Bands Music

If you're new to Benny Goodman, I would recommend a boxed set or double CD in order to get the full flavor of his music. This disc is skimming the surface of his great catalogue and the sound quality is average, at best. The remastering of these songs is sub par, especially on the vocal tracks like "Why Don'tcha Do Right?" The live songs from the Carnegie Hall '38 concert are similarly flawed and sound better on other CD's. It's hard to hear Krupa's magnificent percussion and if you aren't hearing Gene, you aren't experiencing the magic of the man or the band.

A Benny neophyte would be well served by this standard "Greatest Hits" package but again, I caution you on the sound quality.

I was not a Benny Goodman fan, that is, until I heard a program on National Public Radio about the 1938 concert he and his band put on at Carnegie Hall. As a part of that program, they played a cut from the 2-CD release of the concert recording. This was the 12 minute long, "Sing, Sing, Sing".

That cut was one of the best live recording of music I'd ever heard.

I became a Benny Goodman fan that night.

This CD has four cuts from the 1938 concert. These are, arguably, the four best songs played that night. In addition, unlike the 2-CD concert recording, these cuts have been digitally "cleaned up" and most of the noise from the defects in the master are gone. They are, in and of themselves, GREAT STUFF! Listening to these live recordings of the likes of Harry James, Gene Krupa, and Lionel Hampton, all performing on the same stage, is an exciting experience. Knowing that this was recorded 62 years ago adds an element of timelesness and gives me the impression that I'm hearing one of the great chronicles of music.

This CD, however. contains not only these live recordings but, also, some other great music. For me, a new Benny Goodman listener, most of cuts on this CD have been a real source of pleasure.

I can surely recommend this item.

The swing fad of the nineties came and, as everyone knew it would, went. But Benny Goodman reigned supreme in a time when swing was more than just a fad, however, and you can hardly find a more worthwile compilation than this CD. Sing, Sing, Sing is of course the best song from the swing era (with the possible exception of Miller's In the Mood), and the extended version contained on this CD is a treat. Add in Flying Home and How Am I to Know? and you've got a must-have collection for anyone interested in swing. The recordings are live; you can hear the audience react and pull you into their joy. It's hard not to. And if the sound is not as clear and crisp as music recorded today, it's still remarkable for a 1938 recording. Better than you might expect. Turn it up and bop along with the master.

Because otherwise I would have done it with this one. While I recommend that dedicated Goodman fans should get the RCA collections of his works I have to recommend this CD as an excellent overview of what Benny Goodman was all about. There are four tracks on the CD that I absolutely love. Track 4, _Flying Home_ is a beautiful piece of music, Track 5, _Memories of You_ is a wonderful, melancholy piece. Track 12, _Sing, Sing, Sing_ is 12 minutes long, it is a recording from a 1938 concert and it includes a raucous Gene Krupa drum solo that cannot be beat. This song segues into another number called _Christopher Columbus_ and you can hear some audience noise in the background and some laughter, making you wonder what Benny and the band were up to. Track 8 is a neat rendition of _Why Don't you Do Right_ which some may remember Jessica Rabbit singing in _Who Framed Roger Rabbit_. I would have loved to see Benny Goodman and his orchestra playing live, but failing that this CD is probably the next best thing.

There are a few single-CD Benny Goodman "best of" collections available. This one is probably the best for some very good reasons. It has 16 cuts, more than the other popular collections. There are tunes from Goodman's most famous performance, the 1938 Carnagie Hall concert. Selections from this show include Don't Be That Way, the show's opener, and Sing, Sing, Sing, which may be the most famous swing song of all time. This show was performed when the band was at its height, and included Gene Krupa (the most famous jazz drummer of the swing era), Harry James (trumpet), and Lionel Hampton (vibraphone), all stars who eventually started their own bands. Unlike the 11 cut "This is Jazz - Benny Goodman", it also has Let's Dance, another famous Goodman tune. The sound quality of this CD isn't even that bad, considering the age of the performances. Unfortunately, this collection omits King Porter Stomp (included on "This is Jazz"), but arguably makes up for it with Stompin' at the Savoy, a swing standard co-written by Goodman (and performed at the Carnagie Hall show). Even at full list price, this CD would be a bargain. "16 Most Requested Songs" is a great introduction to Goodman's music, as well as the world of swing, and it would also make an outstanding gift for someone who has only heard songs from the current "swing revivial".

