Bands Music

"Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, 1937-38" brings together 24 swingin' tracks from one of the great American bands. Superb instrumental and vocal performances perfectly complement each other, transporting the listener back in time to these magical years.

The songs on this CD are at times romantic, sexy, playful, exuberant, or mellow, but always classy. Some of may favorite tracks include "I'm Always in the Mood for You" and "In an Old English Village." Also fun is "Hi-De-Ho Romeo," with its irreverent, yet affectionate reference to William Shakespeare. This is classic American music to be treasured by all.

No need to mince words: This is a MUST HAVE for the swing afficianado.

Larry Clinton's was by any standard the archetype of the popular swing band in the late 30s, when swing was going firmly mainstream. This CD is Volume 1 of a 2-volume set that includes the ENTIRE Associated Transcriptions sessions that Clinton recorded in 1937-38. The transcription material has infinitely better fidelity than the commercial releases,and some of the tunes arranged or composed for Glen Gray and Tommy Dorsey are here performed by Clinton's own band. If you're familiar with the other versions, you're bound to be astounded by how much better Clinton's versions are. No doubt about it: Clinton knew how to lead a precise, polished, and very swinging band.

And then there's Bea Wain. If you really want to know what this powerhouse of a vocalist had going in the early days of her career, this CD will give you a very good idea. Whether the material was sweet or silly, she never fails to wring the best out of it. And you can actually hear what she sounded like, given the fidelity of these recordings.

Special treats on this volume: "I Cash Clo'es," an introspective sounding swinger with a strangely haunting quality to it, "Shades of Hades," a bouncing swinger with the sleek, streamlined dynamics of a '38 Buick convertible, and "Dance of the Hours," proof positive that Clinton's adaptations of classical themes were as much fun as anyone could make them.

All in all, a great collection!!

Bea Wain is the perfect 1940's female swing/jazz singer, and here she is featured on several vocal refrains with Larry Clinton & His Orchestra. The instrumenatls are solid and swinging and every Wain vocal should be cherished, she is like a female version of 1940's Sinatra! A classy 2nd volume, but get the 1st volume before this one.

This is the second of two volumes of special transcription recordings which were recorded with a high fidelity process in the 1930s, long before it was to become the standard recording process in the 1950s. The technology for hi-fi was created in the 1930s and was only used for special radio broadcasts (and radio receivers). As a result, when you listen to this CD you are treated to classic 1930's swing performances with terrific sound quality, far superior to the typical acetate recordings of the period. This is Larry Clinton, a ground-breaking, masterful composer/arranger, and his precise, swinging band, with the marvelous Bea Wain singing the vocals. If you love 1930's style swing, I highly recommend both volumes. They are a delight.