WILDERWORLD

All music by Alec Wilder

1 Song for Carol written 1968

2 Suite No 2 for Tuba and Piano (Jesse's Suite) 1964

3 Suite No 3 for Tuba and Piano (Little Harvey Suite) 1966

4 Suite No 4 for Tuba and Piano (Thomas Suite) 1968

5 Suite No 5 for Tuba and Piano (Ethan Ayer Suite) 1963

All Suites contain four movements

Harvey Phillips, tuba; Bernie Leighton, piano

From LP Harvey Phillips: Alec Wilder's Tribute to the Phillips family... (Golden Crest RE 7054)

R.I.P Harvey Phillips, a giant in the world of tuba and the world of Wilder

All words and music by Alec Wilder except as indicated

Milwaukee words by Marshall Barer, performed by Kitty Kallen (Mercury 5315 1949)

Walkin' Sad music by Loonis McGlohon, sung by Mark Murphy from LP Songs of Alec Wilder (JJA 19795 1979)

Walk Pretty words by Fran Landesman, performed by Jackie and Roy recorded in 1976 from CD Echoes (Jazzed Media 2007)

Will You Come for a Walk with Me? words by Marshall Barer, performed by Mike Stewart with Mitch Miller and Orchestra (Golden R-288 1956)

It's a Fine Day for Walkin' Country Style words by William Engvick, sung by Jo Sullivan and Jim Hawthorne from the CBS production of Miss Chicken Little broadcast December 27, 1953

Walk Softly performed by Mundell Lowe and his Orchestra from LP New Music of Alec Wilder (Riverside RLP 12-219 1956)

I'd Gladly Walk to Alaska words by Arnold Sundgaard, recorded in 1960, sung by Kathleen Murray from LP Kittiwake Island (Blue Pear 1003 1983)

aka Barbara

Composed by Alec Wilder

Performed by Mitch Miller on English Horn with Percy Faith and his Orchestra from the LP Music Till Midnight (Columbia CL 551)

wilderworld is saddened by the death last week of Mitch Miller at the great age of 99. No one was more important to the success of Alec Wilder than Mitch, who championed and sustained Alec and his music from day one

Words by Bill Engvick, Music by Alec Wilder

I See It Now, Ellen and I Like It Here sung by Jack Carroll

The April Age and The Lady Sings the Blues by Elaine Delmar from LP Elaine Sings Wilder (Columbia Records SX 6044 1966)

Lovers and Losers sung by Marlene VerPlanck

The full title of this LP, produced in a small quantity by The Richmond Organization, publishers of much of the music of Alec Wilder, is "Songs for Peggy Lee / Sinatra / Ella / Tony Bennett and singers like that..." Sinatra recorded I See It Now on the LP September of My Years (Reprise F-1014 1965), Tony Bennett has performed The Lady Sings the Blues


Happy 96th Birthday Bill Engvick!

Composed by Alec Wilder in 1979

Paul Lustig Dunkel flute, Stephen Hart clarinet, Harrison Hollingsworth bassoon

Another selection from the 25th Annual Friends of Alec Wilder Concert on April 11, 2010

Recorded by David Litofsky

Photo by Lou Ouzer

Libretto by Arnold Sundgaard, Music by Alec Wilder

Written in 1953

"Sunday Excursion has been written specifically as a companion piece for those operas, serious in tone but modest in length, which demand a curtain-raiser for their effective presentation. Serving, as it does, the function of welcoming the audience to the theater, it strives to achieve, through the character of its music and story, a lightness of touch and a friendliness of tone."

Performed April 11, 2010 at the 25th Annual Friends of Alec Wilder Concert by Aaron Gandy conductor, piano; Maria Dessena piano; David Auxier, Michael Batusic, Sara Delaney, Tessa Faye and Chris Vaughn vocals

Recorded by David Litofsky (thank you!)

