Periwinkle Blue," followed by 1958's "The Restless Sea" (quite wonderful) and "Ever," Raney's own composition.

Then in 1959 there were "I Don't Look Right Without You" and "Swingin' In A Hammock." From 1960, backed by Bill Holman, we have "Biology," "Too Soon," "One Finger Symphony" and "The Word Got Around." 

"Biology" is a raucous quasi-rocker, "Too Soon" a pleasant ballad. In general, these singles attempted to hit the halfway point between vocal pop and rock. They are enjoyable although the rock instrumentation and backing singers seem more dated than, say, Nelson Riddle's chart for "'Til There Was You." Bob Bain's rockabilly-style guitar solo in "Don't Take My Happiness" is very enjoyable, though.

Imperial Singles

In the 60s, Raney moved on to Philips for one LP and no singles (as far as I can tell), then to Imperial for several LPs and a clutch of 45s. My collection of the Imperial singles is not complete but does include six songs.

The first such item is "Try to See It My Way," a Bacharach-David song from the TV special On the Flip Side, beautifully done. It was backed by "There Goes My Everything," a country song that became a pop hit for Engelbert Humperdinck.

Next is the title tune to the 1967 suspense film Wait Until Dark, a fine Mancini composition with Livingston and Evans supplying the words. It was backed by "Parade (A Banda)," a hectic Brazilian song that was popular back then. The latter does provide an opportunity for Sue to demonstrate her vocal chops.

The best number in this group - at least to me - is her version of "Knowing When to Leave," a Bacharach-David song from the 1968 musical Promises, Promises. Her subtle singing, even amidst the busy Bill Byers arrangement and cramped recording, is a wonder. Too bad it's backed by the worst song in the bunch, the lamentable flower-power tune "Early Morning Blues and Greens."

Finally, on the obscure Alithia label, there's a bonus cut of Raney's own "Never Say Goodbye" from 1974. The song is good, but the backing, with its loud electric bass and soul-style backing group, screams the early 70s, which to me is not a good thing.

Please note: I mentioned that I was going to add two transcriptions, from Sue's appearances on The Navy Swings and Treasury Department Guest Star programs, but it slipped my mind that these did not contain unique material, only cuts from Sue's first two Capitol LPs. So I have not included them.

LINK to Capitol and Imperial singles

From the Back Room: Two from Marty Paich

The cool fellow above is the distinguished pianist-arranger-composer Marty Paich (1925-95), who issued many fine albums under his own name and as music director for others. Today we have one LP where he shares the lead role with John Graas; and other that is devoted to the Marty Paich Octet. The former was recorded first, so we'll discuss it first.

This is another in a series of posts from Buster's Back Room, where I keep the many projects I have completed but never offered on this blog.

For these "From the Back Room" items, the transfers, etc., are prepared with the usual care, but my usual long-winded commentary may be abbreviated.

Jazz Studio 2 from Hollywood

For this 1954 LP, Decca assembled an octet of leading West Coast jazz musicians - Don Fagerquist (t), Milt Bernhart (tb), John Graas (frh), Herb Geller (as), Jimmy Giuffre (ts, bar, cl), Howard Roberts (g), Paich (p), Curtis Counce (b) and Larry Bunker (d),

Paich wrote one item - "Paicheck" (which it was) - and arranged two standards - Jimmy Van Heusen's "Darn that Dream" (a cool school specialty) and David Raksin's "Laura."

John Graas

Graas, one of the few jazz French horn players, wrote two numbers - "Graas Point" and "Here Come the Lions," while arranging Gershwin's "Do It Again."

Graas (1917-62) recorded fairly prolifically through the 1950s and until his early death, both as a leader and with the Stan Kenton band, among others.

Herb Geller

The LP starts out lyrically with Howard Roberts' guitar introducing "Laura," followed by graceful solos from Herb Geller on alto and Don Fagerquist on trumpet. Milt Bernhart follows with a more assertive break on trombone, before Graas' horn completes the slow tempo section, which is followed by a more swinging close.

Milt Bernhart

So it goes throughout the album. Graas' "Here Come the Lions" has a very catchy theme; Paich's "Paicheck" is an uptempo workout. The soloists for all items are identified in the included discography; note that the information there is in order of recording, not the order presented on the LP. 

LINK to Jazz Studio 2 from Hollywood

The Marty Paich Octet / Tenors West

The year 1955 was ground zero for the great LP switcheroo, where labels took their old 10-inch albums, added a few songs and reissued them as 12-inch albums.

Today we have a good example, starting with the 10-inch Marty Paich Octet LP, recorded for GNP in February 1955, relatively late in the 10-inch LP lifecycle. In a few paragraphs, we'll discuss how this turned into the 12-inch album Tenors West.

Jack Costanzo

For the February session, consisting entirely of Paich compositions, the musicians were: Harry Klee (f, as, ts), Bob Cooper (ts), Bob Enevoldsen (ts, vtb), Jack DuLong (bar), Conte Candoli (t), Paich (p), Joe Mondragon (b), Art Mardigan (d) and Jack Costanzo (bgo). The latter appeared on the two-part Caribbean-themed "Ballet du Bongo."

