Search - Coon-Sanders Nighthawks :: The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks, Vol. 1

NONSTOP BRILLIANCE

James N. Kraut | Coral Springs, FL United States | 10/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks are one of those bands whose relative obscurity just doesn't make sense. Why they haven't remained an important chapter in early jazz is a mystery - and an unfair one at that. These arrangements are relentless, cutting edge stuff. The liner notes compare them to Ellington, which I figured, not having popped the disc in yet, was hyperbola, but no - these little tunes are brimming with novelty, subtlety, surprise and pure beauty, showcasing a band at the peak of their creative powers. The cream of the crop is Hallucinations, evidently so named because of its incredibly progressive, yet catchy structure. I found Volume 1 considerably less interesting and would only recommend it to serious students of the era. But Volume 2 hits the ground running and only accelerates as the disc moves foreward. Buy this CD if you like early jazz OR dance orchestras from the late 20s aned early 30s. It'll blow your head off. And you'll wonder why no one else told you about it!"

Loudest and funniest!

Michael D. Robbins | San Antonio, Texas United States | 10/07/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks captured the spirit of the Roaring 20s better than any other dance band. Their complete surviving recordings, give or take a few alternate "takes," have been reissued on four CDs on The Old Masters label. All four disks are excellent, but Volume Two is the best.Covering the 1926-1928 period, this CD shows the band at the very top of its form. Eight of the 23 selections were composed by co-leader Joe Sanders, and more than half of the selections contain spirited "hot" vocals by Sanders and his partner Carleton Coon. Sanders wrote the band's arrangements.This band played jazz, and played it with gusto and humor. Highlights include "Roodles," with a scat vocal by the two leaders, "Slue Foot," low-down and hot, and the remarkable "Louder and Funnier." The Nighthawks played pop standards such as "I Ain't Got Nobody" and "Wabash Blues" with the same verve that they gave to Sanders's original compositions. If the Nighthawks weren't quite as hot as the great black orchestras of the era, they do not suffer by comparison either. Compare their version of "Deep Henderson" with King Oliver's, and their version of "Blazin'" (a Sanders original) with Fletcher Henderson's. The Coon-Sanders band holds its own against the competition."

Without a doubt the hottest white band from the 20's

aaron | 10/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawks Orchestra was the hottest white dance band around in the 1920's, and they could hold their own against Bennie Moten, Fletcher Henderson, and even McKinney's Cotton Pickers. Both leaders(Coon & Sanders) sing and I don't mean those sappy songs, they sing hot(no dull vocal refrains here). highlights of this exellent disc are I Aint Got Nobody, Hallucinations, and Deep Henderson. Wonderful CD, all; four volumes are recommended, however Vols. 1 & 2 are most essential."