Art Van Damme - The MPS Hi-Res Collection [Official Digital Download 24/88]

Jazz accordion-master, Art Van Damme plays much more than cool/accordion mush. Born in Norway, Michigan, raised in Chicago, he is considered one of the greatest Jazz accordionists of all time. In the '60-'70 he is recorded many albums for German label MPS, considered among the best of his prolific career. Some of them are included into this combined Hi-Res collection.

Called “The hippest cat ever to Swing an accordion”, Art Van Damme was born in the small town of Norway, Michigan in 1920. The 40’s and 50’s saw the classically trained Van Damme revolutionize the way the accordion was played, removing it from its stereotyped role as a polka playmate; in 1947 Van Damme made the cover of the prestigious jazz magazine Downbeat and was voted “Top Accordionist” 10 years in a row. He starred on such popular American TV programs as “Today”, “The Dinah Shore Show”, and “The Tonight Show”, and toured Europe some 40 times. With his decision to combine guitar and vibes with accordion, Van Dam’s groups developed a unique sound early-on. His recordings with MPS were some of his best, given the company’s predilection of allowing the musicians a free hand. As one reviewer put it, Van Damme played “…right-hand runs with a velocity and lightness of touch that defied the presumed limitations of the instrument, consistently emphasizing the lyric contours of a melodic phrase rather than the lightning technical flourishes that led up to it”.

The 1966 With Art Van Damme in San Francisco was the first of some 16 recordings Van Damme would make with Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer’s MPS. As had become his habit at this point in his career when he was on the road, the Chicago-centered Van Damme played with a local rhythm section. In this case, he picked the cream of the San Fran crop, musicians who had worked with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz, Nat “King” Cole, and Benny Goodman. And with vibes player John Ray and guitarist Paul Miller joining Van Damme on the front line, Van Damme’s signature sound is intact. There’s a tasty mix of 12 standards and originals, with sizzling up-tempo versions of Old Black Magic and Runnin’ Wild. Van Damme runs virtuoso arpeggios on a beautiful interpretation of the ballad Here’s that Rainy Day, and he smokes a solo on the medium tempo early bop classic Robbin’s Nest. Two Van Damme originals grace the set, the minor key Ode to Cleavage with its mysterioso feel, and the jazzy Playing Around with the Blues. Van Damme plays with combination of virtuosity and economy, saying what he wants to say and not a note more.

Tracklist:

01 - Star Spangled Rhythm: That Old Black Magic
02 - Parla Nova
03 - Runnin' Wild
04 - Here's That Rainy Day: Carnival in Flanders: Here's that Rainy Day
05 - Tonga
06 - Robbins Nest
07 - Topsy
08 - Amoureux
09 - Tangerine
10 - Soon It's Gonna Rain
11 - Ode to Cleavage or the Camel
12 - Playing a Round with the Blues

Produced and Engineered by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer.
Recorded January 1966 at Golden Gate Studio, San Francisco.

Musicians:
Art Van Damme - accordion
John Mosher - bass
John Markham - drums
Paul Miller - guitar
John Rae - vibraphone, timbales

Ecstasy is one of three albums he recorded in 1967 and 1968 in Germany with the MPS house rhythm section and his Chicago compatriot, guitarist Freddy Rundquist; German vibes player Heribert Thusek completes the front line of guitar/vibes/accordion and keeps the signature Van Damme sound intact.

Tracklist:

01 - Satin Doll
02 - Autumn in New York
03 - I Dream of Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair
04 - Blue Light and Shadows
05 - Love Walked In
06 - It Could Happen to You
07 - Ecstasy
08 - Swanee
09 - Since I Fell for You
10 - Easy Swing
11 - Nancy

Produced by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. Recorded by Willi Fruth.
Recorded in March 1967 at SABA-Tonstudio, Villingen/Black Forest, Germany.

Musicians:
Art Van Damme - accordion
Freddie Rundquist - guitar
Heribert Thusek - vibraphone
Peter Witte - bass
Charly Antolini - drums

Perhaps the most perfectly realized MPS session by jazz accordionist Art Van Damme! Van Damme's lovely melodic sound is set up nicely with a small combo that includes Fred Rundquist on guitar, Heribert Thusek on vibes, and the great MPS rhythm team of Peter Witte bass and Charly Antolini drums. The sound is moody, mellow, and out of this world. Titles include 'Moxi', 'I Concetrate On You', 'Cute', and 'It's Over'.

