The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 88

First fX. Ilk 0 Spectacular Pp tape paid best 1957, looks like being the hottest record personality in 1958. In a business overcrowded with gymnasts and hillbillies, Mathis has a distinguishing speciality he sings. On bis two L.P.s released in Australia so far, be has shown that he can handle the jazz idiom (on "Johnny and the smouldering pop tune Mathis, 22, eipects to earn a quarter of a million dollars this year. Hal Wallis wants him for a movie.

Mathis says: "1 wanted to be a jazz singer in the beginning, but I also wanted to make money. A chance "GEMS FROM THi CLASSICS only For you a magnificent selection of the world's best-loved music packaged in covere of glowing beauty and yet available at this amazingly modest price because Coronet's 7-inch "Gems" play at 33i making it possible for longer works to be presented on smaller-size records. What a bargain in superb "Jazz singing is not profitable. I made a jazz album first, then decided to make a pop single. I decided to go with the one that clicked.

The pop side clicked and 1 went that way." His latest L.P., "Warm," has not been released here yet. Nor has his pop, "Wild is the Wind." But this week we hear listening! Do hear these inspired performances. Presented by the most distinguished artists the catalogue of Columbia, U.S.A., famous originators of the long-playing record! "Chances Are" (Coronet KS-191), which has already I I ft Wii 1 sold one million copies overseas. mimiMmn i ii 'tlan in uriitui nil It is a performance head and shoulders above other hit parade material. -j MATHIS he found that jazz didn't pay.

MARIAN McPARTLANl) she'll play it anyway. JIMMY McPART-' LAND'S wife Marian playt sensational, swinging a light-hearted swinging thing not up to the Duke's other major works. The. "Diminuendo and playing clarinet alongsido local musicians. The tour lost him money, but he says be enjoyed it.

Tony should be told "BOLEIO" Kavet. This is exciting music, and Eugene Ormandy and the famed Philadelphia Orchestra present it as a passionate whirlpool of with a hypnotic beat KGC101 "EINE KIEINE NACHT-MUSIK." Mozart's enchanting played with lyrical perfection by Bruno Walter, greatest of living conductors, and the Columbia Orchestra. KGC.102 Her L.r.. "i ne Marian Crescendo in Blue" lacks the polish In performance McPartland Trio" (Capi- fnli. TJTH'ii Qhnino hpr there's no belter place (o RON HERBERT, of Moore Street, Austin-mer, wants a more imaginative release policy from the companies holding L.P.

jazz. He writes: "Being a 'pommy I've been able to compare releases here and in England. I'm amazed at the reluctance of record companies to issue several fine L.P.'s and many wonderful beat and her lyrical touch. one expected of this band. The two parts are interrupted by an uninspired 27-chorus saxophone solo by Paul Gonslaves.

THE fabulous wnetner sue piays the thoughtful "Dream a Little Dream of Me," or a fast "Bohemia best-sellers. After Dark," she has "If thev can M-rM 1 Four Freshmen are back with a new 4-Z V' release a jazz L.P. in Spain. ma- I IT fit, that quality which is being-. described as "Junky," inventiveness polished by a sharp wit.

The cover notes are by Mil "GAITE PAIISIENNE" Offenbach. A dazzling performance by Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, sparkling with wit and a champagne vivacity KGC.107 "SWAN LAKE" Excerpt-Tchaikovsky. Here is the magic and the beauty of the 'ballet, recreated for you through the artistry of Andre Kostelanetz and bis K.GCJ08 MtrMItl the jazz enthusiast, Father Norman O'Connor, of Boston Univer sity. wsS- If 5 L.P., "Four Freshmen and Five Trumpets" (Capitol 763). The trumpets in unison provide a virile textural foil for this brilliant close harmony group.

The other vocal quartet, the Hi-Lo's, have humour, but the Freshmen beat them with musicianship. Every track is an exciting jewel of sound. TONY SCOTT has toured South Africa and Europe, staying for some months in both places, and why not I encountered Dizzy Gillespie's 'Verti-ginoso' in a Las Palmas shop last March." THE best of the four re-' cordings made at the 1956 American Jazz Festival at Newport has at last been rek'sed nearly a year after the others. It is "Ellington at New port" (Coronet KLP 635). The L.P.

has Ellington's Festival Suite," played at each year's festival. This is HERE'S a Up on the new Coronet classical digests oa 7m don't play (hem at 45 r.p.m. like your other 7in discs. lose money on jazz Australia. He plays clarinet like a Goodman who has kept developing into the cool jazz era.

"Tony Scott In Hi-Fi" (Brunswick B12-1485) lias him jamming at Minion's nightclub on one side, which is rough, but swinging, and a smooth studio session on the other. THERE are so many L.P.S now of music for conversation and so on that an American columnist has ripped the early release of an LP- of conversation, to play music by. That's the sort of hitter remark engendered by a title like "Conversational Music for Cocktails Be There at 5" (Mercury 20218). Actually, the recording is by a smooth jazz-flavoured quintet featuring the guitar-player George Barnes. It's better than many discs which carry a jazz title.

Barnes is quietly entertaining, and this aspect of his playing is developed on another L.P., "Guitar in Velvet" (HMV OCLP 7524). He plays with an octet featuring woodwinds. It's I turned "Swan Hit into a duck pond nntil I saw the speed 33 13. Somebody goofed. The series is an economi "POLOVTSIAN DANCES" Borodin.

The barbaric dances of the Tartars, played with tremendous verve and fire by Dimitri Mitropoulos and the N.Y. Philharmonic. KGC.103 POMP CIRCUMSTANCE MAJtCH No. 1 Elgor. "MOTO PERPETUO" Paganini.

TRUMPET VOLUNTARY Purcell. Ormandy and the Philadelphia. KGC.104 Short spins cal way of baying- shortened classics, but I can't see why the speed has to be 33 13 and not 45 like all the others. maw i i rwwtH MARTHA HAYES is an interesting female vocalist in the Chris Connor. sentimental religious songs.

We'd like to think that be has been tamed at last, but we have our doubts. "Echo Echo Echo," Don Lee (Prestige PSP Electronic -tricks-with an accordeon. "Core For the Blues," Guy Mitchell (Coronet JCS-102): He's sfill flogging the tired "Singin" the Blues" formula. "Salad Days," Frank Barcley (Pye-Nixa NEP 24024): Sugar-sweet two-beat rhythms played by a polite piano stylist. "Great Balls of Fire," Georgia Gibbs (RCA 10368): Waterl "Peace in the Valley," Elvis Presley (RCA 20065): The wobbling wonder swaps bis black silk shirt for a choirboy's robe to sing four June Christy, Peggy Lee, Julie London school.

flPl xz: On "A Haves Named Martha" (Prestige PLP 10- 1VZ3) she pursues seven burning ballads with a FATHER SYDNEY MacEWAN sings: Galway Bay, Mowing the Barley, Lewis Bridal Song, Come to the Manger. Who can sing these lovely lilting airs with the same beauty as Father MacEwan? KGC.106 LILY PONS, Queen of Song: The Maids of Cadiz, Estrellita, The Blue Danube Waltz, Apris un RSve. Showing the matchless brilliance of Lily Pons' voice. KGC.105 heart-scorching sincerity. To-day's greatest value in superb entertainment '3 RPM RECORDS FOR ONLY W' EACH INCH Ask to hear "GEMS FROM THE CLASSICS? at; record retailers everywhere zf yj SSSSSt XI65 4 THE SUN-HERALD, FEBRUARY 9, 1958 iimtiiii m.m antw 9-m 999999999999999 fc it.