Customer Reviews

Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra 1930-1932 (The Chronological Classics)

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

 

 

There are a lot of Bennie Moten packages out there. They seem mainly divided between the descendants of the different record companies Moten recorded for--sometimes more than one at a time as was not uncommon in the 1920s. These last few years of recording are what you want if you are interested, as I am, in the band for what it says about Baseism.

Basie, Walter Page, