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PETE KELLY'S BLUES
"OST Peggy Lee/Ella Fitzgerald/Jack Webb"
GSCR 027
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In 1927 Kansas City was without question the most corrupt location in the United States Of America. It was a vice-ridden environment where everyone from City Hall and the local police force to the proliferation of hundreds of low-rent gin mills and high roller bordellos were under the control of ruthless gangsters such as “Boss” Tom Pendergast. Arguably the nations biggest ever civic corrupter, “Boss” Tom flagrantly ignored prohibition to operate a “24/7 open city, anything goes” policy. Kansas City was a place where life was cheaper than five cent bootleg beer. And, that’s how things remained until 1939 when Pendergast was arrested and jailed on charges of tax evasion. Pete Kelly’s Blues is a fictionalisation of such violent times.
Four years before it reached the big screen “Pete Kelly’s Blues” had started out as an NBC radio drama that ran from July4 up until September 19 1951. It starred 31 year old Jack Webb in the title role. Better known for his portrayal of Police Sergeant Joe Friday in “Dragnet”, Jack Webb was an actor with one facial expression – deadpan – and a voice to match. It was the worldwide success of “Dragnet” that convinced Warner Brothers to stump up two million dollars for the “Pete Kelly’s Blues” project. With the script and most of the cast in place a group of seasoned jazz musicians was assembled to soundtrack the onscreen miming by the likes of Webb, Lee Marvin, Martin Milner and other actors.
The singer Peggy Lee was working on the soundtrack of Walt Disney’s famous “Lady And The Tramp” when Jack Webb phoned insisting “I have a wonderful script, but I don’t know if you’ll be interested. It’s not glamourous” Lee read the script and agreed to play the role of Rose Hopkins. It earned Peggy Lee an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Role. In the final reckoning, she lost out to Jo Van Fleet for her portrayal of James Deans brothel-keeping mother in “East Of Eden”
Another legendary singer, Ella Fitzgerald (Maggie Jackson) was added to an impressive cast that also included Edmond O’Brien, Janet Leigh and Lee Marvin. Of the three songs Ella performed ‘Hard Hearted Hannah’ went on to become a highlight of her in-person performances.
Track Listing:
1. OH DIDN’T HE RAMBLE – Peggy Lee
2. SUGAR – Peggy Lee
3. SOMEBODY LOVES ME – Peggy Lee
4. I’M GONNA MOVE MY SWEETIE – Peggy Lee
5. I NEVER KNEW – Peggy Lee
6. BYE BYE BLACKBIRD – Peggy Lee
7. WHAT CAN I SAY AFTER SORRY – Peggy Lee
8. HE NEEDS ME – Peggy Lee
9. SING A RAINBOW – Peggy Lee
10. HARD HEARTED HANNAH – Ella Fitzgerald
11. ELLA HUMS THE BLUES – Ella Fitzgerald
12. PETE KELLY’S BLUES – Ella Fitzgerald
13. NARRATION – Pete Kelly
14. SMILES – Pete Kelly
15. SWEETIE – Pete Kelly
16. SORRY – Pete Kelly
17. BREEZIN’ – Pete Kelly
18. RAMBLE – Pete Kelly
19. SUGAR – Pete Kelly
20. I NEVER KNEW – Pete Kelly
21. SOMEBODY LOVES ME – Pete Kelly
22. HARD HEARTED HANNAH – Pete Kelly
23. BYE BYE BLACKBIRD – Pete Kelly
24. PETE KELLY’S BLUES – Pete Kelly
This expanded version includes narrative by Jack Webb and instrumental tracks by Pete Kelly’s Big Seven
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