Sunday, April 20, 2025
Friday, April 18, 2025
Richard 'Groove' Holmes - After Hours
Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:55
Size: 149,0 MB
Art: Front
(4:36) 1. Sweatin'
(2:56) 2. Jeannine
(4:13) 3. Minor Surgery
(4:08) 4. This Here
(5:16) 5. It Might as Well Be Spring
(5:21) 6. Moose the Mooche
(6:46) 7. Groove's Bag
(2:33) 8. Hallelujah, I Love her So
(5:25) 9. After Hours
(4:34) 10. Later
(5:01) 11. Do It My Way
(6:44) 12. Secret Love
(3:16) 13. Denise
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:55
Size: 149,0 MB
Art: Front
(4:36) 1. Sweatin'
(2:56) 2. Jeannine
(4:13) 3. Minor Surgery
(4:08) 4. This Here
(5:16) 5. It Might as Well Be Spring
(5:21) 6. Moose the Mooche
(6:46) 7. Groove's Bag
(2:33) 8. Hallelujah, I Love her So
(5:25) 9. After Hours
(4:34) 10. Later
(5:01) 11. Do It My Way
(6:44) 12. Secret Love
(3:16) 13. Denise
Richard "Groove" Holmes was one of the first jazz organists to emerge after the rise of Jimmy Smith (who would remain a lifelong influence). Holmes had a lighter tone on the more up-tempo pieces, but on the ballads (such as "Denise" on this set) his organ could give the impression of weighing a ton. This CD reissue combines together most of the music from Holmes' two early albums: After Hours and Tell It like It 'Tis.
These trio renditions (with either Joe Pass or Gene Edwards on guitar and Larance Marable or Leroy Henderson on drums) give one a strong sampling of the organist's talents on a variety of blues, bop standards, and obscure originals. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/after-hours-mw0000184447
Personnel: Richard Groove Holmes (organ); Joe Pass, Gene Edwards (guitar); Larance Marable, Leroy Henderson (drums).
Personnel: Richard Groove Holmes (organ); Joe Pass, Gene Edwards (guitar); Larance Marable, Leroy Henderson (drums).
After Hours
Rebecca Kilgore - A Little Taste a Tribute to Dave Frishberg
Year: 2024
Time: 38:40
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 39,0 MB
Art: Front
(2:51) 1. A Little Taste (The Single)
(3:42) 2. Our Love Rolls On
(5:08) 3. "Peel Me a Grape"
(2:33) 4. Little Did I Dream
(4:27) 5. Heart's Desire
(3:16) 6. Snowbound
(3:01) 7. "Brenda Starr"
(2:36) 8. Telephone Song
(3:25) 9. Ah so Pure
(2:56) 10. You Are There
(4:40) 11. Eastwood Lane
Singer Rebecca Kilgore’s A Little Taste showcases her wonderful delivery, accompanied by a stellar lineup of musicians. The album features Dan Barrett on trombone, Dick Titterington on trumpet and flugelhorn, Randy Porter on piano, Tom Wakeling on bass and Todd Strait on drums, among others, creating a rich backdrop for Kilgore’s performances.
