Monday, December 21, 2009

Lenny Dee

From the liner notes:

"Nothing they say, succeeds like success. And Success seems to have been Lenny Dee's middle name. He has Attracted a growing army of admirers, chiefly because he is one of those who have made the organ, that noble and classic instrument, vibrate with fresh effects and new vitality. He has developed a definite style of his own. He can make the ogran strum like a banjo, pulse with the beat of tom-toms, or sway with the sensuous rhythm of a rumba band. It is said that he can do literally anything with an electric Hammond Organ except one thing -- he cannot be dull.

He has not always been an organist. When Lenny was seven years old, he entertained friends by playing the banjo. Reared in Illinois and in Florida, he studied the piano-accordian in his youth. The Navy claimed him for three years; he was on an aircraft carrier which had a route between the West Coast and Japan. After the war he took advantage of the G.I. Bill to enroll at the Conservatory of Chicago, where he received his first lessons on the organ.

It was not long before he landed a series of bookings at some of the most prominent hotels in the south. Encouraged by the response, he began featuring original ideas and novel rhythm arrangments with floor shows. He was heard on a weekly network and, during an engaement at Nashville's Plantation Club, he signed a contract with Decca Records, largely through the interest of Red Foley.

These recordings reveal the virtuosity of a star performer, the skill of a gifted arranger, and the taste of a true musician.

Some listeners may notice that practically all of Lenny Dee's renditions have a similar ending. They will be right in so noticing, for Lenny Dee does this on purpose. His endings are, in a sense, his 'key signature' -- a way of signing off which is personal and quickly recognizable."

Sometimes, you just need some hi-fi organ solos with a beat, etc.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, Lenny Dee.



Dee-lirious (Decca)

1. Coquette
2. I'm Beginning To See The Light
3. Cinatown, My Chinatown
4. Charmaine
5. Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue
6. Out Of Nowhere
7. Caravan
8. That's My Weakness Now
9. This Ole House
10. Five O'Clock Whistle
11. Twelfth Street Rag
12. Good Night Sweetheart

No comments: