[Dixielandjazz] New Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael CDs from Sepia Records

[Robert Ringwald]

Title: Sings Just For Fun
Artists: Johnny Mercer
Catalogue No.: SEPIA 1194
Barcode: 5055122111949
Release Date: July 2012
Lyricist for more songs than any other songwriter in history, Oscar-winning Johnny
Mercers also made recordings and had four chart- toppers in the 1940s. The 29 tracks
here span four decades; from the 1940s we offer five fun songs appearing on CD for
the first time. From the 1950s are songs Mercer recorded with the Paul Smith Trio
and appearing in stereo for the first time including his own "Blues in the night",
"Spring, spring, spring" and "Accentuate the positive". Also included are nine demo
songs Mercer composed with Hoagy Carmichael for an aborted film project, "The Keystone
Girl" to star Betty Hutton. These demos with Mercer performing and Carmichael accompanying
on piano are appearing on CD for the first time and include the first ever recorded
version of the Oscar-winning "In the cool, cool, cool of the evening". The final
four tracks are demos from the Mercer / Andre Previn West End stage musical "The
Good Companions" starring Judi Dench. One of the four tracks, "Little lost dream"
got rejected from the final production and how wonderful it is to hear it being sung
here by the lyricist with piano accompaniment by the composer Andre Previn.
01. BLUES IN THE NIGHT
02. LOVE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
03. OLD NINETY-SEVEN
04. SPRING, SPRING, SPRING
05. THEM THERE EYES
06. SOMEBODY BAD STOLE THE WEDDING BELL
07. ST. LOUIS BLUES
08. ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE
09. JAVA JIVE
10. HEAR THEM BELLS
11. THE NEW ASHMOLEAN
12. TAKE ME BACK TO LITTLE ROCK
13. THE FIRST BASEBALL GAME
14. LORA-BELLE LEE
15. MY GAL IS MINE ONCE MORE
16. JAMBOREE JONES
17. IN THE COOL, COOL, COOL OF THE EVENING
18. QUEENIE, THE QUICK-CHANGE ARTIST
19. I GUESSED IT WAS YOU ALL THE TIME
20. DON'T CARE FOR THE HECK OF IT
21. I'M ALL TIED UP
22. BUT THEY BETTER NOT WAIT TOO LONG
23. WHEN I GET YOU IN THE BACK OF MY CADILLAC
24. AT THE PARTY
25. ANY SIMILARITY IS JUST CO-INCIDENTAL
26. LITTLE LOST DREAM
27. SLIPPIN' AROUND THE CORNER
28. THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY
29. I'LL TELL THE WORLD
Title: Hoagy Carmichael's Havin' a Party
Artists: Hoagy Carmichael
Catalogue No.: SEPIA 1197
Barcode: 5055122111979
Release Date: July 2012
While composer Hoagy Carmichael holds the record for the most recorded love song
of all time with "Stardust", he also made numerous recordings himself of which many
achieved hit status. The two albums featured on this CD, making their CD debut, were
recorded in the late 1950s and are probably the last commercial recordings he made.
The first album, "Havin' a Party" is aimed at the children's market where he sings
some of his best old and new songs for the young and old.
The collection on the second album, "Ole Buttermilk Sky" shines with several never-before-recorded
originals combined with several of his earlier hits that Carmichael revisits with
a more up-to-date arrangement and backing. The CD ends with two very unusual gems
previously only to be found on a 45 single release of which one is the Johnny Cash
classic, "I walk the Line".
01. HAVIN' A PARTY
02. GRANDFATHER CLOCK
03. SMALL FRY
04. COOKING
05. RAFFLES
06. SING ME A RIDDLE
07. SHOOTING STARS
08. MERRY-GO-ROUND
09. ROCKET SHIP
10. THE WHALE
11. BUSTIN' OUT OF DOORS
12. CLOUDS
13. SWING HIGH
14. LAZYBONES
15. COMRADES
16. DREAMS
17. TWO SLEEPY PEOPLE
18. STARDUST
19. OLE BUTTERMILK SKY
20. DOCTOR, LAWYER, INDIAN CHIEF
21. MOON COUNTRY IS HOME TO ME
22. WHEN LOVE GOES WRONG
23. OLD MUSIC MASTER
24. MEDITERRANEAN LOVE
25. MY RESISTANCE IS LOW
26. THE MONKEY SONG
27. BALTIMORE ORIOLE
28. MUSIC ALWAYS MUSIC
29. ROGUE RIVER VALLEY
30. IN THE COOL, COOL, COOL OF THE EVENING
31. FLIGHT TO HONG KONG
32. I WALK THE LINE