The Chris Connor Bio-Discography
Concert, Radio And Television Dates
by Iván Santiago

Return to the Chris Connor intro page

This page lists concert, radio and television appearances made by Chris Connor throughout her career. They are chronologically listed, beginning with those from the 1952-1953 period, when Connor was a big band singer (first with Jerry Wald and His Orchestra, later with The Stan Kenton Orchestra). The page then continues with Connor's appearances as a solo artist. (Her earliest extant solo performance dates from 1957.) Not every single known Chris Connor appearance is listed; for a longer explanation, and for a comment about her concert work with The Claude Thornhill Orchestra, see final note.

Jerry Wald and His Orchestra (ldr), Jerry Wald (con, cl), Herb Geller, Sam Zittman (as), Buddy Arnold (ts), Danny Bank, Sid Brown (bar), Al Porcino, Dick Sherman, Al Stewart (t), Jack Hitchcock, Sonny Russo (tb), Ross Savakos (b), Howie Mann (d), Chris Connor (v)

Performance

Concert performance by Jerry Wald And His Orchestra, with Chris Connor as featured vocalist with the band. Connor's vocals alternated with instrumentals by the orchestra. (The instrumentals are not listed herein.)

Date

The date might or might not correspond with the actual concert date. It could be instead the date of which an acetate of this concert was cut. My infomation on the matter is scant.

Material Sources

Taped and preserved by collectors of Wald material.

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Vinnie Dean, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Hank Levy (bar), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Keith Moon, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Donald "Don" Bagley (b), Stan Kenton (p), Stan Levey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Bio-Discographical Note: Chris Connor With The Stan Kenton Orchestra

Chris Connor had joined The Stan Kenton Orchestra in early February, 1953.
Her first studio session with the band had taken place on February 11. On the very next day, the band began its Road Tour, scheduled to go up the California coast. The first gig took that Feb the 12th, at the Veteran's Memorial Auditorium, San Luis Obispo, California.

Six days later, in this Oregon date, Stan Kenton is heard introducing Chris Connor as "Chris Connors," and mentioning that she had recently done her first recordings with the band.


Songs & Personnel

1. "September In The Rain"
features Connor with rhythm section only, except for the final chord, in which the full orchestra joins.

2. "I Only Have Eyes For You"
features Connor with piano, bass, and drums only.

3. "Jeepers Creepers"
was sung twice during this concert, once in an abbreviated (warm-up) version, once in a complete version.


Primary Source

Dance & concert show, privately taped.

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Vinnie Dean, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Hank Levy (bar), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Keith Moon, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Donald "Don" Bagley (b), Stan Kenton (p), Stan Levey (d), Chris Connor (v)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I am very grateful to Stan Kenton fan and collector Ed Chaplin for generously sharing with me a vast amount of data from his ongoing discographical research, which covers Kenton's playing and recording activity outside of the Capitol and Creative World labels. Chaplin has relied not only on audio and textual research but also on extensive discussions conducted with other Kenton experts of note, including Michael Sparke, one of the two authors (the other one being Peter Venudor, aka Paul Visser) of the excellent text Stan Kenton: The Studio Sessions. Kenton fans will thus encounter discrepancies between details given in previously published texts (books, articles, liner notes) and the more current, more thoroughly researched Chaplin information gathered herein. (I do want to make clear, however, that any errors in the Kenton dates must be deemed my own. It should also be understood that, vast and detailed as it is, Chaplin's own discographical research remains a work in progress.)


Date

Starting with this live session, and relying on Ed Chaplin's research, all Kenton sessions will bear the date on which the concert actually took place, not the date on which the concert was broadcast (or cut on acetate).


Material Sources

Broadcast on show #36 of the radio series Concert In Miniature (NBC).


Issues

1. Vintage Radio Classics and its "episodes"
CD's released by the label Vintage Radio Classics are listed in most of this page's Stan Kenton sessions. Each CD usually contains two radio shows. In addition to the name of the radio shows (for instance, Concert In Miniature), titles also include episode numbers. Readers of this discography should note that such episode numbers are part of nomenclature created by Vintage Radio Classics itself, apparently in order to clarify and organize its own catalogue. (In other words, none of those episode numbers were used by the radio network, nor were they heard in the original radio broadcasts.)

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Vinnie Dean, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Hank Levy (bar), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Keith Moon, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo, Tom Shepard (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Glen Roberts (b), Stan Kenton (p), Stan Levey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Personnel

For the duration of this Blue Note engagement, Glen Roberts temporarily replaced Kenton's regular bassist Don Bagley, who was taking a short holiday.

Bill Russo and Keith Moon were at this time regular members of Kenton's trombone section. During this Blue Note engagement, however, Kenton's band counted with a "guest" trombone player: Chicago-based Tom Shepard, a close friend of Russo's. Shepard sometimes took the place of Russo, and sometimes the place of Moon, in selected performances from the Blue Note.


Dating & Sources

All performances are from The Stan Kenton Orchestra's two-week concert stint at Chicago's Blue Note, and were broadcast on NBC-affiliated radio stations. (n. b. Most of these shows seem to have been put together by the NBC network, and distributed over affiliated radio stations. However, a few might have been the creation of a broadcasting radio station, rather than network-distributed. Music For Moderns, for instance, seems to have been the creation of a Chicago radio station.)

