Search - Revelers :: Breezin Along With Revelers

Excellent compilation... eagerly awaiting vols. 2, 3, etc.

WheezerTheGeezer | Chicago | 10/06/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This British CD is superb. The sound restoration from 78s is excellent however some of the material seems to have been captured to CD at a slower-than-78rpm speed (compare the original 78s and the examples on the hard-to-find German compilation). The inclusion of items by the Revelers' alter-egos: The Merrymakers and the Singing Sophomores are a rare treat. If you are a Comedian Harmonist fan (you know who you are) then you will enjoy this CD."

Marvelous vocal harmonies!

"Gimpy" Peach Johnson | 11/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a collector of vintage 78 rpm records, I've always kept an eye out for sides by the "Revelers" on the famous Victor "scroll" label. Through the years, I accumulated perhaps a dozen records by this fine group, and every one of them is a gem. The Revelers were a group composed primarily of studio vocalists who recorded regularly as solosits with a variety of bands, or in vocal ensembles like this. Here, they sing in a style that is not barbershop-it's a little more melodic and without the long notes one hears in barbershop. The Revelers are five male voices accompanied by a piano and occasionally a small string trio. The voices blend together so smoothly! The tunes are great too; many of them, like "Dinah," "Ol' Man River," and "Dancing In The Dark" are classics, but you've never heard them like this! The remastering on this CD is quite good considering the original source material available. Some light surface noise is still audible, but it's a refreshing change from the heavy crackle on my 78 copies. The folks in ASV have kept the recordings in their original mono (no fake stereo here!). The notes in the accompanying booklet are not so hot, with too much emphasis given to mentioning each tune's "chart position" (never mind that pop record charts as we know them now were non-existant in the 1920s) and listing every other band the author could think of that recorded each tune. Fortunately, the discography for the included records is good, listing recording dates and original issue numbers. All in all, this is a fantastic set that is sure to please."