... Gershwin style on a roll TWENTIES During the last few years, George Gershwin has probably been the most written-about composer, mainly on the strength of his musicals. Now we are beginning to appreciate Gershwin the pianist. This is partly due to musicians such as Jack Gibbons, who have been able to reproduce his style in the concert halls and partly because of Artis Wode- house, who has ...

... Love that Latin sound CONTEMPORARY Brighton-based Terry Seabrook proves that one can produce high-octane Latin music even when you have names like Tristan Banks, Gareth Stevens and Joe Robinson, three of the members of his band Cubana Bop, now spreading their tic sounds tar Deyona tne soutn coast. It is an exciting, authentic music they produce on their own CD, most of the numbers being ...

... A grand affair fit for a Prince Nobody in this country seems to have known much about the gala concert in honour of Hal Prince, which Bavarian Radio in Munich staged last October and which Hugh Wooldridge directed. But to judge from First Night's CD (DOCRCD 2), it appears to have been a grand affair, enthusiasti cally received, with many American performers, some known here, like Len Cariou ...

... It doesn't get more exciting COMPILED BY PETER HEPPLE By all accounts, the tenth anniversary concert version of Les Mlserabies staged at the Royal Albert Hall last October was one of the great musical events of 1995. Nearly everybody who took part, down to the members of the 150-strong choir, had been in me snow ai one ume or another. The principals were a veritable dream team Colm ...

... No calamities On the Town Pride of place in recent recordings of musicals must go to TER's new version of On the Town, with five American principals, Gregg Edelman, Tim Ravin, Ethan Freeman, Kim Criswell and Judy Kaye, plus Louise Gold, Valerie Masterson and Tinuke Olafimihan, the exciting score bril liantly played by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards. We know ...

... Still a barrel of fun 50 years on What better way to relax in the glorious summer sun than listen to some music? Peter Hepple tunes in RECORDS REVIEW It is a bit of a shock to realise that it is 50 years since Annie Get Your Gun was first seen in London, but TER's double CD (CDTER2 1229) marks the anniversary in style, with one of the current queens of the American musical stage, Judy Kaye, ...

... Musicians lose out in line dance craze Compiled By Peter Hepple The country music world is being rocked by the new dance craze that is currently sweeping the nation, line dancing. Live country music nights are disappearing by the dozen, as venues that used to host country music are switching to line dancing, which is often organised by disc jockeys and other non-musicians who play CDs through ...

... Clubland's big Baron Roger Holmes looks back over the highs and lows of Salford comedian Dave Baron's long and illustrious career Mention'The Baron' to north west clubgoers and you will be understood immediately. You will be talking about the Salford-based comedian Dave Baron one of those people who have made a con sistent living as an entertainer over the years, just hitting the high spots ...

... Rockers' showcase Rockin' on Heaven's Door, a spectacular new fifties and sixties tribute show, presented by Top Billing Management, receives a showcase performance at Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green on October 4. With a storyline seen through the eyes of a sixties American DJ, it will feature Johnny Curtis as Roy Orbison, Tony Meyers as Eddie Cochran, Marc Robinson as Buddy Holly and ...

... Caravans and cabaret Mark Ritchie uncovers a rich source of seasonal work for entertainers as he tours the caravan parks of the north east A great source of work for the professional entertainer is provided by the annual migration to the East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire coast by caravan enthusiasts. Many of them are retired people, others are folk who love the idea of a home by the ...

... Musical legends in full bloom By PETER HEPPLE To my mind South Pacific represents the fullest flowering of the talents of Rodgers and Hammerstein, better constructed than Oklahoma!, less sentimental than Carousel, a magnificent mixture of light and shade and, with There Is Nothin' Like a Dame, the best male chorus number in any musical. Full justice is done to it in TER's recording (CDTER ...

... James is all Miked up There is not much guaranteed for Blackpool next summer, but Tower boss Mark Osborne has been quick in inviting back the Mike James Sound and Singers for a second successive season.. James lives in Stockport but was originally from Stalybridge, Cheshire, where his musical career began with him playing the piano in a trio. His first professional engagement above the ...