The Best Of – BALL BARBER & BILK***

Jump In The Line/Higher Ground/Willie The Weeper/Gladiolus Rag/Teddy Bear’s Picnic/Hawaiian War Chant/I Love You Samantha/Chimes Blues/Majorca/High Society/Tuxedo Rag/When The Saints Go Marching In

The three most successful British exponents of trad jazz are collected together in this budget release. Within a year the trad era would be over as the new beat groups took centre stage. (UK:1) “Good-time music from the trad boom of the late 1950s and 1960s. For fans of Chris Barber, Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk.”

“I loved this music. The modern stuff doesn't even come close. I became a jazz fan later in life so its great to be able to collect this music now.”

“Ball, Barber & Bilk were three of the best exponents of trad jazz in the late 50s & early 60s.”

“Brings back happy memories of great traditional jazz sessions in the West Country. Having seen these three great artists performing live on many occasions this LP was a 'must have'. Great music.”

Baby Elephant Walk – LAWRENCE WELK***

Baby Elephant Walk/Are You Lonesome Tonight/Love Me Tender/Gigi/Its All In The Game/Pretend/Theme From The Brothers Grimm/Three Coins In The Fountain/Mona Lisa/Its Not For Me To Say/Vaya Con Dios/Because Of You

Baby Elephant Walk was the final top ten album from the prolific bandleader Lawrence Welk and includes many movie themes. He had been a regular in the US album chart since the mid 1950s. (US:9)

“Lawrence Welk definitely did the best recording of Baby Elephant Walk, a magical Mancini composition.”

“These are toe-tappin’ instrumental versions of some of the great songs from the late 50s through the 60s. If you thought that Welk just played polkas and 'old folks' music, you are in for a shock.”

“The most popular shows on public television right now are the rebroadcasts of the old Lawrence Welk Show. That should be enough to convince you to get with the Welk momentum. Timeless arrangements of classic songs. A true American treasure.”

“Unlike most Welk aficionados, I was never a fan of his TV show. Thankfully, the maestro's music eschewed the flash, always focusing on the substance of the piece and getting deep into the heart of the music. Does not the music speak volumes on its own? No one spoke the universal language of music with the fluency of Mr. One an’ a two an’ a three himself.”

“This album explores some of the many styles with which Welk was so fluent. Even some of the well known hits are greatly enhanced by that touch of magic.”

A Swingin’ Safari – BILLY VAUGHN***

A Swingin’ Safari/(Its No)Sin/Born To Be With You/Alone/Glow Worm March/In The Chapel In The Moonlight/ Sunday In Madrid/Love Letters In The Sand/Blue Flame/A Fool Such As I/Throw Another Log On The Fire/When The Saints Go Marching In

A Swingin’ Safari was the final top ten album for bandleader Billy Vaughn as musical tastes began to change. The title track was a No. 13 hit single in the States. (US:10)

“Although the arrangements for Swingin' Safari are over the top, they do so in a real space age bachelor pad kind of way. These are arrangements that would not have been out of place on a Louis Prima session. Some of the hot picks are Blue Flame, Glow Worm March, and When The Saints Go Marching In."

“Swingin’ Safari has songs with strings, a little marching music and Woody Herman's great jazz classic Blue Flame which is given its due by the Billy Vaughn crew.”

“I remember first hearing this as a youngster in the early '60s. To me, it is reminiscent of a more laid-back, simpler, carefree, happier time. Wish I could go back.”

“A lot of people prefer Bert Kaempfert’s original version but I would choose the raw sound the usually smooth Billy Vaughn created in this cover, which the trumpeter is largely responsible for.”

Rhythm Is My Business – ELLA FITZGERALD****

Rough Ridin’/Broadway/You Can Depend On Me/Runnin’ Wild/Show Me The Way To Go Out Of This World/I’ll Always Be In Love With You/Hallelujah I Love Him So/I Can’t Face The Music/No Moon At All/Laughin’ At The Outside/After You’ve Gone

On Rhythm Is My Business Ella Fitzgerald returns to a big band backing with the emphasis on swing. Vocally she was considered to be still on top form at this time.

“The First Lady of Song, gives us another incredible album to enjoy. Ella's vocal gymnastics proved that she was the consummate singer, and quite a vocal athlete at that. This LP amply proves it; and the big band style musical arrangements by Bill Doggett enhance Ella's performance on every track.”

“Ella never ceases to amaze me with her immense talent. Every time I think I have the best album she ever made, I get another one and fall for her all over again. On this disc, she covers a wide range of diverse material for one album. From the sorrowful mourning of I Can't Face The Music to the outrageous tempo and swing of Runnin' Wild, Ella proves once again she will always be the versatile First Lady of Song.”