Specifics:

a. "I'll Remember April"
1) concert date: March 28 or otherwise April 4. The crux of the matter is a comment made by Stan Kenton during the broadcast: namely, that it is "the Saturday just before Easter." In 1953, Easter Sunday took place on April 5. The main question: is Kenton referring to April 4 (i.e., the Saturday immediately preceding Easter Sunday) or is he referring to March 28 (i.e., the Saturday before the upcoming Easter weekend)? The producers of the two CD's that contain this performance have assumed that Kenton uttered his remark on Saturday, April 4. On the other hand, Ed Chaplin argues that Kenton uttered it on Saturday, March 28. A couple of arguments actually point to the earlier, March 28 date. There's, for instance, the existence of another Concert Encores broadcast, known to date from April 4, which contains neither Kenton's utterance nor this performance of "I'll Remember April." There's also a comment heard during the broadcast under discussion, to the effect that bassist Don Bagley was absent due to the birth of his daughter; such an one-time remark is likelier to have been made during the first days of the Blue Note engagement, rather than as late as April 4.
2) radio series: Concert Encores. However, it is worth noting that the radio announcer originally says that the broadcast is from the Music For Moderns series; later we are told that it is instead from Concert Encores.

b. "Jeepers Creepers"
1) concert date: March 29
2) radio series: Music for Moderns

c. "If I Should Lose You"
1) concert date: April 1
2) radio series: Music for Moderns

d. "There Will Never Be Another You"
1) concert date: April 2
2) radio series: Concert Encores

e. "Taking A Chance On Love"
1) concert date: April 3
2) radio series: Music For Moderns, according to information provided by Jan Kagenaar

f. "Don't Worry 'Bout Me"
1) concert date: April 4 (in Ed Chaplin's opinion, based on research analysis) or March 28 (according to uncorroborated data in Vintage Jazz Classics CD 54465).
2) radio series: Concert Encores

g. "Jeepers Creepers"
1) concert date: April 8
2) radio series: Concert Encores


Performances Not Included

Various discographies show another NBC radio broadcast from The Kenton Orchestra's two-week stint at the Blue Note. The broadcast is shown to have included three songs by Chris Connor: "Taking A Chance On Love," "Don't Worry 'Bout Me," and "I'll Remember April." A Kenton radio broadcast with so many songs by the band's vocalist would have been an exceptional occurrence; the norm tended to be one, at most two Connor vocals per radio broadcast. (Actual live performances were a different matter; see below, for instance, April 15, 1953, for an occasion in which Chris sang eight songs, all apparently during the same concert date.) Also unlikely is the alleged song sequence, in which one of the vocals is heard before any instrumentals by the orchestra. For those reasons, Kenton collector Ed Chaplin suspects that this entry, listed in discographies as an NBC broadcast, is either incorrect or just the contents of a fan-made tape, culling performances from different broadcasts.

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Vinnie Dean, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Hank Levy (bar), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Keith Moon, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Donald "Don" Bagley (b), Stan Kenton (p), Stan Levey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Dating

Joyce Record Club cassette #1496 wrongly dates these performances April 7.


Source

This April 14, 1953 concert date was originally broadcast on show #37 of the Concert In Miniature radio series (NBC).

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Vinnie Dean, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Hank Levy (bsx), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Donald "Don" Bagley (b), Stan Kenton (p), Stan Levey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Songs

1. "Jeepers Creepers"
was first sung during this concert in an abbreviated, warm-up version, later in a complete version.


Arrangements

This Bill Russo arrangement of "I Get A Kick Out Of You" is a precursor to his finished, more developed arrangement, used on the May 25, 1953 studio recording of this song.


Personnel

"I Get A Kick Out Of You" performed by piano, guitar, bass, drums, muted trumpet, and voice only.


Source

These numbers comprise Connor's full set, performed as part of The Kenton Orchestra's concert appearance at Cornell, presented by the university's Junior Class Council Special Events Committee. Originally taped by Ithaca's public radio station WVBR.

The school paper identified Connor as "Chris Connors, blond vocalist who is the new soloist with the Kenton Band." She is described as "singing like both Ella Fitzgerald and June Christy." One of the paper's ads further refers to her as "Christine Connors."

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Vinnie Dean, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Hank Levy (bar), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Keith Moon, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Donald "Don" Bagley (b), Stan Kenton (p), Stan Levey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Performances: "Everything Happens To Me"

In addition to Chris Connor, Helen Carr was another vocalist who performed "Everything Happens To Me" with Stan Kenton. She did so during the previous year, on June 22, 1952 at Town Casino, Cleveland, Ohio. (My thanks to Ed Chaplin for pointing out this detail, which I find of potential interest to fans of vocals and vocalists.)


Issues & Dating

1. Jazz Archives: Stan Kenton
PMF CD 90.108.2 misindentifies the origin of its performances. It collectively labels them as coming from "various locations, 1952, and Chicago, March 1953 (Blue Note)." None of them actually come from that Blue Note engagement. Although the musicians listed in the CD are the same ones who played at the Blue Note (aside from the odd omission of Bill Russo's name) the disc's performances date instead from April 21, 1953 to November 3, 1953.


Source

Broadcast on show #38 of the radio series Concert In Miniature (NBC).

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Vinnie Dean, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Hank Levy (bar), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Keith Moon, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Donald "Don" Bagley (b), Stan Kenton (p), Stan Levey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Personnel

Pete Candoli believed to be on "Love Me Or Leave Me," May 2, in place of his brother Conte.


