Music: New Pop Records, Aug. 27, 1951

A Treasury of Immortal Performances

(Victor, 5 vols. 45 r.p.m.). Victor’s second installment of records recalling the time when bands were bands and maestros like Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Bunny Berigan were leading them.

Mr. Imperium (Ezio Pinza & Fran Warren; Victor, 2 sides LP). Miss Warren and songs (some of them pretty featherweight) are badly outclassed by Operatic Heavyweight Pinza.

Les Paul’s New Sound (Les Paul with Mary Ford; Capitol, 6 sides 45 r.p.m.). Paul’s new sound is one mean guitar parlayed by electronics into a whole studioful of mean guitars. Also thanks to electronics, Songstress Ford’s new sound resembles old-fashioned yelling down the rainbarrel.

Art Tatum Encores (Capitol, 6 sides 45 r.p.m.). With Sweet Lorraine, Don’t Blame Me and four other standards as ammunition, Jazz Virtuoso Tatum expertly explodes his arpeggios and cadenzas all over the keyboard.

Belle, Belle, My Liberty Belle (Guy Mitchell; Columbia). Songwriter Bob Merrill and Singer Mitchell join forces again (earlier collaborations: Sparrow in the Tree Top and My Truly, Truly Fair) to explore the profit-making potentialities of manic, tintinnabulary repetition.

While We’re Young (Tony Bennett; Columbia). Crooner Bennett handles a fine lilting waltz with gallant respect.

Enchanted Land (Billy Eckstine; M-G-M). Rimsky-Korsakov’s Song of India, sugared up and topped by a Himalayan helping of Eckstine’s butterscotch baritone.

The Little Fairy Waltz (Guy Lombardo; Decca). One of President Truman’s pianistic favorites, given the full dip-and-sway treatment by the Lombardo brothers.

When the Saints Go Marching In (The Weavers; Decca). The Weavers handle a rousing New Orleans graveyard recessional with their usual guts and gusto.