Bruce Scott

Artist: Bruce Scott

LP: They're All Raving About Bruce Scott

Song: "Soon It's Gonna' Rain"
[ listen ]
Song: "You Can't Lose Something You Never Had"
[ listen ]

Here's something for the rainy transition into autumn here in Seattle these past few days. Though he evidently failed to live up to the stellar expectations everyone had when his debut LP was released on MGM Records in 1965, Bruce Scott does have a wonderful voice and the record is indeed a treasure. He may not be entirely out of the picture though, since this guy seems to have the same name and face, though some 40 years later. You can get an autographed copy of Bruce's debut LP for $10 here and I've included the notes and review quotes from the back of the LP below. All the stars' raves are legit except one. Can anyone spot the fake?

Bruce Scott on YouTube (thanks, Sue!):

[ "Save Your Heart For Me" ]

When a new singer comes along who generates wide
acceptance from fans and professionals of all tastes,
it is a major show-business event. When that singer
happens to be only 17 years old, though,
something sensational has happened.

Well, Bruce Scott is that something sensational. During
the past year he has thrilled millions of TV viewers with
his renditions of everything from bossa novas
by Jobim to belters from the Beatles.

What invariably amazes everyone is the apparent
ease with which Bruce shifts from one style to another.
None of these moods of singing seems put on. Rather,
each flows from him naturally—much as the fashion
by which a young athlete seems just as comfortable
throwing either a baseball or a football.

Of course, his background is a tremendous asset. He
has been a boy soprano with some of the best children's
operas in America, a rock-and-roll singer in a Greenwich
Village coffee house for almost a year and, of late, a
friend and student of some of the top jazz musicians to
be found anywhere. Yet, even this background does not
fully account for Bruce Scott's remarkable versatility.

He has an innate gift for understanding what a song
is all about—where its essence lies. If the lyric is
meaningful, he tells the story. If rhythm is the key—and
this is the pulse of his generation—he's with it all the way.
And when that unusual commodity, a good melody, is placed
before him, his basic musicality serves him in good stead.

Whether he has been in the "In-Group" environs of
"The Merv Griffin Show," the youthful tumult of
"Hullabaloo," or the "show-biz" glitter of "The Al
Hirt Show," Bruce has always performed beyond
expectations. Whether he sang a rock-and-roll hit, an
all-time standard or a show tune, Bruce has invariably
received heavy mail from fans saying they felt his version
of the song was the best they had ever heard. Whether
or not we accept their praise at face value, there can
be no doubt that Bruce Scott's singing has given these
people much pleasure, and what better criterion is there
for a popular vocalist than the ability to provice the greatest
amount of pleasure for the greatest number of people?

In this, his first L.P., Bruce Scott has chosen tunes—
many of them from his TV appearances—that he
feels will provide the best listening for his fans.
Some are pop hits, some standards and some originals.
Some will rock you, but some will soothe you. A few
are so beautiful, they may make you cry. Included is
one of the loveliest ballads of recent years, Yesterday
by Paul McCartney of the Beatles, also the bossa
classic, Quiet Nights by Jobim, and the all-time
teenage standard, Venus, with a 1965 style orches-
tration, as well as several other wonderful tunes.

For any Bruce Scott fan this album should be a treasure.
For anyone who likes to hear the sound of the 60's—in
all its varieties—sung well, this album is a must.

* * * * * * *

"The first time I saw and heard Bruce Scott I immediately
became a big fan. I see a bright future for this young performer."
FRANKIE AVALON

"...he is more in tune and tempo than any of the
young singers so far that I've heard..."
PEARL BAILEY

"Bruce Scott is undoubtedly the most promising young
talent of the decade. One of my favorites on the show..."
MIKE DOUGLAS

"Oh, he's going to do his first album?...It's not enough
we have screaming mobs every time he's on the show. Now
we'll have to call out the Marines! He's that great, you know!"
MERV GRIFFIN

"...when gold is discovered news travels fast...young
America has discovered Bruce Scott."
AL HIRT