Sources & Dating

All 13 performances taken from The Stan Kenton Orchestra's two-week stay at New York's Birdland Club. All listed performances broadcast on NBC radio, except where indicated otherwise (d, e, n, o) :

a. "I'll Remember April"
1) concert date: April 23
2) radio series: Encore Time On Stars In Jazz (NBC)

b. "Jeepers Creepers"
1) concert date: April 24 or April 25
2) radio series: All Star Parade Of Bands (NBC), airdate May 30, 1953
3) All details about this particular performance based on Vintage Radio Classics CD series, and provided to me by Jan Kagenaar.

c. "All About Ronnie"
1) concert date: April 24, or otherwise April 25. Although it is actually given as April 23 by Natasha Imports CD NI-4017, Kenton researcher Ed Chaplin believes that Natasha has erred.
2) radio series: according to information provided by Jan Kagenaar, All Star Parade Of Bands (NBC), airdate May 30, 1953, and also Concert Encores (NBC). (Actually, Kagenaar lists two entries with an April 24 "All About Ronnie," one from the All Star Parade Of Bands show, the other from the Concert Encores show. I have tentatively assumed that it is the same performance, not two different performances from April 24.)

d. "All About Ronnie"
1) radio series: The Birdland Show (CBS-WABC; excerpts), according to information provided by Jan Kagenaar.
1) concert date: April 25. However, April 26 is also a possibility, for the following reason: Kenton's last show, which began after the midnight hour, might have been the one chosen for broadcast on WABC programs such as the one under discussion. This possibility elicits two obvious questions: Was this particular The Birdland Show among those that took place after midnight? And if it did take place after midnight, is the given date (April 25) an accurate reflection of the post-midnight day or is it instead a reference to something else (e. g., the evening on which the pre-midnight shows began, or the announcer's own timing, if he is not located in the American east coast)? I can not give an answer to either question at present time, but I can offer strong evidence, supplied by Ed Chaplin, which points to an affirmative reply for the first question. Chaplin has mentioned to me his familiarity with other Kenton broadcasts of The Birdland Show, from later during the year 1953. In those October broadcasts, the announcer states that the shows are taking place shortly after midnight.


e. "Jeepers Creepers"
1) concert date: April 25, or perhaps April 26 (see dating explanation immediately above).
2) radio series: The Birdland Show (CBS-WABC; excerpts), according to information provided by Jan Kagenaar.

f. "Jeepers Creepers"
1) concert date: April 25
2) radio series: Concert Encores (NBC). Also re-broadcast, on October 6, 1953, as part of the Concert In Miniature series.
3) errors: The two Vintage Radio Classics CD's that contain this performance wrongly give it the date of the repeat broadcast (October 6, 1953).

g. "If I Should Lose You"
1) concert date: April 28
2) radio series: All Star Parade Of Bands (NBC), airdate June 13, 1953
3) All details about this particular performance based on Vintage Radio Classics CD series, and provided to me by Jan Kagenaar. (Also from Kagenaar: identification of this April 28 performance as the one included in Jazz Band CD EBCD 2135-2. Other sources suggest that this is instead the version heard on AFRS "Stan Kenton" Series ET SK-28, which dates from May 5.)

h. "Taking A Chance On Love"
1) concert date: April 28
2) radio series: Concert In Miniature (NBC), show #39

i. "All About Ronnie"
1) concert date: April 29
2) radio series: All Star Parade Of Bands (NBC), airdate unclear
3) All details about this particular performance based on Vintage Radio Classics CD series, and provided to me by Jan Kagenaar.

j. "I'll Remember April"
1) concert date: April 29
2) radio series: Concert Encores (NBC)

k. "Jeepers Creepers"
1) concert date: April 30
2) radio series: Encore Time On Stars In Jazz (NBC)

l. "Taking A Chance On Love"
1) concert date: May 1 or May 2
2) radio series: All Star Parade Of Bands (NBC), airdate June 20, 1953
3) All details about this particular performance based on Vintage Radio Classics CD series, and provided to me by Jan Kagenaar.

m. "Don't Worry 'Bout Me"
1) concert date: May 1. Note: The concert date is given as April 30 by Natasha Imports CD NI-4017. Kenton researcher Edward Chaplin believes that May 1 is the correct date instead.
2) radio series: Concert Encores (NBC), according to information provided by Jan Kagennar

n. "Don't Worry 'Bout Me"
1) concert date: May 2, or posibly May 3. (See dating explanation given above, under d.)
2) radio show: The Birdland Show (CBS-WABC; excerpts), according to information provided by Jan Kagenaar.

o. "Love Me Or Leave Me"
1) concert date: May 2, or posibly May 3. (See dating explanation given above, under d.)
2) radio series: The Birdland Show (CBS-WABC; excerpts), according to information provided by Jan Kagenaar.

p. "Love Me Or Leave Me"
1) concert date: May 2
2) radio series: Concert Encores (NBC)

q. "If I Should Lose You"
1) concert date: May 5
2) radio series: Concert In Miniature (NBC), Show #40, according to information provided by Jan Kagenaar.
3) error: Vintage Radio Classics CD 54367 includes this performance, yet gives the wrong date of May 8, 1953.

r. "Jeepers Creepers"
1) concert date: May 6
2) radio series: All Star Parade Of Bands (NBC), airdate June 27, 1953
3) All details about this particular performance based on Vintage Radio Classics CD series, and provided to me by Jan Kagenaar.

s. "All About Ronnie"
1) concert date: May 6
2) radio series: Concert Encores (NBC)


A Note On AFRS Material

For the most part, "live concerts" broadcast over American Forces Radio were neither live nor full original concerts, despite what radio listeners were led to believe.