Tracklist:

01 - Cute
02 - One Morning in May
03 - The Gentle Art of Love
04 - Please Don't Talk About Me
05 - I Wished On the Moon
06 - I Concentrate On You
07 - Chicago
08 - Moxi
09 - Just in Time
10 - It's Over
11 - Speak Low
12 - I Cover the Waterfront

Produced by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. Recorded by Willi Fruth.
Recorded in March 1967 at SABA-Tonstudio, Villingen/Black Forest, Germany.

Musicians:
Art Van Damme - accordion
Freddie Rundquist - guitar
Heribert Thusek - vibraphone, flute
Peter Witte - bass
Charly Antolini - drums

This 1968 collection of well known jazz and pop standards features Van Damme's unique signature sound combining guitar and vibes with accordion.

Tracklist:

01 - I Got Rhythm
02 - Give Me the Simple Life
03 - All the Things You Are
04 - Pandora
05 - Love Me or Leave Me
06 - Pennies from Heaven
07 - Don't Get Around Much Anymore
08 - Lover Man
09 - If I Had You
10 - Avalon
11 - Day In, Day Out
12 - For Sale

Musicians:
Art Van Damme - accordion
Fred Rundquist - guitar
Heribert Thusek - vibraphone
Peter Witte - bass
Charly Antolini - drums

Lullaby in Rhythm is one of three albums he recorded in 1967 and 1968 in Germany with the MPS house rhythm section and his Chicago compatriot, guitarist Freddy Rundquist; German vibes player Heribert Thusek completes the front line of guitar/vibes/accordion and keeps the signature Van Damme sound intact. Lullaby in Rhythm offers a wide range of standards played with taste and unpretentious virtuosity.

Tracklist:

01 - Cherokee
02 - Love for Sale
03 - You Don't Know What Love Is
04 - I Get a Kick Out of You
05 - Happy Moments
06 - After You've Gone
07 - Summerwind
08 - My Romans
09 - Lullaby in Rhythm
10 - At Last
11 - Andy
12 - Darktown Strutter's Ball

Musicians:
Art Van Damme - accordion
Fred Rundquist - guitar
Heribert Thusek - vibraphone
Peter Witte - bass
Charly Antolini - drums

1969 release. Augmenting Van Damme's unique trademark combination sound of guitar, vibes and accordion supplied by his own band members are the "four brothers", saxophonists Hans Wolf, Heinz Loch, Rolf Prinz and Werner Dauber.

Tracklist:

01 - Easy to Love
02 - Shiny Stockings
03 - Lush Life
04 - Sunny
05 - Our Love Is Here to Stay
06 - Snowfall
07 - Four Brothers
08 - My Little Boat
09 - On a Wonderful Day Like Today
10 - Love Is Blue
11 - What the World Needs Now
12 - Poor Butterfly

Musicians:
Art Van Damme - accordion
Fred Rundquist - guitar
Heribert Thusek - vibraphone
Peter Witte - bass
Charly Antolini - drums
+
Hans Wolf - alto saxophone
Heinz Loch - baritone saxophone
Rolf Prinz - tenor saxophone
Werner Dauber - tenor saxophone

Vibes player Heribert Thusek completes the front line of guitar/vibes/accordion and keeps the unique signature Van Damme sound intact on these standards by Gershwin, Kern and Ellington.

Tracklist:

01 - The Way You Look Tonight
02 - Yellow Days
03 - Lonesome Road
04 - Wave
05 - I'm Beginning to See the Light
06 - Sweet Georgia Brown
07 - Undecided
08 - Doree's Tune
09 - Bernie's Tune
10 - Whatch What Happens
11 - Stars Fell On Alabama
12 - It's Wonderful

Musicians:
Art Van Damme - accordion
Freddie Rundquist - guitar
Heribert Thusek - vibraphone, flute
Peter Witte - bass
Charly Antolini - drums

This 1970 session includes well known musicians Eberhard Weber on bass, Kenny Clare on drums and Joe Pass on guitar alongside Van Damme's vibraphonist Heribert Thusek.