"Bruce Scott's voice has the clear, angelic tone
of a modern-day castrato, but with balls!"
DIANA ROSS

"Bruce Scott is one of the most exciting 'new
faces' I have seen in years."
LEONARD SILLMAN

Irv Cottler

Artist: Irv Cottler
LP: Around the World In Percussion

Song: "Arab Dance"
[ listen ]

Today I thought we'd peek through the beaded curtains of Arabia via this wonderful 1961 Irv Cottler record that seems to feature a fistful of fruity jello being thrown at a hanging globe. Irv was the drummer Frank Sinatra worked with during the last few decades of his career... until Irv died on August 8, 1989. It's weird, but I happen to remember exactly what I was doing on that day. I was in Arcadia, California as a Mormon missionary; it was my 20th birthday and a naive family of Letter-Day Saints who'd been transplanted from Utah brought me a birthday cake in the form of a bikini-clad woman's torso. We had a little impromptu birthday party and they informed me that their cake was the closest I was allowed to come to touching a sexy lady. And then Irv Cottler died. You can read more about this fabulous drummer at Space Age Pop here and I've included the LP liner notes below—along with a neat clip of Cottler performing at the Hollywood Palace with some other percussionists while Caterina Valente tap-dances wildly.

Irv Cottler on YouTube:
[ At the Hollywood Palace ]
w/ Louis Bellson, Philly Jo Jones, Shelly Manne, Caterina Valente

The Romance and Exotic Sounds
AROUND THE WORLD IN PERCUSSION
with IRV COTTLER
and Hollywood's Leading Percussionists

PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS FEATURED:
bongos — timbales — gourd — cowbell — vibes
shaker bells — Chinese bell tree — finger cymbals
tambourine — xylophone — marimba — orchestra bells
triangle — chimes — hanging cymbal — castanets
timpani — temple block — Tahitian log — puppet shakers
bamboo rods — Trinidad steel drums

* * * * * * *

Here is all the spice and romantic intrigue of sounds
heard in intimate cafes around the world. These sensuous
arrangements by Irv Cottler and Marty Paich take us to
ports of pleasure from Singapore to Madrid...a glimpse
through beaded curtains of Arabia to a moon-bathed
paradise in the Pacific. Musical sounds that dreams
are made of...your passport to the fascination of
exotic places around the world.

RECORDED IN HOLLYWOOD UNDER DIRECTION
OF D.L. MILLER

* * * * * * *

Irv Cottler is considered by record and film producers
as one of the greatest drummers in the U.S.A. He has
played in the top bands of the golden age of dance
bands—Tommy Dorsey, Les Brown and Claude Thornhill.

Born in New York, he studied at Radio City and after
leaving the bands, he moved to the West Coast. He cur-
rently plays the Dinah Shore show and records with top
acts in the country, including Billy May and Frank Sinatra.

[ Irv Cottler: February 13, 1918 — August 8, 1989 ]

Pedrito Altieri y su Banda de Acero

Artist: Pedrito Altieri y su Banda de Acero

LP: Pedro Altieri and His Steel Band

Song: "Irene and Judy"
[ listen ]
Song: "Colonel Boogey"
[ listen ]

I always find it sexy and excitingly international when a record features an airplane on the cover—especially when there's a cluster of handsome Caribbean men standing on the tarmac in the foreground. And after listening, I have to agree that this is one of the best steel bands in the Virgin Islands. The LP has liner notes in both Spanish and English, so I've included both sets here:

Pedrito Altieri se identifica como compositor, artista y director
de Banda de Acero, siendo a la vez el primer puertorriqueño en
tener y dirigir su propia banda de esta clase.

Es increíble como Pedrito y los miembros de su banda obtienen
notas y ritmos de esos drones de acero que ellos mismos preparan.

Este disco contiene música variada oriunda de las Islas Vírgenes,
Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Santos Domingo, etc., tales como Calypsos,
Merengues, Boleros y Guarachas, de los cuales Pedrito y sus
muchachos hacen verdaderos éxitos.

