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Thursday, March 28, 2013

The Comedy Harmonists..Whistle While You Work..Original 1929-1938 Recordings


This vocal group personifies the term "nostalgia". With their five part harmonies they captured the essence of their era and this compilation brings together some of their finest moments.


The Comedian (aka Comedy) Harmonists were an internationally famous, all-male German close harmony ensemble that performed between 1928 and 1934 as one of the most successful musical groups in Europe before World War II. The group consisted of Harry Frommermann (tenor buffo), Asparuh "Ari" Leschnikoff (first tenor), Erich Collin (second tenor), Roman Cycowski (baritone), Robert Biberti (bass), and Erwin Bootz (pianist).

The hallmark of the Comedian Harmonists was its members' ability to blend their voices together so that the individual singers could appear and disappear back into the vocal texture. Its repertoire was wide, ranging from the folk and classical songs arranged by Frommermann to appealing and witty popular songs of the day by writers such as Peter Igelhoff, Werner Richard Heymann and Paul Abraham (composer).

In 1927, unemployed actor Harry Frommermann was inspired by The Revelers, a jazz-influenced popular vocal group from the United States, to create a German group of the same format. According to Douglas Friedman's 2010 book "The Comedian Harmonists" in August 1929 both groups appeared on the same bill at the Scala in Berlin and became good friends. Frommermann held auditions in his flat on Stubenrauchstraße 47 in Berlin-Friedenau, and, once the group was assembled, it quickly began rehearsals. After some initial failures, the Harmonists soon found success, becoming popular throughout Europe, visiting the United States, and appearing in 21 films.







Sunday, March 17, 2013

Berlin, Gershwin, Porter ... The Gold Collection



Disc 1
Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning (Irving Berlin)
Puttin' On The Ritz (Fred Astaire)
Cheek To Cheek (Ginger Rogers)
Let Me Sing And I'm Happy (Al Jolson)
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Dick Powell)
A Couple Of Swells (Fred Astaire) (Judy Garland)
Alexander's Ragtime Band (Benny Goodman)
Blue Skies (Frank Sinatra)
Heat Wave (Marilyn Monroe)
Doing What Comes Naturally (Betty Hutton)
White Christmas (Bing Crosby)
How Deep Is The Ocean? (Ethel Merman)
Mandy (Fats Waller)
Fascinatin' Rhythm (Fred Astaire) (George Gershwin)
Embraceable You (Sarah Vaughan)
S' Wonderful (Gene Kelly)
Summertime (Paul Robeson)
Love Is Here To Stay (Nat King Cole)
Porgy (Billie Holiday)
Someone To Watch Over Me (Ella Fitzgerald)
Disc 2
Rhapsody In Blue (George Gershwin)
Liza (Al Jolson)
Do It Again (Marilyn Monroe)
Swanee (Judy Garland)
Somebody Loves Me (Doris Day)
The Man I Love (Sophie Tucker)
I Got Rhythm (Fats Waller)
Anything Goes (Cole Porter)
Begin The Beguine (Frank Sinatra)
From This Moment On (Judy Garland)
I Get A Kick Out Of You (Ethel Merman)
Just One Of Those Things (Ella Fitzgerald)
Let's Do It (Rudy Vallee)
Night And Day (Billie Holiday)
I Am In Love (Nat King Cole)
I Love Paris (Louis Armstrong)
I've Got You Under My Skin (Steve Lawrence)
My Heart Belongs To Daddy (Marilyn Monroe)
I've Got You On My Mind (Fred Astaire)
You're The Top (Cole Porter)



Friday, March 15, 2013

reposting of links

Dear visitor, I am currently in the process of reposting some of the links on this blog. If you try to download a sample file and the message from the file server comes up as "permission denied", please leave a comment against the post and I will update accordingly. Thanks for your patience and understanding..cheers...Marty

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Edith Piaf .... Die großen Chansons


The legend of Edith Piaf lives on and there has been much said and written about her. The voice, the songs, the performances are all unforgettable and these are what have made her eternal.

This collection brings together 18 of her finest moments. Enjoy.....