Variety (March 1959)

MUSIC l^ASZVETT Wednesday, March 18, 1959 Band Review LARRY ELGART ORCH (16) With Carol Sloane Roosevelt Grill, N.Y. In a pitch for a younger dance crowd, the Grill Room of New York’s Hotel Roosevelt, which has] been concentrating on Guy Lom- bardo-Sammy Kaye type music, has brought in the Larry Elgart orch for a four-month run. The way the band delivered on opening night last week (10> it seems like the room is on the right track for not only can Elgart pull in the younger set, especially the college kids dur¬ ing the prom season, but he won’t drive away any of room's older clientele who like the terping beat straight and clear. He’s putting out a dancing sound that will attract all age groups. Elgart’s no newcomer to the danceband fold and his listing here as a “new band review” is based only on the fact that it’s his first key New York date since breaking away from an orch partnership with his brother, Les, which lasted several years. ( Incidentally, the splitup brought Larry over to the RCA Victor recording fold, while , Les remained at Columbia where they had recorded together.) For his Roosevelt stand, Elgart has put the accent on brass (7) but it’s done in a way that never blasts the listener or the dance out of i the room. Trombones and trumpets are kept in tow* via nifty arrange¬ ments that make ’em come out smooth and easy. To complement the brass section, Elgart has set up six reeds (including his own sax) and three rhythip and the whole group develops a musical atmos¬ phere that terpsters always enjoy. Elgart sticks for the most part to a safe and sure repertoire of showtunes and familiar pops and his well-disciplined -crew is on top of every one of them. For the vocal payoff, maestro brings on Coral Sloane every now and then. She’s a neat little band-singer but she has a tendency to put too much mood into her romantic ballad efforts. A little more bounce in her pipes is needed, especially during the. early part of the evening. Gros. Bartell Joins Seeco Lou Bartell has joined Seeco Records as assistant to general manager Jerry Shifrin in label’s artists & repertoire and promotion departments. RETAIL ALBUM BEST SELLERS -Z'J&nSTr- Survey of retail album best sellers based on reports from lead¬ ing stores and showing comparative ratings for this week and last. National Rating This Last wk. wk. Artist, Label, Title HENRY MANCINI (Victor) “Peter Gunn” (LPM 1956). 1 FRANK SINATRA (Capitol) Come Dance With Me (W 1069)_,.._ FLOWER DRUM SONG (Col) Original Cast (BL 5350).. 7 JOHNNY MATHIS (Columbia) Open Fire, Two Guitars (CL 1270)!. .. KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol) The Hungry j (T 1107)... SOUTH PACIFIC (Victor) Sounitrack (LOC 1932.). ROGER WILLIAMS (Kapp) Near You <KL 1112)..... .. MITCH MILLER (Columbia) More Sing With Mitch (CL 1243)..... GIGI (MGM) Soundtrack (E 3641).. 2 MITCH MILLER (Columbia) Sing Along With Mitch (CL 1160)....... RAY CONNIFF (Columbia) Broadway in Rhythm (CL 1252). EARL GRANT (Decca) The End (9-30719).. DUANE EDDY (Jamie) “Twangy Guitar” (JLP 3000). PLATTERS (Mercury) Remember When (MG 20410). 4 NAT KING COLE (Capitol) Welcome to the Clnb (W 1120).. MItCH MILLER (Columbia ) Stffl More Sing With Mitch (CL 1283).. .. BUDDY HOLLY (Coral) Buddy Holly Story (CRL 57279). GERRY MULLIGAN (UA) “I Want to Lave” (VAL 4005-6). 6 RICKY NELSON (Imperial) Ricky Sines Again <LP 9061) .. BAT BOONE (Dot). Stardust (DLP 3118) . KINGSTON TRIO (Capitol) Kingston Trio (T 996). MANTOVANI (London) Continental Encores <LL 3095)... .... 3 ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor) For L. P. Fans Only (LPM 1990)....... 10 FRANK SINATRA (Capitol) Only the Lonely <W 1053).. REDHEAD (Victor) Original Cast (LOC 1048). 9 1 4 1 2 2 1 2 6 1 1 2 1 1 5 1 1 11 3 182 2 2 2 1 7 3 4 8 5 4 5 1 10 2 4 8 3 .. 5 7 119 3 5 10 .. . 2 2 .. 6 77 1. 5 3 4 4 3 8 4 4 .. .. 5 8 8 7.. 8 7 8 .. 4 32 9.93 9 .. .. 4 3 10 .. 2 .. 2 9 9 .. 8 13 10 5 7 .. 