Juliette Gréco – Sous Le Ciel De Paris (1958)

Juliette Gréco (7 February 1927 – 23 September 2020) was a French singer and actress. Her best known songs are “Paris Canaille” (1962, originally sung by Léo Ferré), “La Javanaise” (1963, written by Serge Gainsbourg for Gréco) and “Déshabillez-moi” (1967). She often sang tracks with lyrics written by French poets such as Jacques Prévert and Boris Vian, as well as singers like Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour. Her 60-year career came to an end in 2015 when she began her last worldwide tour titled “Merci”.

As an actress, Gréco played roles in films by French directors such as Jean Cocteau and Jean-Pierre Melville.

Juliette Gréco was born in Montpellier, France, to an absent Corsican father, Gérard Gréco; her mother Juliette Lafeychine (1899–1978) was from Bordeaux. Her lineage hails in part from Greece. She did not receive love from her mother in her childhood and suffered from her harsh comments due to being an unwanted child, such as “You ain’t my daughter. You’re the child of rape”. She was raised by her maternal grandparents in Bordeaux with her older sister Charlotte. After the death of her grandparents, her mother took them to Paris. In 1938, she became a ballerina at the Opéra Garnier.

When World War II began, the family returned to the southwest of France. Gréco was a student at the Institut Royal d’éducation Sainte Jeanne d’Arc in Montauban. The Gréco family became active in the Resistance and her mother was arrested in 1943. The two sisters decided to move back to Paris but were captured and tortured by the Gestapo, then imprisoned in Fresnes Prison in September 1943. Her mother and sister were deported to Ravensbrück while Juliette, being only 16, remained in prison for several months before being released. After her release, she walked the eight miles back to Paris to retrieve her belongings from the Gestapo headquarters. Her former French teacher and her mother’s friend, Hélène Duc, decided to take care of her.

In 1945, Gréco’s mother and sister returned from deportation after the liberation of Ravensbrück by the Red Army. Gréco moved to Saint-Germain-des-Prés in 1945 after her mother moved to Indochina, leaving Gréco and her sister behind.

Gréco became a devotee of the bohemian fashion of some intellectuals of post-war France. Duc sent her to attend acting classes given by Solange Sicard. She made her debut in the play Victor ou les Enfants au pouvoir in November 1946 and began to host a radio show dedicated to poetry.

Her friend Jean-Paul Sartre installed her at the Hotel La Louisiane and commented that Greco had “millions of poems in her voice”. She was known to many of the writers and artists working in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, such as Albert Camus, Jacques Prévert and Boris Vian, thus gaining the nickname la Muse de l’existentialisme.

Gréco spent the post-Liberation years frequenting the Saint-Germain-des-Prés cafes, immersing herself in political and philosophical bohemian culture. As a regular at music and poetry venues like Le Tabou on Rue Dauphine, she was acquainted with Jean Cocteau, and was given a role in Cocteau’s film Orphée (1950).

She made her debut as a cabaret singer in the Parisian cabaret Le Bœuf sur le toit in 1949, performing the lyrics of a number of well-known French writers; Raymond Queneau’s “Si tu t’imagines” was one of her earliest songs to become popular.

She made her film debut in Les frères Bouquinquant (1947) and appeared in several French films. When Darryl F. Zanuck saw her photo in Time, she was offered a role in The Sun Also Rises (1957), and it led to other Hollywood-financed films.

Gréco was married three times, to:

actor Philippe Lemaire (1953–1956)
actor Michel Piccoli (1966–1977)
pianist Gérard Jouannest (1988–2018; his death)

With Lemaire, she had a daughter, Laurence-Marie, born in 1954. Laurence-Marie Lemaire died from cancer in 2016 aged 62.

In the year leading up to his death in January 1949, Gréco was the lover of married racing driver Jean-Pierre Wimille and suffered a miscarriage after his death.

According to Spanish writer Manuel Vicent, Juliette Gréco was Albert Camus’s lover. She also was in relationships with French singer Sacha Distel and Hollywood producer Darryl F. Zanuck.

In 1949, she began an affair with the American jazz musician Miles Davis. In 1957, they decided to always be just lovers because their careers were in different countries and his fear of damaging her career by being in an interracial relationship. They remained lovers and friends until his death in 1991.

Gréco also dated U.S. record producer Quincy Jones. According to Jones’ autobiography, Davis was irritated with him for years when he found out.

Gréco had three rhinoplasties; in Paris in 1953 and 1956, and in London in 1960.

In September 1965, Gréco attempted suicide by an overdose of sleeping pills. She was found unconscious in her bathroom and taken to the hospital by Françoise Sagan.

Gréco lived between Paris and Saint-Tropez.

A leftist, she supported François Mitterrand in the 1974 presidential election, and was an initial investor in Minute, when it was mainly non-political and focused on the entertainment world.

Gréco died on 23 September 2020 at the age of 93. (wikipedia)

And here´s a nice EP from Germany with songs, recorded during the Fifties.

She was called the “grande dame de la chanson” and here you can hear why.
What a wonderful woman !

Personnel:
Juliette Gréco (vocals)
+
Michel Legrand (piano on 02.)
+
André Grassi & His Orchestra (on 01. + 04.)
André Popp & His Orchestra (on 03.)

Tracklist:
01. Sous Le Ciel De Paris (Giraud/Dréjac) 3.19
02. L’amour (Ferré) 2.54
03. La Valse Des “Si” (Sauguet) 2.36
04. Embrasse-Moi (Prévert/Berg) 3.06

*
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Buddy Johnson And His Orchestra – Walkin´ (1957)

Woodrow Wilson “Buddy” Johnson (January 10, 1915 – February 9, 1977) was an American jump blues pianist and bandleader active from the 1930s through the 1960s. His songs were often performed by his sister Ella Johnson, most notably “Since I Fell for You”, which became a jazz standard.