Singer Rebecca Kilgore’s A Little Taste showcases her wonderful delivery, accompanied by a stellar lineup of musicians. The album features Dan Barrett on trombone, Dick Titterington on trumpet and flugelhorn, Randy Porter on piano, Tom Wakeling on bass and Todd Strait on drums, among others, creating a rich backdrop for Kilgore’s performances. A string sections adds in that regard as well. The recording leans heavily into jazz standards, offering a nostalgic journey through well-loved tunes. Kilgore’s is effortlessly elegant style and the interplay between her vocals and the instrumental arrangements is wonderful delivers warmth and intimacy that make this a beautifully enjoyable listening experience.https://thejazzpage.com/album/rebecca-kilgore-a-little-taste/
Singer Rebecca Kilgore’s A Little Taste showcases her wonderful delivery, accompanied by a stellar lineup of musicians. The album features Dan Barrett on trombone, Dick Titterington on trumpet and flugelhorn, Randy Porter on piano, Tom Wakeling on bass and Todd Strait on drums, among others, creating a rich backdrop for Kilgore’s performances. A string sections adds in that regard as well. The recording leans heavily into jazz standards, offering a nostalgic journey through well-loved tunes. Kilgore’s is effortlessly elegant style and the interplay between her vocals and the instrumental arrangements is wonderful delivers warmth and intimacy that make this a beautifully enjoyable listening experience.https://thejazzpage.com/album/rebecca-kilgore-a-little-taste/
A Little Taste a Tribute to Dave Frishberg
Fredrik Kronkvist - Out of the Blue
Year: 2025
Time: 77:12
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 74,0 MB
Art: Front
(5:38) 1. Blues on the Corner
(7:07) 2. Jinrikisha
(6:05) 3. Driftin'
(5:38) 4. Mahjong
(6:55) 5. Nica's Dream
(7:40) 6. Una Mas
(8:07) 7. Short Story
(6:46) 8. Oriental Folksong
(6:10) 9. The Kicker
(8:21) 10. Blue Bossa
(8:40) 11. Moanin'
The powerful and soulful altoman Fredrik Kronkvist is considered one of Europe’s finest alto saxophonists and takes charge whenever he is in the spotlight. Fredrik is an award-winning saxophonist and he has several albums out as a leader. Both his writing and improvisational skills are on display when he gives the audience his experience in drawing the heat from a tune with his big sound.
He is leading his own band where he presents a quartet, consisting of musicians from the vanguard of today. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/fredrik-kronkvist/
He is leading his own band where he presents a quartet, consisting of musicians from the vanguard of today. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/fredrik-kronkvist/
Out of the Blue
Johnny Frigo - Debut of A Legend
Styles: Jazz, Swing
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:58
Size: 132,3 MB
Art: Front + Back
(4:34) 1. Get Happy
(4:03) 2. I'm Old Fashioned
(3:04) 3. Osaka Saki
(5:09) 4. Too Late Now/Street of Dreams
(3:30) 5. Bow Jest
(4:25) 6. Nuages
(6:14) 7. Jitterbug Waltz
(5:25) 8. Heather On The Hill/How Are Things In Glocca Morra
(5:01) 9. I Love Paris
(6:18) 10. Here's That rainy Day
(3:09) 11. Lush Life
(5:03) 12. Jeannine
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:58
Size: 132,3 MB
Art: Front + Back
(4:34) 1. Get Happy
(4:03) 2. I'm Old Fashioned
(3:04) 3. Osaka Saki
(5:09) 4. Too Late Now/Street of Dreams
(3:30) 5. Bow Jest
(4:25) 6. Nuages
(6:14) 7. Jitterbug Waltz
(5:25) 8. Heather On The Hill/How Are Things In Glocca Morra
(5:01) 9. I Love Paris
(6:18) 10. Here's That rainy Day
(3:09) 11. Lush Life
(5:03) 12. Jeannine
Violinist Johnny Frigo's third album as a leader (he had previously made a forgotten date for Mercury in 1957 and a Chesky CD in 1988) is his definitive set, even though he was 77 at the time. With a good supporting cast (guitarist Gene Bertoncini, Bob Kindred on tenor and clarinet, pianist Joe Vito, bassist Michael Moore, and drummer Bill Goodwin), Frigo mostly explores standards, plus two of his originals. The music, falling between swing and bop, is superior straight-ahead jazz; among the highlights are "Get Happy," "Bow Jest," "Jitterbug Waltz," and "Jeannine." Frigo's sudden prominence in his '70s (considering he spent most of his career as a bassist) was as unlikely and welcome an event as trumpeter Doc Cheatham's late-period triumphs.By Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/debut-of-a-legend-mw0000119053
Personnel: Johnny Frigo (violin); Gene Bertoncini (guitar); Bob Kindred (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Joe Vito (piano); Bill Goodwin (drums).
Personnel: Johnny Frigo (violin); Gene Bertoncini (guitar); Bob Kindred (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Joe Vito (piano); Bill Goodwin (drums).