12 Disk Dscars’ Brush R’iTR ; Continued from page 77 ; "Ella Fitzgerald Sings Irving Berlin Song Book,” Verve; “Ev¬ erybody Loves A Lover,” Doris Day, Columbia; “Eydie In Love,” Eydie Gorme, ABC-Paramount; “Fever,” Peggy Lee, Capitol; "I Wish You Love,” Keely Smith, Capitol. Best Vocal Performance — Male “Catch a Falling Star,” Perry Como, RCA Victor; “Come Fly With Me," Frank Sinatra, Capitol;. “Hawaiian Wedding Song,” Andy Williams, Cadence; **Nel Blu Di- pinto Di Blu,” Domenico Modugno, Decca; “Witchcraft,” Sinatra, Capi- toL Best Perfdrmancer-Orchestra TWO SENSATIONAL ENTERTAINING GROUPS Soarmgta Hw Top oi Record Charts DAVE BABY Cortez Quartette - ("Happy Organ") O* deck THE FIVE VIRTUES ("Gnitv Booglt Shnflo") Oi JfMt Exclusive Seeking: JOLLY JOYCE AGENCY 234 West 48th St., N. Y. C. 1001 £kestm* St., Philadelphia, Fa. FL 7-171* — Cl *-8800 WA 2-4*77 ’.‘Burnished Brass,” George Shearing, Capitol; “Westside Sto¬ ry,” Manny Albam, Coral; “Peter Gunn,” Henry Manoini, RCA Vic¬ tor; Billy May’s “Big Fat Brass,” Capitol; “Other Worlds, Other Sounds,” Esquivel, RCA Victor. Best Performance—Dance Band “Basie,” Count Basie, Roulette; “Bauhles, Bangles Sc Beads,” Jonah Jones, Capitol; “Peter Gunn,” Ray Anthony, Capitol; “Patricia,” Perez Prado, RCA Victor; “Tea For Two Cha Cha,” Tommy Dorsey Orch under Warren Covington, Decca. Best Performance—Vocal Group “Baubles, Bangles & Beads,” Kirby Stone; Four, Columbia; “Tom Dooley,” Kingston Trio, Capitol; “Imagination,” King Sisters, Capi¬ tol; “Sing a Song With Basie,” Hendricks, Lambert & Ross, ABC- Paramount; “Old Black Magic,” Louis Prima-Keely Smith, Capitol. Best Jazz Performance—Individual “Baubles, Bangles Sc Beads,” Jonah Jones, Capitol; “Burnished Brass,” George Shearing, Capitol; “Dixieland Story,” Matty Matlock, Warner Bros.; “Ella Sings Duke Ellington,” Ella Fitzgerald, Verve; “Jumpin’ With Jonah, 1 ’ CapitoL Best Jam Pcrformance^-Group ■“Basie,” Count Basie, Roulette; “Baubles, Bangles & Beads, - ” Jonah Jpnes, Capitol; “Burnished Brass,” George .Shearing, Capitol; “Four j Freshman in Person” (Capitol); “Sing A Song of Basie,” ABC- Paramount. . | Best Comedy Performance | “Best of Freberg,” Stan Freberg, I Capitol; “Chipmunk Song,” David Seville, Liberty; “Future Lies Ahead,” Mort Sahl, Verve; “Green Christmas,” Stan Freberg, Capitol; “Improvisation to Music,” Mike Nichols-Elaine May, Mercury. Best Country Sc Western “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” Everly Bros., Cadence; “Bird Dog,” Everly Bras., Cadence; “Tom .Doo¬ ley,” Kingston Trio, Capitol; “Oh, Lonesome Me,” Don Gibson, RCA Victor; “Oh, Oh I’m Falling In Love Again,” Jimmie Rodgers, Roulette. Best Rhythm Sc Blues “Belafonte Sings The Blues,” Harry Belafonte, RCA Victor; “The End,” Earl Grant, Decca; “Looking Back,” Nat Cole, Capitol; ’Patri¬ cia,” Perez Prado, RCA Victor; “Tequila,” The Champs, Challenge. Original Cast Album “Flower Drum Song,” Columbia; “Music Man,” Capitol; “Sound of Jazz” (“Seven Lively Arts” tv show), Columbia; “Jamaica,” RCA Victor; ’Peter Gunn,” RCA Victor. Best Soundtrack “Sayonara,” RCA Victor;: “Bridge On The River Kwai,” Columbia; “Gigi,” MGM; “I Want To Live,” United Artists; “South Pacific,” RCA Victor. Best Recording For Children “Children’s .Marching Song,” Cyril Stapleton, London; “Fun In [Shariland ” Shari Lewis, RCA Vic¬ tor; ■’’Mommy Give Me A Drink I of Water,” Danny Kaye, Capitol; “Tubby The Tuba;” Jose Ferrer, MGM; “Witch Doctor,” David Se¬ ville, Liberty. Additional nominations were made in six classical categories, one documentary, one album cov¬ er, one arrangement, one pop en¬ gineering and one classical engi¬ neering. K.C. Syraph Bowing On Way Via Urania Deal Kansas City, March 17. First commercial recordings are to be made by the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra here March 22-24 for .tJrania Records. A special edition of the two rec¬ ords are to he sold her* 30 days in advance of general release. Bp# SWEET LORRAINE ftOMSSES ; (Hw Sweetest Kisses . Of Them All) • <MRL OF MY DREAMS' NULLS MUSIC, INC JESSE GREER KITTY FROM KANSAS CITY Voctf - Instrumental Publish*! by FEIST