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Paramount! Don Baker at the New York and Brooklyn Paramount Wurlitzers
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Includes Previously Unreleased Bonus Track!
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Paramount! Don Baker at the New York and Brooklyn Paramount Wurlitzers
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Includes Previously Unreleased Bonus Track!
Brooklyn Paramount
1 Lover
2 Little Orphan Annie
3 Chicago - Theme From The Apartment
4 Dancing In The Dark - Buckle Down Winsocki
5 The Continental
6 Days Of Wine And Roses
7 Indian Medley: Totem Tom Tom, Indian Summer, Indian Love Call, Cherokee
New York Paramount
8 The Exodus
9 The Sound of Music
10 Baby Face
11 Daybreak
12 Tea For Two
13 I Love A Parade
14 Chicago
15 Theme From The Apartment
16 Hello Young Lovers
17 All The Things You Are
18 Seventy-Six Trombones
Previously Unreleased Bonus Track:
19 Medley: Irish Washerwoman - McNamara’s Band
THE NEW YORK PARAMOUNT
Being able to walk into the lavish New York Paramount Theatre whenever its magnificent 4 manual 36 rank was being played was about as close to heaven as any organ buff could expect to get. For here, in this vast auditorium was the Wurlitzer of all Wurlitzers – the most successful installation of a pipe organ made by the famous firm at North Tonawanda, New York. It became the Wurlitzer by which all others Wurlitzers were measured.
However, as wonderful as the theatre was, its Mighty Wurlitzer was a masterpiece of such proportions that for many years it had prime billing along with current attractions on the beautiful marquee. Design of the very shallow chambers and the excellent acoustical properties of the huge auditorium were the secret of the extremely beautiful sound of this organ. Much of the continued success of the Paramount Wurlitzer was due to the expert love and care lavished on it by Dan Papp during the entire 38 years the theatre was in operation. The final concert took place there on September 27th 1964.
THE BROOKLYN PARAMOUNT
This extraordinary theatre was built in 1928, three years after New York’s and also seated over 4000 people and was by Rapp and Rapp. The proscenium provided a sunburst effect and there was a semi-latticed ceiling over the balcony. There were huge vine draped columns along the walls which were lit by a Wilfred “color organ” that painted moving shapes in colored light. This theatre was probably one of the very finest to have graced this country, and when one simply sees the famous photos of it in that landmark book: "The Best Remaining Seats, The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace" by the late Ben M. Hall, one falls in love with the dazzling proscenium at first glance, even if one has never set foot in there! The theatre closed in 1962 and was bought by Long Island University to be converted into a gymnasium and a hardwood floor was installed. Oddly enough, all the flamboyant decorations were retained as was the 4/26 Wurlitzer, which sounds even better than ever because of the resonance created by the hard wood floor. The organ is used for the college basketball games as well as occasionally for concerts such as the one on this CD.
DON BAKER
Don was born in Ontario, Canada and began studying piano at the age of eight. Twelve years later he accepted his first theatre orchestra position but when the house organist failed to appear one night he was requested to “fill in” on the house’s theatre organ. He was so well received and so thoroughly enjoyed playing the organ that he decided to switch instruments. Within two years he had performed successful engagements at the Rivoli and Rialto theatres in New York City and eventually became one of the best known theatre organists in the country and he held the unprecedented fourteen year position at the Paramount New York. In later years Don toured and promoted the CONN electronic organ and recorded albums on that instrument. He was often lovingly referred to as “Mr. Medley” because his programs often took the form of one long medley, slipping effortlessly from one tune to the next. He had some favorites which he played often and recorded several times and there are such repeats on this CD.
The “Farewell” section of the CD was taken directly from Bill Greenwood’s recording of the final concert and several selections come from longer medleys with the result that sometimes tunes have unnatural endings, closing on unresolved transitions. Concert recording, on issuing the “Farewell” LP said, “We feel the significance of the final concert at the New York Paramount fully warrants the release of this album, despite any slight loss in fidelity or the ending of several selections during modulations. It is truly a historic recording.” The producers of this CD are grateful to Bill Johnson of Concert Recording for providing the master-tapes used in its production.
Track 2 - Little Orphan Annie (Radio Show Theme), was a tribute to Ben Hall, who was murdered a few days before the concert. Don Baker did not know the piece, but after hearing the theme whistled for him that night ONCE by Geoffrey Paterson did the entire arrangement in his head extemporaneously during the concert!
Track 19 - The Irish Washerwoman/McNamara’s Band, was a previously unreleased selection from the “Farewell” recording session.