Recording and Performance
| The Real Ambassadors | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album | |
| Released | 1962 (1962) |
| Recorded | September, December 1961 30th Street Studio, New York City |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Label | Columbia |
| Producer | Teo Macero |
The musical’s soundtrack album was recorded in September and December of 1961 in the Columbia Records recording studio on 30th Street in New York City, and was released the following year. It was produced by Teo Macero. Performers included Dave Brubeck and his band (including bassist Gene Wright and drummer Joe Morello, but not including saxophonist Paul Desmond); Louis Armstrong and his band (including trombonist Trummy Young and pianist Billy Kyle); vocalese group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross; and vocalist Carmen McRae. Its most recent release was on compact disc on June 14, 1994 by Sony’s Legacy label.
The musical was performed in a cut down version of ten tunes with Iola Brubeck narrating live at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1962 by Brubeck and his band; Armstrong and his band; Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan; and Carmen McRae. Television cameras, though present, did not capture the performance, and it has not been performed since. Connecticut jazz vocalist Dianne Mower has been making efforts to bring about a Broadway revival of the show. A slide/vocal clip of Louis Armstrong singing the title tune at Monterey can be found here
Read more about this topic: The Real Ambassadors
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