'Twas Brillig - The Songs of 'Alice in Wonderland'

The idea of doing an animated or hybrid live action/animation version of the perennially popular Alice in Wonderland - or as its author, Lewis Carroll called it, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - was in the back of Walt Disney's mind for many years before he got around to producing the famous 1951 film.

Lewis Carroll

Before Disney's film, there had been at least six film versions (not counting a few shorts by Walt himself), and two television productions, including one that aired while the 1951 film version was in production.

In the 1940s, Disney had contemplated a live-action/animated version with Ginger Rogers in the title role. This did not come to pass, but Rogers (a strange choice) recorded some Victor Young-Frank Luther songs for the project. The resulting album can be found here.

Bob Hilliard and Sammy Fain

In 1946, Disney asked the well-known Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston to work up some Alice songs, as they had done for Cinderella. Only one was eventually used - "The Unbirthday Song." Disney's next choice was the pairing of Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard. Composer Fain had only just started working with the lyricist, but they already had a success with "Dear Hearts and Gentle People." Their songs ultimately became the backbone of the film's score, although the teams of Cy Coben-Oliver Wallace, Don Raye-Gene de Paul and Mack David-Jerry Livingston-Al Hoffman also contributed excellent numbers.

Despite the film's patchwork of composers, the songs from Alice hold together very well, and were taken up by some of the best performers of the day. As such they make for a entertaining playlist, which I've put together for you. This set does not include anything from the soundtrack itself, which Disney did not get around to issuing until the CD era.

Here are the Alice songs, presented in the order of their appearance in the film, with one exception. All numbers are by Fain and Hilliard unless noted otherwise.

I hope I don't get too many details of the film wrong: I haven't seen Alice since I was seven. And that was a while ago.

'Alice in Wonderland'

Alice

The idea for doing this post actually originated in one of my items devoted to the superb vocalist Stuart Foster. I was mightily impressed by the recording he made with Hugo Winterhalter of Alice's title song. This dreamy reverie perfectly sets off the more eccentric songs in the score.

At the risk of repeating myself, I've included the Foster-Winterhalter recording to start off this collection.

'I'm Late'

The White Rabbit

Danny Kaye

The lament of the White Rabbit - "I'm Late" - was for many years the most often heard song from the score. Here is a version by Danny Kaye, whose ability to sing very fast while conveying comic neurosis is perfect for the Rabbit. The clever lyrics are a big help, of course. Dave Terry conducted the band for this Coral recording.

Kaye makes two return appearances below.

'How D'Ye Do and Shake Hands'

One of these is Tweedledee, the other Tweedledum

The next two songs are given over to the ever-popular Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Their first number is the wacky "How D'Ye Do and Shake Hands." It's an item that did have some currency on the televised variety shows of the time because it lends itself to an ensemble presentation.

Two of the leading labels of the day - RCA Victor and Decca - gathered four of their biggest names to have a go at it. I've included both recordings, hopefully not trying your patience in the process.

RCA's effort starred Betty Hutton, Dinah Shore, Phil Harris and Tony Martin - two who specialized in comic songs (Hutton and Harris) and two who did not. Phil and Betty come off better; the other two sound a little embarrassed to be there. Henri René led the band with "horns by courtesy of Spike Jones."

Jimmy, Jane, Groucho

The competition from Decca started off with the ever-present Danny Kaye, adding Jimmy Durante and Groucho Marx. The fourth voice belonged to Jane Wyman, who not only could sing, but was adept with comic numbers - as she proved that same year with her duet with Bing on "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" in Here Comes the Groom.

The Decca recording, with Sonny Burke leading the band, is the better of the two. Thanks to my pal Ernie for bringing these to my attention!

'The Walrus and the Carpenter'

Danny Kaye returns with another Tweedledum/dee specialty, their tale of the "The Walrus and the Carpenter," a setting of a Carroll poem. The backing is again by Dave Terry.

Carroll's off-center approach to words was perfect for Kaye - the carpenter and walrus are on a beach, and the carpenter assures the walrus, "We'll sweep this clear / In 'alf a year, / If you don't mind the work!"

'All in the Golden Afternoon'

"All in the Golden Afternoon" is the preface poem to Carroll's book, but in the film Fain's setting is used for a scene with Alice and the flowers.

Kukla, Burr, Ollie and Fran

"Golden Afternoon" inspired commercial recordings by Rosemary Clooney and Anne Shelton, but I have chosen the version by a sentimental favorite, Fran Allison, working with Wayne King's orchestra. Allison was the "Fran" in Kukla, Fran and Ollie, Burr Tillstrom's puppet show that was a favorite of early TV viewers, especially me.

Allison was not a great singer - not as good as Clooney or Shelton, anyway - but her vocalizing here is charming.

'Twas Brillig

We're in a different world altogether with the next song, "'Twas Brillig," which was allotted to the Cheshire Cat and his perma-grin. (Parenthetically, there are many explanations of the genesis of the phrase, "grinning like a Cheshire cat," but it's clear the expression and character did not originate with Carroll.)

