New Pop Records

Some things that happen for the first

time Seem to be happening again . . .

With those wistful words, Mary Martin keynotes another wistful week of revivals and reissues in pop records. Mary stars in a revival of Babes in Arms (Columbia, 2 sides LP), with its spray of winsome songs by Rodgers and Hart (Where or When, My Funny Valentine, Johnny One Note). Among the reissues:

The BIx Beiderbecke Story (Columbia, 6 sides LP). Third of a series of historical anthologies, this set takes 36 recordings out of the collector's-item class, fixes Cornetist Beiderbecke's halo more firmly in place. Vol. I (Bix and His Gang) finds him at his freest, contains his definitive version of Jazz Me Blues; Vol. II (Bix and Tram) contains his most famous solos (Singin' the Blues, I'm Cornin' Virginia) and happy teamwork with Saxophonist Frank Trumbauer; Vol. Ill (Whiteman Days) has appealing solos by Bix and Bing Crosby, buried in a large dose of "symphonic" dross.

Bing and Connee (Decca, 2 sides LP). Crosby and Connee Boswell in eight light-hearted examples of their smooth old teamwork, including Basin Street Blues, Bob White, Yes Indeed, An Apple for the Teacher.

Classics in Jazz (Capitol, 18 sides, LP). Well-picked samples of the wide variety of jazz styles of the past half-dozen years. The nine platters: Piano Stylists, Sax Stylists, Dixieland Stylists, Trumpet Stylists, The Modern Idiom, Small Combos, Coleman Hawkins, Woody Herman, Bobby Sherwood.

Other new records:

Be Anything (Decca). Peggy Lee's sweet, husky voice packs a lot of feeling into a sentimental ditty about a miss who expects very little of her man.

Sugarbush (Doris Day & Frankie Laine; Columbia). South African sweet-talk about Pop Topic A. Pleasant enough to become a bestseller.

I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good (Ben Webster; Decca). The onetime Ellington saxophonist gives a well-padded version of one of the Duke's best.

I Don't Mind (Jimmy Palmer; Mercury). A definitely easygoing sentiment tricked up with a razzle-dazzle ukulele solo, echo effects and Gay Nineties lyrics.

Slow Down (Louis Jordan; Decca). Sultry blues done in small-band style, with Bandleader Jordan doling out the good advice in a gravelly voice.

St. Louis Blues (Blake Reynolds; MacGregor). Strictly for the curious: Reynolds gives a somewhat thick-textured, one-man performance of the old masterpiece on saxophones, clarinets, and rhythm instruments, brought together in a multiple-recording process. A similar trick is performed on Should I? by Geordie Hormel, who favors percussion instruments.

Goody Goody (The Modernaires; Coral). An oldtimer turned out with precision by a group that has kept the spirit of its famous days with Glenn Miller.

Strike Up the Band (Marion MacPartland; Savoy). The British-born wife of Cornetist Jimmy MacPartland plays along clean, classical lines, with idiomatic jazz style, moments of wig-flipping rhythm.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.