I'm curious, how are the arrangments? Of the Paul Weston I've heard, I've found he is best with singers.
is tender restrained mood(elevator) music of standards, with huge hollywood string heavy orchestras, often with masterful jazz soloists. i am addicted to the stuff.(i have probably 10 or 15 such albums.
weston was the music director of columbia records for years and married to one of the best vocalists ever, jo stafford.
crescent city, an homage to new orleans from the mid 50's, similarly orchestrated, heavily hued with jazz, bowing deeply to the musical traditions of new orleans, is an absolutely gorgeous work, for those of us who love that sort of thing.
Thanks. He was also one of the founders of Capitol Records. His Capitol album "Music for Fireside" is considered to be one of the first ever mood/EZ albums recorded. (Hard to believe someone had to invent this genre, it seems so ubiquitous!).
Yes, Jo Stafford is a great singer, and somewhat overlooked these days. I love Weston's arrangements on her Columbia album "Broadway's Best." Some would say they're dated by today's standards, but they are quite beautiful.
bless you. so beautiful to hear a kindred spirit.
i often go back to my sinatra/jenkins/riddle caps and the nat ballads. early kostelanetz even, and shearing, and weston, and lester, and bean, and ben ballads.
we do the wild stuff and love it(ayler, trane, parkers(charlie and evan) charlie gayle, frank lowe, but there is a sacred room we go back to from time to time.