Harry Klee, Joe Mondragon

Also featured were flutist Harry Klee in "Paich-ence" (using the composer's name in the title was big back then) and bassist Joe Mondragon in "The Dragon."

In November of the same year, more or less the same crew assembled for another recording session, with Jimmy Giuffre taking the place of Bob Cooper and Frankie Capp the drum chair of Art Mardigan. This time there were no Paich compositions.

The added tunes were the Gerry Mulligan theme "Line for Lyons," Billy Strayhorn's "Take the 'A' Train," Hal Hopper's "There's No You" and the Count Basie-Harry Edison "Shorty George."

When the 12-inch version came out in 1957, GNP downplayed the Marty Paich Octet, stressing the tenors of Giuffre, Cooper, Klee and Bob Enevoldsen (who also played valve trombone), and adopting the Tenors West title from one of Paich's compositions.

For this post, I've presented the 12 numbers as follows: first the 10-inch LP in its original order, followed by the songs added to the 12-inch Tenors West LP.

LINK to the Marty Paich Octet / Tenors West

From the Back Room: Early Sarah Vaughan, Vol. 1

The Divine One - Sarah Vaughan, that is - was a god from the time she first stepped into a recording studio, in 1944, and just kept growing in age and vocal grace.

This is the first of three volumes that will present her recorded legacy from that first date with Billy Eckstine's band through to her joining her first major label - Columbia - in 1949. Almost all of these recordings are taken from the original 78s. The three volumes encompass 56 recordings.

This is one of my "From the Back Room" posts, featuring recordings that I've been working on for some time, but haven't yet published for one reason or another.

For these items, the transfers, etc., are prepared with the usual care, but my commentary may be less garrulous than usual.

The First Recording

Vaughan (1924-90) was "discovered" in 1943 by bandleader-pianist Earl Hines - or was it Eckstine, Hines' vocalist? Both claimed her; she was quite the vocal prize.

When Billy went out on his own, Sarah joined him. Their only recording session together was in September 1944, where she sang "I'll Wait and Pray," written by Eckstine arranger-trombonist Gerald Valentine. Not a great song, but Sarah must have liked it - she later recorded it for Musicraft.

The Eckstine band - filled with boppers such as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker - is raucous on this De Luxe release. Sarah herself is immediately recognizable.

Young Billy Eckstine

With Dizzy Gillespie

Vaughan went out on her own in late 1944, remaining close friends with Eckstine. Her earliest recording date as a solo was with a Gillespie group for the small Continental label. The first number from that session is the contrived "Signing Off," by pianist-promoter Leonard Feather and Jessyca Russell.

The same group is heard in "Interlude," which is the vocal version of Gillespie's bop anthem "A Night in Tunisia."

Next is the amusing blues "No Smokes," which concerns itself with the cigarette shortage during World War II. There are two versions - one from the 78, and an alternate take from a early LP reissue on Remington.

The final song from this session is the Brooks Bowman standard "East of the Sun."

Sarah gets an earful from trumpet immortals 
Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie

In the first half of 1945, Vaughan continued to record with Gillespie ensembles, which now included Charlie Parker. The Guild issue of "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" identified the song as being by Kurt Weill-Maxwell Anderson, but this is actually the familiar piece written by Jimmy Davis, Jimmy Sherman and Roger Ramirez and associated with Billie Holiday.

For Continental, Sarah and Dizzy covered Peggy Lee's "What More Can a Woman Do," another forgettable Feather-Russell song called "I'd Rather Have a Memory than a Dream," and the standard "Mean to Me."

Stuff Smith, Tony Scott, Dickie Wells, John Kirby

Stuff Smith

Violinist Stuff Smith engaged Vaughan to sing his new composition "Time and Again" with his Trio for the Musicraft label (where she would later record herself). Not a great song, but Sarah handles it confidently.

Tony Scott

Clarinetist Tony Scott brought her in for a date on the Gotham label, where she sang the Duke Ellington standard "All Too Soon," with lyrics by Carl Sigman. Gillespie was on this session as well, identified on the record label as "B. Bopstein."

John Kirby, Buster Bailey

Bassist-bandleader John Kirby featured Vaughan on a three songs included in a 78 album recorded for the Crown label in 1946. Her songs are the standards "You Go to My Head" and "It Might as Well be Spring" along with "I'm Scared," which leads off the album. In "It Might as Well Be Spring," Sarah's coda and vocalese were indicators of things to come.

Also with Kirby, Vaughan recorded the Peter DeRose-Bob Russell song "I Can Make You Love Me," which elicits one of her best performances. She must have liked the song; she recorded it again a few months later for Musicraft.

One with Dickie Wells

Dicky Wells

Trombonist Dicky Wells made his name with Count Basie, with whom he played for most of 1938-50. He was on a break from the band when his Big Seven backed Vaughan on "We're Through," by the important pianist-songwriter Tadd Dameron. The lyrics are by Anne Greer. 

Sarah would soon make several recordings with Dameron for Musicraft; she also would record with the trumpeter on the Dicky Wells session, George Treadwell, whom she would marry later in 1946.

The Musicraft recordings mentioned will be in Vol. 2 of this series. Vaughan would record for that label until she joined Columbia.

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