Carlos Chavez

Here's a very attractive item from Mexico and its eminent composer, Carlos Chávez. It is a suite from La Hija de Colquide (The Daughter of Colchis), a ballet written in 1943 for Martha Graham.

The ballet was to be on the Medea legend, but Graham changed it to a ballet called Dark Meadow after receiving Chávez's music. The composer nonetheless published the music under the original title.

The ballet suite has been recorded a number of times, but this is the original recording conducted by the composer. I haven't been able to trace a reissue since this 1951 LP. Despite that date, I believe the recordings may have been made in the 1940s. The Symphony Orchestra of Mexico had been superseded by the National Symphony Orchestra by the time this record came out.

Not sure what the creatures on the cover have to do with Medea, but they all look apprehensive about something. Might have been checking out her hairdo. The artist is Erik Nitsche, a superb graphic designer who did many covers for Decca. More info on him here.

NEW LINK

Digression No. 4

Follow up to the Jo Stafford American Folk Songs item below - I forgot that I have a Stafford discography. It says that the songs on Jo's 1960s-vintage folk song album were re recordings. Assuming that's accurate, the 10-inch album was never reissued.

Also, I should have confessed that the SAS cover at the bottom of the European Holiday item is not my scan. So - as they say - thanks to the original uploader!

Jo Stafford, Part 2

In the previous post on Jo Stafford, I mentioned that I thought that gospel music evoked her some of her best singing. This record of folk songs is even better done than Garden of Faith.

These sides were made in the late 1940s, when folk songs and folk singers were newly popular both because of a search for novelty in music and a post-war interest in Americana. Pop singers of all types gave folk songs a shot, especially after the Weavers had a hit with Goodnight Irene. Even Sinatra did that one, in his most obscure LP, Songs for Swinging Convicts. (OK, I made up the album - but not the recording of Irene.)

This cross-genre mixing usually resulted in a level of stylistic incongruity that was not to be surpassed until Sammy Davis Jr. donned love beads. But this is different. Jo's involvement and the superb arrangements by Paul Weston are just right - and just gorgeous. I should mention that these recordings predate the popularity of Goodnight Irene, which Jo recorded but which is not to be found here.

Capitol reissued some of these recordings (I think they are the same recordings, but I'm not sure) during the 60s folk boom along with other pieces with folk-style instrumentation.

One side note - this album also was apparently issued in a 45-rpm box. Capitol printed just one color cover for the 10-inch and 7-inch formats. For the 10-inch albums, it framed the 7-inch cover in lace. Many records that were offered in both formats framed the 7-inch cover in just that - a frame - for the 10-inch issue.

On Vacation with Mitch Miller

You really need to click on the image above to see it properly. When you do, you will see a suburban couple and their furniture transported to an airport tarmac, where they are being serenaded by a diverse assemblage of Europeans in mufti, conducted by a benevolent Mitch Miller. It must have been quite a concert, with guitars, bagpipe, tuba, trombone, violin, horn, and who knows what else.  

I can't say that my own most recent visit to the airport (two days ago) was attended with quite so much ceremony. But we're not in the 50s any more, and air travel isn't quite as glamorous as it once was. 

 The glamour of air travel is what's behind this LP. As you might suspect from the prominent placement of the SAS plane (a Super Constellation?), this record began life as a promotional item sponsored by the airline. The main selection is a mini-musical of sorts that starts with a encounter with a travel agent (who is termed a Dealer in Dreams, which today has a much different connotation). Over the next several minutes we fly over to the continent, whistle stop through numerous countries, and return. The presentation of the SAS menu is particularly absurd, with elaborate foods and wines described in detail. I was reminded of the low point of my airborne culinary career, when I was served a frozen taco - frozen. 

All this (the music, that is, not the taco) is presented by young Columbia artists Jill Corey and Jerry Vale, and Thurl Ravenscroft-style bass Michael Stewart. The character parts are taken by someone named Jonathan Winters - it could be the comedian early in his career, but he doesn't sound like himself here, if you know what I mean. 

