Discography

Produced, Arranged, and Conducted by J. Billy VerPlanck.

Recorded August 21 and 22, 2008, at Tony Bennett Studios, Englewood, NJ. Dave Kowalski, engineer.

Tedd Firth, piano; Steve LaSpina bass; Richard DeRosa, drums.

From the liner notes:

"The first time I heard Marlene VerPlanck was at an intimate jazz club in Alexandria, Virginia. Her voice knocked me out. When the performance ended, my wife and I immediately reserved a table for the next night. We just couldn't get enough of this remarkable singer. That was in 1987. The jazz club vanished long ago. Fortunately, Marlene Verplanck continues to flourish and delight fans wherever she appears and her recordings are found..."

"In her newest CD, 'Once There Was a Moon,' Marlene once again showcases some of the best in popular music, with sparkling new arrangements by composer-husband, Billy VerPlanck. She's backed by the remarkable pianist Tedd Firth, and two fine musicians, bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Richard DeRosa. In such capable hands, Marlene soars."

-- Jerry Kline, Washington Reporter and Jazz Writer

Produced, arranged and conducted by J. (Billy)VerPlanck.

Recorded March 21 and 23, 2005, at Tony Bennett Studios, Englewood, NJ. Dave Kowalski, engineer.

Tedd Firth, piano; Steve LaSpina and Jerry Bruno, bass; Richard DeRosa, drums.

Special guests: Dr. Billy Taylor, Norman Simmons, Bucky Pizzarelli.

From the liner notes:

"This is an album of songs about love -- love imagined, love experienced and love lost. There is a striking lack of sentimentality about them, but a marked expression of deep passion in most of them. Some have been around for quite a while, and others are brand new. Thanks to Marlene's talent for making a listener comfortable with whatever she is singing, all of these selections, whether familiar or not, will swiftly feel like old friends...

"Thanks to the insightful interpretations of Marlene and her supporting cast, the total package effectively captures the ups and downs that reside in the world of romance."

         -- Joe Lang, President, New Jersey Jazz Society

Special guests -- Members of the Diva Jazz Orchestra: Dr. Sherrie Maricle, drums and band leader; Chihiro Yamanaka, piano; Barbara Laronga, trumpet; Anat Cohen, clarinet, tenor saxophone; Karolina Strassmayer, alto saxophone; Norika Ueda, bass.

From the liner notes:

"As is often the case when Marlene and Billy present a new CD, there are some completely new songs that must soon earn their place alongside the great standards. A handful of classic songs, glowingly refurbished, are here, too. Additionally, and an always fascinating aspect of any VerPlanck venture, many of the songs on this CD have been around for years but, although they are melodically and lyrically of the highest quality, they have somehow fallen between the cracks and are now all but forgotten. Until now, that is; and as you will hear from the delightful interpretations by Marlene and from Billy's charts, that fate was quite undeserved...

"Listening to "It's How You Play the Game," it is clear that this CD is a marvelous demonstration of many things: Of the craft of the popular songwriters represented here; Billy VerPlanck's arranging talent; exceptional playing by the six instrumentalists from Diva Jazz Orchestra (No Man's Band); and, above all, it is also a superb example, perhaps the finest yet in her illustrious career, of the art of Marlene VerPlanck."

    -- Bruce Crowther, contributor to The Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Jazz Journal International and co-author of Singing Jazz: The Singers and Their Styles

Recorded London, England, May 11-12, 2000, and in New York City, September 7, 2001.

Produced, arranged and conducted by J. Billy VerPlanck.

The Roy Babbington Trio and Big Band

Special guest: Tommy Flanagan

From the liner notes:

"I know I am the envy of every girl singer working the month of March. That's when we're in England with one of the World's Greatest Trios, The Roy Babbington Trio....Through the years, Roy has introduced us to the very best musicians in the UK, but none finer than the working trio we have now: Roy Babbington, bass; Geoff Eales, piano, and Mark Fletcher, drums.

"Every night for one month we thrill to the excitement, the enthusiasm, the sensitivity, the swing, and most of all the camaraderie. The feeling is that we work as a unit, not as a girl singer with a trio...and the feeling never lets up."

Recorded September 1999.

The trio:

• Hank Jones, piano.
• Gary Mazzaroppi, bass.
• Joe Cocuzzo, drums.

Guest artists: George Shearing, piano. Marian McPartland, piano. Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar.

From the liner notes by James Gavin:

"...VerPlanck's sunny voice is still as free and soaring as a bird. Her first album for DRG is another volume of superbly chosen songs, ranging all the way from a Billie Holiday torch ballad ('Travelin' Light') to a tongue-tripping piece of special material by Cahn and Van Heusen ('Love Won't Let You Get Away'). Arranger Billy VerPlanck, the singer's husband and musical partner for over forty years, knows how to show off her virtuosity as well as his own. 

"What makes this album special to both of them is the presence of some remarkable guests. Hank Jones accompanied a teenage Marlene on her first album for Savoy in 1955; George Shearing, Marian McPartland and Bucky Pizzarelli have known and admired her for decades."

