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Perpetual Motion
Jelani Eddington & David Harris
4/74 Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ
Bosendorfer Imperial Grand Piano
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 seletions 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 Gerhswin 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!
To order this CD, Click Here!
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