If you're new to Benny Goodman, I would recommend a boxed set or double CD in order to get the full flavor of his music. This disc is skimming the surface of his great catalogue and the sound quality is average, at best. The remastering of these songs is sub par, especially on the vocal tracks like "Why Don'tcha Do Right?" The live songs from the Carnegie Hall '38 concert are similarly flawed and sound better on other CD's. It's hard to hear Krupa's magnificent percussion and if you aren't hearing Gene, you aren't experiencing the magic of the man or the band.

A Benny neophyte would be well served by this standard "Greatest Hits" package but again, I caution you on the sound quality.

I was not a Benny Goodman fan, that is, until I heard a program on National Public Radio about the 1938 concert he and his band put on at Carnegie Hall. As a part of that program, they played a cut from the 2-CD release of the concert recording. This was the 12 minute long, "Sing, Sing, Sing".

That cut was one of the best live recording of music I'd ever heard.

I became a Benny Goodman fan that night.

This CD has four cuts from the 1938 concert. These are, arguably, the four best songs played that night. In addition, unlike the 2-CD concert recording, these cuts have been digitally "cleaned up" and most of the noise from the defects in the master are gone. They are, in and of themselves, GREAT STUFF! Listening to these live recordings of the likes of Harry James, Gene Krupa, and Lionel Hampton, all performing on the same stage, is an exciting experience. Knowing that this was recorded 62 years ago adds an element of timelesness and gives me the impression that I'm hearing one of the great chronicles of music.

This CD, however. contains not only these live recordings but, also, some other great music. For me, a new Benny Goodman listener, most of cuts on this CD have been a real source of pleasure.

I can surely recommend this item.

The swing fad of the nineties came and, as everyone knew it would, went. But Benny Goodman reigned supreme in a time when swing was more than just a fad, however, and you can hardly find a more worthwile compilation than this CD. Sing, Sing, Sing is of course the best song from the swing era (with the possible exception of Miller's In the Mood), and the extended version contained on this CD is a treat. Add in Flying Home and How Am I to Know? and you've got a must-have collection for anyone interested in swing. The recordings are live; you can hear the audience react and pull you into their joy. It's hard not to. And if the sound is not as clear and crisp as music recorded today, it's still remarkable for a 1938 recording. Better than you might expect. Turn it up and bop along with the master.

Because otherwise I would have done it with this one. While I recommend that dedicated Goodman fans should get the RCA collections of his works I have to recommend this CD as an excellent overview of what Benny Goodman was all about. There are four tracks on the CD that I absolutely love. Track 4, _Flying Home_ is a beautiful piece of music, Track 5, _Memories of You_ is a wonderful, melancholy piece. Track 12, _Sing, Sing, Sing_ is 12 minutes long, it is a recording from a 1938 concert and it includes a raucous Gene Krupa drum solo that cannot be beat. This song segues into another number called _Christopher Columbus_ and you can hear some audience noise in the background and some laughter, making you wonder what Benny and the band were up to. Track 8 is a neat rendition of _Why Don't you Do Right_ which some may remember Jessica Rabbit singing in _Who Framed Roger Rabbit_. I would have loved to see Benny Goodman and his orchestra playing live, but failing that this CD is probably the next best thing.

There are a few single-CD Benny Goodman "best of" collections available. This one is probably the best for some very good reasons. It has 16 cuts, more than the other popular collections. There are tunes from Goodman's most famous performance, the 1938 Carnagie Hall concert. Selections from this show include Don't Be That Way, the show's opener, and Sing, Sing, Sing, which may be the most famous swing song of all time. This show was performed when the band was at its height, and included Gene Krupa (the most famous jazz drummer of the swing era), Harry James (trumpet), and Lionel Hampton (vibraphone), all stars who eventually started their own bands. Unlike the 11 cut "This is Jazz - Benny Goodman", it also has Let's Dance, another famous Goodman tune. The sound quality of this CD isn't even that bad, considering the age of the performances. Unfortunately, this collection omits King Porter Stomp (included on "This is Jazz"), but arguably makes up for it with Stompin' at the Savoy, a swing standard co-written by Goodman (and performed at the Carnagie Hall show). Even at full list price, this CD would be a bargain. "16 Most Requested Songs" is a great introduction to Goodman's music, as well as the world of swing, and it would also make an outstanding gift for someone who has only heard songs from the current "swing revivial".

