Best of Big Band [Import]

Some of the finest popular recordings are found in this collection -- along with more than a couple that are less timeless and could have been left in the '40s. Forget the hard swinging Sinatra of the late '50s and early '60s. Listen to 'Stella by Starlight', 'The Song is You' and 'What'll I Do.' The long vocal passages, sung by a guy who really wants to know what he will do when his girl is gone -- and really hurts -- are still spellbinding. 'Night and Day' was an incredible song even in this early recording, and the quality of the recording is plenty good enough to recognize how impressive many of these songs really were -- and are.

With 94 tracks, it is pointless to list all the highlights here. It is riveting, however, to hear the origins of Sinatra classics such as 'Where or When', 'That Old Black Magic' and 'Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry.' What is remarkable is not that many of these songs sound dated ('Old Fashioned Walk' would be laughed off the shelves today, as would 'The Hucklebuck') but that many more make the listener forget the age of the music and feel the message.

The Sinatra of 1943-1952 is not for everybody, and there are some numbers here that have not aged well. But if you want to know Sinatra before the cigarettes and booze started to take his voice (after the '60s the effects are pronounced), this is a superb set. The quality of the music, the reasonable quality of the recordings and the first-rate booklet that accompanies the four CDs all make this a must have for Sinatra fans. No matter how much we enjoy the Sinatra of the Capitol years and the Las Vegas era, there is something compelling about these early tracks. Try this. Pick a forgotten song like 'Deep Night', turn down the lights, turn up the volume a bit and thank the engineers at Columbia for making this obscure bit of magic available to us half a century later.

The GREATEST singer of ALL time an' the greatest box set I own!.......2000-11-20

The greatest singer of all time, Frank Sinatra, will always live on, thanks to the countless recordings he did over his 60-year career. He is the voice of our love, happiness, sorrow, guilt, regret, and holidays. He was also the voice that provided comfort for women on the homefront during World War II while the husbands were overseas serving our country. They flocked to the Paramount Theatre or the 500 Club to see him, they screamed, yelled, caused riots, fainted, etc. Before Elvis, before the Beatles, Frankie made them swoon.

Sinatra began recording for Columbia in 1943 after a few years singing and making records with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and as a loyal Sinatra fan, the necessity of owning this 4-CD set did not go over me. These are my absolute favorite Sinatra recordings for the sheer simplicity of them. They are tender, sentimental, heartfelt; jus' some simple songs 'bout love an' romance (save a few social numbers like 'the House I Live In'). This is jus' a man crooning in all aspects of the term. I mean, this was the first singer to put ALL of himself into the words he sang, to truly pour his soul into the songs. And the world hasn't seen another one like him since.

Venture back to a time that, even though history tends to romanticize it maybe TOO much sometimes, still seems so much simpler than these morally reprehensible days we're livin' in now. Bottomline. This is the mos' beautiful music in the world.

Average customer rating:

Greatest Clarinet player of ALL TIME!!
Artie Shaw by Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
One of the best single-CD albums of Artie Shaw -- genius!
Excellent introduction to one of jazz's finest clarinetists

The Very Best of Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Very Best of Benny Goodman
Tommy Dorsey - Greatest Hits [RCA]
Glenn Miller - Greatest Hits
Begin the Beguine
The Very Best of Duke Ellington

ASIN: B000056CAM
Release Date: 2001-01-09

Tracks:

Any Old Time
Rosalie
Deep Purple
Everything Is Jumpin'
Summertime
Star Dust
Chantez-les Bas
My Blue Heaven
Two In One Blues
Nocturne
'S Wonderful
Concerto For Clarinet (Parts 1 & 2)
Begin The Beguine
I Cover The Waterfront
To A Broadway Rose
Nightmare
The Maid With The Flaccid Air
Diga Diga Doo

Customer Reviews:

Greatest Clarinet player of ALL TIME!!.......2007-07-20

Artie Shaw in my opinion is the greatest clarinet and band leader of all time. His own unique style comes out of his music. I loved the entire CD, but, especially "Concerto for Clarinet, Parts 1 and 2.
You can hear the fun that they were having while playing.

Artie Shaw gave his clarinet a life of its own.

Artie Shaw by Artie Shaw.......2007-05-04

This wonderful CD entitled The Very Best Of Artie Shaw contains 18 great hits hand picked by Shaw himself. Shaw was a prolific recording artist with a crew that could swing like no other! This CD proves it.