Born in Darlington, South Carolina, United States, Johnson took piano lessons as a child, and classical music remained one of his passions. In 1938, he moved to New York City, and the following year toured Europe with the Cotton Club Revue, being expelled from Nazi Germany. Later in 1939, he first recorded for Decca Records with his band, soon afterwards being joined by his sister Ella as vocalist.

By 1941, he had assembled a nine-piece orchestra, and soon began a series of R&B and pop chart hits. These included “Let’s Beat Out Some Love” (No. 2 R&B, 1943, with Johnson on vocals), “Baby Don’t You Cry” (No. 3 R&B, 1943, with Warren Evans on vocals), his biggest hit “When My Man Comes Home” (No. 1 R&B, No. 18 pop, 1944, with Ella Johnson on vocals), and “They All Say I’m The Biggest Fool” (No. 5 R&B, 1946, with Arthur Prysock on vocals). Ella Johnson recorded her version of “Since I Fell for You” in 1945, but it did not become a major hit until recorded by Lenny Welch in the early 1960s.

In 1946, Johnson composed a Blues Concerto, which he performed at Carnegie Hall in 1948. His orchestra remained a major touring attraction through the late 1940s and early 1950s, and continued to record in the jump blues style with some success on record on the Mercury label like “Hittin’ on Me” and “I’m Just Your Fool”. His song “Bring It Home to Me” appears on the 1996 Rocket Sixty-Nine release Jump Shot.

“Personally, I like classics,” Buddy Johnson told Down Beat, “but our bread and butter is in the south. The music I play has a southern tinge to it. They understand it down there.”

In 1977, Johnson died at the age of 62 from a brain tumor and sickle cell anemia in New York. (wikipedia)

And here´s his second solo-album …

Yes, that’s Buddy Johnson … a wonderful mix of R & B, Rock n Roll and Jazz … this LP is still a pleasure … and fun … so .. .enjoy it !

Recorded between September 1953 – June 1957 in New York

Personnel:
Gilbert Askey (trumpet)
Johnny Burdine (saxophone)
Locksley “Slide” Hampton (trombone)
Purvis Henson (saxophone)
Buddy Johnson (piano, vocals on 06. – 08.)
Ella Johnson (vocals)
Emmanuel Simms (drums)
Leon Spann (bass)
Chauncey “Lord” Westbrook (guitar)
Courtney Williams (trumpet),
Andrew Wood (trumpet)
+
Johnny Burdine (saxophone)
Ed Burke (trombone on 04., 06. – 08.)
Teddy Cherokee Conyers (saxophone on 03., 05. + 11.)
Dave Van Dyke (saxophone on 05. + 11.)
Ricky Harper (trumpet on 05.)
Maxwell Lucas (saxophone on 01., 02., 04., 06. – 07.)
Harold ‘Geezil’ Minerve (saxophone on 04., 06. + 07.)
Willis Nelson (trumpet on 03., 05. + 11.)
Steve Pullmiam (trombone on 03., 05. + 11.)
Haleen Rasheed (trombone on 04., 06. – 08.)
Frank Royal (trumpet on 03. + 11.)
Teddy Small (saxophone on 04., 06. + 07.)
Julius Watson (trombone on 03., 05. + 11.)
Wallace Wilson (trumpet on 04., 06. – 08.)
+
Nolan Lewis (vocals on 05.)
+
The Bee Jays (vocals on 04., 07. + 08.)
Written-By – Buddy Johnson (tracks: A2 to B4, B6), Courtney Williams (2) (tracks: A1), Gil Askey (tracks: B5)

Tracklist:
01. Rockin’ Time (Williams) 2.54
02. They Don’t Want Me To Rock No More (Johnson) 2:27
03.There’s No One Like You (Johnson) 3:04
04. Rock On ! (Johnson) 2:30
05. Ain’t Cha Got Me (Where You Want Me) (Johnson) 2:46
06. Buddy’s Boogie (Johnson) 2:38
07. Oh ! Baby Don’t You Know (Johnson) 2:21
08. You’d Better Believe Me (Johnson) 2:41
09. You’re Everything My Heart Desires (Johnson) 2:54
10. So Good (Johnson) 2:25
11. Bitter Sweet (Askey) 2:44
12. Gone Walkin’ (Johnson) 2:52

*
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Various Artists – Alfred Hitchcock – Music From His Films (1999)

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 feature films, many of which are still widely watched and studied today. Known as the “Master of Suspense”, he became as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews, his cameo roles in most of his films, and his hosting and producing the television anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–65). His films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations, including six wins, although he never won the award for Best Director despite five nominations. (wikipedia)

This unique and collector-worthy CD features a selection of original soundtrack music from the films of acclaimed director Alfred Hitchcock – including previously unreleased material presented here for the first time! A mystery buff’s favorite, it spotlights music from many of Hitchcock’s best-loved classics, including North By Northwest, Psycho, Vertigo, Strangers On The Train, The 39 Steps and Notorious. (museummusic.com)

Released under the auspices of the Museum of Modern Art, this soundtrack compilation CD assembles many of the most memorable musical moments from across Alfred Hitchcock’s screen output. Obviously, Bernard Herrmann is well-represented as a composer (North by Northwest, Vertigo, Psycho), but so are Miklos Rozsa (Spellbound), Franz Waxman (Rebecca, Suspicion), Roy Webb (Notorious), John Williams (Family Plot), and Dimitri Tiomkin(Strangers on a Train); and even Louis Levy, who handled the music direction for many of Hitchcock’s 1930s British thrillers, is given a nod or two for The 39 Steps and Young and Innocent. In many instances, the producers have used the original soundtrack recordings right off the film masters, licensed from the owners of the movies, which is why “No One Can Like the Drummer Man” (from Young and Innocent) sounds so good yet so strange; there are also re-records from the libraries of Varese Sarabande, Milan Entertainment, and Silva Screen represented, so the chances are good that any serious Hitchcock fan or film music devotee will already have most of the music that’s here.

