[Dixielandjazz] Lotte Lenya/Louis Armstrong

[Charlie Hooks]

on 7/5/02 11:27 AM, David Richoux at tubaman@wombat.net wrote:

> 
> 
> Don Ingle wrote:
> 
> snip
> 
>> Sorry I didn't hear the Louis/Lenya radio bit. Lotte was the wife of the
>> composer, Kurt Weil, but was never a jazz singer, though in her own niche
>> was a gifted artist. Some people never learn to swing...or in the first
>> case, to match material with talent.
> 
> that version of "Mack the Knife" is actually available on a Lotte Lenya CD
> release
> "Lotte Lenya Sings Kurt Weill / Levine, Lenya, Armstrong, Gilford, et al"
> Sony
> 60647 (it is listed  at Amazon, by the way and probably many other places have
> it.) 
> There is also a German version with Turk Murphy's Jazz Band on the same  CD. I
> have
> played both of them on my radio program a few times.
> 
> Dave Richoux
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>>> On a jazzier and brighter note, earlier in the day and on the way to
>>> Milwaukee I turned on the radio and dialed in WEBZ, NPR in chicago.  A
>>> marvelous interview with MIchael Cosgrove was underway. Cosgrove is the
>>> curator on the Louis Armstrong Archives and he had some interesting things
>> to
>>> relate.  He played a tape of a record session that was never released.
>>> Columbia thought that it would be clever to have Louis record, "Mack the
>>> Knife" with Lotte Lenya, who had sung this song in the original show, "the
>>> Three Penny Opera". she is mentioned in the song.  She is a square show
>>> singer and can't get the ending that Louis is trying to show her.  It is
>>> amusing to hear this as Louis is very gracious and patient, and over and
>> over tries to show her the ending.
> 
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There is a cast recording of the entire 3-penny in the Marc Blitzstein
translation, in my opinion far superior to any other.  Includes great
renditions of the other Pirate Jenny songs, of course.  Highly recommend the
album.  

Charlie