duaneiac

When people talk about the Great American Songbook, the names most likely to be discussed are Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, Rodgers & Hart (and sometimes Hammerstein II) with perhaps a nod to Kern, Arlen and Carmichael. Frank Loesser, I fear, is too often easily overlooked. His career evolved over time, beginning as a lyricist working with other composers (as on the first 4 tracks on this disc as well as on such WW II homefront gems not included here like "I Don't Want To Walk Without You" and "They're Either Too Young Or Too Old"). His breakthrough moment as a composer & lyricist came with the WW II rallying cry "Praise The Lord and Pass The Ammunition" and it was in the post-war period that he really came into his own as a songwriter. His biggest artistic success was probably Guys And Dolls (represented by 4 song on this disc although, surprisingly, not the title number or "Luck Be A Lady"), but he also had major Broadway success with Most Happy Fella and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. This CD is a good sampling of his music and makes a strong case for his inclusion among the very top rank of GAS songwriters.

Disc 1 & 2 of 2. So I was just a kid when Brook Benton had his big hit with "Rainy Night In Georgia" in 1970. I'd never heard of him before, so I assumed he was just a sort of one-hit wonder. It was several years before I learned he had a long and successful career before that song -- and several more years before I learned he co-wrote "A Lover's Question". This CD set presents a good picture of his range as a singer as he croons standards, folk songs, blues and some of his own compositions.

I have a 2012 Verve/Universal EU reissue which combined Eleventh Hour with the album Sandy's Gone, the latter arranged & conducted by Claus Ogerman. I have not listened to it in a long time, so I can't really give an opinion on it. I'll have to check it out again.

I enjoy these "Birthday Sessions" CDs. Since they were issued on the low-budget LaserLight label, some jazz fans may have overlooked them, assuming them to be poor quality bootlegs or something. The sound is quite good since they were recorded by none other than Wally Heider. The music is quite good too. It's a setting far removed from Carnegie Hall, both geographically and musically -- a dance date at McElroy's Ballroom in Portland, OR probably 1953 or '54. The band sounds relaxed and the musical selections were all over the place as you can see from the above -- everything from Ellington classics like "Mood Indigo" and "C Jam Blues" to the "Bunny Hop Mambo". The band even plays "Happy Birthday" for a Mrs. Geraldine Richardson (I wonder if she lived long enough to get a copy of this CD and hear Duke Ellington send her birthday greetings once again). No Johnny Hodges here, but there were still stars like Clark Terry, Britt Woodman, Paul Gonsalves and Jimmy Hamilton and some less heralded musicians like Willie Cook and Rick Henderson get some spotlight time. I may be in the minority, but I've always liked the singing of Jimmy Grissom. I assume copies of these 5 CDs can still be found and they are well worth picking up.

Surprisingly, the first album here, Lola Wants You (and no, she does not sing "Whatever Lola Wants" from which the album, one would assume, derived its title), was recorded a year before her star making role as singer Edie Hart on the Peter Gunn TV series. The second album was made during the run of that series and Henry Mancini conducted the orchestra and also co-wrote a few tunes on it. Ms. Albright sounded a bit like a good mixture of Peggy Lee and Julie London. I wish she had recorded more albums.

A terrific compilation which I have not listened to for far too long. Too bad they never got around to issuing Vol. 2. My favorite lines -- "So you're an amateur. Every one's an amateur. No one lives long enough to be anything but an amateur."

Or even donate them to any interested libraries, schools, colleges, universities, senior centers, etc.

Freddy Morgan, Mr. Banjo, produced by Spike Jones (in whose band Mr. Morgan was a featured player).

Three trio (with Henry Grimes and the invincible Roy Haynes) tracks from 1958 (this is the group seen/heard in the film Jazz On a Summer's Day), four tracks from a quartet ( Sam Jones, Art Taylor and Charlie Rouse) in 1959 plus two bonus tracks from the 1962 festival of Monk playing two of his compositions with the Duke Ellington Orchestra.

Surprisingly, there is no complete personnel listing on this CD. Did the original LP have such info? I'd say "The Sleeping Lady And The Giant Who Watches Over Her" is a significant Ellington composition.

Thanks for that info, kh1958. It's one thing for a pianist such as Eubie Blake or Sir Charles Thompson to still be playing in their 90's, but it's amazing to me for a player of any wind instrument to still be playing at that age. I hope Lou Donaldson is doing well and keepin' on keepin' on these days. Now playing: Thanks for sharing your take on this CD release, Peter. I've had that one on my Amazon Wishlist for a while now. Your positive opinion of it might just induce me to get it sooner rather than later.

Is Lou Donaldson still playing/touring? There is no concert schedule page on his website. He is 91. Has he perhaps retired and I missed that news?