This CD was packaged for the museum-goer with a new taste for the music, rather than the experienced movie music hand or Hitchcock scholar, but it does contain one non-musical highlight that will probably make it essential to all movie music buffs, a short audio interview with Bernard Herrmann from the early ’70s in which he discusses the science and art of writing music for films. One only wishes that it ran longer, as it’s one of the more enlightening bonus tracks that’s ever shown up on a release of this type, and does reveal a bit of the man behind much of the best music here. (by Bruce Eder)

This album was made for – The Museum Of Modern Art, New York (MOMA)

Tracklist:
01. Bernard Herrmann: North By Northwest – The Wild Ride (Original soundtrack recording) 2.53
02. Bernard Herrmann: North By Northwest – Conversation (Original soundtrack recording) 3.02
03. Franz Waxmann: Rebecca – Prelude (Silva Screen re-recording) 1.41
04. Louis Levy: Young And Innocent – No One Can Like The Drummer Man (Original soundtrack recording) 1.24
05. Louis Levy: Young And Innocent – Erica At The Mill (Original soundtrack recording) 1.21
06. Bernard Herrmann: Vertigo – The Rooftop Chase (Varese re-recording) 1.36
07. Bernard Herrmann: Vertigo – Scène D Amour (Varese re-recording) 5.10
08. Dimitri Tiomkin: Strangers On A Train – Prologue Duet For Four Feet (Original soundtrack recording) 2.26
09. Dimitri Tiomkin: Strangers On A Train – Guys Goes To Anthony Mansion (Original soundtrack recording) 3.36
10. Franz Waxman: Suspicion – Main Title (Varese re-recording)   0.54
11. Bernard Herrmann: Psycho – The Murder (Varese re-recording) 1.05
12. Bernard Herrmann: Psycho – Marion And Sam (Varese re-recording) 1.54
13. Bernard Herrmann: Psycho – Patrol Car (Varese re-recording) 1.07
14. Campbell & Connely: Blackmail – Main : Titles – Prologue (Original soundtrack recording) 4.08
15. Miklos Roszaee: Spellbound – Concerto Prelude (Varese re-recording) 1.55
16. Louis Levy: The 39 Steps – The Chase On The Moor (Original soundtrack recording)  1.57
17. Louis Levy: The 39 Steps – Love Theme (Original soundtrack recording) 1.24
18. Bernard Herrmann: The Wrong Man – Manny In His Cell (Original soundtrack recording) 1.25
19. Bernard Herrmann: Marnie – Prelude (Silva Screen re-recording) 3.01
20. Louis Levy: Sabotage – Delayed On The Bus Tracks (Original soundtrack recording)   2.12
21. Roy Webb: Notorious – Alex In THe Wine Cellar Family Plot (Original soundtrack recording) 2.51
22. John Williams: Family Plot – Finale (Silva Screen re-recording)  3.55
23. Bernard Herrmann: Bernard Herrmann Speaks On Film Music (early 1970’s) 3.22

*
**

Eartha Kitt – Let´s Do I + Just An OLd Fashioned Girl (1964)

I have to reduce my single collection:

Eartha Mae Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of “C’est si bon” and the Christmas novelty song “Santa Baby”.

Kitt began her career in 1942 and appeared in the 1945 original Broadway theatre production of the musical Carib Song. In the early 1950s, she had six US Top 30 entries, including “Uska Dara” and “I Want to Be Evil”. Her other recordings include the UK Top 10 song “Under the Bridges of Paris” (1954), “Just an Old Fashioned Girl” (1956) and “Where Is My Man” (1983).

Orson Welles once called her the “most exciting woman in the world”. She starred as Catwoman in the third and final season of the television series Batman in 1967.

In 1968, her career in the U.S. deteriorated after she made anti-Vietnam War statements at a White House luncheon. Ten years later, Kitt made a successful return to Broadway in the 1978 original production of the musical Timbuktu!, for which she received the first of her two Tony Award nominations. Her second was for the 2000 original production of the musical The Wild Party. Kitt wrote three autobiographies.

Kitt found a new generation of fans through her roles in the Disney films The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), in which she voiced the villainous Yzma, and Holes (2003). She reprised the role as Yzma in the direct-to-video sequel Kronk’s New Groove (2005), as well as the animated series The Emperor’s New School (2006–2008). Her work on the latter earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards. She posthumously won a third Emmy in 2010 for her guest performance on Wonder Pets!

Kitt was active in numerous social causes in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1966, she established the Kittsville Youth Foundation, a chartered and non-profit organization for underprivileged youths in the Watts area of Los Angeles. She was also involved with a group of youths in the area of Anacostia in Washington, D.C., who called themselves “Rebels with a Cause”. Kitt supported the groups’ efforts to clean up streets and establish recreation areas in an effort to keep them out of trouble by testifying with them before the House General Subcommittee on Education of the Committee on Education and Labor. In her testimony, in May 1967, Kitt stated that the Rebels’ “achievements and accomplishments should certainly make the adult ‘do-gooders’ realize that these young men and women have performed in 1 short year – with limited finances – that which was not achieved by the same people who might object to turning over some of the duties of planning, rehabilitation, and prevention of juvenile delinquents and juvenile delinquency to those who understand it and are living it”.

