Time & Love - Jackie & Roy

[Harry]

TIME & LOVE
Jackie & Roy
Arranged and Conducted by Don Sebesky
CTi 6019



Recorded: June 6-8 and 20, 1972
Released: 1972


Track listing (each song linked to YouTube):

1. Day By Day (Stephen Schwartz) (4:45)
2. Time & Love (Sebesky/Meehan) (2:28)
3. Summer Song / Summertime (Brubeck/Gershwin/Heyward) (4:40)
4. Bachianas Brasileiras #5 (Villa-Lobos/Correa/Officer) (4:20)

1. A Simple Song (Bernstein/Schwartz) (5:45)
2. Heading (Cain/Kral) (2:49)
3. Lazy Afternoon (Maross/Latouche) (4:35)
4. We Could Be Flying (Williams/Colombier) (4:44)

Personnel:
Jackie Cain, Roy Kral - vocals
Paul Desmond - alto saxophone (track 3)
John Frosk, Alan Rubin - trumpet, flugelhorn
Marvin Stamm - trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flugelhorn
Wayne Andre, Garnett Brown - trombone
Paul Faulise - bass trombone
James Buffington, Peter Gordon - French horn
Hubert Laws - flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo
Romeo Penque - clarinet, bass clarinet flute, alto flute, oboe
George Marge - clarinet, bass clarinet, alto flute, English horn
Phil Bodner - clarinet, flute, alto flute, oboe
Bob James - electric piano
Pat Rebillott, Jay Berliner - guitar
Ron Carter - bass
Billy Cobham - drums
Phil Kraus, Airto Moreira - percussion
Harry Cykman, Bernard Eichen, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Felix Giglio, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, Harry Lookofsky, David Nadien, Raoul Poliakin, Max Pollikoff, Elliot Rosoff, Irving Spice - violin
Alfred Brown, Emanuel Vardi - viola
Seymour Barab, Alla Goldberg, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Lucien Schmit, Alan Shulman, Anthony Sophos - cello
Don Sebesky - arranger, conductor

 

[Harry]

• “This is not a jazz album, nor is it a rock album,” wrote (Rex) Reed about TIME & LOVE, “but it beautifully delineates Jackie and Roy’s unique grasp of both musical forms…If there is such a place as Heaven, this is the music played there; it is a journey into inner space, peaceful, verdant, and beautiful, not like anything you’ve ever heard before. And it’s the best album I’ve heard all year. – Taken from the liner notes to the CBS Records reissue on CD in 1988.

In the past couple of weeks, it got a mention in a thread in the Sergio Mendes forum, and I began to think about it. Since I was on vacation at the time, my only source was YouTube, where virtually all of the tracks are found. So I gave it a listen on some down-time, which told me that I’d needed to seriously revisit it once home. So, that’s where my head has been at in this past week or so. The title track I must have heard before, “Time & Love”, as it’s found on one of my old reel-to-reel recordings of songs I liked from the old radio station that I listened to before I worked for them. But it was a quick appearance and disappearance as the record is only vaguely familiar to me all these years later.

My album is a promo version, rescued from a discard pile. It has a hole punched through one corner, has white labels and the words “Radio Station Copy” printed on each label side. “VAN GELDER” is stamped in the runout grooves, and overall the disc is in excellent shape.

OK, so who the heck are Jackie and Roy? They were a married couple (Jackie Cain and Roy Kral) who were active from the 40s on. They were essentially of our parent’s generation, kind of an early melding of a married, Steve & Eydie-type duo, and The Carpenters with some of their overdubbed harmonies, with a dash of Brazilian and other jazz influence at times. Their released albums spanned from the late forties through the nineties. Roy, a piano player/singer/musician/composer, passed away in 2002; Jackie, a singers’ singer, left us in 2014. Roy’s vocal talents perfectly complimented Jackie’s range as they mirrored each other an octave apart. Jackie had a nice vocal range and was always accurate and on-key. The duo performed for years in Las Vegas. In fact, if you are ever watching the 1960 episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE called “The Fever”, you’ll see a billboard for the Thunderbird Hotel listing “Jackie & Roy” at the opening of the episode.

As our member “lj” mentioned, Eumir Deodato was so enamored of Jackie Cain’s good looks and talent, he wrote a song for her called “Jackie, All”, found on two A&M CTi records from George Benson and Walter Wanderley.

After having worked with Creed Taylor earlier, the duo recorded this album, TIME & LOVE for the CTi labelin 1972. Reportedly, they recorded a lot of their basic vocal tracks first and then Don Sebesky went to work fleshing out the arrangements and orchestral accompaniment. In many ways, this album reminds me a bit of the Michel Colombier WINGS project that Herb and Lani worked on for A&M. In fact, “We Could Be Flying” from that very album finds its way here as the final track on the LP.

So what’s the hook here? That’s hard to say. This album may not be for everyone. It’s a bit of a conundrum as to what it wants to be. Is it jazz? Is it pop? Is it classical? Is it contemporary Christian? As I said, the title track, “Time and Love” actually got airplay on the Philadelphia MOR station I listened to. It’s an odd track to have been picked as the single from the album (CTi OJ-11), as it didn’t exactly fit in with the 1972 recorded landscape. This is not the Laura Nyro composition of the same name, but rather one by Don Sebesky and Danny Meehan. After a gentle first verse statement of the melody, the orchestration takes over and places Johann Sebastian Bach’s melody known as “Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring” as the foundation for the rest of the track. Herb Alpert fans will surely know that one from his CHRISTMAS ALBUM. So is this jazz? Not in many ways for sure, and the fact that it fit on an MOR radio station in 1972 says, “No”. Maybe pop/MOR/classical? Well, label-mate Deodato was having success with his single based on Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra” in 1972, too.

Let’s look at the rest of the tracks on the album. Starting Side One off on a familiar note is “Day By Day”. This is the Stephen Schwartz-composed song from GODSPELL. It was an oft-performed track back in those days and showed up on a number of artists’ albums. This version starts with a gentle orchestral overture. Jackie then introduces the melody slowly with a heavy dose of reverb. Roy then joins in as the track picks up a bit of speed and energy. Two minutes in things turn jazzier for the heart of the recording. Then the opening slow motif repeats till the end. Pop/jazz?

“Summer Song / Summertime” starts with Paul Desmond’s alto sax infusing the track with a little jazz cred. Then a vocal unison with Jackie & Roy taking over until another instrumental break led by Paul Desmond. The duo comes back with some wordless harmonies, leading to an a capella restatement of the main song in an overdubbed stacked harmony reminiscent of what the Carpenters were doing at the time. A classy track all the way. Jazz/vocal?

“Bachianas Brasileiras #5” composed by Heitor Villa-Lobos sounds like it could be at home on a classical recording disc. Jackie does the solo wordless vocal along with Phil Bodner’s flute for much of the track, with an English verse in the middle. Classical/pop?

“A Simple Song” – This is a section of a Mass composed by Leonard Bernstein and is the track on this album that has totally grabbed me. I’d never heard this before, and as I was dubbing the album to CD-R, I caught a bit of the song and wondered what the heck this religious-sounding thing was, and what it was doing on a jazz/pop recording. Starting like something one would hear in church, Hubert Laws then takes over the melody and Jackie & Roy echo with sumptuous harmony vocals. Again, Hubert Laws solos, this time in a jazzy setting, and the horns join in as the thing takes flight. Harmony vocals take over merged with Don Sebesky’s soaring strings. Now we’re in goosebump territory, and then the track returns to its simple roots. Contermporary Christian/jazz/vocal pop?

“Heading” was apparently the b-side to the “Time & Love” single. This is a Cain/Kral composition. Some nice harmony vocals complement Sebesky’s arrangement. Pop/MOR?

“Lazy Afternoon” begins with Jackie’s sublime “oohing” a capella before Sebesky’s gentle arrangement takes over. Orchestral/bop?

“We Could Be Flying” is the capper to the album and the arrangement is similar to the Michel Colombier track on WINGS with Lani Hall’s vocal. Jackie does a good job and Roy adds a bit of harmony help at times. Pop/classical/jazz?

