BostonPete.com News Updates

Check out SONGBOOK AMERICA for the best nostalgia music on the Internet. Listen to selections from The Great American Songbook, songs by the legendary composers and performers who recorded America’s Greatest Popular Music. It’s all here now for your listening and dancing pleasure. It’s a new program streaming right now at: www.BostonPete.com/russ I hope you’ll email the show at russ@bostonpete.com Thanks for listening! =Russ Butler

Hi Folk Connection fans. I got a nice e-mail from Alan Cavadini who owns an auto repair shop in Coon Valley Wisconsin. He says he enjoys John Denver,Mary Chapin Carpenter and Nancy Griffith so we give him a lot to listen to! Speaking of John Denver if any of you are time travellers,please go back in time to Oct 1997 to the Spyglass Country Club where John Denver,after completing a round of golf with friends drove to the nearby airport and took off in an experimental plane with not enough gas.Tell him not to go! It would be nice to have had him around a few more years to write and play some more songs for us. One of my favorite artists and I'm sure one one of your too! Be sure to tell your friends about the Folk Connection...Have a great week,Alan.

Swingin’ sessions on this week’s SONGBOOK AMERICA. The John Allmark Jazz Orchestra from Providence, RI do “I Love You” with a marvelous big band chart; The Jazz Ambassadors of The US Army Field Band recorded in concert, “More Today Than Yesterday” ( the one-hit wonder in 1969 by Spiral Starecase ); Michael Buble swings “A Foggy Day” (in London town); Keely Smith takes on the Count Basie repertoire with a nice, swinging band arrangement of “You Go To My Head”. On the Latin side, Hilton Ruiz’s piano leads this great Latin band with “Mambo Inn”; Laurie Holloway at the piano does “A Dream Of Olwen” in a Latin tempo (originally, it was a score of a 1947 thriller film renamed with that title because of the song’s popularity); Andy Russell recorded “Yours” in 1947, and it sounds just as good today; Ranee Lee, from Montreal, sings Jobim’s “One Note Samba with outstanding Quebec musicians; The Four Lads from Toronto, Canada chose a subtle Latin arrangement in their version of “Tonight” from West Side Story (…and, you’ll be blown away, as am I, by the high tenor voice of the late-Jimmy Arnold on this one!). By the way, Peggy Lee is not related to Ranee Lee. Peggy swings a big band chart on “Come Back To Me” by Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane; but, Ella Fitzgerald with Frank Devol’s Orchestra recorded a quiet “So Rare” in 1957 ; Mel Torme, from his Smooth As Velvet LP does “I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me” West Coast style; Sinatra’s “Ill Wind” from his Wee Small Hours album; Stephan Grappelli and Yo-Yo Ma perform an intriguing version of Cole Porter’s “So In Love” with jazz violin and classic cello. a TOUR DE FORCE not to be missed!! One more track to tell you about: Donald Byrd’s 1963 Blue Note recording of the very moving “Cristo Redentor” was digitalized in 1998. You’ll clearly hear the voices, the trumpet of Byrd, Hank Mobley on tenor, Donald Best on vibes, Kenny Burrell, guitar, Herbie Hancock, piano, Butch Warren, bass and on drums, Lex Humphries. It was an emotional experience of composer Duke Pearson when he first saw the huge white statue of Christ, The Redeemer atop Corcovado arriving in Rio de Janeiro in 1961 then touring with Nancy Wilson. I hope you’ll enjoy it and be moved by it’s beautiful chords. Email the show : russ@bostonpete.com Thanks for listening. =Russ Butler

Music Diversity on this week‘s SONGBOOK AMERICA. Basie and Company swing “Pensive Miss“ scored by Neal Hefti’s big band chart, The Falconaires, the US Air Force Big Band from Colorado, recreate the Glenn Miller chart of “I Know Why And So Do You” working with Norman Leyden, Miller’s original arranger. Jerry Vale sings “This Is All I Ask” ; Billie Holiday says “Please Don’t Talk Abnout Me When I’m Gone”; an early Sinatra sings with Tommy Dorsey on therir 1941 record of Irving Berlin‘s “Blue Skies” and the great Johhny Hodges alto sax “Day Dreams” with The Duke. Elaine Elias scats her “Just Kidding” composition, Cab Calloway is accurately reprised by Bombay Jim and The Swinging Sapphires who do his “Minnie The Moocher” (Hi-dee, Hi-dee Ho!) then Jim Dapogny and The Chicago Jazz Band do Nick Kenny’s (The Ink Spots) positive composition “Laughing At Life” It’s all in good fun, take a listen! Sue Raney’s version of Cole Porter’s “Everytime We Say Goodbye” features Alan Broadbent on piano and a sweet trombone solo by Bill Watrus, Eddie Fisher does Jobim’s “Once I Loved” with Nelson Riddle’s Orchestra, then Boots Randolph (remember his“Yakety Yak” in 1963?) shows us a different style of his saxophone with the Tom Jones’ hit “It’s Not Unusual”. The late-Al Martino’s signature hit “Spanish Eyes” is on SONGBOOK AMERICA as a tribute to his music, Ginette Reno from Montreal sings Stevie Wonder’s “My Cheri Amour” and the great Jeff Linksy performs Jobim’s “Wave” on his guitar with a terrific back up band! I hope you\’ll like the show and come back every week for something new. Email the show russ@bostonpete.com Thanks for listening. =Russ Butler

