Catherine Howe’s “What a Beautiful Place” was known as a folk holy grail for many years
It was produced in 1971 (I know) but the label that put it out folded shortly thereafter
So few copies were pressed, or sold
Howe studied acting in London, but was also into music
The label, Reflection, actually brought over Bobby Scott from the US to do the arrangements
Scott is not a household name, but some of his compositions are
A Taste of Honey and He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother are both on his credits
He worked a lot with Quincy Jones in the 60s and 70s
According to Howe, he basically sat down and wrote the scores for the whole album in a couple of days!
And the recordings were knocked out on a similar timeline
The title track is a stunner
But my favorite I only discovered when Numero reissued the album in the mid 2000s
They added a bonus track studio outtake
Unlike virtually every other unreleased outtake in history, this one shines
To me, anyway
If you’re a Joni Mitchell fan (isn’t everyone?), this is direct to vein
Keys and voice with a bell puncture
And gorgeous horns alternating with strings every other verse
A testament to the artistry of arrangement