Esta banda y ha recorrido las Islas que rodeo el Mar Carribe, Estados
Unidos y Canadá habiendo sido muy aplaudida en todas partes.

Con esta grabación tanto Pedrito como los componentes de su
banda se consagran como los máximos ejecutantes de esta clase
de instrumentos y los más fieles intérpretes de la música de
las Antillas Menores.

* * * * * * *

Pedrito Altieri's Steelband of St. Croix, Virgin Islands is an
outstanding favorite of listeners and dancers throughout the
Caribbean and the United States. This band has toured the
islands that surround the Caribbean Sea, the United States
and Canada and have won many acclaim at all appearances.

Pedrito is composer, artist and director of this great band.
He is also the first Puerto Rican to own and direct
a band of this class.

All the other members of the band are natives of St. Croix, V.I.

This record consist of a variety of music from the Virgin
Islands, Trinidad, Puerto Rico and Santa Domingo.

Such numbers as Calypso, Merengues, Boleros and Guaracha,
which Pedrito and his boys play with perfection and
rhythm as never heard before.

On this recording the band is giving its best performance so
that you will agree after listening, that it is one of the
best Steelband in the Virgin Islands.

Gangsters of Love

Artist: Gangsters of Love

LP: Gangsters of Love
Song: "Never Is Too Soon"
[ listen ]

Song: "Sympathy For the Devil"
[ listen ]

This is one of the best '70s rock albums in my collection. In fact, a couple mixing buddies and I have been known to adopt identities of some of the group when making and posting musical mixes detailing the fantastic and elaborate adventures of the Gangsters of Love—as you can see here, here and here. If any of the real Gangsters of Love are reading this, I would love to know more about your band, the recording of this LP and to hear what y'all are up to nowadays. You can get your own sealed copy of this incredible 1973 self-titled Gangsters of Love LP here, and this list of who's who is from the back of the LP:

Louis Hollingsworth — Keyboards, Lead Vocals
Dennis Dillon — Lead Guitar
Lawrence Harrison, Jr. — Trumpet, Flute, Background Vocals
Ralph Torres — Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, Flute, Background Vocals
Roland Padilla — Drums
John Brown — Congas
Steve Sanchez — Guitar
David Day — Bass

Stewart Levine — Producer

[ Gangsters of Love ]

Lulu Santos

Artist: Lulu Santos

LP: O Ritmo Do Momento

Song: "O Ritmo Do Momento"
[ listen ]

Did you ever wonder what it would sound like if Rick Springfield had been born in Rio de Janeiro and sang in Portuguese? (At least I think Lulu's singing in Portuguese, though it kinda' sounds like Spanish. Will someone please verify?) You can read about Lulu Santos here and visit his Portuguese-language website here (to turn off sound, click the top button on the pink radio down in the corner). My Portuguese is a little rusty, but I'm a bit disappointed that it doesn't seem like his website contains any anecdotes about the grade school traumas suffered by a pretty-faced pre-teen laddie named Lulu—who later exacted revenge on his tormentors by becoming a rock star heartthrob with brazillions of screaming fans.

Hamilton Bohannon

Artist: Hamilton Bohannon

LP: Keep On Dancin'

Song: "Dance With Your Parno"
[ listen ]

Hamilton Bohannon was first hired on to play drums for Stevie Wonder's touring group before going on to become bandleader and arranger for some of Motown's big acts. You can read more about Hamilton Bohannon here. All songs on Bohannon's 1974 "Keep On Dancin'" LP are superb, as Wayne Joell says, but I especially like "Dance With Your Parno" for using chain-gang-type call-and-response in a funky dance number. Here are the LP liner notes:

Keep on Dancin' is the title of a new collection of songs
written, arranged, directed, produced and performed by
Hamilton Bohannon. Bohannon, who was Motown's Band-
leader for a number of years is finally coming into his own.
Bohannon's ability is amazing. I would like to know why
has he been hid from the public all these years. He is truly
a new Star. Check out this album, it's superb! Make sure
you listen to the beautiful ballad "Have a Good Day," it has
to be one of the best ballads of the year. Along with Hamilton
Bohannon one Rad Lumpkins, Fernando Sanders, David Pruitt
and Lorenzo Brown, truly all Giants. Bohannon makes his debut as
he sings for the first time. Check him out. Ladies and Gentlemen,
boys and Girls, Have a Good Day and Keep on Danging with the
unique rhythms of Bohannon.

