Shelley Manne – Daktari OST

Shelly Manne gathered an all-star ensemble for his charming, upbeat score to the TV show Daktari about an animal behavior research center in East Africa. Every one of these top-notch performers appear in the Long Playing Album collection with their own albums or as session men (won’t come up in search results) on other excellent albums.
– Shelly Manne, drums
– Bud Shank, Frank Strozier, Art Smith & Justin Gordon, woodwinds
– Bob Bain, guitar
– Mike Wofford, tack piano
– Bill Pitman, bass guitar
– Emil Richards, Larry Bunker, Frank Carlson & Victor Feldman, percussion

Go to Full Recording

Boots Brown Blockbusters, Dan Drew Daredevils – Rock That Beat

“Boots Brown” is a nickname jazz legend Shorty Rogers used for his RCA rhythm and blues, jump blues, early rock records.

Quote from fellow jazz legend, ace saxman, and Blockbusters member Dave Pell: “The Boots Brown dates were for movies but then RCA released them as singles. I don’t know why – maybe to make a double profit or to feed the pipeline for its new 45-rpm format. But you have to remember, at the time it wasn’t cool to play that kind of music if you played jazz. That’s why Shorty came up with a fake name. I don’t know why he chose Boots Brown or what it meant. I know we didn’t want our names on the records. We were too embarrassed.”

Go to Full Recording

Gwigwi’s Band – Kwela

“The missing link between be-bop and ska is kwela township jazz from South Africa,” reports Boot Sale Sounds who also shares information from the liner notes. Alto saxman Gwigwi Mrwebi was also with the band of the 1959 all African musical King Kong which also appear in the Long Playing collection.

Go to Full Recording

(Compilation) – RCA Victor Pop Showcase In Sound 1956

This opens with a swinging version of the Stephen Foster early American classic, “Beautiful Dreamer,” but that “I Love My Bed” is the one my mind wanders back to when I wish I was off to dreamland. The showcase features George Williams Orchestra, Julius La Rosa, Jacques Ysaye, Hollywood Presbyterian Church Choir, Voices Of Walter Schumann, Perez Prado Orchestra, Manny Albam, Ernie Wilkins Orchestra, Melachrino Orchestra, Coleman Hawkins, Bill Byers Orchestra, Frankie Carle Orchestra, Ray Bohr, and the Birdland Stars.

Go to Full Recording

Larry Elgart Orchestra – The Shape Of Sounds To Come

One of those post-swing big bands with brass up front

Go to Full Recording