TV Radio Mirror (Jan - Jun 1963)

-K~M(^< GREAT! -M^K GOOD LISTENING -M< * traditional falsetto sweeps in his voice. The tunes include some rather good pieces of material. "Ka-lu-a" possesses a truly haunting melody. Marty turns in an excellent job of almost "ethnic" performing. He does all the material, as a matter of fact, with very few slips back into his country groove. "Drowsy Waters," or "Wailana," is done like a ritual piece. Marty does it in an entirely stylized manner. Other cuts that impressed this reviewer are: "The Sea and Me," "Kuu Ipo Lani," "My Wonderful One" and "Blue Sand." (The latter, "Sand," brings out a more dramatic quality from Marty.) Entirely ballad fare, it's an engaging and relaxing LP to tuck under your arm and spend many evenings with. It's a surprise — and a welcome one when it turns out such a first-rate performance. (Nice looking cover shot. Palm trees and sand and all that jazz! ) ***Sukiyaki, Kyu Sakamoto (Capitol)— This lad from the Land of the Rising Sun is not easy to review. About half his tunes sound so strange to my ears, it would be unfair to talk about them. But five tunes in the album are right up my alley. The hit "Sukiyaki" I need not even tell you about; it's climbed to be the Number One record in the country. "Boku No Hoshi" or "My Star," "Hitoribocchi No Futari" or "The Lonesome Two," and "Anoko No Namaewa Nantenkana" or "I Wonder What Her Name Is," are all equally as strong as the familiar "Sukiyaki." A little push from the disc jockeys and this Mr. Sakamoto will be on the record charts to stay. (Incidentally, his name Kyu is pronounced "Q.") I think it's a little too early to make any predictions about how important he will eventually be. If "Sukiyaki" is any indication— look out! The album is worth five or six tunes I think you'll be able to get with. He does have his own way of singing things! ■Ar**Love Me Forever, Wanda Jackson (Capitol) — I am not as familiar with Miss Jackson's work as I would like to be. Suffice to say, she is a quite charming and talented young lady who, no doubt, is held in high regard by c. & W. fans. She excels at the rompin' country style. In this album, for the first time, she devotes the entire doings to ballads. Her performances are delightful and refreshingly unpretentious. Most of the tunes, though, I found lacking in content. Most seem lyrically so simple as to hardly stimulate interest in them. There is, however, one absolute gem of a tune called "I May Never Get to Heaven." This tune, plus Wanda's beautiful reading, is enough to make your purchase of this album a worthwhile investment. Only two other tunes come near this high level — "What Am I Living For" and "Pledging My Love." The stars are for Miss Jackson's fine performing. The material has to get the "thumbs down." If you've never heard her, I suggest you take a listen. She sure is comfortable! I expect big things for this young lady. POPULAR: JAZZ ****Quincy Jones Plays Hip Hits, The Quincy Jones Orch. (Mercury)— First, I should start by simply stating that this reviewer performed, as one of the soloists, on this album. Secondly, if you think I'm pulling your leg, you can easily check out this review by going into any record shop in your area and listening to the album. See whether I'm kidding you — it is a wonderful album! A compilation of the "hip" or jazztype hits of the year. The band's per sonnel is a glittering roster of great jazz players. Trumpeters Clark Terry and Joe Newman; saxophonists Phil Woods and Zoot Sims. The trombone section sports Kai Winding and Quentin "Butter" Jackson. Bassists Milt Hinton, George Duvivier and Art Davis split up the album. Well, enough said. You'll look hard for finer players. The tunes include "Exodus," "Gravy Waltz," "Comin' Home Baby," "Back to the Chicken Shack," "Walk on the Wild Side," "Take Five," "A Taste of Honey." The jazz solo work highpoints were mainly the work of saxophonist Zoot Sims. He states even the melodies in some cases. He proves, too — as he has done before with both Stan Kenton and Woody Herman — that he is the perfect soloist for big-band jazz in concertante style. He stimulates the band, and it drives him to greater heights. A natural player, Zoot is in unquestionably good form in all his solo sections. This album is also another indication of why Quincy Jones continues building a reputation with a big band, when the common consensus is that big bands are out and have been out for a long time. Quincy can tie all the loose ends together easily and quickly. He's capable, through writing and directing, of shaping the diverse elements into one fine instrument. It is evident on every track of this album that each piece, no matter t how different from the one in front or V back of it, is realized itself. Nothing has R been overlooked. The band plays deli 21