Enescu Plays Enescu

This is a highly collectible record, and I'd like to think it is because it is an expressive performance of beautiful music by the composer, George Enescu and a longtime collaborator.

Not sure that's the case; who knows why certain records get a reputation as being valuable, which then makes them more valuable, even though, like this one, they aren't really rare. Popsike shows this album auctioning from $100 to above $300.

Well, its value certainly couldn't be because of a particularly lovely cover. This one could charitably be described as hideous, like many of the LPs issued by Remington.

Remington was a budget label that for some reason has acquired a latter-day following. It even has a tribute web site with a page devoted to Enescu's recordings - here.

Enescu's great music and performance rises well above the ugly cover, awful pressing, and utilitarian sound values. Remington gets the pianist's name wrong in two different ways - she is Céliny Chailley-Richez.

I'll be posting a short series of recordings that Enescu made for Remington.

Salome

Hollywood may not have invented the idea of using sex to sell products, but may have perfected it with this astonishing item.

On the cover we get the eye-popping image of Rita Hayworth as Salome. Those who know their Bible, Oscar Wilde or Richard Strauss will expect Hollywood to follow the familiar story line and have Rita dance for Herod so that he will grant her wish that John the Baptist have his head lopped off.

Well, that plot may have been OK for the Bible or for those decadent Europeans, but Columbia Pictures had other ideas. In this version, the noble girl dances not to slay the Baptist but to save him. (Unfortunately for John, her dancing was more effective when she wanted him dead.)

The most impressive thing about this record (other than Hayworth's chest) is the excellent music by George Duning, although for some reason, the dance of the seven veils music is by Daniele Amfitheatrof. I could do without the shriek at the end of that track, which signifies the entrance of the Baptist's head on a platter. That apparently spoiled the atmosphere at the party, which beheadings tend to do.

When this record came out, it wasn't common for LP covers to feature color photos. Those were generally reserved for the likes of Hollywood stars and Frank Sinatra. Black and white photos and illustrations were the norm until a few years later.

REMASTERED VERSION

Josh White

Josh White had a remarkable career and life fully equal to his remarkable talents. The story goes that he began his career as a boy dancing and singing as a sort of side attraction for blues singers such as Blind Lemon Jefferson. He became a recording star himself as a singer and guitarist in a number of genres while still quite young. By the time these records were made in the mid-1940s, he had moved on to become one of the first (if not the first) crossover stars of sorts, playing now-familiar folk and blues tunes in New York cabarets.

With his good looks, magnetic stage presence, and superb musicianship, he must have been an impressive act.

Moe Asch recorded these eight items for an Asch Records 78 album and later released them on 10-inch LP on both the Stinson and Folksay labels.

The cover is by the great David Stone Martin, one of his earliest ones, I believe, because it was used for the album of 78s. It isn't one of his best compositions, but the rendering of White's head is exceptional.

NEW LINK - MARCH 2015

Morton Gould by Mitropoulos; Stoki Does Billy

The connecting tissue on this issue is the Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York (as the NY Phil was then titled) performing American music. Morton Gould, who made an appearance earlier on the blog as a conductor, shows up again, this time as both composer and conductor.

Gould's terrific Philharmonic Waltzes were written for the NY bunch, and this is a remarkable performance under Dimitri Mitropoulos, either right before or early in his tenure as the Philharmonic music director, which began in 1949. For the first two years, he co-led the operation with Leopold Stokowski. (Now there was a contrast.)

Stoki also appears on this record. The old cowpoke takes two of Copland's Billy the Kid pieces for a ride, then changes gears and genres for the impressionist Griffes item.

It's amazing to hear the mid-century Phil handle the Gould Quickstep march, then the languid White Peacock, both perfectly in style. These recordings are now largely forgotten - they shouldn't be.

One final note - this item has another cover by Alex Steinweiss.

NEW LINK

Digression No. 1

Our first review is in and it is sweet, and short. Bill Reed, who is the creator of People Vs. Dr. Chilledair [no, I haven't a clue], opines, "The unqualified Dr Chilledair seal of approval (our first EV-ER) goes to the Big 10-Inch Record." What is it the Brits say? We are chuffed about that! [Haven't a clue where that one comes from, either.]

That's all that the doc has to say about this place, but he has plenty to say about other subjects, mostly musical. Bill is a friend of, and writes very knowledgeably about, many of the musical giants that I admire in the pop sphere - including Page Cavanaugh, who was one of the first artists featured on this blog.

I can't say enough about Bill's site, so rather than droning on about it, let me just suggest that you drop by and sample the chilled air.

Vaughan Williams and Elgar by Sargent

What better way to herald a post on the Brits than a cover with two royal shields and the symbol of that most English of labels, His Master's Voice, or HMV, with its royal overtones of His/Her Majesty's Ship, or HMS. Even old Nipper looks majestic in this company. The music is by the two most popular English composers, Vaughan Williams and Elgar, performed by the royal favorite conductor, Malcolm Sargent, and the empire's own BBC Symphony, which Sargent led in the early 1950s, when this was recorded.

That said, Sargent was never the favored conductor of these composers, Boult and Barbirolli were; the BBC was not the best English orchestra at that time, the Philharmonia was; and the impressive cover was actually HMV's default design, which afforded economies in production. Even the left royal shield proclaims that the Gramophone Company (HMV's parent) purveys "gramophones, records, radio and television apparatus to the late King George VI." They apparently hadn't signed up the new Queen yet. Perhaps I should ask if she would like to be the sponsor of this blog and I could rename it the Royal 10-Inch Record.

Despite what the above paragraph may imply, this is a very fine performance and recording of some exceptionally beautiful music.

Gershwin by Levant and Gould

Most Gershwin fans are aware that there was and is a Second Rhapsody (the first being Rhapsody in Blue). Many have heard it and even may have a recording. I doubt that they will have heard this version by the wit/actor of sorts/author/pianist/Gershwin associate Oscar Levant with a Morton Gould led band. It is witty, scintillating (that's one of those words you write but never use in conversation), and fantastically well played by Gould's group.

If anything, the I Got Rhythm Variations are even better done. This is just great stuff, and the Three Preludes are a classic performance of one of Gershwin's finest pieces. Too little known for such a famous composer.

Like Levant, Morton Gould had many talents. He wrote concert pieces in a mostly accessible vein, light music, musical comedy, and film music, and conducted a long string of easy listening records. He also was president of ASCAP for several years. We'll be linking to some of his own music in a little while.

This item has a cover by Alex Steinweiss, one of the most famous LP designers. This one uses the contrasts of typeforms and the posteresque techniques characteristic of his work. He used the cover as a point-of-sale ad; that is one of the LP's most endearing features and one reason why they will continue to be collected when CDs are dumped into bioundegradable piles of silver and plastic.

LINK to 2026 remaster