Spinning My Dad’s Vinyl – Details, episodes & analysis

Back to one of my father’s favorite trumpet players. This time, a little later in his career. It’s as if the years have slightly mellowed his sound, and he blends in more with the band.

But there’s almost never any trouble recognizing when this musician is front and center, because he had one of the smoothest sounds around.

So, get ready to hear one of the best known and easily recognized trumpet players ever in Volume 197: Jazzy James.

More information about this album, see the Discogs webpage for it. 

Credits and copyrights

Harry James And His Orchestra – Jazz Session Label: Columbia – CL 669, Columbia – CL-669 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Hollywood Pressing Released: 1955 Genre: Jazz Style: Big Band

Marchin' Soloist, Tenor Saxophone – Pat Chartrand Written-By – Harry James and Louis Bellson

I'll Remember April Written-By – Don Raye, Gene DePaul and Patricia Johnson

One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) Written-By – Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen

(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66! Vocals – Gordon Polk Written-By – Bobby Troup

Stealin' Apples Written-By – Andy Razaf and Fats Waller

Queen Of The Mambo Written-By – Tony Martinez

I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.

Today, the day this episode drops, would have been my mom’s 87th birthday. Earlier today, I dropped ten roses on her gravestone to signify how many of those birthdays we have had without her.

I’ve said this before, that my mom’s spirit is within this album collection just as much as my dad’s, and it’s artists like this that I know she enjoyed very much.

My parents did get to see him once in concert. He is one of the world’s most recognized tenors, even years after he has been gone. 

So get ready to hear Luciano sing to celebrate my mother’s birthday in Volume 196: Pavarotti for Pauline. 

More information about this album, see the Discogs webpage for it. 

Credits and copyrights

Luciano Pavarotti – Verismo Arias Label: London Records – LDR 10020 Series: London Digital Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo Released: Dec 1980 Genre: Classical Style: Opera

The portrait reproduced for the cover was done by Gerrit Greve, and was one of Pavarotti's favorites.

We will hear 10 of the 15 songs on this album.

Amor Ti Vieta (Fedora) Composed By – Umberto Giordano

Dai Campi, Dai Prati (Mefistofele) Composed By – Arrigo Boito

La Dolcissima Effigie (Adriana Lecouvreur) Composed By – Francesco Cilea

L'Anima Ho Stanca or My Soul Is Tired (Adriana Lecouvreur) Composed By – Francesco Cilea

Apri La Tua Finestra! (Iris) Composed By – Pietro Mascagni

Colpito Qui M'Avete.....Un Di All 'Azzurro Spazio (Andrea Chénier) Composed By – Umberto Giordano

Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio (Andrea Chénier) Composed By – Umberto Giordano

Ch'Ella Mi Creda (La Fanciulla Del West) Composed By – Giacomo Puccini

Ma Se Vi Talenta.....Tra Voi, Belle (Manon Lescaut) Composed By – Giacomo Puccini

Ah! Non Y'Avvicante! (Manon Lescaut) Bass Vocals – Neil Howlett Composed By – Giacomo Puccini

I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.

Like I’ve mentioned before, my dad liked his cowboy music too. So, we’ll go back to a box set where we’ll pull out the fourth of its seven records.

The title of each of these sides is Deep in the Heart of Texas and Western Landscapes, hence the mashup title of this episode.  

Four songs from side one were all big hits and reference our second biggest state. The selections from side two are lesser known but paint a beautiful picture of the old west. 

So get ready to hear what is really Tumbling Tumbleweeds part 4 in Volume 187: Texas Landscapes.

More information about this album, see the Discogs webpage for it. 

Credits and copyrights

Various – Tumbling Tumbleweeds Label: Reader's Digest – RDA-229 / A Format: 7 x Vinyl, LP, Compilation Box Set Released: 1982 Genre: Folk, World, & Country Style: Country

We will be listening to record 4, sides 1 and 2. We will hear 7 of the 11 tunes from this disk.

Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys - Deep In The Heart Of Texas written by Don Swander, June Hershey

George Hamilton IV - Abilene written by John D. Loudermilk, Bob Gibson and Lester Brown

Gene Autry - The Yellow Rose Of Texas It's a traditional song with lyrics added by Don George

Jerry Reed - El Paso  written by Marty Robbins

The Sons Of The Pioneers - Moonlight On The Colorado written by Billy Moll, Robert King

Jimmy Wakely - The Call Of The Canyon written by Billy Hill

Hank Snow - Cross The Brazos At Waco written by Kay Arnold

I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.