Tracklist:

01 - Blue Lou
02 - It's a Blue World
03 - My Kind of Love
04 - Laura
05 - Too Close For Comfort
06 - When Your Lover Has Gone
07 - The Song Is You
08 - The Things We Did Last Summer
09 - Cheek to Cheek
10 - On the Alamo
11 - Jim
12 - Diane

Musicians:
Art Van Damme - accordion
Joe Pass - guitar
Herbert Thusek - vibraphone
Eberhard Weber - bass
Kenny Clare - drums

Keep Going was released in 1971 and features acclaimed musicians Eberhard Weber on bass, Kenny Clare on drums and Joe Pass on guitar in addition to Van Damme's vibraphonist, Heribert Thusek.

Tracklist:

01 - Turnabout
02 - A Sunday Kind of Love
03 - I Want to Be Happy
04 - Tenderly
05 - Gone With the Wind
06 - Ev'rything I've Got (from "By Jupiter")
07 - Let Yourself Down
08 - On Green Dolphin Street
09 - I Saw Stars
10 - Small World (from "Gypsy")
11 - It's Easy to Remember (And So Hard to Forget)
12 - The Man I Love (from "Lady, Be Good")

Musicians:
Art Van Damme - accordion
Joe Pass - guitar
Herbert Thusek - vibraphone
Eberhard Weber - bass
Kenny Clare - drums

In the early 1970s, Oscar Peterson gave a demo tape to his friend and MPS label head Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. It contained a recording of a vocal quartet from Chicago, Singers Unlimited. Enthralled, the MPS chief spontaneously booked the group. For the three-man, one-woman choir, it was the beginning of a successful international career. In the following years, MPS produced no less than 15 albums for the vocal virtuosos. In June 1973, MPS engaged accordion virtuoso Art van Damme (1920-2010) for a session with SU. Seldom mentioned in todays jazz literature, he brought the accordion into jazz. For Invitation, van Damme wrote instrumental arrangements for a combo (with MPS house bassist Eberhard Weber and Swiss drummer Charly Antolini). Singers Unlimited were recorded using the then revolutionary multitrack technology; their production was one of the most expensive MPS recordings. On the other hand, with its swinging easy-listening sound, the album was also one of the companys best selling efforts.

Tracklist:

01 - Spring Is Here
02 - But Beautiful
03 - We Could Be Flying
04 - Violets for Your Furs
05 - Invitation
06 - Cherry
07 - Ectasy
08 - Let There Be Love
09 - My One and Only Love
10 - Wave
11 - Good Bye

Musicians:
Art Van Damme - accordion
Sigi Schwab - guitar
Heribert Thusek - vibraphone
Eberhard Weber - bass
Charly Antolini - drums
+ The Singers Unlimited

Art Van Damme with Strings represents something special in MPS’s Van Damme catalogue – Art’s first recording with strings. The accordion-guitar-vibes frontline is still there, but two young up-and-coming German giants of the European jazz scene, bassist Eberhard Weber and guitarist Siggi Schwab, add a new sound to this edition of the quintet. The song choices are also something special, with a discerning mixture of standards, ballads, sambas and bossas, and a soul-jazz classic. Van Damme takes a spirited happy-go-lucky solo on the Rogers and Hart standard Mountain Greenery. He shows his command of Brazilian rhythms in his sophisticated renderings the classic bossa How Insensitive and Summer Samba (So Nice). There are beautiful interpretations of the ballads Polka Dots And Moonbeams, We’ve Only Just Begun, and Moonlight In Vermont, and Van Damme’s solo on Nat Adderley’s Work Song lets the listener know the man has soul. To end the album, Van Damme and Co surprise by playing the Jobim bossa Quiet Nights with a bouncy swing feel interspersed with some lightning-quick accordion runs. With lush string backgrounds and a superb quintet to spur him on, Van Damme plays at his lyrical best.

Tracklist:

01 - Perdido
02 - Polka Dots and Moonbeams
03 - Mountain Greenery (from "Garrick Gaieties")
04 - We've Only Just Begun
05 - So Nice
06 - What's New?
07 - On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
08 - Insensatez (How Insensitive)
09 - Work Song
10 - Moonlight in Vermont
11 - A Man and a Woman
12 - Corcovado

Produced and engineered by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer.
Recorded June 12-13, 1973 (Quintet) & March 6, 1979 (Strings).

Musicians:
Art Van Damme - accordion
Sigi Schwab - guitar
Heribert Thusek - vibraphone
Eberhard Weber - bass
Charly Antolini - drums
+ String Orchestra Hubert Deuringer, Conducted by Willi Lehmann.


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