The song was borrowed from Carroll's Alice follow-up Through the Looking Glass. The author called it "Jabberwocky," but the film goes by its first words, "'Twas Brillig," which continues, "and the slithy toves / Did gyre and gimble in the wabe". It's often called a nonsense poem, but Carroll's initial version was a send-up of Old English. Nonsense or not, the poem did contribute at least two words to the dictionary - "chortled" and "galumphing," both favorites of mine.

Lucy Ann Polk

"'Twas Brillig" being a sort of Victorian jive talk, it appealed to some of the musicians of the mid-20th century. Hollywood songwriters Don Raye and Gene de Paul set it to music, and a nice job they did of it, too. I've included the fine recording by Les Brown's band, with a accomplished vocal from the talented Lucy Ann Polk. This is one of the best things in the collection. The Brown record makes use of only the first stanza of Carroll's poem. (The complete poem and more about its language can be found here.)

'The Unbirthday Song'

Alice at tea with the Hatter and Hare

A second number that found some life outside of the film was "The Unbirthday Song," another clever piece, this one given to the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. It was contributed by the popular songwriters Mack David, Jerry Livingston and Al Hoffman.

I've chosen the version by Rosemary Clooney, one of the four Alice songs she recorded for Columbia's children's label. Rosie can seem perfunctory in kiddie material, but she gets this one right. Percy Faith leads the band.

'Very Good Advice'

Peggy King

"Very Good Advice" is Alice's song of disillusionment. She fears she won't return home, and sings, "I give myself very good advice / But I very seldom follow it / That explains the trouble that I'm always in."

Here, too, we turn to the big band ranks for the RCA recording by Ralph Flanagan and his orchestra, with a vocal by Peggy King, 20 years old and sounding younger. Her simple approach is right for the song, one of the best by Fain and Hilliard.

You may note on the record label that King was spelling her first name "Pegge" early in her career. One of her few LPs is available here.

'Painting the Roses Red'

Fred Waring

Alice encounters playing cards who are busying themselves by painting the roses red. Why? Because they mistakenly planted white roses and the Queen of Hearts prefers red. (She catches on anyway and has them beheaded - which is her impulse on most occasions. This may seem to be a not-very-oblique commentary on Queen Victoria, but it's said that she loved the book.)

The abbreviated version here is from the song-storybook by Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians, a polished production for Decca.

'The March of the Cards'

The Three Suns

I am not the biggest fan of the Three Suns, but their foursquare approach to music suits "The March of the Cards." (The Three Suns were reportedly the favorite group of noted hipster Mamie Eisenhower.) The Sammy Fain tune was taken up by a number of other artists - among them Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, Waring and pianist Winifred Atwell.

This is the only strictly instrumental piece in this collection, and is well in keeping with the jaunty approach of some of the other selections.

From the top in the photo above are Artie Dunn, organ, Morty Nevins, accordion, and Al Nevins, guitar.

'In a World of My Own'

The song "In a World of My Own" is introduced at the beginning of the film, but the best version on record may be by Fred Waring's group, which segues into a reprise of the "Alice in Wonderland" theme music at the end of their set. For that reason, I've kept it in that place to close this collection, save for the bonus track below.

A Jazz Version of the Theme

Paul Desmond and Dave Brubeck

The "Alice in Wonderland" theme was unexpectedly popular with certain jazz musicians. I've capped this collection with Dave Brubeck's first recording of the composition, dating from 1952. He would return to it five years later for Columbia and a complete LP called Dave Digs Disney.

Brubeck's pianism often seemed labored, as it does here. But the compensation is the wonderful alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, who contributes a typically lyrical solo, drawing an evocative tone from an instrument that can sound shrill.

Disney's Alice in Wonderland is highly regarded today, but lost money at the box office on its initial release. Walt himself was unhappy with the product, thinking it had insufficient heart. One critic complained that it "utterly lacked enchantment." To me, the opposite is true - Disney's artists brought Carroll's wonderland to life with great skill. Gracing it all was a diverse score that nonetheless hangs together and is a entertaining complement to Carroll's story and the Disney storytellers.

These records are primarily from Internet Archive, as refurbished by me.

One final note - "Lewis Carroll" was a pen name. The author was in reality Rev. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-98), who was at once a clergyman, an Oxford don in mathematics, a poet, an author and a photographer. You may have noticed that the title card at the top of this post has a typo in Carroll's name.

Portia Nelson Sings Bart Howard

Bart Howard made his living as a cabaret pianist, but he also was a talented songwriter. His "My Love Is a Wanderer" has been heard here in versions by Betty Clooney and Shannon Bolin, but I wanted to offer a more expansive selection of his songs. The best way to do that is via cabaret legend Portia Nelson (1920-2001), who devoted an entire LP to Howard's work, and included his songs on her other two albums. This post gathers those 17 recordings together.

You may never have heard of Howard (1915-2004), but you surely have heard his best known song, "Fly Me to the Moon." Nelson was among the first to record that song, under its original title, "In Other Words." It's on her 1956 LP Let Me Love You: Portia Nelson Sings the Songs of Bart Howard, which forms the basis of today's post.

Bart Howard and Mabel Mercer

Bart Howard (born Howard Joseph Gustafson) left his Iowa home at age 16 to tour with a dance band. He made it to New York in the late 1930s as a café pianist. Café singer Mabel Mercer was the first to sing his songs, and he served as her accompanist from 1946-49.

