Customer Reviews

Fly Me to the Moon and The Bossa Nova Pops

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful CD. Joe Harnell, through several songs on this very CD/recording, actually came to my attention many years ago back in the late 1970's. It wasn't until recently when I was listening to one of my favorite radio stations that they played an arrangement of "My One and Only Love" that I loved, but had forgotten. After purchasing the CD I have had many hours of listening pleasure to all of the arrangements on the CD. I wish more of the studio work that the late Mr. Harnell and his Orchestra did was available for purchase. I easily rate this effort 5 stars focusing particular attention on the genre and style of bossa nova arrangement which was very popular back in the 1960's. I period in music that I remember quiet fondly.

In the summer of 1964 I was 7 years old. 3M/Revere had manufactured a machine that was something between an 8-Track and a cassette forerunner--it weighed a ton and played cartridges that were about 5 inches square and a half inch thick in which magnetic tape was kept on a single disk. You'd stack these cartridges up in the player's loader, and they would play through, being wound onto a disk inside the machine, and then they would be automatically rewound back to the cartridge, which would drop on an incline in the loader while the next cartridge lowered to be unspooled. This was the greatest thing since sliced bread. My dad would bring new cartridges up to our lake place just about every weekend--everything from the "Gypsy" Original Cast Recording to Horowitz to Paul Revere and the Raiders (that last one for my older brothers). "Fly Me to the Moon" by the Bossa Nova Pops was in our collection with its golden Kapp label, and I played it so often, first thing every morning and at least once more during the day--or simply repeated it (there was a slide-lever for that function) that my dad finally ordered me to QUIT PLAYING THAT MUSIC!!!! I still have the player AND the cartridge somewhere around here--and it still played OK 15 or so years ago, though I had to jam a kitchen knife in to keep the play button held down and functional--but the chance to finally get this on CD will make a very Merry Christmas for yours truly. Just listening to the sample of the title track had me brimming with joy. That arrangement is so cool, just one of the greatest recordings EVER!

I too grew up listening to this in the early 70's thanks to my wonderful aunt who taught me to love bossa nova - she had all the classics from Doris Day to Frank Sinatra to this wonderful piano rendition of Flight of the Phoenix from Joe Harnell - I have been looking for this all over the place! I'm so HAPPY to find it on Amazon - this cd is truly a masterpiece and a brilliant compilation of musical harmonies. The piano is central to all of the tracks and Joe Harnell was a gifted talent; for all you music aficionados you cannot afford to be without this 'record' if you are a fan of the bossa nova movement. If you love Stan Getz, Antonio Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, etc., you will love this cd!! Thank you Amazon!

I have this as a 33rpm record but it has lost its playabillity,i can now use it in my car stereo,,I love this artist ,he is easy to listen too,catchy driving music for the over 50s,,Amazon is a good place to shop for those hard to find discs

I have this recording on vinyl and I could never stand the ticks and worn out sound of the record. It just took the enjoyment out of the music. I believe KAPP Records produced poor recording techniques.

So finally it's in the CD format and it sounds just great!
I've been searching for over 10 years for a CD format and it's here.

I just can't say enough about how wonderful this album is. Every song is done so well.

If you like Stan Getz's flavor of 60's Bossa Nova, when it was the craze of the hip and beautiful, you'll like this. I grew up with it and loved it, even when I was in the midst of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, and did what I could to resurrect bits from my parents crumbling reel-to-reel acetate tapes, so I could listen to it.

So I'm doubly grateful they've seen fit to re-master this Joe Harnell work. It's a total trip back to the 60's.

I used to play Joe Harnell on Stereo 108 FM "Music ... Just for the Two of Us" back in the late 70's. That bossa nova piano was sooooo smooth, and the Harnell sound incredibly unique. I was happy to find this CD, which I love from 1st to last track. Fine for driving music, relaxing on the porch, or painting the den. Great while entertaining in the lounge tradition. There's not enough Harnell out there for my liking, but this one is a great fix. Joe's arrangements and rhythm along with that dominant piano make this a retro sound that plays well even today.

I remember listening to this wonderful music by Joe Harnell when I was only a teenager. I was born in 1960, so I was very young in the 60s when Joe Harnell's music was played on the radio. It was a pleasure to listen to it as a teenager, and now 30 years later it is still a pleasure to hear the wonderful music arrangement of a talented composer.
It's been said to enjoy life, one must love and explore different things. I'm glad I explored Joe Harnell's music.