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Cry Me A River
©2000
A Tribute to
Julie London
featuring
Joe Lano, guitar
Tom Warrington, bass |
1. GONE WITH THE WIND 4:17
(Allie Wrubel-Gilbert Magidson) Bourne Co.-ascap
2. WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE 3:24
(Cole Porter) ascap
Audio sample available online
3. HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON 4:34
(George & Ira Gershwin) New World Music-ascap
4. NO MOON AT ALL 3:02
(Cole Porter) ascap
5. I LOVE YOU 3:03
(Cole Porter) ascap
6. BLUE MOON 5:04
(Richard Rogers-Lorenz Hart) Robbins Music Corp.-ascap
7. EASY STREET 2:34
(Alan R. Jones) ascap
Audio sample available online
8. CRY ME A RIVER 4:12
(Arthur Hamilton) ascap
Audio sample available online
9. I'M IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE 3:08
(McHugh-Fields) ascap
10. JULIE 4:47
(Laura Taylor-Joe Lano) Staying Power Publishing Co., Inc.-bmi
11. THE ONE I LOVE BELONGS TO SOMEBODY ELSE 2:12
(Isham Jones-Gus Kahn) ascap
12. I'M GLAD THERE IS YOU 4:53
(Paul Madeira-Jimmy Dorsey) ascap
13. CAN'T HELP LOVIN' THAT MAN OF MINE 2:53
(G. & I. Gershwin) New World Music-ascap
Audio sample available online
14. 'S WONDERFUL 3:48
(G. & I. Gershwin) New World Music-ascap
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| WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE
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| EASY STREET |
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From tiny
acorns, mighty oaks may grow. Such might describe this project, to
feature Laura Taylor in renditions of some of the beautiful songs done
in such a sensual style by Julie London. The acorn, or thought, was
dropped as a suggestion, that Laura’s voice and style (not to mention
looks!) might complement the styling which caused so many college boys
to swoon in the 50’s and 60’s (My older brother had the albums:
Julie Is Her Name, Vol 1, with Barney
Kessel-guitar, Ray Leatherwood-bass, 1955; Julie Is Her Name,
Vol 2, with Howard Roberts-guitar, Red Mitchell-bass, 1958,
both by Liberty Records). And so the memories of Blue Moon,
S ‘Wonderful, Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man of Mine,
and the incomparable version of Cry Me a River flashed
into warm recollections of October nights on campus and fireside
listening sessions on coveted 33-rpm LPs (which had only appeared in
1951).
Laura’s notable collaborations with close friend and
very talented guitarist Joe Lano (see: Mountain Greenery,
Songs of the Winter Season, etc.) prompted an admirer,
Doctor Howard Hoffman, to suggest that the Julie London/Barney Kessel
recordings would be a natural for the two of them. Howard, like many
others, was under the impression that Kessel was the only guitarist on
these two famous recordings. Kessel was, in fact, guitarist on
Julie is Her Name, Vol. 1, which included Cry Me a River,
but the very talented (though perhaps lesser known) Howard Roberts did
the Julie is Her Name, Vol. 2, recording that, according
to Joe, had many guitarists rushing to emulate what Roberts had done.
Laura and Joe began listening to those wonderful recordings to decide
whether to further pursue the idea. But the conclusion was easy-the
songs fabulous and still timely, and the fit was right. Typical of
their collaborations, Joe and Laura next met with guitar, piano,
voice, pencils and score sheets to discuss song selection, key choices
and arrangement concepts. Julie made so many fabulous recordings that
priorities had to be established. In addition to Julie’s most famous
recording, Cry Me a River, Laura and Joe needed to
narrow the choices to songs which they could put their own signature
on without compromising the original intent of the
London-guitar-bass-renditions.
Laura and Joe started to work their usual magic! Some
songs were done closely adhering to the original, while others
received an entirely different approach. Joe suggested a bossa nova
style for Gone With the Wind, a rhythm unknown in the U
.S. in the 50's and Laura brought her bossa concept of I'm Glad
There is You to the mix, based on an arrangement she conceived
while playing and singing at The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. To my
knowledge, I’m in the Mood for Love has never been
recorded as a waltz, another concept Joe and Laura developed in the
living room that eventful day. Each song, however, was approached with
a respect for Julie’s original interpretation and the warmth and
intimacy she created. And from the acorn, mighty oaks may grow!
Two more ingredients were needed to augment this
project-the talents of recording engineer T-Bone Demman and his
Sonsong’s Studio, where Joe and Laura had recorded two previous and
wonderful CDs (see paragraph 2 above)-and one more musician. The
instrumentation of Volumes 1 & 2 of Julie is Her Name
was the same for both sessions- voice-guitar-bass. The Los
Angeles-based Tom Warrington was the one to fill the bass chair. Tom’s
articulate yet warm, full sound was the perfect complement to complete
the project.
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Joe, Laura |
Joe, Tom |
Laura |
Joe, Laura |
Tom, Joe, T-Bone |
Laura’s feelings for
Julie London as a singer are best
expressed in the lyric Laura wrote for the original song,
Julie is the Song.
Her voice lust lingers like a gentle breeze.
That fills your heart with wistful memories,
A fireplace in June... a most romantic tune,
Julie....Julie.
The voice, the song, the sultry attitude,
the way her music puts you in the mood.
You stop and reminisce...the glance, the touch, the kiss,
Julie....Julie.
She’s got to love one man till she dies,
Julie can make a river cry.
There’s no moon at all...unless it’s blue,
For Julie...Julie.
She’ll take you to a place where lovers go.
The tears and smiles only lovers know,
So close your eyes and dream,
Or ride on a moonbeam.
Julie....she’s the song. |
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NOTES
No verses of the songs were used in the original
London recordings. Laura enjoys the sentiment of verses and the mood
they set for the chorus, so she added verses on the following songs:
I’m Glad There is You--“Said I many times, love is illusion, a feeling
result of confusion! With knowing smile, and blase sigh, a cynical
so-and-so was I. I felt so sure, so positive, so utterly unchangingly
certain, that I never was aware of love and you, and I.” (special note
by Laura-In the verse written by Paul Madeira and Jimmy Dorsey, a
whole-tone scale is used in conjunction with the lyric “A cynical so
and-so was I.” A particularly hip usage, comments Laura, since this
was written in 1941, considering that whole-tone scales by themselves
are esoteric-and somewhat cynical); Blue Moon-“Once upon a time,
before I took up smiling, I hated the moonlight. Shadows of the night
that poets find beguiling, seemed flat as the moonlight. With no one
to stay up for, I went to sleep at ten. Life was a bitter cup for, the
saddest of girls, but, then”; S Wonderful-“Life has just begun, Jack
has your divine appeal. You can never guess, all the love I feel. From
now on Mister, I insist, for me no other men exist” (the first of two
verses). |
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Produced by Laura Taylor for Staying
Power Records
Executive Producer: Dr. David Mulkey for Staying Power Records
Recording Engineer: T-Bone Demman
Recording Studio: Sonsongs Studio, Las Vegas, Nevada
Mixed by: T-Bone, Laura Taylor, Joe Lano
Mastered by: T-Bone Demman
Cover Photograph: Evon Shannan, New View Photography
Cover Graphics: David Overman
Liner Notes: David Mulkey, MD
©2000 Staying Power Records
Staying Power Records, 3124 Sonata Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89121
fax: 702-734-0984 email:
info@laurataylor.com
This project is dedicated to the memory of Julie London (Sept. 26, 1926
- Oct. 18, 2000) who unfortunately passed away during the final stages
of production. May she rest in peace....
In a continuing effort to give something worth remembering, I humbly
thank David, Joe, Tom, and T-Bone for their love, friendship,
inspiration and talent in making this project possible....Laura
Special thanks to Dr. Loren Little, Dr. Howard
Hoffman, Johnny Pate, KNUV Radio and the Las Vegas Jazz Society |
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