Franck Pourcel - Cantando en la Lluvia

This Franck Pourcel album was released in Mexico in 1975. The title is the Spanish translation of the Broadway and film standard Singin' in the Rain.

I remember purchasing this LP and two other Pourcel albums at an El Paso, Texas thrift shop that was just a stone's throw from the border crossing to Juarez, Mexico. That was a number of years ago, before gang violence made Juarez a totally unsafe destination.

The quality of most Mexican LP pressings wasn't all that great and unfortunately that applies to the Pourcel albums even though they were released under the Odeon/EMI imprint.

Une fille aux yeux clairs (literally A Girl with Clear Eyes) comes from the LP pictured above and appears under the Spanish trnanslation, Una Muchacha de Ojos Claros. This was a pop hit for French singer Michel Sardou in 1974.

Une fille aux yeux clairs



Cantando en la Lluvia was released on CD in Mexico in 2001, but I have no idea whether it's still in print. However, there are dozens of Frank Pourcel albums available on CD or as downloads, so if you like the big easy listening orchestras, you're sure to come across something that strikes your fancy.

Here's some interesting footage of a rehearsal by the Pourcel orchestra for a 1959 French TV show. Unfortunately the music track doesn't match the video, but worthwhile nonetheless.

NBC's Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street

NBC broadcast The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street East from 1940-44. This half-hour radio program of jazz was delivered in a tongue-in-cheek manner that satirized the opera and symphony broadcasts hosted by Milton Cross.

Dinah Shore and Lena Horne were among the featured vocalists with Henry Levine & His Barefooted Dixieland Philharmonic and Paul Laval & His Woodwindy Ten providing the music.

The album of selections from the show that's pictured above was first released on the RCA Camden label in 1956 (Some of the selections had appeared on an RCA Victor 78 r.p.m. album). I'm not sure which of the two covers came first, but I suspect it was the grey one. It was probably reissued with the second cover to emphasize the presence of Shore and Horne. There were a couple of more reissues of this album on Camden in ensuing years, with different covers again. The track selection was identical on all of them.

Here's trumpeter Henry Levine and his group with one of the most recognizable Dixieland tunes. The MP3 is taken from a copy of the vinyl LP that has the grey cover.

Basin Street Blues



All of the material on the Camden LP (plus another dozen bonus tracks) is easily available on CD in a 1995 release on the Harlequin label.

New and used copies start at about $6 on Amazon.

The Camden album also can be had as a download, but it's almost certainly taken from a vinyl LP.

Claude Ciari Joue Les Succès De Fairuz ‎– Habbeytak Bessayf

French guitarist Claude Ciari (previously profiled in a post in April 2013) recorded this intriguing blend of Western easy listening and Arabic melodies in 1974. It's dedicated to the songs of Fairuz (Arabic for Turquoise), a Lebanese singer who has fans throughout the Arab world.

There were numerous releases of this album in various countries and there are several variations in the spelling of the singer's name and of the song titles because of their translations from Arabic. There were slight changes in the album title as well, depending on where the LP was released.

The LP cover pictured above was the one used in France and Greece, and perhaps other countries as well. Listen to a sample track.

Dakkeyt



There have been at least three CD reissues of this album, all from EMI. They have the covers below and the contents are identical.

The third version (gold cover) is probably the easiest to obtain. It's available at a low price from Amazon in the U.K. Prices of the other two are astronomical (in the $100 range on eBay and Amazon). Why, I have no idea. They're relatively recent releases, so go figure.

After a cursory search, the album does not seem to be available as a legal download, at least from the usual sources (iTunes, Amazon, etc.).

From YouTube here's Claude Ciari playing Homage a Fairuz, his personal tribute to the Lebanese performer. Note the variation in the album cover.

Lee Wiley - Night in Manhattan

Jazz singer Lee Wiley (1910-1975) pioneered the concept of recording albums of songs that shared a common composer or theme.

Those albums began appearing in the late 1930s as sets of four 10-inch 78 r.p.m. records. Wiley recorded sets devoted to the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, and Harold Arlen. In the '40s Wiley performed with the big band of pianist Jess Stacy (to whom she was married for a time) and with small groups organized by guitarist Eddie Condon.

In 1950, Wiley signed with Columbia, where she recorded what many consider to be her best album, Night in Manhattan, backed by a group that included trumpeter Bobby Hackett and pianist Joe Bushkin. The LP was first issued as a 10-incher with the cover pictured at the top of this post.

Four additional tracks were made available for the 12-inch release, which had this cover.

In 1995, Columbia Special Products reissued the LP on cassette and CD with the cover below.

Here's a track taken from the cassette version of the 1995 re-release.

I've Got a Crush on You



There are numerous options for obtaining on CD or via downloads the songs that Lee Wiley recorded for the Night in Manhattan sessions. Most of them are listed here.

And here's Wiley with the song that set the mood for Night in Manhattan.

Dave & Ansil Collins - Double Barrel (Version 2) (45 single)

The Jamaican duo of Dave and Ansil Collins had a brief fling with international fame when their single Double Barrel hit the charts in 1971.

