Stereo Make These Authentic High Quality Performances Highly
Doug - Haydn Fan | California | 07/09/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There were a number of stereo issues of Swing Bands, but often the performer would update and modernize his style and the music. On these two CDs the old ways are largely adhered to by players to the maor born, giving us what in hindsight was one of the last stereo-colored windows onto the genuine style of band playing in the Swing Era. Glen Gray, a minor band leader during an age of giants, leads extremely well on all these takes, and gives us on this set, hopefully the first in a series of reissued Capitol LPs on modern CDs, a reasonable facsimile of very good and even excellent 40's big band playing. Soon after these (originally Capitol LPs) were produced in the early sixties, almost all further attempts at swing recreations would suffer from either an inferior band and less than first rate players; slack Lawrence Welk-like arrangements devoid of the drive and energy - not to mention rhythms - which set off the sections' harmonies; or a disappointing but probably inevitable tendency to start mucking around with the music to 'bring it up to date'. Anyone who has heard any of the current crop of New Age Swing Bands understands this later, especially the ghastly reliance on electric amplification to cover up a shortage of players. Time passes on and we can no more freeze and relive the past than could poor Gatsby - though of course there we're talking the Roaring Twenties.
So for those of you who want to hear this music in fine stereo well performed indeed, this is your purchase. The Capitol engineers did a sensational job, too. I heard this directly after listening to a 1970 Archive DG recording of Michael Haydn symphonies led by Charles Mackerras, and the Capitol engineers blew the Germans out of the water. (Most unfortunately so - as Mackerras performances are without a doubt the greatest ever made of Haydn's younger brother's symphonies.) Anyway, returning to Swing - if you have a classic stereo system these Glen Gray CDs sound phenomenal - wide stereo separation and a fine reproduction - in most instances - of the instrumental timbres. Monster receiver lovers take note!
Some day I'll make my first Amazon list - Authentic Swing in Stereo.
For now this great two CD set has to go to the top of any such list."
Great cd now let's get the rest of the capitol Glen Gray sou
Scott the dj | 02/19/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"it's good to see that they put out the first two volumes of glen grays sounds of the great band series. There were 9 in all in which two were done after Glen died in 1963. Those were volumes 8 & 9. I noticed the first one has all 16 songs that were put out on the mono album version since they cut down to 12 for the stereo version. Either way it is a good cd to have. Just get it and enjoy. Also the review that one said they used glens version on the time life sets which i have is also good and the rest of the songs were done by Billy May so if you can find the complete set of the the time life swing era set get it and have a ball. Of course you can't beat getting the originals done by the original big band artist but still this is a good set to get and as always enjoy."
Best recreations ever!
Roy Clarke | hemel hempstead, herts. United Kingdom | 12/29/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The recordings Glen Gray recorded for Capitol records back in the late 1950's are possibly the finest attempts at recreating the sound of the old dance/swing bands of the 1930/40's ever commited to vinyl.He was fortunate to be able to call on many of the original guys who had performed on many of these classics songs but also he had superb arrangers at hand to transcribe the original arrangements.The results are amazing ,almost identical in sound to the original tunes but in amazing sound quality,infact the sound quality of these recordings is astonishing ,when one thinks these recordings are now over 50 years old .BUY WITH CONFIDENCE ,SUPERB!"
The Casa Loma Orchestra at their best!
R. Wilbanks | Ann Arbor, MI USA | 07/24/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have the original monoral and stereophonic albums issued by Capitol in 1957-1958. These are some of the very best Big Band recreation recordings, that were ever made from the 1930s and 1940s charts. In many cases the original sidemen from the great Swing bands were recruited for this project, where they recreated in full-dimensional stereo their solos, and section work.
In 1970, these recordings were featured by Time-Life Music, as part of their anthology "The Swing Era," which recreated the greatest hits from the Big Band Era, in full-stereophonic sound. I highly recommend this CD to anyone who loves Big Band Swing Music at it's best. You will love it!"
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1