John Mann – Life is Nothing Without Music (Eminent Grand Theatre Organ)

Life Is Nothing Without Music – Celebrates 50 Years in Entertainment.

Playing the Eminent Grand Theatre 2000 organ & Technics PX30 piano

Running time: 64.22.
Code: MSSCD 07.

Sussex By The Sea
Congratulations
Life is Nothing Without Music
A Little on the Lonely Side / It’s Only a Paper Moon / Just Walkin’ in the Rain
Legend
Unforgettable / That Old Feeling
Charmaine
Rendezvous
Dream Theme
I Love a Piano / The Old Pianna Rag
Clair de Lune
Tico Tico
Forgotten Dreams
Bewitched / That Lovely Weekend
Goodnight Vienna
The Robin’s Return
I’ll Get By / Stars Fell on Alabama
The Loveliest Night of the Year / One Day When We Were Young
Berceuse (Dolly Suite No.1)
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps / Strangers in the Night
More Than You Know / You Belong to My Heart
I’ll Be Seeing You

SLEEVE NOTES:

“Life is Nothing Without Music”… What an apt title, chosen in this instant for a celebration of fifty years of playing and entertaining. It hardly seems possible that I have reached this stage in my career, especially when I am still playing to audiences and gaining new listeners at each performance.

This life of music has been like the music I perform, varied and most of all, tuneful. I have kept to a formula of melodic sounds. The music side started its life on the piano and later, church organ, then onto electronic Hammond organ and Wurlitzer theatre organ, all in my native town of Brighton.

Over many years I have covered every aspect in music making and entertaining, presenting my own theatre summer season shows, the all music, singing and dancing ones. It was lots of fun and experience ensuring a good background to my business. I still have many in my audiences today who go back to those days of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. I continued on into the ’80’s with one night stands which were rather hectic, almost living in my car, travelling thousands of miles a year, appearing as I have done with the top names in the world of entertainment; a list larger than room for here.

Fashion changed again and it became the ‘In Concert’ or ‘An Evening With…’, featuring solo performers holding the stage for two hours giving their brand of act. This I did under the banner of ‘His Eminent’ which came about through my spell of demonstrating the Dutch built Eminent electronic organ. I travelled on the Continent, America and the UK using the Grand Theatre 2000 model which is used on this CD. Accolades were given to me as Top Demonstrator, Top Theatre Organist and numerous presidencies’ to UK organ societies, some of which I still hold.

With my theatrical side ever present, and with a manager we set up a company presenting me in every major theatre and concert hall in the country in ‘An Evening with John Mann’. I was in my element being able to present a package of music and comedy sketches and playing both piano and my faithful old Eminent organ, which is now thirty years old and in electronic terms still holds up to modern equivalents.

We all have to slow things down a bit, I call it making myself exclusive, the only problem is saying no to an offer of an engagement which I used to enjoy doing in the past. Though now I must admit I get the ‘Royal’ treatment arriving at a theatre or venue, and my introduction seems to be ‘the legendary John Mann’. My Appreciation Society are a wonderful support and encouragement. There is hopefully several more years ahead in my music making.
I hope you will enjoy this collection of piano and organ arrangements which along with my many other recordings cover fifty years of music making.

…John Mann (August 2006)