Just get it. Don't hesitate. Coltrane does not hold back. Duke keeps pace with his usual cool. They enhance each other.

All of the best versions of the top Duke cuts I have heard over the years. Get it. This combined with the Columbia small band CDs (Dukes Men - both volumes - 4 CDs) make a great Duke starter set.

All I have to say is Duke Ellington is the king of jazz composition. Althought I think this predicular CD is missing some of his best ( my personal fav. is cottontail) It still has those 8 bar blues (such as Take the A train) that are lots of classic fun.

I ordered this CD together with DUKE ELLINGTON-THE PIANO PRINCE AND HIS ORCHESTRA. I wanted these two items to teach my children about Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington. I was concerned that the children might find the music old fashioned, especially because most of the tracks are mono. To my relief and surprise, the kids love the CD! Now, they want me to order another CD that has "Brown and Beige."

There are 16 songs of which 5 were actually hits. This is
the minimum criteria for me to buy, so I guess thats good enough!

The sound is amazing. This album contains the exact elements I was searching for in the early Ballroom Masters of the Latin Beat. Innovative and moving in it's complex and rich orchestration. Great listening music. Easy to see why he was considered progressive and an innovator.

Just get it. Don't hesitate. Coltrane does not hold back. Duke keeps pace with his usual cool. They enhance each other.

All of the best versions of the top Duke cuts I have heard over the years. Get it. This combined with the Columbia small band CDs (Dukes Men - both volumes - 4 CDs) make a great Duke starter set.

All I have to say is Duke Ellington is the king of jazz composition. Althought I think this predicular CD is missing some of his best ( my personal fav. is cottontail) It still has those 8 bar blues (such as Take the A train) that are lots of classic fun.

I ordered this CD together with DUKE ELLINGTON-THE PIANO PRINCE AND HIS ORCHESTRA. I wanted these two items to teach my children about Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington. I was concerned that the children might find the music old fashioned, especially because most of the tracks are mono. To my relief and surprise, the kids love the CD! Now, they want me to order another CD that has "Brown and Beige."

There are 16 songs of which 5 were actually hits. This is
the minimum criteria for me to buy, so I guess thats good enough!

The sound is amazing. This album contains the exact elements I was searching for in the early Ballroom Masters of the Latin Beat. Innovative and moving in it's complex and rich orchestration. Great listening music. Easy to see why he was considered progressive and an innovator.

I collect billboard hits. This album has 12 of 16 songs that
were actually hits.....truly remarkable average. I have no
way of knowing whether they were the orginal songs though, but
I'm willing to take a chance..... Most hit albums are not hits
at all, which if you collect, you soon find out. At least the
song titles match up!!

I was 9 years old, a confirmed Buddy Clark fan, at that young age, when he was killed in a tragic plane crash - 1949. He had a radio show called the Carnation Contented Hour. Many of the best music critics and disk jockeys would refer to Buddy as "the late great" Buddy Clark. You can tell in his voice how much he loved to sing for people - what joy he had in it. Everyone will love this CD. With the miracle of the internet - he can be redisovered by new generations.

This is the best-sounding Buddy Clark CD available. While all the songs have been previously available, Sony has gone all-out to give us Buddy Clark's best performances in unbelievable sound! The remastering on this CD will lead you to think these selections were recorded in the late '50s or early '60s - certainly not the mid-to-late '40s! I can't imagine it ever getting any better than this. Treat yourself and your ears to this wonderful CD!