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Harry Allen's All Star Brazilian Band - Flying Over Rio
Year: 2014
Time: 76:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 179,1 MB
Art: Front
(4:32) 1. Double Rainbow
(4:01) 2. A Ship Without A Sail
(7:09) 3. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
(4:50) 4. Bonita
(5:44) 5. Girl From Ipanema
(4:44) 6. Bate Papo
(5:57) 7. Copacabana
(4:31) 8. Tristeza De Nos Dois
(4:17) 9. Eu E A Briza
(4:52) 10. Mojave
(4:52) 11. Flying Over Rio
(4:08) 12. Serra De Estrella
(4:45) 13. Lamento No Morro
(5:08) 14. Piano No Mangueirra
(6:48) 15. Love Dance
Harry Allen is one of those tenor saxophonists that, in many ways, defies categorization. Strongly swing-oriented, his style is influenced not only by the masters such as Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, but also by his contemporaries such as Scott Hamilton and Stan Getz. In his current release Flying Over Rio, he explores Brazilian music and how it has been both adapted and adopted into North American musical forms.
There is probably no better way of starting this adventure than with the Jobim/Lees collaboration “Double Rainbow”. Bringing together a bossa nova theme with a waltz tempo, which is all held together by vocalist Maucha Adnet, is a perfect synthesis of what Allen is trying to accomplish with this album. “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes” is one of those popular tunes whose origins are often forgotten, but nevertheless has attributes that seem to fit any musical style. Here, led by a sixteen-bar introduction from drummer Duduka Da Fonseca, Allen picks up the melody with some lovely phrasing before rolling out several choruses of improvisation with the addition of some nifty piano from Klaus Mueller.
It would almost be heresy to exclude “Girl From Ipanema” from a Brazilian album, so Allen and the band avoid this apostasy with a lilting arrangement, with guitarist Guilherme Monteiro taking the opening solo lead. Then Allen chimes in with his lyrical take on the composition, evoking the ghost of Stan Getz. The group dives into the purely Brazilian songs with gusto and offers vocalist Maucha Adnet lots of room to explore the genre on “Bonita” and “Eu e a Briza”. On the evocative “Mojave” Allen and bassist Nilson Matta offer a tenor-bass duo which is an intricate interplay between the two with a complex time signature. As for the title tune “Flying Over Rio” it is a samba in a reflexive mode with Allen, pianist Mueller, and bassist Matta all at the top of their game. The session closes with “Love Dance” taken at a barely perceptible bossa rhythm with Allen, guitarist Monteiro, and pianist Mueller sharing the solo space with emotion and resonance.
Lead by Harry Allen’s sturdy tenor saxophone, this inventive and versatile band brings a unique voice to the Brazilian musical experience.By John Sunier https://www.audaud.com/harry-allen-all-star-brazilian-band-flying-over-rio-arbors/
Personnel: Harry Allen – tenor saxophone; Klaus Mueller – piano; Guilherme Monteiro – guitar; Nilson Matta – bass; Duduka Da Fonseca – drums; Maucha Adnet – vocals
There is probably no better way of starting this adventure than with the Jobim/Lees collaboration “Double Rainbow”. Bringing together a bossa nova theme with a waltz tempo, which is all held together by vocalist Maucha Adnet, is a perfect synthesis of what Allen is trying to accomplish with this album. “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes” is one of those popular tunes whose origins are often forgotten, but nevertheless has attributes that seem to fit any musical style. Here, led by a sixteen-bar introduction from drummer Duduka Da Fonseca, Allen picks up the melody with some lovely phrasing before rolling out several choruses of improvisation with the addition of some nifty piano from Klaus Mueller.
It would almost be heresy to exclude “Girl From Ipanema” from a Brazilian album, so Allen and the band avoid this apostasy with a lilting arrangement, with guitarist Guilherme Monteiro taking the opening solo lead. Then Allen chimes in with his lyrical take on the composition, evoking the ghost of Stan Getz. The group dives into the purely Brazilian songs with gusto and offers vocalist Maucha Adnet lots of room to explore the genre on “Bonita” and “Eu e a Briza”. On the evocative “Mojave” Allen and bassist Nilson Matta offer a tenor-bass duo which is an intricate interplay between the two with a complex time signature. As for the title tune “Flying Over Rio” it is a samba in a reflexive mode with Allen, pianist Mueller, and bassist Matta all at the top of their game. The session closes with “Love Dance” taken at a barely perceptible bossa rhythm with Allen, guitarist Monteiro, and pianist Mueller sharing the solo space with emotion and resonance.