Liking the album as much as I do, I decided I wanted it in its best form, and for me that’s likely a CD. My LP is pretty good, but there’s a hint of “s” sibilance on the inner tracks, so I began a search for what CDs were released, if any, over the years.

It appears that Columbia/CBS did a series of CTi releases in the late 1980s that would be the initial CD issue of this recording. One was released in the US and a companion on the Epic label came out in the Netherlands at the same time.

It then appears that King Records in Japan re-released CDs in both 2002 and 2006 and finally in 2013 they put out a “Blu-spec” CD of the album. “Blu-spec” is one of those Japanese sub-formats that are supposed to sound better than regular CDs. This one is supposed to use Blu-ray encoding laser equipment to make what is essentially a standard CD. CDJapan lists it at a very reasonable price. In fact with some bonus points I had, the shipping was virtually free. I’ll post more about that version when it arrives.

My first CD ordered is the first one issued on Columbia from 1988. This one has some interesting differences. One is that it includes two bonus tracks: “Tapestry”, the Carole King song, and “Tomorrow’s Dream”, a Roy Kral song. These two songs were recorded during the same sessions but I suppose missed the final cut because of time. Creed Taylor and Rudy Van Gelder were sticklers about having a record album sound the best it could.



One other interesting difference comes on the track “A Simple Song”. It’s a good 45-50 seconds longer on this CBS CD. My suspicion is that it was edited for the vinyl album, probably again as a timing thing for vinyl. All is the same until the track gets to the jazzy/instrumental middle section where the CD has a few more measures. Then when it gets to my “goosebump” moment, one phrase repeats about six more times than on the LP. That’s OK by me!

It’s always fun to discover a “new” old album that you really like. Hopefully this post will lead a few others to the joys of TIME & LOVE by Jackie & Roy.

 

[lj]

Here is a great article about the late, great Jackie Cain. She had great looks with a voice to match. I was lucky to have seen Jackie & Roy live in 1993 at a jazz club here in San Diego. They were fantastic. Gene Lees, the renown jazz essayist and lyricist--"Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars", had a whole chapter on the artistry of Jackie & Roy in his book "Singers and the Song II." It is a great read. You have to buy it. Also included is a chapter on Jobim, which brilliantly summarizes the musical life of Jobim the glory days of Bossa Nova.

Jackie Cain dies at 86; part of the jazz duo Jackie and Roy

 

[lj]

Here is a terrific song "Better Than Anything" sung in 1963 by Roy Kral's most gifted sister--jazz singer Irene Kral. Irene sings along with the Junior Mance Trio. It's a real catchy tune. It has become sort of a jazz standard. I like the way the lyrics recall the jazz giants from that period of time--the early 1960s. Hey, baby boomers out there--see if you recognize the TV shows and other names from that period such as boxer Emile Griffith and newsmen Huntley and Brinkley. The song is a real time capsule. Later on Al Jarreau and Natalie Cole and Diana Krall released their versions of this delightful song with updated lyrics.

 

[Harry]

Here's the only evidence I can find of Jackie & Roy's "Time And Love" single doing anything in the charts. It looks like it managed to squeak into the top 40 of the Pop Easy Listening chart in Billboard by placing at 39th place.


Two weeks later, it had climbed all the way to #36!

 

[lj]

Here's the only evidence I can find of Jackie & Roy's "Time And Love" single doing anything in the charts. It looks like it managed to squeak into the top 40 of the Pop Easy Listening chart in Billboard by placing at 39th place.

View attachment 3947
Two weeks later, it had climbed all the way to #36!

 

[lj]

Actually #36 isn't all that bad considering that it was released by a jazz company compared to the kind of record promotion you would get from a giant label like Columbia back then--(as per the 10-14-72 Billboard Chart.)

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Here is a terrific song "Better Than Anything" sung in 1963 by Roy Kral's most gifted sister--jazz singer Irene Kral. Irene sings along with the Junior Mance Trio. It's a real catchy tune. It has become sort of a jazz standard. I like the way the lyrics recall the jazz giants from that period of time--the early 1960s. Hey, baby boomers out there--see if you recognize the TV shows and other names from that period such as boxer Emile Griffith and newsmen Huntley and Brinkley. The song is a real time capsule. Later on Al Jarreau and Natalie Cole and Diana Krall released their versions of this delightful song with updated lyrics.

