Mercury Records Collection: MG-20157: Hey! Dig That Crazy Band!

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MG-20157: Hey! Dig That Crazy Band! / Gus Bivona and his Orchestra

Label Type :	black Mercury type A
Matrix Number :	SIDE-A	MG 20157A MS1 MSI A2 I F-S
	SIDE-B	MG 20157A MS2 MSII A1 I F-S

Comments

Inside The Groove

The famous multi-reed player Gus Bivona's first leader album on Mercury.

Personal Impression (and brief notes)

Gus Bivona, who was very famous for his work with Steve Allen in the 1950s-1960s, had worked so hard since the 1930s, as a sideman of many many famous bands including Bunny Berigan, Benny Goodman, Les Brown, Tommy Dorsey. He even had his own band in the early 1940s. In 1947, Bivona signed on with MGM, and he recorded so many studio sessions and freelance recordings. Until the period, he was already a very famous studio musician.

In 1956, Gus Bivona signed on with Mercury Records. Unlike his next Mercury album “Music For Swingers / Swingin' And Dancin'” (MG-20304 / SR-60053) which features many West-Coast musicians, this album is performed by Gus Bivona being backed by Ralph Marterie and his Orchestra. Although the liner-notes stresses as “... his leadership of this great new orchestra”, this is the sound of Ralph Marterie Orchestra, featuring Bivona as a solo clarinet player.

Anyway, this album is full of very swingy and danceable sounds.

Strictly Personal Rating (to what extent I could enjoy this album)

7 out of 10

Track Listing

SIDE-A
A-1	12811	All Of You (Cole Porter)	2:08
A-2	12813	My Ideal (Robin - Howell - Whiting)	2:34
A-3	12812	Moten Swing (Benny Moten)	2:18
A-4	12815	Una Mas (Frontiere - Raskin)	2:20
A-5	12814	It's All Right With Me (Cole Porter)	2:38
A-6	12821	Querida (Simon - Von Der Goltz)	2:22
SIDE-B
B-1	12818	Clarinet Parmegian (Mancini - Bivona - Marterie)	2:50
B-2	12819	Chicago Cargo (Marterie - Cascales)	2:59
B-3	12822	Organ Grinders Swing (Hudson - Parish - Mills)	2:29
B-4	12820	Dark Green (Georgie Auld - Pat Auld)	-
B-5	12817	Stumbling Block (Harry Warren)	1:41
B-6	12816	King Porter Stomp (Joseph Ferdinand Morton)	2:54

Personnel

Personnel/recorded date/master numbers confirmed with the Ruppli's discography.
(“The Mercury Labels - A Discography” by Ruppli and Novitsky, Greenwood Press, 1993)

The Ruppli's book notes this recording was made at Mercury Sound Studio, NYC. However, Mercury Sound Studio was an editing, mastering and dubbing studio, according to Mr. Tom Fine-san.

Gus Bivona had his first Mercury session with Ralph Marterie Orchestra as a guest alto saxophone player in February 1956 at Universal Recording Studios, Chicago, IL (master numbers: 12798 - 12801). So I guess the recording of MG-20157 was also made at the same studio in very similar period.

Gus Bivona (cl) with Ralph Marterie and his Orchestra.
Recorded at Universal Recording Studios, Chicago, IL in 1956.

The Artist Also Appears on...

Gus Bivona (as, cl) :

EmArcy MG-36138 / SR-80004 : Allen's All Stars / Terry Gibbs - Steve Allen - Gus Bivona
Mercury MG-20157 : Hey! Dig That Crazy Band!
Mercury MG-20304 / SR-60053 : Swingin' And Dancin' / Steve Allen and Gus Bivona
Mercury MG-20518 / SR-60195 : Allen's All Stars / Terry Gibbs - Steve Allen - Gus Bivona (reissue of MG-36138 / SR-80004)