Lead by Harry Allen’s sturdy tenor saxophone, this inventive and versatile band brings a unique voice to the Brazilian musical experience.By John Sunier https://www.audaud.com/harry-allen-all-star-brazilian-band-flying-over-rio-arbors/
Personnel: Harry Allen – tenor saxophone; Klaus Mueller – piano; Guilherme Monteiro – guitar; Nilson Matta – bass; Duduka Da Fonseca – drums; Maucha Adnet – vocals
Flying Over Rio
Variable Density Sound Orchestra - Evolving Strategies
Year: 2014
Time: 51:34
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 52,6 MB
Art: Front
( 9:02) 1. Mystical Realities
( 3:41) 2. Evolving Strategies
( 8:23) 3. Return and Breathe
( 5:08) 4. Thoughts for Dixon
( 7:17) 5. Voyage from Ra
( 2:34) 6. Revolving Strategies
( 3:22) 7. Heart Is Only a Part
(12:07) 8. Mystical Realities: Aftermath
The constituent parts of guitarist Garrison Fewell's Variable Density Sound Orchestra shifted gradually between its eponymous inception (Creative Nation, 2008) and sophomore effort on Sound Particle 47 (Creative Nation, 2010). Inevitably there will be further changes in the future if the unit continues, as both trumpeter Roy Campbell and reedman John Tchicai have passed on since the session which yielded Evolving Strategies in January 2012. Such losses will make a big difference as the group has developed a distinctive ethos built upon elegant writing which encourage garrulous interplay and improvisation with a personal stamp. That's all the more surprising as the charts stem from the pens of not only the leader but also Tchicai and trombonist Steve Swell.
Two takes of Swell's Mystical Realities bookend the proceedings. In the liners, Fewell explains that the quality of the solos demanded that both cuts be included, and it's easy to hear the truth in that statement, notably in the longer second version where both the author and Tchicai sound particularly inspired and expressive. Between times, a variety of compositional gambits generate consistently worthwhile results. Both Fewell's title cut and its near relative "Revolving Strategies" were created by giving each player a set of themes, from which they could select five. It was up to each player whether to repeat and how to transition between themes. Avoiding any hint of artifice, both versions revel in a conversational pointillism which nonetheless produces a unified whole, lyrically calm on the former, more emphatic and chatty on the latter.
By contrast Tchicai's "Return and Breathe" features recognizable soloists, each given a different settings. It moves between sparse unhurried dialogue, an intricate hocketed march and a loping riff, over which the reedman spins insistent soulful variations. He also looms large on "Voyage from Ra," blowing an impassioned incantation against choppy backing, before switching to flute for a poised conclusion. Throughout the generous and adventurous program, the leader's cool intelligence and full jazzy tone add graceful counterpoint which not only complements whoever stands center stage but also provides the cohesion which glues everything together.By John Sharpe https://www.allaboutjazz.com/evolving-strategies-variable-density-sound-orchestra-nottwo-records-review-by-john-sharpe
Personnel: Garrison Fewell: guitar, violin bow; bottleneck slide; John Tchicai: tenor saxophone, flute; Roy Campbell Jr: trumpet; pocket trumpet, flugelhorn, flute; Steve Swell: trombone; Dmitry Ishenko: bass; Reggie Nicholson: drums.
Two takes of Swell's Mystical Realities bookend the proceedings. In the liners, Fewell explains that the quality of the solos demanded that both cuts be included, and it's easy to hear the truth in that statement, notably in the longer second version where both the author and Tchicai sound particularly inspired and expressive. Between times, a variety of compositional gambits generate consistently worthwhile results. Both Fewell's title cut and its near relative "Revolving Strategies" were created by giving each player a set of themes, from which they could select five. It was up to each player whether to repeat and how to transition between themes. Avoiding any hint of artifice, both versions revel in a conversational pointillism which nonetheless produces a unified whole, lyrically calm on the former, more emphatic and chatty on the latter.
