Screenland Plus TV-Land (Jul 1959 - May 1960)

Reviews of new discs by JIMMY DEAN, CBS-TV star THOSE three young comrades in song. The Playmates, are having themselves a ball on their latest Roulette LP, "Cuttin" Capers." The Playmates made their mark with "Jo-Ann" and "Beep Beep" and are back at their favorite beat, scoring with numbers such as "The Thing-A-Ma-Jig," "Women Drivers" and "Bag Of Sand." There are nine other numbers cut from the same slice of musical life. . . . Rosemary Clooney is at home with a 100-piece orchestra, vocal group, jazz ensemble, or with a simple Hammond organ background. The latter is what's supplied on Rosie's latest album, "Swing Around Rosie," on the Coral label and very good. Rosemary and the Buddy Cole Trio es-' tablish close rapport on a number of notso-familiar evergreens — "Goody Goody," "Moonlight Mississippi" and "Sing You Sin-ners". . . . Debbie Reynolds' Dot recording of two class ballads, "I Can't Love You Anymore" and "Love Is A Simple Thing" is a two-fold demonstration of what makes Debbie big, big, big at the box-office. . . . Some of the wildest sounds heard in these parts in a long, long time are created by the fertile brain of Esquivel and are translated by his orchestra into sound spectaculars in a new Victor album, "Exploring New Sounds in Hi-Fi." We are willing to risk a small wager that you have never, and we mean never, heard "familiar" tunes such as "My Blue Heaven," "All Of Me" and "Lazy Bones" transformed into such unfamiliar offerings. ■ Frankie Avalon has gone further in a shorter space of time than any singer within memory. His Chancellor waxing features a big ballad, "A Boy Without A Girl." The flip side, "Bobby Sox To Stockings," is targetted on the teenage set and is right on the mark. . . . Tony Bennett plus Count Basie add up to plenty of swingin' things in the Roulette LP "BasieBennett." Tony and the Basie Orchestra are strictly compatible as they shoot some adrenalin into the well-weathered hides of such oldies as "Jeepers Creepers," "Chi52 cago" and "Strike Up The Band" . . . Latest in a growing list of Mitch Miller Sing-Along records and probably the best one to-date is "Folk Song SingAlong With Mitch." Coming complete with tear-out song sheets, the Columbia album is the record industry's answer to the movies' bouncing ball. It's perfect to thaw out a party. . . . Tommy Edwards has another big one going for him on the M-G-M label. It follows the ballad formula that has been so successful for Tommy in the past, pairing a new ballad. "It's Only The Good Times," with a grand old standard, "My Melancholy Baby." Either side is worth the price of the "45". ■ Peggy Lee has things going at a "Fever" pitch on her new Capitol etching. "Hallelujah, I Love Him So" has enough of the flavor of Peggy's famous "Fever" recording to give it a good chance of hitting it big. It's backed up with a pleasant ballad, "I'm Lookin' Out The Window," but "Hallelujah" is the side that will get the plays. ... It had to happen, so, naturally, it did. Mundell Lowe, a fine jazz guitarist, and a group of equally fine sidemen have put out a Camden LP labelled, "TV Action Jazz." Name your favorite private eye. his theme music is represented in this album — "Peter Gunn," "77 Sunset Strip." "Mike Hammer"— music for the super sleuth makes super jazz for Mr. Lowe and crew. . . . We don't know for sure but we re reasonably certain that the Mickey Mozart Quintet bears no relation, either lineal, musical or what have you to Wolfgang. We do know, however, that their Roulette "45" of "Little Dipper" and "Mexican Hop" is mucho kicks. . . . Quincy Jones, who's done some fine arranging for the Count Basie band, has his own aggregation these days, and if its new Mercury recording is any indication of what to expect from the Jones group in the future, the prospects are bright indeed for a resounding success. Quincy's dual offering, "Marchin' The Blues" and "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie," has a strong beat and i sound. . . . That "Volare" man is again. In response to popular der Domenico Modugno has put out an Decca LP titled, appropriately en> "Encore." The numbers are almos composed by Domenico and are in It but they still have that internationa peal that transcends language bar All we can say is "Bravo." Jimmie Rodgers, Roulette's G (Record) Boy, has another two-part to success. The not-so-secret ingrec are Jimmie's million-dollar vocal and the back-to-back etching of a fint ballad, "Wonderful You," and tht tempo. "Ring-A-Ling-A-Lario." Take pick: the beats vary but the qualit I mains Grade "A". . . . One of the unusual recordings we've heard in a while is the Carlton LP of the ori music from the Broadway stage "Rashomon." Although the themes completely Oriental, composer-cond Laurence Rosenthal has used a varie instruments to achieve his effects, in ing an African antelope horn. Tu cymbals and a South American fri drum — all legitimate means to an un and, we feel, successful end. . . . Put Fitzgerald within singing distanc songs like "Stairway To The Stars" "I'm Through With Love" and you the makings of a fabulous "45." 1 just what Verve did and that's just they got. Ella is the undisputed que< female vocalists so we've come to e: wonderful sounds from her. but this d about as close to perfection as we're liable to hear. . . . After the fani success Brook Benton had with his b "It's Just A Matter Of Time," it was a matter of time before Brook presse< first album. The Mercury LP contain "Time" ballad plus eleven standards eluding "The Nearness Of You," '"V I Fall In Love" and "I'll String A With You." As you can see the mot strictly romantic, to which we hav< objections whatsoever. . . . Connie Frs has developed a knack with a song seems to turn average material into seller fodder. Her new M-G-M couj of "Frankie" and "Lipstick On Your lar" transforms rwo-not-too-unusual t into red-hot rockin' items. . . . Toi Leonetti, who never had it so goo' turning out some sparkling vocals a rides on the crest of a huge popul wave. His Victor recording of "Sing Better Than Wrong" and "The Yea Our Love" is soft-sell singing at its Tommy's off and winging into the ranks of today's balladeers. . . . The gest splash on the current musical s is being made by a 16-year-old Its boy from South Philadelphia who ca the single moniker of Fabian. Fab new Chancellor album. "Hold That Tis promises to be a tiger over the re counters with a big rockin" beat run throughout. It's an important new al for an important new singer.