She added that “the Rebels could act as a model for all urban areas throughout the United States with similar problems”. “Rebels with a Cause” subsequently received the needed funding. Kitt was also a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; her criticism of the Vietnam War and its connection to poverty and racial unrest in 1968 can be seen as part of a larger commitment to peace activism. Like many politically active public figures of her time, Kitt was under surveillance by the CIA, beginning in 1956. After The New York Times discovered the CIA file on Kitt in 1975, she granted the paper permission to print portions of the report, stating: “I have nothing to be afraid of and I have nothing to hide.”

Kitt later became a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and publicly supported same-sex marriage, which she considered a civil right. She had been quoted as saying: “I support it [gay marriage] because we’re asking for the same thing. If I have a partner and something happens to me, I want that partner to enjoy the benefits of what we have reaped together. It’s a civil-rights thing, isn’t it?”[35] Kitt famously appeared at many LGBT fundraisers, including a mega event in Baltimore, Maryland, with George Burns and Jimmy James.[25] Scott Sherman, an agent at Atlantic Entertainment Group, stated: “Eartha Kitt is fantastic… appears at so many LGBT events in support of civil rights.” In a 1992 interview with Dr. Anthony Clare, Kitt spoke about her gay following, saying:

We’re all rejected people, we know what it is to be refused, we know what it is to be oppressed, depressed, and then, accused, and I am very much cognizant of that feeling. Nothing in the world is more painful than rejection. I am a rejected, oppressed person, and so I understand them, as best as I can, even though I am a heterosexual.

Kitt died of colon cancer on Christmas Day 2008, three weeks shy of her 82nd birthday at her home in Weston, Connecticut. (wikipedia)

And here are two really nice and popular songs of Eartha Kitt from the Fifties:

Not only a great voice (a wonderful mixture of Soul, Blues & Jazz), but but also a really impressive woman

Personnel:
Eartha Kitt (vocals)
+
a bunch of unknown musicians

Tracklist:
01. Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love) (Porter) 3.10
02. Just An Old Fashioned Girl (Fischer) 2.56
*
**

The official website:

Helmut Brandt Combo – Berlin Calling (2013)

Helmut Brandt (January 1, 1931, in Berlin – July 26, 2001, in Stuttgart) was a German jazz baritone saxophonist and bandleader. His style was influenced by Stan Getz and Gil Evans.

Brandt sang in a church choir as a boy, and played violin from age ten before learning saxophone and guitar at a conservatory. He began playing professionally in 1950 and led his own group by 1954. Initially a tenor saxophonist and clarinettist, he switched to baritone in 1954. Through the end of the 1950s he worked in a Berlin radio dance band, and played in the orchestras of Lubo D’Orio and Kurt Widmann. His Mainstream Orchestra was popular in Berlin in the 1970s. Brandt died of a heart attack in 2001. (wikipedia)

Born in Berlin on New Year’s Day of 1931, the composer, bandleader, and baritone saxophonist Helmut Brandt was a vital force on the German jazz scene throughout the entire second-half of the 20th century. While the jazz of this country is often associated with avant-garde styles, bringing to mind the fire-breathing saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, Brandt was a German bopper by nature whose inspirations were players such as Stan Getz and the intricate arrangements of Gil Evans. He first heard sides by the latter artist as a teenager. Brandt rose to prominence among mainstream fans in the mid-’50s, in a combo that combined his baritone saxophone with trumpet, piano, bass, and drums. This group’s repertoire was heavy on arrangements and original compositions by Brandt and he was considered to have a particular flair with ballads.

Brandt began his musical training in a church choir at the age of nine. The following year he began violin lessons, followed by the study of both saxophone and guitar in a music conservatory. In 1950 he made his professional debut; he formed his own group early in 1954. By the end of this decade he had joined an important dance band organized by one of the main Berlin radio stations. He also was involved with orchestras led by Lubo D’Orio and Kurt Widmann. A series of albums featuring his group were released on the Metronome label. In the ’70s he started his own Mainstream Orchestra, recording several well-received albums and building a loyal following in Berlin. While it seemed as if he swam with the musically conservative crowd, Brandt hardly settled into gentle mainstream strokes, creating more and more complicated compositions with intricate classical symphonic influences. He died of a heart attack while taking a walk in Stuttgart. (by Eugene Chadbourne)

When a compilation of ten previously unreleased recordings from the estate of Helmut Brandt, who died in 2001, appears, it is by no means just a case for rarity hunters and nostalgics. Brandt, who is primarily associated with the RIAS jazz orchestra formations, to which he belonged as an arranger and saxophonist from 1959 to 1997, led one of the most visionary and daring jazz bands on German soil after the war. Berlin Calling”, which brings together recordings of Brandt originals and standard arrangements from the years 1956 to 1958, bears impressive witness to this.

The arrangements, which are inspired by Miles’ Capitol Orchestra and in places flirt with the contemporary avant-garde, as well as Brandt’s outstanding technique on the baritone saxophone have lost none of their brilliance. And with the gift of making two wind players sound as if they were at least six, the much too little appreciated grand master of German post-war jazz would be more in demand than ever in today’s times of permanent austerity (Josef Engels).

Indeed:  a very special find … a treasure of German jazz in the 50s

All tracks previously unreleased, transferred from tapes of the Helmut Brandt estate.
Background noise or slight tape hiss can be heard in parts.

Personnel:
Helmut Brandt (saxophone)
Kenny Clarke (drums on 04.)
Ludwig Ebert (piano on  02., 06., 09. + 10.)
Klaus Gernhuber (bass on 02., 03.  06., 09. – 10)
Erich Gerosch (bass bei 01. + 08.)
Cony Jackel (trumpet)
Roland Kovac (piano on 04.)
Günther Maier (piano on 01. + 08.)
Gert Mann (piano on 03.)
Heinrich Schröder (drums on 03.)
Hans-Dieter Taubert (drums)
Peter Trunk (bass on 04.)