The CD opens with "Any Old Time" featuring Billie Holiday singing with Artie Shaw on clarinet with his crew knocking 'em dead! This beautiful ballad starts the track set with strength and it holds your attention well. "Rosalie" follows "Any Old Time;" this song has Tony Pastor doing the vocals and the melody is every bit as classic as the one for "Any Old Time." It REALLY swings and you are bound to enjoy this if this is your kind of music! Awesome! Moreover, "Deep Purple" is sung flawlessly by the great Helen Forrest as Artie and His Orchestra provide a marvelous musical arrangement.

Other gems on this CD include the classic standard called "Star Dust" by Carmichael and Parish; Artie's horns and strings do a lot to enhance the beauty of this number as they perform a sensitive yet strong musical arrangement. "My Blue Heaven" gives us another instrumental track recorded at The Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City in 1939; and this number shines like a golden nugget in the brightest light ever! "'S Wonderful" gets the royal treatment with Artie once again on clarinet and Roy Eldridge on trumpet. The sound quality on this track is particularly good, too.

I also like this CD because there are three tracks recorded and broadcast live from The Hotel Pennsylvania in New York: "Everything Is Jumpin';" "My Blue Heaven" and "Diga Diga Doo." These tracks give us a certain spontaneity and zest that you don't always hear in a recording made in a studio.

"Begin The Beguine" is yet another classic instrumental penned by Cole Porter; and Artie Shaw and His Orchestra do a wonderful job of delivering this number.

The CD ends with the very upbeat "Diga Diga Doo;" this number will make you want to jump up and dance anywhere you happen to be! Dave Barbour is on the guitar but the horns carry the bulk of this melody.

The liner notes include all the song credits and Loren Schoenberg contributes an extensive, informative essay about Artie's career and personal life. The art work is very good; but on several of the tracks there is some surface noise. I had hoped not to suffer from any surface noise on a CD in this day and age; the remastering job was not well done. Therefore I must take off a star to make this a four star review.

Artie Shaw remains one of the greatest talents of the entire 20th century. His artistry can never be truly forgotten. I highly recommend this CD for Artie Shaw fans and fans of classic swing music. People who enjoy classic pop vocals will also enjoy the tracks that feature Billie Holiday, Tony Pastor and Helen Forrest.

Enjoy! Great work, everyone!!!

Artie Shaw.......2005-09-27

Pleased with service. Arrived in few dats and product was satisfactory

One of the best single-CD albums of Artie Shaw -- genius!.......2004-03-28

This is one of the best single CDs available of music by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra. Shaw was one of the great innovators of swing jazz of the 1930s and 1940s, always seeking artistic ways to express himself as a clarinet player and a bandlear, despite the heavy commercial pressures he faced (he frequently broke apart his bands when he could no longer tolerate the `business' side of the music business). This CD contains a wide variety of selections that Shaw picked himself. They contain music from his three major bands: the 1938-39 band that was the most popular musical group in the country for those two years, the enormous 1940-42 band (with a large string section), and the little-appreciated 1944-45 band.

I personally think that the Artie Shaw collection "Begin the Beguine" (available on the RCA Bluebird label) is a bit stronger than this one, with a focus on more of his hits from the 1938-39 band -- as an album, it swings much harder -- but the variety here is greater, and the sound quality somewhat better. Since the two CDs share only five tracks in common, I advise buying both. They're both inexpensive, so it's a good deal.

Here's what you'll find on this CD, broken down by the different bands:

The 1938-39 Orchestra: "Any Old Time" (vocal by Billie Holliday, her only recording with the band), "Rosalie" (vocal by Tony Pastor), "Deep Purple" (vocal by Helen Forrest), "Everything Is Jumpin'" (live), "My Blue Heaven" (live), "Begin the Beguine," "Nightmare" (Shaw's opening theme), "Diga Doo" (live)

The 1940-42 Orchestra: "Star Dust," "Chantez-Les Bas," "Two in One Blues," "Nocturne," "Concerto for Clarinet (Parts 1 & 2)," "I Cover the Waterfront," "To a Broadway Rose."

The 1944-45 Orchestra: "Summertime," "`S Wonderful," "The Maid with the Flaccid Air"

The 1938-39 tracks are the strongest, with "Begin the Beguine" still a towering classic of smooth, beautiful swing. The three live tracks are fabulous and show the band getting loose and extreemly jazzy in front of a crowd of crazed dancers. It's also wonderful to hear the band's two primary vocalists, Tony Pastor (also a sax player) and Helen Forrest, sing two of the band's signature numbers.

Of the other numbers, "Summertime" is a real stunner. Taken from the Gershwin opera "Porgy and Bess," it has an incredible Shaw solo and a heavy, soulful power. The lengthy "Concerto for Clarinet" may have a dull title, but it's a fast jumpin' number with awesome solos. The same goes for "Two in One Blues." Another classic solo on clarinet from Artie Shaw appears on "Star Dust," a song he recorded often.

