''Phil Silvers and Swinging Brass'' is a studio album of bugle calls arranged by Nelson Riddle, released in 1956.

Conception

The album was designed to capitalize on the popularity of the comedian and actor

Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved major popu ...

in the American TV

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

You'll Never Get Rich ''You'll Never Get Rich'' is a 1941 Hollywood musical comedy film with a wartime theme directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Robert Benchley, Cliff Nazarro, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The title stems f ...

''. The arranger Nelson Riddle is credited in the

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desc ...

for the album as 'Compositions Conceived By ...'. Riddle was under contractual obligation to Capitol Records at the time of the recording and so could not be credited with the arrangements on the album. The arrangements were instead credited to

Frank Comstock Frank G. Comstock (September 20, 1922 – May 21, 2013) was an American composer, arranger, conductor and trombonist. For television, Comstock wrote and arranged music for major situation comedies and variety shows; his theme and incidental mus ...

and

Warren Barker Warren Barker (April 16, 1923 – August 3, 2006) was an American composer, arranger, and conductor known for work in film, radio, and television, as well as for original band and symphonic compositions. Education He attended the University ...

. The guitarist Steve Jordan who appeared on the album wrote in his autobiography wrote that "I'm sure Riddle did most of the writing. But contracts are contracts". Jordan was told by the album's producer

Irving Townsend Irving Townsend (November 27, 1920 – December 17, 1981) was an American record producer and author. He is most famous for having produced the Miles Davis album ''Kind of Blue'', which is the best-selling jazz album of all time according to ...

that Riddle had told him that the album could only be made in California as there weren't enough good jazz session musicians in New York City. Townsend was appalled and insisted that the album be recorded in New York.

Reception

The '' Billboard'' magazine review from 5 August 1957 praised the album's "solid, swinging stuff produced by a stellar assemblage of instrumentalists". '' High Fidelity'' described the music as " ... hardly hot enough for true jazz,

hough Hough may refer to: * Hamstringing, or severing the Achilles tendon of an animal * the leg or shin of an animal (in the Scots language), from which the dish potted hough is made * Hough (surname) Communities United Kingdom * Hough, Alderley E ...

they nevertheless make surprisingly diverting listening thanks largely to Riddle's imagination".

Track listing

Side 1

# "Hurry Up and Wait" # "Early Bird" # "Last Chance" # "Chow, A Can of Cow and Thou" # "Two Arms" # "Scramble"

Side 2

# "Where'd Everybody Go" # "Come As You Are" # "No Letter Today" # "The Eagle Screams" # "Let It Rain, Let It Pour" # "Lights Out"

Personnel

Boomie Richman Abraham Samuel Richman (April 2, 1921 – March 22, 2016), better known as Boomie Richman, was an American jazz tenor saxophone player who played with Tommy Dorsey. He also played clarinet, bass clarinet, piccolo, and flute. Richman was born in ...

Al Klink Al Klink (December 28, 1915 in Danbury, Connecticut – March 7, 1991 in Bradenton, Florida) was an American swing jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Klink played with Glenn Miller from 1939 to 1942, and is a featured soloist, along with Tex Ben ...

, Hal Feldman,

Hymie Schertzer Herman "Hymie" Shertzer or Schertzer (April 22, 1909 – March 22, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, best known for his long-term association with Benny Goodman. Shertzer was born in New York City, United States, began playing violi ...

- saxophone * Chauncey Welsch, Jack Satterfield, Urbie Green,

Warren Covington Warren Covington (August 7, 1921 – August 24, 1999) was an American big band trombonist. He was active as a session musician, arranger, and bandleader throughout his career. Biography Covington, who was born in Philadelphia, played early o ...

Will Bradley Wilbur Schwichtenberg (July 12, 1912 – July 15, 1989), known professionally as Will Bradley, was an American trombonist and bandleader during the 1930s and 1940s. He performed swing, dance music, and boogie-woogie songs, many of them written b ...

- trombone *

Bernie Glow Bernie Glow (February 6, 1926 – May 8, 1982) was an American trumpet player who specialized in jazz and commercial lead trumpet from the 1940s to 1970s. Glow's early career was on the road with Artie Shaw, Woody Herman and others during the las ...

Charlie Shavers Charles James Shavers (August 3, 1920 – July 8, 1971) was an American jazz trumpeter who played with Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet, Midge Williams, Tommy Dorsey, and Billie Holiday ...

, Bob McMickle, Jimmy Maxwell - trumpet * Artie Baker - clarinet * Steve Jordan - guitar * Hank Jones - piano * Frank Carroll - double bass *

Don Lamond Donald Douglas Lamond Jr. (August 18, 1920 – December 23, 2003) was an American jazz drummer. Biography Born in Oklahoma City, Lamond attended the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore in the early 1940s, and played with Sonny Dunham and Boyd ...

- drums * Terry Snyder - bongos, chimes, vibraphone *

– arranger *

- liner notes * Richard Beattie - photography

References

External links

* {{Nelson Riddle 1957 albums Albums arranged by Nelson Riddle Columbia Records albums Instrumental albums