The Five Pennies
1. Main Title
2. The Five Pennies
3. After You're Gone
4. Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home
5. Indiana Radio Montage
6. Back Home Again in Indiana
7. Good Night, Sleep Tight
8. Lullaby in Ragtime
9. Battle Hymn of the Republic
10. The Five Pennies Saints
11. College Montage
12. Good Night, Sleep Tight Medley
13. Just the Blues
14. Carnival of Venice
15. The Music Goes Round and Round
16. Wail of the Winds
17. Jingle Bells
18. The Five Pennies Finale / Battle Hymn of the Republic Finale
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Studio Orchestra
Leith Stevens Conductor
Bobby Goodrich, Clyde Hurley, Dick Cathcart, Mannie Klein Trumpets
Warren Smith, Pete Beilman Trombones
Matty Matlock Clarinet, alto sax
Stan Wrightsman Piano
George Van Eps, Allen Reuss Guitars
Jack Sperling, Nick Fatool Drums
Red Nichols and his (augmented) Five Pennies
Red Nichols Trumpet, cornet
Elmer Moe Schneider Trombone
Heinie Beau Clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax
Benny Carter Alto sax
Wayne Songer Alto sax, baritone sax
Eddie Miller Tenor sax
Joe Rushton Bass sax
Gene Plummer Piano
Morty Corb Bass
Shelly Manne Drums
Louis Armstrong & his All Stars
Louis Armstrong Trumpet, vocals
Trummy Young Trombone
Peanuts Hucko Clarinet
Billy Kyle Piano
Mort Herbert, Curtis Counce Bass
Danny Barcelona - Drums
The Gene Krupa Story
19. Main Title
20. I Love My Baby
21. Royal Garden Blues
22. Indiana Jam Session
23. Spiritual Jazz
24. Cherokee
25. Indiana Montage
26. Memories of You
27. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans
28. Song of India
29. Finale
Studio Orchestra
Leith Stevens Conductor, arranger
Pete Candoli, Conrad Gozzo, Ray Triscari, Joe Triscari Trumpets
Ed Kusby, Murray McEachern, Tommy Pedersen, George Roberts Trombones
Heinie Beau Clarinet, alto sax
Benny Carter Alto sax
Dave Harris, Jerry Casper Tenor saxes
Dave Pell Baritone sax
Jimmy Rowles Piano
Barney Kessel Guitar
Morty Corb Bass
Shelly Manne Drums
John Williams, Jerry Williams Percussion
Gene Krupa Combo
Red Nichols Cornet
Moe Schneider Trombone
Heinie Beau Clarinet,
Benny Carter Alto sax
Eddie Miller tenor sax
Jess Stacy Piano
Barney Kessel - Guitar
Morty Corb Bass
Gene Krupa - Drums
As a part-time jazz musician, I often think that a good film could be made by following musicians in their working lives. However, Hollywood producers
never seem to think that this is enough: they have to add unbelievable plot devices which they think will make a good story. So in movies we have Glenn
Miller presenting June Allyson with a string of pearls while his band plays a tune called guess what! A String of Pearls. And someone says to
Benny Goodman Dont be that way, Benny, whereupon Goodman plays a song called Dont Be That Way.
This CD contains the music from two musical film biographies, both released in 1959. of Red Nichols and Gene Krupa. The Nichols film was called The Five Pennies because that was what Nichols called his various bands, even though they often contained twice as many as five musicians. The
Nichols story might have had some mileage in it but the producers had to sentimentalise the story, as one can tell from the titles of such songs as Good
Night, Sleep Tight. And having cast Danny Kaye in the role of Red Nichols, they had to give him the chance to show his comic talents with a couple of
gibberish songs. Red Nichols himself played the cornet solos which Kaye was shown miming on screen.
The saving grace of the film is Louis Armstrong, who sings and plays on several numbers, including After Youve Gone with his All Stars (though it
only lasts for one-and-a-quarter minutes) and The Five Pennies Saints (which is mainly the excuse for a comedy duet with Danny Kaye). Just the Blues contains some classic Satchmo soloing, but for less than two minutes. With a line-up that includes such great jazz names as Matty
Matlock, Eddie Miller, Benny Carter and Shelly Manne, one might have expected a far more jazzy soundtrack than we have here.
The Gene Krupa Story is much better at
least, from the jazz fans point of view. Krupa himself played most
of the drum solos which Sal Mineo mimed so skillfully on the screen.
Not everyone likes drum solos (I do) but it was educative to see in
the movie what Gene probably looked like in his young days. And those
sequences suggest that Krupa became an icon because of the visibly
energetic way he attacked the drums. Most of his solos were based
on the single-stroke roll but he added a visual component which was
novel as well as exciting. The CD conveys some of that dynamism, although
you really need to buy the DVD to get the full impact.
There is also a brief jam session on Indiana
which includes short solos from Benny Carter and Jess Stacy. Red Nichols
appears as part of the Gene Krupa Combo on Way Down Yonder in
New Orleans. It is also good to hear Anita ODay singing Memories
of You.
From the jazz enthusiasts point of view, the Krupa soundtrack is superior to the Five Pennies one, but this is a well-packed CD lasting 70 minutes.
Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk