Search - Various Artists :: Big Band

When popular music was good, and good music popular

Doug Danzeisen | Dayton, Ohio USA | 11/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a youngster some 25 years ago I was fortunate enough to have a neighbor who had records of big band music that he shared.
Long evenings spent listening in my attic room as the old tube amplified record player would reproduce big band music faithfully through a big, old Wurlitzer jukebox speaker. Miller, Goodman, Dorsey, Herman, Armstrong, and others educated me in the art of the big band. For hours on end I would listen to the music pouring forth from the big speaker, and on warm evenings when my window was open the neighbors would also. If I recall correctly I even got requests.
In both repertoire and sonics the "Big Band Box" easily holds its own against the compilations from Time Life, Longines Symphonette Society, Readers Digest, and various others.
The artists picked are some of the most influential of the Swing Era- Benny Goodman, who is credited with starting the big band era circa 1935. Duke Ellington, who is truly an artist "Beyond category." Chick Webb- the harlem dynamo who gave Ella Fitzgerald her start with a Big Band. Fletcher Henderson- a genius whose arrangements often had multiple layers some on top, but others not revealing themselves until multiple listenings. Gene Krupa- the giant of percussion who is still one of the most revered drummers today.
Harry James- The child prodigy from a circus family whose best work was electrifying, but descended into alcoholism and gambling, but stayed true to his craft up until the end. His last recordings revealed a purity of tone and melody that denied he only had weeks to live...
The music selections are also excellant, and reveal a real sensitivty of the big bands real flavorings. A mixture of old chestnuts and seldom heard tunes provide a glimpse of what the music may have sounded like during a club date or radio program. This is a refreshing contrast to the usual "Best of" albums which are often reissued today, which often descend almost to parody, indicating that a band only had perhaps ten songs they played. In reality, the musicians and performers of the big band era were incredibly versatile and productive. This collection allows the neophyte a chance to hear what it was like during those incredible years, and even allows this old amateur disc jockey a few surprise numbers.
The sound quality is really quite good, with the almost total elimination of surface noise. Almost all the Big band recordings were made directly to disc, this was before the adoption of analog tape as a recording medium. The equalization is also very good and sounds very natural and musical. The quality of these old monaural recordings has rarely sounded as good as this.
Liner notes have a summary of each of the covered artists lives as well as their careers. Also the session dates as well as the arrangers and performers are also listed.
May I suggest for future releases that the company include some information on the audio restoration process used. To my untrained ear the restoration is very similar to the "Cedar" process, it would be nice to know what process was used. On the next issuing perhaps they could include some live performances, as like the bands of today, big bands come most alive when they interact with their audiences.
Nit picking aside, if one has even a modicum of interest in Swing music then this set is an absolute bargain, and a must have. We all know that in movies the sequel is seldom the equal of the original. It is often so in music as well. That which was done well originally is difficult to equal, let alone surpass. The time in which this music was created is long gone, as are most of the people who created it. Yet their legacy lives on and has seldom shone greater in recent years than on this "Big Band Box."
Also I recommend the "Cradle of Jazz" set as does reviewer jka1215- ASIN: B00004S7HQ."

An education in big band music

Stephen Cannon | Yokohama, Japan | 05/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With well over 40 hours of music from around forty artists I feel enlighted from this collection.I'm a new comer to the jazz scene and although listening to one collection won't put me shoulder to shoulder with the experts, it's a pretty good start.Thanks to this collection, I am familiar with the styles of very famous big band names such as Benny Goodman and Cab Calloway, but also with artists I had never heard of such as Woody Herman and Stan Kenton.Some of the music on these CDs is great, but some is pretty forgettable, while some is downright irritating. But due to the scope of the project this almost goes without saying.The sound quality is generally acceptable and since the cost is only around a buck and a half per CD, even if you only like a tenth of the songs, you've gotten your money's worth.Speaking for myself, I feel like I have taken a crash course in American pops from when my grandma was a young person and from this perspective, I'm really glad I bought it."

Great Deal

anon | Upstate NY, USA | 04/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nearly 40 hours of digitally remastered original 78s and 45s for less than $1 each. No, you aren't getting the 1000 greatest hits of the 30s & 40s, but this is a great collection, but at 10% of the price, you get a lot of standards.Also see the similarly priced "Cradle of Jazz" and "Great Vocalists of Jazz and Entertainment" collections by the German "History" label."