I was at the concert that night.
08/24/1998
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I was fifteen at the time, and my all-time favorite record was the 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert. The day tickets went on sale I took the subway to Carnegie on my lunch hour from high-school and got tickets way up in the second balcony, but I was lucky to get them at all--the concert sold out in one day. The night of the concert, the weather was miserable and rainy, and the concert was generally a disappointment. The only real high spot was Roll 'Em with Mary Lou Williams. She injected some energy into the whole concert. The arrangement of Stardust was good too, as I couldn't ever recall hearing a Goodman band that featured flutes! But Jack Sheldon singing Rocky Racoon--I mean come on! I have the vinyl double album more as a momento of the event than as anything I really listened to. Probably not worth the money--stick to the 1938 version. There's a reason it's the best selling jazz album of all time. I can't wait for the new CD to come out. I have the original 12 inch LP issued in 1950 (Goodman forgot he had the recording of the concert for 12 years)--my dad's. I discovered it in 1973 and it is the reason I got into jazz in the first place. I also have my replacement LPs of 1970s vintage. It's about time to go digital on the '38 concert."
Stick with 1938
Candace Scott | Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA | 07/06/2000
(2 out of 5 stars)
"This double disc has one stellar moment: Mary Lou Williams on "Roll 'Em." This is a rousing rendition of Mary's own song and it knocks 'em dead. Benny's vocal on "I Love a Piano" is also quirky and sweet. But the rest of the album is uninspiring and insipid.The absolute nadir is Jack Sheldon singing "Rocky Raccoon." I don't know what Benny was thinking having this obnoxious trombine-player from the Merv Griffin orchestra appearing on stage with him. Unbelievable.Benny also throws in a bunch on no-name singers giving pale imitations of his original vocalist, liltin' Martha Tilton. For diehard fans of Benny, you might emjoy this disc, for everyone else out there, stick with the 1938 classic concert from Carnegie Hall."
An excellent recording of an excellent band
Michael Shirk | Poulsbo, WA United States | 11/16/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I was in the 6th grade and still a beginner on the clarinet, my mother brought this CD home from the library in case I might be interested in hearing a professional clarinetist. This was the first time I looked at music seriously. I am now a band teacher and gigging musician, having majored on clarinet and saxophone in college, playing in many big bands, myself. I made sure to buy my own copy of this album years ago and still listen to it and refer back to it often when demonstrating the characteristic sound of a big band for my students. As happened with many of the aging jazz bands, the feel is more refined and significantly less energetic than when the bands were young (with the exception of this rendition of Mary Lou Williams' Roll 'Em), but at no point does the listener sense that the musicians have lost their edge. Potential buyers would be wise to purchase a recording of the 1938 concert to see for his/herself how Goodman's style matured. However, in no way should the two concerts be ranked against one another, as they are simply excellent examples of a big band at two very different stages of a long and flourishing life.Benny is here joined by some of the more talented contributors to the jazz world. It is an all-star band, featuring Buddy Tate, Frank Wess, Warren Vache, Jack Sheldon, Jimmy Rowles, Martha Tilton, Mary Lou Williams, and the late, great Lionel Hampton.If I could only pick two of my numerous Benny Goodman albums to sum up his career, the two Carnegie Hall concerts would have to be them. See for yourself."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1