Search - Ralph Flanagan & His Orchestra :: Hot Toddy

Good example of a lesser-known big band

A. Craig | Charlotte, NC United States | 08/14/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I confess I'm biased. I got this album because my Dad played on it...he was a trombonist with this band after WW2. Suffice it to say that I agree with the reviews I have read about it--Flanagan has a nice big band sound, though some tunes have a very obvious Glenn Miller influence. "On the Beat" reminds me a lot of "In the Mood"...same style, different notes. Almost like "Songs played in the style of....". Things I liked about the CD: There are a lot of tunes on it, and the first five appear to be live recordings from radio broadcasts that the band did. The radio announcer is heard introducing these cuts also. The recording sounds reasonably clean considering the original was analog recorded in the early 1950's. The few audible scratches give it that authentic "vintage" sound. The liner notes give a (very) brief overview of Flanagan and his band. Things I didn't like: Most (but not all) of the songs are relatively obscure: not what you'd buy if you wanted one CD in your collection of the most popular & well-known big band hits of the 40's and 50's. I also would have liked more info in the liner notes, especially specifics on when and where this album was originally recorded (the only copyright date I saw was on the web site and it is recent--most likely the release of this CD pressing, NOT the original cuts, which my Dad dates to the early 1950's). Overall: good choice for collectors (and proud sons) as well as students of big band music and genre...but if you want a good sampling of the definitive, popular big band tunes, get something a little more well-known."