NEW JUDY GARLAND CD

“THAT OLD FEELING”:
CLASSIC BALLADS FROM “THE JUDY GARLAND SHOW”
----
SAVOY JAZZ DEBUTS NEW COMPACT DISC COLLECTION ON JUNE 14

For Immediate Release: Legendary music label Savoy Jazz is proud to announce its premier association with perhaps the most legendary entertainer of them all in a special musical celebration, “That Old Feeling”: Classic Ballads From The Judy Garland Show. The 20 songs featured in this June 14th compact disc release have been hand-picked from the soundtracks of Garland’s 1963-64 CBS-TV series, during which she sang more than 150 solos -- many of them new to her repertoire.

Rather than compile again the standard numbers she introduced or popularized, this Savoy Jazz collection provides instead a prime sampler of Garland's command over the fresh and unfamiliar. It pairs the woman Tony Bennett has long since defined as "the greatest singer of the twentieth century" with music and lyrics that encompass six decades of the great popular songbook, from the 'teens through the 'sixties. Whether originating in Broadway shows or Hollywood films, whether drawn from Tin Pan Alley or American folk heritage, these numbers provide a composite new view of the musical artistry of Judy Garland.

The songs featured on "That Old Feeling": Classic Ballads From "The Judy Garland Show" have been selected by Emmy Award-winning producer and Garland biographer, John Fricke, who also wrote the liner notes and programmed the running order of the material. Says Fricke, "Judy did several concept albums during her tenure with Capitol Records, but that was nearly 50 years ago. This CD gives us a chance to revisit that kind of concept in an innovative way -- by using songs that had never before been assembled in a single package. It was a genuine pleasure, because Judy's own inherent ability to pace her repertoire gave us such a variety of ballads from which to choose."

As a result, the spectrum of material and Garland performance featured on the new compact disc is almost unfathomable...yet totally typical of her timelessness and versatility. The selections range from the autobiographical ("Once In A Lifetime" and "Through the Years") to the dramatic ("By Myself"), philosophical ("Lost in the Stars"), gentle ("Here's That Rainy Day"), wistful ("I'm Always Chasing Rainbows"), romantic ("The Last Dance"), to quintessential torch songs ("As Long As He Needs Me," "When Your Lover Has Gone"). Adding to the range of the program, Garland is accompanied on the different numbers by musical backgrounds that alternate full orchestra, piano and rhythm section, vocal chorus, or solo instrumentation.

“That Old Feeling” is also highlighted by Judy's spoken introductions to a couple of numbers, several never-before-published photographs in the accompanying booklet, and -- supremely -- by her duets with two of the best balladeers in the business, Barbra Streisand and the aforementioned Tony Bennett.

Street date for Classic Ballads From "The Judy Garland Show" is June 14th -- just four days after the star's 83rd birthday anniversary.
----
Complete track listing is as follows: “Once in a Lifetime,” “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows," "Too Late Now," “Ol’ Man River," “Shenandoah," "When Your Lover Has Gone," “A Foggy Day," “As Long As He Needs Me," “What’ll I Do?," “All Alone," “Lost In The Stars," “A Cottage For Sale," “That Old Feeling," “By Myself," “Here’s That Rainy Day," “The Last Dance," “Battle Hymn of the Republic,“ "I Left My Heart in San Francisco” (with Tony Bennett), “Medley: Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again” (with Barbra Streisand), and “Through the Years.”

----
P.S. from John Fricke: As a personal postscript, may I add that it was also a pleasure and a privilege to be asked to determine a concept for this album. For those who might question the selections, it's necessary to point out as well that I was completely limited to using ONLY tracks that were earlier included on the cd/vhs set that 32 Records put out a few years back. (I don't know any of the logistics, but that specific material now has passed on to Savoy Jazz, and they came to me a few months ago and asked for suggestions as to potential ways to "reuse" the various TV series songs. Rather than offer yet again another "Swanee," "San Francisco," or the Palace medley, etc., the ballad melange seemed workable...so that's what they decided to implement. Within these rather tight boundaries, I think [I hope!] it makes for a decent program; at very least, it's the chance to circulate a Garland CD where she's doing -- for the masses, anyway -- mostly unfamiliar songs, including some amazingly good ones.)

As ever, Steve Sanders and Ranse Ransone were of major help in collecting and preparing artwork for the release, and there are two or three previously unpublished TV series performance photographs amidst two or three other familiar ones. The booklet is only eight pages long, but it allows for a quick summation of the series, its history, and its residual reputation...with all due credit to the late Al DiOrio whose solicitation of comments from British critic Douglas McVay (for the introduction to LITTLE GIRL LOST thirty-plus years ago) yielded the "peg" on which the concept is explained in the text.

The finished product is a minor one, but I hope it's also "classy," as that's something most of us wish for Judy, regardless!

At the upcoming 2005 Judy Garland Festival:

JUDY GARLAND TRIBUTE CONCERT

Do you think you can sing like Judy Garland?

Or do you just love to Belt out those great Judy Songs?

This is your chance to perform Judy’s songs in the best atmosphere!

---

Come join us at the 2005 Judy Garland Festival

Saturday June 25, 2005 at  4:00 p.m.

Historic Greenway High School Auditorium
308 Roosevelt Street
Coleraine, Minnesota

Special M.C Joe Luft

Concert Organizer  Melissa Christophersen

Open to ALL performers Male and Female of all ages - Solo or duets.

Live Music by Local Grand Rapids Big Band  SWING DELIVERY or piano accompaniment available.

PERFORMER REGISTRATION FEE:  $50.00 (please complete performance registration form)


We wish to provide a balanced concert of songs spanning Judy Garland’s entire career. 

Please review a sample list of Judy’s songs below and chose from 1-3 songs you would like to sing at this concert. Some of these songs are duets she performed with many famous singers, like Mickey Rooney, Barbra Streisand and Gene Kelly. Depending on the number of responses we receive, you may be asked to sing more than one piece.

All Costumes and make-up will be the responsibility of the performer.

Some props/set pieces may be available (please contact the organizer).

***The Judy Garland Festival Committee requests you submit a sample recording of your voice. ***

Remember, This is NOT a contest. Your recording will assist the organizer and the Live Band in determining the proper musical key signature. This sample recording may be accompanied or a cappella.

Submit a MP3 recording clip to the organizer:

Melissa Christophersen at: jgarland@uslink.net

Or you may submit a tape/CD 

Send to: Judy Garland Museum ATTN: Judy Garland Tribute Concert 2727 US Hwy 169 South P.O. Box 724 Grand Rapids, MN 55744 

Method of Payment:

You may complete your registration form online and use your credit card for the $50.00 performer registration fee at the secure museum website http://judygarlandmuseum.com

Or

Mail your performer registration form and $50.00 Fee to Judy Garland Museum ATTN: Judy Garland Tribute Concert   2727 US Hwy 169 South P.O. Box 724 Grand Rapids, MN 55744 

Please make all application checks payable to the order of:  Judy Garland Museum 

*******DEADLINE FOR PERFORMANCE REGISTRATION and FEE:  ***********
May  31, 2005

For more information about other events for The 2005 JUDYGARLAND FESTIVAL and this concert

Please visit the museum website at  http://judygarlandmuseum.com  or call 1-800-664-JUDY (5839)