Portia Nelson (born Betty Mae Nelson in Brigham City, Utah), worked in Hollywood studios as a young woman while singing in night spots on the side, encouraged by the likes of Jane Russell. The co-owner of Manhattan's Blue Angel (or perhaps it was a Columbia exec, sources differ) caught her act and invited her to New York, where she moved in 1950. There, she met Howard, who soon would become the pianist and music director at the Blue Angel night spot, where Nelson often performed.

Nelson quickly attracted notice of influential people. Columbia Records' Goddard Lieberson invited her to make her first LP, 1952's Love Songs for a Late Evening, while featuring her in the label's excellent series of studio cast recordings, including albums devoted to On Your Toes, Roberta and The Boys from Syracuse.

Let Me Love You

By 1956 Nelson was so associated with Bart Howard's songs that she recorded a whole album devoted to them - Let Me Love You - Portia Nelson Sings the Songs of Bart Howard. This came out on the New Sound label, which as far as I can tell, only issued two other LPs, one a classical recital, the other by a singer calling herself "the sweetheart of Sigmund Freud."

Ralph Burns

Fortunately, New Sound had enough wherewithal to employ the talents of the noted arranger Ralph Burns. His scores called for a rhythm section and harp on all numbers, adding flute on some songs, and on others a larger ensemble that included cellos, winds, bass, bongos and celesta. These subtle settings set off Nelson's scrupulous approach to Howard's songs.

Nelson's voice is best described as precise - in phrasing, intonation, rhythm and care for both the words and the melody. This is not a sound that you would hear today outside of a few cabarets. Describing this record in High Fidelity, Robert Kotlowitz wrote that she "has one of the coolest sopranos around, and she handles it with a fresh, probing intelligence." Down Beat reported that she "is a singer of controlled intensity and delicacy of tone, emotional maturity, and musical intelligence."

Let Me Love You includes Howard's best known numbers - the title song, the exhilarating "On the First Warm Day in May," "Let Me Thank You for a Wonderful Summer," "Let Me Love You" and of course "In Other Words." Nelson was one of the first artists to record this famous song. Kaye Ballard got there first - in 1954, when both she and Portia were in the Broadway cast of The Golden Apple.  Also in the cast was Shannon Bolin, whose replacement was the redoubtable Charlotte Rae.

It wasn't until the early 1960s that Peggy Lee, who had included "In Other Words" on her 1960 LP Pretty Eyes, convinced Bart Howard to change the title to "Fly Me to the Moon." Sinatra caught up to it in 1964 for his album with Count Basie, and he and the powerful Quincy Jones arrangement made it famous.

Nelson's recording of "In Other Words" includes the seldom heard verse.

Two Songs from Love Songs for a Late Evening

Also included in the download are the two Howard songs that can be found on Nelson's first LP, recorded for Columbia in late 1952. "Who Wants to Fall in Love" and "My Love Is a Wanderer" are among Howard's best and best-regarded songs,

Portia's backing on this LP and the album below was provided by the Norman Paris Trio, like the singer and composer well known for their work in the clubs of New York. The picture below was taken from an LP recorded at the Blue Angel backing Dorothy Loudon.

The Norman Paris Trio

Three Songs from Autumn Leaves

Nelson's final LP as a cabaret singer was 1957's Autumn Leaves, again with the Norman Paris Trio. Here the singer includes three of Howard's best songs, although they are less well known as some others - "One Look at You," "Alone with Me" and "Take Care of Yourself," a touching song in a sincere, affecting performance.

Autumn Leaves was the product of another short lived label, Dolphin, which specialized in cabaret performers - Nancy Walker, Jane Wilson, Elaine Stritch, Greta Keller, Julie Wilson and Hermione Gingold. Though the label was small, as with the New Sound LP above, the results are impressive in production quality and sound. (All three LPs, in fact, sound great.)

These recordings all come from my collection. I transferred the Dolphin songs from a 1970s reissue. The download includes scans from all three LPs, reviews and photos.

Nelson made only one other LP - the strange Lady Nelson and the Lords, a quasi-rock album from 1968. Portia does not sing on this one, rather plays the electric organ. The disc intersperses her own songs with the hits of the day - "Monday, Monday" and the like.

The decade of the '60s did represent a turning point, both for the singer and for Bart Howard. She moved to Los Angeles and pursued a career as an actor, with some success. Her roles includes Sister Berthe in The Sound of Music, and Sarah in Dr. Doolittle. She was on television quite a bit, notably in All My Children. She also was an author, a writer of musicals, a vocal coach, and a stage actor in such productions as the original cast of the ill-fated The Baker's Wife.

When Howard perhaps unexpectedly became successful, he no longer had to play the piano in cabarets, being able to live on the significant income provided by "Fly Me to the Moon" and his other songs. Perhaps his last big success was "The Man in the Looking Glass," included by Sinatra in his autumnal LP of 1965, September of My Years.

Nelson's final recording was 1996's Portia Nelson: This Life: Her Songs and Her Friends, with Portia, Margaret Whiting, Ann Hampton Callaway, Amanda McBroom, Nancy Lamott and William Roy performing her songs. Quite a life!

