Review by Greg Adams:
Great Organ Hits is a classic album. More aptly put, it has a classic album cover. Reproduced in numerous books and on countless websites, the album pictures smiling Eddie Layton astride a giant rocket that seems to be sprouting from his waist. In addition to inviting "great organ" jokes, the cover contains a (probably unintentional) subliminal message in the title that propriety dictates must go unmentioned in this review. Layton was a talented musician who demonstrated organs for the Hammond company for decades, so Great Organ Hits features the expert playing of an organist well-schooled in the variety of sounds that can be massaged out of a Hammond. A full complement of percussion instruments, guitar, and bass accompany Layton, something missing from his later recordings of organ solos. Great Organ Hits isn't a collection of Layton's hits -- he had none -- but an album containing his arrangements of melodies associated with other famous organists. He pays tribute to Ethel Smith ("Tico Tico"), Dave "Baby" Cortez ("The Happy Organ"), Ken Griffin ("You Can't Be True, Dear"), Milt Herth (the whimsical "Dipsy Doodle"), and Jesse Crawford ("The Organ Played at Twilight"), and also performs a selection of instrumental pop hits for the organ, such as Henry Mancini's "Mr. Lucky" and Pérez Prado's "Patricia." The music isn't nearly as outrageous as the album cover, but Layton was one of the foremost purveyors of pop organ music, and Great Organ Hits is one of his most instrumentally diverse albums.
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny
Although well regarded by aficionados of space age pop, Hammond organ virtuoso Eddie Layton was even more beloved by visitors to the House That Ruth Built, serving close to four decades as the official organist at baseball's landmark Yankee Stadium. Born October 19, 1925, in Philadelphia, Layton studied music as a child, but majored in meteorology in college. After enlisting in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he first encountered the Hammond in a Naval air station in Linhurst, NJ, and his fate was sealed. After the war Layton studied under the legendary theater pipe organist Jesse Crawford while working the theater circuit himself, eventually landing a steady gig at Radio City Music Hall. From there he worked at CBS, first in radio and later in television -- Layton was also on the Hammond payroll for over 50 years, touring music stores around the world to demonstrate their organs. (By his own estimate, he visited and performed in over 700 stores on five continents.) Inevitably, Layton became a recording artist as well, signing to Mercury to release a series of jazzy easy listening LPs, including Organ Moods, No Blues on This Cruise, and Better Layton Than Never.
In 1967, two years after CBS purchased the New York Yankees, Layton was offered the chance to serve as the ballpark's organist. Knowing nothing about baseball and unable to drive back and forth to the team's 81 annual home games, he initially turned down the invitation, but Yankee brass responded by promising that a limousine would drive him to and from the stadium each day. Layton finally agreed, and was first asked to play only between innings; during one Yankee loss, however, he pulled out the old military trumpet call "Charge!," and the galvanizing melody was such a hit with fans and execs that he earned a raise the following day, with instructions to play at various times throughout the game. He originated several other now-common ballpark musical cues in the decades to follow, among them "The Mexican Hat Dance." Ya Gotta Have Heart, Layton's final album, features many of his greatest Yankee Stadium hits. During the 1970s, he also agreed to provide accompaniment for the NBA's Knicks and the NHL's Rangers before whittling his schedule exclusively to the Yankees. He retired from the team in 2003, passing away in New York City on December 24, 2004.
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny
Although well regarded by aficionados of space age pop, Hammond organ virtuoso Eddie Layton was even more beloved by visitors to the House That Ruth Built, serving close to four decades as the official organist at baseball's landmark Yankee Stadium. Born October 19, 1925, in Philadelphia, Layton studied music as a child, but majored in meteorology in college. After enlisting in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he first encountered the Hammond in a Naval air station in Linhurst, NJ, and his fate was sealed. After the war Layton studied under the legendary theater pipe organist Jesse Crawford while working the theater circuit himself, eventually landing a steady gig at Radio City Music Hall. From there he worked at CBS, first in radio and later in television -- Layton was also on the Hammond payroll for over 50 years, touring music stores around the world to demonstrate their organs. (By his own estimate, he visited and performed in over 700 stores on five continents.) Inevitably, Layton became a recording artist as well, signing to Mercury to release a series of jazzy easy listening LPs, including Organ Moods, No Blues on This Cruise, and Better Layton Than Never.
In 1967, two years after CBS purchased the New York Yankees, Layton was offered the chance to serve as the ballpark's organist. Knowing nothing about baseball and unable to drive back and forth to the team's 81 annual home games, he initially turned down the invitation, but Yankee brass responded by promising that a limousine would drive him to and from the stadium each day. Layton finally agreed, and was first asked to play only between innings; during one Yankee loss, however, he pulled out the old military trumpet call "Charge!," and the galvanizing melody was such a hit with fans and execs that he earned a raise the following day, with instructions to play at various times throughout the game. He originated several other now-common ballpark musical cues in the decades to follow, among them "The Mexican Hat Dance." Ya Gotta Have Heart, Layton's final album, features many of his greatest Yankee Stadium hits. During the 1970s, he also agreed to provide accompaniment for the NBA's Knicks and the NHL's Rangers before whittling his schedule exclusively to the Yankees. He retired from the team in 2003, passing away in New York City on December 24, 2004.