AFRS' non-live concerts: The AFRS dee jays were playing transcription discs, especially made by the Forces. As primary sources, the AFRS engineerrs had at their disposal commercial radio shows (such as the NBC ones listed here, in these Kenton sessions). They also had some rehearsals from those same radio shows (if the rehearsals had been taped). Finally, AFRS also used studio recordings.

AFRS non-complete "concerts": some AFRS transcription discs contain performances not from one but from various concerts, deceptively spliced as if they were from the same show. Also ocassionally spliced in a concert show were studio recordings.

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Vinnie Dean, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Hank Levy (bar), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Keith Moon, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Donald "Don" Bagley (b), Stan Kenton (p), Joe Morello (d), Chris Connor (v)

Personnel

Don Carone replaced Vinnie Dean at some unknown point in 1953. His first credited recording session with Kenton is from July 8, 1953. In live performance, various Kenton discographies show Carone already replacing Dean in May. I must thus clarify that, at present time (June 2007), Carone's presence in live dates from May and June remains tentative, albeit plausible.

Drummer Joe Morello's contributions, temporarily substituting for an hospitalized Stan Levey, began on May 10 and finished just a few days later. By May 15, Levey was seen with the band again.


Source, Issues And Dating

Broadcast on show #41 from the radio series Concert In Miniature (NBC). SK-30, from the "Stan Kenton" AFRS transcription series, includes the instrumentals heard on radio broadcast #41, but leaves out Connor's vocal.

Vintage Radio Classics CD 54368 wrongly locates this May 12, 1953 performance of "Everything Happens To Me" at Birdland, instead of Glen Echo Park.

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Don Carone, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Hank Levy (bar), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Keith Moon, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Donald "Don" Bagley (b), Stan Kenton (p), Stan Levey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Broadcast on show #42 of the radio series Concert In Miniature (NBC).

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Don Carone, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Tony Ferina (bar), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Keith Moon, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Donald "Don" Bagley (b), Stan Kenton (p), Stan Levey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Arrangement

This performance of "I Get A Kick Out Of You" follows the same Latinized arrangement heard on the May 25, 1953 studio recording.


Dating & Sources

Broadcast on show #43 of the radio series Concert In Miniature (NBC).

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Don Carone, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Zoot Sims (ts), Tony Ferina (bar), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Keith Moon, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Stan Kenton (p), Stan Levey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Broadcast on show #44 of the radio series Concert In Miniature (NBC).

The Stan Kenton Orchestra (ldr), Don Carone, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Zoot Sims (ts), Tony Ferina (bar), Conte Candoli, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Don Dennis, Ernie Royal, Don Smith (t), Bob Burgess, Keith Moon, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo (tb), George Roberts (bt), Sal Salvador (g), Stan Kenton (p), Stan Levey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Broadcast on show #47 of the radio series Concert In Miniature (NBC/CBC-CBL).


Personnel

Aside from the bandleader and the vocalist, the personnel should be deemed tentative, and based on the personnel from the date mentioned immediately above (June 9, 1953).


Bio-Discographical Note: Chris Connor's Performances With Stan Kenton's Orchestra

This is Connor's last known appearance as Stan Kenton's bandsinger. Her very first live performance had taken place some time in mid-February, 1953. Fatigue from the travails of road traveling were among the factors that compelled the vocalist to leave the band.

In addition to the above-listed songs, Kenton's book of scores from this period had other vocal arrangements: "I Can't Get Started" (sung by Connor's predecessor with the band, Kay Brown), "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen" (recorded by Kenton with Connor for Capitol, but so far unissued), "One For My Baby" (written for June Christy) and "What's New." All four arrangements were written by Bill Russo. As of 2008, there is no evidence that Chris Connor sang these numbers with Kenton's orchestra, in concert.

unknown (b, d), Stan Freeman (p), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Taped by the record label Calliope from the TV show Stars of Jazz, hosted by Bobby Troup.

Personnel

The unknown bassist and unknown drummer behind Connor may be Paul West (d) and Ed Shaughnessy (b). Those two musicians comprised Connor's regular backing trio around this time. The trio was playing with Connor on both studio recordings and live dates --see below, July 6, 1957.

However, the musicians in question could just as well be a different bassist and a different drummer. It is worth noting that pianist Stan Freeman, the one known musician in this TV date, was not part of Connor's backing trio. (At this point in time, her regular pianist was instead the similarly-named Stan Feee.)

Another possibility is that the two unknown musicians were members of the other guest act in this episode of Stars of Jazz: The Paul Togawa Quartet, which consisted of Dick Johnson on piano, Ben Tucker on acoustic double bass, Paul Towaga on drums, and Gabe Baltazar on alto sax.


Dating

Each of the listed Calliope LPs gives a different date for these two performances: November 5, 1956 (Calliope 3030) and May 27, 1957 (Calliope 3002). The correct date is the latter one, as shown by David Meeker's Jazz on the Screen, and reinforced by the points made below.

Circumstancial corroboration for the 1957 dating can be gleaned from the chronology of the sessions for Chris Connor Sings The George Gershwin Almanac, the Atlantic album which included studio recordings of the songs heard in Stars of Jazz. Begun in January of 1957, the Almanac sessions would conclude in May of 1957. Therefore, Connor's May 1957 appearance on Stars of Jazz would have served as promotion of her just-finished, soon-to-be-released Almanac.