Recorded in New York in 1982 and in London in 1998.

Arranged, produced and directed by J. "Billy" VerPlanck.

Musicians, New York:

• Ben Aronov, piano
• Jay Leonhart, bass
• Ron Traxler, drums.

London:

• Roy Babbington, bass
• Andy Vintner, piano
• Geoff Eagles, piano
• John Horler, piano
• Mike Smith, drums
• Bobby Worth, drums

From the liner notes by WNEW's Bob Jones: "Appropriately, Marlene dedicates this album to her friend Alec Wilder. Mr. Wilder, after all, in his book, The American Popular Song (written with James T. Maher), caused a lot of us to start thinking about this vast musical treasury the world possesses because of American writers of words and music. We are beginning to see some wonderful products of those thoughts. 'South to a Warmer Place' is Alec Wilder's last song. The words are by Loonis McGlohon, himself a busy recording artist on this label."

"I hold the opinion that each of these performances is lustrous, none more so than the exceptional treatment Marlene gives Arthur Schwartz and Yip Harburg's 'Then I'll Be Tired of You.' This, I think, is a song that has everything, and I believe that its time has come again."

Arranged, produced and directed by J. "Billy" VerPlanck.

From the liner notes:

"I was asked by Bruce Kimmel, vice-president and producer for Varese Sarabande Records, to write these liner notes and I am pleased to do so...I consider Marlene VerPlanck to be one of the greatest jazz and pop stylists alive today. She breathes a freshness into each phrase and performance in this album is evocative of her idol, the late and great Ella Fitzgerald. Billy VerPlanck has arranged and scored this album with innovation and feeling."

"These songs span my career of fifty years. One of the earliest is 'The No Soap, No Hope, No Mouse, No House Blues' written in 1947. 'I Ask Myself','If You Win, You Lose' and 'Whoever Invented Love' were very recently composed. My fervent hope is that you like this album as much as I do." - Richard Adler

Recorded in Paris in 1997 and 1998, with Saxomania reeds and rhythm.

Arranged, produced and directed by J. "Billy" VerPlanck.

"What Are We Going to Do With All This Moonlight" -- the second album uniting Marlene's voice with the reeds and rhythm band Saxomania and Billy VerPlanck's arrangements -- features outstanding material from both the jazz world and such well-established writers as Kern, Gershwin and Coleman.

"I love standards," says Marlene. "They're melodic and beautiful and say something. What's the sense of doing a new song that doesn't say something? Our constant goal is trying to find new ways to do standards."

Most of these great Walter Donaldson songs were written during the 1920s and are synonymous with such legendary stars as Al Jolson, Ruth Etting and Eddie Cantor. While the tunes evoke an image of that remarkable decade, they remain ageless.

These inventive interpretations are tastefully arranged by Jack Manno and performed by the Jack Manno Singers, featuring Marlene VerPlanck, Ken Bridges and Jack Manno.

Backing the vocalists are the Gentlemen of Jazz, whose members include big-band veterans Rusty Dedrick, Johnny Mince, Buddy Morrow, Urbie Green, Dick Hyman, Bucky Pizzarelli, Tony Motolla, George Duvivier, Bill LaVorgna and Don Anderson.

Among the highlights on this sprightly CD: Marlene's vocals on "At Sundown," "Just Like a Melody Out of the Sky," "Love Me or Leave Me" and "Sam, the Old Accordion Man."

Arranged, Conducted and Produced by J. Billy VerPlanck. 

• Ben Aronov, piano 
• Jay Leonhart, bass 
• Luther Rix, drums 
• Roy Babbington, bass 
• Andy Vinter, piano 
• Geoff Eales, piano 
• John Horler, piano 
• Mike Smith, drums 
• Bobby Worth, drums 

"I Like to Sing!" -- a reissue of Marlene's sixth Audiophile collection, initially released in 1983 and now augmented by seven additional tracks recorded in 1998 -- features the singer with two superb groups of accompanists.

The musicians on the earlier tracks, recorded in New York, are pianist Ben Aronov, bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Luther Rix. Back in 1983, they were accompanying Marlene nightly in a highly successful supper club appearance that became the focal point of a video profile on Charles Kuralt's CBS show, "Sunday Morning."

The newly recorded material united Marlene and the Roy Babbington Trio for three days of recording in a London studio. The trio, whose members alternated during the recording sessions, included Roy Babbington, bass; Andy Vinter, Geoff Eales and John Horler, piano; and Mike Smith and Bobby Worth, drums. J. Billy VerPlanck arranged, conducted and produced both sessions. 

Arrangements by J. Billy VerPlanck & Loonis McGlohon. Produced and directed by Dick Phipps.

