Phil Silvers and Swinging Brass

Phil Silvers and Swinging Brass
Studio album by
Phil Silvers
Released1957
Recorded1956
GenrePop/jazz
LabelColumbia CL-1011
ProducerIrving Townsend[1]

Phil Silvers and Swinging Brass is a studio album of bugle calls arranged by Nelson Riddle, released in 1956.[1][2]

Conception

The album was designed to capitalize on the popularity of the comedian and actor Phil Silvers in the American TV sitcom You'll Never Get Rich.[1]

The arranger Nelson Riddle is credited in the liner notes for the album as 'Compositions Conceived By ...'.[1] Riddle was under contractual obligation to Capitol Records at the time of the recording and so could not be credited with the arrangements on the album. The arrangements were instead credited to Frank Comstock and Warren Barker.[1] The guitarist Steve Jordan who appeared on the album wrote in his autobiography wrote that "I'm sure Riddle did most of the writing. But contracts are contracts".[1]

Jordan was told by the album's producer Irving Townsend that Riddle had told him that the album could only be made in California as there weren't enough good jazz session musicians in New York City.[1] Townsend was appalled and insisted that the album be recorded in New York.[1]

Reception

The Billboard magazine review from 5 August 1957 praised the album's "solid, swinging stuff produced by a stellar assemblage of instrumentalists".[3] High Fidelity described the music as " ... hardly hot enough for true jazz, [though] they nevertheless make surprisingly diverting listening thanks largely to Riddle's imagination".[4]

Track listing

Side 1

  1. "Hurry Up and Wait"
  2. "Early Bird"
  3. "Last Chance"
  4. "Chow, A Can of Cow and Thou"
  5. "Two Arms"
  6. "Scramble"

Side 2

  1. "Where'd Everybody Go"
  2. "Come As You Are"
  3. "No Letter Today"
  4. "The Eagle Screams"
  5. "Let It Rain, Let It Pour"
  6. "Lights Out"

Personnel

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Jordan, Steve; Scanlan, Tom (1991). Rhythm Man : Fifty Years in Jazz. University of Michigan Press. p. 87. ISBN 0-472-08202-7. OCLC 24319834.
  2. ^ "Phil Silvers - Phil Silvers and Swinging Brass at Discogs". discogs.com. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  3. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 5 August 1957. p. 53. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  4. ^ High Fidelity. Audiocom, Inc. p. 92. Retrieved 2023-03-01.