"WAYNE JOEL"
Program Director
WDAS—FM Phila.

[ Hamilton Bohannon ]

Dick & Dee Dee

Artist: Dick & Dee Dee

LP: Thou Shalt Not Steal

Song: "Thou Shalt Not Steal"
[ listen ]
Song: "Thou Shalt Not Steal" (slow version)
[ listen ]

"Thou Shalt Not Steal" is one humdinger of a song—it reached #13 on the Billboard singles charts back in 1965. The track's super-fast, high-pitched vocals had me wondering what it would sound like at a slower speed, so I gave it a try and found it to take on a soulful, circumspect quality. (Sorry about the warbles; it was late and I was spinning with my finger, but at least you get the idea.) You can find neat photos, videos and lots of other info on the official Dick & Dee website here. (Be sure to check out Dee Dee's blog, which says I missed a Dick & Dee Dee show here in Seattle earlier this year—with Michael Dunn singing the male parts, since, sadly, Dick St. John fell off his roof and died back in 2003.) You can read about Dick & Dee Dee and their string of hits on Wikipedia here and I've included the LP liner notes below. This video of the duo singing "Where Did All the Good Times Go" is one of the best things I've laid eyes on in a while; it's perfect for the end of summer:

Dick & Dee Dee on YouTube:
[ "Where Did All the Good Times Go" ]

Take two attractive singers from Santa Monica, California.
A few years back, they were sitting in cheering sections,
making a different kind of sound. Now the cheering sections
are making welcome sounds for Dick and Dee Dee. Through
a string of hits, these two unique vocalists have made them-
selves a lot more than a couple of Santa Monica teens.
"Thou Shalt Not Steal" is making up a major part of
the difference that's their uniqueness.

A few years back, Dick and Dee Dee began in a small, West
Coast way. A couple of hits, then a Dick Clark Caravan tour
began to spread the word 3,000 miles across the U.S. about
the wild, new sound of D&DD. They became national
favorites. Today, their sound's gone international, and it's
not unusual to find them fastening their seat belts on a plane
heading for, say, England for recording dates and concerts.

That kind of living's a long way from the surfing
shores of Santa Monica, friends.

It all began back with "The Mountain's High," a hit made by
Dick and Dee Dee just ten days after they joined forces to
become a vocal duo. Dick St. John and Dee Dee Sperling
(they're not related; they're not married; they're great friends)
followed with his like "Tell Me," "Turn Around," and a couple of
fist-fulls more. "Thou Shalt Not Steal" is their latest, a
remarkable song in a remarkable album.

One thing about this album. It's not a one song LP. Every song
Dick and Dee Dee (and their producers, The Wilder Brothers,
and arranger Don Ralke) perform has their patented hit
sound all the way through it.

From Santa Monica...to the United States...to the world...to
"Thou Shalt Not Steal"...to this hit album. It's a great trip
you're sharing in this album. Listen to it greatly.

Noro Morales & His Orchestra

Artist: Noro Morales & His Orchestra

LP: Latin Rhythms For Dancing [7" EP]

Song: "Rhumba Fantasy"
[ listen ]

Here's one from Puerto Rican pianist/bandleader Noro Morrales, who you can read about on All About Jazz here. The good news: this 4-track 7" EP is on beautiful red vinyl! The bad news: there's a little warp toward the end of the track, so I had to put a dime on the needle to keep it from skipping. You can still hear it bumping a little when the needle hits the warp. I had to post it anyhow since Noro Morales has one of the sexiest mugs in the history of show business. Look at those lips!

