Schumann by Szell and the Clevelanders

I prepared this 10-inch LP for upload some time ago but didn't follow through because the sound was opaque and because there is a skip in the first movement that can't be repaired.

Then I heard a recording of a concert performance of Schumann's second symphony by these forces - and it was so good that I just had to bring this version of the fourth symphony to the blog.

Columbia taped this edition of the fourth symphony in Severance Hall in November 1947. At that time, Szell and the Cleveland band were somewhat new to one another. Nonetheless, this performance displays many of the characteristics of the later performance I heard. Szell has everything under serious control and the orchestra follows his every move with precision and a kind of controlled passion.

Everyone who listens to music likes to think about how they would perform a piece - and this is not the way I would do it, for sure. But it is a fascinating approach that I do enjoy.

I have been able to open out the sound on this recording to a degree, although it is not what you would call airy. Sorry about the glitch in the first movement.

NEW, REMASTERED TRANSFER (JUNE 2014)

The Original Manhattan Tower

The recent Gordon Jenkins post led to a number of requests for his long-form composition Manhattan Tower. This is the original version of that piece, which was inspired by the composer's own love of the city and experiences in it.

Manhattan Tower was considered quite influential in its day, with its mix of narrative, song, and dialogue, combining in such a way that it conveyed the romantic, intoxicating effect that New York had on many people, and still has. The same effect is captured in different ways in so many popular arts that it wouldn't be possible to catalogue them all.

Manhattan Tower was first issued in 1945 or 1946 in a 78-rpm album. As was often the case, the packaging for the 78 set was more attractive than this 1949 LP issue. The LP also contains California, another long-form composition that Jenkins and Tom Adair wrote for a radio program celebrating the 100th anniversary of the California gold rush. The subject does not have the emotional tug of Manhattan Tower, and can be downright corny, what with such characters as "Barbary Ann of the Barbary Coast." (Oh my.)

The narration on this version of Manhattan Tower is by Elliot Lewis. He and his wife, Cathy were both well-known radio actors, and together they made at least two song-story records with Ray Noble in the late 1940s. I have one of them, Happy Holidays, which I'll feature toward the end of the year.

Singer Beverly Mahr, Jenkins' wife, appears in both Manhattan Tower and California. In the 60s, the two made an album for Impulse called Gordon Jenkins Presents My Wife the Blues Singer Beverly Jenkins. I'm not sure I would called her a blues singer, rather someone who sang blues songs.

Manhattan Tower remained popular and Jenkins expanded it to both sides of a 12-inch record for a Capitol issue of 1956. The piece also was recorded by Mercury with Patti Page, and later in stereo by Columbia with Robert Goulet.

Lukas Foss Plays Hindemith

A short while ago, I featured Lukas Foss as composer, in a tribute to him following his recent death. Here is the second post I promised at that time, which involves him solely as performer.

In this recording, Foss takes the piano part of Hindemith's The Four Temperaments, performing with the Zimbler String Sinfonietta, a Boston ensemble of the period that I believe was composed of Boston Symphony members.

The performance itself is quite good and well recorded, although the Sanguine variation could have been less po-faced. The recording was made in May 1950 at an unknown location, presumably in Boston. This was one of American Decca's first classical LPs.

The liner notes quote Virgil Thomson as saying of Foss, who was then 25: "He is a musician of rare and authentic accomplishments; he cannot fail to raise the standard of musical achievement in this generation." Quite a weight of expectation for someone so young; if he did not fulfill all the evident hopes of the musical establishment, nonetheless his achievements were real and considerable.

Early Gordon Jenkins

I've begun featuring albums by some of the leading easy listening maestros whose output was a significant presence in the early LP days.

Here's one by one of the most influential arrangers of the time, Gordon Jenkins. This Capitol 10-inch album presents what I suspect are a group of singles he made during the 1940s following his 1947 success with Maybe You'll Be There. Many of these follow a formula of orchestral introduction, a ruminative statement of the melody in the piano's lower register, and vocal chorus, all to a danceable beat (thus the title of the LP).

The album features singers Connie Haines, Martha Tilton, Johnny Johnston, and Bob Carroll. I like Carroll, who was never a big star, and will have a post devoted to him down the road.

Jenkins of course had big hits with the Weavers, and went on to work off and on with such singers as Nat Cole, Judy Garland, and Frank Sinatra. The latter made superb recordings of the Jenkins compositions PS I Love You, This Is All I Ask, and Goodbye.

NEW LINK

Quo Vadis

I had a request for Miklos Rózsa's original soundtrack LP from Quo Vadis from Gil, who wants to hear the original Roman instruments that Rózsa apparently used for some parts of this recording.

Sure enough, in the liner notes it says that "Dr. Rózsa included in the orchestra many of the ancient instruments that were heard by the Romans during the reign of Nero." (But presumably not Nero's fiddle.)

Roman instruments or not, parts of this score raise quite a racket. And some of it is tender and contemplative. I am inclined toward the latter, myself, but whatever your own preference, you'll probably find something to like.

The sonics are fair, a bit of peak distortion and overloading here and there, but not too bad.

Note (April 2026): this has now been remastered and has improved sound.

LINK to 2026 remaster

The Exciting Mr. Bellson

Another sad loss on the music scene was the death earlier this week of the eminent drummer Louis Bellson. To prepare this tribute, I pulled down from the shelves a very early Bellson recording as a leader - an item I hadn't played as yet. What a pleasure it was to hear this dynamic band and the tremendous momentum Bellson generated behind his massive drum kit.

Here's the lineup: Harry Edison, Maynard Ferguson, Conrad Gozzo, Ray Linn (tp), Hoyt Bohannon, Herb Harper, Tommy Pederson (tb), Benny Carter, Willie Smith (as), Wardell Gray, Bumps Myers (ts), Bob Lawson (bar), Jimmy Rowles (p), and Barney Kessel (g).

On one item ("Loris"), the big band is replaced by an excellent small group consisting of Don Elliott (mellophone), Ralph Martin (p), Joe Puma (g), and Bob Petersen (b).

The recordings are from 1953 (big band) and 1954. This 10-inch LP is called The Exciting Louis Bellson on the front, and The Exciting Mr. Bellson and His Big Band on the back and label. The pieces on this record were later combined with more sides by the small group to form a 12-inch LP called Skin Deep.

The sound on this LP was rather cramped; I've done my best to give it some breathing room.

3 Sailors and a Girl

Another 50s musical on 10-inch LP, this one a tale of sailors on leave. Not an original concept, it's true, and many of the songs have a manufactured quality as well. But the leads are the attractive Gordon MacRae and Jane Powell, and some of the tunes are fine, particularly the lovely "Face to Face," so all's not lost on this soundtrack album.

Or, to be more exact, on this album of songs from the movie. Rather than using the soundtrack itself, Capitol remade the songs using the arrangements of George Greeley for this 1953 release.

Gene Nelson, Jane Powell, Gordon MacRae

One final note: the rather large sailor on the right in the cover artwork represents Jack E. Leonard, of all people, taking the comical sidekick role. The other lead was Gene Nelson. Neither appears on this LP.

[Note (August 2023): The sound has been newly remastered in ambient stereo, and is quite good.]