(On the other hand, had she appeared in Stars of Jazz during November of 1956, it's likelier that Connor would have performed numbers from A Jazz Date With Chris Connor, the album on which she was working at that point in time.)

What about the possibility that Connor appeared not only on the May 1957 Stars of Jazz episode, but also on one from May of 1956? There are no details that support this possibility. Although the Meeker database lists 11/5/56 as a day on which a new episode of the weekly TV series was slated to air, he also specifies that no episode was actually televised.

Based on the details mentioned above, the obvious (if still guarded) conclusion is that the date given on Calliope LP 3002 is an erroneous. I call this conclusion a "guarded one" because, according to expert David Meeker, the televised series Stars of Jazz "is notoriously difficult to document accurately in view of the permanent loss of 85% of the series and the errors and omissions in listings, discographies and sleeve notes."

Chris Connor (ldr), Paul West (b), Stan Free (p), Ed Shaughnessy (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Available on tape at the Library of Congress.


Bio-Discographical Note: Newport Jazz's Female Singer Bonanza, On Tape

Also singing on this night at the Newport Jazz Festival: Billie Holiday. Next day (June 7), Sarah Vaughan would follow suit. And, on previous nights: Carmen McRae (July 5) and Ella Fitzgerald (July 4). Vaughan's tracks can be heard on her Pablo CD Linger Awhile, while the tracks by all other singers (except Connor) have been collected by Verve on the CD Ella Fitzgerald And Billie Holiday At Newport.

For another Chris Connor appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival, see session dated July 7, 1958, on this same page.

Chris Connor (ldr), Chuck Wayne (g), George Duvivier (b), Stan Free (p), Ed Shaughnessy (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source & Performances

Live concert. Extant on ("homemade") cassette at the Library of Congress' music archives. See also session dated July 6, 1957, on this page.


Songs

1. "Blow Gabriel, Blow"
The library's bibliographic notes indicate that the first version of "Blow Gabriel Blow" is incomplete, whereas the second one is complete.

The Horace Silver Quintet (acc), Junior Cook (ts), Blue Mitchell (t), Gene Taylor (b), Horace Silver (p), Louis Hayes (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Performed on a CBS special titled Eye On New York: Regarding Jazz, hosted by reporter Bill Leonard, and televised on a Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. No extant video tape known.


Personnel

The personnel is very tentative, taken from a 1959 Horace Silver Quintet album, and lacking any corroboration.

Edmond Hall (cl), King Curtis [Curtis Ousley] (ts), Henry 'Red' Allen (t), J. C. Higginbotham (tb), Dickie Thompson (g), Vinnie Burke (b), Stan Freed (p), Teddy Charles (vib), Sonny Greer (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Simulcast on radio and television, as part of the Art Ford's Jazz Party series. No extant video tape known to me.

Chris Connor (ldr), Kenny Burrell (g), Eddie de Haas (b), Bill Rubenstein (p), Lex Humpries (d), Chris Connor (v)

Issues / Collectors' Corner

1. Chris In Person [EP]
I have seen only a promotional copy of the EP Chris In Person. This copy bears the legend "for D. J. use only .... Excerpts from the new LP that launches Atlantic's April Shower of Music by Chris Connor." The EP's paper sleeve also includes a brief text, along with a small reproduction of the 12" LP cover.


Dating & Masters

1. "Strike Up The Band"
Atlantic CD 601-2 (Chris Connor Sings The Gershwin Almanac Of Song) incorrectly gives the date January 23, 1961 to this live performance of "Strike Up The Band." [Also incorrectly, Atlantic CD 601-2 gives the date September 13, 1959 to a studio performance of "They All Laughed." (Correct date: April 24, 1957.)]


Crossreferences

For all other Chris Connor issues on Atlantic Records, see page for The Atlantic Records Period.

Chris Connor And Her Trio (acc), Mundell Lowe (g), Chris Connor (v)

Acknowledgment

My thanks to Chris Connor fan and collector Jason Perry, for his extensive help with the labor of researching this album.


Issue & Source

The LP Sound Flights Into Jazz, Volume 10 culls six shows made by Connor for the Air Force Reserve Recruiting Service, all of them originally broadcast over participating radio stations. The album's back cover contains the following legend: "Prepared by Office of Information, Continental Air Command, Mitchell Air Force Base, New York."

The shows' host is Jim Lowe, and the in-house orchestra is billed as Elliot Lawrence And The All-Stars. Each show is only five minutes long. Timing allows for two songs (one in full, the other performed in part) and brief patter.


The Radio Show: Song Sequence And Patter

These are the 6 programs that comprise the album, and the performances heard in each show:

Program 55: 1. Strike Up The Band [complete] / 2. All About Ronnie [incomplete]
Program 56: 1. Misty [complete] / 2. Fine And Dandy [incomplete]
Program 57: 1. Señor Blues [complete] / 2. Angel Eyes [incomplete]
Program 58: 1. I Hear The Music Now [complete] / 2. I Miss You So [incomplete]
Program 59: 1. It Don't Mean A Thing [complete] / 2. 'Round Migdnight [incomplete]
Program 60: 1. Blow, Gabriel, Blow [complete] / 2. Lover Man [incomplete]

Generally, the incomplete performances last for at least one chorus, sung in full, before Lowe interjects, to give his closing comments. In the background, while Lowe closes the show, Connor is stil heard, often shifting from singing the words to scatting the melody.