I was in Junior High when Buddy Clark was at the height of his fame. Most of the other girls were crazy about Sinatra, but I loved Buddy Clark. He had such a beautiful voice, he could put over a song like nobody else, except maybe Bing Crosby back in his early days. Buddy Clark would sing with Doris Day, Dinah Shore and make them sound even better than they were alone. It was just terrible when he died in that plane crash in 1949, by then I was in High School, and I was just devastated. It was years before I could listen to another male singer, but Tony Bennett came along, and I felt that he was as close as anyone could get to singing as well as Buddy Clark sang, and some songs he sang reminded me of the way Buddy sang, like Because of You. I've been buying Buddy's records lately, and enjoying him all over again in my retirement years! RCinNYC

I collect billboard hits. This album has 12 of 16 songs that
were actually hits.....truly remarkable average. I have no
way of knowing whether they were the orginal songs though, but
I'm willing to take a chance..... Most hit albums are not hits
at all, which if you collect, you soon find out. At least the
song titles match up!!

I was 9 years old, a confirmed Buddy Clark fan, at that young age, when he was killed in a tragic plane crash - 1949. He had a radio show called the Carnation Contented Hour. Many of the best music critics and disk jockeys would refer to Buddy as "the late great" Buddy Clark. You can tell in his voice how much he loved to sing for people - what joy he had in it. Everyone will love this CD. With the miracle of the internet - he can be redisovered by new generations.

This is the best-sounding Buddy Clark CD available. While all the songs have been previously available, Sony has gone all-out to give us Buddy Clark's best performances in unbelievable sound! The remastering on this CD will lead you to think these selections were recorded in the late '50s or early '60s - certainly not the mid-to-late '40s! I can't imagine it ever getting any better than this. Treat yourself and your ears to this wonderful CD!

I was in Junior High when Buddy Clark was at the height of his fame. Most of the other girls were crazy about Sinatra, but I loved Buddy Clark. He had such a beautiful voice, he could put over a song like nobody else, except maybe Bing Crosby back in his early days. Buddy Clark would sing with Doris Day, Dinah Shore and make them sound even better than they were alone. It was just terrible when he died in that plane crash in 1949, by then I was in High School, and I was just devastated. It was years before I could listen to another male singer, but Tony Bennett came along, and I felt that he was as close as anyone could get to singing as well as Buddy Clark sang, and some songs he sang reminded me of the way Buddy sang, like Because of You. I've been buying Buddy's records lately, and enjoying him all over again in my retirement years! RCinNYC

When putting together this entry in their 16 Most Requested Songs series, the person responsible at Columbia didn't seem to have put much thought into the collection. To have been more accurate, the cover should have said "16 Most Requested Songs From 1932 to 1934 because that is the period covered by the tracks. But even then, it's hard to believe that their selection was based upon some kind of survey. Requested by whom?

The thing is, by the time the earliest hit presented here, Too Many Tears, hit the charts (it was a # 1 in the early spring of 1932), Guy already had 38 hits under his belt dating back to his first in 1927, Charmaine - all for Columbia. All the hits included here came out on the Brunswick label. And just 12 of the 16 were actual hits. Vilia and Goofus were both released in late 1932 on Brunswick 6466 with neither side becoming a hit, while Shanghai Lil came out in August 1933 on Brunswick 6653 and I'm Playing With Fire was the uncharted B-side of You're Beautiful Tonight, My Dear, a # 12 in February 1933 on Brunswick 6477 and one of three included here which also involved Bing Crosby as vocalist. The others are You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me, a # 1 for four weeks in March 1933 and its B-side, Young And Healthy, a # 2, both from the film Forty-Second Street.

In total, Guy had 38 hit singles come out on the Brunswick label and here you get 12 of them, those mentioned above plus: Lawd, You Made The Night Too Long (# 4 in May 1932 on Brunswick 6300; We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye, # 1 for 5 weeks in late summer 1932 and its B-side, I'll Never Be The Same, a # 8 on Brunswick 6350; How Deep Is The Ocean (How High Is The Sky?), a # 4 in November 1932 on Brunswick 6399; Lover, from the film Love Me Tonight, a # 8 in May 1933 on Brunswick 6535; Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All The Time), a # 2 in May 1933 on Brunswick 6550; The Sweetest Music This Side Of Heaven, a # 20 in May 1934; and My Old Flame from the film Belle Of The Nineties, a # 7 in July 1934. After that he would go on to post another 143 hits to 1954 on Victor and Decca , registering 21 # 1's in all, with most of the rest hitting elsewhere in the Top 10.

To quote Guy from the two pages of liner notes by Will Friedwald "It's very easy to get away from the thing that made you successful, but the important thing is to keep on doing what the people tell you they like." And they must have genuinely liked it because his was the only dance band to sell more than 100 million records! So, to try and come out with one 16-track CD blaring "16 Most Requested Songs" without being specific, and including non-hit sides is just ridiculous.

The sound quality is, however, very good and for those tracks with vocals not involving Bing, that's handled by brother Carmen. The only problem was (at least on my copy) is the tracks on this disc itself do not always follow the numbering on the reverse and printed on the disc. I was able to correct mine using Windows Media Player.

A much better Lombardo compilation in all regards is a 2002 ADD release from Naxos Nostalgia which contains 20 of his hits from 1941 to 1950, a discography, and three pages of background notes written by David Lennick, but which is, unfortunately, not available through Amazon.com (but is available from amazon.uk).

This doesn't seem like the "most requested" Lombardo songs, as most of his biggest hits are not here. That's what make this a nice album. As another reviewer said, you'll find selections here that are not on other Lombardo collections. I have a sizable Lombardo collection and most of these are not on any other albums. In fact, not too many other artists have even covered most of these songs; at least not extensively. The selections here are as good as any Lombardo material and you'll get the distinctive Lombardo sound without hearing songs that you have heard a dozen times before. It's almost like an album of "undiscovered" Lombardo gems and all the selections are as nice to listen to as songs in any other Lombardo collection. If you like Lombardo, you'll love this album.

The beauty of this CD is that it contains a number of songs which are not found on other compilations. The recordings have been nicely cleaned up for sound, and are a good representation of the band in the 1930s and 1940s. The liner notes are thoughtful and extensive (though the small print is tough!). All in all, a welcome addition to the growing CD catalogue of Lombardo's music. I thoroughly recommend it.

I grew up with Lawrence Welk tv every Saturday night. I've always enjoyed his music. All the songs on the cd bring back memories. It is terrific...

This is just terrific early stuff by Lawrence. Don't expect his modern band sound with this one. This has gotta be from the 30's.

Quite frankly,when my sister first heard it,she didn't even recognize it as Lawrence.

If you like the fast music from the 30's..this is for you.

Always kind of enjoyed Welk's music, but didn't want to admit it. This was my parent's music; very corny and square. I couldn't take the dancing on the TV show or some of the vocalist acts, but if you strip away all that and just listen to the music, it's very listenable (bubbly like champagne). Still, I preferred Guy Lombardo's sound over Welk's. I don't think any Welk fan would be disappointed over this nice selection of songs, but I doubt these are the "most requested" songs. If I was doing the requesting, I would ask for Calcutta and a Joann Castle number and definately a Lennon Sister's song or two. While Welk's band was a big part of the show, so were other performers who are not represented at all here. There are a few vocals here, but I can't identify who is singing; most of the songs are instrumental. It's a nice collection, but just not very representative of the overall Welk sound. Other reviewers say it's early Welk, so perhaps it was before the heyday of the TV show.

Lawrence Welk initially achieved fame as a big band leader starting in the late 20s, even achieving some notoriety for a few rare jazz sides on the Gennett label. This 16 track CD serves as an overview of his period recording for Columbia during the late 30s/early 40s. It highlights the genesis of the Champagne Music style that he was most associated with, Welk's accordion in the forefront. Parnell Grina, Welk's bassist of the time, gets a few vocals including Start The Day Right, a duet with Champagne Lady Lois Best on The Umbrella Man, and Comin' Thru The Rye. Best also is featured on Sing For Your Supper. Champagne Lady Jayne Walton is featured on 1,2,3 Kick! and Joan Mowery is the vocalist on Seems Like Old Times. While the commercial sweet band style is prominent throughout, it is enlivened by the organ filigrees of Jerry Burke, Welk's accordion and an occasional solo, such as the swinging tenor sax on Linger Awhile and the clarinet solo on the 1920s standard You're the Cream In My Coffee. There are two polkas on the disc, done in a very clean cut style. The sole chart hit is Welk's theme song, Bubbles In The Wine from 1939. Given that a more thorough sampling of his 1940s and 50s big band hits are not yet available on CD, this serves as a decent sampler of what initially appealed to Midwestern ballroom audiences.