A SUPERIOR OUTFIT WHICH PLAYED UP-TEMPO
Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 09/26/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Tracks are as follows:
CD 1: Henpecked Blues; I Can't Get The One I Want; Doodle Doo Doo; Where's My Sweetie Hiding?; How I Love That Girl; Mandy Make Up Your Mind; Why Couldn't It Be Poor Little Me?; Sweet Georgia Brown; I Had Someone Else Before I Had You; Cheatin' On Me; Yes, Sir, That's My Baby; Fallen Arches; Bell-Hoppin' Blues; Jig Walk; Up And At `Em; Somebody's Lonely; Someone Is Losin' Susan; She's Still My Baby; He's The Last Word; Ain't She Sweet?; I'm In Love Again; Rosy Cheeks; One O'Clock Baby; Miss Annabelle Lee 70:36
CD 2: There's A Cradle In Caroline; There Must Be Somebody Else; Carefree; Mine, All Mine; Speedy Boy; Borneo*; Crazy Rhythm; Hindustan; When Polly Walks Through The Hollyhocks*; Ten Little Miles From Town*; Cannon Ball Rag; Rhythm King; Makin' Whoopee; Button Up Your Overcoat*; I Want To Be Bad*; I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling; I'm In The Seventh Heaven; Bottoms Up; Bigger And Better Than Ever 68:10
*signifies 2 takes, vocal and non-vocal
Over the years I managed to collect a handful of 78s by Ben Bernie, supplemented by a couple of tracks on an MCA LP, and one on a Living Era CD. Not much to go on, but enough to show that this was a superior outfit which played in an up-tempo style. So when I ordered this 2-CD set (subtitled "Sweet Georgia Brown and Other Hot Numbers, featuring Jack Pettis and Bill Moore") I had a feeling that I would not be disappointed. Which proved to be an under-statement - I'm absolutely delighted with it.
The earliest tracks in this compilation are of course acoustic, but you'd be hard pressed to notice, thanks to the excellence of Vocalion's superior recording facilities. By the time Brunswick took over in the mid-twenties the band was ensconced in the Hotel Roosevelt in Manhattan, and its personnel included trumpeter Bill Moore, saxophonist Jack Pettis, and pianist Oscar Levant. A very full account of the development of the band, its principal musicians, and the recordings, is set out by Mark Berresford in the illustrated 24-page liner booklet. I can do no better than paraphrase his comment that Bernie was justly a major name in Brunswick's catalogue, and could take his pick of the tunes on offer. Thus he got to record some of the biggest hits of the day, and other "peppy" tunes then in vogue, which he took at a fast pace, in a tightly-arranged style, but with a relaxed feel.
The result is a highly distinctive sound, and some quite uninhibited playing. That is most notable on "Makin' Whoopee", which could almost have served as an early inspiration for Spike Jones. Beginning in 1927, some of the songs were recorded in alternative non-vocal versions for issue in Germany, and in some cases the extra instrumental space was filled by excellent solos. No fewer than five are included in both versions, and that makes for interesting comparisons. This is a first-rate production, which has been remastered to a very high standard, and should be an essential purchase for all enthusiasts of hot dance music of the twenties.
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Like the starch on my collar...
RiverMedia Reviews | Midwest U.S. | 02/03/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Ahh the crisp, curt - and oh so white - phrasing of Ben Bernie. Like my dry cleaner starches a collar and cleanly articulates the folds of my pressed wool slacks, Ben Bernie's Orchestra rips through the 20's American song book with brisk efficiency. This collection of Ben Bernie recordings is a joy to hear and is sure to put the pep back into your step."
