| P.O.P. Home | About Don Thompson |
Titles Available |
Upcoming Concert Tours |
Order Form |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Dance Time Available in CD and Cassette CD $17 |
Compiled from the most requested tracks from Canadian Capers, Memories, and Don's Dance Party, by popular demand, and Digitally Re-Mastered.
The Organs
The 4-manual organ in the Auditorium Theater, Rochester, is
universally recognized as being one of the finest Wurlitzers ever
made. It was originally installed in the Rochester RKO Palace in
1928. When the theater was demolished the Rochester Theater Organ
Society (RTOS) raised the money to relocate the organ and it was
opened in its new location in the 2500 seat Auditorium Theater on
January 21, 1987. Since then it has been featured by all the
leading concert organists, all of whom are delighted by its
immaculate condition and beautiful sound. Don Thompson has played
it in concert many times. The three-manual Wurlitzer is referred
to as the Warfield Wurlitzer because the ornate white and gold
console came from the Fox Warfield Theater in San Francisco. Most
of the pipework came from the State Theater in Fresno. The
average date of the instrument is 1927. The instrument was the
first to be installed in a pizza parlor, in 1962 and Don Thompson
was resident organist there from 1983-1988.
The Music
Reginald Dixon was left handed and Don, copying his style,
unknowingly became adept at playing melody or accompaniment with
either hand interchangeably and is now ambidextrous. This ability
can be heard throughout this recording. Listen to
"Margie," or "When You're Smiling," for
instance, and hear in the second chorus of each the left hand
playing melody and accompaniment simultaneously, while the right
hand is busy playing florid arabesques. Or listen to the rocking
accompaniment on "Bye Bye Baby" or "Say It With
Music," where the melody is being played in the left hand
and the accompaniment in the right. The second verse of
"Jealousy" provides another example of ambidextrous
music.
All music on this recording is played at the correct number of
beats per minute required by the international dance associations
and so the recording can be used with confidence for dance and
skate competitions as well as just for toe tapping, finger
snapping and singing along. Don first learned "The Gay
Nineties Medley" when it was described as "Fifty Years
of Song." How time flies! These songs are now 100 years old
and "gay" means something quite different!
Playlist:
Recorded at the Auditorium theatre,
Rochester, NY
Wurlitzer 4/24
QUICKSTEP Exactly Like You/Beyond the Blue Horizon/The World is Waiting for the Sunrise. (4.11)
FOXTROT Canadian Sunset. (3.29)
QUICKSTEP On the Good Ship Lollipop/Animal Crackers. (2.59)
FOXTROT Honey/If I Had You. (2.59)
VIENNESE WALTZ The Gay Nineties Medley - Daisy Bell/She was One of the Early Birds/Two Lovely Black Eyes/Comrades/Little Annie Rooney. (2.45)
MODERN WALTZ Sleepy Lagoon. (2.58)
FOXTROT New York, New York. (2.43)
TANGO Jealousy. (3.05)
VIENNESE WALTZ The Gay Nineties Medley Part 2 - Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland/Maggie Murphy's Home/In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree/Why Did I Leave?/After the Ball. (2.53)
Recorded at the Warfield Wurlitzer 3/14
QUICKSTEP Margie/Avalon/When You're Smiling. (4.04)
FOXTROT These Foolish Things/Once in a While/Melancholy Baby. (4.39)
QUICKSTEP Ain't She Sweet?/Who's Sorry Now?/Nobody's Sweetheart Now. (2.50))
FOXTROT You Were Meant For Me/Moonlight and Roses/I'll See You in My Dreams. (3.33)
QUICKSTEP Rosalie/I Double Dare You/Change Partners. (3.48)
MODERN WALTZ Tenderly/Memories/Down Memory Lane. (3.27)
QUICKSTEP Bye Bye, Baby/Say It With Music/Tie a Yellow Ribbon. (2.53)
FOXTROT Paper Doll/My Happiness/You'll Never Know. (3.10)
QUICKSTEP If You Knew Susie/I Want to be Happy/Dinah. (3.39)
LAST WALTZ When I Grow Too Old To Dream/Diane/My Wonderful One. (3.25)