Customer Reviews

A Band Is Born/Big Band Bash

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These two high-fidelity albums are finally, thankfully released by Collector's Choice. Thank God for them!!

To hear "Unforgettable" by just the May charts, makes the entire song new!! All those great Sinatra charts are reworked a bit, and do not need the vocalist at all!! These tracks are terrific, immortal and not dated in the least. The amount of talent, electricity and that GREAT '50s vacuum tube recording is abdundant in their remastering of the disc.

GRAB this while it is still in print. The ultimate CD to please just about anybody, will be a much-played addition to your library. Musicianship, talent, fun, and incredible beauty; it's ALL HERE!!

Collector's Choice music continues to try to out do themselves. This recent two LP issue on one cd contains two classic mid 1950's May records.

These wonderful sides contain many of Mr. May's greatest hits of the 1950's and there simply isn't any mediocre material. For those who lived during that period, it's nostalgia galore.

For those unaware, May's big band was noted for its first rate musicianship, straight-ahead driving swing interjected with intermittent twists of humor and surprises. The excellent production values of this cd coupled with its outstanding sound quality makes this cd a bargain value. Get it while it's still in print.

Two Billy May albums on one Cd. In my opinion two of his top five recordings of his capitol era. That strectches well over a decade and many albums. Another reveiwer mentioned Billy's arrangement talent on this Cd. The music relaxes and invigorates at the sametime. A few of my favorite tunes are; LULU'S BACK IN TOWN, PERFIDIA, TENDERLY, ORCHIDS IN THE MOONLIGHT and LAND OF THE SKY BLUE WATER which I beleive was breifly used in a TV beer ad. The only slight negative is the sound quality which is abit tinny.

Over the past few years I've become a huge Billy May fan. I love his music. I discovered him through Sinatra, of course. But I completely relish these vocal free orchestra tracks. It's the perfect music for most anything. I can't recommend this CD highly enough.

I realize this is not stereo but the transfer sounds tinny and not up to par with other mono cd's I've aquired.