| Strings and Things | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1957 | |||
| Genre | Popular music | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
| Jack Pleis, His Piano, Chorus and Orchestra chronology | ||||
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Strings and Things is a 1957 album by Jack Pleis (credited as Jack Pleis, His Piano, Chorus and Orchestra). The title song and two other songs were composed by Pleis. [1]
Jack Pleis (1917–1990) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, conductor, composer and producer. Prior to World War II, he had been one of Jan Savitt's "Top Hatters". After serving in the war, he worked several years at London Records, moving to Decca in 1953, where he and his orchestra initially backed other artists including his wife Karen Chandler, The Four Aces, Eileen Barton, Teresa Brewer, and the Dinning Sisters. He went on to release a number of records, releasing seven albums of his own between 1955 and 1976, of which this is the third. He also arranged and produced many songs and albums for other artists.
Billboard gave a favorable review, calling it "a set of delightful arrangements ... with subtle piano naturally in the ascendent," also writing, "Pleis makes effective use of choral arrangements over an almost symphonic pattern. ... Great deejay material." [1]
The Ottawa Citizen listed it as #4 on CKCH deejay Gilbert Herard's album playlist in its "DJ's Choice Of Ten Top Tunes" feature. [2]
Jack Pleis, His Piano, Chorus and Orchestra (1957). Strings and Things (LP). Decca. DL 8422.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Frenchman In St. Louis" | 3:01 | |
| 2. | "The Waltz Of Tears" | ||
| 3. | "For Always" | ||
| 4. | "Mr. Peepers" | ||
| 5. | "A Catchy Tune" | ||
| 6. | "Beyond The Blue Horizon" | Robin/Whiting/Harling | |
| 7. | "I'll Always Be In Love With You" | ||
| 8. | "Paris Loves Lovers" | ||
| 9. | "Theme from The Story of Three Loves , The Eighteenth Variation" | Miklós Rózsa | |
| 10. | "Todd" | ||
| 11. | "Strings And Things" | Jack Pleis [1] | |
| 12. | "Pagan In Paris" | 2:51 |
"Stardust" is a jazz song composed by American singer, songwriter and musician Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Mitchell Parish. Now considered a standard and part of the Great American Songbook, the song has been recorded over 1,500 times either as an instrumental or vocal track, featuring different performers. During his time attending Indiana University, Carmichael developed a taste for jazz. He formed his own band and played at local events in Indiana and Ohio. Following his graduation, Carmichael moved to Florida to work for a law firm. He left the law sector and returned to Indiana, after learning of the success of one of his compositions. In 1927, after leaving a local university hangout, Carmichael started to whistle a tune that he later developed further. When composing the song, he was inspired by the end of one of his love affairs, and on the suggestion of a university classmate, he decided on its title. The same year, Carmichael recorded an instrumental version of the song for Gennett Records.
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Robert Joseph FarnonCM was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a composer of original works, he was commissioned by film and television producers for theme and incidental music. In later life he composed a number of more serious orchestral works, including three symphonies, and was recognised with four Ivor Novello awards and the Order of Canada.
"The Gang That Sang Heart of My Heart" is a popular song. The music and lyrics were written by Ben Ryan (1892–1968) in 1926. It reminisces about being in a youthful quartet, singing "Heart of My Heart".
"The Poor People of Paris" is a US pop song that became a number-one instrumental hit in 1956. It is based on the French language song "La goualante du pauvre Jean", with music by Marguerite Monnot and words by René Rouzaud. Edith Piaf had one of her biggest hits with the original French version.
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Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings was Bing Crosby's sixth LP, his first album for Verve, recorded and released in a mono format in 1956.
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"Elmer's Tune" is a 1941 big band and jazz standard written by Elmer Albrecht, Dick Jurgens and Sammy Gallop. Glenn Miller and his Orchestra and Dick Jurgens and his Orchestra both charted with recordings of the composition.
Jack K. Pleis was an American jazz pianist, arranger, conductor, composer and producer. He recorded on London and Decca Records in the 1950s, and Columbia Records in the 1960s. During the course of his career, Pleis worked with many artists, including Louis Armstrong, Harry Belafonte, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Benny Goodman, Earl Grant, Brenda Lee, and Joe Williams. Between 1950 and 1976, more than 150 songs were arranged by Pleis. His surname is pronounced "Pleece".
"Beyond the Blue Horizon" is a 1930 song composed by Leo Robin, Richard A. Whiting, and W. Franke Harling, and was first performed by Jeanette MacDonald in the 1930 film Monte Carlo. It was released that November as a single on a 78 rpm disc along with the song "Always, in All Ways" on Victor Records. Four takes were recorded on August 4 at the Hollywood Recording Studio, conducted by LeRoy Shield, with MacDonald and the vocal group The Rounders; the second take was chosen for release.
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