ghost of miles Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 Not exactly new... the re-issue hit the market 11 years ago. But I didn't know about it until tonight, when I stumbled across it looking for something else on the web: I'd actually like to hear it. Quote
JSngry Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 It's none too bad, all things considered. Mostly very un-Welk-like. Quote
brownie Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 It won't be to everyone's taste. Listening ot it will rise your sugar blood level! Like it. Hodges at his syrupy best! Will take everything from the Rabbit. Love him! Hey, the man hired John Coltrane and Cecil Taylor - not to mention Al Sears - in his too short lived band! Quote
chris olivarez Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 I will take your collective words for it. Quote
Stereojack Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 It's none too bad, all things considered. Mostly very un-Welk-like. ← I'll second that. The cover of the CD is totally different from the LP, which showed their faces only, Welk sporting a broad grin, Hodges with saxophone in mouth. The album is not as bad or bizarre as some might expect. Hodges does pretty straight readings of some ballads and the accompaniment is straightforward and nondescript. Quote
jazzbo Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 Yeah. A good one. But then all my life with my mom's parents Welk was on whenever Welk was on. So. . . I'm not a real Weld detractor! Quote
RDK Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 Believe it or not, I used to work for Mr. Welk. And I still want to hear this album... Quote
BruceH Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 Mostly very un-Welk-like. ← That's a good recommendation. Quote
JSngry Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 Seems like Welk (or somebody in his camp) commisioned arrangements specifically for the date, got some fine L.A. writers (Benny Carter among them, iirc) who understood the mutual requirements of such a meeting, let them do their thing, and, perhaps most importantly, treated Hodges like the royalty he was during the entire affair. Everybody was on the same page, and the results speak for themselves. There's no polkas, no "la-la-la", "Calcutta"-type gimmick vocals, no typical Welk schmaltz, no anything other than Johnny Hodges as star of a very professionally arranged and performed mid-1960s type Easy-Listening album. It is what it is. Quote
John Tapscott Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 I read somewhere that Welk really liked Hodges' playing and offered him big $$$$$ to join his orginization, but Johnny decided to stay with Ellington and continue complaining about the big $$$ he was getting there. Quote
JSngry Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 Welk reportedly gave Hodges the royal treatment during the session - 5-star hotel, chaufeurred limo, good $$$$ (from what I understand, a rarirty in the Welk business canon), and respectful deference to Rabbit in all things musical. Hodges is reported to have genuinely appreciated all of it. Quote
medjuck Posted October 30, 2005 Report Posted October 30, 2005 (edited) Hey, the man hired John Coltrane and Cecil Taylor - not to mention Al Sears - in his too short lived band! ← Cecil played in the Hodge's band!! I didn't know that. When ? Did they record together? Edited October 30, 2005 by medjuck Quote
rostasi Posted October 31, 2005 Report Posted October 31, 2005 "You know, I played in Johnny Hodges' band for about a week in 1955, in Chester, PA. That experience was so wonderful, such a pleasure I didn't even touch the piano for the first four days, until the wonderful [Ellington band trombonist] Lawrence Brown said, "er, Cecil, the piano has 88 keys, it'd be nice if you'd play one note occasionally." (laughs) Then of course, Basie's band was lighter, and their conception of that single stem or motif, which the word "riff" doesn't describe the organic nature of how that band created it's magic." - Cecil Taylor Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted October 31, 2005 Report Posted October 31, 2005 Going from memory only (very dangerous at this point) most of the arrangements were by George Cates who also shows up as composer/arranger on some mainstream Impulse dates at this point. Quote
chris olivarez Posted October 31, 2005 Report Posted October 31, 2005 Yeah. A good one. But then all my life with my mom's parents Welk was on whenever Welk was on. So. . . I'm not a real Weld detractor! ← I was made to watch the show so I am a detractor so even with all the good words that have been said about this date I don't know if I could ever bring myself to buy this. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted October 31, 2005 Report Posted October 31, 2005 I saw those shows and think the band executed the charts "above and beyond". Good musicians, at least as good as the material set in front of them. No complaints on that level. Quote
