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2-CD & 2-Vinyl LP: Sonorama C-16 & L-16

VARIOUS ARTISTS – METRO`S MIDNIGHT MUSIC
Rare Jazz Tracks From The Dutch NOS Radio Show 1970-75

The Metropole Orchestra & The Louis Van Dyke Trio
Vocals: Mark Murphy, Greetje Kauffeld, Helen Merrill, Eddie Jefferson
Soloists: Herb Geller, Dave Pike, Ack Van Rooyen, Ferdinand Povel, Piet Nordijk
Toots Thielemans Metropole Orchestra conducted by Dolf van der Linden
Arranged by Rob Pronk and Jerry Van Rooyen
Louis van Dyke Trio: Louis Van Dyke (Piano), Jacques Schols (Bass), John Engels (Drums)
All tracks produced by Joop De Roo

The internationally famous radio show “Metro`s Midnight Music” was kicked off at NOS Radio in 1968 and soon reached the high standard, to which other jazz programmes and session broadcasts were judged. While disc 1 focusses on the rare trio sessions, disc 2 presents the completely lost ”Music of Harold Arlen” – an unreleased symphonic masterpiece arranged by Rob Pronk and Jerry Van Rooyen, played by the Metropole Orchestra with vocals by Mark Murphy & Greetje Kauffeld! All tracks recorded directly from the radio tapes, remastered in 2006!

Discs come in gatefold covers with unreleased session photos and extensive liner notes 2006. The broadcasting of jazz programmes from the Netherlands began in the early 50s with unique formats by VARA, AVRO and many other stations. Joop De Roo began his career in 1959 at Radio Hilversum as a producer for Light Music. Later on he started with the production of club concerts and radio or television shows in the Netherlands, featuring the famous Metropole Orchestra, the Louis Van Dyke Trio or the Skymasters Big Band. Then Joop kicked off his internationally famous radio show “Metro`s Midnight Music” at NOS Radio in 1968 and soon reached the high standard, to which other jazz programmes and session broadcasts were judged. His outstanding schedules were loaded with exclusive session material including special announcements by three different presenters. The show`s title “Metro`s Midnight Music” refers to the famous dutch Metropole Orchestra, that often appeared as the musical host with legendary arrangers Jerry Van Royen, Rob Pronk or Kenny Napper for the production of ballads, Featuring internationally famous Vocalists And Soloists within Their All-Star ensemble. The previously unreleased jazz suite “Music of Harold Arlen”, with outstanding vocal performances by Greetje Kauffeld and Mark Murphy, was recorded in 1975 at VARA Studio Hilversum and is presented here on vinyl and cd for the first time. This legendary session was broadcasted only once and soon vanished in the huge radio archives, where the corresponding master tapes could be traced by Joop De Roo in 2006.  

When it came to the more swinging titles, the sessions were arranged bythe Louis Van Dyke Trio as a musical host. Various international guest stars were invited to the VARA Studio in Hilversum for short rehearsals and a first but final take with the trio on the same day. The corresponding recordings were shelved in the radio archives over the years and chosen by Joop for inclusion into his programme, that was broadcasted every week around midnight until 1980. Parts of the rare trio recordings were previously released on cd in small amounts, unmastered and falsely marketed as the “North Sea Jazz Sessions”, although the musical material can not be connected in any manner to the famous dutch festival of the same name. This newly mastered compilation now also presents some highlights of the rare trio sessions, with famous guests Mark Murphy, Helen Merrill, Eddie Jefferson, Herb Geller, Dave Pike and Toots Thielemans, all recorded on unique occasions in Hilversum between 1970 and 1974.  Besides his radio shows, producer Joop De Roo also produced highly memorable TV programmes with many of the big international jazz names like Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Max Roach or Sarah Vaughan, not to mention the many recordings with nearly all the great dutch musicians of the time. The man finished his splendid broadcasting work in 1986 as Head of Entertainment for Radio and Television. Since then, he worked as a special project manager at Amsterdam School of Arts/Hilversum Conservatory.   Big thanks to everybody involved into this special choice for keeping the spirit of music alive (Sonorama, September 2006)

Compilation researched, conceived and annotated by Ekkehart Fleischhammer, recordings mastered by Carsten Daembkes, photos courtesy of Joop De Roo, cover design by Patrick Haase (rab.bit) and Sonorama.
Thanks to all involved artists, NOS Radio & Joop De Roo