Search - Casa Loma Orchestra :: Boneyard Shuffle

Casa Loma Orchestra Really Stomps on "Boneyard Shuffle"

Charles F. Emmons | WZBT-FM, Gettysburg College, PA | 07/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you love big-band swing a la Miller, Goodman, and the Dorseys, you should discover the Casa Loma Orchestra. Although not as popular on record, they were the favorite band of the rich college-student circuit for many years. This CD presents 23 beautifully remastered songs recorded from 1935 to 1941, including (my favorites)"Whoa Babe," "The Goblin Band," "Casa Loma Stomp," "Song of India," "No Name Jive," and "Swingtonic." Hoagy Carmichael himself sings some of his own compositions, best on "Little Old Lady," and not so well on "Stardust." Featured musicians include Glen Gray, Louis Armstrong, and PeeWee Hunt. There are many pleasant surprises on this gem of a CD: great lesser-known performers, unique arrangements of swing hits, and beautiful, driving melodies. It shattered my stereotype of the Casa Loma Orchestra as a stodgy resort band."

Still going strong

JJA Kiefte | Tegelen, Nederland | 01/28/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The fourth HEP cd dedicated to Casa Loma yet again shows that this was a very good band, even after its heyday of the early-to-mid thirties. While Larry Clinton may have been a competent arranger his work compares to that of Gene Gifford as the pupil's to the master's. Highlight of the entire collection is the fantastic 1937 rendition of Casa Loma Stomp, which must be heard to be believed. Taken at an unbelievably fast pace, the whole band makes it sound as if it were a piece of cake. Low on emotional content perhaps, but what a scream!

Perhaps a a precursor to the fifites' American Songbooks (and akin to what Lee Wiley was doing at the time) Casa Loma recorded 12 Hoagy Carmichael songs, which are splendidly arranged and very well executed in a wide variety of styles, from semi-Dixieland to a warm ballad style, the humorous duets between Louis Armstrong and PeeWee Hunt being especially pleasant. ("Lazy Bones" is one of those very rare titles were Louis allowed another trumpeter (Grady Watts) to solo rather than himself). Although the band was still very popular, it was slowly losing ground to the Millers, Shaws and Dorseys. The concluding "No Name Jive" and "Swingtonic" go to prove that Casa Loma had mastered the swing style à la Goodman after all but had given up its own identity in the process. The trailblazer of yore had become a trend follower. The remainder of Casa Loma's history can be found on a Jasmine double cd that covers the period 1940-1946."