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Last broadcast on Sun, 21 Jun 2009, 21:00 on BBC Radio 2.
Synopsis
A taster for the upcoming Judy Garland tribute on Friday Night Is Music Night, opens the show. Father's Day gives us Leon Redbone's Dancin' On Daddy's Shoes and Nat King Cole's Unforgettable.
A "lost for words" exploration brings us Russ Columbo, Doris Day and Jack Miller. And a farewell to Billy VerPlanck gives us two songs by his widow Marlene, before Julie London, Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra ease us out with three "easy" songs.
This Week's Show
We offered you another puzzle to solve this week – the puzzle as to the identity and further career of Tempo King, who we heard on one of his 1936 recordings – one of only 55 that he ever cut before vanishing from the scene. Who was he? What’s his story? If you have ANY information about the further career of this mystery man of music, please let us know – drop us a line at our web address and we’ll publish the result here.
We were much taken by that glimpse of the youthful Dusty Springfield, or Mary Margaret O’Brien as she then was. The voice was already rich and accurate and the verve and confidence she displayed belied the fact that she was a mere thirteen years old when that recording was made in the family’s garage in Ealing.
It was with sadness that we had to report he death of musician-arranger-composer Billy Verplanck this week: Would that we’d had more space and a different kind of show to do full justice to his career. We tend to know Billy as the husband and manager of Marlene, whose lovely voice regularly graces the programme. But he had a considerable career beyond those pleasant duties. Our friend Tony Middleton - discographer and general man-about-music taped a long interview with Billy and he reminds us that Billy worked for Jimmy Dorsey up to around 1952 then with brother Tommy when Tommy led the Dorsey Brothers band from 1953 till his passing in 1956, for instance – and you can learn much more about him at Marlene’s website (see above link).
Played in this week's show: Dusty Springfield
Recommendations
If you’re wanting good, modern-but-classic interpretations of great songs in a variety of settings, our advice is ‘start collecting Marlene Verplanck CDs’. To our knowledge, she has at least fifteen out, mostly on the Audiophile label, some with small groups, some with bands like Saxomania, all of them produced by husband Billy. The repertoire is broad, encompassing all the greats but also including gems by little-celebrated writers including many by Billy himself. On “Marlene VerPlanck – A New York Singer” you’ll find Gershwin, Berlin, Porter, Kern in the mix, intimate small groups, big band numbers & large orchestral pieces. And lovely surprises like Loonis McGlohon’s heartfelt tribute to Teddi King which Marlene sings with much tenderness. Audiophile ACD 160 is the number (see “Jazzology” link above).
Eight years old now but still obtainable is Jazz Factory’s gathering-together of the complete Billie Holiday Decca sides recorded between October 1944 and March 1950 on two CDs: fifty tracks altogether including a few alternates & some breakdowns with studio chatter. Here are some of Lady Day’s finest performances (“You Better Go Now”, “Don’t Explain”, “That Old Devil Called Love” etc.,) and she receives stellar support from Toots Camarata, Bob Haggart, Sy Oliver, Gordon Jenkins and others, though instrumental contributions don’t figure as large as on her earlier Columbias or the later Verves. The number is JFCD 22819 (see “Disconforme” link above).
Tracklist
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Judy Garland — I Got RhythmThe Very Best Of Judy Garland, Warner Music, 8122 74621 2 -
Dusty Springfield — Berlin Ragtime SelectionSimply …Dusty, Mercury/Universal, 06024 9841207-10 -
Leon Redbone — Dancin’ On Daddy’s Shoes
Whistling In The Wind, BMG/Private Music, 01005 82117 2 -
Nat King Cole — UnforgettableLegends Of The 20th Century: Nat King Cole, EMI, 7243 522817 2 5 -
Russ Columbo — Too Beautiful For Words
Russ Columbo – Save The Last Dance For Me, Take Two, TT409CD -
Doris Day — Too Marvellous For WordsYoung Man With A Horn – Doris Day & Harry James, Columbia Legacy, CK 65508 -
Jack Miller — You’re My Everything
The First Crooners Vol 2: 1930-1934, Take Two, TT418CD -
Marlene VerPlanck — Stairway To The Stars
Marlene Verplanck – A New York Singer, Audiophile, ACD 160 -
Marlene VerPlanck — Once There Was A Moon
Marlene Verplanck – Once There Was A Moon, Audiophile, ACD 338 -
Tempo King and his Kings of Tempo — I Was Saying To The Moon
Timeless Historical Presents Tempo King 1936 - 1937, Timeless, CBC 1-002 -
Julie London — Easy StreetJulie Is Her Name/Julie Is Her Name Vol 2, Liberty, 07777-7-99804-2 0 -
Billie Holiday — Easy LivingBillie Holiday Complete Us Decca Recordings, The Jazz Factory/Disconforme, JFCD 22819 -
Frank Sinatra — Nice ‘N’ EasyFrank Sinatra – Nice ‘N’ Easy, Capitol, CDP 7 96827 2
Broadcast
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Sun 21 Jun 200921:00
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