CD REVIEW
– ENOCH LIGHT / BEATLES
CLASSICS & SERENDIPITY
Vocalion CDLK4646
[72:22]
This is the second
album in Vocalion's new release
of Easy Listening music. Enoch
Light (1907-78) was an American
conductor, arranger and
entrepreneur. He started the
Command label and, always
interested in the technical side,
he struck it rich with the advent
of stereo. He went on to be one
the first to record on 35mm movie
film instead of tape, an advance
at the time. With Command taken
over and in trouble he started
again with the Project 3 label,
finally responsible for more than
30 chart LPs between 1957 and
1970. He came out of retirement
in the 1980's to work with Frank
Sinatra.
BEATLES CLASSICS
BY ENOCH LIGHT and His Orchestra.
Described in the booklet as
"Magnificent orchestrations
in classical style", I found
the eight relatively relaxed
tracks rather delightful. There
is little to get listeners overly
excited; just good tunes, well
played, well recorded and well
remastered from the original
analogue tapes by Michael J
Dutton. The album begins with Eleanor
Rigby, followed by a Suite
of Hello, Goodbye,
George Harrison's Something
and Penny Lane. Then
there is Lucy in the Sky With
Diamonds, Michelle,
Hey Jude, Norwegian
Wood, With a Little Help
From My Friends and Let
It Be.
SERENDIPITY is
something else. The 12 tracks
here are modern concepts of great
classics taken from six
previously issued Project 3
albums by Light and his orchestra
and two by guitarist Tony Mottola
(who also has a new release: 'Tony
& Strings' on Vocalion
CDLK4647*) and one by trombonist
Urbie Green. Presumably these two
jazz soloists were accompanied by
Light and his band. So, Vivaldi's
Guitar Concerto in D major
is adapted to Where the Grass
is Green, Chopin's Minute
Waltz becomes Hoe-Down a
Minute and Paganini's 24th
Caper is actually his Caprice
in A minor. Other composers
given the treatment are J S Bach,
Mozart, Gounod and Handel. Other
adapted titles include Prelude
to Peace, A Little Fugue
for You and Me, My
Silent Song and Rejoice
– Hallelujah!
Recommended and I
can imagine returning quite often
to this CD.
©
Peter Burt, November 2023
*A fourth Vocalion
Easy Listening album is Paul
Mauriat's 'Windy & You
Don’t Know Me' on
CDLK4648
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