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Washington, United States
loves: you win if you guessed "pets" and "museums". Also books, art history, travel, British punk, Korean kimchi, bindis, martinis, and other things TBD. I will always make it very clear if a post is sponsored in any way. Drop me a line at thepetmuseum AT gmail.com !

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

1951: ray turner plays "kitten on the keys"

Dear Phil R.: You are the totally best for seeing this record album at the thrift store,
purchasing said album, and gifting it unto me.
Isn't this great!? This is Capitol Records' 1952 10" of Ray Turner playing piano on the ragtime hits "Kitten on the Keys," "Pianoflage," "Dizzy Fingers," and a few others.
Look at the marvelously silly illustration on the back.

"Kitten on the Keys" was originally written in 1921 by Edward Elzear "Zez" Confrey (with lyrics by Sam Coslow), inspired by a feline that liked to play on his grandmother's piano keyboard. Though I haven't a sample off the very album, would you like to hear a live performance of Ray Turner's "Kitten"? Well, here you go.

***what the album says on the back***

Among those who enjoy sprightly piano music, few can resist the happy lilt and spirited rhythm of such novelty favorites as KITTEN ON THE KEYS, DIZZY FINGERS, and CANADIAN CAPERS. In this bright, new album, Capitol brings you such music -- played with exciting brilliance and thrilling tempo by Ray Turner, whose keyboard mastery has been heard, perhaps, by more people than any other pianist in the world. Here are your old favorites -- all dressed up in sparkling new attire.

RAY TURNER, at one time with the famous Paul Whiteman orchestra, and later as staff recording pianist for Paramount Pictures, has thrilled thousands with his musical genius. For years, the brilliant piano technique demonstrated on the screen by your favorite movie star was, most likely, the nimble and gifted fingers of Ray Turner . . . the great music you heard was his recording on the sound track.



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

A good tune, though -- call us traditionalists -- we prefer a more traditional arrangement of the song.

We also have used that tune as background music for a video featuring Caitie and Kelly...

curator said...

Hahaha! That is a GREAT video! (La la la, snow, hm goin back inside)And thanks so much for the traditional arrangement, I did wonder what that might be like. Happy New Year!