A SALUTE TO SAVOY JAZZ

This week, over at the Yahoo version Of The Judy Garland Experience, we are featuring selections from all of Judy's Savoy Jazz Recordings.

These elegantly produced and packaged CD's, that are comprised of material from Judy's mid sixties TV series, are one of the main reasons that Judy remains a visible commodity in today's music market.
The discs, as well as the digital tracks, are available everywhere! You can buy the whole albums or single tracks at dozens of on-line mucic stores such as Itunes and Amazon, even Myspace is selling them. They are also available at major bookstores, department stores, specialty shops, and they can even be bought at Walmart! You will literally find these recordings everytwhere.

And why? Because Savoy Jazz believes in Judy Garland. And not just as a money maker, but mainly as a great musical artist.

Their reasoning for having Judy on their label, and not just on the label, but as an exquisitely presented, and lovingly featured member of the label, is simply for the prestige.

That's correct, for the prestige. Savoy Jazz is honored to have Judy Garland on their label and they treat her accordingly. Her CD's are produced as if she were Savoy Jazz' crown jewel.

Because they wanted the best for Judy, Savoy Jazz knew to hire the world's foremost expert on Judy Garland, John Fricke, to compile the music, write the text in the beautiful booklets that accompany the CD's, and pretty much oversee the general feel and tone of each CD, all under the trusting eye of Producer Josh Sherman.

The photos included in the booklets are rare and wonderful and come from the famous collections of Charles Triplett, Max Preeo, Fred McFadden, Steve Sanders, and other legendary Garland aficionado's. Digital restoration, when needed, is done with care by the talented Ranse Ransome.

And then there is the sound, the absolutely wonderful sound on these recordings.

Savoy's audio engineers have somehow taken these original mono recordings and given them a rich fullness and warmth, that combined with some magical ability to make the music sound like it was recorded on separate channels, make some of these recordings sound downright stereophonic.

And let's not forget the songs. These recordings aren't just comprised of Judy's hit's, sure they are there, but there are also dozens and dozens of some of the greatest songs of the 20th century, interpreted by one of the premier vocalist's of the 20th century.

As Judy sings on one of the Savoy Jazz CD's, who could ask for anything more?

FRANCES FAYE 1945

JUDY GARLAND PSYCHIC AND TRUTHBEARER

Not only has Judy answered all questions thrown at her, she has also predicted the future with amazing accuracy.

Isn't there anything this woman can't do?

KAY THOMPSON BIOGRAPHY COMING SOON

KAY THOMPSON
From Funny Face to Eloise
By Sam Irvin

Publishing Date: NOVEMBER 2, 2010
Available at all major outlets

“The greatest gift my parents ever gave me was my godmother, Kay Thompson. No one was as brilliant or as funny, and Sam Irvin's book manages to capture that lightning in a bottle. Hang onto your hair!”
LIZA MINNELLI

“Kay Thompson was the most important influence on me and my musical career. Sam Irvin's wonderful book is right on the mark. It brought back many memories of how brilliant she was and how far ahead of her time she really was. She was one of a kind.”
ANDY WILLIAMS

“Kay Thompson never ceased to amaze. It is high time someone wrote a comprehensive book about her extraordinary life and Sam Irvin has done just that. It is positively loaded with fascinating stories and details.”
ANGELA LANSBURY

“Isn’t it wonderful that Sam Irvin was able to capture this fantastic lady on paper? She was a true genius, overflowing with talent and humor which was so incredibly unique. It was my great privilege to have known her and to have loved her. She was a very special lady.”
ROBERT WAGNER

“I couldn’t put it down! Kay Thompson’s energy leapt up off the pages and got inside me. It’s hilarious, jaw-dropping, and hugely inspiring. Sam Irvin’s magnetic writing style and his meticulous attention to detail are so powerful, I was swept aboard, like being on a train: The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Kay!”
TOMMY TUNE

“It takes a dazzlingly written book to properly capture the incandescent life of Kay Thompson. This is one of the best showbiz bio's I've ever read, meticulously researched and filled with captivating stories!”
MICHAEL FEINSTEIN

“This informative book details Kay’s and my collaboration. Like some very special unions it produced a child: the ageless, guileless, indomitable and endearing ELOISE. Thank you Kay and especially Sam Irvin for this astounding story.”
HILARY KNIGHT, ILLUSTRATOR OF ELOISE

“As sizzling, as crackling, as modern, as snarky and advanced as showbiz history can be, this biography surpasses it. You may have no idea how much the great, insane and wild woman, Kay Thompson, influenced the entertainment decades from the Forties to her death in 1998. You love celebrity? Celebrity loved Kay! A smashing work.”
LIZ SMITH

