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Allegro is the largest distributor of independent classical music in America. Allegro also distributes Jazz, World music, Nostalgia, Special Effects, and Military Marching Band Music. Last Updated April 24, 1995

Sound Bites

Original V-Disc Collection , American Forces Original Recordings 1943 to 1944, PICWICK

PIC PKF 54030 Sound bite: Disc 2 Track 4 "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" Lena Horne with Charlie Spivack's Orch ( 1.MB AU file)

The attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II. As early as December 1941, thousands of men and women were sent overseas to the various theaters in the Pacific, in North Africa and later in England in order to organize the Normandy landing. Bred on American culture, GIs and WASPS were not interested in locals musical productions and the military had to deal with the entertainment of thousand of troops stationed in foreign lands, many miles from home. In the United States, music had become an important part of daily life with the development of radio and the first record companies. Led by the likes of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Cab Calloway, Glenn Miller - the Kings of Swing - big bands played in the huge dance halls of the largest hotels and their concerts were broadcast "live" on the radio every week. The development of jukeboxes was the case of another kind of war between the powerful musicians union - the American Federation of Musicians (AF of M) - and the record companies which refused to pay any special royalties on records sold to jukeboxes. Unused to yielding to anyone (especially musicians, most of whom were black), the record companies refused to negotiate and the AF of M prohibited its members from recording until their rights were recognized. On July 31, 1942, the "AF of M" went on strike. Thanks to the tenacity of several ranking officers, including Lt. Vincent, a World War I veteran who had been a recording engineer, the Pentagon finally approved the financing of the V-Disc (V=Victory) to maintained the morale of troops overseas. On October 27, 1943, a letter signed by the AF of M President, Mr. Jamos C. Petrillo, while the strike was still effective, constituted the real birth of the V-Disc, permitting American musicians to record for US Army services without pay. 78 rpms supplied by record companies to military units were the sole affective tie with the "Homeland", but unfortunately 80% of the fragile shellac record shipments arrived broken. Taking the opportunity of the chemist improvement, the V-Discs were manufactured with unbreakable shellac (the vinyl), a new diameter of 12 inches and included 3 titles. With this new technology, 2,000 titles were released and eight million V-Discs were shipped to the Army. On this double CD you will find a selection of original recordings by various famous American musicians that have been commended for their patriotism.

The First Recordings of The Boston Symphony Orchestra Dr. Karl Muck, Serge Koussevitzky

BSO 171002 Sound bite: Track 8 "Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker No. 7, IV Finale (portion)" Karl Muck conducting, October 1917 ( 1. 3 MB AU file)

On October 2nd, 1917 the Victor Talking Machine Company made their first recordings with the great American Orchestras. They began with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under its acclaimed conductor, Dr. Karl Muck. (Philadelphia followed three weeks later on October 22nd.) Ten 78 RPM sides were cut during these first sessions, of which four were rushed to release within 90 days of recording. The rest were never issued. Why? It had nothing to do with the musical or technical quality of the recordings; indeed, years later that handful of Boston Symphony discs were regarded as some of the finest examples of orchestral recording of the time. Instead, the sad fact is that these discs were the victim of the anti-German hysteria that swept the nation during the First World War. Dr. Muck, though he traveled on a Swiss passport, was arrested in March of 1918, and spent the remainder of the war as an enemy alien, interred at Fort Oglethorpe in Gerogia. The previously issued discs had the conductor's name removed from the label. Now, more than 77 years after they were first made, the Boston Symphony is releasing the complete surviving recordings (nine of the ten sides) of the Boston Symphony conducted by Karl Muck. Presented before the public for the very first time is the Secret of Susanna Overture by Wolf-Ferrari; two excerpts from The Damnation of Faust by Berlioz; the Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker; and the only known recording of Karl Muck conducting Beethoven; the Finale of the Seventh Symphony. These discs now join the originally issued sides (the earliest known attempt to commercially record a 100 piece symphony orchestra), the Finale of the Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony; the Prelude to the Third Act of Lohengrin; and the March Miniature from the First Orchestral Suite by Tchaikovsky. The balance of the compact disc will be devoted to the first sessions ever conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, made in Symphony Hall in late 1928. Those recordings were devoted to living composers, Igor Stravinsky, a Suite from Petrouchka and the Pas de Deux from Appolon Musagete; and Maurice Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe Suite #2. For the first time, these Koussevitzky recording will be digitally transferred direct from the metal masters (instead of shellac copies), and previously unpublished alternated takes will be commercially available for the very first time.

