Saturday 28 April 2018

LP Artwork: Swingin' with Humes / Helen Humes

The track Pennies from Heaven in this week's edition comes from Helen Humes' album, Swinging' with Humes - her third release on the Contemporary label.

As you can see from the cover, it features a superb line up of jazz musicians and recorded over three days in July 1961.

Series 12, Prog 6

NO THEME!

Intro: A Little White Ship - Todd Gordon: Love dot com

A Beautiful Friendship - Nat King Cole: Nat King Cole Sings, George Shearing Plays
Heartache - Jimmy Rushing: Five Feet of Soul
Starting Over - Kat Edmonson: Take to the Sky
Moments Like This - Tony Bennett: The Art of Excellence 
What a Little Moonlight Can Do - Billie Holiday: The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve [Disc 3]
Teach Me Tonight - Sarah Vaughan: How Long Has This Been Going On
That's Life - Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today
Pennies from Heaven - Helen Humes: Swingin' with Humes 
These Foolish Things - Frank Sinatra: Point of No Return
Fortune in Dreams - Pete Longo's Superband with Frank Sinatra Jr: Billy May for President
I Ain't Here - Carmen McRae: I Am Music
Nancy (with the Laughing Face) - The Four Freshmen: Four Freshmen & Five Guitars
When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along - Eydie Gormé: Vamps the Roaring ‘20s
Desafinado - Ella Fitzgerald: Jukebox Ella
Swan Lake - Barbara Long: Soul
Route 66 - Perry Como: Como Swings
Sunday in New York - Shirley Horn: Trav’lin' Light

Outro: Holding On - Todd Gordon: Love dot com

Saturday 21 April 2018

LP Artwork: Tower of Power

This is the cover from Tower of Power's third album and featured the track, So Very Hard to Go, which inspired the theme of this week's show.

Issued in 1973 as the second single, So Very Hard to Go was written by band members Emilio Castillo and Stephen Kupka. The singer is Lenny Williams and the song peaked at No 17 on the Billboard charts.









Series 12, Prog 5

SO VERY HARD TO GO
Intro: A Little White Ship - Todd Gordon: Love dot com

So Hard to Laugh, So Easy to Cry - Lou Rawls: Soulin’
Dedicated to the One I Love - The Mamas and The Papas: Deliver
Heard Hearted Hannah - Shirley Horn: The Swingin’ Shirley Horn
So Very Hard to Go - Tower of Power: Tower of Power
Hard Rain - Barb Jungr: Hard Rain/The Songs of Bob Dylan & Leonard Cohen
Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I) - Ray Charles: The Genius Sings the Blues
Hard Times for Lovers - Judy Collins: Hard Times for Lovers
It’s Hard - Clifton Chenier: Louisiana Blues and Zydeco
I’ll Be Hard to Handle - Ella Fitzgerald: The Jerome Kern Song Book
Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word - Elton John: Rocket Man/The Definitive Hits
It’s Hard to Laugh or Smile - Jimmy Rushing: Listen to the Blues
Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Carol Kidd & Hilary Brooks: advance copy
It’s So Hard - John Lennon: Imagine
A Hard Day’s Night - Ramsey Lewis: Hang On Ramsey!
A Good Man Is Hard to Find - Alberta Hunter: Amtrak Blues

Outro: Holding On - Todd Gordon: Love dot com

Thursday 19 April 2018

LP Artwork: Evergreen / Todd Gordon

The extended version of Summer Wind from this week's program comes from the first sessions I ever had with a big band. The seed was sown after I guested with the Royal Air Force Squadronaires a few years ago in the Edinburgh Jazz Festival and led to this release.

The album was produced by Ken Barnes (1933-2015) who worked with Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Peggy Lee, Jack Jones and many other major stars. He was an absolute gem and is sorely missed.









Ken with Mr Astaire and arranger/composer, Pete Moore


Bing & Ken!














Saturday 14 April 2018

Series 12, Prog 4

ALL KINDS OF WEATHER

Intro: A Little White Ship - Todd Gordon: Love dot com (Stem Label)

On the Sunny Side of the Street - Keely Smith: Politely
Gone with the Wind - Ella Fitzgerald: Live from The Cave Supper Club, Vancouver
Winter Weather - Joe Williams & Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison: Together
Isn’t This a Lovely Day - Billie Holiday: Music for Torching
Here’s That Rainy Day (Koop Remix) - Astrud Gilberto: Verve Remixed 2
Stormy Weather - Etta James: At Last!
Summer Wind - Todd Gordon & Royal Air Force Squadronaires: Evergreen
Come Rain or Come Shine - Judy Garland: Judy at Carnegie Hall
Hello Sunshine - Aretha Franklin: Aretha Now
Rainin’ - Bobby Darin: single 
Heat Wave - Ernestine Anderson: The Toast of the Nation’s Critics
Here Comes the Sun - Nina Simone: Here Comes the Sun
Cool Breeze Woman - Jimmy Rushing & Ada Moore: Cat Meets Chick
Snow - Patricia Barber: The Cole Porter Mix
Nice Weather for Ducks - Irene Kral: Just For Now
Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks: Face to Face

Outro: Holding On - Todd Gordon: Love dot com (Stem Label)

Saturday 7 April 2018

Series 12, Prog 3

WALKING, RUNNING, ETC!

Intro: A Little White Ship - Todd Gordon: Love dot com (Stem Label)

I’ll Walk Alone - Nancy Wilson: But Beautiful
Sweethearts On Parade - Nat King Cole: Sincerely
I Don’t Want to Walk Without You Baby - Helen Forrest: Voice of the Name Bands
Boots (Original Melody) - Lee Hazlewood: Cake or Death
When the Saints Go Marching In - Helen Humes: ‘Tain’t Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do
I’ll Come Running Back to You - Sophie Milman: In the Moonlight (Bonus Track)
I Walk a Little Faster - Mark Murphy: Sings Mostly Dorothy Fields and Cy Coleman
I’m Walking Through Heaven With You - Peggy Lee: Pretty Eyes
Walk On By - Morgana King: Gemini Changes
Walk Right In - Sammy Davis Jr: Sings the Big Ones for Young Lovers
In Walked Bud - Carmen McRae: Carmen Sings Monk
Come Runnin’ - Lena Horne: Lena Horne at The Waldorf Astoria
Let’s Take a Walk Around the Block - Jackie Paris: Jackie Paris Sings the Lyrics of Ira Gershwin
Love Walked In - Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George & Ira Gershwin Song Book - Vol 4
Walkin' And Talkin' (And Crying My Blues Away) - Dinah Washington: Single
Jolly Coppers On Parade - Randy Newman: Little Criminals
Runnin’ Wild - Ernestine Anderson: Ernestine Anderson
Walkin’ - Lambert, Hendricks & Ross: The Hottest New Group In Jazz [Bonus/Unreleased Tracks]
Sentimental Walk - Vladimir Costa: Diva (Soundtrack)


Outro: Holding On - Todd Gordon: Love dot com (Stem Label)

Tuesday 3 April 2018

LP Artwork: Sinatra-Jobim / Frank Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim

The opening track this week comes from an LP release that never happened. In 1969, Sinatra & Jobim recorded several more tracks which were to be part of a follow up to their successful debut album together. However, it was only briefly released on 8-track tape in 1970 before being taken out of print at Sinatra's behest, due to concerns over its sales potential. Several of the Sinatra-Jobim tracks were subsequently incorporated in the Sinatra & Company album (1971).