Lloyd Battista and the Poets of Jazz: "Gunga Din (Part 1)

Repertory RR 1001. Kipling was no counter-cultural hero, but I couldn't resist adding this amazing jazz treatment of his famous 1892 poem "Gunga Din" to the too-small spoken word section over at the Lonely Beat. Recitation by stage and screen actor Lloyd Battista - known for work in several Spaghetti Westerns, including the titular role in 1971's "Domingo" - is nothing if not over-the-top. The 45 succeeds on the strength of support from mysterious combo the Poets of Jazz, who have a bit of a West Coast jazz sound. Whoever they were, they were clearly professionals. "Gunga Din" appears to be a one-off record for Repertory Records, a New York City concern unrelated to the SESAC affiliate of the same name. I'd guess this was recorded in the mid-'60s, not only because themes in "Gunga Din" enjoyed modest popularity in folk music circles, but also because Battista and producer Don Christopher, in another literature-related collaboration, co-wrote "The Heart Is The Lonely Hunter," which was recorded by the Hustlers for their mid-'60s 45 on Finer Arts Records. Fans of this should seek out Sidney Poitier's Poitier Meets Plato LP (with Fred Katz's group) and Buddy Morrow's Poe for Moderns LP (narrated by Keith McKenna). For more post-War bohemia, visit the Lonely Beat, One Hundred Themes from the Naked City: http://exoticaproject.com/2/