[ Noro Morales' Lips: January 4, 1911 — January 14, 1964 ]

Luther Henderson & His Orchestra

Artist: Luther Henderson & His Orchestra

LP: The Greatest Sound Around

Song: "Melody For Hand Clappers"
[ listen ]

Here's some poppy, happy hand-clapping (plus a bit of finger-snapping) for a cool and foggy Seattle morning. When Luther Henderson was little, Duke Ellington was his neighbor! You can read all about Mr. Henderson here and here, and I've included the slightly hip liner notes from the back of the LP here:

THE GREATEST SOUND AROUND
HAND-CLAPPING RHYTHMS OF LUTHER HENDERSON
AND HIS ORCHESTRA

MAN BEATS POPS
A little rhythm is a dangerous thing, somebody said—and
then ran before we could take his name. But he was so right.
You get to moving around to it, nodding the head, beating a
heel against the parquet, toeing a table leg, putting a spoon
against the glass. Pretty soon you're on your feet, walking
with a twitch, trying a fancy step, snapping finger and thumb
to the beat. Hardly any time at all you're slapping hands
and letting it take over. Watch it.

On the other hand, why not? It was a good year for rhythm,
1959, a vintage year maybe. And not just in jazz. The pop tunes
had it too, as the twelve assembled here from that crop attest
to. Very big, they were, in 1959, though some of them were born
long before that. And while many of them were essentially ballads,
they all take a beat, they all will move on request. And when they
are put to a crisp rhythm by the guy who is simply the earth-
movingest arranger around (L.H.) and executed by the
sharpest set of instrumentalists collectable—you
get it, man, the Greatest.

Luther Henderson—the man who made all this rhythm possible
and without whom we would have a blank record—is a head-
nodder from away back. His first dance sets were for Ellington;
his first notable backgrounds were for Lena Horne, whose ac-
companist and arranger he used to be. Then came some years
of servicing with appropriate musical settings for just about
every top vocalist and dancer in show business. Polly Bergen,
Anita Ellis and Joya Sherrill have recently recorded with Luther
the latest in a long list of vocal records, in addition to which his
first instrumental—Clap Hands (CL 1340 / CS 8149)—was last
year's pick of the pack of rhythm-slanted orchestral albums.
And still he complains. It seems that all this rhythm—finger-
snapping, hand-clapping and all that—is hard on gloves and
cuticles. Price of fame, man, price of fame.

[ Luther Henderson: March 14, 1919 — July 29, 2003 ]

Gus

Artist: Gus

LP: 7" single

Song: "Sweet Delight"
[ listen ]

To be honest, I'm not really nuts about this song. It's basically just typical early '80s rock, though it has the novelty of being a 7" single that plays at 33.3 rpm instead of 45. I think I bought it mainly because Gus has such beautiful eyes. My web search for more Gus pics wasn't very successful, though it did turn up this little treat:

Capability Brown

Artist: Capability Brown

LP: Voice

Song: "I Am and So Are You"
[ listen ]

It's funny, because I was talking with a friend about being zipper-lipped just the other day...and then I find this in my collection. I would tell you more, but I really don't think I should. You can read about the band here (I'd like to thank, acknowledge and ask permission to Mark J. Moerman and Ronald P. Kane for all the hard work they've done) and you can then read about the original Capability Brown on Wikipedia here.

Kenny Rowe/David Nevin/Joe Williams/Tony Ferguson/Roger Willis/Grahame White

[ Capability Brown ]

The Ambassador Quartet

Artist: The Ambassador Quartet

LP: Thank God I Am Free

Song: "I Have the Love of Jesus"
[ listen ]

I went to church in the Seattle suburb of Shoreline yesterday. (Long story, don't ask.) They had refreshments in the basement after the service and I ended up sitting next to Ross—a lively 85-year-old gentleman who mentioned that he'd be traveling by train to Minneapolis in a few weeks. I remarked that some relatives had really enjoyed traveling by train to our family reunion in Bismarck in July, after which he told me about his cross-country train trip in the early 1940s, when he was a serviceman during WWII. He said the train stopped in Fargo, North Dakota and a host of beautiful patriotic girls got on board with a band of horn-players and they handed out pheasant sandwiches to all the servicemen. He told me he would never forget those wonderful women and that those sandwiches were among the most delicious he'd ever had.