Portia Nelson and Jane Russell

The Iturbis in Gershwin, Debussy and More

Those of you who have been paying attention to things around here will be aware that the music of George Gershwin is among the most popular of my subjects. The Rhapsody in Blue, in particular, has been the topic of many posts, including ones covering the original recording, a version with a chorus, jazz interpretations, and what have you.

But there is always more to discover, and today we have two different versions for two pianos - one with orchestra and one without. These are part of a collection by duo pianists Amparo and José Iturbi that also includes several unusual examples of mid-century Americana, plus their recordings of Debussy's En blanc et noir and two Andalusian Dances by Manuel Infante.

The 1949 Rhapsody in Blue recording

10-inch cover

Siblings Amparo (1898-1969) and José (1895-1980) were virtuoso pianists who often performed together.

When this 1949 recording of Rhapsody in Blue was made, they (particularly José) were at the height of their fame. They appeared together in several Hollywood films, with José taking a speaking role in most of them.

As sometimes happens, the more the performers became familiar to the general public, the less they were held in regard by the audience for classical music.

The pair took the Rhapsody into the recording studio twice, both in arrangements by José. The first was in 1938 in a duo piano arrangement without orchestra (discussed below); the 1949 version included orchestra.

Both are well worth hearing. The earlier version, made in New York, strikes me as a bit more refined than the 1949 orchestral arrangement. But then, José in particular was not known for subtlety and both can be brash. I will say that the 1949 version is dramatic, and is in excellent sound.

José Iturbi in Anchors Aweigh

In addition to his piano duties, José also conducted the orchestra in the 1949 Rhapsody, made in Hollywood. He had just appeared as himself in the Kathryn Grayson-Mario Lanza epic That Midnight Kiss, managing to be billed above Lanza, who was in his first leading role.

The 1949 version came out on EP and 78 sets, later migrating to 10-inch LP (cover above) and 12-inch LP. The LP versions included additional works, as described below.

Chambers - All American - A Satirical Suite

Both the LP versions included the duo's recording of a brief All American satirical suite by avocational composer J. Clarence Chambers, who at one time was the general medical superintendent of the New York City hospital system. Dr. Chambers' suite is perhaps the only work of his that has been recorded. It comes from a 1946 session in Hollywood, where José was appearing in the Jane Powell movie Holiday in Mexico.

The suite's titles will give you a good sense of what it's about - "Chicken in the Hay," "Lush," "Bloozey-Woozey" and "Parade of the Visiting Firemen."

Debussy and Infante

12-inch cover

The 12-inch version of the LP also included works by Debussy and Infante. The bigger LP came with a much better looking cover, the work of artist and illustrator Robert J. Lee.

Debussy's En blanc et noir is a turbulent wartime work, written in 1915, when the composer, afflicted with cancer, had but a few years to live. The work is dedicated to Serge Koussevitzky, Jacques Charlot (a business associate who was killed in the war), and Igor Stravinsky.

Debussy was passionately anti-German at the time; he deconstructs Martin Luther's hymn, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, in the second movement.

The Iturbis' intensity is well suited to this work; at the same time they inject more light and shade into this recording than some of their other efforts. The 1950 sessions were held in Hollywood.

Manuel Infante

José championed the music of Spanish composer Manuel Infante (1883-1958). He and Amparo often played Infante's suites for two pianos. The LP includes two of the three Andalusian Dances - No. 1 and No. 2. (The LP sleeve gets the markings wrong - No. 1 is Ritmo; No. 2 is Sentimento.)

These are highly attractive characteristic pieces that are just right for the performers, who carry them off with panache. The recordings were made in November 1946 in Hollywood.

All the works discussed so far were transferred from my copy of the 12-inch LP.

Music by Gould and Reddick

Morton Gould

I've added three brief American works to the program. The first is the Blues movement from the American Concertette No. 1 by Morton Gould, here in a version for solo piano by José, for whom the work was written. The Concertette is usually called Interplay, after the ballet that Jerome Robbins produced using the score. You can hear the complete work in a recording by Cor de Groot that I posted many years ago.

Also from Gould is a highly idiomatic and convincing Boogie Woogie Étude that is powerfully played by José. The work dates from 1943. Iturbi recorded the two Gould pieces in November 1944 in New York.

Willam J. Reddick

Finally we have an unusual orchestral piece by William J. Reddick called Espanharlem. Not sure what program Reddick had in mind for this work, but it's an attractive piece in the Gershwin vein. This comes from a V-Disc with Iturbi conducting what the producers called the "Rochester Symphony." This is very likely the Rochester Philharmonic, which Iturbi conducted from 1936 to 1944. He made a few RCA Victor recordings on May 9, 1942 with that ensemble, per A Classical Discography. The V-Disc came from an unissued master from that date.

Reddick was known for his arrangements of spirituals and a collection of roustabout songs from the Ohio River. He was producer and director of radio's Ford Sunday Evening Hour from 1936-42, then again after 1945. This was probably the connection with Iturbi - José and the Rochester orchestra sometimes appeared on the program.

The 1938 Rhapsody in Blue

The Iturbis

Gershwin himself transcribed the Rhapsody in Blue for two pianos, but the Iturbis' 1938 recording was arranged by José. The pair made the recording in August and September 1938 for Victor. This transfer comes from HMV pressings.