“By the early 60s she was at that awkward point where her pioneering days were coming to a close yet she wasn't exactly ready to retire yet. And the quality of the output she would make would depend on her arranger and the musicians she sang with. On this album she decided to make a full on return to the sound of the big band swing that made her. At the same time, she had already adapted a lot of new vocal ideas into her framework to do it the same way again.”

“The early '60s were a good time for Fitzgerald. The monumental achievement of the songbooks was behind her and she could relax and enjoy her success. Not that she is coasting here. On the contrary, her vocal powers were at a peak in 1962 and she commands the big band with ease and authority. No singer before or since has swung so effortlessly and with such verve.”

“Here Ella is singing over big, brassy, swinging arrangements complemented by Doggett's organ work. The rhythm is equally driving and, of course Ella brings a combination of her wonderfully sustained crooning, and her rangy scat singing, right into the spirited accompaniment.”

Worried Mind – RAY ANTHONY***

Worried Mind/Weary Blues From Waitin’/I Can’t Stop Loving You/Your Cheatin’ Heart/Born To Lose/Too Late To Worry Too Blue To Cry/You Nearly Lose Your Mind/Careless Love/Half As Much/It Makes No Difference Now/ Release Me/Walking The Floor Over You

Trumpeter Ray Anthony enjoyed considerable commercial success during the 1950s with his big band. His final chart album Worried Mind features Ray on trumpet playing country favourites. (US:12)

“Worried Mind is devoted to interpretations of country & western tunes, made after Anthony had disbanded his big band and assembled a Vegas lounge act. As a result, the album is much more subdued than the brassy, danceable music that brought him success in the '50s. He makes use of a vocal chorus, creating music that is firmly in the easy listening camp: smooth, mellow, contemplative, but without the unique instrumental blend that characterized Anthony's big band.”

“It has twelve selections of the best of country music up to that date including I Can't Stop Loving You, Born To Lose etc done in the amazing Ray Anthony style. He must have been one of the first artists to bring trumpets to country music.”

“Growing up in the 50s and playing trumpet myself both make this a very special album for me. The music is beautiful and Mr. Anthony adds such a special delight with his trumpet.”

“Great country music, with Ray Anthony's trumpet as the 'lead singer', really pretty cool, and easy listening music.”

Roses Are Red – BOBBY VINTON***

Roses Are Red/Sentimental Me/I Fall To Pieces/Mr Lonely/Have I Told You Lately That I Love You/I Can’t Stop Loving You/I Can’t Help It/True Love/Always In My Heart/Crying/If I Give My Heart To You/Please Help Me I’m Falling

Bobby Vinton straddled the divide between the teen idols and the adult easy listening vocalists. He hit the ground running with his debut album Roses Are Red with the title track topping the singles chart in the States. (US:5)

“He had more in common with such fifties artists as Perry Como, Pat Boone and Andy Williams, than to his sixties pop contemporaries. But in any era there's always room for good songs and a great voice to sing them.”

“Roses Are Red, a classic love ballad, makes a strong start for the album. I like the lush musical arrangement and the backup vocalists do a great job.”

“Bobby Vinton made quite a career out of a very limited vocabulary of song titles, and worked within a fairly narrow prism of subjects and styles. Yet in so doing he was immensely successful, and he ripped up the charts with a number of hits.”

“I love this record which brings back such beautiful music, and beautiful times. If only these times were still here today. I loved all of his music and all of the 50s/60s.”

Bobby Vee Meets The Crickets – BOBBY VEE & THE CRICKETS**

Peggy Sue/Bo Diddley/Someday/Well Alright/I Gotta Know/Lookin’ For Love/Sweet Little Sixteen/When You’re In Love/Lucille/Girl Of My Best Friend/Little Queenie/The Girl Can’t Help It

Bobby Vee made history when he stood in for Buddy Holly the night after he died. So Meets The Crickets has some poignancy, but is nevertheless redundant as both the Holly tracks, and the other covers, are better done by the original artists. (US:42 UK:2)

“Bobby was heavily influenced by Buddy and sounded a lot like him. Meets The Crickets featured a mix of Buddy’s songs and others. Even if you have Buddy’s original recordings you'll want this one as well.”

“This LP is a must have for fans of Bobby Vee and Buddy Holly. The songs are excellent.”

“These covers of Holly are pretty true to his versions. To be expected given the time period when these were released and considering he filled in for Holly on the Winter Dance Party tour the night after Holly died.”