Risë Stevens Sings Victor Herbert

Mezzo-soprano Risë Stevens, still with us today, managed to be popular not only on the operatic stage, but also in the more popular arts, appearing in films and on radio relatively soon after her 1938 Metropolitan Opera debut. She was often on television during its early years as well.

Stevens was a fine artist, but she also had a great manager. She appears in all types of ads, especially in the 1940s - for two different brands of cigarettes, for hand cream, for an airline, and even for a motor oil. She was a Columbia Records contractee during that time, and Columbia gave her a strong promotional push through full-page color ads in the popular magazines. Columbia at that time was running major ad campaigns for classical records in such periodicals as Life. (An example of one of these ads is at the bottom of this post.)

Billboard ad from 1950

In 1950, Stevens left Columbia to join RCA Victor. The attraction was producer Manie Sachs, who had left Columbia to join Victor, taking several artists with him, also including Ezio Pinza. To mark the occasion, RCA took out the peculiar ad at left, showing Stevens looking disconsolate at the move to RCA, and not nearly as glamorous as she appeared in her Columbia ads.

Fortunately, the artistic results were much brighter than the advertising. The first fruits of the RCA contract were contained in this 1950 LP of "Victor Herbert favorites". Stevens was in prime voice, sounding secure throughout her range and fully involved in these choice operetta items from the 1890s and early years of the 20th century.

Frank Black, long-time music director for NBC radio, conducts the anonymous orchestra. The sound is quite good.

Detail from a 1940s Columbia Records ad

Raitt and Morrow in RCA's Show Time Series

This being a blog founded on the thought that I would present 10-inch LPs, it might be appropriate for me to feature them every once in a while. So here is one of that species. It's another of the RCA "Show Time" Series of potted musicals, released in 1953.

This LP offers up two of the most popular shows of that or any other era - Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel and Oklahoma!

Doretta Morrow

The attraction of this series is the chance to hear the best talent on Broadway at that time. The two leads here are John Raitt, who had originated the role of Billy Bigelow in Carousel, and Doretta Morrow, who was starring in Kismet at the time of this recording. Raitt had recently been in Three Wishes for Jamie and was preparing the Burke-Van Heusen flop Carnival in Flanders.

John Raitt in Carousel

Raitt only gets one song on the Carousel side, a marvelous duet on "If I Loved You" with Morrow. However, he is heard on all the songs on the other side of the record. He does a duet on "People Will Say Were in Love" with the excellent Patricia Northrop (not Northrup, as she is identified on the record), who had appeared as Laurey in the 1951 Oklahoma revival on Broadway (and can be seen in this brief clip on YouTube).

Patricia Northrop

The Carousel songs are a showcase for Morrow, who is heard on all but one track. The anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" is given to the multi-talented Brenda Lewis, who was on the stage in opera, operetta and musicals for many years.

The sound on this one is not the best that RCA had to offer at the time, but is good enough, if a little boxy. It doesn't dim at all the charismatic performances, which are led by Jay Blackton.

Barbara Cook Sings Dorothy Parker

The wonderful singer Barbara Cook has made many records, but this alone has remained unreissued, as far as I can determine.

It was Cook's first LP, and it dates from 1958. By that time, she had been on Broadway for several years, and was at the time of recording starring as Marian the librarian in The Music Man.

Barbara Cook with Robert Preston in The Music Man

It's not clear whose idea it was to have Cook's initial album be composed of settings of Dorothy Parker's comic/ironic verse. I can't imagine this was considered to have much commercial potential, although perhaps it appealed to a certain middle-brow audience familiar with Cook's success in Candide.

Parker had passed the height of her career as one of the Algonquinites by the time this record came out. The verses display the considerable skill and wit that made her famous, but little depth, and 24 of them at once are quite a lot. (The download includes an insert with song texts.)

Dorothy Parker portrait by Luis Quintanilla

The musical settings are by Seymour Barab, who has subsequently composed many operas for children, and are quite good without ever being memorable.

