Search - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra :: Showcase

Definitely Worth It For Any Charlie Barnet Fan

David Nogar | 12/24/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was never familiar with the Showcase broadcasts until I purchased this album. In fact, they don't appear to be documented in any of my Charlie Barnet discographies. But if you like the music produced by this band and its leader during the mid-1940's, this album is a must-have.



From the crowd's cheers to the "Redskin Rhumba" intro on the first track, to the hardest-swinging version of "Cherokee" you will ever hear, finishing with an equally hard-swinging version of "The Sergeant was Shy," and everything in-between, you will play this album frequently.



The sound fidelity on this album is very good to excellent given the age of the source material. There are a couple of flaws in the recording, but it is unclear to me whether they were present in the original recordings or part of the mastering for this CD. Those few flaws nonetheless did not significantly detract from my enjoyment of this album."