At the Opera House

Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, roy Eldridge Coleman Hawkins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 26, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1957
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B0000046SX
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #448,077 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The great swing rhythm section that never was, June 5, 2008

By 

jive rhapsodist (NYC, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: At the Opera House (Audio CD)

This is a great CD. Definitely one of the top recordings from the latter half of both Hawkins' and Eldridge's careers. But let's give credit where credit is due. Who knew - really, who? - that that occasionally VERY effete MJQ was an AWESOME swing rhythm section. One of the greatest, in fact. Listen to the groove they set up behind the opening of Hawkins' solo on the second version of The Walker. Poppin'! It's got that kind of up-to-date Ray Bryant Madison thing going on, but at the same time a kind of updated Milt Hinton/Jo Jones groove. And John Lewis' comping! Like a whole tasty big band smoking quietly underneath. None of those rococo Oscar Peterson curliques. Swing, baby - with capital S! And this inspires our middle-aged heroes to really go for it. Why is this out of print? No matter; spend this ridiculous amount of money - you need it!