Jackie Gleason - Lover's Portfolio (Jazz Band & Hotel Orchestra)

"The Great One" did many albums for Capitol, although most sources say he did little more than select the tunes, order the arrangements and cash in on the royalties. Many of his mood music albums have been released on CD. However, I've never seen Lovers Portfolio (1962).

It was a two disc boxed set produced for Capitol complete with a fancy insert booklet that includes drink recipes and advice for how to have a romantic evening with your loved one..

One side is solo piano (unidentified), another featured slow seductive strings. I find both quite boring, so haven't included them here.

What you can download is a selection of 6 small jazz band tunes. One source says the session is led by Red Nichols, although Gleason used Bobby Hacket on many of his mood albums. Regardless, all the musicians are first rate and play some tasty jazz.  The tunes are:

1. I Cover the Waterfront
2. I May Be Wrong
3. Garden in the Rain
4. Japanese Sandman
5. I Can't Give You Anything but Love
6. There'll be Some Changes Made

Then comes track 7 - a full side of society style hotel band music in one Lester Lanin type medley. It includes:

I Could Have Danced All Night

Love Is Here To Stay
C'est Magnifique
Mad About The Boy
It's All Right With Me
Just In Time
How High The Moon
Easy To Love
I Concentrate On You
All Of You
Our Love
On The Street Where You Live
I Love Paris
Come Rain Or Come Shine
It All Depends On You
So In Love
A Foggy Day
By Myself
The Party's Over

Gleason employed top-notch jazz soloists on his TV show and on these albums, with frequent appearances by Pee Wee Erwin and Roy Eldridge, saxophonist Charlie Ventura, Buddy Morrow on trombone, Milt Hinton on bass, and pianist Bernie Leighton. One can only speculate who is playing on these sessions, or who arranged the tunes. A good guess would be Pete King, who did many of the early albums, or more likely Billy May because there's a May sense of humor about all these tracks.

In fact, I'd put money on Billy May. It's the type of job he could do with a bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand and music pen in the other - laughing all the way. The tempo is non-stop horse race from start to almost the finish when there is a sudden break to a smooth and mellow The Party's Over. If that isn't Billy May, I'll be very suprised.

Anyone who knows, please post the information. Otherwise, just enjoy. I've cleaned up the ticks and pops and the 7 tracks are very enjoyable.

Happy New Year!!!!

A Touch of Tabasco - Rosemary Clooney & Prez Prado

This is a new post. Files should work now.

Here's an album that RCA should release on CD in the states. It's been available in Japan for some time. 

Rosemary Clooney teamed with Prez Prado playing a dozen great tunes. Clooney sounds terrific. Prado's disctinctive latin band is exciting on every track. I removed the ticks and pops from this album using Adobe Audition and it sounds every bit as good as a new cd. Enjoy.

Artie Shaw Re-Creates His 1938 Band - reposted by request

This Artie Shaw LP is reposted for those who have requested it. Individual tracks are listed below.

Walt Levinsky was personally selected by Artie to re-create the Shaw solos. Artie himself conducted and produced these sessions recorded in Capitol's NYC Studios. Musicians are not listed on the LP, although in an interview Shaw mentions Buddy Morrow (trb), Toots Mondello (alto) Al Klink & Billy Staplin (ts), Bernie Privin, Mel Davis (trp), Bernie Layton (p) and Don Lamond. Capitol should have released this on CD. It's the 100 birthday of Artie Shaw. This is a superb update of some of his best recordings. 



Side One:
Traffic Jam   http://www.mediafire.com/?nssxvgt9iukkhsu
Begin the Beguine http://www.mediafire.com/?64zffe3nypae2fq
Lover Come Back to Me  http://www.mediafire.com/?00sbd89bk0rj6vk
Zigeuner  http://www.mediafire.com/?5wj6jlfx2177e2f
What is this Thing Called Love    http://www.mediafire.com/?94i3lke4i6c1l32
It Had to Be You http://www.mediafire.com/?hxo8cofllijgah1

Side Two:
Softly, As In a Morning Sunrise   http://www.mediafire.com/?i7if7bc808ebf8t
Octoroon   http://www.mediafire.com/?2pb3ibbn13cphbp
Back Bay Shuffle http://www.mediafire.com/?elpqxsllaf58964
Jungle Drums   http://www.mediafire.com/?ujcdljzsvo2y4d2
Copenhagen  http://www.mediafire.com/?yqc9ypedemqd4la

Reminder: This re-posting is only in mp3 format. Titles not in album order. Nightmare was skipped because it was a damaged mp3.  

Norm Ladd Orchestra - Swingin' Nice and Easy

The Norm Ladd Orchestra was a popular dance band in the Chicago area in the 1950s-80s. Norman Hladleck (I think that's correct spelling) was an alto sax/clarinet player who assembled a pleasant commercial ballroom band with bright, bouncy arrangements. He was a good showman and a crowd pleaser. I had several early albums by Norm and had the privilege of performing on piano with him several times when he was coming through Dubuque and needed a sub musician.

This Swingin' Nice & Easy album on Meric Records label was a departure in style. The orchestrations are much fuller and have a more modern swing than his earlier albums. I lost the album cover (?) but I believe the charts are all by Howardl Beyer. If anyone has more information on Norm's fine group, please post a message. To my commercial ear it's a very enjoyable band that should have been heard by more people then, and now.

1. Button Up Your Overcoat
2. Days of Wine & Roses
3. Fascinating Rhythm (Twist)
4. I Could Write a Book
5. I'm Old Fashioned
6. My Baby Just Cares for Me
7. Please Be Kind
8. Star Eyes
9. Tell Me That You Love Me Tonight
10. The Sweetest Sounds
11. With the Wind & the Rain In Your Hair

I recently found his obituary on the Internet and am posting in respect to the memory of this fine man and his music.

Norbert J. Hladilek, 71, a big band orchestra leader known as Norm Ladd, died Saturday in his Rolling Meadows home. Born in Flint, Mich., Mr. Hladilek was raised in Milwaukee and attended Milwaukee State Teachers College before deciding to follow his dream and become a full-time musician. As a boy, he learned to play the piano and accordion. As a teenager, his attention turned to the saxophone and clarinet, which became his favorite instruments. Mr. Hladilek toured with several big bands, including Tommy Dorsey's band and Gay Claridge's orchestra. Mr. Hladilek's association with Claridge inspired him to put together his own band, the Norm Ladd Orchestra, in 1959.


"He always wanted to have his own band," said his daughter, Dawn Lapetina. "There wasn't anything else that he wanted to do." He traveled for several years before settling in the Chicago area, where his band performed at the Aragon Ballroom, the Melody Mill of Chicago, the Chevy Chase Ballroom in Wheeling and the Lancer in Schaumburg. For more than 30 years, the group played weekends at the Willowbrook Ballroom in Willow Springs.

"He was definitely a tradition at the Willowbrook since the 1960s," said Willowbrook village spokesman Mike Foran. "There were legions of fans who loved him." Mr. Hladilek's Sunday-afternoon performances attracted more than 800 dancers, Foran said. From 1960 to 1980, Mr. Hladilek recorded four big-band albums, including "Dancing on the Ceiling" and "For the Good Times."

His family said his most memorable engagement was in the 1980s when his orchestra played the Empire Room at the Palmer House in Chicago.