Teasing the Korean

Cheryl Ladd or Shelly Hack?

Each of the songs on Jo Stafford Sings Broadway's Best is by a different songwriter or songwriting team, and the composer/lyricist provides brief liner notes for each of the songs. After discussing the background of the song and his approach to the lyric, Ira Gershwin writes, "Whimsy aside, I can honestly say I've been a fan of Miss Stafford and her renditions for a long time, and I'm delighted this song is included in her record."

My parents joined what was left of the Pied Pipers - namely, Chuck Lowry - and briefly sang as members of the Pied Pipers on a tour. This would have been very early 1950s. Chuck liked to hit the sauce a little too hard, and as a result, they had to replace Chuck during the tour. Because there were no original members left, they decided to change the name of the group for the rest of the tour, even though they were singing Pied Pipers songs and arrangements. Some version of the Pied Pipers was reestablished after this time, but my parents had gone onto other projects by then. My Mom idolized Jo Stafford. By the way, that 1952 version is from a Columbia LP called Jo Stafford Sings Broadway's Best. I absolutely adore this album. I don't think it was ever reissued on CD, at least not in its original form. For some reason, every Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, while I'm preparing dinner, I play this album, along with Mingus Oh Yeah. Not sure how I started that tradition. As for the melody in the 1952 version, I just think Jo is taking tasteful liberties with the melody. There are a lot of repeated notes in that melody as written, so the song seems to lend itself to those kinds of changes.

He scored The Manchurian Candidate, which solidifies his reputation in my book.

Curly or Shemp?

This is my sense, also. I will post a few examples if I can find them.

Does Herb Alpert play trumpet on any tracks on Burt Bacharach's A&M albums? Lots of the tunes feature trumpet, and many times, the trumpet does not sound like Herb, but on a few tunes, the Herb detector registers. The albums don't list any credits. I know that Herb occasionally did things like this, for example, playing the trumpet solo on the Carpenters' "Close to You."

Our pad is pretty much a rock-free zone and has been for many years. If I'm going to listen to any "rock," it will be interpretations by aging jazz and easy listening artists turning on and tuning in to the sounds of today. But about five or six years ago, Ms. TTK wanted the Stones in Mono box set, so I gave it to her for Christmas. While I don't really spin any rock at all, I play at least once a year Aftermath. I don't know what it is about that album. I don't think the Stones ever topped it. There was enough Aftermath material for two LPs, between US and UK versions, singles, B-sides, and a couple of strays that ended up on Flowers. So I sequenced a playlist with four sides, each clocking in at around 18 minutes. It is my preferred version of Aftermath. Brian Jones was the magic, and the group was never as good after he was canned. RIP Charlie.

I never even knew that impulse! released Jazz in Silhouette.

Well, some of those Blue Note albums had only four tracks - two per side. So if there was a weak track, there was no place to hide it.

There is no flat-out formula for how those things work, although in general, approaches to sequencing LPs often included strong openers and closers on each side. And the weakest track was usually buried in the middle of side 2.

Well, I tried swapping the side order, and the sequence didn't work quite as well for me. I always considered "Ancient Aethiopia" to be the centerpiece of the album, so placing it at the end of side 1 seems like a perfect location. On the other hand, if the goal is a lure an unsuspecting jazz fan with more conservative taste into Sun Ra's orbit, starting with side 2 might work better. But I'll keep it as-is.

The Walter Raim Concept. Endless Possiblities Brave New Concepts Century 21 Orchestra. Both of these are on the MTA label. Endless Possibilities consists of mostly originals, but also a couple of Bacharach covers. There is a chorus, and there are lyrics. It conveys that post-Jesus Christ Superstar air of young couples finding themselves. The second album is instrumental versions of classics, with a "rock" beat. Both are wonderful records for today's young couple as they prepare dinner and drink wine, but in particular, I go for Endless Possibilities of the two.

My understanding is that many of them were vinyl rips, through a network of Sun Ra obsessives who shared their vinyl copies for digitization. There are some telltale signs along the way. Maybe not all, but perhaps for some of the more obscure and earlier titles.

At the time that I got those two aforementioned CDs, I remember that I had the Delmark Sun Song and Sound of Joy on LP. I have since gotten the Irwin Chusid versions of these albums, but I have not compared them to the LP versions. I am still making my way through the massive archive of stuff that Chusid produced. As you likely know, much of this stuff is from the masters and not vinyl rips like the Evidence CDs.

I am going to do this tomorrow. I should add here that my first two Sun Ra albums were Jazz in Silhouette and Futuristic Sounds of on Savoy. I got both of these on CD at a time when I had tons of jazz on LP, but almost none on CD. Both of these records made a real impression on me. I think my next Sun Ra was the twofer of Fate in a Pleasant Mood and When Sun Comes Out.

Thanks. You mentioned earlier having the master tapes. To your knowledge, has there ever been a digital version of Sophie from the masters?

So is the Universal Sound / Soul Jazz release from a tape or vinyl source?

Sometimes the side orders of LPs was ambiguous. I have LPs from the 1950s in which no side 1 or side 2 was specified. Similarly, record labels may have switched sides for any number of reasons.

Here is the track in question. It is a blueprint for A Fistful of Dollars. You wonder how Morricone's film career might have developed if Leone didn't want this sound.

Great set. Sorry I missed it! That must have been a great double bill. I loved them both.

Stitt Goes Latin - Roost (mono)

Mulatu of Ethiopia - Ethiopian Airlines - Worthy Records (W-1020), from 1972.

Just curious.

Martin Denny - Latin Village - Liberty (mono) Arrangements by Bob Florence and THEE GREAT ROBERT DRASNIN. Sonny Stitt - The Matadors Meet the Bull - Roulette (mono)