There is some variance, however. In the case of "I Miss You So," two full choruses are heard before Lowe jumps in. On the other hand, the vocal for "Angel Eyes" consists of scatting only -- no lyrics.

The patter heard in these programs mixes some friendly exchanges (e. g. , Connor and Lowe joke about the accent they both share, as fellow Missourians) with recruiting propaganda ("it's smart for a girl to serve in the Air Force Reserve," Connor enthusiastically proclaims).


Personnel

All six shows start with the same words from the announcer, which include identification of the personnel: "It's Jim Lowe and here we go on an Air Force Reserve Sound Flight with Chris Connor, Her Trio, plus Mundell Lowe on guitar, and Elliot Lawrence And The All-Stars. It's jazz at its best on Sound Flights."

The Trio's members are not identified by name. Their individual identity can only be speculated.

Among possible personnel for this date: Ronnie Ball (piano), Dave Bailey (drums), and Ben Tucker (bass) can be found performing with Connor on a July 16, 1961 session, listed below. The singer and those three musicians were billed as Chris Connor And Her Trio. For instance, the act is identified by that name in a 1962 Japan tour program, for instance. (Connor was traveling to Japan in a package tour with The Horace Silver Quintet.)

For the names of other musicians with which Connor performed live around this time, see the sessions dated July 6 and 7, 1958, in particular. See also September 13, 1958. (All three sessions can be found on this page).


Dating

The date on which this album's songs were recorded is unknown. Because most of its songs are also heard in Connor's album Chris In Person, from September 1959, I have assigned a 1959 date to this session. For another dating clue, see notes under next session.

In what might be pre-written patter, Connor casually introduces "Señor Blues" (recorded for Atlantic on September 6, 1959) as a tune that "we have been rehearsing." She adds no further specifics on this matter.

Also suggesting a late 1950's dating is the Chris Connor photo used for the album's sleeve.


Crossreferences: Chris Connor Albums For The US Government

For more of Connor's work on behalf of the United States Government, see ensuing sessions in this page, between 1959 and 1962. See also the Post-Atlantic Period page, session dated 1971.


Help Requested

I have found Connor's name linked, online, to yet anther AFRS LP, containing program No. 321 of the Air Force Recruiting Service. Any further information about PGM 321 (and PGM 262) would be appreciated.

Chris Connor (v)

Issue

I have not been able to locate a copy of this LP, made by the U.S. Air Force for airplay at their radio stations. However, I have seen a photo.

The photo in question shows only the vinyl itself, with no album cover. (Judging from other Armed Radio Forces albums that I have inspected, no cover might have existed. ARFS vinyl seems to have been generally stored in blank sleeve, the same way that many 78 discs were in the 1930's and 1940's.)

The credit "featuring Chris Connor" can be read under the title Manhattan Melodies. The tracks are not listed on the vinyl's label. The LP describes its contents as "a public service show."

Only one side of the LP features Chris Connor; the other side features Richard Hyman. Each side is 15 minutes long, and the host is Don Sturgess. According to a seller at an online auction, Chris is heard talking about "her latest LP, bands she sang with, touring, etc."


Performances

All three songs found in this Air Force LP were also recorded by Connor for her Atlantic LP Witchcraft. (Two of the songs were issued on a 45, too.) Those versions heard in the Atlantic LP could be the exact same ones heard in the Air Force LP. The Force's engineers would have simply re-pressed them from the original Atlantic LP.

Alternatively, Connor could have done brand new versions for the Air Force. (She did so in the case of her other Air Force album, Sound Flights Into Jazz. See this page's previous session.)

As of June 2008, full identification of this album's three Connor tracks remains uncertain. I am inclined to believe that they are merely re-pressings of the Atlantic studio versions. Leading me in that direction is additional information about the LP, gleaned from the previously mentioned message by an auction's seller. The seller mentions a bit of patter heard at the start of the album. A man, presumably host Sturges, asks a cab driver to take him "to Atlantic Recording Studios on 57th street."


Dating

In the aforementioned photo of the vinyl, the label bears a handwritten date, "1960 August 13." This is likely to have been the date on which the record was slated to be played at Air Force radio stations (or, alternatively, the date on which one station received the record).

In the absence of any further details, I have assigned the conservative dating "circa 1960" to this hypothetical session. (The original Atlantic masters of these songs were recorded on September 1959.)

Others Unknown (acc), Chris Connor (v)

Issue And Performances

Sounds of Freedom was one of various syndicated recruiting shows put together by the Air Forces. At least 13 such shows were created. The shows are extant in the form of transcription discs that were sent to participating radio stations. All shows were hosted by Mike Wallace, and centered around a specific topic.

In addition to the two performances by Chris Connor, Program number 4 also includes a number by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross ("Gimme Me That Wine") and another by regular cast member Oscar Brand ("Air Reserve Blues"). This program's topic was "The Sounds And Songs Of American Colleges."


Dating & Acknowlegments

My thanks to Scott Weiner for sending me information about the Sounds Of Freedom LP, which I have not listened to.

The dating for this session is tentative, and based on the titles included in the album. Since Lambert, Hendricks And Ross recorded their studio version of "Gimme That Wine" in 1959, I do not imagine this LP to predate that year.

