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From the Vault...
09/06/2015
#1480 |
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info
Benny Goodman
"On The AIr (1937-1938)"
© Columbia/Legacy Records
Year of Release: 1992
Rating:
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track listing
Disc One:
Introduction/Let's Dance
Ridin' High
Moten Swing
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Vibraphone Blues
The Sheik Of Araby
Peckin'
Sunny Disposish
Nagasaki
Whispers In The Dark
St. Louis Blues
Life Goes To A Party
Sugar Foot Stomp
Moonglow
I'm A Ding Dong Daddy
I Hadn't Anyone Till You
Bumble Bee Stomp
Down South Camp Meetin'
That Naughty Waltz
Sweet Leilani
Vieni Vieni
Sometimes I'm Happy
Roll 'Em
Disc Two:
King Porter Stomp
Have You Met Miss Jones
Limehouse Blues
Shine
Always
When Buddah Smiles
Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day
Laughing At Life
Running WIld
You Turned The Tables On Me
Darktown Strutter's Ball
My Gal Sal
Bugle Call Rag
Mama That Moon Is Here Again
Clarinet Marmalade
Time On My Hands
Stardust
In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree
Benny Sent Me
Everybody Loves My Baby
Moonlight On The Highway
Joesphine
Killer Diller
Someday Sweetheart
Caravan
Goodbye
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Benny Goodman "On The AIr (1937-1938)"
Big Band lovers will really enjoy this week's album... Benny Goodman's 2-disc set, On The Air (1937-1938). Big Band music, Jazz Music, Swing
Music. It's Benny Goodman at his finest. And what is more interesting, is learning the bandmembers. Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa and Harry James to name
a few. With a band of what would be future stars in their own rights, you just know this is going to be enjoyable, incredible music. Jazz music.
This set takes a look at recordings from Goodman's radio shows, from 1937 to 1938. They were airchecks, recorded off the radio during those two years,
by a young man by the name of Bil Savory. He was right out of college, and headed for a successful career of his own, as a Columbia Records recording
engineer. By 1952, the 1937 1938 recordings would be reissued of Carnegie Hall concert recordings. One of the two would reach #1 on the albums chart.
All of those recordings are in this On The Air set, with additional numbers (previously unissued), by the Goodman full band, trio, and quartet.
Taken together, they (the tracks on this album) form a vividly accurate sound picture of the Goodman band in action: Superb arrangements, brilliantly
executed, punctuated by solos which occasionaly rise to peaks of inspiration. Whether a one-nighter in Pittsburgh, Detroit or Dallas, or a residency at
the Madhattan Room in New York's Hotel Pennsylvania, this is the music as it actually happened, during those few improbable years when big band jazz --
or something very close to it -- was America's popular music. (Taken from the liner notes of On The Air (1937-1938), written by Richard M.
Sudhalter.)
Many of the tracks are instrumentals, and very few vocalists. Lionel Hampton provides vocals on "Vibraphone Blues," where other vocal tracks
featured either Martha Tilton or Helen Ward.
The additional unissued 14 tracks are: "Moten Swing," "Nagasaki," "Whispers In The Dark," "Life Goes To A Party," "Bumble Bee Stomp," "That Naughty
Waltz," "Vieni Vieni," "Limehouse Blues," "When Buddah Smiles," "Laughing At Life," "Mama That Moon Is Here Again," "In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree."
"Moonlight On The Highway," "Goodbye." Goodman reached the #1 spot on Billboard's Album chart in 1950: 1937-1938 Jazz Concerto No. 2 (1952,
8 weeks).
What is also interesting from the liner notes, was when Benny Goodman received a phone call from Glenn Miller. Miller asked Goodman: "How do you do it?
How do you get started? It's so difficult." I guess Benny Goodman was first before Glenn Miller, as they both became popular. It's obvious that Miller
would be the most popular (at least in my opinion, as I remember more of Miller's music, than that of Goodman's).
But having said that, it's obvious that Goodman was just as popular as Glenn Miller, and maybe even more popular as Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, and
Harry James. It's just amazing how these musicians were part of his band, and to have Goodman as their bandleader. It's been mentioned that Benny Goodman
was a "perfectionist." He expected 100% (or even more) from each of his musicians. Some say he was harsh, as some vocalists claimed that "in the 20 days
they worked with him, it seemed like 20 years." If a musician did not perform up to Goodman'standards, he was placed in the back of the band stage, where
his other bandmates playing would be louder, and to an extent, not be heard.
Some goodness from Goodman's career was his take on the race issue of his bandmates. Where most black musicians would not get exposure in performing,
Goodman included black musician artists such as Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton in his band. Hampton said, "As far as I'm concerned, what he did in those
days—and they were hard days, in 1937—made it possible for Negroes to have their chance in baseball and other fields." Goodman also worked with Louis
Armstrong in 1953, however his experience with him was not as successful. Goodman kept performing despite his health issues, until his death at age 77
from a heart attack in 1986. He was 77 years old.
On The Air (1937-1938) is a great set of Benny Goodman music. It is Big Band Jazz, Swing Jazz. Benny. Goodman. Jazz. Classic.
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