On this week’s SONGBOOK AMERICA - Sinatra makes us feel young, Woody Herman takes us to Spain, and the best is yet to come from Tierney Sutton. There‘s Gershwin‘s “But Not For Me“ sung by Cleo Laine, Richard Rogers‘ “It Never Entered My Mind“ by Vic Damone and Sarah Vaughn sings Rogers’ sweetest sounds! Beegie Adair tinkles the ivories in San Francisco where she left her heart, and Dick Katz’s piano and quartet takes us to an afternoon in Paris where Tony Bennett reminds us that there’s love for sale there. The Art Abrams Swing Machine Big Band from Portland, OR gives a superb reading of Noro Morales and Johnny Mandell’s “Ponce”. The Kenney Hadley Big Band with vocalist Rebecca Parris are watching so many stars and, Andy Williams begins the beguine. All on today’s program at www.bostonpete.com/russ Thanks for listening to SONGBOOK AMERICA - Email the show: russ@bostonpete.com.

What a beautiful time of the year - Autumn!  This week’s SONGBOOK AMERICA
features some of the legendary songs and artists who recorded for this Fall
season.  “Autumn In New York” of course, Sarah Vaughn sings her version with
strings and Carl Saunders’ flugelhorn with his big band do a nice instrumental
arrangement of Vernon Duke’s 1935 song.

Roger Williams’ piano and orchestra recording of “Autumn Leaves” in 1953 sold
over 2 million copies worldwide.  It was first a French popular song in 1947. 
On today’s show, hear Roger and a chorus do a sparkling rendition.  Kay Kyser’s
popular “sweet band” orchestra with vocalist Ginny Sims perform “Indian Summer”
by Victor Herbert and Al Dubin.  Victor composed a piano version in 1919, but
not until Al Dubin’s lyrics did the song become a hit - in fact, it was “the
number one music-machine recording for 12 weeks” on the Your Hit Parade / Lucky
Strike radio show in 1939! (Remember “Be happy, go Lucky” and LS/MFT? If you do,
send me an email and we'll talk radio show trivia!!)

Tex Beneke with The Glenn Miller Orchestra recorded “The Falling Leaves” in
1941, song by Mack David and Frankie Carle (the popular pianist and band leader
from Providence RI);  Sue Raney with legendary Los Angeles jazz musicians do
“’Tis Autumn” Alan Broadbent on piano; Kevin Mahogany sings the Barry
Manilow-Johnny Mercer “When October Goes” featuring James Weidman on piano;
Woody Herman’s “Herd” recorded “Early Autumn” Woodrow Wilson Herman on clarinet
and it’s a Fall classic.

Lorne Green recites lyrics and sings in his deep bass voice, “September Song”
and Frank Sinatra sings “Summer Winds” - swan songs to say goodbye to Summer. 
Henry Mancini composed “Blue Satin” and his instrumental is just marvelous, it
actually feels like blue satin. Listen.

Sultry voiced, Jeri Southern sings The Cole Porter Songbook with “Get Out Of
Town”;  Vic Damone’s “Speak Low” is a great interpretation; Diana Krall sings
Billy Joel’s “Just The Way You Are” performed live in Paris and, if you’re off
to Brazil, listen to Oscar Castro-Nevis with “Ipanema Afternoon” and you’ll get
the feeling of being on that beach!

Thanks for listening at www.bostonpete.com/russ - select the “Play Latest Show”
link.  Send an email to russ@bostonpete.com and I’ll reply to everyone in my
personal Inbox.  =Russ Butler

Available in color for the first time! "The Three Stooges: Triple Whammy!" Moe, Larry and Curly are at their bumbling best in this side-splitting musical romp about a talented nightclub owner who goes head-to-head with his powerful, overprotective father. Greatest Routines" and "Extreme Rarities" - Get ready to laugh as everyone's favorite trio stumbles from one hilarious mishap to the next!