All Points East - Gus Vali

All Points East
Gus Vali And His Casbah Ensemble
Produced and directed by Jack Lewis
Assistant to Mr. Lewis: Chet Amsterdam
Conducted by Gus Vali
Arranged by Luis Barreiro
Engineer: Fred Christie / Olmsted Sound Studios
Cover Design: Bacon-Braren-Lewine
Cover Photo: Melvin Sokolsky
United Artists UAL 3083
1960

Personnel
Clarinet - Gus Vali
Bass - Luis Barrreiro
Buzukie - Nicholas Patides
Oud - Manny Ayvas
Dumbek - Tarik Bulut
Accordion - Chet Amsterdam, Harry Hirsch, John Yalenezian
Nicholas Patides does not appear on Hasapiko, Zexpa, Misirlou and Rampee

The set is available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the original cover

From Billboard - April 4, 1960: Gus Vali and his ensemble present intriguing settings of a flock of Eastern melodies. The instrumentation is interesting, and the group manages several exciting moments. Some of the tracks have vocals. Those looking for unusual fare have their meat in this.

Yelakaiki
Findinaki
Trichibidies
Oglan Oglan
Zexpa
Hasapiko
Rampee
Kastorian
Skali Skali
Misirlou
Kashlarin Inge Inge

Softly - Jackie Gleason

The Girl From Ipanema

Softly
Jackie Gleason
Album Director: Ernest K. Dominy
Capitol Creative Products
SL-6664
1970

Moon River
A Man And A Woman
Strangers In The Night
I Don't Know Why
This Guy's In Love With You
Softly, As I Leave You
The Girl From Ipanema
On The Street Where You Live
Love Theme From Romeo And Juliet
The Most Beautiful Girl In The World

Speak To Me Of Love - A Time For Young Lovers - The London Festival Orchestra

Somewhere My Love

A Time For Young Lovers
Speak To Me Of Love
The London Festival Orchestra
Produced by Paul Robinson
GWF Records ST 3017
1970

Day By Day
Somewhere My Love
The Autumn Of My Life
I Wish You Love
Young & Foolish
Fly Me To The Moon
If You Go Away
People
Call Me Irresponsible
Till The End Of Time

The Theme From The Unforgiven - Don Costa

Invitation

The Theme From The Unforgiven
Don Costa
Voices And Orchestra
Produced by Don Costa
Photo by Wagner International Photos Inc.
United Artists UAL 3119
1960

From Billboard - April 11, 1960: Don Costa, Untied Artists Records' recently appointed a&r chief, and his orchestra and chorus present a winning recording of Theme From The Unforgiven, the main theme from the motion picture The Unforgiven which opened in N.Y. last week and stars Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn. The movie, incidentally, is based on the best-selling novel and was filmed entirely in Durango, Mexico. United Artist has an album of original music from the sound track composed by Dimitri Tiomkin.

Also from Billboard (Special Merit Spotlights) - May 28, 1960: The Costa work and chorus present a lovely treatment of the main theme from "The Unforgiven." It's a pretty strain and it's handed a spinnable treatment. Flip is "Streets Of Paris."

The Theme From The Unforgiven
An Affair To Remember
Invitation
The Song
From Moulin Rouge
Laura
The 3rd Man Theme
Smile
Lonely Room
From Here To Eternity
Picnic
Stella By Starlight
Return To Paradise

Belly Dancing With Elektra

Byr Demet Yasemen

Statler Records Presents
Belly Dancing
Middle Eastern Dance With Elektra
Cover Photos by Dance Classics
Statler Records S.L.P. 1192

From the back cover: Elektra, born in New York City, the Dance Center of the World, she has studied Middle Eastern Dance with her noted father Stephen Parascos. She has performed the dance for 30 some odd years for organizations such as" AHEPA, Daughters Of Penelope, Maids Of Athens and Social Functions Sponsored By The Greek Orthodox Church. She has frequently dance for club date engagements and recently has had the opportunity to entertain aboard the Atlas cruiser while touring the Middle East. She has traveled Europe and the Middle East in search of material for this teaching manual and L.P. album.

She has appeared on television and has made frequent concert stage appearances. At present, she is involved in teaching extensively for the A&S Corporation and is performing for charity organizations such as Cancer Care, Hadassah, ORT and private organizations. She is introducing the dance in its classic form, emphasizing the art for its benefits to physical fitness.

The future holds an exciting teaching career in Athens, Greece and with "The International Cultural Dance Center" of which she is also director.

Zehra (Rhumba - Greek)
Maharaya (Chiftelli - Greek)
Miserlou (Bolero - Greek)
Aziza ( Chiftelli - Arabic)
Eben-El Bald ( Chiftelli - Arabic)
Leila ( Chiftelli - Arabic)
Byr Demet Yasemen (Bolero - Turkish)
Rampi Rampi (Karslassma - Turkish)
Halalaya ( Chiftelli - Arabic)
Pou Ene Ta Hronia (Karslaama - Greek)
Azayain ( Chiftelli - Arabic)

Innovations By Boyd Raeburn - Volume 2

Soft And Warm

Innovations By Boyd Raeburn
Volume 2
Savoy MG 15011
1951

10 inch LP.

