It does what it says, this disc. There’s no overarching
theme, just a selection of good tunes played by some elite performers
in performances ranging from 1947 to 1961.
There have been so many releases in this series that it’s
well nigh impossible to check, but I wonder how often, if at
all, Ludo Philipp has appeared as conductor. He leads the Symphonia
Orchestra in Dolf van der Linden’s Cab Rank quickly
followed by Wal-Berg covering Ellington’s Caravan
on a Barclay LP, which he does with a certain amount of conviction.It
was Dimitri Tiomkin who adapted and arranged Down Under
from the film called The Sundowners and it was Tommy
Reilly who did the harmonica honours with Wally Stott and his
orchestra, a really vibrant piece of work all round.
David Rose leads a truly evocative Gloria’s Theme
and The Symphonia Orchestra is back but this time conducted
by Curt Andersen in a cheeky rendition of the suitably light-hearted
With Tongue in Cheek. The Canadian Bruce Campbell contributes
a droll charmer of an arrangement in Spinette showing
that there many more ways to skin the Light Music cat. A particularly
fine programming conjunction occurs when Fred Hartley’s
romantic warmth is juxtaposed with the lush astral allure of
Laurie Johnson’s I Aim at the Stars.
Louis Voss was an exceptional musician and his confidently orchestrated
and performed performance of Bernard Harris’s Peacock
in Piccadilly is notable for its executant excellence. I
assume it’s Swiss maestro Tom Wyler who plays the extended
fiddle solo in Galop in Strings.
Van der Linden finally puts in appearances at the helm of his
band, recording for both Paxton (as ‘Paul Franklin’)
and under his own name for Brunswick, this last being a solid
tango called, guess what, Tango of the Flowers. Then
in the final stretch of this disc, no fewer than three of the
last four tracks are given over to him. The odd one out is the
zippy automobile jaunt of Route Nationale, played with
Gallic insouciance by the Paris Studio Orchestra under Philippe
Pares in 1959.
The notes are once again first class. David Ades has my admiration
for finding new things to say about old favourites, even if
I sense, now and then, that even he puts his head in his hands
once in a while and asks himself: what on earth is left to say
about David Rose and Mantovani?
Jonathan Woolf
see also review by John
France
Track-listing
1 Cab Rank Dolf van der Linden THE SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted
by LUDO PHILIPP 2:47
2 Mr. Lucky (theme from the TV series) Henry Mancini FRANK CORDELL
AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:16
3 Caravan Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington WAL-BERG AND HIS ORCHESTRA
4:46
4 Down Under (from the film 'The Sundowners') Adapted and Arranged
by Dimitri Tiomkin TOMMY REILLY, Harmonica with WALLY STOTT
AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:29
5 Gloria's Theme from 'Butterfield 8' Bronislau Kaper, Hal David
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:53
6 Bilbao-Song (from 'Happy End') Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:00
7 With Tongue In Cheek Trevor Duncan, real name Leonard Trebilco
THE SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by CURT ANDERSEN 2:48
8 Spring Collection Peter Hope THE CRAWFORD LIGHT ORCHESTRA
2:49
9 Scurry For Strings Lester B. Hart DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND
HIS ORCHESTRA (as 'The Harmonic Orchestra Conducted by David
Johnson' on disc label) 3:07
10 Spinette Murray Newman, arr. Bruce Campbell BRUCE CAMPBELL
AND HIS ORCHESTRA ('Coronet Orchestra' on disc label) 2:44
11 The Cool Caballero Bernie Wayne, real name Bernard Weitzner
BERNIE WAYNE AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:17
12 Pleasure Island Ron Goodwin RON GOODWIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
2:29
13 Alma Mia Fred Hartley FRED HARTLEY AND HIS MUSIC 2:47
14 I Aim At The Stars (theme from the film) Laurie Johnson LAURIE
JOHNSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:31
15 Dear Old Pals Angela Morley TELECAST ORCHESTRA Conducted
by ANGELA MORLEY (as 'Walter Stott') 2:58
16 Leaps And Bounds Cyril Watters DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS
ORCHESTRA (as 'Paul Franklin' on disc label) 2:31
17 Tango Of The Flowers Juan Rosa DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS
ORCHESTRA 2:39
18 Peacock In Piccadilly Wilfred Burns, real name Bernard Wilfred
Harris LOUIS VOSS AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:53
19 Continental Highways Harold Geller GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
Conducted by LAURIE JOHNSON 2:31
20 Galop On Strings Tom Wyler, real name Toni Leutwiler THE
HARMONIC STRINGS Conducted by TOM WYLER 2:19
21 Guaracha (No. 3 of Latin American Symphonette) Morton Gould
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 3:13
22 Brandy Snaps Peter Yorke DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
(as 'The Harmonic Orchestra Conducted by David Johnson' on disc
label) 2:43
23 Chicken Noodle Peter Dennis, real name Dennis Alfred Berry
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as 'Paul Franklin' on
disc label) 2:52
24 Route Nationale Roger Roger THE PARIS STUDIO ORCHESTRA Conducted
by PHILIPPE PARES 2:56
25 On Stage Billy Mack, real names Walter Collins, William MacDonnell
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as 'Paul Franklin' on
disc label) 2:21
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GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5197 [70:20]