Just as with the 1949 version, the performances are skillful and forthright, conveyed in very good sound from Victor's New York studios. The 1938 recording, issued on 78s, has not been reissued, to my knowledge. However, a set of Iturbi's complete RCA Victor recordings will be released this week, I believe.

This version of the Rhapsody in Blue, along with the Gould and Reddick works, come from cleaned-up transfers found on Internet Archive.  

Folk to Rock with Elektra Records

The blog has featured many of the earlier American folk artists, from the Weavers, Josh White, Peggy Seeger, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and Earl Robinson to the Broadway show Sing Out, Sweet Land. But it has given no attention whatsoever to the great folk music boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the subsequent folk-rock era. Strange, because I was an enthusiastic proponent of the music as a young fellow.

Without trying to define terms, what was usually considered "folk music" became more popular following the Kingston Trio's massive 1958 success, "Tom Dooley." Soon, major labels were looking for folkies to record. Where record executive John Hammond once had worked with the likes of Billie Holiday and Charlie Christian, now he was signing the young Bob Dylan to Columbia Records.

Jac Holzman at the controls

While this was occurring, Jac Holzman was already an old hand at recording folk music - he had started his folk label Elektra in 1950. (As for the name, "Elektra" is just the German spelling of "Electra" of Greek mythology. As such, it's the title of a well-known opera by Richard Strauss.)

Over the years Elektra's main artists had included Oscar Brand, Theodore Bikel, Josh White and Cynthia Gooding. As the 1950s wore on, it branched into jazz and even a recording by vocalist Anita Ellis. 

One of the most influential artists for the new generation of folk singers was Bob Gibson. His first big success at Elektra was the 1961 album Bob Gibson and Bob Camp at the Gate of Horn. That same year, Elektra issued Judy Collins' first LP, A Maid of Constant Sorrow, consisting of traditional songs. The influential singer-songwriter Tom Paxton came on board in 1964, as did the politically committed Phil Ochs.

So when Elektra decided to celebrate its 15th anniversary in 1965 with a low-price sampler album, it had a distinguished roster to drawn upon - Camp (who had changed his name to Hamilton Camp), Collins, Paxton and Ochs all contributed songs, as did several newer acts - one of which pointed straight toward Elektra's future.

Folksong '65

I've transferred my vintage copy of the Elektra 15th anniversary album, Folksong '65, a good sounding mono pressing. A few notes on the contents follow.

The first song is by the excellent Tom Rush, who had just recorded his first Elektra LP, after a few on other labels. The self-titled album included the traditional "Long John," his contribution to the sampler. Nearly half of the contributions to the album were traditional songs.

You may notice the distinctive sound of 12-string guitars on this and many of the other cuts. The rich flavor of this instrument is seldom heard these days.

Judy Collins

Also in the traditional vein was Judy Collins' "So Early, Early in the Spring," wonderfully well sung. This comes from her Fifth Album, and is the only traditional tune on that record, which contains three Dylan songs and one by Phil Ochs.

Very different but still traditional was the work song, "Linin' Track," powerfully done here by John Koerner, Dave Ray and Tony Glover.

Hamilton Camp selected a Bob Dylan song, "Girl of [from] the North Country," which he sings  reverently. Dylan had done it for Columbia a few years before.

Herb Brown, Dick Rosmini, Bob Camp, Bob Gibson - Newport 1960

There were few better exponents of the 12-string guitar than Dick Rosmini, who contributed the instrumental "900 Miles," which I believe he calls "900 Miles to Go" on his 1964 Elektra LP.

Tom Paxton provided one of his best known songs to the compilation, "The Last Thing on My Mind." Not really to my taste, but done well. It's from his 1964 LP, Ramblin' Boy, a typical title.

As the second side of the sampler begins, we're briefly in a different sound world - powerful, loud and electric. It is the Paul Butterfield Blues Band's famous "Born in Chicago," here in a different version from that on the band's first album, also released in 1965.

This may have been a new sound to the folkies, but really was just the urban blues style as it had been purveyed for many years by such musicians as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Butterfield went so far as to engage the Wolf's bassist (Jerome Arnold) and drummer (Sam Lay) for his band.

Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, Sam Lay, Elvin Bishop, Jerome Arnold

New or not, the Butterfield sound was something of a sensation, and it portended the amplified "folk-rock" music that was then coming to the fore. It was at about this time that Dylan showed up to the Newport Folk Festival with what was purported to be a rock band, but was actually members of  the  Butterfield group along with organist Al Kooper. (Butterfield guitarist Mike Bloomfield would later form a band called the Electric Flag with Nick Gravenites, who wrote "Born in Chicago," and a different recording group with Kooper. He also played on Dylan's seminal LP Highway 61 Revisited, as did Kooper.)

With the next song on the sampler, we are back in the world of traditional folk music, with the angelic duo of Kathy & Carol (who still perform together) doing "Fair Beauty Bright."

Mark Spoelstra was another East Coast singer-songwriter, but one who did not become as well known as Bob Gibson or Tom Paxton. He sings his "White Winged Dove."

