Customer Reviews

Artie Shaw - Greatest Hits

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This compilation, from the RCA Victor "budget jazz" line, contains fourteen tracks of music by master swing clarinetist and big band leader Artie Shaw. Shaw, a consummate musician with no taste for the `business' side of the music business (he kept disbanding his orchestras at the height of their popularity whenever he felt artistically compromised), was one of greatest and most vital musicians of the swing era, and the pieces here show him at his best with two of his big bands.

However, this compilation is weaker than some of the others on the market right now. "Begin the Beguine" from the Bluebird Treasury Series and "The Very Best of Artie Shaw," also from RCA Victor, are longer collections with a better survey of Shaw's music, and cost comparatively only a bit more. Most of the important tracks on this album ("Begin the Beguine," "Frenesi," and "Oh! Lady Be Good") are also on these collections, plus they have a greater selection of music from some of Artie Shaw's more unusual bands, such as the small group The Gramercy Five. These albums are better deals than what you'll find here.

But still, you can't really go TOO wrong with this album; the music is simply too good. The majority of the tracks come from Shaw's most popular big band, the one he formed in 1938 and disbanded in late 1939. He had previously formed a band in 1936 using a string quartet as part of the ensemble, but this band failed to catch anybody's attention (none of these recordings are on this CD -- or the other two that I mentioned). But the 1938-39 band was a sensation, and Shaw knocked Benny Goodman off the `King of Swing' throne for a brief time. The pieces on here from this era are: "Begin the Beguine" (Shaw's most well-known number, and a masterpiece of romantic swing), "Comes Love" (with a great vocal by Shaw's most popular female vocalist, Helen Forrest), "Deep Purple" (another vocal from Helen Forrest), "Any Old Time" (the only recording the band made with Billie Holiday during her brief tenure as their singer), "Indian Love Call" (a wonderful swing interpretation of this usually slow ballad, with a great scat vocal from saxophonist Tony Pastor), "Oh! Lady Be Good" (a superb, hard swinging number!), and a live version of "St. Louis Blues" (another big band swinger, from the venerable W. C. Handy blues tune).

The rest of the tracks come from Shaw's orchestra of 1940-41, a huge band of 22 musicians which made extensive use of a string section. This band never swung as hard as the first (honestly, I personally never liked the strings), but turned out some very good pieces. The best are "Temptation" and "Frenesi," both huge sellers and good swing dance numbers. "Stardust" and "Moonglow" are pretty ballad instrumentals (Shaw also recorded these numbers with the '38-'39 band) and show off Shaw's great clarinet technique. "To a Broadway Rose" seems to start as a `sweet n' pretty' number, but turns into a really joyous and jumpin' swing piece. Only "I Cover the Waterfront" and "Lover, Come Back to Me" are disappointing -- the only minor tracks on this album.

But even considering the quality of the music on this CD, you'll still get a better deal on most of the same music, plus much more, with the compilations "Begin the Beguine" and "The Very Best of Artie Shaw."

Overshadowed by other leaders and by his own personal life, Shaw is one of the great underappreciated gems of the big band era. It's a doggone shame that more of his work is not currently available-- if RCA was on the ball, we'd have the cd version of his complete recordings. Goodman, Dorsey, even Miller, had moments when their musical judgement lapsed, but Shaw never made a bad record in his life. There should be bigger and better collections available, but for the time being, this will have to do. Here are some of the most perfect recordings of the era-- this is a must have collection, at least until someone becomes a bit more genrous and actually fills up the cd with goodies...

