Born Free

Album review

In October of 1966, Roger Williams had his seventh Top 40 hit with an instrumental version of the song from the film Born Free. There are four songs from movies on this disc: an elegant "Strangers in the Night" from A Man Could Get Killed, "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music, and the theme from The Bible. Not content to leave it up to musical sleight of hand à la Liberace, Williams uses the scales to counter the brilliant orchestration which is arranged and conducted by Ralph Carmichael. When tackling a big Frank Sinatra hit, one must pull out all the stops. He takes the Association's "Cherish" and makes it a pure delight. Tension between the piano and the band is precious; Hy Grill's production is outstanding; Roger Williams' touch works so well with the accompaniment that there is drama in the grooves. Some instrumental artists can fall into that "Muzak" trap, but not Williams, "Edelweiss" opening with voices that Ray Coniff was so fond of, but they only come in on the chorus, leaving the music up to the pianist and orchestra. Bobby Hebb's "Sunny" gets a superior treatment. Where Dusty Springfield had orchestration which hinted at the James Bond theme, Ralph Carmichael pushes the orchestra to the limit and this jazz/swing version dances around the nuances of Hebb's composition, the piano dominant with the big band following Roger Williams' lead. Hebb has stated that he's recorded it twice and (outside of live versions) he doesn't want to perform it a third time, but some hip producer could always sample his voice and slip it over this stunning rendition for a few cameo appearances. The song is timeless, and this instrumental in the right film could bring the Born Free album by Roger Williams back into the charts. Where side one had "The More I See You" and five other familiar tunes, the flip has less contemporary melodies, giving the artist a chance to break the confines of the currently familiar. The old chestnut "Dark Eyes" has dark notes, the lower register of the piano getting a workout until the band kicks in. The Sandpiper's "Guantanamera" fits perfectly here, pretty faithful to the Pete Seeger adaptation of Jose Marti's poem -- keep in mind the Sandpipers hit Top Ten in August of 1966, while Williams achieved that same feat two months later with the title track, his version of "Born Free" climbing a bit higher than the Sandpipers. "Hawaii, Pearly of the Sea" takes the sounds from an island in the Atlantic to an island in the Pacific, and the mood shifts accordingly. "Summer Samba" is a bit lightweight when it comes before the grandiose final track, "Theme From 'The Bible,'" but its sure to satisfy fans of the pianist, and the album shows Williams in fine form.

© Joe Viglione /TiVo