Variety (March 1959)

76 music PtedEfr Wednesday, March 18, 1959 Jocks, Jukes and Disks By MIKE GROSS Patti Page (Mercury): “THE WALLS HAVE EARS” (Shapiro-Bernestein* *) builds up a breezy flavor that’s, right up thrush’s alley and should nab good spinning time. “MY PROM¬ ISE” (Egap has a familiar coun¬ try lilt in which Miss Page is com¬ pletely at home. Frankie Brent (Paletted “TIME AFTER TIME” < Barton*) gives Frankie Brent an impressive start and will help him win a strong teen following. “VIBRATIONS” • Calvert*) shows him off in a rock¬ ing form that fits the juve needs. Dean Martin (Capitol):. “RIO BRAVO” (Witmark*) is an effective mood ballad that will get a good spinning ride because of its pic title tune tie. “MY RI^LE, MY for an Interesting instrumental slice that rates spinning time. “STROLL ALONG WITH THE BLUES” (BMI-Canadat) is a slow swinger with lots of instrumental charm. Martin Denny Group (Liberty): “QUIET VILLAGE” (Baxter- Wrightt) is an exotic musical ex¬ cursion that makes for topnotch off-beat deepjay programming. “LLAMA SERENADE” (Peer!) is a faster-paced item but still In keeping with the familiar Denny delineation. George Auld Orch (ABC-Para¬ mount): “IN A LITTLE SPANISH TOWN" (Feist*) swings up the oldie in a way that will keep the platter spinning on the jock and Best Bets ELVIS PRESLEY.I NEED YOUR LOVE TONIGHT (RCA Victor)...A Fool Such as I Elvis Presley's “I Need Your Love Tonight" (Gladys*) is another pyrotechnic performance that will keep his clicko spinning streak intact . “A Fool Such As I” {Leeds* ) gets a good Presley t cork- over and it x too, is in the-running for a payoff. * * * JOHNNY MATHIS. .SOMEONE (Gekimhia)..Very Much in Love Johnny Mathis' “Someone (Cathryl *> is the perfect ballad for his romantic styling and he turns it into a winning side. ,c V-ery Much In Love’’ (Johnny Mathis*) is an average ballad effort that sounds pretty in Mathis' hands. * * * ANNETTE..JO-JO THE DOG-FACED BOY (Bumit Vista).. .Lonely Guitar Anwett's “Jo-Jo The Dog-Faced Boy ” (Wondeflandf) is a wild stringer pegged for teen tastes and a natural followup to her “Tall Paul" click. “Lonely Guitar" (Disney*) will find some friends who go for the soft strumming style. * - 4 - * * * MARY KAYE TRIO. ... v _YOU CAN’T BE TRUE DEAR (Varner Bros.) ...Because af You Mary Kaye Trio's “You Can’t Be True Dear" (Biltmore*) swings with a sirift and captivating vocal and instrumental beat that makes it d natural for a big spinning payoff. “Because of You ” ( Broad¬ cast Musicv) reworks a former hit for okay results. * * + SHAYE COG AN..YOUNG AND IN LOVE (MGM) . .Half as Much Shaye Cogan's “Young and In Love” (Sequence*) is tailor-made for a big teen pickup because her delivery of a slow ballad that every kid will understand. “Half As Much” (Acuff-Rosef) is a likeable treatment of tune that made it several years back. * . * * MALCOLM DODDS. . TREMBLE (Decca) . . .......... .Deep Inside Malcolm Dodds’ “ Tremble ” (Mellinr) will shake up lots of turn¬ tables with its exciting beat and vocal attack. “Deep Inside" (Mel¬ linr > combines an effective gospel touch icith a. good rocking mood. * * * BILLY GRAMMER. . .THE KISSING TREE (Monument) ..Bonaparte’s Retreat Billy Grcmmrr's “The Kissing Tree” (Carlfred*) works*up a breezy country flavor into a side of solid spinning proportions for. jock and juke attention. “ Bonaparte’s Retreat” (Acuff-Rosef) moves forward at a snappy beat that’s hound to attract lots