Tracklist:
01. Nordlicht (Brandt) 3.56
02. Salute To Lars Gullin (McHugh) 4.24
03. Yesterdays (Kern) 4.31
04. I Surrender Dear (Barris) 3.49
05. Bami (Brandt) 3.17
06. Moon Over Miami (Burke/Leslie) 3.34
07. Manhattan (Rodgers) 3.03
08. Lover For Sale (Porter) 5.33
09. Sum (Brandt) 4.07
10. Berlin Calling (Brandt) 3.41

*
**

Various Artists – Werner Tautz – Time for Music (2002)

I did not know him before, thw composer Werner Tautz (* Dezember 9 1922 in Leipzig/Germany, – † 19. Mai 2014 in Tutzing/Germany).

There are few German composers who can boast an high international regard in the world of Dance Band and Light Music. One such man is Werner Tautz, who on 9th December 2002 celebrates his 80th Birthday. He is one of the very few who has managed to write for all the Radio Dance Orchestras of Germany, thereby adding many musical gems to the repertoire and archives of these Broadcasting organisations. (taken fromthe original linernotes)

And he not only composed extensively, but also founded a record company.

BRILLANT-MUSIK was established in 1964 by the composers Werner Tautz and Heinz Kiessling, and the publisher Hans Gerig. The business specialised in the production and distribution of instrumental light music (Easy Listening, Mood Music, String Orchestras, Big Bands, and Combos) for use in radio, television, film, advertising and on video. The catalogue also contains popular Austrian “Volksmusik” as well as jazz and serious music of Czech origin. Since 1989 a selection from the catalogue has been made available on bliss records though not exclusively. Foreign partner companies publish parts of the catalogue on their labels, and vice versa BRILLIANT-MUSIK and bliss records also represent foreign products in Germany.

Werner Tautz celebrated his 80th birthday last December, and this great collection of 25 of his compositions is a worthy tribute. Many readers of the magazine of the Robert Farnon Society  will already be familiar with Werner’s tuneful melodies through earlier Bliss Records releases, and they will be aware of his talent for composing bright and tuneful works that are so easy on the ear. This time the emphasis is more on dance and swing music, and once again Werner demonstrates that he is a master of this as well. The music simply bounces along happily from track to track, with some great big band sounds from various German radio orchestras that may well come as a pleasant surprise to collectors who think that the Americans (and perhaps a few British outfits) had a monopoly in this area. Not so! The likes of Kurt Edelhagen, Delle Haensche, Alfred Hause, Horst Jankowski, Erwin Lehn, Werner Müller and even Britain’s Reg Owen, all have a ball playing Werner’s great tunes. The recordings date from 1956 to 1977, and they seem to come from all the top radio stations in Germany. The booklet notes are in German and English, and I have no hesitation in saying that this new CD is going to give a lot of pleasure to folks who enjoy tuneful big band music from a few decades ago. (David Ades (Robert Farnon Society)

Tracks no. 6, 11, 16 & 19 are off-air domestic radio recordings due to the fact that the original master no longer exists. They have been remastered for optimum quality

Personnel:
Das Tanzorchester des SFB
Das Tanzorchester des HR
Das Orchester Cornelis op den Zieken (Radio Bremen)
Das Tanzorchester des SWF
Das Orchester Kurt Edelhagen (SWF)
Das WDR-Tanzorchester
Das Kölner Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester
Das RIAS-Tanzorchester
Das Tanzorchester des SR
Das Tanzorchester des SDR
Das Orchester Eddie Sauter (SWF)
Das Tanzorchester des NDR
Das Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester des NDR
Studio-Orchester, Hamburg
Das Münchner Rundfunk-Tanzorchester
+
Freddy L’Host (clarinet on 09.)
Horst Jankowski (piano on 16., 19.)
Paul Kuhn (piano on 08.)
Klaus Marmulla (saxophone on 24.)
Kai Rautenberg (piano on 23.)
Helmut Reinhardt (saxophone on 06.)
Dieter Reith (piano on 05.)

Tracklist:

01. Das Tanzorchester des SFB (William Greihs): Big Bang (1966) 2.15
02. Das Tanzorchester des SFB (Roland Kovac): The Better Idea (Billy’s Trumpet) (1961) 2.50
03. Das Tanzorchester des HR (Heinz Schönberger): On The Road South (1972) 2.53
04. Das Orchester Cornelis op den Zieken (Radio Bremen):  Your Tenderness (1976) 4.31
05. Das Tanzorchester des SWF (Rolf-Hans Müller): Al Pari (1964) 2.36
06. Das Orchester Kurt Edelhagen (SWF): Penguin’s Walk (1956) 3.06
07. Das WDR-Tanzorchester (Werner Müller): Piccadilly Walk (1973) 2.54
08. Das Kölner Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester (Adalbert Luczkowsky: Portrait Of A Dream (1961) 3.52
09. Das RIAS-Tanzorchester (Günter Maier): Janine (1966) 2.21
10. Das Tanzorchester des SFB (Jerry Van Rooyen): Black Velvet (1966) 2.35
11. Das RIAS-Tanzorchester (Werner Müller): Tokyo Tea Time (Swinging Geishas) (1962) 2.06
12. Das Tanzorchester des SR (Manfred Minnich): Like Golden Dust (Aquamarin) (1961) 4.02
13. Das Tanzorchester des HR (Reg Owen): Window Shopping (Schaufensterbummel) (1963) 2.19
14. Das Tanzorchester des SR (Eberhard Pokorny): Drummer’s Holiday (1967) 2.22
15. Das Tanzorchester des HR (Willy Berking): Dinner Date (Du sagtest) (1959) 2.33
16. Das Tanzorchester des SDR (Erwin Lehn): Please Get Me Right (1957) 2.53
17. Das Orchester Eddie Sauter (SWF): Vanishing Shadows (1958) 3,41
18. Das Tanzorchester des NDR (Franz Thon): Collier (1962) 2.57
19. Das Tanzorchester des SDR (Erwin Lehn): Why Not (1960) 2.52
20. Das Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester des NDR (Alfred Hause): Sign Of Memory (Nur ein Souvenir) (1970) 3.38
21. Das Tanzorchester des SFB (Paul Kuhn): Music Is Never Wrong (1977) 3.15
22. Studio-Orchester, Hamburg (Rolf Kühn): La Belle (1967) 3.20
23.Das RIAS-Tanzorchester (Helmuth Brandenburg): Remember Rio (1970) 4.58
24. Das RIAS-Tanzorchester (Horst Jankowski): Yes I Am (1975) 3.54
25. Das Münchner Rundfunk-Tanzorchester (Delle Haensch): The Party Goes On (Party am Riz) 2.19