By contrast Tchicai's "Return and Breathe" features recognizable soloists, each given a different settings. It moves between sparse unhurried dialogue, an intricate hocketed march and a loping riff, over which the reedman spins insistent soulful variations. He also looms large on "Voyage from Ra," blowing an impassioned incantation against choppy backing, before switching to flute for a poised conclusion. Throughout the generous and adventurous program, the leader's cool intelligence and full jazzy tone add graceful counterpoint which not only complements whoever stands center stage but also provides the cohesion which glues everything together.By John Sharpe https://www.allaboutjazz.com/evolving-strategies-variable-density-sound-orchestra-nottwo-records-review-by-john-sharpe
Personnel: Garrison Fewell: guitar, violin bow; bottleneck slide; John Tchicai: tenor saxophone, flute; Roy Campbell Jr: trumpet; pocket trumpet, flugelhorn, flute; Steve Swell: trombone; Dmitry Ishenko: bass; Reggie Nicholson: drums.
Evolving Strategies
Alice Groves - Whisper Down The Wind
Styles: Vocal, Adult Contemporary
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:44
Size: 91,4 MB
Art: Front
(4:37) 1. MacArthur Park (Abridged)
(4:50) 2. Windmills of Your Mind
(4:20) 3. Across the Universe of Time
(4:01) 4. Wild Is the Wind
(3:51) 5. Forever and Ever
(4:32) 6. Dance Me to the End of Love
(5:13) 7. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(8:17) 8. Jazz Tango to Love
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:44
Size: 91,4 MB
Art: Front
(4:37) 1. MacArthur Park (Abridged)
(4:50) 2. Windmills of Your Mind
(4:20) 3. Across the Universe of Time
(4:01) 4. Wild Is the Wind
(3:51) 5. Forever and Ever
(4:32) 6. Dance Me to the End of Love
(5:13) 7. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(8:17) 8. Jazz Tango to Love
Smooth Jazz edges weaving in and out of the evocative fusion of world sounds on this Adult Contemporary album - Yes, the music is stunningly beautiful, but it is the ethereal but gutsy soprano voice that grips your soul and won't let go. https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/alicegroves
Cristiana Polegri,Roberto Spadoni - It Had Better Be Henry Mancini
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:18
Size: 156,9 MB
Art: Front
(5:04) 1. Days Of Wine And Roses
(6:41) 2. Slow Hot Wind (Lujon) (Feat. Giovanni Falzone)
(7:15) 3. A Cool Shade Of Blue (Feat. Giovanni Falzone & Maurizio Giammarco)
(5:58) 4. The Sweatheart Tree
(5:42) 5. It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera) (Feat. Elio, Giovanni Falzone & Maurizio Giammarco)
(6:49) 6. Peter Gunn (Feat. Giovanni Falzone & Maurizio Giammarco)
(6:40) 7. Two For The Road (Feat. Stefano Fresi & Maurizio Giammarco)
(4:39) 8. The Pink Panther Theme
(5:48) 9. Moon River
(6:50) 10. Loss Of Love
(6:48) 11. Baby Elephant Walk (Feat. Giovanni Falzone & Maurizio Giammarco)
"It Had Better Be Henri Mancini" is Cristiana Polegri and Roberto Spadoni's tribute to the great American composer and conductor famous for having composed some of the most beautiful and well-known soundtracks in the history of cinema, in a long career studded with accolades. Among these we can mention famous songs such as "Moon River", "Baby Elephant Walk", "Peter Gunn" and the theme of the Pink Panther.
