“An Evening with Belafonte”
February 26, 2012 at 8:57 AM | Posted in Anthony's LPs, Music | Leave a commentTags: Anthony Maillie, Danny Boy, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Harry Belafonte, John S. Wilson
When I think of Harry Belafonte I think of someone who was before my time and I think of The Banana Boat Song. Now Belafonte, born in 1927, is still very much alive and is seen at famous gatherings and recently published an autobiography. So when I say he was before my time, I mean that he became famous when I was a child and I’ve thought of him over the years as a name instead of an artist.
I wondered then what I would hear, what I would think, when I played An Evening with Belafonte, an album that went Gold in 1957. It is an album of, mainly, very known folk and old-timey songs like Shenandoah, When the Saints Go Marching In and (the dreaded) Hava Nageela. I thought: ‘what a voice’!
I am an easy touch when it comes to Danny Boy and even grow misty-eyed when it’s sung by the German soprano, Elizabeth Schwartzkopf. In Danny Boy, Belafonte is wonderful and in no way does he sound old-fashioned. He is touching.
with notes from John S. Wilson
This LP is from my Uncle Anthony’s famous collection. I plan throughout this year to highlight a number from his wonderful trove.
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