33MAdler L1
Larry Adler
Larry Adler Again!
Audio Fidelity Records...AFSD-6193...A/B...1968...33 1/3 LP...Stereo
Cover: VG with our sleeve
Record: VG+...no noise...$12.00
SIDE 1
1) Night & Day - Cole Porter...3:07
2) September Song - Weill - Anderson...3:46
3) Malaguena - Lecona - Siegel...2:40
4) Speak Low - Weill - NAsh...2:38
5) But Not For Me - George & Ira Gershwin...3:37
SIDE 2
1) I've Got You Under My Skin - Cole Porter...3:44
2) Someone To Watch Over Me - George & Ira Gershwin...3:09
3) Falling In Love With Love - Rogers - Hart...2:15
4) Love Walked In - George & Ira Gershwin...3:16
5) Do It Again - George & Ira Gershwin...3:13
ON THE BACK OF THE JACKET:
Larry Adler Again!
Harmonica Virtuoso with Piano, Trumpet, Bass, and Drums
I am not now, nor have I ever been, a jazz musician. This does not disbar me, happily, either from liking jazz or from the pleasure of making music with jazz musicians.
Which immediately reminds me of a story. In 1934 I was engaged to play a solo in a film called “Many Happy Returns” for Paramount. My fee for the solo was to be $300 and even in 1934 that kind of money for a movie salary was hardly considered princely.
When I reported to the 2nd assistant director, which was all that my $3OO rated, he told me that my scene would take place in a radio studio – my, my, that does date me, doesn't it? – and that my solo would be accompanied by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians.
I said that I didn’t happen to like the music of Mr. Lombardo.
The 2nd assistant director said he was not asking for my likes or dislikes, he was telling me what I was going to do.
That, to use a British idiom, put my back up and I flatly refused. I was then ushered into the Presence, which is to say the director, to whom my fracas with 2nd assistant director was reported. The director told me to stop being a damned fool and to do as I was told. I still refused and so I was fired.
The next day I heard from the producer who summoned me to the studio for a talk. He was very patient with me and pointed out the opportunity that was being handed to me, an unknown, in giving me a chance to play a solo in a major film accompanied by a name orchestra. I agreed, but said that I didn’t want to play with this particular name orchestra. The producer looked pained by his first encounter with juvenile delinquency (I was 18) and my status, as a fired person, remained quo.
Later that week I heard from the secretary of Mr. William LeBaron, then head of Paramount. He wanted me in the office at 9:30 the next morning.
I still do not understand, and I’m not fishing, why so much trouble was taken over such a comparatively insignificant item. Mr. LeBaron was kind and friendly and tried to get me to reconsider. He told me that Mr. L. was getting $40,000 as against my $300 but I remained unimpressed.
“You know who I like," I said, though no one had asked me, “I like Duke Ellington."
"So do I, Larry," replied Mr. LeBaron, "but we can't just go hiring orchestral on your say-so."
I agreed but mentioned that the Duke was already on the lot, making a film with Mae West, so it shouldn't be too difficult to get him for one day's shooting. Mr. LeBaron suggested that I leave the running of the studio to him. He gave me one more chance to repent my iniquitous ways but I wouldn't so home I went, no less fired than before.
At midnight the director phoned me.
"Well, you little bastard," he said, “we’ve got Ellington for you.
They had, too. They paid him $5000 for the day to accompany my $300. He wasn't photographed because the whole thing had to be kept secret from Mr. Lombardo. The public
never did know that Duke Ellington played my accompaniment but the kick, for me, remains the same.
Almost everything on this album is improvisation.
Every one of the songs on this album have lyrics fashioned by men who respected the English language and I wish that I could sing them on my harmonica. I think that the harmonica is, in fact, a singing instrument but it does tend to mess up its consonants.
One last bit of memory. The first time that I ever played the “Porgy and Bess” melodies was at a party in Beverly Hills. The hostess sang “Summertime” in a lovely delicate soprano, I played obbligatos and at the piano we had George Gershwin.
I should mention that Mr. Gershwin and I were in hot competition for the attention of the soprano. She, not unaware of this, had purposely invited us both and had thoughtfully installed a recording machine by the piano. She recorded the whole evening and I must say I’d like to hear those records again. You, on the other hand, (where I have a blister) want to know how that competition came out, don’t you?
Gershwin won.
LARRY ADLER
Copyright 1968 by Audio Fiedlity Records, Inc.
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