Artists
Album Info
Release Date: 1974Ronny Medlyn and John Curnow were musicians on the Cornish scene, perhaps surprising that this wasn't released on Sentinel.
"Recorded at the Woodlane Club, Falmouth."
Liner notes:
Liner notes:
SAIL-ALONG ORGAN
RONNY MEDLYN (organ) with JOHN CURNOW (drums)
Side One:
1. BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY (Boone, McQueen)
2. YESTERDAY ONCE MORE (Carpenter, Bettis)
3. DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE (Bacharach, David)
4. SECRET LOVE (Fain; Webster)
5. JAMBALAYA (Williams; Feltz)
6. BY THE TIME I GET TO PHOENIX (Webb)
7. I'LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN (Bacharach, David)
Side Two:
1. RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN' ON MY HEAD (Bacharach, David)
2. WICHITA LINEMAN (Webb)
3. A FOGGY DAY (IN LONDON TOWN) (G. & I. Gershwin)
4. WHEN I FALL IN LOVE (Young, Heyman)
5. YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE (Wonder)
6. JOANNA (Trent, Hatch)
7. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS (Lennon, McCartney)
Playing the Lowrey organ and sailing his Flying Fifteen have to compete with one another for Ronny Medlyn's time. But what they have in common is that Ronny does both things very well — and even on occasions is able to combine the two pleasures by playing organ for a sailing-club crowd. . . .
The Lowrey which he plays is a Her extremely bright-sounding and clean toned -- and he uses as speaker cabinet a Leslie, model 251. However, and perhaps what is even more to the point, Ronny plays the kind of music on it that people love to hear: alternately rhythmic and relaxed, always melodic and always based upon the best of today's (and one or two of yesterday's) hit tunes. People enjoy listening to how cleverly he manipulates the Lowrey-- but at the same time they're more than likely to join in and hum the melodies along with him, because it's sure to be music that they know For this particular album, recorded at the Woodlane Club in Falmouth, the organ soloist is accompanied by JOHN CURNOW on drums and - as the 'live' atmosphere indicates—is clearly among friends. At least, they are all his friends when it comes to the music. For it so happens that several of them also sail Flying Fifteens: and a certain rivalry on the water is not unknown!
More About RONNY MEDLYN.. Started playing piano seriously at age 11, and passed various grades until one day a friend invited him along to hear some George Shearing records. 'I was caught up immediately by his wonderful chordal patterns and the rhythmic feeling he put into the music. Anyway, it began to influence my own playing— much to my original tutor's disgust.' He was conscripted into the RAF and posted to Kenya, where—once they discovered his pianistic abilities - he got the job with the local service band. He played all over the East African coast when he wasn't out sailing and in the more sophisticated Nairobi clubs. After the RAF and back in Britain, he worked with many bands, including Trev Laphan ('At that time the band in Cornwall') and Ray Alan ('Very good. We played the south-west dance halls, also summer seasons at the Bay Hotel, Newquay, and we were always tremendously popular. ') But then he was promoted within his own business ('Cabinet-making') and had to resign the band job. 'By which time I'd heard Harry Stoneham, and liked his style so much that I decided to switch to electric organ.' Since when he's been so popular as an organ soloist that ho scarcely ever has a night off. ('Fortunately sailing's a weekend, daylight activity!') His playing of the organ is very smooth and effortless. He sails along over the keys just as if he is 'helming' his craft in perfect conditions.
® C 1974 The Decca Record Company Limited, London,
ECS 2158 r4