The other side contains three Miller chestnuts - good ones, featuring Stan Freeman and his harpsichord, best known for their contribution to the Mitch-produced "Come on-a My House."

I mentioned that this began life as a promotion for SAS airlines. Not sure, but I think the original presentation was through travel agents, inside the cover below (the record, not the travel agents). The commercial version came later, with the cover above. The SAS package substituted three classical excerpts from Scandinavia.

 

Harl McDonald and Max Brand

When I came upon this record recently, I had high hopes for the Harl McDonald composition, based on other pieces by him in my collection.

Unfortunately, McDonald's Children's Symphony isn't very good. His idea was to teach kids how symphonies are put together by using familiar tunes, but he forgot to make the piece interesting.

On the flip side of the record is a composition by Max Brand - could it be the writer of Western novels?

Max Brand

Well, no. This is a different Brand - a German composer resident in the US for several decades after fleeing the Nazis. His music is actually more attractive than McDonald's. It's a piece of program music based on a poem, "The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay," by Oliver Wendell Holmes the elder. I've read an explanation of the poem, which has some theological meaning that I couldn't explain here even if I were interested in doing so, which I'm not. This again was a children's piece. I don't know what it says about my intellect if I can't explain the poetic basis of children's music, but it can't be good.

Maybe I am just in a bad mood. But you know how it is when a record doesn't fulfill your expectations. On the bright side, the Philadelphia Orchestra performances are excellent, particularly in the Brand item, conduced by Eugene Ormandy. And I don't believe (although I am not certain) that this record has been re-released.

By the way, McDonald was the manager of the Philly band for many years. The download includes a brief New York Times review.

Digression No. 3

A number of updates and observations, but first I want to say a belated thanks to my friend Jean, the incredibly energetic and charming fellow who runs a blog called Shareyes. Jean was so taken by my item on the soundtrack of Salome that he restored the cover image and posted it on his blog with a link back to this blog, meanwhile saying nice things about this place in this post. So if you want a better cover of Salome, head over there and also check out his very rare items. But hurry - he's thinking of going private.

Way back at the beginning of this blog, I wrote about the singer-pianist Page Cavanaugh, who has been laid up recently. Bill Reed of the People vs. Dr. Chilledair visited Page a short while ago and reports that he is playing the piano again. Great news.

Another favorite of mine is the late singer Jackie Paris. In my opinion, some of Paris' best work is heard on an obscure jazz version of the show Oh Captain!, which ran on Broadway for six months in 1958. That LP has turned up on a interesting blog called Musical Moadom. There are many jazz greats on the album and the female vocals are by Moody Marilyn Moore. The Livingston and Evans score is very underrated. Highly recommended.

Sometimes I am amazed at what interests people. The recent Martha Raye item has been very popular - I suppose the curiosity factor. Raye was a good singer, but her item has seen more action than an equally obscure item by a much better singer, Jo Stafford. Now, admittedly the latter is gospel music. The items I have posted here related to religion tend to be passed over, and that could be the reason.

Martha Raye Sings

Martha Raye, if she is remembered at all these days, is known as acomic actor. But she was a pretty good singer, as well, as this late 40s LP attests.

Martha was a child of vaudevillians and on the stage herself from a very young age. Later on she became a band singer, and even made a few records in the 1930s before she broke into films.

She handles a variety of material here - the usual ballads, one nondescript piece by music director Phil Moore, and even Lotus Land. Then there is Ooh, Dr. Kinsey, inspired (if that is the right word) by the Kinsey Report on male sexuality, which came out in 1948 and was quite a sensation. This is a somewhat suggestive blues number. I've read that it sold a half million copies, but I think that's highly unlikely.

Discovery Records spent some money on this production - it has strings and all, even though Phil Moore's boppish arrangements are not very compatible with Raye's style, which is something like Mildred Bailey's.