I cannot tell you how much I love this---tripped over it by accident about four years ago on Spotify----just as we were about to head off for a few days in Monterey.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Actually #36 isn't all that bad considering that it was released by a jazz company compared to the kind of record promotion you would get from a giant label like Columbia back then--(as per the 10-14-72 Billboard Chart.)

Showing up on the Billboard Easy Listening chart in those days was no indication of any kind of success---certainly sales. I wrote about that in another thread a few years back:

Brasil '66 singles

 

[lj]

Respect must also be paid to the brilliant Don Sebesky who arranged the Jackie & Roy album. He was Wes Montgomery's go-to arranger. You can't get a better musical combination than that. For your listening pleasure from 1971 on A&M is Paul Desmond's version of "El Condor Pasa." Don Sebesky's arrangement is amazing--so mysterious and beautiful. The way he uses the strings and horns is extraordinary. And of course Desmond's understated use of the sax is the perfect match. I remember hearing this on KBIG AM the summer of 1971. What a radio station and what outstanding music it had back then.

 

[lj]

I must also add for El Condor Pasa--note the fantastic middle portion, the bridge, where Desmond's saxophone mimics Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. I remember reading a number of times that jazz musicians from the 1960s and 1970s were all influenced by Stravinsky, Debussy and Ravel. And Jobim admitted that Debussy had a great influence on his music.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Respect must also be paid to the brilliant Don Sebesky who arranged the Jackie & Roy album. He was Wes Montgomery's go-to arranger. You can't get a better musical combination than that. For your listening pleasure from 1971 on A&M is Paul Desmond's version of "El Condor Pasa." Don Sebesky's arrangement is amazing--so mysterious and beautiful. The way he uses the strings and horns is extraordinary. And of course Desmond's understated use of the sax is the perfect match. I remember hearing this on KBIG AM the summer of 1971. What a radio station and what outstanding music it had back then.

KBIG-AM was remarkable. Not much of a signal, having to cross 26 miles of ocean from Catalina before getting to its intended audience, and battling a then-lengthy line of competitors for adult listeners (KFI, KMPC, KGBS, KGIL, KPOL AM/FM, KJOI, their own FM station, KBIG-FM, KBCA, KWST and KPSA).

It was all very near the end of adult music (as opposed to least-objectionable top 40 making up the Adult Contemporary format), but each of those stations worked to distinguish themselves from the pack---and often, the tastiest stuff would be found on KBIG-AM.

 

[lj]

Here is another fantastic programming example I heard from KBIG-AM from the summer of 1971: El Chicano "Cubano Chant." KBIG-AM had the uncanny knack of playing songs of a unique mix of pop/latin/jazz, often not heard on its MOR radio competitors. Perhaps KBIG had this freedom because it emphasized music over DJ chit chat, rather unique for AM stations at that time. And how it played all the songs from the Brasil 66 catalog. How I loved that.

 

[Harry]

I remember El Chicano from their prior hit, "Viva Tirado!".

 

[Bobberman]

I love EL Chicano's later MCA Album "Pyramid of Love and Friends" which had A decent cover of Baretta's theme and some good original material and a couple instrumentals such as "Pyramid and "Michaels theme" and there's the mellow vocal "Lake Aquabi". Just to name a few

 

[Harry]

Back to the original thread subject, I've had some time to compare the LP and the 1988 CBS CD of Jackie & Roy's TIME & LOVE. In perhaps an unusual twist, the original LP sounds a lot more compressed than the CD does. The CD has a good dynamic range, where the LP tracks all seem to be at a more constant level. I don't know if this was by design as the LP I have is a promotional copy.

Here's a set of waveforms for both the LP and CD versions of the song "Time & Love". The first stereo set is the LP. The second is the CD.



It's tempting to say that it's just a volume level difference between my needledrop and the CD, but as you can see, the CD has some peaks toward the end that are way louder than the rest of the track, whereas the LP just sort of maintains a similar level. I hear the difference too particularly in the car. The LP version tends to sound more consistent in level, whereas with the CD, I'm finding it necessary to adjust the levels to stay above the road noise.