Harry Belafonte - Belafonte Return to Carnegie Hall

 

On May 2, 1960, Harry Belafonte returned to Carnegie Hall for what was supposed to be one of the last concerts in the venerable hall's last season. Carnegie was scheduled to be torn down, although this was an edict that was thankfully short-lived. The hall was instead renovated and remains one of New York's premier showplaces. The first Carnegie Hall recording from the previous year had had such an impact on the recording industry that it opened up new vistas for live recordings. Belafonte faced the challenge of living up to his own legend. For this concert, he began what would be a concert tradition for him: sharing the spotlight with up-and-coming folk performers. Representing the new collegiate folk singing group trend was the Chad Mitchell Trio, currently appearing at New York's Blue Angel, where Belafonte had seen them perform. South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba, another Belafonte discovery, also performed, as did folk and blues singer Odetta, and the Belafonte Folk Singers. The guest stars nearly upstaged Belafonte, but this turned out to be de rigueur for his concerts. Highlights include Odetta's powerhouse medley of the work songs "I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain" and "Water Boy," the Folk Singers' exciting "Ox Drivers Song," Makeba and Belafonte's charming duet on "One More Dance," and the Mitchell Trio's exuberant Israeli song "Vaichazkem." For a finale, Belafonte turned to the Mexican folk dance "La Bamba," treating it to an eight-minute-long heels-flying festive romp. - by Cary Ginell, AMG

Artist: Harry Belafonte
Album: Belafonte Return to Carnegie Hall
Year: 1960 (RCA Victor)
Label: BMG (1994)
Total time: 71:50

Tracks:
1.  Jump Down Spin Around (Bill Attaway/Harry Belafonte) 2:15
2.  Suzanne (Harry Belafonte/Harry Thomas) 5:49
3.  A Little Lyric of Great Importance (Harry Belafonte/Gene Corman/Hughes) 1:29
4.  Chickens (C.C. Carter/Gene Corman/Fred Hellerman) 3:09
5.  Vaichazkem (Vayiven Uziaho) 1:34
6.  I Do Adore Her (Irving Burgie) 3:18
7.  The Ballad of Sigmund Freud (Larry Glasser/Bob March/Dave Lazar) 3:38
8.  I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain (Traditional) 2:19
9.  Water Boy (Odetta Gordon/Avery Robinson) 4:34
10.  A Hole in the Bucket (Harry Belafonte/Odetta Gordon) 5:19
11.  The Click Song (Miriam Makeba) 3:06
12.  One More Dance (C.C. Carter) 3:43
13.  The Ox Drivers (Harry Belafonte/Gene Corman) 2:59
14.  The Red Rosy Bush (C.C. Carter/Gene Corman) 2:51
15.  Didn't It Rain (Ned Wright/Robert Cormier) 5:27
16.  Hene Ma Tov (Harry Belafonte/Gene Corman) 3:46
17.  I Know Where I'm Going (Fred Hellerman) 3:26
18.  Old King Cole (Rosemary Primont/Oscar Brand/Gene Corman) 4:59
19.  La Bamba (Traditional) 8:03

Personnel:
Harry Belafonte (Vocals)
Odetta (Vocals) - 8-10
Miriam Makeba (Vocals) - 11,12
Millard Thomas (Guitar) - 2-4,16-19
Ernest Calabria (Guitar) - 2-4,16-19
Daniel Barrajanos (Percussion) - 2-4,16-19
Norman Keenan (Double Bass) - 2-4,16-19
Mike Pugh (Vocals) - 5,6
Chad Mitchell (Vocals) - 5,6
Roger McGuinn (Vocals) - 5,6
Dennis Collins (Guitar) - 5,6
Bill Lee (Bass) - 8-10
Perry Lopez (Guitar) - 11,12
Thomas Lopez (Guitar) - 11,12
Walter Raim (Guitar) - 1,3,4,13-19
Ned Wright (Vocals) - 13,15
The Belafonte Folk Singers (Choir) - 1,3,4,13-19