Music: Werner Tautz:
04. under the pseudonym Frank Nienburg
15. under the pseudonym Franz Rüger
21. under the pseudonym Jo Part

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Roy Orbinson – Golden Days (The Collection Of 20 All-Time Greats)

Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as operatic, earning him the nicknames “The Caruso of Rock” and “The Big O.” Many of Orbison’s songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male rock-and-roll performers chose to project machismo. He performed while standing motionless and wearing black clothes to match his dyed black hair and dark sunglasses.

Born in Texas, Orbison began singing in a rockabilly and country-and-western band as a teenager. He was signed by Sam Phillips of Sun Records in 1956, but enjoyed his greatest success with Monument Records. From 1960 to 1966, 22 of Orbison’s singles reached the Billboard Top 40. He wrote or co-wrote almost all of his own Top 10 hits, including “Only the Lonely” (1960), “Running Scared” (1961), “Crying” (1961), “In Dreams” (1963), and “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964).

After the mid-1960s, Orbison suffered a number of personal tragedies and his career faltered. He experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s following the success of several cover versions of his songs. In 1988, he co-founded the Traveling Wilburys (a rock supergroup) with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne. Orbison died of a heart attack in December 1988 at age 52. One month later, his song “You Got It” (1989) was released as a solo single, becoming his first hit to reach the US and UK Top 10 in nearly 25 years.

Orbison’s honors include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and five other Grammy Awards. Rolling Stone placed him at number 37 on its list of the “Greatest Artists of All Time” and number 13 on its list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”. In 2002, Billboard magazine listed him at number 74 on its list of the Top 600 recording artists. (wikipedia)

And here´s a nice compilation with some of his best songs.

A add my favourite Roy Orbinson song “I Got It”.

Personnel:
Roy Orbinson (vocals, guitar)
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many, many studio musicians

Tracklist:
01. Oh Pretty Woman (Dees/Orbison) 2.57
02. Running Scared (Melson/Orbison) 2.10
03. Falling (Orbison) 2.22
04. Love Hurts (Bryant) 2.27
05. Mean Woman Blues (de Metrius) 2.25
06. I Can’t Stop Loving You (Gibson) 2.49
07. The Crowd (Melson/Orbison) 2.22
08. Blue Bayou (Melson/Orbison) 2.30
09. Borne On The Wind (Dees/Orbison) 2.52
10. Lana (Melson/Orbison) 2.52
11. Only The Lonely (Melson/Orbison) 2.30
12. It’s Over (Dees/Orbison) 2.49
13. Crying (Melson/Orbison) 2.47
14. Pretty Paper (Nelson) 2.44
15. All I Have To Do Is Dream (Bryant) 2.24
16. Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) (Walker) 2.34
17. Blue Angel (Melson/Orbison) 2.43
18. Working For The Man (Orbison) 2.27
19. Candy Man (Ross/Neil) 2.46
20. In Dreams (Orbison) 2.51
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21. You Got It (Lynne/Orbison/Petty) 3.31

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More from Roy Orbinson:

Anton Karas – Vienna, City Of Dreams (1963)

Anton Karl Karas (7 July 1906 – 10 January 1985) was an Austrian zither player and composer, best known for his internationally famous 1948 soundtrack to Carol Reed’s The Third Man. His association with the film came about as a result of a chance meeting with its director. The success of the film and the enduring popularity of its theme song changed Karas’ life.

Anton was born illegitimate at Marchfeldstraße 17, Brigittenau, Vienna to Theresia Streckel. He was later legitimized by her marriage to a factory worker, Karl Josef Karas. One of five children, Anton Karas was already keen on music as a child. He wanted to become a bandleader, which was impossible because of his family’s financial situation. He was allowed to learn to play an instrument, as were his two brothers and two sisters. He later reported that his first zither was one he found in his grandmother’s attic at the age of 12.

As ordered by his father, he became an apprentice tool and die maker at the age of 14, while taking evening courses in music at a private institution. He finished his apprenticeship in 1924, and worked in a car factory until becoming unemployed in January 1925. Having already begun to study at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna in 1924, he subsequently earned a living as an entertainer in a Heuriger. He soon earned more than his father, and continued his studies until 1928.

In 1930, he married, with the birth of his daughter following three months later. From 1939 to 1945 he was with the German Wehrmacht anti-aircraft warfare, temporarily in Russia, where he took a zither along. He lost more than one instrument from war action, but always managed to find another one.

In the summer of 1948, director Carol Reed was preparing to shoot The Third Man in Vienna and was staying in the Hotel Sacher, along with many of the British elements of the Allied Control Commission for Austria. Robert Baty, the young son of the Director of Education, C.W. Baty, was tasked with showing the director around the city. On the second day, they stopped at a Heuriger and heard Karas playing the zither in the background. This is described in Karas’ L.A. Times/Reuters obituary which states that:

Reed, desperately searching for a theme tune … chanced on the tavern in Vienna’s Grinzing wine-growing district. Struck by the simple zither melodies, Reed asked a stunned Karas if he would compose the music for the film. Karas protested, saying he had never actually written music. As Karas later told the story, the director insisted and invited Karas to England. The Austrian became homesick and asked to return. Reed told him he could; when he had written the music. Under this pressure, Karas wrote his Harry Lime theme.

