Customer Reviews

Begin the Beguine

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to say at the start I was suspicious of this box - 10-CD's from Germany, public domain recordings, transfers from 78 discs. Usually these things tend to have lots of noise reduction, processing and sometimes phoney-baloney fake stereo.

Not so with this box. I've gotten through about half of it and it is quite impressive. The transfers are generally good and whoever did the remastering used very little noise reduction, and left enough surface noise so that it doesn't detract from the music or deaden the sound. It actually is as good as some of the Chronologial Classics Shaw material I have. The tracks vary in quality based on the discs used for transfers but overall this is a good box. And at sixteen or seventeen bucks for 250 tracks of some of the greatest music ever recorded - well if you're disappointed after that then you may be a tad too critical.

I have a lot of Shaw and he had wonderful bands. This box set is as good or better than much of the recodings I have. I have seen this box retail for fifty dollars - beware you can get it a lot cheaper. There is no booklet and the CD's come in cardboard sleeves but the discs come out easily and they are in perfect condition

Not a bad find for so little.

This collection - which I own and have also given as a gift - surveys an enormous span of time, starting with some of Shaw's earliest band work and proceeding to showcase scores of recordings made with his many different groups over the next two decades. At the price it represents the best possible introduction to one of America's greatest popular musicians. By the end of the thirties Artie Shaw had come to symbolize America and American culture in the same was as Clark Gable or Mickey Mouse, and these musical selections show why.

Attempting to break down over 200 numbers with any sort of critical appraisal of their worth misses the point. A listener can rest assured there's a ton of gold here - with this many great recordings everyone can choose their own - many - favorites.

Of note - there are a number of recordings here of the underrated vocalist Peggy LaCentra - look for them on the earlier discs, especially the snappy "It Ain't Right" and the dreamy ballad, "There' Something In the Air." Her recordings are now difficult to find - so this must be counted a considerable bonus.

A later disc in this set has many of the Gramercy Five Sessions - landmark recordings similar in style to Goodman's small group recordings.

A can't miss purchase.

I do not know how nor why these CD's are so cheap. I am sure the fact they are packaged so simply has a great deal to do with it. The quality of the sound is very good to excellent. If you like the music of Artie Shaw this is one amazing deal. I looked into my Dance Band Discography and for the most part this music is packaged chronologically. You cannot go wrong buying this set.

I thoroughly agree with your previous reviewer that this would be one of the best purchases you could ever make of the unforgettable music of the late Artie Shaw. Although made in Germany, which seems somewhat unusual for an American Big Band Era Jazz Artist, the CD set has flawless playing, despite being packaged simply in cardboard covers with no accompanying notes.

With over 230 tunes of this great maestro, available at a most reasonable price generally, it is worth the outlay to get a collection of the best of his outstanding music.

The cover contains a printing error in the top left hand corner under his signature, although a minor thing.

It lists Artie Shaw's life covering 1909-2004. He was actually born in 1910 (May 23rd).

This CD is a great compilation of Artie Shaw's body of work. It is a very thorough and quite extensive package at a great value! This CD is a MUST BUY for anyone looking for a "Best of" CD of Artie Shaw, one of the greatest clarinet players of all eras. The quality of the remaster is excellent...you won't be sorry.

This is by far the best collection of Artie Shaw recordings as it is complete from about 1938 to 1942. Transfers are first rate and although there are some duds the majority of what he recorded lived up to his aims of not being too of the moment! Buy it whilst you can its a bargain as well as something you will dip into endlessly!

This collection is loaded to the gills with material from Artie's 1938-1942 period. It may not be complete, but it is real close and a steal for the money. Every song I could humanly think of from this period is on here (unlike the Glenn Miller set also offered by this company). As to sound quality, well, do you remember those mono LP issues from the 50's, 60's and early 70's? This is about what you are getting. Not spectacular, but not awful. No pops, clicks and ticks but not even close to what they can do today with Cedar and all those other computer noise reduction systems. If you grew up with the old mono issues of these recordings you will know what I mean. Either way, a must for any big band or Shaw fans.

You cannot beat the variety of music found on these discs covering pre-swing genres all the way through swing's hey day. As another reviewer has pointed out, just enough digital mastering was done to reduce a lot of the pop & his from the original masters. If you want crystal-clear but square-wave music, go buy one of the discs from the display at your local discount box store. However, you will miss the talent and artistry that only comes from one of the originals of this big band swing era. The trade-off I've found to the price is that the liner notes give no indication who the performers are. Sure, you can name the one-of-a-kind voices like Billie Holiday but, if you're not an authority on great singers like me, you'll be left appreciating the talent and wishing you knew who stood behind the voice. The instrumentalists also receive no credit but, as with most large ensemble recordings, they most often unfairly are. All-in-all, I'd say this compilation is a must-have for any admirer of the big band swing era.

Excelente escolha. Uma coletânea bem abrangente, com uma remasterização que manteve alguns ruidos respeitando o original (ao contrário de algumas que acabam com o som). Pelo preço é uma opção genial - para o Brasil, mesmo com o frete, fica na faixa isenta de impostos!!! Recomendo à todos!!!

250 cuts by Artie Shaw! That's over twelve hours of great swing music. Sound is excellent and clear, great reproduction-great value. many cuts in this box set I have not heard before so if you are looking for a great set of disks that covers most of Shaw's career this is the set to buy.