Fred Neil

For me, the best number on the sampler is Fred Neil's "Blues on the Ceiling," a compelling song done by a superior vocalist with apposite guitar accompaniment. Neil was a most talented man, who never received the attention he deserved. His best known songs are "Everybody's Talkin'" and "The Other Side of This Life." The latter and "Blues on the Ceiling" can be found on Neil's 1965 LP Bleeker and MacDougal.

The youngest artist on the album was Bruce Murdoch, who contributed his "Rompin', Rovin' Days." One wonders how much rompin' and rovin' Murdoch had done at that point - he was all of 17.

Phil Ochs

The LP ends with another powerful artist, Phil Ochs, who is represented by his memorable "Power and the Glory," from his 1964 LP All the News That's Fit to Sing.

What's Shakin'

By the time Elektra put out its 1966 compilation, What's Shakin', its focus had shifted to the more electric side of the folk spectrum. There are no traditional songs on the album and the sound of the 12-string guitar is missing.

What's Shakin' was not a sampler so much as an effort to assemble some interesting pieces and parts that it had in the tape can.

First, the label wanted to capitalize on the new fame of the Lovin' Spoonful, which had a huge success in summer 1965 with "Do You Believe in Magic." Unfortunately for Elektra, the band's hits were property of Kama Sutra records, even though the Spoonful had done several demos for Elektra earlier. It is those latter songs that are heard on What's Shakin'.

The Spoonful songs included two covers - Chuck Berry's "Almost Grown" and Leiber and Stoller's "Searchin'," along with "Good Time Music" and "Don't Bank on It Baby," written by the group's leader, John Sebastian. These are all nice songs, but not as memorable as the Kama Sutra recordings.

Also prominent on What's Shakin' is the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Its contributions are essentially outtakes from its earliest Elektra recordings. They include covers of several well-known blues songs - Willie Dixon's "Spoonful," Little Walter's "Off the Wall," James Cotton's "One More Mile" and the odious "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl," recorded by many blues artists. Butterfield contributes "Lovin' Cup."

Three songs were allotted to Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse. Clapton was not nearly as well known then as he was to become. The Powerhouse also included Steve Winwood, whose Spencer Davis Group had just had a British hit with "Keep on Running," largely on the strength of Winwood's distinctive vocals. (Winwood is called "Steve Anglo" in the LP's notes.) Another Powerhouse member was bassist Jack Bruce, who would form Cream with Clapton in 1966.

Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood

Clapton had just left the British blues group of John Mayall, and the Powerhouse's repertoire was heavily blues oriented - Memphis Slim's "Steppin' Out" (there must have been a ban on using the letter "g" in song titles back then) and Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" (later to be a memorable Cream specialty). Also on the LP is "I Want to Know," attributed to S. MacLeod, who is likely Sheila McLeod, wife of group member Paul Jones, the excellent singer from the British group Manfred Mann, which also contributed Jack Bruce to the ensemble.

The Powerhouse recordings on What's Shakin' are the only ones the group ever released.

Al Kooper

What's Shakin' also included single contributions from two artists we encountered above. Tom Rush had moved on from traditional material to a cover of Fats Domino's "I'm in Love Again." And the ubiquitous Al Kooper weighed in with his "Can't Keep from Crying Sometimes," which he later recorded with the Blues Project. (It's a take on a Blind Willie Johnson song.)

In sum, 14 songs, none of them acoustic, just a year after Folksong '65, which had 11 acoustic songs out of 12 total. Things had changed. On the horizon for Elektra were the rock groups Love, the Doors and Clear Light - although several folk acts remained. Also during this period, Elektra started the excellent classical label Nonesuch, originally a reprint operation, later becoming more adventurous.

This transfer of What's Shakin' comes from my vintage mono pressing, which has excellent sound. Back then, you had to pay extra for stereo. My teenage self preferred to spend his money on more records.

Joe Derise's Two Bethlehem LPs - and Bonuses

My friend David Federman suggested that I feature singer-pianist-arranger Joe Derise. That's a nice idea - so I've prepared posts both for this blog and my singles blog covering Derise's 1949-57 recordings.

Derise (1926-2002) was a Tommy Dorsey vocalist for a brief time following World War II, and joined Claude Thornhill's band in 1948 as guitarist, vocalist and arranger. He was a member of Thornhill's vocal group the Snowflakes, recording with them in 1949-50. Those 10 recordings, which include two Derise solos, are compiled on my other blog. Following this sojourn, he formed a group called Four Jacks and a Jill, the Jill being his then-wife Pat Easton. They made a few records for small labels, mainly supporting little-known (and not very good) soloists.

On this site, we'll concentrate on his solo Bethlehem recordings from 1955 and 1956, as transferred from my two vintage LPs, with a few bonuses thrown in, including an LP that Derise did with the vocal group the 4 Most.

Joe Derise Sings

Derise's first album was a 10-incher for the briefly important Bethlehem label, with eight standards from the Gershwins, Richard Rodgers (including the inevitable "Mountain Greenery") and Jerome Kern. The only songs outside their canons are the Brown-Tobias-Stept "Comes Love," which has been recorded by almost everyone since its 1939 introduction, and "How High the Moon." The latter comes from a 1940 show where it was introduced by Alfred Drake, of all people. Its jazz popularity may stem from the 1948 version by June Christy with Stan Kenton.

Derise is in fine voice on this LP, and is well supported by the stellar bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Osie Johnson. Joe is an expressive singer, with a pleasing vocal quality but not a huge range. One of the reviews in the download mentions that he sounds tense, which does seem to be the case intermittently.

Derise was not a virtuoso pianist on the evidence of this LP. His playing is mainly confined to backing chords. No doubt this set reflects his cabaret act, but probably would have benefitted from more varied instrumental support - which was provided on his follow-up LP.

The LP's sound is more than adequate, and could be a facsimile of what it was like to hear him live. The Burt Goldblatt cover may have been an attempt to portray him in such a setting. If so, it was a very dim 

club.

Joe Derise - With the Australian Jazz Quintet

We move to a different sound world in Derise's second LP. The backing is by the Australian Jazz Quintet, whose members play such instruments as the bassoon and vibes, providing variety to the proceedings. Joe himself sounds more confident.

It was on this LP that Derise first showed his interest in the music of Jimmy Van Heusen. He would devote four albums to Van Heusen's songs in the 1980s. The set here leads off with the cheerfully sexist "Personality," which the composer wrote with Johnny Burke in 1946. Two other Burke-Van Heusen items are included: "Swinging on a Star," also written for a Bing Crosby film, and the gorgeous "Humpty Dumpty Heart." The latter comes from a 1941 Kay Kyser movie, Playmates, where it was sung by Ginny Simms and Harry Babbitt.

The Australian Jazz Quintet

The balance of the LP is taken up with standards such as "'S Wonderful," "Soon" and "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive" along with several lesser heard songs. I am grateful for the attention given to "The Charm of You," a terrific Cahn-Styne song introduced by Sinatra in Anchors Aweigh and the great Martin-Blane song "Love." More obscure but still welcome is Derise's own "Once I Believed." Also in that category are a song supposedly co-written by DJ Al "Jazzbo" Collins called "Once in a Dream," and the lovely Fagas-McGrath composition "It's Spring in Old New York," a rare one from 1948.

As with the previous LP, the sound is good and the cover is peculiar. On this one, poor Joe seems to be disappearing into a swirl such as you might see in the smallest room in your house.

Cash Box ad, June 1956

Bethlehem Bonus Items

Derise recorded one other song for Bethlehem - "Here Comes the Honey Man" from the label's odd complete recording of Porgy and Bess, with Mel Tormé and Frances Faye in the titles roles (!). Joe's contribution is well worth hearing - I've included it at the end of the second LP.

There also exist five alternate takes from the first LP that were added to a reissue about 30 years ago. There's a separate link to those songs in the comments. They are unilluminating but include one breakdown and some studio chatter.

The 4 Most Sing the Arrangements of Joe Derise

Following his stay at Bethlehem, Derise worked with a vocal group called the 4 Most, which recorded an LP for the fine albeit short-lived Dawn label, in 1956 or 1957.

Joe wrote the arrangements for this album, presumably both vocal and instrumental charts. Derise could be an adventurous arranger - even with Claude Thornhill, his charts for the Snowflakes at times were voiced differently from other vocal groups.

With the 4 Most, he achieved the end of sounding like a more dissonant Four Freshmen. The results are interesting, but the group's members are not skillful enough to pull it off successfully. One problem is that almost everything is sung forte, which makes the harmonies grate.

A saving grace is the presence of many well known instrumentalists. Per the cover, they include Al Cohn, Gene Quill, Hank Jones, Mat Mathews, Dick Sherman, Oscar Pettiford, Joe Puma, Charlie Smith and Mundell Lowe.

Music of Purcell from King's College

This transfer of music by the 17th century English composer Henry Purcell comes as the result of a request, and it is a pleasure to post it.

Purcell was a great composer, perhaps insufficiently recognized. This recording provides ample evidence of his genius.

Henry Purcell

The performers are some of the finest that Britain had to offer in 1975, the time of the recording: the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Conducting was Philip Ledger (1937-2012), the choir's director from 1974-82, who was knighted in 1999.

The program is divided into two parts: first the Funeral Music for Queen Mary II, dating from 1695, It comprises a funeral march and canzona; and three funeral sentences, of which only "Thou knowest, Lord" is certain to have been used in the ceremony. "Thou knowest, Lord" was performed at Purcell's own funeral services. He died later in 1685, at age 35 or 36.

The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble

The march and canzona are performed by the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, a well regarded group of the day. The ensemble also appears in the one of the two settings of "Thou knowest, Lord." Otherwise, organist Francis Grier accompanies.

[A brief interlude of royal exposition here: Queen Mary and her spouse King William were installed as joint monarchs in 1689 after James II was deposed. James ruled in succession to his elder brother, Charles II, who died in 1685. The Restoration of the Stuart monarchy had taken place in 1660 when Charles had returned from exile.]

Purcell had become the organist of Westminster Abbey in 1679, and in addition the Chapel Royal organist in about 1682. The composer then devoted his energies to church music for several years, rather than the theater works that had been his main occupation.

