About Product Images
This image is a general representation of the item and the actual product may differ slightly in terms of color shading, logo placement, borders, or other small details. Used items may have various cosmetic differences as well.![Enlarge](javascript:show_product_image("https://cdn1.dustygroove.org/images/products/t/torme_melto_completep_101b.jpg"); "View larger image")
Complete George Gershwin Porgy & Bess
LP (Item 586000) Bethlehem, 1956 — Condition: Very Good 3LP Box Set
$3.99 ...
LP, Vinyl record album
Originally: 5.99
Related searches
One of our favorite recordings ever of George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess – done by Bethlehem Records in the mid 50s, and featuring nearly every one of the label's great talents at the time! The choice of the lead characters is a bit odd – as Mel Torme plays Porgy and Francis Faye plays Bess – but both singers are actually pretty darn great for the set, and really bring a lot out of the tunes. Plus, the other artists on the set really keep things interesting – as the collection features vocal performances by Johnny Hartman, Frank Rosolino, Betty Roche, Bob Dorough, and Sallie Blair. Plus, the whole thing's presented as Gershwin wrote it – complete with narration by Al Jazzbo Collins, and a number of strong instrumental passages. Music is performed by groups led by Russ Garcia, Duke Ellington, Pat Moran, and Stan Levy – and players are an array of the best of both the New York and LA scenes at the time! © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.
(Mono red label pressing. Includes booklet, but no handkerchief. Cover has some surface and edge wear, and a few split corners on the box top.)
(Mono red label pressing. Includes booklet, but no handkerchief. Cover has some surface and edge wear, and a few split corners on the box top.)
Very Good
- Vinyl can have some dirt, but nothing major.
- May not shine under light, but should still be pretty clean, and not too dirty.
- May have a number of marks (5 to 10 at most), and obvious signs of play, but never a big cluster of them, or any major mark that would be very deep. Most marks should still not click under a fingernail.
- May not look near perfect, but should play fairly well, with slight surface noise, and the occasional click in part of a song, but never throughout a whole song or more.
- This is clearly a copy that was played by someone a number of times, but which could also be a good "play copy" for someone new.
Additional Marks & Notes
If something is noteworthy, we try to note it in the comments — especially if it is an oddity that is the only wrong thing about the record. This might include, but isn't limited to, warped records, tracks that skip, cover damage or wear as noted above, or strictly cosmetic flaws.
You might be interested
Bobby Troup
Bobby Troup Sings Johnny MercerBethlehem, Mid 50s. Near Mint-
Hip vocalist Bobby Troup pays tribute to another fairly hip LA songwriter – the great Johnny Mercer, the man who helped to build Capitol Records in the late 40s! Mercer's tunes really helped pave the way for some of Troup's own writing – and Bobby's cool, laidback style makes the ... LP, Vinyl record album
Bethlehem, Mid 50s. Near Mint-
This is Mel Torme's best-ever album, and it's one that we'd recommend to anyone who likes jazz vocals at all – even if you can't usually stand Mel! The Velvet Fog is backed by a great 10-piece group, led by the great Marty Paich, and featuring excellent west coast players like Pete Candoli, ... LP, Vinyl record album
Betty Roche
Take The A Train (2nd cover)Bethlehem, 1956. Near Mint-
One of the few small group sessions from vocalist Betty Roche – a singer who was known for her work with Duke Ellington, but who sounds even better in this setting! Betty's got a style that's warmly raspy – a bit more edge than some of the cooler vocalists on the Bethlehem label at the ... LP, Vinyl record album
Nina Simone
Finest Of Nina Simone – I Loves You Porgy (aka Jazz As Played In An Exclusive Side Street Club)Bethlehem, Early 60s. Sealed
A classic set of early jazz recordings by Nina Simone – one of her first albums ever, but already with an approach that's quite different from other singers of the time! Nina's singing a fair bit of standards here, but she brings a deeply personal approach to the material – inflecting ... LP, Vinyl record album
Bob Dorough
Yardbird Suite (aka Devil May Care)Bethlehem, 1956. Very Good+
A mid 70s repackaging of one of the best vocal jazz albums that Bethlehem ever produced, and a landmark recording in the vocalese tradition! The first record ever from a young Bob Dorough – and easily one of his most swinging sessions! The style here is a bit straighter jazz than on some of ... LP, Vinyl record album
Chris Connor
Finest Of Chris ConnorBethlehem, Late 50s. Very Good 2LP
A tasty little 2LP set – one that collects the excellent late 50s vocal work cut for the Bethlehem label by Chris Connor! At the time, Chris had a sound that she virtually invented – icy vocals backed by small combo jazz, in a very spare and subtle setting – and the sound was, ... LP, Vinyl record album
Bethlehem, 1956. Sealed
A wonderful little album by Mel Torme – easily one of his best albums of the 50s, despite the tighter focus implied in the title! Although the set's a tribute to Fred Astaire. the album's got a very similar feel to Mel's classic album with Marty Paich's Dek-Tette for Bethlehem – ... LP, Vinyl record album
Chris Connor
Chris Connor Sings Lullabys Of BirdlandBethlehem, Mid 50s. Near Mint-
A great set of tracks that represents some of Chris Connor's first recordings as a solo act – culled from earlier ep and 10" releases, and issued here on a full LP with a total of 14 tracks. Backing is by three groups – the Ellis Larkin Trio, Vinnie Burke's Quartet, and Sy Oliver's ... LP, Vinyl record album
Bobby Troup
Distinctive Style Of Bobby TroupBethlehem, 1955. Near Mint-
One of the straighter sessions ever recorded by vocalist Bobby Troup – an intimate quartet side, with backing by Howard Roberts on guitar, Bob Enevoldsen on bass, and Don Heath on drums. Bobby sings and plays piano – in that warm, laidback LA style that's made him one of our favorite ... LP, Vinyl record album
Mel Torme
Mel Torme At The CrescendoBethlehem, 1957. Near Mint-
LP...$2.99
4.99
A great little live set from Mel Torme – and one that features the same jazzy style as his studio albums for the Bethlehem label from the 50s! The combo behind Mel is a smallish one – Marty Paich on piano and arrangements, Larry Bunker on vibes, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, Max Bennett ... LP, Vinyl record album
Swingle Singers
Jazz Sebastien BachPhilips (France), 1963. Near Mint-
A fantastic bit of vocal jazz, sung by the legendary Swingle Singers in a style that shaped easy listening and soundtrack music for years to come! The French group had roots in vocalese jazz traditions, but for this groundbreaking album, they moved into a semi-classical vein, and did these great ... LP, Vinyl record album
Frank Sinatra
Swing EasyCapitol, 1955. Near Mint-
(Duophonic rainbow label pressing. Cover has light splitting on the bottom seam, and minimal wear.) LP, Vinyl record album
