Swing Music

This fabulous disc features mostly piano solos by the great Earl "Fatha" Hines. Hines backed-up Billie Holiday on some tracks in the 1940s, but these cuts show his early talent. Hines superseded earlier stride pianist James P. Johnson, and also the likes of Thomas "Fats" Waller, Willie "The Lion" Smith, and F. L. "Jelly Roll" Morton. How so? Well, he took stride to the next level, while avoiding getting locked into boogie-woogie like Pete Johnson, Albert Ammons, and Meade Lux Lewis (the latter who, by the way, was also a great slow bluesman). Hines took jazz piano to the next level of evolution which started with Scott Joplin--and after Hines--continued with Oscar Peterson and Errol Garner. Really Hines was a sui generis artist like Art Tatum. Hines is the first truly modern jazz pianist: one who can stand alone, without any back-up. I highly recommend this disc, and all Fatha's work. P.S.: All the above mentioned artists can be found on the excellent Chronological Classics, and are highly recommended.

Volume Two of Classics eight volume James P. Johnson set contains some of the stride masters' greatest recordings in addition to some less memorable band tracks.

Tracks 3-4 and 9-12 are superb examples of stride piano demonstraing all Johnson's formidable talents: superb touch, a great improvisational imagination, power, drive and swing. The variations on the last strain of "Modernistic" are a text book example of Johnson's approach to the piano, while "Feelin' Blue" is a strong example of Johnson's approach to blues, a more powerful interpretation than Waller's similar "Numb Fumblin'".

Tracks 7-8 are big band numbers featuring King Oliver, Johnson sharing the piano with Waller, and a pretty dreadful vocal trio. Tracks 18 - 22 are entertaining: fine band tracks featuring Johnson with Max Kaminsky and the great Pee Wee Russell (listen to the way he swings into the final chorus!). "There'll Be Some Changes Made" is the standout track, but lovers of outrageous musical quotations will admire the way in which in "Dinah" James P. manages to bring in the melody of that classic jazz number, "Yes, We Have No Bananas".

As with all the Classics sets, there are some weak tracks, but this is an enjoyable CD, and the piano solos alone make it an essential purchase for lovers of stride piano.

The song selection on this CD represents about the apex of all one-volume CD Crosby anthologies. If you're new to Bing Crosby and you're looking for just one single CD to purchase, then make it this one. Not only does it give you a fine overview of Bing's career, the price can't be beat. The packaging of the CD is excellent and it even includes a little booklet with a synopsis of Bing's career and musical style, as well as an explanation of his tremendous musical impact upon the 20th century.

The song selection is pretty decent, with some conspicuous omisions and an occasional curious choice for inclusion, but the sheer number of songs is amazing. Another prominent label has released a Bing complilation with an edited version of "Dinah," where the Mill Brothers are cut out of the song. No such foolishness here; the complete version of "Dinah" is included.

Other reviewers have complained about the sound quality on this set. I am puzzled at this criticism. I have most of these songs on casette, vinyl and some even on their original 78 and 45 issues. The sound quality here is quite acceptable and good on most tracks. This set will give you many hours of enjoyable listening and help you branch off into other Crosby CD's which includes his lesser-known vocals. I highly recommend this album. Enjoy!

This is one of the best single disc Bing Crosby collections I've seen. It's got a great sampling of songs, ranging from his late 20's session days ("Old Man River," his first #1 hit) right up to the mid-forties. It's great to hear these old tracks with CEDAR noise reduction, as was used on this collection. However, it does tend to make the audio sound a bit muffled (and on some of the later tracks, such as "San Fernando Valley," extremely muffled). But the amazing lack of crackles and pops that the noise reduction provides, particularly on the late 20's and early 30's material, makes this disc well worthwhile. If you're looking for a good introductory overview of Bing Crosby's career, this disc is one of your best bets.