Philip Ledger and the choir in the King's College Chapel

Following the funeral music, the balance of the LP is devoted to five church anthems. "Hear my prayer, O Lord" and "Remember not, Lord, our offenses" are performed by the choir, unaccompanied. In "Rejoice in the Lord alway," "My beloved spake" and "Blessed are they that fear the Lord," the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the organist provide accompaniment.

The performances, while glorious in their understated way, might be characterized as middle of the road - neither the inflated approach to baroque music that might have been heard earlier in the 20th century, nor the historically informed performances that are common today. I've owned the LP since it came out 45 years ago, and its style seem just right to me, old fashioned though I may be.

The reviews were generally positive at the time, although one complained that the performance of "My beloved spake" is not sensuous enough for the Song of Solomon. (One wonders how sensuous Charles II would have wanted things to be in the Chapel Royal. This is a church anthem, after all.)

The recording quality is excellent, although the late-analogue effort is not as transparent as the finest digital recordings of today. The EMI team was experienced with the highly resonant acoustic of the vast King's College Chapel, so presumably achieved the best results possible at the time. You can hear the echo go on (and on and on) at the end of the choir's phrases. That extended reverberation does not appear on the contributions from the vocal soloists, presumably because of the spot microphones used for them. But overall, the effect is pleasing.

I enjoyed this recording; I'll have to see what other Purcell recordings I have in the vaults.

More Beethoven Concertos from Solomon

I recently posted the Beethoven first and third piano concertos in the 1956 stereo recordings from the great instrumentalist Solomon. Today we have his discs of the other three concertos, which date from 1952-55.

These all possess the remarkable control and gorgeous tone that Solomon always displayed. Like the later concertos, many still consider them reference recordings.

In addition to the Beethoven, this set includes the pianist's traversal of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 15.

Beethoven Concerto No. 4

Sessions in early November 1952 produced both the Concerto No. 4 and No. 2, the latter of which is discussed below.

As with the recordings in the previous post, the orchestra was the Philharmonia, but the recording location and conductor were different. EMI's Walter Legge had wanted to match Solomon with conductor Herbert von Karajan, but the pianist refused to work with Karajan, per Solomon's biographer Bryan Crimp. Otto Klemperer was not available, so the Belgian-born French conductor André Cluytens (1905-67) was engaged. Unfortunately this arrangement was not ideal, not so much because of soloist-conductor incompatibility, but because Cluytens did not get along with the orchestra, Crimp tells us.

André Cluytens

However, there is little evidence of this in the final product. As with Solomon's later concerto recordings, this is notable more for refinement than temperament. The Gramophone reported, "Solomon and the Philharmonia play exquisitely... A beautifully clear, limpid style on the part of the soloist is matched by a perfect orchestral partnership..." However, the Saturday Review disagreed, complaining that the first movement was "unduly slow and lacking in animation," a point echoed in other reviews.

There were complaints, too, about the sound, particularly the piano tone. The notes to the RCA Victor pressing report that EMI used two microphones for the orchestra and an additional spot for the piano. This all took place in the Kingsway Hall, famed for its acoustics, and it's true that there is a bit of empty-hall sound to the proceedings, particularly on the piano. But in general, things are well balanced and pleasing.

Beethoven Concerto No. 2; Mozart Concerto No. 15

Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 was actually his first essay in the form, although published second. It is the most Mozartian of the five; accordingly, EMI coupled it with the older master's Concerto No. 15 for this release.

The Beethoven reading has the familiar Solomon hallmarks - clarity, elegance and insight. The reviews I have included in the download generally approve of the recorded sound, and most praise the Philharmonia's orchestral backing, led again by Cluytens.

Otto Ackermann

Mozart's Concerto No. 15 had not been recorded many times in the 1950s, although that is not true today. It is a rewarding work that Solomon handles splendidly. This recording comes from September 1953, with the Kingsway Hall as the location. The Philharmonia again is the orchestra, although this time the conductor is the Romanian Otto Ackermann (1909-60), who is remembered primarily for his operetta recordings.

Beethoven Concerto No. 5

The final recording in today's group is also Beethoven's final essay in the form - the Concerto No. 5, dubbed the "Emperor," although not by the composer. While the work has nothing to do with empire, it is indeed a majestic work, done full justice by the soloist.

Harold Schonberg in The New York Times contrasted Solomon in the work with a contemporary LP from Emil Gilels: "If you want a muscular, exciting reading... Gilels is your man. If your taste in "Emperors" runs to the elegant, intimate style, Solomon will fill the bill. Both of these are excellent performances of their kind."

Herbert Menges

For this recording, HMV again paired Solomon with the Philharmonia, this time not in the Kingsway Hall but in Abbey Road Studio No. 1, with sessions in May 1955. For this date, the label engaged Herbert Menges, a longtime friend of the pianist and perhaps his favorite accompanist.

Unlike the recordings in the previous Solomon post devoted to Beethoven, all these were recorded in mono. The Concerto No. 5 may be the best of them, with the orchestral colors more vivid and the piano tone well caught. The slow movement is exceptionally fine, both as a recording and performance. [Note: these are newly (July 2023) available in ambient stereo versions with much more vivid sound.]

Just a reminder that the earlier post of Beethoven concertos from Solomon also includes the Grieg and Schumann concertos, and there is another with the Bliss concerto and Liszt's Hungarian Fantasia.