of turn¬ table time. LAWRENCE'WELK First DOT RECORD Releases “MR. MUSIC MAKER” Dot L.P. Album No. 8164 Two E.P.’s—Nos. 1079-1080 (Also Available In Stereo) gives Buzzy Lee. a chance to show off a likeable vocal styling. “THIS IS THE LIFE FOR ME” (Wemart) updates a familiar folk refrain and the crooner gives it a sing-along plus. Be mie W ayne Oro h (Im perial): THE WHISTLING PIXIE” (E. B. Marks t) has a happy instrumental quality that will win some jock play. “SOFT ' SHOE ROCK” (Alan-Edwardst) steps out with a lively ring that’s always good for programming time. *ASCAP. tBML Alan Lomax.. folksong musicol¬ ogist. has a concert, “Folksong ’59,” scheduled for two perfor¬ mances at New Yorlds Carnegie Hall' April 3. Louis Gordon is co- producer. Album Reviews Sammy Davis Jr.-Carmen Mc¬ Rae: “Parity Ac Bess” (Decca). This should be one of the strong vocal albums in the rash of “Porgy & Bess” LPs the diskeries are tying in with the upcoming Samuel Gold- wyn production. There’s a natural tie with Sammy Davis Jr., who plays Sportin’ Life in the pic, but there are also solid vocal val¬ ues supplied by Davis as well as Carmen McRae. In addition to “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and “There’s a Boat That’s Leavin’ Soon for New York,” he snaps into a “A Woman Is A Sometime Thing” and “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’.” Miss. McRae’s solo on “My Man’s Gone Now” and their duet on “Bess, You Is My Woman Now” are knockouts. . Jack Pleis, Buddy Bregman and Morty Stevens share the orch assignments in top style. Keely Smith: “Swingin’ Pretty” (Capitol). Keely Smith is the kind of thrush who always seems to be enjoying herself when she’s sing¬ ing and in this set that enjoyment bounces right out of the grooves. To some' snappy Nelson Riddle ar¬ rangements, Miss Smith’s free¬ wheeling style makes the most of such “It’s Magic,”/“The Nearness of. You,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” and “You’re Driving Me Crazy,” among others. Miss Smith is in a more raucus mood in an¬ other Capitol package, “Hey Boy! Hey Girl!” - It’s from the sound¬ track of the Columbia pic of the same name and it -co-features Louis Prima with Sam Butera and the Witnesses. Included in addition to the title song are “When The Saints Go March In,” “Fever,” “Oh Marie” and “Lazy River.” Miles Davis: “Percy and Bern” (Columbia). George Gershwin’s “Porgy & Bess” score seems to flow naturally into the modern jazz idiom especially when it’s handled by Miles Davis. This is a stand¬ out instrumental package that adds a new dimension to the Gershwin classic and showcases Davis’ trum¬ pet in one of its best disk perfor¬ mances. The sweet songs, the haunting ballads and the snappy rhythms are vividly portrayed with Davis leading a sock orch backing under the masterful direction of Gil Evans. Henri Rene Orch: “Compulsion To Swing” (RCA Victor). Henri Rene has rounded up Hymie Shertzer (sax). Doc Sevrinscn (trumpet), Urbie Green (trombone), Walt Levinsky (clarinet), and A1 Caiola (guitar) for this swinging excursion into a flock of familiars. They’re topnotch sidemen and Rene keeps ’em in tow as he steers them through delightful treat¬ ments of “Blue Room,” “Surrey With The Fringe On Top,” \‘Hot Canary” and “Nature Boy” to name a few. The Mary Kaye Trio: “Jackpot” (Warner Bros.). The Mary Kaye Trio is an exuberant group and this album is full of the musical steam that the combo’s been stir¬ ring up in