Saturday, July 31, 2010

Christmas In July-The Thirteenth Day

OK, I'm back with the last installment of Christmas in July 2010 that will actually fall in July.  Don't worry, though, I'm planning on keeping this train rolling for a while yet.  It's just that we'll be in the wrong month.  Whoever heard of Christmas in August?  So, what have I got for tonight?  Let's begin with Sammy Davis, Jr. And Carmen McRae With Orchestra Directed By Jack Pleis singing that great duo wintertime song Baby It's Cold Outside.  This hails from their LP Boy Meets Girl (Decca DL 8490, Mono, 1957).  Sammy doesn't play it at all straight on this one, and I'm not sure if I like it that way.  But give it a listen.  Track two is the ever popular Skater's Waltz as performed on the organ by Shay Torrent And Ralph Bell from the LP Hammond Organ Fantasies (Mercury MG 20135, Mono, 1956).  Third is Winter Wonderland by Brazen Brass creator Henry Jerome And His Orchestra from Designed For Dancing (Lion (MGM) 10" E70004, Mono, 1954).  Need some fine, quality handbell music?  Track four is Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy as performed on the handbells by a group called Belles & Beaus.  This is from the album Canfield Choral Music Dept. Presents The English Handbell Sounds Of The Belles & Beaus (Canfield High School 7074N4, Stereo, 1976).  At least two places on the LP, they call them handballs, not handbells.  I guess it takes college level private pressings to include spell checking.  Last on tonight's list is something called Vibraholiday by Lionel Hampton With Rhythm And Reeds from Golden Vibes (Columbia CS 8110, Stereo, 1959).  It may not be Christmas but it's nice.  That concludes today's sharity, here's a download link, have a good one.  See you next month!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Christmas In July-The Twelfth Day

Hello?  Anybody still out there?  I've been gone for a bit, but I'm back again.  Got too busy there with some company that came into town, first with getting the place cleaned up and then with hanging out and doing touristy stuff with my guests.  But here I am with five more songs for you to download and enjoy.  I'm going to try and keep going for a while now, and I may have to go out into August, but we'll see.  Anyhow, let's see what sort of goodies I have for you this evening.  After such a long wait, I'm sure anything will sound good.  We begin with Ave Maria (the Schubert one) as performed by Montini And His Orchestra from a very early Westminster LP, Music In The Night (Westminster WP 6005, Mono, 1956).  From there we move into Don, Dick 'N Jimmy performing June In January from their album Spring Fever (Crown CLP 5005, Mono, 1957).  Yep, it's the budget label, but the music is still pretty good.  Next up is a track I teased you with earlier, White Christmas by Matt Dennis from another budget label album, Saturday Date With Matt Dennis (Tops LP1596, Mono, 1957).  And that leads into track four, Dance Of The Toy Flutes from Evening At Pops by Arthur Fiedler And The Boston Pops Orchestra (Polydor PD 5032, Stereo, 1972).  That's a pretty late date for stuff on this blog, don't ya think?  Bringing up the rear is a track from the great Hugo Winterhalter and that album I've shared with you quite a bit this July, A Season For My Beloved (ABC-Paramount ABCS-447, Stereo, 1963).  This time around it's Summer Green & Winter White.  All good stuff and I think you'll enjoy them.  Here's the download link.  I'll try not to wait so long between posts next time.  Thanks for all the concerned comments on that last post.  Sorry I didn't give you any warning about my absence.

Question:  Do any single women ever drop by here?  I'm lonely.  Drop me a line.  I'm serious.  :)