Teasing the Korean

The Morricone album is the better of the two:

Late to the party on this one - I've only now just seen it. Many of you asked questions similar to mine - emphasis on Red Rodney vs. Miles, etc.- but those have been dealt with already. I agree 100% with Stereo Jack regarding the musical overdubs. The low-fi recordings would have been jarring within the context of a hi-fi film in a theatre. The soundtrack album, away from the movie, however, is a different story. Also agree with Jack that the film (I'm paraphrasing) dealt too much with the personal details and did not really place Parker within the context of the era, jazz, etc. Maybe that was a deliberate choice, to show the day-to-day reality of being a genius having to pay the bills. Still, I enjoyed it.

I am hearing chewy's post read in the voice of Christian Bale...

I agree that some of those albums have a clunker or two, often a novelty tune, certainly true of the early Columbia albums. I need to revisit some of those Mercury albums. The main two I've spun in recent years are "Percussion in Hi-Fi" and "Richard Diamond." I think his arrangements for June Christy and Patti Page's "jazz" albums are pretty flawless.

The sound on my stereo copy of "Rhythm Meets Rugolo" is similar to early Capitol stereo: It sounds like two mics at the back of an empty hall pointed to an orchestra at the other end. It creates a natural room sound, but certain details get lost, especially with the rhythm section. Larry, it's interesting that you use the adjective "ponderous" to describe Pete Rugolo. That is an adjective I would use to describe Kenton himself, along with Bill Russo and Bill Holman; not so much for Johnny Richards or Bob Graettinger. To me, Rugolo is the opposite of "ponderous" - He took Kenton's modernistic, futuristic approach, but with a sense of humor and style that Kenton could never approximate on his best day. The liner notes of Kenton's Capitol albums tell you all you need to know. By contrast, spin "Here's Pete," the opening track on one of Pete's early Columbia albums. I wouldn't trade side two of "Richard Diamond" for Kenton's entire (non-Rugolo) Capitol output. As someone who equally loves both "serious" jazz orchestral stuff and space age bachelor music, I can say that Pete consistently satisfies in both categories in a way that few other arrangers can. And his late 1990s score for the Jim Thompson adaptation "This World, Then the Firework" exceeded even my high expectations.

No kind of about it for me; I never got the Beach Boys. I can get into some of the surf scene stuff, but even there the Beach Boys always sounded like pure bubblegum to me. I agree with you guys. I also think jazz is the worst music out there, because I've heard Kenny G and I think he sucks; therefore we all know that jazz is crap. Art Tatum is a fraud.

I'd love to see the score for "In a Chinese Garden."

Two of Pete Rugolo's early (earliest?) Mercury LPs were "Out on a Limb" and "Music for Hi-Fi Bugs." Both were recorded in mono and stereo, but released only on mono LPs. Later, when stereo LPs were available, the tracks from both albums were reshuffled and issued with new cover art as "Rhythm Meets Rugolo" and "Music from Out of Space." Apparently, the first two mono LPs were never released in stereo with the original cover art and track lineups. Of the two stereo LPs, I have seen mono copies of "Rhythm Meets Rugolo." I have read that "Out of Space" also came out on a mono LP, but I have never actually seen one. I have seen reference to the catalog number, but sometimes albums get a catalog number but never get released. Can anyone confirm if "Music from Out of Space" ever did come out in mono, and if so, does anyone have a jpeg of the cover?

Morricone - Revolver OST - Dagored

Henry Mancini - Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? OST - Epic (white label promo; 70s orange label era). This is reminiscent of Morricone's early 70s stuff.

I think that Van Dyke Parks is the only great lyricist that Brian ever worked with.

That was a JOKE. I thought it was well known that Love largely derailed Smile (along with Brian's meltdown), and that the Pet Sounds box was held up because Love wanted the liner notes revised. Well, those are among my favorite Beach Boys recordings ever. That's what makes horse racing.

No, it was Smile. At any rate, I'm looking forward to the Mike Stamos/John Love liner notes to the new Smile release: "While Brian was increasingly having doubts about the music's commercial potential, it was Mike Love who continually encouraged Brian to finish the album..."

Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster - Verve (stereo) Japan reissue.

Dave Brubeck - Time Out - Columbia (6 eye mono) Joe Morello RIP Mono is the way to hear this one.

The Best of Chet Baker Sings - EMI/Pacific Jazz (80s reissue, mono)

Mine was "Joe Morello Takes Five." Very sorry to hear this. Brubeck was one of my entry points into jazz. I will spin something in Joe's honor.

..and with Smile you won't be starting up again. I guess you're right, although even Brian referred to it as a "teenage symphony to God."

Anyone else as obsessed with this album as I am? It is an early 60s album on Verve. It is distinguished by at least three things: 1 - Anita is in great form 2 - Gary McFarland's arrangements have that 60s modernist jazz orchestra sound. 3 - It includes a number of tunes that you rarely hear in a jazz vocal context. I think "Night Bird" is arguably the highlight of the album, although I love the whole thing.

Brian's voice is shot on the finished version. Some of the bootlegged stuff sounds better than others. Agree that tbey waited too long. Still, I will probably buy it, and I almost never buy or listen to any teen pop music anymore. I'll proably opt for the deluxe set and then never make it all the way through it.

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/entertainment/music/Beach-Boys-Smile-Album-Will-Be-Released--117847038.html

I do not understand this. If Tony Bennett, or anyone else, is making choices on the fly that are surprising harmonically, melodically and/or rhythmically, how can I, Larry Kart, Burr, or anyone else say which of these choices would be a "musician's" choices or not? There are as many musician's choices in those situations as there are musicians.

I would tend to agree with you, but I think that Peggy eventually strayed farther from jazz territory than Tony did for several years. That doesn't mean she's less of a jazz singer than he is; I was referring more to the overall stylistic focus than the inherent musical ability.

I think that the great 20th Century song stylists can fall at various points on the spectrum between pop and jazz. Some are clearly one or the other; others are not so clearly categorized. Aside from some of his early schmaltzy singles and perhaps a few mid-life crisis missteps, I think that Tony Bennett maintained more a of a consistent jazz element throughout his career than many of what I would consider the "jazzy pop singers" - artists such as Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Julie London, and others. Whether that makes Tony a jazz singer, I don't know, but the distinction is worth noting.

Jazz Gunn and Daktari is a great twofer. Why would you want Gunn by itself?