Words and Music by Alec Wilder

Written in 1968

Sung by Marlene VerPlanck with the Loonis McGlohon Trio (see wilderworld 107) From LP JJA Presents the Music of Alec Wilder (JJA 19795B 1979)

Originally recorded for the American Popular Song radio program

Ms. VerPlanck (pictured above) will be the Host of the 25th annual Friends of Alec Wilder Concert in New York on Sunday, April 11 at 3 pm at the Christ and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 120 West 69th Street. This year's program will include performances of the Trio for Flute, Clarinet and Bassoon and the one-act opera Sunday Excursion. Tickets will be available at the door

Composed by Alec Wilder

From LP Barry Snyder Piano (Golden Crest RE-7058)

"Until Barry Snyder played the pieces he has recorded here, I had never heard them. I wrote them for a friend who though I'm sure was grateful and even enthusiastic about my having written them for her, never got around to performing them.

"A number of years have elapsed since I wrote them, along with perhaps thirty others. So by the time I finally heard them, I had concluded they were inadequate and unworthy of performance.

"I'm still uncertain of their validity but when I hear Mr. Snyder play them, he does so with such extraordinary tenderness, strength, acuity and maturity that at least while he is playing them I do believe in their validity.

"It is a great honor and I am particularly delighted that he has recorded these pieces. For now, when my self-confidence drops to a new low I can quickly put this record on and regain quite a bit of it."

Photo by Lou Ouzer

Happy 103rd Birthday Alec Wilder!!

Words by William Webster aka Marshall Barer, Music by Conrad Miller aka Alec Wilder

Issued as Columbia 39001

Recorded September 1950

The Reindeers' Dance Music by Alec Wilder (Golden LGR2B)

Pull Together Words by Marshall Barer, Music by Alec Wilder (Golden LGR3F)

Words by Alec Wilder, Music by Eddie Finckel

Recorded August 1946

"The pert rhythm harmonies of the De Marco Sisters spin out with much attraction for the tuneful riff rhythm ditty, Ready to Go Steady, with plenty of bounce quality to both the lyrical blend and the instrumental beat of the studio men, directed by Phil Davis." -Record Review, The Billboard, February 1, 1947

Composed by Alec Wilder

1st Moderate
2nd Song
3rd With Good Humor
4th Swing A Little

From Mirafone presents Deskants and Tubens, featuring Members of the Horn Club of Los Angeles (Mirafone SZB-3216 7" for demonstration only, excerpted from LP Angel S-36036) Conducted by Gunther Schuller

"Wilder's Nonet for Brass was composed in the spring, 1969. Direct and to the point, it readily invites listening of the most pleasurable kind. It has been described as a spectacular tour de force for the instruments, including two 'descant' (high F) horns, two normal French Horns, four Wagner Tubens and bass tuba"

Words by Edward Lear, Music by Alec Wilder

From LP Puff the magic dragon and Other Songs (Golden LP 149) Originally issued as Little Golden Record 25, featuring Anne Lloyd, Mitchell Miller and Orchestra

When visiting Children's Fairyland in Oakland, California, be sure to insert your Magic Key in the Storybook Box at the Owl and the Pussycat attraction to hear this recording of Alec Wilder's The Owl and the Pussycat

Pictured above: The Turkey who Lives on the Hill and friends

Words by Arnold Sundgaard, Music by Alec Wilder (see wilderworld 91)

From LP Chris Connor and Maynard Ferguson Two's Company (Roulette R-52068) Connor vocal, Ferguson trumpet

Recorded December 22, 1960

R.I.P. Chris Connor, the wonderful singer who died on August 28 at the age of 81. Ms. Connor also recorded masterful renditions of The Lady Sings the Blues (see wilderworld 70) and Trouble is a Man

Pictured above: Wilder writings found on the back of a folded up letter circa 1940s

Words and Music by Alec Wilder

Perhaps the only version of this oft-recorded song to include an opening verse (not composed by Wilder)

