Search - Larry Clinton :: Studies in Clinton

Formulaic, but not unenjoyable

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

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When he was still an arranger for Casa Loma, Larry Clinton wrote and arranged a title called "A Brown Study". For some reason or other Decca's boss Jack Kapp objected to this title and it was changed into "A Study in Brown" which was duly recorded by Casa Loma and became a hit. It led to a string of Clinton recordings which are all featured here, employing riffs, call and response patterns and other swing band clichés (but with all the rough edges carefully ironed out) that made many critics and the more discerning music fans frown severely on Clinton's output. To make things worse (in their opinion) Clinton tampered with the classics: he had done so for Tommy Dorsey on several occasions and continued with his own band and two of his greatest hits "Martha" and "My Reverie" with vocal by Bea Wain (a very popular singer, but not one I myself am especially fond of) were adaptations of classical composers' tunes.

Stylistically Clinton veered between the riff-type swing tunes, Bob-Crosbyish dixieland and a warm well-rounded ballad style (alas not on display on this disc).

Clinton retained a very high degree of musicianship and some surprisingly good soloists (especially on tenorsax: Tony Zimmers, Wolf Tannenbaum (aka Wolfe Tayne), Hub Lytle and Babe Russin). As a consequence the results are listenable and never less than professional, but seldom very distinctive or surprising (save for one of the tenorsaxists solo contributions) and always on the safe side (hence his erstwhile popularity)."