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Personnel:
Helen Merrill (vcl), Gil Evans, Hal Mooney (dir, arr), ArtFarmer (tp), Jimmy Cleveland, Frank Rehak (tb), Jerome Richardson (fl, ts),Danny Bank, Romeo Penque (fl, b-cl), John LaPorta (cl, as), Phil Bodner (fl,oboe), Hank Jones, Buddy Weed, Marian McPartland (p, cel), Barry Galbraith,Billy Mure (g), Oscar Pettiford, Milt Hinton (b), Joe Morello, Sol Gubin (d)
Helen Merrills vocal tone was always warm and husky. Shedeveloped from an apprehensive, untried singer, wanting to be accepted, into acalm and competent performer who could use her voice as an instrument of mood.
Dream of You (#1-12) was one of her best albums and anarranging triumph for Gil Evans, who did all the scoring and conducting. Evans,an extraordinarily sensitive and supple colorist, wrote with particular carefor the contours (linear and emotional) of each song, as well as a measuredunderstanding of Helens texture and phrasing.
The second album included here, Merrill At Midnight(#13-22), was recorded six months after the first one, and was another smashhit for Helen. This time the backgrounds were tailored to her own approach byHarold Hal Mooney. For this collection, she harvested some of the better bitsof romantic poetry that existed in wisps among the voluminous Tin Pan Alleymelodies.
TRACKLIST:
01. People Will Say Were In Love (Rodgers-Hammerstein II)2:38
02. By Myself (Dietz-Schwartz) 3:26
03. Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home (Arlen-Mercer) 4:13
04. I've Never Seen (Cochran-Marcotte) 3:36
05. He Was Too Good To Me (Rodgers-Hart) 3:05
06. A New Town Is A Blue Town (Adler-Ross) 3:12
07. Youre Lucky To Me (Blake-Razaf) 3:29
08. Where Flamingos Fly (Courlander-Teal-Brooks) 2:48
09. Dream Of You (Sy Oliver) 2:56
10. I'm Fool To Want You (Herron-Sinatra-Wolf) 4:09
11. I'm Just A Lucky So And So (Ellington-David) 3:11
12. Troubled Waters (Coslow-Johnston) 3:16
13. Soft As Spring (Alec Wilder) 3:17
14. Black Is The Color Of My True Loves Hair (Public Domain)2:54
15. Lazy Afternoon (Latouche-Moross) 3:10
16. The Things We Did Last Summer (Styne-Cahn) 3:08
17. After You, Who? (Cole Porter) 3:06
18. If You Go (Parsons-Emer) 3:14
19. If I Forget You (Irving Caesar) 3:23
20. If Love Were All (Noel Coward) 3:00
21. Easy Come Easy Go (Green-Heyman) 3:46
22. I'll Be Around (Alec Wilder) 2:46
Sources:
Tracks #1-12, from the 12-inch EmArcy LP "Dream ofYou" (MG 36078)
Arranged & conducted by Gil Evans
Tracks #13-22, from the 12-inch EmArcy LP "Merrill atMidnight" (MG 36107)
Arranged & conducted by Hal Mooney
Helen Merrill, vocals, with
Tracks #4,5,10,12: Hank Jones (p), Oscar Pettiford(b), flute, oboe and five strings.
New York City, July 26, 1956
Tracks #3,6,8,11: Probably personnel: Joe bennett(tb), John LaPorta (cl, as), Jerome Richardson (fl, ts). Danny Bank (fl, b-cl,bs), Romeo Penque (fl, cl, oboe), Phil Bodner (fl, oboe), Hank Jones (p), BarryGalbraith (g), Oscar Pettiford (b), Joe Morello (d).
New York City, July 27, 1956
Tracks #1,2,7,9: Probably personnel: Art Farmer (tp),Jimmy Buffington (Frh), Jimmy Cleveland, Frank Rehak (tb), Tom Mitchell (b-tb),John LaPorta (cl, as), Hank Jones (p), Barry Galbraith (g), Oscar Pettiford(b), Joe Morello (d).
New York City, July 29, 1956
Tracks #13,14,15,17,19,22: Buddy Weed (p), Billy Mure(g), Milt Hinton (b), Sol Gubin (d).
New York City, February 21, 1957
Tracks #16,18,20,21: Same but Marian McPartland (p),replaces Buddy Weed.
New York City, February 27, 1957
New liner notes: Jordi Pujol
Original recordings produced by Bob Shad
Produced for CD release by Jordi Pujol
