The Groovy Sound of Music

Last updated
The Groovy Sound of Music
The Groovy Sound of Music.jpg
Studio album by
Released1965
RecordedDecember 21–22, 1964
StudioRCA Victor, Studio A, New York City
Genre Jazz
Length35:59
Label RCA
Producer Joe René
Gary Burton chronology
Something's Coming!
(1964)
The Groovy Sound of Music
(1965)
The Time Machine
(1966)

The Groovy Sound of Music is an album by vibraphonist Gary Burton recorded in 1964 and released on the RCA label which features jazz interpretations of tunes from the Broadway musical The Sound of Music written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. [1]

Contents

Conception, Recording and Packaging

The album was recorded at the request of RCA Records who, as part of their negotiations with composer Richard Rodgers for the Sound of Music movie soundtrack (also released in 1965), had promised to get artists on their roster to record songs from the musical. It was recorded in two sessions, one featuring Burton as part of a jazz sextet (as well as playing "Edelweiss" solo), and the other with a small orchestra arranged and conducted by Gary McFarland. [2]

Burton would later profess disappointments with the album, particularly with McFarland's uncharacteristically "conventional and uninspiring" arrangements. [3] He was also embarrassed by the title and cover art that RCA chose for the project; after complaining to the company executive Steve Sholes and threatening to leave the label, he was promised that he would henceforth be allowed more input in such matters. [2]

Reception

The Allmusic review by Ken Dryden stated: "Aside from 'My Favorite Things', jazz musicians haven't been particularly drawn to songs from The Sound of Music, so the Groovy Sound of Music songbook by Gary Burton is quite a treat". [4]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]

Track listing

All compositions by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
  1. "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" - 4:50
  2. "Maria" - 3:34
  3. "An Ordinary Couple" - 4:50
  4. "My Favorite Things" - 5:55
  5. "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" - 4:30
  6. "Do-Re-Mi" - 3:50
  7. "Edelweiss" - 3:03
  8. "The Sound of Music" - 5:27
  • Recorded at RCA Victor's Studio A in New York City on December 21 & 22, 1964.

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Related Research Articles

<i>The Concert Sinatra</i> 1963 studio album by Frank Sinatra

The Concert Sinatra is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra that was released in 1963. It consists of showtunes performed in a 'semi-classical' concert style. Marking a reunion between Sinatra and his frequent collaborator, arranger Nelson Riddle, it was the first full-album Riddle arranged on Sinatra's Reprise Records label. Riddle's orchestra consisted of 76 musicians, then the largest assembled for a Sinatra album, and was recorded at four soundstages on the Goldwyn Studios lot using eight tracks of Westrex 35mm film and twenty-four RCA 44-BX ribbon microphones.

Gary Ronald McFarland was an American composer, arranger, vibraphonist and vocalist. He recorded for the jazz imprints Verve and Impulse! Records during the 1960s. Down Beat magazine said he made "one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz". A 2015 review of a McFarland DVD documentary called him "one of the busiest New York jazz arrangers of the 1960s". The review further stated that McFarland's "ascendance coincided with the rise of bossa nova, and McFarland was adept at translating the mercurial song form into orchestrations. He wrote some beautiful orchestral settings for great soloists, yet wasn't immune to commercial forces."

<i>Great Love Themes</i> 1966 studio album by Cannonball Adderley

Great Love Themes is an album recorded in April 1966 by jazz saxophonist Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley. It was released on the Capitol label featuring performances of ballads ― mostly Broadway show tunes ― by Cannonball Adderley with Nat Adderley, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Lewis, Roy McCurdy, and with string arrangements by Ray Ellis. AllMusic awarded the album 1 star. The album was produced by Tom Morgan, rather than Adderley's usual producer, David Axelrod. According to Adderley's biographer, Cary Ginell, "Although Cannonball loved to play show tunes, the lush, watered-down arrangements did not excited listeners, who had long since wearied of the jazz-artist-with-strings formula. Axelrod recalled that Cannonball hated the album and convinced Capitol to let him go back to working with Axelrod from then on."

<i>Broadway – My Way</i> 1963 studio album by Nancy Wilson

Broadway – My Way is a studio album by Nancy Wilson released in March 1963 on Capitol Records. The album reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200 chart.

<i>Matador</i> (Grant Green album) 1979 studio album by Grant Green

Matador is an album by American jazz guitarist Grant Green featuring performances recorded in 1964 but not released on the Japanese Blue Note label until 1979. It features Green with pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Bob Cranshaw. The album was finally reissued in the U.S. on CD in 1990 with one bonus track. It was also reissued on vinyl in 2010, with a different cover.

<i>The Best of John Coltrane</i> 1970 greatest hits album by John Coltrane

The Best of John Coltrane is a 1970 compilation album released by Atlantic Records collecting recordings made by jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. The album was released shortly after his death as a part of the "Atlantic Jazz Anthology"—a series of greatest hits compilations for Atlantic jazz artists—and features performances from his brief period recording for Atlantic with new liner notes by jazz journalist Nat Hentoff.