As for Chris Connor, she recorded a studio version of "I Gotta Right Sing The Blues" on November 16, 1960 and a studio version of "God Bless The Child" on April 9, 1962. (Such Connor dates could suggest that the Sounds Of Freedom LP is from 1962, or later. However, both of her songs are actually well-known standards; it is thus also possible that she was singing both songs before committing her versions to wax.)

Chris Connor (v)

Source

Televised performance, taken from the master tapes of the Ed Sullivan Show. The extant date probably refers to the day on which the show was broadcast. For a companion performance, see also session dated July 17, 1960, on this page.


Dating

The caption under a press photo for this appearance states that "[s]ong star Chris Connor will be featured on April 10th on the Ed Sullivan Show (CBS-TV) singing a medley of famous Cole Porter hits."


Songs

1. "I Get A Kick Out Of You"
Chris Connor's close friend and personal manager Lori Muscatelle reveals that, because the show ran out of time, Chris' performance of "I Get A Kick Out Of You" was heard mostly over the credits, as the show was ending.

Chris Connor (v)

Source

See note under April 10, 1960 session.

Ben Tucker (b), Ronnie Ball (p), Dave Bailey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source & Venue

Taped live at the American Jazz Festival, in Brazil. The week-long festival, sponsored by the State Department of the United States, included not only vocals by Chris Connor but also instrumental performances with Ahmad Abdul-Malik on oud, Al Cohn, Kenny Dorham, Curtis Fuller, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, Jo Jones, Herbie Mann, Ray Mantilla, John Haley "Zoot" Sims, and the trio which accompanied Connor. Willis Conover served as tour announcer.


Issues

1. At the American Jazz Festival in Latin America (LP and CD)
This issue contains nine tracks. In addition to the five vocals listed above, four instrumentals are included ("Love For Sale" / "Lover Come Back To Me" / "Rifftide" / "The Man I Love"), featuring Tommy Flanagan, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, and some of the other musicians that were part of the festival's tour.

2. [Kenny Dorham] Hot Stuff From Brazil (LP: West Wind 015; released in the late 1980's) (CD: Jazz Door JD 12151; released in 2005)
According to sellers' listers online, this album was also culled from the same July 16, 1961 live concerts. It contains 6 songs, all instrumentals ("Wee Dot" / "Halley's Comet" / "The Red Door" / "A Night In Tunisia" / "Autumn Leaves" / "It's All Right With Me").

Chris Connor (ldr), Ben Tucker (b), Ronnie Ball (p), Dave Bailey (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Live concert, possibly broadcast on Japanese radio. Homemade audio copies in collectors' hands.

Chris Connor (v)

Source

Televised performance, from the NBC summer show "The Lively Ones," hosted by Vic Damone. A videoreel copy is available at the Library of Congress.

A contemporaneous TV viewer claims to have seen a 1956 Chris Connor appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, singing "Goodbye." He adds: "it was late in the show when they finally got her on, and it turned out to be a kinescope [...] of her. The picture was dark and murky -- no color TV yet -- and she was shot from the distance, no close ups." Could this viewer be remembering Connor's 1962 performance on Vic Damone's show, and confusing it with her 1960 appearance(s) in The Ed Sullivan Show? Or was a kinescope (telescription) from Connor's Bethlehem period shown in both Sullivan's and Damone's TV programs?


Song & Performance

Chris Connor fan Marcia Baggott, who has watched this performance, enthusiastically describes the visuals as follows: 'the sound of a foghorn and a scene of a lighthouse -- very film noir -- and then there's Chris! She's a vision in white against a dark, rather sinister-looking stone wall ("Land's End," we learn at the end of the show), very tall, elegant, statuesque, beautiful. She wears a mandarin collar and shiny (gold?) buttons down the front, big pockets. Great makeup -- very dark lipstick -- and her hair is very Doris Day, kind of a "bubble cut," I think we used to call it or we should have if we didn't. She solemnly intones: "I'll never forget you ..." The cameraman pans around some dead branches as she begins her descent down a short flight of stone steps in spike heels. Her first step is a bit tentative, but after that she's home free. [...] It was obviously the same arrangement of "Goodbye" as in Sings Lullabys For Lovers," but sung more passionately, and, yet, at the same time, restrained. [...] Hand movements were minimal, but effective [...]'

Baggott's allusion to Chris Connor's "Doris Day hairdo" also suggests a mid-1950's dating, rather than 1962, when Connor was styling her hair differently.

Chris Connor (ldr), Mundell Lowe (g), Richard Davis (b), Ronnie Ball (p), Ed Shaughnessy (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Chris Connor did two albums for the FM label. For the other LP (FM 312), see Studio Sessions, The Post-Atlantic Period, 1963.


Collectors' Corner

1. At The Village Gate, Early & Late Show

Each of the three above-listed LP versions of At The Village Gate features artwork different from the other two.

The original FM cover has a gray-colored background, and features an orange-colored circle, measuring about 9 inches. Inside the orange-colored circle, there is a drawing of the singer's face: specifically, her closed eyes, her nose, and her open mouth. The back cover features a similar circle, though yellow-green in color, and containing a slightly different drawing of the singer's face, in a more dramatic expression. This original cover was recalled at the singer's request, who objected to the balloon-like quality given to her face by illustrator Frank Guana.

The cover of the Fresh Sound album has a black background, and features a red-colored oval, measuring approximately 10" by 7". Inside this oval, there is a photo of Connor, from the upper torso up, and wearing a necklace. She has been photographed in the act of singing, with microphone in view. The album's back cover features a similar oval; against a red background, the oval is tinted black, and contains another photo of Connor singing, with a more dramatic expression than the one she shows on the front cover.