///////
Reseña por Greg Adams:
Great Organ Hits es un álbum clásico. Más acertadamente, tiene una portada de álbum clásico. Reproducido en numerosos libros y en innumerables sitios web, el álbum muestra a Eddie Layton a horcajadas sobre un cohete gigante que parece brotar de su cintura. Además de invitar a los chistes sobre "grandes órganos", la portada contiene un mensaje subliminal (probablemente no intencional) en el título que los dictados de propiedad no deben mencionarse en esta revisión. Layton era un músico talentoso que demostró órganos para la compañía Hammond durante décadas, por lo que Great Organ Hits presenta la actuación experta de un organista bien educado en la variedad de sonidos que se pueden extraer de un Hammond. Un completo complemento de instrumentos de percusión, guitarra y bajo acompañan a Layton, algo que falta en sus últimas grabaciones de solos de órgano. Great Organ Hits no es una colección de los éxitos de Layton, no tenía ninguno, sino un álbum que contiene sus arreglos de melodías asociadas con otros organistas famosos. Rinde homenaje a Ethel Smith ("Tico Tico"), Dave "Baby" Cortez ("El órgano feliz"), Ken Griffin ("No se puede ser cierto, querido"), Milt Herth (el caprichoso "Doodle Dipsy" ), y Jesse Crawford ("The Organ Played at Twilight"), y también realiza una selección de éxitos musicales instrumentales para el órgano, como "Mr. Lucky" de Henry Mancini y "Patricia" de Pérez Prado. La música no es tan escandalosa como la portada del álbum, pero Layton fue uno de los principales proveedores de música de órgano pop, y Great Organ Hits es uno de sus álbumes más diversos instrumentalmente.
Biografía del artista por Jason Ankeny
Aunque bien considerado por los aficionados al pop de la era espacial, el virtuoso del órgano Hammond Eddie Layton fue aún más querido por los visitantes de la Casa Que Ruth Construyó, sirviendo cerca de cuatro décadas como organista oficial en el emblemático Yankee Stadium. Nacido el 19 de octubre de 1925 en Filadelfia, Layton estudió música cuando era niño, pero se especializó en meteorología en la universidad. Después de alistarse en la Marina de los EE. UU. Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, se encontró por primera vez con el Hammond en una estación aérea naval en Linhurst, Nueva Jersey, y su destino quedó sellado. Después de la guerra, Layton estudió con el legendario organista de tubos de teatro Jesse Crawford mientras trabajaba él mismo en el circuito de teatro, y eventualmente consiguió un concierto estable en Radio City Music Hall. Desde allí trabajó en CBS, primero en la radio y más tarde en la televisión. Layton también estuvo en la nómina de pago de Hammond durante más de 50 años, recorriendo tiendas de música de todo el mundo para demostrar sus órganos. (Según su propia estimación, visitó y actuó en más de 700 tiendas en cinco continentes.) Inevitablemente, Layton también se convirtió en un artista de grabación, al firmar con Mercury para lanzar una serie de LPs de música fácil de escuchar, incluyendo Organ Moods, No Blues en This Cruise, y Better Layton Than Never.
En 1967, dos años después de que CBS comprara los Yankees de Nueva York, le ofrecieron a Layton la oportunidad de fungir como organista del estadio. Como no sabía nada sobre el béisbol y no podía conducir de ida y vuelta a los 81 partidos anuales en casa del equipo, inicialmente rechazó la invitación, pero los directivos de los Yankees respondieron prometiendo que una limusina lo llevaría al estadio cada día. Layton finalmente estuvo de acuerdo, y primero se le pidió que jugara solo entre entradas; durante una derrota yankee, sin embargo, sacó el antiguo llamado "Charge!", y la melodía de galvanización fue un éxito con los fanáticos y ejecutivos que ganó un aumento el día siguiente, con instrucciones de jugar en varias ocasiones a lo largo del juego. Él originó varias otras pistas musicales ahora comunes en las décadas siguientes, entre ellas "The Mexican Hat Dance". Ya Gotta Have Heart, el último álbum de Layton, presenta muchos de sus mejores éxitos en el Yankee Stadium. Durante la década de 1970, también acordó proporcionar acompañamiento para los Knicks de la NBA y los Rangers de la NHL antes de reducir su cronograma exclusivamente a los Yankees. Se retiró del equipo en 2003 y falleció en la ciudad de Nueva York el 24 de diciembre de 2004.
Tracklist:
A1 - The Happy Organ - 2:15
A2 - Mr. Lucky - 2:30
A3 - Ain't Misbehavin' - 2:45
A4 - Tico Tico - 2:21
A5 - You Can't Be True, Dear - 2:37
A6 - Granada - 3:09
B1 - Patricia - 2:42
B2 - Twilight Time - 2:38
B3 - The Dipsy Doodle - 2:17
B4 - When The Organ Played At Twilight - 2:30
B5 - By The Waters Of The Minnetonka - 2:35
Label: Mercury – MG 20639
Released: 1961
Genre: Jazz, Pop
Style: Easy Listening
MORE Organ ...
MORE Easy Listening ...
This file is intended only for preview!
I ask you to delete the file from your hard drive after reading it.
thank for the original uploader
No comments:
Post a Comment