Heliotrope Bouquet: Piano Rags

This 1971 album is another wonderful expression of composer/pianist William Bolcom's talent at the keyboard.  So much fun, pathos, and intelligence are shown in both the music and its playing!

1 A Ragtime Nightmare

2 The Easy Winners

3 Heliotrope Bouquet

4 Ethiopia Rag

5 Pegasus

6 Wall Street Rag

7 Pork and Beans

8 Graceful Ghost

9 Seabiscuits

10 Brass Knuckles

Rag out!  See you Monday.

Al Hirt: "The Horn" Meets "The Hornet" Re-Post with Active Link

In this 1966 album, we hear "Popular TV themes of intrigue," according to the back side of the LP.

1. “Green Hornet” Theme
2. The Hornet’s Nest
3. Night Rumble
4. “Get Smart” Theme
5. Theme from “Run For Your Life”
6. “Batman” Theme
7. The “King Kong” Theme
8. The Monkees
9. Tarzan’s March
10. T.H.E. Cat
11. (Theme from) Run Buddy Run

Join us now in a trip to the thrilling days of yesteryear, with Al Hirt!

See you Monday.

 

A Complete Authentic Minstrel Show

From 1958, we have a heark-back to an old style of entertainment.

Before vaudeville, we had the Minstrel show, popularized by the ruling class as a reinforcement of their role at the top of the societal heap.  Much humor was directed at the uneducated black man, who was an innocent pawn of his "betters."

Of course, each person is valuable.  Rascals and virtuous people exist in all places, societies, and skin colors, because we're all human.

Discogs page.  As you may imagine, this is a re-creation of the type, including the layout of front & rear covers.

01 - Opening March: Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight - Swanee River - The Company  (1:27)

02 - Medley: Old Dan Tucker - Mandy Lee - Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair - Old Folks at Home - Camptown Races - In the Evening by the Moonlight - The Company  (9:57)

03 - Sweet Sixteen - Gilbert Smith, The Southland Chorus  (3:24)

04 - Shine on Harvest Moon - The Company  (2:39)

05 - The Preacher and the Bear - Robert Lamb  (2:56)

06 - My Gal Sal - The Southland Chorus  (6:09)

07 - Lassus Trombome - The Sliphorn Four  (2:48)

08 - Asleep in the Deep - Warren Biggs  (2:36)

09 - Grand Finale: Hello, Ma Baby - Honeymoon - I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now - Goodbye My Lady Love - The Company  (5:42)

Listen to the show.

See you Monday. 

 

You Can't Pick Your Friend's Nose

This 1978 one-off certainly has them grinnin' -- at least in the cover art.

The label, SPBGMA Records, sounds kind of like a disease.  But the music is OK.

01. Bill Cheatham (2:23)

02. Bells of St Mary (3:05)

03. Pick Away (2:49)

04. Mason’s Apron (1:57)

05. Sweet Bunch of Daisies (3:00)

06. Fireball (2:18)

07. Annie Laurie (2:16)

08. Turkey Knob (2:21)

09. Liberty (2:10)

10. Breakin’ It Down (2:34)

11. Duelin’ Banjo & Orange Blossom Special (3:54)

12. Twinkle Little Star (2:30)

13. Fireball Mail (2:24)

14. Firehouse Blues (3:29)

TICK ALERT:  No, not the Rocky Mountain-Spotted kind, silly!  No -- in Tracks 6 and 7 there are ticks (pops) in the audio, due to a scratch on the vinyl.  Hope you can take it as an artifact of a "vinyl experience."


Pickin' an' a Grinnin'

See you Thursday.
   

Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circus Band -- Step Right Up, Ladles and Germs!

From somewhere in the 1950s, it's the closest thing to a circus experience that you can have, without having to scrape your shoes!

As you can tell from the LP stickers, this is a 1970s reissue.  But it's lotsa fun!

01. Royal Bridesmaids March (3:16)

02. a-Pahjamah; b-Bull Trombone (2:47)

03. El Caballero (3:09)

04. a-Sunnyland Waltzes; b-The Storming of el Caney (2:43)

05. March Ponderoso (3:12)

06. Entry of the Gladiators (Thunder and Blazes) (2:34)

07. Quality Plus (2:21)

08. Big Time Boogie (3:03)

09. Pageant of Progress (2:29)

10. a-The Crimson Petal; b-The Bastinado Galop (2:55)

11. Colossus of Columbia March (2:19)

(in #2, #4, and #10 -- leader’s whistle interrupts the first piece, and they immediately switch over to the second piece)

  B&B Circus Band

Have fun under the Big Top, and we'll see you Monday!

National G's Barbershop Days

Last week a friend requested some Barbershop music.   Although I have another album or two in backlog, this is the only one that's finished, and it's more an evocation than a transcription of barbershop harmonies.  Yet, here it is.

01. The Thunderer - The Park Pavilion Concert Band and String Ensemble (2:04)

02. My Wild Irish Rose - Bluegrass Student Union (2:16)

03. Summertime Medley (The Sidewalks of New York - I Don't Want to Play in Your Yard - In My Merry Oldsmobile) - The Park Pavilion Concert Band (4:13)

04. Wait Till the Sun Shines Nellie - The Thoroughbreds (1:42)

05. On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away - The Thoroughbreds (1:56)

06. Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis - The Park Pavilion Concert Band and String Ensemble (2:48)

07. Grandfather's Clock - Gove (3:43)

08. Hello Ma Baby - The Park Pavilion Concert Band and String Ensemble (1:00)

09. Evening in the Park (The Band Played On - Love's Old Sweet Song - Daisy Bell) - The Park Pavilion Concert Band and String Ensemble (4:21)

10. I Love You Truly - The Thoroughbreds (2:59)

11. In the Good Old Summertime - The Park Pavilion Concert Band and String Ensemble (1:39)

12. Sweet Adeline - Bluegrass Student Union (3:15)

Barbershop Days


See you Thursday!

 

He's Got a Huge -- Band

Discogs tells us that this album was released in 1963.

You have got to give credit to the girl who posed for this cover image -- she either has a great sense of humor, or she thought posing like this would help her avoid Hazing Week at her new sorority.

Either way, she's game! ... Kind of like this music, which is fine but never cuts loose in what I expected to be the "Dixieland" style.  Maybe that's because he was from Chicago.

01. Columbia the Gem of the Ocean (2:55)

02. Chicago (2:24)

03. I'm Coming Virginia (3:22)

04. Royal Garden Blues (2:22)

05. The Lonesome Road (6:17)

06. You Are My Sunshine (2:58)

07. Too Marvelous for Words (4:12)

08. Blues in the Night (3:42)

09. Blue Skies (2:13)

10. Midnight in Moscow (2:53)

Gem

See you Monday.