“For anybody who knows anything about the history of show business, my friend Kay Thompson was its most lovable lunatic doll. In a 50-color deluxe box of Crayolas, she was fire-engine red. Sam Irvin has now preserved an authentic legend in amber with an exhaustively researched book that captures her genius, eccentricity, talent, personality and unique sense of humor in words as colorful as Kay herself. Like her own favorite word for anything special she discovered, experienced, savored and liked, it's got ‘Bazazz’!”
REX REED

“Sam Irvin has given Kay Thompson the kind of biography she’s long deserved: smart, dishy, and full of fascinating show-business stories. I loved every bit of it.” – LEONARD MALTIN “Auntie Mame, Cleopatra and Madonna could all take lessons from Kay Thompson. Trying to put this outlandish, brilliant, immensely creative fireball down on paper is akin to containing lightning in a bottle but Sam Irvin has accomplished the impossible with this marvelously researched, infinitely interesting and entertaining key-hole look at one of the most accomplished but least-known fascinators in the history of show business. To borrow a word once used to describe her work, Irvin's book is Thompsensational.”
ROBERT OSBORNE, TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES

“Rollicking humor and infectious enthusiasm… An extremely entertaining chronicle of one of the most distinctive and absurdly gifted personalities in the history of show business… Hollywood director and producer Irvin presents the life of Thompson with vigor and dash befitting his larger-than-life subject.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS

Here is the link to the book's website:
http://www.kaythompsonwebsite.com/index.htm

LIZA MINNELLI 2010 PHOTO SHOOT

THE YAHOO GROUP

New files posted at the Yahoo version of The Judy Garland Experience include memories of Abbey Lincoln, Ernestine Anderson live at Folks Park, Clifton Webb in the radio production of Mr. Belvedere Goes To College, and assorted Judy rarities recorded between May, 1938 and March, 1969.

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS COSTUMES

Everybody knows the famous paisley sequined pats suit that Garland almost wore in Valley Of The Dolls, right?
here are some pics of the lesser known outfits she would have worn had she finished the film.

JUDY GETS JIGGY WITH IT

JUDY GARLAND THE LOST STUDIO ALBUM

Judy Garland Discusses Her 1950 Attempt At Suicide

Judy '63

MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE / AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

As part of our Independance Day celebration, files of Judy singing My Country Tis Of Thee at the 1941 Academy Awards and America The Beautiful from a 1964 television concert have been posted to the tahoo group.

JUDY SEES ALL

Did you know Judy Garland is not only currently answering all questions, but she is even predicting the future??!!
Well, it's true!
Just click on this link and ask Judy anything:
http://www.formspring.me/JudyGarland

THE PAUSE THAT REFRESHES

The complete broadcast of Judy 4, 1943's The Pause That Refreshes program has been posted to the Yahoo version of The Judy Garland Experience.
This program was recorded and broadcast just a few days after Judy's spectacular concert debut at Philadelphia's Robin Hood Dell.

DUELING DIVAS

The Diva showdown continues over at the Yahoo experience. Rosemary Clooney, Ethel Merman, and Sarah Vaughan have already moved on to the semi-finals, and this week Bernadette Peters and Eliane Stritch, who incidentally will be starring together in A Little Night Music which will open on Broadway in less than a week, are facing off against eachother with the Sondheim staple Broadway Baby. Be sure to go to the Yahoo group and listen to both versions of the song and then go to the polling area and vote for your favorite.

JUDY FOR THE COMMON GOOD

The complete recording of Judy's August 31, 1967 concert on the Boston Common has been happily reposted to the Yahoo group.
Sponsered by the Knickebocker Beer company, this concert was more of an event, and the prospect of seeing the legendary Judy Garland performing on their neloved Common brought out 1/8 of the entire population of Boston to view the spectacle/event/happening.

BING AND ROSIE REDUX

Yet another episode of the Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney daily radio show has been posted to the Yahoo version of The Judy Garland Experience.
This week's episode was originally broadcast on April 4, 1960.

LADY ESTHER BLODGETT'S STRIKE UP THE BAND

This week Lady Esther Blodgett Theater presents Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in the radio adaptation of their hit movie Strike Up The Band.
Files for this program are now posted to the Yahoo experience, but will only be up until the end of the week.

MILDRED BAILEY

The great Mildred Bailey makes her debut appearance at the yahoo version of The Judy Garland Experience this week, be sure to stop by and listen to her song stylings.
Several of Bailey's rare late 40's radio performances can be found in the Sunday Morning Special Folder

WHERE JUDY PLAYED

This week's WHERE JUDY PLAYED segment over at the Yahoo version od the experience features excerpts from a mid sixties concert Frank Sinatra performed at San Francisco's Curran Theater.
These files will be up for less than a week so please be dure to visit the Yahoo group to give them a listen.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

ACKNOWLEDGMENT CARD

TENNIS, ANYONE?

Young Judy

Studio portrait.

Judy takes a dive.

Judy, resting on the set.


All photos courtesy of the Charles Triplett collection.