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.

More Vocals by the Great Stuart Foster

My posts of vocals by Stuart Foster were so successful (artistically, anyway), that I wanted to bring him back for an encore. Today we have 19 songs from singles issued under his name or those of bandleaders Hugo Winterhalter, Gordon Jenkins, Russ Case and several others.

Foster was busy in the studio because he could sing almost anything convincingly, displaying great sensitivity or impressive power as the song demanded. Listening to him is always a pleasure.

Today's singles date from 1949-53.

"Wishing Star" is a pretty ballad that did fairly well for bandleader Russ Case and Foster in 1949. Case's arrangement is dated but lovely, and no one did this kind of wonderment better than Foster. The Modernaires were the market competition for this one.

Next, circa late 1950, we have four songs issued under Stuart's own name for the small PAB label. This were likely done at the invitation of bandleader Dick Freitas, who co-wrote all the tunes, two with the well-known Albert McCarthy, and two with Freitas' wife Mary. (Down Beat sneered at her contributions, observing that they "are a clear indication of why every third American is supposed to fancy himself a song writer." Actually, she is not as bad as all that, although no Ira Gershwin.) The songs are the ballads "If It Isn't Forever" and "Casually" and the contrasting Latin numbers "Carnival" and "Querida." 

In early 1951, bandleader Hugo Winterhalter had the happy idea of pairing Stuart with "Alice in Wonderland," the gorgeous title song of the Disney movie. Foster does wonders with this fine Sammy Fain-Bob Hilliard song. The flip is also good - "I'll Never Know Why," by lyricist Sammy Gallop and veteran songwriter Chester Conn.

A few months later, Foster was in the studio with Bill Snyder, who claimed to wield a "Magic Piano," although he sounds like all the other grandiloquent pianists who were popular back then. The songs are good, even so. Snyder wrote "My Dearest" with singer turned songwriter Sunny Skylar. "Unless" was an English number with music by Torchard Evans and lyrics from Robert Hargreaves and Stanley Damerell. Gracie Fields and Al Bowlly recorded it over there in the 1930s; Eddie Fisher and Guy Mitchell over here in 1951.

Billboard, August 11, 1951

Hugo Winterhalter brought Foster on board again in 1951 for "Make Believe Land," a song by Abner Silver and Benny Davis, who had been writing together for 30 years at that point. Nat Cole did a competing version for Capitol.

Also for RCA Victor at about the same time was "When I'm Gone," written by arranger Dewey Bergman working with Sunny Skylar. The bandleader's name on the label was "Bob Dewey" but that was a pseudonym for Bergman when he recorded for RCA. The song's trenchant lyrics were "You'll be sad, you'll be lonely, when I'm gone, when I'm gone, when I'm gone," in waltz time. The tune is basically the same as the wartime hit "In My Arms."

Russ Case called Foster in for a go at "Play, Fiddle, Play," which, you may have guessed, was a quasi-gypsy tune. The writer was, appropriately, fiddler Emery Deutsch, working with Jack Lawrence and Arthur Altman. The singer is effective in the tune, but it's undoubtedly kitschy.

In early 1952, Stuart issued a few sides under his own name on the small Abbey label, with backing by the experienced Dick Jacobs. "Chimney Smoke" is one of those quasi-folk tunes of the time that managed to insert extra syllables into words to make them sound more, well, folksy. So "chimney" herein comes out "chim-a-nee." Foster is persuasive as always, but these affectations drive me up the listening room wall. Abbey did Stuart no favor by pressing this one a half-step sharp.

The flip side was a revival of "Take Me," a nice Rube Bloom-Mack David song that was a success for Jimmy Dorsey a decade earlier. Foster, predictably, is much better in the song than Dorsey's scrawny-voiced and out-of-tune Helen O'Connell. Jacobs' arrangement starts off loud but settles down.

In late 1952, Stuart was back with Hugo Winterhalter for two memorable movie songs that are seldom heard these days. These, along with "Alice in Wonderland" and "Julie" (below) are the best recordings in the set. "Your Mother and Mine" comes from the Disney version of Peter Pan, with Sammy Fain providing the music, working this time with Sammy Cahn.

From Frank Loesser's score for the Danny Kaye film Hans Christian Andersen came "Anywhere I Wander," a beautiful song that became the first big hit for Julius La Rosa. Foster's reading is well worth hearing.

Making pop songs from classical works is an old trick and not one I enjoy, but the the next version is certainly unique. Jack Lawrence and Fred Spielman had the idea of turning Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune into a rapt pop song called "Afternoon Dream," and Gordon Jenkins thought that Foster would be just the right singer for the number. He was right; Foster did "rapt" about as well as anyone.

The other side of the record could not be more of a contrast - a noisy David Saxon-Norman Gimbel number called "Fury," which treatment befits its title. Foster shows his range here in his bravura singing.

The final song is another overlooked gem from a film of the time. "Julie" comes from 1953's Take the High Ground, a war movie whose principal female character is named Julie, played by Elaine Stewart. The glorious theme by Dmitri Tiomkin, working with Charles Wolcott, is superbly done by Foster backed by Le Roy Holmes. One of the finest things in this collection, it provides a fitting conclusion.

Most of these recordings were remastered from items found on Internet Archive. The sound is generally excellent.