Dixieland Music

This album is instrumental, and, while they are very good musicians, the best part about FFPT is their wacky singing. For their best, get Firehouse Five Plus Two Crashes a Party. For fine instrumental, get something from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. This CD has decent remastering, clear sound, and a good selection of tunes. Almost a "4", but since we can't give halvies, I have to give this one a "3" rating.

In the '50s, the Firehouse Five Plus Two did a series of "theme" albums: Goes to a Fire, Plays for Lovers, Goes South, etc. This one features songs about places all around the world. As is typical for the Firehouse Five, some of the tunes are traditional Dixieland: "Hindustan" and "Panama;" while others have probably never received the Dixieland treatment before or since: "When Irish Eyes are Smiling," "My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii." But all are smartly presented and performed with enthusiasm and style. This is a fine example of the boys at their best.

This album is instrumental, and, while they are very good musicians, the best part about FFPT is their wacky singing. For their best, get Firehouse Five Plus Two Crashes a Party. For fine instrumental, get something from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. This CD has decent remastering, clear sound, and a good selection of tunes. Almost a "4", but since we can't give halvies, I have to give this one a "3" rating.

In the '50s, the Firehouse Five Plus Two did a series of "theme" albums: Goes to a Fire, Plays for Lovers, Goes South, etc. This one features songs about places all around the world. As is typical for the Firehouse Five, some of the tunes are traditional Dixieland: "Hindustan" and "Panama;" while others have probably never received the Dixieland treatment before or since: "When Irish Eyes are Smiling," "My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii." But all are smartly presented and performed with enthusiasm and style. This is a fine example of the boys at their best.

I am certainly not expert in this type of music; just like it. I bought this for Christmas for a friend and loved it. Bought it for myself and listen and listen to it. I think it is absolutely wonderful and the booklet tells you something about each artist. This is simply great listening and maybe a dance step or two:>)

It is risible to claim that most of these singers have been forgotten; there have been many LP and CD re-issues. Nevertheless this contains many rare and hard-to-get items of real girl power, most of them started singing in their teens and attracted the best session musicians.

I would have been happier listening to Kate Smith (perhaps the Charleston Chasers session) in preference to Helen Morgan. And a few of the tracks suffer from surface noise that should have been overcome. But these are minor cavils, and far outweighed by the delights; the lost innocence that is effortlessly captured by the Annette Hanshaw tracks, the electrifying introduction by Frances Langford to "Stormy Weather", the sheer power generated by The Boswell Sisters swing (in contrast, Connie's solo tracks are quite sedate affairs). And listening to Ethel Waters "I Just Couldn't Take It Baby" made me wonder how much she'd been influenced by Sophie Tucker - or was it the other way round?

Nan Wynn may have come to the fore merely in the absence of Billie Holiday but how providential that was can be heard clearly on her two featured tracks, and leaves one wanting more. Similarly, Ginny Simms deserves to be better known and her second track features the great Eddie South - an added bonus indeed.

So four stars out of five but an unreserved recommendation that you splash out the modest purchase price and hear what the best girl singers had to offer while they had the chance.

I am certainly not expert in this type of music; just like it. I bought this for Christmas for a friend and loved it. Bought it for myself and listen and listen to it. I think it is absolutely wonderful and the booklet tells you something about each artist. This is simply great listening and maybe a dance step or two:>)

It is risible to claim that most of these singers have been forgotten; there have been many LP and CD re-issues. Nevertheless this contains many rare and hard-to-get items of real girl power, most of them started singing in their teens and attracted the best session musicians.

I would have been happier listening to Kate Smith (perhaps the Charleston Chasers session) in preference to Helen Morgan. And a few of the tracks suffer from surface noise that should have been overcome. But these are minor cavils, and far outweighed by the delights; the lost innocence that is effortlessly captured by the Annette Hanshaw tracks, the electrifying introduction by Frances Langford to "Stormy Weather", the sheer power generated by The Boswell Sisters swing (in contrast, Connie's solo tracks are quite sedate affairs). And listening to Ethel Waters "I Just Couldn't Take It Baby" made me wonder how much she'd been influenced by Sophie Tucker - or was it the other way round?

Nan Wynn may have come to the fore merely in the absence of Billie Holiday but how providential that was can be heard clearly on her two featured tracks, and leaves one wanting more. Similarly, Ginny Simms deserves to be better known and her second track features the great Eddie South - an added bonus indeed.

So four stars out of five but an unreserved recommendation that you splash out the modest purchase price and hear what the best girl singers had to offer while they had the chance.

These guys were all considered "hotties" of thier time, and men really knew how to sing bacj than, in massculine crooning voices. These guys really get to me especially Russ Columbo! The entire cd is great, and it's important historicly. A great 2 cd set!

I keep a copy of this cd at all of my Texas beach houses, i love this cd and I love lovers(everybody loves a lover...), Give this cd and a bottle of wine to any jazz lover(or any lover for taht matter, hahahahaha!!!). This cd includes Bing Crosby, Red McKenzie, Willard Robison and many more great crooners, thsi is teh difinitive crooner cd. A must buy.

This cd is absolutly perfect in every way(you get 2 cd's of the worlds finest world class crooners). Who the heck cares if al Bowlly isn't here, every other crooner worthy of mention is(maybe Johnny Marvin is missing). Crosby, Sinatra, Haymes, seger Ellis, Gene Austin, Harlan Lattimore, Harold Arlen, and many others. This cd is the best cd ever!!! Buy it today, it should be called introduction to Crooners 101.

This is simply the best two cd set in my collection of over 5000 jazz, blues and swing cd's. Every track is a gem, particularky the Red McKenzie tracks. Such great crooners as Gene Austin, and Chick Bullock are all explores. The lesser known crooners like Seger Ellis & Harlan Lattimore are the real find here. Buy this one now, while you can.

This cd very good. All great crooner is here. Bing is here Russ is here. All good jazz crooning is in this cd, you enjoy it, i promise.

These guys were all considered "hotties" of thier time, and men really knew how to sing bacj than, in massculine crooning voices. These guys really get to me especially Russ Columbo! The entire cd is great, and it's important historicly. A great 2 cd set!

I keep a copy of this cd at all of my Texas beach houses, i love this cd and I love lovers(everybody loves a lover...), Give this cd and a bottle of wine to any jazz lover(or any lover for taht matter, hahahahaha!!!). This cd includes Bing Crosby, Red McKenzie, Willard Robison and many more great crooners, thsi is teh difinitive crooner cd. A must buy.

This cd is absolutly perfect in every way(you get 2 cd's of the worlds finest world class crooners). Who the heck cares if al Bowlly isn't here, every other crooner worthy of mention is(maybe Johnny Marvin is missing). Crosby, Sinatra, Haymes, seger Ellis, Gene Austin, Harlan Lattimore, Harold Arlen, and many others. This cd is the best cd ever!!! Buy it today, it should be called introduction to Crooners 101.

This is simply the best two cd set in my collection of over 5000 jazz, blues and swing cd's. Every track is a gem, particularky the Red McKenzie tracks. Such great crooners as Gene Austin, and Chick Bullock are all explores. The lesser known crooners like Seger Ellis & Harlan Lattimore are the real find here. Buy this one now, while you can.

This cd very good. All great crooner is here. Bing is here Russ is here. All good jazz crooning is in this cd, you enjoy it, i promise.