The singer and saxophonist Cristiana Polegri and Roberto Spadoni, arranger of all the songs and musical director, reinterpret some of his best-known compositions in the album, arranged for a colorful ten-piece jazz ensemble. To embellish the album the participation of the singer Elio and the actor Stefano Fresi as well as the trumpeter Giovanni Falzone and the saxophonist Maurizio Giammarco.
https://www.dischivolanti.ch/it/article/music/M39554/
The singer and saxophonist Cristiana Polegri and Roberto Spadoni, arranger of all the songs and musical director, reinterpret some of his best-known compositions in the album, arranged for a colorful ten-piece jazz ensemble. To embellish the album the participation of the singer Elio and the actor Stefano Fresi as well as the trumpeter Giovanni Falzone and the saxophonist Maurizio Giammarco.
https://www.dischivolanti.ch/it/article/music/M39554/
It Had Better Be Henry Mancini
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Sue Raney - Quietly There - Music of Johnny Mandel
Year: 1987
Time: 60:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 139,9 MB
Art: Front
(4:36) 1. Lovers After All
(4:02) 2. El Cajon
(5:12) 3. Quietly There
(3:10) 4. Sure As You're Born
(4:50) 5. The Shining Sea
(3:41) 6. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(3:46) 7. Chose Enough For Love
(3:54) 8. Cinnamon And Clove
(3:36) 9. Unless It's You
(3:44) 10. Suicide Is Painless
(4:37) 11. You Are There
(3:48) 12. A Time For Love
(4:19) 13. Emily
(2:22) 14. Don't Look Back
(4:50) 15. Take Me Home
Sue Raney has one of the most beautiful voices in music. She is always in-tune, displays complete control over her vibrato, and has the rare gift of being able to interpret lyrics with such deep understanding that she makes them sound fresh, even if the words are familiar. Raney would be much better known today if she did not spend most of her time as a well-respected voice teacher, living in the Los Angeles area, and if she had recorded more extensively throughout her career. But she is one of the greats.
Sue was born Raelene Claire Claussen on June 18,1940, in McPherson, Kansas, and her career started very early. "I came From a musical background for my mother was a singer and my great great aunt had been in German opera When I was about four my mother realized that I could sing. My first public appearance was at a party in Wichita, Kansas when I was five."
Unable to find a voice teacher for her daughter at that time (due to her extreme youth), Raney's mother (who later in life became a vocal teacher) took voice lessons herself and then passed what she learned down to Sue.
"Early on I sang the hits, tunes that the girl singers in the big hands were performing. While growing up in the 1950's. I first listened to Doris Day, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney and Kay Starr. I discovered jazz when I was 16 or 17 and of course soon loved Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan."
After working steadily in New Mexico and taking several trips out to Los Angeles during a couple of summer vacations, Sue Raney joined the Jack Carson radio show in 1954. "That is why the family moved out to Los Angeles. I had auditioned for Frankie Laine and made a couple of demos for his office. It was through him that I ended up on the Jack Carson show. It was one of the last major radio programs on CBS and at 15 I was the teenager on the show for nine or ten months. After Jack Carson I started appearing on Ray Anthony's television program and then became the vocalist with his hand when he played the Palladium. When I was 19, I put an act together and started working on the road."
She was already an established singer when most young girls were making a rather awkward transition from Elvis Presley to Clearasil. It took time to polish her vocal talent. There were ups and downs, good breaks and bad ones. There was the time in Australia when the critics banged nothing but praise out of their typewriters and the crowds came early and stayed and stayed and stayed. Then, for a time, things couldn't be better, She completed her third album for Capitol Records and was swamped with hotel and night club bookings as well as offers for various television appearances. Then came a down. An auto accident crumbled the classic stairway to stardom. Bedridden for months, Sue faded out of the musical picture. But no one seemed to forget. With the help of crutches, she made an appearance on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show," and became an instant hit.
In the 1960's Sue Raney worked with the Four Freshmen at Las Vegas, toured with her own group, and appeared frequently on television variety shows including those of Red Skelton, Dean Martin and Danny Kaye. During the following decade she became active in the studios where her impressive voice helped sell products. But when asked to name her favorite gig, Sue Raney says "Possibly the highpoint of my life musically was when I toured with Michel Legrand in the 1980's. We worked with symphony orchestras in addition to having a self-contained rhythm section. I had a chance to sing Michel's lovely songs and it was wonderful." Of her own personal recordings she says "I think the trio of records that I made for Albert Marx, on Discovery in the 1980's are the ones that I am most proud of. I also like the Henry Mancini tribute Dreamsville that I did with Alan Broadbent." Sue is also an accomplished songwriter, contributing lyrics to several songs including Statue Of Snow.
