JSP Records to Issue Judy Garland's 1952 NY Palace Closing Night

JSP Records will release Judy Garland: The Two-A-Day Is Back In Town, Closing Night at the Palace, February 24, 1952, Garland's legendary closing night at the Palace in New York after her historic sold-out 19-week run, on October 6, 2023.

Based on a new transfer and restoration of a set of original acetate transcription discs of the show plus other sources, the CD marks the first time the performance is issued in its entirety. It was produced by John Stedman, remastered by John H. Haley, and contains new liner notes by Garland historian Lawrence Schulman. As an extra bonus, the eyewitness account by singer-pianist Charlie Cochran, who attended one of the shows during Garland's run, is also included. The first live Garland show ever to have been recorded in full, the recording took months to restore and remaster using the most sophisticated 21st-century technology currently available.

John Stedman founded JSP Records in 1978 and has continued to run it to this day. Devoted predominantly to blues and jazz, the label has issued the highest quality anthologies as well as new releases over the years. John H. Haley is a lawyer, author, and audio restorer who heads Harmony Restorations LLC. His diverse output over the years ranges from Marian Anderson to The Catholic Girls. Lawrence Schulman has produced, compiled, and written the liner notes for countless Garland CDs for a variety of labels in the past thirty years, and his critically acclaimed best-selling 2-volume book Garland - That's Beyond Entertainment - Reflections on Judy Garland was published by BearManor Media in 2023. His new book, FREE: Words on Music by a Hi-Def Critic in an MP3 World, will be published by BearManor in 2024. He also writes for the ARSC Journal and translates for OpusHD.net.

Judy Garland: The Two-A-Day Is Back In Town, Closing Night at the Palace, February 24, 1952 can be purchased at Amazon or ProperMusic and other internet sites and retail outlets.

Tracklist:

  1.  Overture (first release)
  2.  Chorus introduction (Judy's Boyfriends)
  3.  Call the Press/On the Town (Judy & her Boyfriends)
  4.  Judy at the Palace Medley
  5.  Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody
  6.  Introduction of Hugh Martin; Judy's Olio
  7.  This is Our Spot (Judy's Boyfriends)
  8.  Get Happy (Judy & her Boyfriends)
  9.  What Next? What'll She Do Now? (Judy's Boyfriends)
  10. A Couple of Swells (Judy & Jack McClendon)
  11. The Trolley Song (instrumental)
  12. Over the Rainbow
  13. Over the Rainbow (instrumental)
  14. Love (Hugh Martin, piano)
  15. Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow (Hugh Martin, piano)
  16. Liza (Hugh Martin, piano)
  17. Judy introduces Lauritz Melchior
  18. Auld Lang Syne (audience)
  19. Over the Rainbow (concluding instrumental)
 

BONUS TRACK:

  1.  After You've Gone (Hugh Martin, piano), from another night, date unknown

RKO Palace Orchestra; Jack Cathcart, Conductor; Hugh Martin, Piano. Judy's Eight Boyfriends: Hal Bell; Jack Boyle; William Lundy; Bert May (Dance Specialty); Jack McLendon; Hamil Petroff; Jack Regas; and Ricky Riccardi.