egroj world: Jackie Gleason • Velvet Brass

Saturday, August 17, 2024

Jackie Gleason • Velvet Brass

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
How Sweet It Is! The Jackie Gleason Velvet Brass Collection is a nice 20-track compilation of Gleason's easy listening brass records, containing lush, appealing versions of such standards as "You're Driving Me Crazy," "But Not for Me," "The Man I Love," "Me and My Shadow," "Take the 'A' Train," "Am I Blue," "What's New?," "Girl of My Dreams," "September Song" and "My Buddy." There's also a handful of fine original compositions, such as "Melancholy Serenade" and "To a Sleeping Beauty," that may not be as strong as the standards, but they're lovely songs nonetheless, and they add value to what already is the strongest compilation of Gleason's lush brass recordings yet assembled.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/how-sweet-it-is%21-the-jackie-gleason-velvet-brass-collection-mw0000185393

Biography by Cub Koda
Not only was he one of the finest comedians America has ever produced, Jackie Gleason applied his prodigious talents to music as well. With a strong jazz roots background (leaning to mesmerized idolatry when dealing with good trumpet players), Gleason developed a chart-topping series of mood music albums in the '50s, citing his reason for their existence: "Every time I ever watched Clark Gable do a love scene in the movies, I'd hear this really pretty music, real romantic, come up behind him and help set the mood. So I'm figuring that if Clark Gable needs that kinda help, then a guy in Canarsie has gotta be dyin' for somethin' like this!"

Gleason began making films in the '40s, but he rose to stardom in the early '50s, thanks to the late '40s/early '50s television series The Life of Riley and Cavalcade of Stars. His television stardom led to a contract with Capitol Records, who released his first album, Music for Lovers Only, in 1953. As a musician, Gleason favored lush, dramatically orchestrated instrumentals, patterned after the mood music of Paul Weston. Gleason wasn't a trained musician, but he was responsible for the musical direction of his records; when he did write a piece, he would dictate to someone who could read and write music.

Music for Lovers Only was a surprise hit, selling over 500,000 copies. Every subsequent Gleason album was a major hit, reaching the Top Ten and selling a large number of copies. Gleason continued to release albums into the '60s, but his popularity dipped dramatically after 1957. After that year, he no longer was able to make it into the Top 15, even though his records continued to appear in the lower regions of the charts. Gleason's records have continued to be popular cult items and they have come to be regarded as definitive mood music albums.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jackie-gleason-mn0000781399/biography

///////

Reseña de Stephen Thomas Erlewine
¡Qué dulce es! The Jackie Gleason Velvet Brass Collection es una buena recopilación de 20 pistas de los discos de metal de Gleason, que contienen versiones exuberantes y atractivas de estándares como "You're Driving Me Crazy", "But Not for Me", "The Man I Love", "Me and My Shadow", "Take the 'A' Train", "Am I Blue", "What's New?", "Girl of My Dreams", "September Song" y "My Buddy". También hay un puñado de buenas composiciones originales, como "Melancholy Serenade" y "To a Sleeping Beauty", que quizá no sean tan fuertes como los estándares, pero que no dejan de ser canciones encantadoras, y que añaden valor a lo que ya es la mejor compilación de las exuberantes grabaciones de metal de Gleason que se ha reunido.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/how-sweet-it-is%21-the-jackie-gleason-velvet-brass-collection-mw0000185393

Biografía de Cub Koda
No sólo fue uno de los mejores comediantes que ha producido Estados Unidos, Jackie Gleason también aplicó su prodigioso talento a la música. Con una fuerte formación de raíces jazzísticas (que se inclina hacia la idolatría hipnotizada cuando se trata de buenos trompetistas), Gleason desarrolló una serie de álbumes de música ambiental que ocuparon las listas de éxitos en los años 50, citando su razón de ser: "Cada vez que veía a Clark Gable en una escena de amor en el cine, oía una música muy bonita, muy romántica, que aparecía detrás de él y le ayudaba a crear el ambiente. Así que pensé que si Clark Gable necesitaba ese tipo de ayuda, entonces un tipo de Canarsie debía estar muriendo por algo así".

Gleason empezó a hacer películas en los años 40, pero alcanzó el estrellato a principios de los 50, gracias a las series de televisión de finales de los 40 y principios de los 50 The Life of Riley y Cavalcade of Stars. Su estrellato televisivo le llevó a firmar un contrato con Capitol Records, que publicó su primer álbum, Music for Lovers Only, en 1953. Como músico, Gleason era partidario de los instrumentales exuberantes y dramáticamente orquestados, inspirados en la música ambiental de Paul Weston. Gleason no tenía formación musical, pero se encargaba de la dirección musical de sus discos; cuando escribía una pieza, se la dictaba a alguien que supiera leer y escribir música.

Music for Lovers Only fue un éxito sorprendente, vendiendo más de 500.000 copias. Todos los álbumes posteriores de Gleason fueron un gran éxito, alcanzando el Top Ten y vendiendo un gran número de copias. Gleason siguió publicando álbumes en los años 60, pero su popularidad disminuyó drásticamente a partir de 1957. Después de ese año, ya no pudo entrar en el Top 15, aunque sus discos siguieron apareciendo en las regiones más bajas de las listas. Los discos de Gleason han seguido siendo artículos de culto populares y han llegado a ser considerados como álbumes definitivos de música de humor.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jackie-gleason-mn0000781399/biography

Tracklist
1 - You're Driving Me Crazy (What Did I Do?) - 2:45
2 - Skyliner - 2:50
3 - But Not For Me - 2:07
4 - The Man I Love - 2:13
5 - Cherokee - 3:01
6 - Me And My Shadow - 2:48
7 - Take The "A" Train - 1:57
8 - By The Beautiful Sea - 2:28
9 - Am I Blue? - 2:15
10 - What's New? - 2:09
11 - Girl Of My Dreams - 2:09
12 - My Buddy - 1:55
13 - I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me - 1:53
14 - September Song - 2:33
15 - Out Of Nowhere - 2:33
16 - Chinatown, My Chinatown - 1:48

Credits:
    Alto Saxophone – Toots Mondello
    Conductor – Jackie Gleason
    Remastered By – Larry Walsh

Label: Capitol Records – W-859
Released: 1957
Genre: Jazz
Style: Easy Listening
https://www.discogs.com/Jackie-Gleason-Jackie-Gleason-Presents-Velvet-Brass/release/2022558