This wasn't a brothers duo. Dave was Dave Barker, a session vocalist, while Ansil (or Ansel, as he was billed on the Double Barrel album) Collins was a keyboardist, usually playing a cheesy sounding organ.

The duo was shortlived. After an album based on the hit single, Barker and Collins went their separate ways.

You'll notice that the Double Barrel single above is labelled Version 2. This is an unadulterated instrumental, without Barker's shouted vocal interjections, and appeared only (as far as I know) on the flip side of the 45, which was issued on the Techniques label in Jamaica and the U.K. and on Big Tree in the U.S.

Double Barrel (Version 2)



This instrumental track did not appear on the Double Barrel LP which followed, although the album did include a track called Impossible Mission, a rejigged version of the title song.

Check out the difference in the album cover art between the U.K.-Jamaican release and the U.S. one.

Notice the naked women in the gun barrels. These were cut out of the U.S. release. Also "Ansel" is spelled with one "L" -- on the U.S. cover it has two "L's." On the single it was "Ansil" - "I" instead of "E" and with one "L."

There are a several options for obtaining Double Barrel and other tracks by Dave and Ansil Collins on either CD or as downloads. View them here. Many of the album tracks are instrumentals.

And finally here's the hit version of Double Barrel.

Al Hirt - The Heart and Soul of Dixieland Jazz

This five-LP box set, issued by the Longines Symphonette Society in 1967, consisted in large part of recordings that Al Hirt made for the Audio Fidelity label in the late 1950s. The trumpeter was appearing at a New Orleans club called Dan's Pier 600 at the time and hadn't yet achieved much fame beyond his home base. That would change in the following decade when Hirt signed with RCA Victor and recorded hits like Cotton Candy and Java.

The Audio Fidelity recordings were made by a sextet that included Harold Cooper on clarinet, Bob Havens on trombone, pianist Ronnie DuPont, Bob Coquille on bass and Paul Edwards, drums. Unlike most Dixieland sessions, the emphasis wasn't on the ensemble but on the featured soloist, in this case Hirt. Here's a sample track.

Up a Lazy River



Almost all of Hirt's Audio Fidelity recordings are available digitally. The British-based Jasmine label has recently released Swinging Dixie, a two-CD set that combines three of the Audio Fidelity LPs. It's widely available and can be had via download as well.

If you're keen on vinyl, The Heart and Soul of Dixieland Jazz turns up frequently online, with many copies selling at a reasonable price. Thrift stores and garage sales are other sources for this excellent box set.

The following version of Up a Lazy River is by another New Orleans veteran, Pete Fountain. The track comes from a 1975 LP on Monument called Super Jazz, which featured both Fountain and Hirt separately as well as three selections that they perform together. Lazy River is by Fountain alone, despite the credit on the YouTube video.

Martin Denny - Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island, released by Liberty in 1958, was Martin Denny's third album, following the success of Exotica and Exotica, Vol. 2, both released the previous year.

Forbidden Island was also Denny's first album recorded without vibraphonist Arthur Lyman, who had left to form a group very similar to Denny's. To replace Lyman, Denny hired Julius Wechter (who would later lead the Baja Marimba Band). But the music didn't change -- a mixture of exotic-sounding instrumentation, easy listening and rain forest sound effects, including lots of bird calls.

Forbidden Island included a couple of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, March of the Siamese Children from The King and I and Bali Ha'i from South Pacific.

Bali Ha'i



Forbidden Island has received at least two CD reissues -- in 1996 on Scamp when it was paired with Denny's followup, Primateva, and 10 years later by a British label, Rev-Ola. The latter disc included both mono and stereo versions of the album. The Scamp release is top quality but I'm not sure what source was used by Rev-Ola. Both versions are still available online, but are expensive. Forbidden Island also is available as a download from most of the major sources.

From YouTube, here's the title song from Forbidden Island.

The Scavengers - Curfue (single)

Curfue (sic) is the "B" side of an obscure 1964 single ("A" side - Oasis) recorded by The Scavengers, an instrumental band from Grand Rapids, Mich. According to the Grand Rapid Rocks website, the members of the group were Wayne VanDam, lead guitar; George Pawlowski, drums; George Snider, bass; and George Lake, rhythm guitar.

Curfue



A copy of the Oasis/Curfue single sold for $44 on eBay in 2011. This release appears to constitute the entire catalogue of this Michigan band. There was at least one other mid-1960s instrumental group called The Scavengers, but they were based in California.

Milt Jackson & His Gold Medal Winners - Brother Jim (2nd post)

This 1986 album marked the end of Milt Jackson's contract with the Pablo label. The background of the album, as well as a different track, are available in this earlier post. Almost all of the previous information is still relevant.

This time around the track is Ill Wind, a tune which Harold Arlen composed (with lyrics by Ted Koehler) for a 1934 revue at the Cotton Club. The MP3 is taken from a cassette version of Jackson's album.

Ill Wind



Cheap copies of Brother Jim seem to have disappeared since my original post in June 2012. Expect to pay $15 and up for a used CD online. Used LPs appear to be only a couple of dollars cheaper. The album still is not available as a download.

From YouTube comes Harold Arlen himself singing and playing Ill Wind. No source or date is given.