<i>On Broadway Volume 2</i> 1989 studio album by Paul Motian

On Broadway Volume 2 is the fourth album by Paul Motian to be released on the German JMT label. It was released in 1989 and features performances of Broadway show tunes by Motian with guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Charlie Haden and tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano. The album was followed by three subsequent volumes, and it was rereleased on the Winter & Winter label in 2003.

<i>Who Is Gary Burton?</i> 1963 studio album by Gary Burton

Who Is Gary Burton? is an album by vibraphonist Gary Burton recorded in 1962 and released on the RCA label. Some of the musicians who appear are alto saxophonist Phil Woods, trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, trumpeter Clark Terry, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist John Neves and drummer Joe Morello.

<i>The Time Machine</i> (Gary Burton album) 1966 studio album by Gary Burton

The Time Machine is an album by American vibraphonist Gary Burton recorded in 1966 and released on the RCA label. Burton also plays marimba and piano in a trio with bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Larry Bunker.

<i>Art</i> (album) 1961 studio album by Art Farmer

Art is an album by trumpeter Art Farmer, featuring performances recorded in 1960 and originally released on the Argo label. Farmer stated in 1995 that the album, which consists mainly of ballads, was his favorite.

<i>Hanky Panky</i> (Hank Jones album) 1975 studio album by Hank Jones

Hanky Panky is an album by American jazz pianist Hank Jones recorded in 1975 for the Japanese East Wind label.

<i>The Sound of Feeling</i> 1968 studio album by Oliver Nelson

The Sound of Feeling is a jazz album featuring two separate groups featuring Oliver Nelson recorded in late 1966 and released on the Verve label. The split album begins with five tracks by the Los Angeles based group The Sound of Feeling, featuring identical twin vocalists Alyce and Rhae Andrece and pianist Gary David with the addition of soloist Nelson. Four tracks are by the Encyclopedia of Jazz All Stars, a big band drawn from the ranks of top New York studio musicians, arranged and conducted by Nelson which were recorded to accompany Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Sixties.

<i>Top Brass</i> 1956 studio album by Ernie Wilkins

Top Brass is an album by American jazz composer and arranger Ernie Wilkins featuring performances recorded in 1955 and first released on the Savoy label. The album consists of five original selections with trumpeters Ray Copeland, Idrees Sulieman, Donald Byrd, Ernie Royal and Joe Wilder followed by five standards featuring each individually.

<i>The King and I</i> (The Mastersounds album) 1957 studio album by The Mastersounds

The King and I is an album by The Mastersounds led by vibraphonist Buddy Montgomery with pianist Richie Crabtree, bassist Monk Montgomery and drummer Benny Barth featuring performances of tunes from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical The King and I recorded in 1957 and released on the World Pacific label.

<i>Kai Olé</i> 1961 studio album by Kai Windings Trombones and Orchestra

Kai Olé is an album by jazz trombonist and arranger Kai Winding recorded in 1961 for the Verve label.

<i>J. J.s Broadway</i> 1963 studio album by J. J. Johnson

J. J.'s Broadway is an album by jazz trombonist and arranger J. J. Johnson recorded in 1963 for the Verve label.

<i>The Stan Getz Quartet in Paris</i> 1967 live album by The Stan Getz Quartet

The Stan Getz Quartet in Paris is a live album by saxophonist Stan Getz recorded at the Salle Pleyel which was first released on the French Verve label.

<i>Getting to Know You</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Mulgrew Miller

Getting to Know You is a studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller. The album was released in 1995 by Novus Records. This is Miller's third record for Novus and eleventh overall.

<i>The Jones Boys</i> 1957 studio album

The Jones Boys is an album coordinated by Leonard Feather featuring trumpeter Thad Jones, pianist Jimmy Jones, bassist Eddie Jones and drummer Jo Jones along with Reunald Jones, Quincy Jones on four tracks which was recorded in early 1957 and first released on the Period label. The album was reissued on CD on Original Jazz Classics in 1999.

<i>Live Trane: The European Tours</i> 2001 live album by John Coltrane

Live Trane: The European Tours is a 7–CD compilation album by American saxophonist John Coltrane containing music recorded live during 1961, 1962, and 1963 European tours, all of which took place under the auspices of Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic programs. The album, which was released in 2001 by Pablo Records, features Coltrane on tenor and soprano saxophones along with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassists Jimmy Garrison and Reggie Workman, and drummer Elvin Jones. In addition, Eric Dolphy is heard on alto saxophone, bass clarinet, and flute on a number of tracks.

References

  1. Gary Burton discography Archived 2012-01-19 at the Wayback Machine accessed November 24, 2011
  2. 1 2 Charles Waring, liner notes to Something's Coming!/The Groovy Sound Of Music/The Time Machine (BGO Records, 2016)
  3. Gary Burton (1 August 2013). Learning to Listen: The Jazz Journey of Gary Burton: An Autobiography. Berklee Press. ISBN   978-1-4803-5464-7.
  4. 1 2 Dryden, K. Allmusic Review accessed November 24, 2011