Hollywood On 52nd Street
Too Late Now is a song composed by Burton Lane and the lyrics written by Alan Jay Lerner for the 1951 film Royal Wedding. The song was performed by Jane Powell.
The Story: The film centers around brother and sister dance team Tom and Ellen Bowen whose show closes in New York. Their agent, Irving Klinger (Keenan Wynn), books them in London for the same period as the Royal Wedding. They travel by ship where Ellen (Jane Powell) meets and becomes involved with Lord John Brindale (Peter Lawford). This causes her to miss a rehearsal. Tom (Fred Astaire) uses the time to dance with a hat rack and gym equipment.
Later Tom and Ellen attempt a graceful dance number as the ship rolls to and fro. Upon arrival brother and sister are met by Edgar Klinger (Wynn) who settles them into their hotel. Shortly afterward Tom holds auditions and meets Anne (Sarah Churchill). There is much indecision by the siblings about their romantic partners even though they are in-the-clouds. Ellen sings her third ballad, this time an open declaration of love, to Lawford with Too Late Now. Tom dances on the walls and ceiling of his hotel room. All ends well in this light musical. By the way, there is a vaudeville-style dance number in their show that features slapstick.
Too Late Now is the only song from this film that was to become a jazz standard.
Requisites
Hard Driving Jazz by the Cecil Taylor Quintet was recorded in New York City on October 13, 1958 at United Artists Records. This hard bop and modal session was licensed by United to Dillard et Cie, Imp. and released in 1959 on La Voix De Son Maître in Paris, France.
The cover photography was taken by Tom Burnside and the design of the cover was made by Griner/Lewis, the recording engineer was Fernando Vargas, Tom Wilson was the session producer and the liner notes were written by François Postif.
Four tunes made up this session composed by Chuck Israels, Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke, Kenny Dorham, John Klenner and Sam Lewis. Double Clutching, Like Someone In Love,Shifting Down and Just Friends for a short 33:14.
The players were Chuck Israels on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, Cecil Taylor on piano, Kenny Dorham on trumpet and on tenor saxophone was Blue Train (John Coltrane).
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Requisites
Bird at St. Nick’s is a 1950 live tape recording by alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. Unfortunately, for those jazz patrons who experienced the live performance never received the opportunity to relive the night until forty-one years later. It was released in 1991 on the Blue Moon Record label.
The released session was just 33 minutes and 53 seconds and is comprised of the following thirteen original and standard compositions: I Didn’t Know What Time It Was, Ornithology, Embraceable You, Visa, I Cover the Waterfront, Scrapple From The Apple, Star Eyes, 52nd Street Theme, Confirmation, Out of Nowhere, Hot House, What’s New, Now’s The Time and Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/52nd Street Theme.
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Requisites
The Prophetic Herbie Nichols Vol. 1 is the debut album by pianist Herbie Nichols in 1955. The album, released as a 10 inch LP on the Blue Note label, features six performances recorded by May 4th – 13th in the bop, hard bop and post bop styles.
Nichols begins his statement with Dance Line, then Step Tempest, The Third World, Blue Chopsticks, Double Exposure and Cro-Magnon Nights all follow to make up the complete album and were all composed by Nichols.
An interesting note, from 1947 he spent half a decade trying to get a contract with Blue Note and his persistence finally paid off when he finally inked a three album deal. The art was conceived by New York School abstract expressionist painter Martin Craig providing a rare and befitting cover for the purveyor of art piano music.
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Requisites
Harold in the Land of Jazz was the debut album by saxophonist Harold Land recorded and released in 1958 on the Contemporary label. It was also released as Grooveyard. The cover design was created by Guidi/Tri-Arts and the photography was performed by Walter Zerlinden.
On this album, his first outing as a leader, Land was able to show with his distinctive style that hard bop was well and alive in Los Angeles, California in the late ’50s.
The compositions presented on this album are Speak Low, Delirium, You Don’t Know What Love Is, Nieta, Grooveyard, Lydia’s Lament, and Smack Up. He borrowed songs composed Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash, Gene De Paul And Don Raye, Elmo Hope, and Carl Perkins. Land contributed Delirium, Lydia’s Lament and Smack Upto this recording.
The tenor saxophonist is joined by Rolf Ericson playing trumpet, Carl Perkins at the piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Frank Butler hitting the drums.
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