Mercury Records Collection: EmArcy MG-36138: Allen's All Stars

MG-36138: Allen's All Stars / Terry Gibbs - Steve Allen - Gus Bivona

Label Type :	blue EmArcy type C
Matrix Number :	SIDE-A	MG-36138A-1 MS1 M A
	SIDE-B	MG-36138B-1 MS1 M C

Comments

Equivalent release: EmArcy SR-80004 (stereo).

Later reissued as Mercury MG-20518 (mono) and Mercury SR-60195 (stereo).

with original EmArcy inner sleeve.

Inside The Groove

A relaxed but swingy jam session, sounding like a modern version of Benny Goodman sextet.

Personal Impression (and brief notes)

The liner-notes (written by the producer Jack Tracy) on the back cover has a very interesting story about this album - it was Pete Rugolo (Mercury's west coast A&R man) who suggested to record this session in a form of relaxed jam session, at Joe Pasternak's house. Below is an excerpt of Jack Tracy's liner-notes:

... Some 75 people showed up, including such interested lockers-on as the Gordon MacRaes, Mercedes McCambridge and husband Fletcher Markle, Jon Hall, David Rose, Henry Mancini, freelance writer Richard Gehman, representatives from several magazines, and six guys named Steve Allen, Terry Gibbs, Gus Bivona, Red Mitchell, Al Viola, and Frank DiVito ...

The result was really nice, as heard on this album. Espesially, Terry Gibbs “pulls the group together and drives it forward with his chunning enthusiasm”. A good-sounding lovable album.

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

8 out of 10

Track Listing

SIDE-A
A-1	17334 (JB225)	Pasternak's Blues (Steve Allen)	9:12
A-2	17336 (JB227)	Rose Room (Williams - Hickman)	3:50
A-3	17333 (JB224)	Velvet Eyes (Gus Bivona - Ruth Robin Bivona)	3:38
SIDE-B
B-1	17329 (JB220)	Snacks At Pasternak's (Terry Gibbs)	6:22
B-2	17331 (JB222)	Yours Alone (Terry & Donna Gibbs)	3:50
B-3	17330 (JB221)	Baby But You Did (Steve Allen)	5:58

Personnel

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

Ruppli's book has George Barnes' name as well as Al Viola, while the back cover don't mention Mr. Barnes' name.

Gus Bivona (cl), Terry Gibbs (vib), Steve Allen (p),
George Barnes (g), Al Viola (g), Red Mitchell (b), Frank DiVito (ds).
Recorded at Joe Pasternak's home, Hollywood, CA on March 24, 1958.