As for today's posting... I don't claim to be an expert, but if you're going to have a "quartet," doesn't that mean just 4 people? Anyway, The Ambassador Quartet features Ardell De Berg on guitar, and I've included the LP's liner notes below. Here's a little game: One of the members of The Ambassador Quartet pictured on the front cover is a woman. Can you guess which one?

The album title, THANK GOD I AM FREE, is the
testimony of each member of The Ambassador
Quartet. This experienced group, widely known
in the Middle-West, convey their own deep
religious feeling and personal faith through song.

There is something about the beautiful outdoors
that can make man aware of his great Creator. It
was this thought that inspired the cover photo,
the setting of which was through the courtesy
of John Stegeman.

It is the prayer of each quartet member that
this, their third album, will be of spiritual uplift
as well as entertaining.

Toni Jacque and His Ensemble

Artist: Toni Jacque and His Ensemble

LP: Paris Musette

Song: "Le Denicheur"
[ listen ]

Here's a nice little French ditty for early on a sunny Friday September morning in Seattle. Almost every song on Toni Jacque's 1967 album sounds like it could have come from the soundtrack of one of Eric Rohmer's light and witty romantic comedies—like this one... or maybe this one!

Brian Protheroe

Artist: Brian Protheroe

LP: Pick-Up

Song: "Enjoy It"
[ listen ]

Born June 16, 1944, actor/musician Brian Protheroe once worked as a library assistant. He released several popalicious LPs in the early-to-mid 1970s, including "Pick-Up" in 1975. You can read more about Brian Protheroe on Wikipedia here, see his filmography here (he played the Air Force One co-pilot in Superman: The Movie!) and go here to watch a funny homemade slideshow set to "Pinball"—Protheroe's lovely single that peaked at #22 on the UK charts back in 1974.

Full Force

Artist: Full Force

LP: 7" single

Song: "Old Flames Never Die"
[ listen ]

If you ever feel like dancing to a Full Force song, this is probably the one you should pick. The group (brothers B-Fine, Paul Anthony, Bowlegged Lou and their cousins Shy Shy, Curt-T-T and Baby Gerry) made an appearance in the film House Party and they've written songs for a long list of successful musical artists—like Samantha Fox, Britney Spears, James Brown and of course Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, to name a few. But only one of their own songs ever made it to the R&B top ten. Go here to find out which song and to read more about Full Force. You can visit their official website here—just click the 'pause' button at the top to turn off sound, and be sure to check out the group's personal bio pages under the FULL FORCE tab. This special message comes from the back of the picture sleeve: "To all people: May all the positive and optimistic things in life be yours!" Well the feeling is mutual, Full Force. Have a nice day.

Barbara and Dick

Artist: Barbara and Dick

LP: Oh! El Amor

Song: "Adios Se Va"
[ listen ]

Here's a neat little treat from down Argentine way. I wasn't able to find much info about Barbara and Dick on the web—though according to my Google image search, the couple has retired and are now living in Fort Smith, Arkansas where they pass the hours swinging on their porch and drinking Snapple. If anyone knows what else they've been up to, please let me know. In the meantime, there's a brand-new bargain-priced copy of this terrific 1977 LP at Flipside Records here if anyone wants it.

Lightning

Artist: Lightning

LP: Lightning

Song: "Disco Symphony"
[ listen ]

In honor of Labor Day...a "Disco Symphony!" This 1979 LP was produced by Lewis Merenstein and Ralph Moss; cover photography by Scott Hensel; accessories by Fiorucci of Beverly Hills and Alkire; hair and make-up by Peter Alford; skates by Skate Escape.