These days Sue Raney is quite active as a voice teacher. "I've been teaching since the early 1980's, originally at the Dick Grove school and now privately nearly every afternoon. It is very rewarding. Teaching has allowed me to relearn what I thought I knew and explore new areas. I find that I'm now in better shape vocally than I've ever been. I sing with the L.A. Voices and Supersax, occasionally appear at the Moonlight Tango Cafe in Sherman Oaks near Los Angeles with Bill Watrous' big band and still go on the road when it feels right and it is artistically rewarding." When asked about her future goals, Sue Raney replied "I'd like to record a duet album with Alan Broadbent. But basically I just want to keep on doing what I'm doing, singing the music I love."https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/sue-raney/
Sue was born Raelene Claire Claussen on June 18,1940, in McPherson, Kansas, and her career started very early. "I came From a musical background for my mother was a singer and my great great aunt had been in German opera When I was about four my mother realized that I could sing. My first public appearance was at a party in Wichita, Kansas when I was five."
Unable to find a voice teacher for her daughter at that time (due to her extreme youth), Raney's mother (who later in life became a vocal teacher) took voice lessons herself and then passed what she learned down to Sue.
"Early on I sang the hits, tunes that the girl singers in the big hands were performing. While growing up in the 1950's. I first listened to Doris Day, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney and Kay Starr. I discovered jazz when I was 16 or 17 and of course soon loved Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan."
After working steadily in New Mexico and taking several trips out to Los Angeles during a couple of summer vacations, Sue Raney joined the Jack Carson radio show in 1954. "That is why the family moved out to Los Angeles. I had auditioned for Frankie Laine and made a couple of demos for his office. It was through him that I ended up on the Jack Carson show. It was one of the last major radio programs on CBS and at 15 I was the teenager on the show for nine or ten months. After Jack Carson I started appearing on Ray Anthony's television program and then became the vocalist with his hand when he played the Palladium. When I was 19, I put an act together and started working on the road."
She was already an established singer when most young girls were making a rather awkward transition from Elvis Presley to Clearasil. It took time to polish her vocal talent. There were ups and downs, good breaks and bad ones. There was the time in Australia when the critics banged nothing but praise out of their typewriters and the crowds came early and stayed and stayed and stayed. Then, for a time, things couldn't be better, She completed her third album for Capitol Records and was swamped with hotel and night club bookings as well as offers for various television appearances. Then came a down. An auto accident crumbled the classic stairway to stardom. Bedridden for months, Sue faded out of the musical picture. But no one seemed to forget. With the help of crutches, she made an appearance on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show," and became an instant hit.
In the 1960's Sue Raney worked with the Four Freshmen at Las Vegas, toured with her own group, and appeared frequently on television variety shows including those of Red Skelton, Dean Martin and Danny Kaye. During the following decade she became active in the studios where her impressive voice helped sell products. But when asked to name her favorite gig, Sue Raney says "Possibly the highpoint of my life musically was when I toured with Michel Legrand in the 1980's. We worked with symphony orchestras in addition to having a self-contained rhythm section. I had a chance to sing Michel's lovely songs and it was wonderful." Of her own personal recordings she says "I think the trio of records that I made for Albert Marx, on Discovery in the 1980's are the ones that I am most proud of. I also like the Henry Mancini tribute Dreamsville that I did with Alan Broadbent." Sue is also an accomplished songwriter, contributing lyrics to several songs including Statue Of Snow.
These days Sue Raney is quite active as a voice teacher. "I've been teaching since the early 1980's, originally at the Dick Grove school and now privately nearly every afternoon. It is very rewarding. Teaching has allowed me to relearn what I thought I knew and explore new areas. I find that I'm now in better shape vocally than I've ever been. I sing with the L.A. Voices and Supersax, occasionally appear at the Moonlight Tango Cafe in Sherman Oaks near Los Angeles with Bill Watrous' big band and still go on the road when it feels right and it is artistically rewarding." When asked about her future goals, Sue Raney replied "I'd like to record a duet album with Alan Broadbent. But basically I just want to keep on doing what I'm doing, singing the music I love."https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/sue-raney/
Quietly There-Music of Johnny Mandel
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