Additional information
Personnel: Harry Belafonte (vocals, guitar); Clifton Best (guitar); Marjorie Call (harp); Gustave Rosseels, Jerome G. Kasin, H. Barnett, Sol Kindler, Robert S. Levine, Albert Saparoff, Jack Zayde, Marshall Sosson, Victor Arno, Israel Baker (violin); Joseph Reilick, A. Brown (viola); Abel Antonio Villa (bass clarinet); Jules Jacob, Alex Gershunoff, A. Materazzi, Gigi Gryce, Ed Powell, Hal McKusick, Paul McLarand, Eddie Wasserman, Jack Dumont, Sol Schlinger, Victor Garber, Wilbur Schwartz (saxophone); Uan Rasey, Ivor Lloyd, Bart Wallace, Charlie Margulis, Pete Candoli, Jimmy Nottingham (trumpet); Attilio DePalma (French horn); W. Rauch, Francis L. "Joe" Howard, Jack Satterfield, Jimmy Cleveland, Ray Conniff, Si Zentner, Urbie Green (trombone); Robert Pownall (tuba); Harry Jones (piano); Cozy Cole, Osie Johnson (drums); Louis Singer (percussion). Recording information: Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA (02/15/1956-12/04/1956); RCA Victor Studio, Chicago, IL (02/15/1956-12/04/1956); Webster Hall, New York, NY (02/15/1956-12/04/1956). Author: Cary Ginell. Arrangers: William Lorin; Harry Belafonte. Riding high on the success of the Calypso album, Harry Belafonte went back to doing what he had started out to do: record a variety of folk songs from different cultures around the world. This album exhibited his widest scope of selections yet, including songs from Haiti ("Merci Bon Dieu"), Israel ("Hava Nageela"), and Mexico ("Cu Cu Ru Cu Cu Paloma"), the latter a six minute tour de force. Although Belafonte would never score with a single as big as "Day O" again, An Evening With Belafonte did include the West Indian Christmas song "Mary's Boy Child," which became a huge seller in Great Britain. It was becoming apparent that Harry Belafonte was not interested in having hit singles, but only to present his albums as miniature lessons in global folk music. ~ Cary Ginell
