Jim Helms, Buddy Colette, Howard Roberts, Mel Pollan, Rogelio Darias, Leo Acosta: Bossa Nova (LP)

Welcome to another Jazz Saturday! This album is a curiosity in my collection. There is no artist or group credit, other than the list of musicians who supposedly recorded on the album. Jim Helms, however, composed, arranged, and conducted the songs on the album. It is rather competently played, but is no lost classic. Why the mystique? This was released on the budget label Crown Records, known for being the record industry equivalent of bottom feeders. I would tend to trust the credits on this one, although on other Crown records, names of popular artists were used misleadingly to get buyers to fork over their 99 cents. Let's hope the musicians were at least paid union scale for this gig. Crown Records was also known as the label with the Mexicali Brass, a ripoff of Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, releasing several albums while the TJB was still a hot item. I should also warn the listener that the sound quality of Crown Records releases were substandard, pressed in such a cheap manner that they played like a used record, straight out of the shrinkwrap. This LP, purchased sealed, was no exception--the vinyl was a bit noisy, the channels were way out of balance, and the music was both muffled throughout and distorted in places. I did a little extra work to try to make this more listenable. So, for what it's worth, give it a try. Track List ---------------- Nao Pode Ser (It Can Never Be) O Barulho Da Noite (Noise Of The Night) Samba Da Tartaruga (Turtle Samba) Amor Levado (Mischievous Love) A Meia-Noite (At Midnight) Samba Un Pouco Azul (Blue Samba) A Pele Do Marfin (Skin Of Ivory) Porque De Moras? (Why Do You Linger?)