R.I.P., Geraldine (1935-2011)

Geraldine Ferraro was a fabulous person who could have given Keith Olbermann lessons in speaking truth to power. Another great one is gone. At the time, I was too young to realize what a remarkably capable (and, for that matter, gorgeous) lady she was. I do now.

Yet another political talent of whom we weren't--and still aren't--worthy. Rest in peace, Geraldine.

Back to music....



Lee

Four-hand fun!

No, not an adult DVD from Mars--rather, a collection of two-piano recordings ripped from shellac. All are pop, save for a superb 1934 version of Chopin's Rondo for Two Pianos (above). My favorite of the lot: the Hugo Frey/Frank Banta chorus on Joseph C. Smith's wonderfully weird Ching-a-Ling's Jazz Bazaar, a tune that's different even by the "oriental" standards of its day. Not very jazzy, but different. A close second: Constance Mering and Muriel Pollock's elegant, Broadway-style renditions of Polly and Dainty Miss. Not to gender-stereotype, but I find their gentler touch not only refreshing but better suited to the material than the clunkier approach of the male duos featured here.

You can do a lot worse than today's playlist, all from 78s stored in this very Media Room, all crying out to be blogged.

To the piano pairings: Four-hand fun!

PLAYLIST

POLLY (Zamecnik)--Constance Mering and Muriel Pollock, pianos (Columbia 1211-D; 1927)
DAINTY MISS (Barnes)--Same.
CHING-A-LING's JAZZ BAZAAR--Joseph C. Smith O., w. Hugo Frey and Frank Banta, pianos (Victor 35695; 1920)
PRETENDING--Alan Moran and Walter Feldkamp, pianos, w. Arthur Fields, vocal (Col. 519-D; 1925)
LONESOME--Same.
NASHVILLE NIGHTENGALE (Caesar-Gershwin)--Phil Ohman and Victor Arden, p. (Brunswick 2512; 1923)
NO NO NORA--Same.
RONDO FOR TWO PIANOS (Chopin)--Leonard Shure and Karl Ulrich Schnabel, p. (Victrola 11616; 1934)
KITTEN ON THE KEYS (Confrey)--Frank Banta and Jack Austin (Columbia A-3687; 1922)
A BUNCH OF KEYS (Richman)--Same.


Lee

Cartoon music on 78, 1915-1938

The truth is, I've never been at ease with the term "cartoon music." This, despite the fact that many of my 78s sound exactly like cartoon music.

Well, it's time I made peace with the term--time I stopped being such a snob. And, hey, anyone can be a snob about Oh! Sing-a-Loo, Hayseed Rag, Chinese Wedding Procession, and Inca Step. But sometimes we've got to let our hair down. Which I, of course, am forced to do figuratively.

Here, for our cartoon-music fix, are ten selections from my shellac shtacks--er, stacks. All were restored by me, so you know who to praise or blame. You'll have to provide your own cartoons.

Oh, and note that Louis Katzman shows up twice. And that Hayseed Rag and Down Home Rag are the same tune (the former swiped from the latter).

Click here to download: Cartoon music on 78

SELECTIONS

OH! SING-A-LOO--Rega Dance Orch., 1922.
BEST EVER MEDLEY (Arr: PW)--Paul Whiteman and His Ambassador Orch., 1920.
O (OH!)--Rega Dance Orch., w. Singing Chorus by Jack Kaufman, 1919.
GEE! BUT I HATE TO GO HOME ALONE--Natzy's Biltmore Orch. (Jack Green, Dir.)
A SIREN'S DREAM--Anglo-Persians (Louis Katzman), 1927.
INCA STEP--Louis Katzman's Orch., 1934.
HAYSEED RAG--The Dizzy Trio, 1924.
DOWN HOME RAG (Sweatman)--Earl Fuller's Rector Novelty O., 1918.
CHINESE WEDDING PROCESSION--Prince's Orch., 1915.
TURKEY IN THE STRAW--Andre Kostelanetz Conducts, 1938.


Lee

Keith Olbermann on NPR

"Do you listen to NPR? If anything defines what’s wrong with the supposed 'left-wing media' it’s NPR: condescending yet mealy-mouthed, dedicated to stuffing the most startling of Conservative usurpations through the deflavorizing machine, and when criticized, as resolute as a discarded straw wrapper in a hurricane."--Keith Olbermann, March 20, 2011

When Keith wants to be a decent writer, he can be. And I agree with every word.

Hilariously, more than a few readers of Keith's blog seem convinced that Keith isn't actually putting down NPR. Yeah, there's a lot of ambiguity in his statement.... (Twilight Zone theme, fade)

78s coming up, and (hopefully) soon. Plus a Lee Progress Report.

Sunday morning gospel--The Singing Ledbetters: Stroll Over Heaven (Family Circle 1001)

Well, I almost got a good photo of this jacket--I thought I'd adjusted for the right-hand glare. Oh, well. But we're here for the music, which is terrific. Though the jacket tells us nothing about the label (Family Circle), I'm guessing Nashville. Two reasons: 1) there's a back-cover photo showing the singers in the studio, with one of the music stands marked "Columbia--Nashville," and 2) the backing musicians include D.J. Fontana on bass (The D.J. Fontana, the famous drummer?), Jerry Reed on guitar, Jerry Smith on piano, Buddy Harmon (as Buddy Harmon) on drums, and Ernie Newton on bass. Nashville, I tell you. Can we assume the bass credit for D.J. Fontana is a typo?

True: Years ago, when I first heard of the song, I Wouldn't Take Nothing (For My Journey), I thought it had something to do with leaving all material items behind for the final journey. Of course, the actual meaning is "I wouldn't trade," as in, "I wouldn't trade anything for salvation." I was new to the country gospel idiom.

Click here to hear the terrific country gospel of the Singing Ledbetters of Wichita, Kansas: Stroll Over Heaven

PLAYLIST

LOOKING FOR JESUS
MERCY NOT JUSTICE
I WOULDN'T TAKE NOTHING (FOR MY JOURNEY) I DON'T MIND
LORD I NEED YOU (AGAIN TODAY)
I DON'T REGRET A MILE
STROLL OVER HEAVEN
JESUS SIGNED MY PARDON
UNTIL YOU'VE KNOWN
I HAVE A DESIRE
POOR AS A BEGGAR (BUT RICH AS A KING)
WHEN THE CALL COMES

Stroll Over Heaven with the Singing Ledbetters (Family Circle 1001)

Lee