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This rare 52nd Street Inner City release contains 11 tracks by such jazz masters as Billy Strayhorn, Lester Young and Bob Dorough as performed by Wendy Simon (vocals), Eric Shaw (vocals/piano), Tony Green (drums), Craig Thomas (acoustic bass) and Tony Williams (alto sax/flute). Included are classic tracks such as "Take the A Train," "Miss Harper Goes Bizarre," "My Favorite Things" and "Coconut Grove."
"If you’re a fan of vocalese, or Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, your socks are going to be knocked off by this absolutely delicious serving of imaginative bop. They put the Ram in the Rama-dama-ding-dong on swinging versions of tunes like “Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid” and “My Favorite Things” (With modern and hip new lyrics). A pair of Bob Dorough tunes (“Love: Webster’s Definition” and “I’ve Got Just About Everything”) will get your blood flowing, as will a clever ditty “Eveybody Eats When They Come To My House.” I’m going to be playing this one over and over for a LONG time. What a treat!!!"
-George Harris, Jazzweekly.com
It did not last long, but 52nd Street was a wonderful collaboration between singer Wendy Simon and singer-pianist Eric Shaw that resulted in this lone album in 1985. Their boppish music, hip vocals and joyful spirit were reminiscent of such predecessors as Louis Jordan, Jon Hendricks, Eddie Jefferson, Annie Ross and other top jazz singers of the 1950s.
Wendy Simon and Eric Shaw were both significant to the Philadelphia jazz scene. Now known as Wendy Simon Sinkler, the fine singer actually does not perform that often these days but she teaches music in the public school system and co-founded Jazz Bridge with vocalist Suzanne Cloud. The worthy non-profit organization helps musicians get access to doctors for low costs.
Eric Shaw, a swinging singer who was also an excellent pianist, played with Philly Joe Jones and Slide Hampton, and accompanied many vocalists including Suzanne Cloud, Anne Sciolla and Andrea Pincus. He performed regularly until shortly before his 2006 death.
52nd Street was originally called Tuxedo Junction although it had changed its name by the time Simon and Shaw recorded Scrapple To The Apple. They are joined by bassist Craig Thomas, drummer tony Green, and Tony Williams (no relation to the drummer) on alto and flute.
This CD is a bop lover's delight. “Take The 'A' Train” is given some new lyrics and has a hot tradeoff between Shaw's voice and Williams' alto. A humorous revival of “Oh-Shoo-Be-Doo-Be” is much more sensual than the original version sung by Joe Carroll and Dizzy Gillespie. Bob Dorough's “Love: Webster's Definition” is a song using the definition of love in Webster's dictionary as the lyrics; it works surprisingly well.
“Everybody Eats When They Come To My House” is a revival of a tune once performed by Cab Calloway.” Wendy Simon is featured on “Miss Harper Goez Bizarre” and “Today You Are Born In My Eyes,” showing that she had a beautiful voice, was a dramatic singer, and could be quite expressive. She interacts happily with Shaw on “Jumpin' With Symphony Sid” and scats up a storm on one of the fastest versions ever recorded of “Everybody's Boppin'.” “My Favorite Things” is swung hard (much more Charlie Parker than John Coltrane) and the new lyrics pay tribute to the group's favorite jazz heroes. Scrapple To The Apple concludes with “Coconut Grove” and a heated version of Bob Dorough's “I've Got Just About Everything.”
Review
"52nd Street should have lasted longer and recorded much more, but fortunately Scrapple To The Apple is a superior example of the memorable group's music.
"In 1985 vocalist Wendy Simon and singer-pianist Eric Shaw teamed up as 52nd Street, recording one album for Inner City. The title of the group fits the band’s music for the boppish performances are in the tradition of such greats as Jon Hendricks, Louis Jordan, Eddie Jefferson and Annie Ross. With Tony Williams on alto and flute, bassist Craig Thomas and drummer Tony Green completing the quintet, the two singers invigorate the tradition of vocalese and scatting. It is a pity that this group did not last much longer for this CD is a bop lover’s delight." -Scott Yanow
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