Artie Shaw, still alive and kicking ( at age 91, born 23 May, 1910) at this writing, is perhaps the most brilliantly intellectual of all the great Big Band leaders. A genius whose moody, perfectionist personality won him beautiful wives such as Lana Turner and Ava Gardner, Shaw was my favourite leader of the fabled Big Band Era. His 1936 orchestra had included strings which was highly unusual for a jazz band in those days; his version of "Japanese Sandman" for instance is surprisingly very good. Artie's 1937 orchestra, in my opinion was just awful. Horrible. Tinny, screechy and musically inept; he was trying too hard, I suspect. As a teen-ager, I owned his '37 recordings of "Night and Day" "Non-Stop Flight" (his 1938 version of this instrumental opus which he wrote himself is terrific!) "I Surrender, Dear" among others. In early 1938, however, Artie re-organized his band and it is that band which remains the public's favourite: "Begin the Beguine" was the flip side of the record which was to be the bigger seller: "Indian Love Call". One night in late 1939, while performing for an audience on the bandstand, Artie simply took off and headed for Mexico vowing never to return to the music business. Shaw re-appeared several months later (he was actually sick with a rare disease) with a brand-new 31 piece orchestra which included a string section and flutes; "Frenesi" was introduced to an ecstatic response and Artie was back in rare form. Personally, I liked the string studded band even more than his great '38 band because it had more demension. "Frenesi" "Temptation" "Star Dust" and his classic interpretation of "Moonglow" are solid gold. (Listen to the part where the piano meets Jack Jenney's trombone solo in "Moonglow" and you'll discover where they got the idea for "Moonglow and Theme from Picnic" some 15 years later!

This cd provides you with all the basic Shaw hits, the real treat here is the powerful and dark rendition of St Louis Blues,
this is a live recording from the 1939 band and is a perfect show-piece for Shaw and the band - this number alone is worth the price

What can one say, or write, about the great Artie Shaw, except that, yes he is one of the best. You will agree with all the other Artie Shaw fans and become one yourself, after listening to "Begin the Beguine",
"Stardust",
"I Cover the Waterfront",
"Comes Love",
"Deep Purple",
"Moonglow" and of course the lengendary "Frenesi".

I just started to enjoy the big band sound from the 1930's and 1940's recently. This is one of my first purchases and it is helping make me a big band big fan.
Artie Shaw was just a name to me for most of my life. Now it is a name that evokes great sounds. I love his clarinet, his musical arrangements and his band's style.
It alternatively makes me want to dance, tap my feet or just listen.
This CD has inspired me to look into other of his works and other Big Bands. I'm glad I made this part of my burgeoning Big Band collection.

I take exception with another reviewer who prefers Benny Goodman. Artie Shaw was the greatest Clarinet Player of all times. His recordings of Begin the Beguine and my favorite "Love of my Life, featuring Anita Boyer" are simply magnificent. Speaking of arrangers,the work of Jerry Gray and Artie Shaw is legendary and needs no futher commentary.

Though not as good a collection as the two-disc set is, the "Greatest Hits" issue offers a very good introduction for anyone curious about Artie's music. For those already familiar with Mr. Shaw and just want the hits this is a spot-on release. His version of "Stardust" is worthy of a replay every time it comes on, not to mention "Begin The Beguine" and of course "Frenesi". I miss "Back Bay Shuffle" not being on here along with "Take Your Shoes Off Baby (and start runnin' through my mind)" and his six-minute rendition of "St. James Infirmary Blues-parts 1 & 2" but those can be found elsewhere. Whether with his small group or big band, Artie Shaw always delivered.

We got it imediataly and the quality was good. Exactly what we wanted. Thank you.

MOVE OVER BENNY GOODMAN. Artie Shaw's classy and inventive arrangements combined with his incredible clarinet solos are beacons in the jazz world. This disc has some of his best-known renditions, starting with an inimitable performance of Cole Porter's BEGIN THE BEGUINE, and the thrill doesn't stop all the way through all 14 tracks of this album. You will hear the sweet bell-like voice of Helen Forest in COMES LOVE & DEEP PURPLE, perfectly complemented by Shaw's smooth, oily licorice stick. Track 8 is the light-hearted FRENESI, in a version you will hear no where else. You will love this CD and replay it time & again.