Album of four 10": #36395 to 36398.
Title: "A Night At The Stork Club".
Cover notes written by Sherman Billingsley.
Vocal chorus by Sonny Saunders on B, C, E and G.
Release announced in Variety, Oct. 8, 1941, page 40.
1946-1948 represses show only two lines of patent text below the Columbia logo.
Sherman Billingsley, as slholzer said, ran the Stork Club at the time, and he wrote the liner notes for this album, which is why his picture is included. He did not direct the club's orchestra.
The brief article in Variety, to which I have included a link above, mentions that the orchestra is not the usual 6-man outfit that actually played at the club, but a 14-piece band. The music is very danceable, but maybe more sweet pop than jazz, with lots of shmaltzy violins and muted trumpets. I can see why Rust didn't think it needed to be included in his Jazz Records. It's nice, though. I particularly like the swinging rhythm section, especially the bass, Sonny Kendis' piano, the tenor sax on "Diga Diga Doo", the clarinet on "Stumbling", and Sonny Saunders' crooning vocals.
We learn from Rust's American Dance Band Discography that Sonny Saunders is actually Sonny Schuyler. Or do We? Elsewhere on the Web, we are told that Sonny Saunders is actually Jimmy Saunders? The vocals are pretty good either way.
Sadly, there is no information in Rust about who the fine musicians in this orchestra are or who did the excellent arrangements. I think Rust may have missed a trick in not including these tracks in Jazz Records. The web is not much help there either, although it does permit identification of Sonny Kendis as the pianist who is featured to good advantage on several of the tracks.
One mystery is why the album cover that pops up several times in the associated video clip fails to mention Sonny Kendis, displaying instead a photo of Sherman Billingsley, the club's owner. (The brief text, which is more legibly displayed on You Tube cuts elsewhere, says Billingley "plays host to his clientele" at the club, not that he directs the orchestra.) Kendis is identified as the leader on all the 78 labels (all 8 appear in the clip) and on all the Columbia LP labels that also appear throughout the clip, with no mention of Billingsley on any of the actual discs.
Hoagy's 'Stardust' has been given plenty of vocal and instrumental treatment's over the years , one of my favourites was Sky's (group). Didn't Fats Domino do My Blue Heaven ? and You're The Cream again is quite popular.
Definitely not the old standards you hear ageing rock stars croon these days. Macca, Rod, etc.
I've a tendency to sing many of these around the house as I do various chores. (When I'm not swearing about having to do them!)
Drool, Pt. 2! :laugh:
An instant swanky evening with a couple of Manhattans to hand and a stack of Carmen Cavalleros waiting to be played afterward. I'm a sucker for stuff like this.