Common to both front covers is the title Early Show, and a listing of the songs on the LP's A side. Conversely, both back covers bear the title "Late Show," and list the songs on the LP's B side.

[Was the Fresh Sound cover an original, inspired by the FM cover, but otherwise newly commissioned by Fresh Sound? Maybe so. Or maybe not. It could be that FM issued two editions of the album, one with a drawing and another with a photo on the cover. Fresh Sound woud have thus reprinted the "photo version." I mention this possibility because most other reissued LPs by Fresh Sound reissue LPs replicate the original artwork. Be it as it may, on FM I have only seen the aforementioned "drawing cover."]

The third artwork variation of At The Village Gate can be found in Victor LP 7016. This Japanese release uses a drawing as its front cover: a woman is seen singing, microphone in hand, and pianist at a distance. Shown in profile, she is a redhead, barely if at all resembling Connor.

A fourth version of this LP was released by Elenco, a Brazilian record label. The cover is a plain black & white canvas, with some bits of green. The album's title is the same.

Harvie Swartz (b), Mike Abene (p), Mickey Jay (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Taped on location, with the singer's approval. Extant tapes have been used for educational purposes at The New England Conservatory (Boston, Massachusetts). In seminars about Chris Connor's music, students have listened to "All Or Nothing At All," "All About Ronnie," "Spinning Wheel," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "I Get A Kick Out Of You," "From This Moment On," "I've Gotta Be Me," "I'm All Smiles."


Concert & Patter

The extant tape contains two shows from the same night. The first shows runs from "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home" to "I Get A Kick Out Of You," where it abruptly cuts. ("I Get A Kick Out Of You" was probably part of a two-song medley, the second song being "From This Moment On.")

An appreciative but loud and seemingly drunk audience member is clearly heard through much of this concert's taping. At one point, her loud comments hold the entire audience's attention, and causes a seemingly amused Chris Connor to say that she (Connor) is trying to control herself.


Songs

1. Medley
The second of the above-listed versions of "I Get A Kick Out Of You" was sung by Chris Connor as a medley with "From This Moment On." (The first version might have been, too.)

Harvie Swartz (b), Mike Abene (p), Mickey Jay (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Taped on location, with the singer's approval. Extant tapes have been used for educational purposes at The New England Conservatory (Boston, Massachusetts). In seminars about Chris Connor's music, students have listened to "Spinning Wheel,"All Or Nothing At All","I've Got You Under My Skin," "Alone Together" and "All About Ronnie."


Concert & Incomplete Songs

The extant tape contains two shows from the same night, neither taped in its entirety. The first show runs from "Spinning Wheel" to "I've Got You Under My Skin," which is followed by a track in which Connor mentions the musicians' names and, apparently as a goodbye, says "thank you."

In the first show, after "All Or Nothing At All," Connor is heard saying that she will sing two numbers from her most recent album, on the Stanyan label. The tape cuts after she sings a few bars of "Hit 'em In The Head With Love."

In the second show, "I Hear The Music Now" cuts abruptly halfway through, and "As I Love My Own" misses its beginning.

According to a March 10, 1974 article in Newsday, "last spring [Chris Connor] cut a live album for Buddha Records (as yet unreleased) in Philadelphia's Just Jazz club." Nothing else is known about this date, which was never issued. The date's pianist and leader might have been Mike Abene, who was playing for Connor in March of 1974.

Yasuo Arakawa (b), Bob Kaye (p), Takeshi Inomata (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Live concert, possibly broadcast on radio. Homemade audio copies in collectors' hands.

Songs

1. I Get A Kick Out Of You
2. From This Moment On
These two songs are performed as a fast-paced medley. Around 1:35 the second number is incorporated into the first one. Around 2:30, Connor goes back to "I Get A Kick Out Of You." At closing time, she combines lines from both songs.

3. All Too Soon
This song is preceded by a brief comment from the concert's host, uttered in Japanese. The host is also heard at the end of the concert, as is Connor. The latter just says "thank you."

The Jim McNeely Trio (acc), Bob Bodley (b), Jim McNeely (p), Chris Connor (v)

Source & Venue

Taped on location, with the singer's approval. This was Chris Connor's third engagement at the club. Extant tapes have been used for educational purposes at The New England Conservatory (Boston, Massachusetts).


Songs

1. Medley
The songs "I Get A Kick Out Of You" and "From This Moment On" were sung as a medley.

Todd Coleman (b), Jim McNeely, The Jim McNeely Trio (p), Ted Sedeeko(?) (d), Chris Connor (v)

Source

Taped on location, with the singer's approval. Extant tapes have been used for educational purposes at The New England Conservatory (Boston, Massachusetts). In seminars about Chris Connor's music, students have listened to "I'm All Smiles," "Ridin' On The Moon," "Blue, Green, Gray And Gone," and "Lover."


Venue And Audience

This was Chris Connor's fourth appearance at El Morocco. In this and other shows, Chris Connor's old Atlantic hit "Miss You So" proves a constant audience request.


Songs

1. Instrumentals
The set began with an instrumental version of "I'll Remember April" (8:30), which did not feature Chris Connor.

Todd Coleman (b), Jim McNeely, The Jim McNeely Trio (p), Ted Sedeeko(?) (d), Chris Connor (v)