Greetings and a Happy New Year to all!  I have happened across two
really great recordings of a famous street organ, which apparently
now resides in the U.S.

In an effort to see if others have reported the availability of these
recordings, I have scoured the archives as best I can as far back as
a year or so, and not found mention these recordings.  If they have been
reported, forgive the repetition, but the quality of these recordings
makes them most worthy of mention.

Many years ago, in my very younger days, I procured several LPs of
the Dutch Street Organ "De Waterpoorter".  I have always enjoyed the
wonderful sound this 89-key Gavioli produced, and those recordings had
remained among of my favorites even as I acquired other recordings of
other organs.  Now, I find that there are two new compact digital discs
produced of the then newly restored "De Waterpoorter" organ in 1995.

It is not often that all the factors that make an excellent band or
street organ recording come together as they do in these.  Even if the
organ recordings are digitally mastered, there are the other variables
of:

 * Microphone placement as to hear all the voices and instruments in the
organ (not just the loud ones, with limited background noise);

 * Mixing and recording levels;

 * Organ tuning;

 * Setting the correct (optimum) organ tempo for each song (so that the
songs neither drag nor race);

 * Song selection itself.

In these two recordings, all of these are right on (in my book).

The CDs are titled "The Grand Gavioli Organ" Volumes 1 and 2.  They
are $15.00 each and are worth every single penny. (IMHO) Even the cover
and insert layouts are top notch, first quality.

I visited the recording studio's web page (laughingcat studios),
and they make no mention of these recordings, so they may be out of
production once the retailer below runs out, so if you don't have them
and love quality street organ music get 'em now.

They are available from:

  Small Parts, Inc.
  P.O. Box 4650
  Miami Lakes, FL. 33014
  (800) 220-4242
  http://www.smallparts.com/

Also, I just received a new copy of the Seabreeze Park Verbeeck CD. If
you are interested in a total carousel experience and not just an organ
recording, this CD is also for you.  If you close your eyes during the
final song, you would swear you are there riding the thing.  Go to:
http://www.dynrec.com/carousel/cmemories.html

Dave Haibach