Search - David Allyn :: Soft as Spring

Transcribed from NPR "American Song" with Alec Wilder

mnfj77a@prodigy.com | 11/17/1998

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If there are any David "Allen" fans from his days with World Pacific records in the late 50's and early 60's, if there are any of you out there, this CD is not up to the quality of his work on World Pacific and other labels during that time. He did an album in 1959 with conductor Johnny Mandel of all Jerome Kern tunes. What an excellent piece of work it was: Unfortunately, not avaliable on CD. David Allen was voted as the top ballad singer on the Playboy jazz poll during that time.This current CD is taken from broadcasts he did with Alec Wilder on National Public Radio on his show "The American Song." Wilder later wrote an excellent book based on this 1970's program. He does some of the great American standard songs, but the production values are not up to the standard he previously set with World Pacific.The very fact that you are even reading this review means that have good taste in music."

Former vocalists for Jack Teagarden's orchestra.

mnfj77a@prodigy.com | 10/01/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"In the 40's he was Jack Teagarden's vocalists, when Teagarden has his big band, in theses sessions, Allyn is a little past his prime, but since it's all that's available(on CD that is) it's a good place to start."