Di Novi music is more than aural wallpaper

Press, 9 June 1980, Page 17

Di Novi music is more than aural wallpaper

Radio

Heath Lees

Once upon a time there was a radio station in Christchurch called Radio Nova. It concentrated on playing what it described as “Beautiful Music” — a mushroom-word which included songs from the shows, “standards” of every description performed by the immortal Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and co., and took in modern, lush arrangements recorded in full stereophonic splendour. However, the face of diminishing audience figures, Radio Nova turned its back on this music and called itself simply 3ZM again. The music it chose to plaj' under new management became the usual kind of music associated with American-style popmusic stations. No-one really blames them for that, of course, but those of us who enjoyed the less frantic, more sentimental world of the “real” song-

writers, as they were often called, sighed a little sigh of sadness. “Oops,” we thought, freely adapting the words of “High Hopes,” “there goes another minority group.” Help was at hand though. It quickly became clear that he who planned in advance and twiddled the dial could build up for himself a very considerable exposure t.o the best of the world of popular song. Without making a meal of it, Radio New Zealand had been doing a splendid job all the time on the National

Programme, and occasionally too on the Concert Programme. More importantly, these programmes were framed in smaller time slots — half an hour or forty-five minutes — and were therefore usually focused around a theme, or contained some other unifying force. And the best songs do need good presentation. As Radio Nova found to its cost, it is self-defeating to have “beautiful music” continuously broadcast without some kind of shaping influence, otherwise the listeners become disorientated with an embarrassment .of riches, and do indeed become candidates for that obnoxious label “the easy listening group.” Music which embraces Nat “King” Cole’s version of “Stardust,” the Sinatra Capitol albums or Andre Previn playing Gershwin — that kind of music is obviously not just aural

wallpaper. It has real presence, style, and imagination. It needs a thoughtout presentation, some care, and at least a little affection.

Such an approach is abundantly clear on Gene Di Novi’s series of programmes on a Tuesday evening (National). Di Novi, who played piano for many of the “greats” talks about four composers — Gershwin, Kern, Harburg, and Sondheim — on four consecutive Tuesdays. He reminisces, embroiders effortlessly on the piano, and sings their chosen gems in a voice that catches the imagination with its slight Canadian drawl yet rarely seems to rise above a whisper. So far there’s two programmes down and two more to go, but if you like that kind of music and still want to hear it well chosen, skilfully presented, and played to perfection, tune in. It’s De-Lovely.