The film—with the music a contributing factor—was a success, and Karas’ life was changed drastically.[4] As a result, he toured globally and performed for many celebrities, including members of the British Royal family. Princess Margaret invited him to London’s Empress Club, where he played twice a week while in London. He also appeared before Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, members of the Swedish royal family, and Pope Pius XII.

By the end of 1949, half a million copies of “The Harry Lime Theme” had been sold, an unprecedented number. The success of the score caused a surge in zither sales.

In Austria, the film opened on 10 March 1950, in Vienna’s Apollo Kino, and it initially offended some Viennese inhabitants, as it focused on the disgrace of the destroyed city. Vienna’s newspaper critics hated the film, except for its music. When Karas returned to Austria after his first world tour in July 1950, he was welcomed by Chancellor Leopold Figl and other members of the government. Most importantly, the public liked the film. In Brigittenau, where Karas was born, people queued for tickets which were sold out eight days in advance.

The original single from 1948:

Karas disliked the glamour, and his soundtrack proved to be an enduring one-hit wonder. He later stated, “I never was a star, and never felt like one. It is because of that film that I was pushed from one place to the other … My only desire was to be back home again.”[citation needed] He toured again in 1951, travelling to Montreal and Las Vegas, followed by other tours, including Japan in 1962, 1969 and 1972, where he performed for Emperor Hirohito.

In 1954, he opened a Heuriger, which became fashionable among cinema celebrities including Orson Welles, Gina Lollobrigida, Curd Jürgens, Hans Moser, Paul Hörbiger, Marika Rökk and Johannes Heesters, thereby becoming a tourist attraction. He was not satisfied, as he preferred to perform for locals who would understand him, his language and music. Because of this, he retired and retreated from the limelight in 1966, explaining, “I’m not a tourist guy, and what I did there had hardly anything to do with ‘Vienna Heuriger’.”

The first few bars of “The Third Man Theme” are engraved on his grave marker in Vienna. (wikipedia)

And here´s a nice sampler with many ofhi beautful mloies.

Enjoy this trip to Vienna, the city of dreams:

Personnel:
Anton Karas (zither)
+
Die 2 Rudis:
Rudi Kurtzmann (bass)
Rudi Schipper (accordeon)

Tracklist:
01. The Harry Lime Theme (Karas) 3.12
02. Nothing Doing! (Keine Ahnung) (Karas) 2.11
03. Drink Brothers Drink (Trink, trink, Brüderlein) (Lindemann) 2.13
04. Ottakringer-March (Foderl) 2.01
05. In Grinzing (Benatzky) 3.29
06. Im Prater blühn wieder die Bäume (Stolz) 2.07
07. Lili Marlene (Leip/Schultze/Connor) 2.07
08. Vienna, City Of My Dreams (Sieczynski) 2.42
09. Zither Man (Karas) 1.59
10. Mei Matzleinsdorf (Obermayer) 3.15
11. Mein Herz Binker-Waltz (Karas) 2.33
12. Liebes Wien, du Stadt der Lieder-Waltz (Strecker) 1.42
13. Mei‘ Muatterl war s Wienerin-Polka (Gruber) 2.25
14. The Cafe Mozart Waltz (Karas) 2.54

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The official website:

Ella Fitzgerald – The Essential Ella (1991)

Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the “First Lady of Song”, “Queen of Jazz”, and “Lady Ella”. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.

After a tumultuous adolescence, Fitzgerald found stability in musical success with the Chick Webb Orchestra, performing across the country but most often associated with the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Her rendition of the nursery rhyme “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” helped boost both her and Webb to national fame. After taking over the band when Webb died, Fitzgerald left it behind in 1942 to start her solo career. Her manager was Moe Gale, co-founder of the Savoy, until she turned the rest of her career over to Norman Granz, who founded Verve Records to produce new records by Fitzgerald. With Verve she recorded some of her more widely noted works, particularly her interpretations of the Great American Songbook.

While Fitzgerald appeared in movies and as a guest on popular television shows in the second half of the twentieth century, her musical collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and The Ink Spots were some of her most notable acts outside of her solo career. These partnerships produced some of her best-known songs such as “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, “Cheek to Cheek”, “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall”, and “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)”. In 1993, after a career of nearly 60 years, she gave her last public performance. Three years later, she died at the age of 79 after years of declining health. Her accolades included 14 Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts, the NAACP’s inaugural President’s Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.(wikipedia)

And here´s another official compüilation from Verve Records, a rare release from Australia.

Recognized worldwide as “The First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald is arguably the finest female jazz vocalist of all time. Blessed with a highly resonant voice, wide range, and near-perfect elocution, Fitzgerald also possessed a deft sense of swing, and with her brilliant scat technique, could hold her own against any of her instrumental contemporaries. She came to initial popularity as a member of drummer Chick Webb’s band in the 1930s, scoring a hit with a “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” before ascending to wide acclaim in the 1940s with Jazz at the Philharmonic and Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band, and issuing landmark performances like “Flying Home” and “How High the Moon.”

Working with producer/manager Norman Granz, she gained even more acclaim with her series of albums on Verve, recording definitive versions of the music of the Great American Songbook composers, including 1956’s Sings the Cole Porter Songbook. Over her 50-year career, she earned 13 Grammy Awards, sold over 40 million albums, and picked up numerous accolades including a National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A hugely important cultural figure, Fitzgerald made an immeasurable impact on the development of jazz and popular music, and remains a touchstone for fans and artists decades after her passing. (by Matt Collar)

Another chance to discover “The First Lady of Song” !

