Frank, Frankie, Frankest
I thought I had enough Frank Ortega music to last me a lifetime. I shared out his great 77 Sunset Strip (featuring Sy Oliver) LP with you a while back, then more recently I gave you a second LP, Swingin' Abroad, that wasn't quite as good. Imagine my shock when I stumbled across this third LP last week. It's in a sleeve that's closer to paper than cardboard, and I almost flipped past it for that very reason. But something made me look, and there it was. Turns out that this is a Canadian pressing, which helps explain the odd sleeve. It's pretty straightforward piano noodling, so you might not enjoy it if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea. This one actually predates those other albums by quite a bit. But if you're a completist, then you know you need to download Frankie Ortega And His Group-The Piano Styling Of Frankie Ortega (Imperial LP 9025, 1956).
Here, in UK, I remember Frankie Ortega with much affection. 77 Sunset Strip was aired here, on British TV, through what (I remember) as much as the 1960s. Glad to see your tribute to this amazing musician... and even happier to see that I didn't dream him up. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid I was fortunate enough to meet Frank Ortega at a studio in Hollywood. He was recording an album called "Smokin", unfortunately I've never new what became of it. I had a chance to sit in during the recording session. He was a great musician, a wonderful encourager. Thanks for the music an memories.
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