See wilderworld 73

“The Castaleers
*** I’ll Be Around – Felsted 8585 –
Okay reading of the old Mills Brothers hit.
Some coin possible. (Regent, BMI)”
-Billboard Reviews of New Pop Records, August 24, 1959

Elegie to a Pet Robin
Aire for Trumpet
Rock Without Rollin'
A Dream Takes Only a Minute

Written and scored by Alec Wilder

From LP Station Breaks (Golden Crest CR 3034), conducted by Jack Zimmermann

"Station Breaks--One Minute Spots--were planned originally as a professional music service to disk jockeys. All of the original compositions in this album are precisely 60 seconds in length. They were especially written to be used as musical 'fillers' when needed to complete a segment of air time on a radio program. There are times when even the most glib disk jockey finds himself at a loss for words and is delighted to be helped out by dependable compositions such as these."

From director Dick Phipps' Columbia, South Carolina lakeside living room it's Alec Wilder and Loonis McGlohon with another complete one hour episode of their great American Popular Song radio show!

This episode, number 21, originally aired on February 20, 1977 and features guest vocalist Carrie Smith

The Lady Sings the Blues written in 1956, Words by William Engvick, Music by Alec Wilder (see wilderworld 70)

Please note that although Loonis suggests - and Alec assents - that The Lady Sings the Blues was written "in honor of" Billie Holiday, Mr. Engvick has told wilderworld that the song "was completely made up and did not refer to her at all." Clearly the title was lifted from the famous biography of Ms. Holiday (as confirmed by Alec) but according to Engvick: "I didn't know that singer [Holiday] was called 'Lady,' and it was not about her because I never listened to her!"

wilderworld extends the Happiest of Birthday greetings to Bill Engvick, master of the "singing line," who today is 95 years young

Words by Ben Ross Berenberg, Music by Alec Wilder

This wilderworld episode is dedicated to the memory of Louis "Looey" Geller July 15, 1955 - June 13, 2009

Composed by Alec Wilder in 1958

From notes by Samuel Baron:  "Quintet No. 3 is...energetic and angular in its outer movements but it has a characteristic Wilder tenderness in the second movement and characteristic Wilder whimsy in the Scherzo.  The original meaning of Scherzo is 'joke' and this particular Scherzo has a joke within a joke.  I refer to the section in the middle where the tempo suddenly doubles and assumes a rakish, strutting gait, not a little Chaplinesque.  Towards the end of the third movement and in the fourth movement again, there appears a thematic phenomenon not usually associated with the style of Alec Wilder - a twelve-tone row!  Dodecaphonic musicologists give careful attention!"

This year’s concert in New York was yet another rich and moving presentation of the varied musical talents of Alec Wilder. Here are some highlights from an afternoon of wondrous performances

All words and music by Alec Wilder except as noted

Movements I, III and IV from Suite No. 2 for Tenor Saxophone and Strings (for Zoot Sims 1966) and Movement III from Suite No. 1 for Tenor Saxophone and Strings (for Stan Getz) [see wilderworld 88] David Demsey saxophone, Billy Test piano

Evening Song (Soft Through the Woodland) from Hansel and Gretel; words by William Engvick; Kristin Parker and Adrian Li Donni vocals, Aaron Gandy piano

Nothing is Working Quite Right from Kittiwake Island [see wilderworld 80] words by Arnold Sundgaard; David Auxier, Michelle McConnell and Duane McDevitt vocals, Aaron Gandy piano, Mike McGinnis clarinet

Listen to Your Heart words by Engvick, Douglas Mountain words by Sundgaard; Mike McGinnis clarinet, Mike Fahn trombone, Sean Moran guitar

I'll Be Around singalong led by Jackie Cain, piano by Maria Dessena (pictured above)

The host was John Biderman. Thank you Tom Hampson, Judy Bell and all the Friends of Alec Wilder for continuing to produce these nourishing shows year after year

Alec Lives!