The True Lovers Farewell -Appalachian Folk Ballads Custer LaRue, soprano/Mary Anne Ballard, viola da gamba/Mark Cudek, cittern & renaissance guitar/Ronn McFarlane, lute

Dorian Recordings

DOR 90213 - Sound Bite Track 1 "Turtledove" (1.1 MB AU file)

With The True Lover's Farewell, the inimitable Custer LaRue continues her exploration of the Folk Ballad form. One of the foremost ballad singers on the concert scene today, Custer LaRue brings her thrilling soprano voice and masterful storytelling ability to repertoire which has been handed down through generations of American families. Dorian has had the privilege of working closely with Custer LaRue as a member of the Baltimore consort. Her solo recordings provide a special occasion to showcase her deep love of stories set to music-a form of expression she has experienced since early childhood. Unforgettable renditions of ballads such as Turtle Dove, Soldier Boy, The Rebel Soldier, Berayana, Johnnie Home From Sea, and Lord Thomas make this a disc to be enjoyed time and again. The True Lover's Farewell is a very poignant tribute to Ms. LaRue's late husband, Riley Haws.

Music of Hikari Oe, Hiroshi Koizumi: flute - Denon

DEN 78952- Sound Bite track #1 "A Favourite Waltz" (1.5 MB AU file)

A Favourite Waltz (Waltz in D Major)-Forest Ballad-Nocturne-Birthday Waltz-Ave Maria-Bluebird March-Star-Mister Prelude-Waltz in A Minor-Rondo-Summer in Kitakaru-Winter-Requiem for M-Lullaby for Keiko-Dance-Siciliano-Landler-Grief-Magic Flue(Waltz in C Ma jor)-Sad Waltz(Waltz in D Minor)-APied Piper(March)-Stream-Barcarolla-Hiroshima Requiem-Graduation (With Variations) In introducing you to the music & life of Hikari Oe one needs to understand the role he played in his father's writings, and his father's role as Hikari's voice, in nurturing his physically and mentally challenged son. Hikari (Japanese for light) was born on June 13, 1963, in Tokyo Japan. He was born with a growth on the back of his head and at ten weeks of age underwent surgery to have it removed. His life was saved but he was left mentally retarded. His father's journey to Hiroshima soon after Hikari's birth proved to be an epiphany that resulted in his decision to raise his son as a normal child, and the publication in 1964 of his landmark novel, "A Personal Matter". "For (Kenzaburo) Oe," writes M asao Miyoshi in The Los Angeles Times, "speaking on his silent son's behalf by turning him into an ever-present character as his double has been his most important reason for writing fiction. Hikari has been in every page of his work as in every minute o f his life."

True Blue - Dexter Gordon, Al Cohn, Blue Mitchell, Sam Noto, Barry Harris, Same Jones, Louis Hayes

Xanadu

XAN 1221 - Sound Bite Track 1 Ladybird ( 1 MB AU file)

Surprise is the key word in a jam sessions - surprise at unexpected guests, unusual repertoire, new musical associations. Jazz works best when the element of surprise is maximized, which is why jam sessions have always been renewing experiences for musicians and, often, breeding grounds for new musical ideas. This date was a jam session in the true sense of the word. The personnel was a closely guarded secret and, as one member after another strolled in, the air warmed with excitement and anticipation. With each new arrival came laughter and greetings; some were meeting for the first time, others were old friends. Producer Don Schlitten conceived of this session as a welcome-home for Dexter Gordon, a longtime friend and associate. Dexter has made his home in Copenhagen for 14 years, making several trips back to the States. He visited the West coast in 1975 and Chicago in 1974, but Dexter hadn't appeared in New York since the Newport/New York Jazz Festival of 1972, where he was not featured to advantage. Incredibly, this is only half of what went down at the session. Volume two is entitled Silver Blue. Sessions like these are our assurance that wonders will never cease.

Jim Macleod & his band play selected Scottish County Dances

Scotdisc

SCT 491 - Sound Bite Track 1 The Westminster Reel ( 0.8 MB AU file)

Jim Macleod & his Band The Westminster Reel, The Swilcan, Sailor, The Robertson's Rant ,Crown Court ,Burnie Boozie ,Earlstoun Loch., Macdonald of the Isles, ladies of Dunse, Porchester Hall, Peggy's Wedding

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