Personnel:
Ella Fitzgerald (vocals)
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The Buddy Bregman Orchestra (on 01,, 02, 06, 14. – 16)
Billy May And His Orchestra (on 03. – 05. 08., 17., 20. + 21.)
Nelson Riddle And His Orchestra (on 07., 13. + 19.)
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Max Bennett (bass on 10.)
Ray Brown (bass on 10.)
Herb Ellis (guitar on 10.)
Jim Hall (guitar on 09. 11. + 12.)
Gus Johnson (drums on 09., 11., 12. + 22.)
“Philly” Joe Jones (drums on 10.)
Lou Levy (piano on 09. + 12.)
Wilfred Middlebrooks (bass on 09., 11. + 22.)
Oscar Peterson (piano on 10.)
Paul Smith (piano on 11. + 22.)

Tracklist:
01. The Lady Is A Tramp (Rodgers/Hart) (1956) 3.24
02. Manhattan (Rodgers/Hart) (1956) 2.51
03. The Very Thought Of You (Noble) (1962) 2.46
04. From This Moment On (Porter) (1956) 3.20
05. A Foggy Day (G.Gershwin/I.Geshwin) (1959) 3.33
06. With A Song In My Heart (Rodgers/Hart) (1959) 2.46
07. Cheek To Cheek (Berlin) 1958) 3.48
08. I’ve Got A Crush On You (G.Gershwin/I.Geshwin) (1959) 3.30
09. A-Tisket A-Tasket (live) (Fitzgerald /Feldman) (1951) 1.55
10. These Foolish Things (Strachey/Link/Marvell) (1957) 3.49
11. Mack The Knife (live) (Weill/Brecht/Blitzstein) (1960) 5.06
12. Caravan (live) (Ellington/Tizol/Mills) (1958) 2.44
13. I Can’t Get Started (Duke/Gershwin) (1962) 3.33
14. I’ve Got You Under My Skin (Porter) (1956) 2.45
15. Night And Day (Porter) (1956) 3.05
16. Everytime Time We Say Goodbye (Porter) (1956) 3.34
17. It’s Only A Paper Moon (Arlen/Harburg/Rose) (1960) 3.35
18. I Get A Kick Out Of You (Porter) (1956) 4.05
19. I Got Rhythm (G.Gershwin/I.Gershwin) (1959) 3.07
20.  My Funny Valentine (Rodgers/Hart) (1956) 3.53
21. That Old Black Magic (Arlen/Mercer) (1961) 4.11
22. Misty (live) (Gamer/Burke) (1960) 2.42

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More from Ella Fitzgerald:

The official website:

Various Artists – Songs And Dances Of Turkey (1956)

Turkish folk music (Türk Halk Müziği) is the traditional music of Turkish people living in Turkey influenced by the cultures of Anatolia and former territories in Europe and Asia. Its unique structure includes regional differences under one umbrella. It includes popular music from the Ottoman Empire era. After the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923, Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ordered a wide-scale classification and archiving of samples of Turkish folk music from around the country, which, from 1924 to 1953 collected around 10,000 folk songs. Traditional folk music was combined with Western harmony and musical notation to create a more modern style of popular Turkish music. (wikipedia)

The geographical bridge between Europe and Asia, the folk dance and music of Turkey is an amalgam of Eastern and Western cultures. Their folk dances demonstrate various relationships found in the world around them (i.e. man and nature, man and woman, man and war, man and agriculture, etc.).(folkways.si.edu)

Songs and Dances of Turkey presents ancient classical music, folk songs, popular songs, and modern classical music from Turkey. Native instruments such as the darbuka (hand drum), kaval (end-blown flute), and baglama are featured prominently. Also included are dances such as the zeybek (from the Aegean provinces) in which dancers spread their arms broadly in imitation of an eagle in flight. Liner notes include a brief introduction, track notes, and illustrations of some of the featured instruments. (Press release)

For most of us this music will sound very unfamiliar, but this music is nevertheless very magical and fascinating.

Personnel:
unfortunately the most of the musicians are unknown
+
The Historic Turkish Music Chorus And Orchestra Of Radio Istanbul (on 14. + 15.)
The Band Of The Military Academy (Harp Okulu) In Ankara (on 20.)

Tracklist:
01. Dance Of Kars 1.54
02. Hop, Hop, Hop (Love Song From Central Turkey) 2.10
03. Zeybek (1) (Dance From Izmir) 1.31
04. Zeybek (2) (Dance From Izmir) 1.19
05. Girl From Kermen (Love Song From Central Turkey) 2.03
06. Dance (from Rize on the Black Sea) 1.34
07. Camel Bells (Caravan Song From Trabzon On The Black Sea) 1.43
08. The Waters Of The Valley (Love Song From Erzurum) 2.01
09. Kazaska (Dance From Kars) 1.39
10. Dance (From Rize On The Black Sea) 1.10
11. Shepard’s Song (From Rize On The Black Sea) 0.43
12. Bacon Is In The Larder (Dance From Rize On The Black Sea) 1.35
13. Black Pepper (Popular Love Song From Istanbul) 1.38
14. Classic Song (1) (Istanbul) 3.55
15. Classic Song (2) (Istanbul) 2.36
16.Flute Solo (Istanbul) 1.34
17. Zurna And Davul (1) (Dance From Ankara) 1.50
18. Zurna And Davul (2) (Dance From Ankara) 1.07
19. Mehter (Classical, From Istanbul) 5.02
20. Izmir March 3.14
21. Dance From Kars 2.15
22. Every Morning, Every Dawn (Love Song From Trabzon On The Black Sea) 2.28

All songs: Traditional

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