Las Vegas. Vocally and instrumentally, the grooves, are packed with an energy and. spirit that make rewarding listening throughout. “Bother Bill,” “I Got LosMn His Arms,” “Besame Macho” and “Do It Again,” are a sampling of the group’s versatility. Salvatore Baccatonb “Baccalohi” (Grand Award). It may seem like a strange switch putting basso buffo Salvatore Baccaloni in a package pf popular Italian mel¬ odies but it's carried off extreme¬ ly well. His full-blown tones build the melodies -into larger propor- t i o ns. “Arrivederci Roma,” (Continued on page SI) PONY & ME” (Witmark*) is a soft western-flavored item out of the same pic. Jerry Dorn (Arwin>: “BROTH¬ ER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME” (Harms*' is the depression song from the 1930s that ought to make a heftv impact on this new market of juve disk buyers. “DISAPPOINTED LOVER” iArtists*) has a typical rock ’n’ roll approach but Jerry Dorn makes it sound better than most. Bob Carroll (United Artists): “I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEART” 'Southern*) captures a romantic ballad mood with a bit of Italian lyric inserted and it will probably give Bob Caroll a new spinning boost. “SINCE I’M OUT OF YOUR ARMS” (Arch*) has an okay zip for coin machine play. Tommy Sands (Capitol): “IS IT EVER HAPPEN” (Grace*.) could “happen” for Tommy Sands be¬ cause of its driving, rocking sound that occasionally takes off. “1 AIN’T GITTIN’ RID OF YOU” (Grace*' is a blues ballad of minor proportions. LeRoy Holmes (Metro 1 : “BIG CITY CHA CHA” (Allendalev) is an ambitous instrumental with a cha cha touch for extra lifts. “THE DAUGHTER OF SWEET ROSIE O’GRADY*’ (Witmark*) has the oldie in a latino dressing and it works out surprisingly well. General De Zasta (Roulette): “SPANISH MARCHING SONG” (Patriciav) has a fine martial lilt that Gen DeZasta and chorus send across in spirited form. Flip side is a gagged up version of the tune that misses its mark. Moe Koffman (Jubilee): “SHEP¬ HERD’S HOEDQWN” (BennelU) mixes up a jazz and country feel juke levels for a potential payoff. “IF I COULD BE WITH YOU” (Remick*) spotlights a topfligfit sax on an oldie that’s worth hearing again. Jeanuie Thomas (S e e c o): “THERE’S YES, YES IN YOUR EYES” (Remick*) serves as a fine showcasing for newcomer Jeannie Thomas whose vocal styling here makes her worth watching. “NEEDLESS TO SAY” (Hap+) gives thrush a chance to develop a soft ballad along romantic lines. Abby Eoffer’s Trumpets (Madi¬ son,: “SUMMERTIME” (Gersh¬ win*) has an intriguing instrumen¬ tal sound that should get it lots of spinning slots. “THE CONTIN¬ ENTAL” (Harms*) makes another bid for juke attention via this highly entertaining instrumental slice. Joe Null (Request): “I TRAVEL ALONE” (Kenton*) whips up a wailing quality that could move along the spinning circuit “PEACE OF MIND” (Guidance^) relies mainly on heat to get it across and it’ll work in some spots. The Ken Choir (Coral): “MY ANSWER” (West Side Musict) is a tasty ballad with a stando'ut orch’ and chorus ^treatment under Ulpio Minucci’s direction. “SIMPLE LITTLE THINGS” (Champion!) gets by on a simple ballad, format that the orch and chorus develop nicely. Keynoters (Pepper): “I’M GONNA BUILD A MOUNTAIN” (Alpep*) .as a zippy flavor that gives the Keynoters a pullout Lchance. “EVEGOOD” (Alpep*) creates the kind of vocal excite¬ ment that jeaners like to jump to. Buzzy Lee (Castle): “VISION” (Hillsboro!) is an okay ballad that