Featuring the Loonis McGlohon Trio:

• Loonis McGlohon, piano
• Terry Lassiter, bass
• James Lackey, drums

"Marlene VerPlanck, Loonis McGlohon and his musicians were truly inspired at this session. It's really pure joy to hear these songs, especially the treasures of Hugh Martin, rendered with such sympathetic perception." - Alec Wilder

Arrangements by J. Billy VerPlanck

Featuring:

• Tony Monte, piano
• David Finck, bass
• Joe Cocuzzo, drums
• Loonis McGlohon, piano
• Doug Burns, bass
• Bill Stowe, drums
• Jim McNeely, piano
• John Beal, bass
• Ronnie Zito, drums

From the liner notes by Charles Kuralt, CBS News -

"I have heard Marlene VerPlanck sing in smoky East Side cafes and on elegant concert stages, in cluttered commercial studios, in drawing rooms and ballrooms and bar rooms. I have heard her sing in the great echoing marble entrance hall of the New York Public Library. I have heard her in New York, Vancouver and London. Also in Hickory, North Carolina. You are probably beginning to get the idea: I'll go anywhere to hear Marlene VerPlanck..."

"No record album was ever given a better name than this one: ‘Pure & Natural.' That's the way she is, and that's the way she sings."

This album dedicated to the memory of Dick Phipps.

Songs by the composer and lyricist Alec Wilder, recorded for Marlene's appearance on the award-winning National Public Radio show, Alec Wilder's American Popular Song.

Featuring:

• Loonis McGlohon, piano
• Rick Petrone, bass
• Doug Burns, bass
• Mel Lewis, drums
• Bill Stowe, drums

"Alec Wilder would have loved this album! Marlene sings his songs with passion and intensity, bringing out the special secrets that are so much a part of Alec's writing. Hearing Marlene, with this sensitive group of musicians backing her, assures me that Alec Wilder's music will live on forever!" - Marian McPartland

Arrangements and musical direction by Hank Jones

Featuring:

• Hank Jones, piano, leader
• Wendell Marshall, bass
• Kenny Clarke, drums
• Joe Wilder, trumpet
• Herbie Mann, flute

Arrangement, conducted and produced by J. Billy VerPlanck

From the liner notes -

"The public has, of course, heard a great deal of Marlene, but this has generally been in connection with her radio and TV commercial work. Hopefully, this album will balance the scale of justice for a young lady who represents an increasingly rare breed in the contemporary musical world: a singer who is completely professional in every respect." - Steve Allen

Produced, arranged and conducted by J. Billy VerPlanck

Featuring the Sonny Costanzo Big Band and the Trio

The Trio

• Jim McNeely, piano
• John Beal, bass
• Ron Zito, drums

From the liner notes by Michael Bourne -

"I wanted to do everything (on this album) - the big band, trio, duo, and a cappella," said Marlene. "I don't like ‘mood' albums, all ballads or all swingers, all this or all that. I like a variety..."

"Billy loves the way Sonny plays," said Marlene. "He's like the best-kept secret in the music business."

Big Band with Strings arranged and conducted by J. Billy VerPlanck

Featuring the Loonis McGlohon Jazz Combo

• Joe Wilder, trumpet
• Phil Thompson, tenor saxophone

Also arranged by J. Billy VerPlanck.

From the liner notes by Bob Jones, WQEW, New York -

"...So here, in her sixth album, is what a great New York singer has to say in a program of equal parts standard and original American popular songs. They were chosen for their integrity and quality, wonderfully arranged by Billy VerPlanck, and played by some of this city's best musicians. love the album, and I think you will, too..."

"The Loonis McGlohon Combo joins Marlene on the five new tracks added for the compact disc version, and they offset surprisingly well with the big band tracks. Three of the selections feature the trumpet of Joe Wilder, who knows well how to enhance a vocal line..."

Arrangements by J. Billy VerPlanck

Featuring:

• Tony Monte, piano
• Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar
• Milt Hinton, bass
• Butch Miles, drums

From the liner notes by Jim Hartley -

"This session was recorded at the end of a one-month engagement of togetherness at New York's Michael's Pub. Owner Gil Wuest's idea of presenting Marlene in an evening of the songs of Mercer was most successful."

"New York critic Rex Reed, after showering Marlene with praise, claimed that Tony Monte, Bucky Pizzarelli, Milt Hinton and Butch Miles comprised ‘one of the best jazz quartets ever assembled for a single club date.' "

Arrangements by J. Billy VerPlanck. Recorded during performances at Pizza on the Park in London and the University College School in Frongnal, Hampstead, UK.

Featuring The Roy Babbington Trio, rhythm section of the BBC's famed Big Band

• Roy Babbington, bass 
• Andy Vinter, piano 
• Mike Smith, drums 

Recorded in Paris.

From the cover notes:

"What can you say when you hear one of your favorite singers sing one of your favorite Strayhorn tunes? I've never encountered anyone who would tackle "Something to Live For," and so I've never had to write a chart of it."

"Also, "Rain, Sometimes" I haven't heard since Nancy Wilson's pre-gymnastic period. All the tunes are great and are performed by the perfectionist, herself. Congratulations, Marlene. And, Billy, you did a great job; a lot of different colors for just a group of reed players. My hat's off to you, too!" - Billy May