It was the dance of a generation and well beyond. It was the dance of my parents’ youth and one they continued to do for decades. It is the Jitterbug. So get ready for Fred Astaire Dance Studio approved numbers in Volume 99: Time To Dance.

Credits and copyrights

Various – Perfect For Dancing Jitterbug Or Lindy Label: RCA Victor – LPM-1071, RCA Victor – LPM 1071 Series: Perfect For Dancing Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation Released: 1955 Genre: Jazz, Pop Style: Swing

Produced and prepared under the direction of The Fred Astaire Dance Studios

Photography By [Cover Photograph] – David Hecht

Erskine Hawkins And His Orch.– John Henry Blues Arranged By – Frederick Lowe Written-By – W C Handy Recorded January 10, 1950.

Ralph Flanagan And His Orch.– Hot Toddy Written-By – Ralph Flanagan Recorded in December of 1952

Boots Brown And His Blockbusters– Block Buster Written-By – Shorty Rogers Recorded in December of 1952

Ralph Flanagan And His Orch. – Palladium Punch Written-By – Ralph Flanagan  Recorded in 1952

Artie Shaw And His Orch.*– Donkey Serenade Written-By – George Forrest, Herbert Sothard, Robert Craig Wright*, Rudolph Friml Recorded in 1939

Boots Brown And His Blockbusters– Short'nin' Bread Written-By – Shorty Rogers Recorded in December of 1952

I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.

This is probably the most played album in my dad's collection and not just because of the woman on the front cover wearing a pile of dessert topping like a dress. It fully represents the fun, trumpet-led pop jazz music that filled the house on a regular basis. So get ready for a record the Vaccariello household heard on a weekly basis for years with Volume 98: Whipped Alpert.

Promised link: https://www.billboard.com/music/features/herb-alpert-whipped-cream-other-delights-story-behind-album-cover-50-years-later-7370623/

Credits and copyrights

Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass – Whipped Cream & Other Delights Label: A&M Records – SP 4110 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo Country: US Released: 1965 Genre: Jazz, Latin, Pop Style: Latin Jazz

A Taste Of Honey Written-By – Bobby Scott, Ric Marlow

El Garbanzo Written-By – Sol Lake

Butterball Written-By – Mike Henderson

Peanuts Written-By – Luis Guerrero

Ladyfingers Written-By – Toots Thielemans

Lollipops And Roses  Written-By – Tony Velona

Whipped Cream Written-By – Naomi Neville

Love Potion No. 9 Written-By – Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller

I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.

During this singer’s half century career, he hosted and performed on television. He recorded 22 albums and 147 singles. He was famous for his relaxed vocals, cardigan sweaters and television Christmas specials. So get ready for the singer who Bing Crosby said was “the man who invented casual” in Volume 97: Como By Request. Promised link: https://www.colorado.edu/amrc/perry-como-local-barber-legendary-crooner

Credits and copyrights

Perry Como – Sylvania Presents Perry Como By Special Request Label: RCA – DPL1-0193 Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Reissue Released: 1976 Genre: Jazz Style: Easy Listening

Magic Moments - The time the floor fell out when I put the clutch down...lol music by Burt Bacharach and lyrics by Hal David in  Originally recorded by Como December 3, 1957 with Mitchell Ayres Orchestra & The Ray Charles Singers

Just Born (To Be Your Baby) Written by Billy Dawn Smith, Luther Dixon First released by Perry in October 1957 with Mitchell Ayres Orchestra & The Ray Charles Singers

You Alone (Solo Tu) written by Al Stillman, Robert Allen released in September 1953 with Hugo Winterhalter's Orchestra and Chorus

No Other Love written by Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers Released in May 1953 with Henri René's Orchestra & Chorus

Seattle composed by Hugo Montenegro with lyrics by Jack Keller and Ernie Sheldon. It was used as the theme for the 1968–1970 ABC-TV United States television show Here Come the Brides,[1] which was set in 19th-century Seattle, Washington. became a Top 40 hit for Perry Como on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts in early 1969.

