It's always good when something buried long ago in the analogue era gets its first chance in the digital age. The masters of this are some of the UK labels at the moment, but every now and again, Masterworks Broadway pulls something out of the hat that surprises. It's also great when the album has a back story too. This is the case with one of their recent releases.

In 1959, the release of Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy’s new album, Marriage Type Love was announced with great fanfare. The cover was prepared and all of the audio was recorded and mixed. Yet, for reasons that still remain unclear, the album was never released and the master tapes have resided in the vaults ever since.

Now, after more than fifty years, fans can hear the third collaboration between “the very much married-and-in-love” Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy for the first time. Marriage Type Love features Marty Gold and His Orchestra backing up the singing couple with jazzy, brassy arrangements of a collection of songs that form what might be called a concept album built around the themes of love and marriage.

Shirley Jones is of course best known for roles in some of the great musical films of all time - Oklahoma, Carousel and The Music Man to name a few. She then went on to star in the US TV hit The Partridge Family, along side her stepson, David Cassidy. David's Father, Jack, on the other hand, had made his name on Broadway, in such shows as Fade In, Fade Out and She Loves Me, for which he won a Tony Award. They married after Cassidy's divorce from his first wife, Evelyn Ward (David's mother) in 1956.

I was not overly familiar with either of the two performers before I reviewed this release, and I actually rather enjoyed it. It's of an age, of that there is no doubt, and that actually adds to the appeal. There is no doubt that this is a '60s album', although it was actually recorded in September 1959. The selection of songs is good, and is varied, despite the songs having a similar theme throughout. Much of this is due to the skilful arranging done by Marty Gold, and performed so well by his orchestra.

Most of the numbers come from musical hits of the time - as you would expect from the artists, and their popularity at the time. There is a good selection of composers showcased here too - Gershwin, Porter, Rodgers, Loesser all make an appearance. I loved the Hoagy song 'Two Sleepy People', and 'Love Is Here To Stay' - two of the most well known standards on the album. It was also nice to hear songs that aren't frequently recorded, such as 'Love Is the Reason' from A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, and the title track from the little-known Rodgers & Hammerstein show Me and Juliet.

The liner notes are very informative, and it's a nicely put together release. For anyone who enjoys the classic easy listening vocal style of the period, it's a great piece of history, and an enjoyable evening's listening.

8

Ian Gude