Los Relampagos - Dos Cruces (single)

Los Relampagos (The Lightning) was a popular instrumental group in Spain during the 1960s. They specialized in pop arrangements of classical and traditional Spanish songs and were influenced by bands like Johnny & the Hurricanes and The Shadows.

The Dos Cruces (Two Crosses) single dates from 1965. The lead guitarist is obviously a fan of The Shadows' Hank Marvin.

Dos Cruces



There are several albums by Los Relampagos available on CD or as downloads from several sources. Most concentrate on the group's popular recordings from the '60s and almost always include Dos Cruces. The quality of the recordings probably varies widely, so sample before buying if possible.

Los Relampagos continued recording regularly into the 1970s and there have been occasional reunions since then. The date isn't readily apparent but this performance of Dos Cruces on a TV show appears to have occurred well after the peak of their popularity. Audio quality is good, video less so.

Willie Mitchell - Solid Soul

A third slice of Memphis soul from Willie Mitchell. You'll find the previous posts with more information on Mitchell HERE and HERE.

Solid Soul dates from 1968 and consists mainly of cover versions of other people's instrumental hits: Jimmy Smith's Prayer Meetin', Hugh Masekela's Grazing in the Grass and two Freddie King hits, San-Ho-Zay and Hideaway are among them.

Then there's Up-Hard, a driving R&B track from the LP that turned into a minor hit for Mitchell when it was released as a single.

Up-Hard



Solid Soul was packaged with its predecessor On Top on a 2-on-1 CD by Hi Records UK in 1995 and again in 2001. But it's out of print now and commands upwards of $40 for a copy.

Best bet for Willie Mitchell on CD is Soul Serenade: The Best of Willie Mitchell, a 1999 Capitol release. It includes Up-Hard and 19 other tracks. Used copies start at about $10 on Amazon.

There's a ton of Willie Mitchell material to download on iTunes and elsewhere. Stick to the albums on the original Hi label and avoid the compilations put together by companies that use old LPs as their source material.

Here's another track from Solid Soul. Thanks to mrsoul1770, publisher of the first-rate Groove Addict blog, for posting this on YouTube.

Moments in Love: Just Guitar

This uncredited guitar instrumental CD is from The Netherlands. No date is specified on the release from the Ray's Music label, but it probably is from the late 1990s.

Moments in Love: Just Guitar is a slimmed down version (14 tracks) of a similarly titled album, Romancing the Hits 1: Just Guitar, which was first issued as double-LP vinyl set on the PMF label in 1990. It contained 19 selections and was later released on CD under the same title, but I'm not sure whether it came before or after the Moments in Love version.

In any case, neither CD is available. Here's a track that's included on both versions of the album.

Baker Street



All 19 tracks are available on iTunes (and probably elsewhere) under the original title Romancing the Hits, Vol. 1 and credited to the fictitious group The True Romantics. If you're a fan of pop guitar instrumentals you could do a lot worse.

Nilo Lopes and His Copacabana Orchestra - Product of Brazil-Bossa Nova

From 1943 until the late 1960s, the Seeco record label promised "The Finest in Latin American Music." The company, for the most part, lived up to that promise, with a roster that included Celia Cruz, Vicentico Valdez and Noro Morales.

Seeco also diversified into jazz and cabaret music, releasing recordings by Cy Coleman, Eartha Kitt and pianist Jose Melis, who served as music director for the Tonight Show when it was hosted by Jack Paar.

Product of Brazil - Bossa Nova came relatively late in the life of Seeco Records, coming out in 1963. The LP cover states "Recorded in Brazil" and there's no reason to doubt that claim. The company was known for the authenticity of its recordings, with representatives travelling throughout Latin America to record its artists.

Whether Nilo Lopes is a real person is another matter. There is no other reference to him in connection with Brazilian music other than this album. Nonetheless it's a pleasant listen overall, although the string section tends to be a bit strong in some places. There's a sample track below.

Creo Que Si



Many titles from the Seeco library have been available on CD and as downloads, although a lot of them appear to have come from dubious sources, i.e., someone's record collection. However, Product of Brazil - Bossa Nova has not so far made it into a digital format.

Uncredited - 18 Golden Piano Hits 1 (2nd post)

This collection of easy listening-cocktail piano favourites, issued in 1992 by Point Productions of The Netherlands, was first spotlighted in a blog post in September 2012. You can read the scant details and background of this album there.

The good: a capable pianist backed by a real orchestra. The bad: no one outside of the album insert designer is credited.

From 18 Golden Piano Hits 1 comes I'll Remember April, a popular standard composed by Gene de Paul, with lyrics by Patricia Johnstone and Don Raye, for, of all things, a 1942 Abbot and Costello comedy, Ride 'Em Cowboy. It was sung in the film by western star Dick Foran but has since been recorded by countless jazz and pop artists.

The version on 18 Golden Piano Hits is very similar to the style of British pianist Ronnie Aldrich, who recorded numerous albums for the London Phase 4 label in the 1960s and '70s.

I'll Remember April



From YouTube here's a vintage performance of I'll Remember April by saxophonist Lucky Thompson. No date or venue is given.