Artie Shaw is really an American treasure, showing a rare blending of popular music with jazz genius, and this CD offers up the genius in an affordable package (and grab the collection "Begin the Beguine" and you'll have a full Artie Shaw experience -- and probably still be begging for more!)

Excellent introduction to one of jazz's finest clarinetists.......2001-05-08

Artie Shaw is one of the best jazz artists of his era, leading one of the best and most popular big bands. Though he may not be as well-known or lauded as the late, great Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw is certainly one of the greatest clarinetists in jazz history. This compilation, part of a fine series of vintage jazz CD's being issued by RCA Victor (see Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman), makes an excellent introduction as well as a great sampler of Artie Shaw's best work. Every track is a gem, including a few compositions by Shaw himself. While he cut most of his hits with a big band (some of which he actually despised, feeling they were too pedestrian and commercial), his best work is really with the chamber jazz he helped pioneer. It's unfortunate that Shaw retired so early, having become sick of the business (he's still alive and well).

Tracks:

Fats Waller Stomp
Handful Of Keys
The Minor Drag
Ain't Misbehavin'
I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby (And My Baby's Crazy 'Bout Me)
A Porter's Love Song To A Chambermaid
How Can You Face Me?
Viper's Drag
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
Dinah
Truckin'
When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful
I Got Rhythm
It's A Sin To Tell A Lie
Until The Real Thing Comes Along
The Curse Of An Aching Heart
Honeysuckle Rose
The Joint Is Jumpin'
Two Sleepy People
I'll Dance At Your Wedding
Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood Mama)
Your Feet's Too Big
All That Meat And No Potatoes
The Jitterbug Waltz

Product Description

1. Fats Waller Stomp
2. Handful Of Keys
3. Minor Drag, The
4. Ain't Misbehavin'
5. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby (And My Baby's Crazy 'Bout Me)
6. Porter's Love Song To A Chambermaid, A
7. How Can You Face Me?
8. Viper's Drag
9. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (And Write Myself A Letter)
10. Dinah
11. Truckin'
12. When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful
13. I Got Rhythm
14. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie
15. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
16. Curse Of An Aching Heart, The
17. Honeysuckle Rose
18. Joint Is Jumping, The
19. Two Sleepy People
20. I'll Dance At Your Wedding
21. Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood, Mama)
22. Your Feet's Too Big
23. All That Meat And No Potatoes
24. Jitterbug Waltz, The

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Fats plays Fats.......2007-02-07

This is a delightful compilation of Fats' at his best. The remastering is excellent and I would recomend this CD to anyone wanting to listen to jazz piano playing - the CD is worth getting even if only for the scintillating improvisation of 'Aint Misbehavin'

All Around Musical Force.......2006-10-04

Fats Waller had a strong touch on the Keys, could write very good&had a distinctive voice that fueled so many tracks. his band was tight as well. he had such a feel good quality in his playing&overall vibe as a Musician.I got Rhythm is one song that never gets old from this collection. this is a very fully well represented compilation. Fats Waller doesn't get his full due as a all around force. this is a strong collection.

Puts a smile on your face!.......2005-08-02

Excellent compilation of Fats Waller's recordings...both solo piano tracks and with his band. He sings on some of the songs too...as always, his music making puts a smile on your face and gets your toes a tappin'!

FATS WALLER, SECOND ONLY TO LOUIS ARMSTRONG!!!.......2004-03-17

THOMAS FATS WALLER RULES! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! THE MUSICIAN, A PIANIST AND VOCALIST, POSSESSES THE CHARISMA OF CAB CALAWAY, THE INNOVATIVE BRILLIANCE OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND THE DOWN AND DIRTY, NEW ORLEANS SWANKINESS OF THELONIOUS MONK.

SON OF A SOUTHERN BAPTIST MINISTER & A FEMALE PIANIST, VOCALIST AND ORGANIST, WALLER WAS OBVIOUSLY BORN INTO THE MUSICAL LIFE. FOR A MAN OF OVER 300 POUNDS, HE SURE KNEW HOW TO SWING. AND THE GUY WROTE OVER 400 SONGS, MANY MANY OF THEM HUGE HITS.

HE JUST MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD, DAMMIT!

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, WALLER'S GREATEST EFFORTS INCLUDE: YOUR FEETS TOO BIG, THIS JOINT IS JUMPIN', AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' AND CRAZY 'BOUT MY BABY.

FAT, HIP AND SWINGIN'.......2004-03-06

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.