From Billboard - July 21, 1951: In music circles some four or five years ago, there was a considerable to do over the rather sensational concert approach which Boyd Raeburn had employed for his new band. The band, hitting at a time when Woody Herman and Stan Kenton were immovable from the top rungs of the big band jazz ladder, never really got off the ground in the market. However, its recording, then issued on Jewel Records, received quite a bit of attention. These disks now have been reissued in long-play form and, at least in sound, are an improvement over the originals. An appraisal of the content of these disks at this point would show that the Raeburn idea, put into practical action by arrangers George Handy and Ed Finckel, was quite pretentious and windy but produced many moments of fascinating sound and modern "progressive" jazz touches. "Boyd Meets Stravinsky" still stacks up as something of a big band jazz masterwork, for instance. The half dozen or so vocals in the three volume are shared between Ginnie Powell and David Allyn, the latter a particularly gifted young man. Jazz fans of the modern school will most particularly want to have this complete disk documentary of the noble Raeburn experiment.

Over The Rainbow
Hep Boyd
Rip Van Winkle
Prelude To The Dawn
Love Tales
Soft And Warm

Continental Latin Rhythms - French Latin Orchestra

Anders

Continental Latin Rhythms
French Latin Orchestra
Recorded In Europe
Royale 1845
1954

10 inch LP.

Rio
Bermuda
Tony
Quatro
Ellen
Maria
Porto
Anders

Dance Time U.S.A. - Herbie Layne

Nearness Of You

Dance Time U.S.A.
Herbie Layne And His Orchestra
Hollywood Records LPH-46
A Blue Ribbon Product
1957

From the back cover: Herbie plays tenor sax and has surrounded himself on these sides with a group of really fine musicians.

Dancing On The Ceiling
I Could Write A Book
Star Dust
Autumn In New York
La Vie En Rose
Get Happy
Carolina In The Morning
Girl Of My Dreams
Our Love Is Here To Stay
The Nearness Of You
Once In A While

Organized For Hi-Fi - Marty Gold

Yesterdays

Organized For Hi-Fi
Marty Gold And His Organ Ensemble
Arranged And Conducted By Marty Gold
Recorded At Webster Hall, New York City, August 29 and 30, 1956
Recording Engineer: Lew Layton
Produced And Directed By Herman Diaz, Jr.
Vik LX-1069
1957

From the back cover: Marty Gold's preparation for this unusual arranging and conducting task started with a Town Hall debut when he was only 12 and has included arranging assignments for Charlie Barnet and other big bands and work as a conductor for such singers as Sarah Vaughan and the Four Aces. For several years he has been associated with The Three Suns.

The tunes has has chosen for his three-organ ensemble are some of the most warmly loved works of our popular composers. Most of them are thoroughly familiar and some – like Yesterdays and Over The Rainbow – are heard almost daily by anyone within earshot of television, radio or jukebox but never before in the unusual instrumentation in which they are offed here.

From Billboard - March 2, 1958: Superior sound, unusual instrumentation, and excellent technique make this package a solid commercial bet. Ensemble features three organs, string bass, percussionist, celesta and a keyboard glockenspiel. Nostalgic line-up of standards included "I Saw Star," "Penthouse Serenade," "All The Things You Are," etc. For hi-fi addicts, organ fans and romantic deejay sets. Striking cover photo.

I Saw The Stars
My Silent Love
Penthouse Serenade
Yesterdays
It's Easy To Remember
All The Things You Are
S'posin'
Once In A While
You're Mine You
Sentimental Journey
Someone To Watch Over Me
Over The Rainbow

Blue Prelude - Gordon Jenkins

Blue Prelude

Blue Prelude
Gordon Jenkins
Art Direction" Woody Woodward
Cover Photo: Three Lions
Sunset/Liberty Records
SUM 1149
1967

From the back cover: Gordon Jenkins, a product of Webster Groves, MO., gained some early professional experience as banjoist, pianist and later conductor and arranger with various orchestras in St. Louis. Broadway became award of him in 1937, when he scored the music and served as conductor for "The Show Is On." A year later, he was with NBC in California as musical director.

Since then, Jenkins has enjoyed a multiple career. His compositions have ranged from "Manhattan Tower" to "Tzena Tzean"; he has had many TV and film credits, and occasionally he has been teamed with virtuosi from the jazz world, his best-known partnership having having been with Louis Armstrong. Marshall Royal has been a sort of eminence grass of the Count Basie band, which he helped reorganize in 1951. Born in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, he studied violin as well as the reed instruments and was only 13 when he made his professional debut. During the 1930s, he worked in California, chiefly with the Les Hits orchestra, which for a while served as Armstrong's backdrop. When Lionel Hampton left Benny Goodman to form a band in 1940, Marshall was a key man with Camp' unit for two years. During the 40s he played with Jack McVea, Eddie Haywood and many studio groups around Hollywood.

Because he has been best known for his section work with Basie and is rarely given a chance to exhibit his solo ability, Marshall Royal's work here will come as a surprise to less observant followers of the Basie phenomenon. Fortunately, like many musicians who had studied the band closely Gordon Jenkins has long been aware of Royal's gifts as a subtly melodic improvising musician. His style most closely evokes the work of another great alto man who rose to prominence in the 1930s. Benny Carter, and at times there are traces of Johnny Hodges. What emerges most strikingly from these sides, though, is not the impression of any influence but the sweeping impact of Royal's own fluency and inspiration and the remarkable degree to which Jenkins, by giving him this sumptuous showcase, has drawn out his full personality to an extent the Basie setting can never make possible.

Pagan Love Song
When I Grow Too Old To Dream
Ain't Misbehavin'
Caravan
Birth Of The Blues
Blues For Beverly
Battle Royal
Goodbye
Blue Prelude
Take The "A" Train