Mandolins In The Moonlight written by Aaron Schroeder, George David Weiss Released September 29, 1958 with Mitchell Ayres Orchestra and The Ray Charles Singers

I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.

It’s a 78 RPM Sunday, the last one for the year. This is one of the longer symphony performances in my dad’s collection. It was written by someone who remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music conducted by a long-tenured Russian turned American director. So get ready for Sergei conducting Ludwig in Beantown with Volume 96: Beethoven From Boston.

Credits and copyrights

Ludwig van Beethoven, Koussevitsky, Boston Symphony – Beethoven Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat, Op. 55 ("Eroica") Label: RCA Victor Red Seal – DM 1161 Format: 6 x Vinyl, 12", 78 RPM, Album, Mono Country: US Released: 1947 Genre: Classical Style: Romantic

First Movement: Allegro Con Brio (Part 1)

First Movement: Allegro Con Brio (concluded)

Second Movement: Marcia Funebre: Adagio Assai (concluded)

Third Movement: Scherzo And Trio: Allegro Vivace

Fourth Movement: Finale: Allegro Molto (Part 1)

Fourth Movement: Finale: Poco Andante; Presto (concluded)

Liner Notes – David Hall

Cover – S. Greco

I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.

While we have heard recordings where this trumpet player was part of the group, we have never played music where he is the featured instrumentalist. Plus we really take the tempo of the music you are used to listening to on this show down a notch or three. So get ready for the relaxed, easy-going sound of a horn player you may never have heard of in Volume 95: Bobby Gets Mellow. The promised link: https://riverwalkjazz.stanford.edu/?q=program/sweet-hot-salute-cornetist-bobby-hackett

Credits and copyrights

Bobby Hackett – In A Mellow Mood Label: Capitol Records – T 575, Capitol Records – T-575 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono Country: US Released: 1955 Genre: Jazz Style: Easy Listening

Serenade In Blue composed by Harry Warren, introduced in the 1942 film Orchestra Wives

Deep Night melody composed in 1929 by Charles E. Henderson

In A Sentimental Mood composition by Duke Ellington from 1935

All Through The Night written by Cole Porter for his 1934 musical Anything Goes

You're My Thrill composed by Jay Gorney, was introduced in the film Jimmy and Sally (1933)

Lazy River written by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin published in 1930

I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.

We once again will reach into one of my favorite collections that my dad had. Not only because of the great big band music on it, but because of the album cover itself. So get ready to hear from a bandleader who has been called the father of modern military music from an album I used to trip over as a kid in Volume 94: Glenn Miller Collection Part 3.

Credits and copyrights

Glenn Miller And His Orchestra – Second Pressing Label: RCA Victor – LPT 6700 Series: Collector's Issue Series Format: 5 x Vinyl, LP, Compilation Country: Canada Released: 1956 Genre: Jazz Style: Big Band, Swing

Rainbow Rhapsody Written-By – Benny Carter

Little Brown Jug Written-By – Traditional

Chip Off The Old Block Written-By – Al Young

One O'clock Jump Written-By – Count Basie

Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree Vocals – Dorothy Claire, Tex Beneke, The Modernaires Written-By – Charles Tobias, Lew Brown, Sam Stept

The Hop Written-By – Ray Coniff

I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.

We turn our ears to yet another singer who gained popularity during the big band era. A star in radio, recording, film, and TV. So get ready for the journey that  started in Winchester Tennessee and ended up in Beverly Hills with Volume 93: Dinah Indeed.

Credits and copyrights

Dinah Shore – Dinah, Yes Indeed! Label: Capitol Records – T-1247, Capitol Records – T 1247 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album Country: US Released: 1959 Genre: Jazz, Pop Style: Easy Listening, Vocal, Swing

It All Depends On You Written-By – Buddy DeSylva-Lew Brown- and Ray Henderson

Falling In Love With Love Written-By – Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart

Sentimental Journey Written By – music was written by Les Brown and Ben Homer, and the lyrics were written by Bud Green

I'm Old Fashioned Written-By – Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer

Taking A Chance On Love Written-By – John Latouche, Ted Fetter, Vernon Duke

Yes Indeed! Written-By – Sy Oliver

I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.