Marjorie Meinert [1921-2009]

Artist: Marjorie Meinert

LP: Vive La Différence

Song: "Paree!"
[ listen ]

I received a note yesterday informing me that Marjorie Meinert died last Saturday at the age of 88. With her breezy, other-worldly arrangements, Meinert is one of my favorite organists who recorded in the 1950s and '60s. In April I posted a track from her "Hi-Fi and Mighty" LP (see here), where I included a link to a page where you can find an amazing video clip of 'Marge' performing "Flight of the Bumble Bee" on Ken Griffin's 67 Melody Lane TV show. She seems like a real swell gal; I wonder if she ever did make it to Paris. You can read Meinert's obituary from the Quad City Times here and find notes and photos from the back of her terrific Paris-themed debut LP, "Vive La Différence," below.

Who hasn't been to Paris, in person or in spirit, at least
once in his lifetime? There's something magical—and
very personal—about this City of Light. Something, too,
is magical about the music of Paris. Whether it actually
comes from Paris, or merely describes the city, a song
seems to belong there as much as the kiosks and
the Louvre. Thus, while many of the songs collected
on this recording are imported from the site of sights,
there are some which were penned more than 3,500
miles away. Both types mix freely, go well together,
and bring that Parisian magic to the fore...just as,
say, a fine French wine does something mystical
to that superb Gallic cuisine.

The songs that were born, raised, and hummed all over
Paris include "La Vie en Rose" (one of its writers, in fact,
is a living legend bound to Paris as tightly as the Arch
of Triumph—the fabulous Edith Piaf); "Under Paris Skies";
"The Poor People of Paris"; "Under the Bridges of Paris";
"The River Seine"; "C'est si Bon"; and the lovely, wistful
"Autumn Leaves." The rest are American products that
have captured the flavor of the city and the people
and their way of life.

Giving the songs in the set an aura all their own is a
Parisian out of Davenport, Iowa—organist Marjorie Meinert,
making her RCA Victor debut in this album. The LOWREY
"Lincoln-wood" played by Miss Meinert brings to organ
music a whole complement of brilliant sounds, including
an exciting range of "percussion" and orchestral effects.

Working with a guitar accompaniment, Miss Meinert
creates some sounds on these familiar melodies that
spice them with an air of frivolity, sadness, deep
romance, and the pulse of life that courses through
the city as steadily as the Seine.

Although it hasn't yet been established that Miss
Meinert has actually ever been to the French capital,
one thing is sure: Marjorie can make the city and the
tower and the Seine and the carts and the bookstalls
and all that is Paris come winging to mind
when she sits down to play.
— FERRIS BENDA

* * * * * * *

A fine record deserves the finest phonograph—
an RCA Victor Stereo High Fidelity "Victrola."

* * * * * * *

Marjorie Meinert

[June 16, 1921 - August 29, 2009]
We will miss you, Marjorie.

Giants

Artist: Giants
LP: Giants
Song: "Attitude"
[ listen ]
Song: "Kilimanjaro"
[ listen ]

Here's something funky I picked up on my trip to NYC back in April. Produced by Greg Errico, this self-titled Giants LP features lots of big-name musicians throwing their talents into the pot. I've included their names below along with links to whatever photos I could find on the web.

Musicians:

Greg Errico — drums & synthesizer
Carlos Santana — guitarHerbie Hancock — pianoLee Oskar — harmonicaNeal Schon — guitarsMike Carabello — organ & congasGreg Rollie — organChepito Areas — percussionRico Reyes — percussion
Doug Rauch — bassMike Garcia — vibesWendy Haas — pianoVictor Pantoja — congasRobert Vega — fuzz bassDoug Rodriguez — guitar

Vocals:Bianca Thornton-OdenFreddie PoolGene WashingtonWendy HaasLinda TilleryCoke EscovedoJody Moreing