DMP Posted October 31, 2005 Report Posted October 31, 2005 I remember Hodges making an occassional appearance on the show. And I think Ralph Humphries might have been the band's drummer for a period. Quote
BruceH Posted October 31, 2005 Report Posted October 31, 2005 Thanks to this thread I've had that "Good Night" song going through my head for the last 24 hours. Back in the sixties, when I was little, I would see the Lawrence Welk show many a time at my grandparents' house. They always ended with that sticky little number. Well, time to break out the Flipper I guess. Quote
Dave James Posted October 31, 2005 Report Posted October 31, 2005 You know, Welk's band wasn't all schmaltz, bad singing, bad dancing and an occasional polka. When he wanted to, he could cut his guys loose on some pretty swinging big band arrangements. I heard him do a cracklin' version of "Begin the Bequine" a month or so ago on PBS. The reason he didn't do this kind of thing more often is simple. As much as anyone in show business, he knew which side of the bread his audience wanted him to butter. Up over and out. Quote
Kalo Posted October 31, 2005 Report Posted October 31, 2005 Cecil played in the Hodge's band!! I didn't know that. When ? Did they record together? ← What I'd really like to hear is Cecil with Welk! Quote
John Tapscott Posted October 31, 2005 Report Posted October 31, 2005 (edited) You know, Welk's band wasn't all schmaltz, bad singing, bad dancing and an occasional polka. When he wanted to, he could cut his guys loose on some pretty swinging big band arrangements. I heard him do a cracklin' version of "Begin the Bequine" a month or so ago on PBS. The reason he didn't do this kind of thing more often is simple. As much as anyone in show business, he knew which side of the bread his audience wanted him to butter. Up over and out. ← That's right. My parents and grandparents were big Welk fans and I often heard the program in the background when I was a kid (wishing the program would soon be over and we could switch to the hockey game). Those were the days of 1 TV per household. But Welk had some excellent jazz musicians in the band who could really play when they were let loose. One guy was a trombonist by the name of Bob Havens, who played a Teagarden-inspired horn as well as anyone. Also two jazz clarinet players - Peanuts Hucko and Henry Cuesta, plus of course, drummer Paul Humphries. I'm sure there were others I can't name. I was surprised to read the earlier posting about Welk's alleged tightness with the dollar. I thought the opposite was true - that he paid very well, which was the reason he could get and keep top-rate people for decades. Edited October 31, 2005 by John Tapscott Quote
JSngry Posted October 31, 2005 Report Posted October 31, 2005 Pete Fountain came to prominance on the Welk show, iirc. The "best" Welk shows were the ones towards the end, whne the show was in syndication. Paul Humphrey was the drummer, I think, Skeets Hurfurt was on lead alto, and with Havens and Questa (no match for either Fountain or Hucko, but a good player nevertheless) the band brought a core of "jazziness" to the fore that it had heretofore mostly squelched. More and more, little things began to creep into the show that hadn't been there before. I actually remember a small group jam version of "How High The Moon" ca. 1975 or so that ended with an out chorus of "Ornithology". I thought I was going to die. Quote
Quincy Posted November 1, 2005 Report Posted November 1, 2005 One guy was a trombonist by the name of Bob Havens, who played a Teagarden-inspired horn as well as anyone. ← The pride of Quincy, IL. Hmm, how would I know that? Quote
jazzbo Posted November 1, 2005 Report Posted November 1, 2005 I've seen some remarkable playing from Fountain, Havens and Dick Cathcart on the Welk show! Quote
BruceH Posted November 3, 2005 Report Posted November 3, 2005 You know, Welk's band wasn't all schmaltz, bad singing, bad dancing and an occasional polka. When he wanted to, he could cut his guys loose on some pretty swinging big band arrangements. I heard him do a cracklin' version of "Begin the Bequine" a month or so ago on PBS. The reason he didn't do this kind of thing more often is simple. As much as anyone in show business, he knew which side of the bread his audience wanted him to butter. ← I'm sure you're right. Maybe Rhino should come out with a "Best of Welk" or "Welk At His Jazziest" or some such. Quote
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