Cook is an enthusiastic participant in the proceedings, perhaps too enthusiastic in her characterizations, in an attempt to bring the songs to life. She is accompanied by some of the best-known classical musicians in New York - Abba Bogin, Julius Baker, Loren Glickman, Harry Glantz and David Weber.

My copy of the LP is in mint condition; nonetheless, the sound is not particularly good - so insubstantial that I tried it on two different systems to make sure something had not gone wrong with my equipment. The end result sounds reasonably good, although Cook's voice lacks presence.

Note (July 2024): this has now been remastered in ambient stereo.

LINK

Fifth Batch of Reups

Some more reups for you tonight, per your requests.

The French Line

Soundtrack from the Jane Russell and Gilbert Roland musical. (Apple lossless) LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Jeri Southern - Singles

My first batch of unre-released singles from the wonderful chantoosie. (Apple lossless) LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Oh Captain!

A jazz version of the Broadway show, with three superb songs from Jackie Paris and contributions from Moody Marilyn Moore as well. (Apple lossy only on this one, which was a Will Friedwald contribution) LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Marge Dodson - In the Still of the Night

A reup of the FLAC version of this excellent vocal outing. LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Links to all reups in the comments.

More Russell Garcia

More music from the arranger Russell Garcia, who died last November, this time a samba LP. The songs are mainly from Brazilian composers (with the addition of one ringer, Vincent Youmans' title song).

Russ Garcia

The LP, from 1958, almost certainly is from the West Coast studios, and while not entirely idiomatic is highly proficient and very entertaining. The musicianship is frankly astonishing.

Also interesting is the sound. This was the first year of stereo sound being on the market, and RCA Victor had already branded its version as "Living Stereo." In the pop realm, Living Stereo meant two things - a multi-miked stereo stage and a very hot high-end frequency response. This LP is a very good example of the genre. It is by no means a "natural" sound (if there is such a thing), but it is impressive, and it was the sound of things to come.

Jackie Paris Reups

Several people have asked me about reupping my Jackie Paris posts. I've finally located the files, so here they are.

There are two posts involved. The first is several unre-released singles by Paris, a superb but underappreciated singer. The other is his first LP, a 10-incher called "That 'Paris' Mood," most of which was later subsumed in the 12-inch LP, "Skylark."

Links to the reups are in the comments.

LINK TO ORIGINAL POST - SINGLES

LINK TO ORIGINAL POST - THAT 'PARIS' MOOD

Third Batch of Reups

Sorry, would have brought this to you sooner, but my reupping was rudely interrupted by a severe case of the flu. The fever having subsided, I can now proceed with the third set of reuploads. I believe this covers all the rest of the requests I received, except for Jackie Paris items. And the good news there is that I have located the files and will have remastered versions available soon.

But first these selections:

Stravinsky - Apollon Musagete; Concerto in D

Stravinsky's 1949-50 New York recordings for RCA, including his only recording of the concerto. LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 2 (Mewton-Wood)

Noel Mewton-Wood's superb recording (remastered). The orchestra is raucous, but it matters little. LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Christmas Songs - Boys Choir of St. Thomas Church, Leipzig/Günther Ramin

A live recording of the famous choir from 1955. LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Stravinsky - Jeu De Cartes

Stravinsky's 1938 Berlin recording, his first. LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 (Mewton-Wood)

Normally a work that gives me the willies, but not here. Remastered. LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Jeri Southern Singles - Second Set

The second batch of unreissued singles from this superb 50s stylist. LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 3; Concert Fantasy (Mewton-Wood)

And yet more Mewton-Wood, well worth hearing even in lesser material and with scrappy accomplices. Remastered. LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Crusade Echoes

Live from a circa 1957 Mennonite revival service - no promise of hellfire, but plenty of music and preaching. LINK TO ORIGINAL POST

Check the comments for links to all the reups.