David's Recordings

Perpetual Motion

David Harris & Jelani Eddington
Bösendorfer Imperial Grand Piano
4/74 Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ
J.B. Nethercutt Collection at San Sylmar
Sylmar, California

As reviewed by Ralph Beaudry in the July/August 2005 issue of Theatre Organ, the Journal of the American Theatre Organ Society.

The "Dynamic Duo" have returned with a sizzling new program of mostly familiar favorites garnished with fascinating arrangements, fresh registrations, and as before, immaculate, sensitive musicianship. In the January 2002 Journal Lew Williams reviewed their first Duo CD, Fascinating Rhythms, recorded in Wichita's Little River Studio with its 3/19 Wurlitzer. He commented, "...this is a first-class product both musically and technically. Let's have more of these two!" Their second CD, Christmas Wonderland (Journal November 2004) was recorded at the Wheaton Fox / Van Der Molen studio with its 4/26 Robert-Morton and we said, "...we give this a Must Have rating for their selections and sparkling arrangements." Now we hear them at the 4/74 Wurlitzer and 97(!) note Bosendorfer Imperial Grande Piano of Cloud 99 at California's world-famous San Sylmar collection of magnificent classic cars, beautiful art objects and unique music makers.

In May 1995, the Journal's cover story tells about the rebuilding and expansion of this organ (originally a 4/39) after the Northridge earthquake. The liner notes also have a summary of San Sylmar's history; however, due to the superb quality of this recording, we will locate the chambers for you. The Main chamber is on the left and the Solo chamber is on the right. At the far right side is the Ethereal (Echo) chamber and exposed Pedal Tibia. Centered between the Main and Solo is the 19-rank String chamber and the percussions.

Since the room is heavily carpeted and beautifully furnished we must mention that recording and mastering engineer Chris Gorsuch has perfectly balanced the piano and organ chambers and given this disc a warm, rich room sound. As Jelani writes in his excellent liner notes, "The resulting instrument is not only the third largest theatre organ in the world, but is a highly versatile, subtle, and orchestral instrument, making it among the finest in existence today." Amen!

In the 19th Century, Vienna's Strauss family virtually dominated the popular music world. Johann Strauss Senior (1804-1849) was a composer, formed a dance orchestra and fathered three sons who followed him into the music business. They established their own dance orchestras and also composed music for them (much as Sousa did for his marching band). Their popularity was so great they played all over Europe, and in 1872 Johann Junior and his orchestra performed 18 concerts in Boston and New York. He was also by far the most prolific composer of the three Strauss brothers. But don't expect Jelani and David to open with a waltz for they've picked the sprightly musical joke Perpetual Motion which can only be stopped, as they do, in mid-phase! Their second tune was made popular by the well-scrubbed young barbershop harmonizers from Sheboygan, Wisconsin on the Arthur Godfrey radio show. Of course, they are The Chordettes. Their biggest hit, Mister Sandman, gets the full treatment including a waltz chorus and then a jazzy novelty ending. Wow!

The Dynamic Duo's next selection comes from a composer "...who was, without question the greatest composer in history who was, by profession, a chemist." Of course, that has to be Alexander Borodin whose music was so exotically enchanting it was easily transformed into one of the most successful Broadway, London, and Hollywood musicals....Kismet. David and Jelani play that show's love-at-first-sight ballad, Stranger In Paradise, with the richest sounds of both the piano and organ.

Another kind of musical joke is next. It's a 13-minute visit with seven of Saint-Saens' musical portraits of some of his friends (and enemies) in the provocative yet charming Carnival Of The Animals. The liner notes give some fascinating details about the origins for each of the pieces they play. Jelani's organ solo is that deliciously effervescent Root Beer Rag. It's another wowser! Now for something different and new to theatre pipes. It was written by a French composer Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) who never learned to play the piano, spent several years in Brazil assisting the French ambassador, and taught music in the US during the 1940s. But, musicologist Jim Svejda states that Milhaud was "One of the most prolific and entertaining composers that history has known..." Our Duo performs his exciting, indeed exhilarating, Brazileira.

Back to more familiar territory as Jelani and David salute one of our most beloved composers with a 17-minute medley titled Richard Rodgers On Broadway. Did you realize Rodgers wrote the scores for 39 Broadway musicals between 1920 and 1979? That's almost 60 years on the Great White Way! There are eight Rodgers' melodies, which receive a full arrangement; but there are also about ten more you'll surely recognize scattered here and there in this medley. We'll comment on just a few of the selections. The melody for Getting To Know You (in The King And I) was originally written for South Pacific (with the title Suddenly Lucky) but was cut before the musical opened. How Can Love Survive is one of two numbers Captain Von Trapp's German friends had in the stage version of The Sound Of Music. But both their clever, up-tempo songs were deleted from the film. Love Look Away comes from the not so well known musical Flower Drum Song. Although we've all heard many medleys of Rodgers show music over the years, each one of the pieces on this disc has been given a fresh approach and comes out shiny new. This medley is a tuneful treasure in every way!

David Harris at the extraordinary 97-note Bosendorfer Grande Piano has the next-to-closing spot with a truly magnificent arrangement of Harold Arlen and "Yip" Harburg's best known song...Over The Rainbow. And David includes the rarely heard verse, which is not sung in the film. In fact it isn't even on the Wizard of Oz soundtrack CD (which, surprisingly, does have the "Jitterbug" music which was also cut from the film!) . . . .

For their Grande Finale the Dynamic Duo play the complete, original 17-minute arrangement of George Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue. Because the San Sylmar organ has such a generous selection of orchestral voices and marvelous Strings, from the opening Clarinet glissando you can easily imagine yourself sitting in New York City's Aeolian Hall back in 1924 when Paul Whiteman and his Palais Royal Orchestra accompanied George Gershwin at the piano in its world premiere!

This is organ/piano entertainment at its finest, and on all counts...selections, musical artistry, organ, piano, recording and liner notes...Yes, it is a Must Have CD!

 

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David Harris Productions
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Bridgeport, Connecticut 
06605

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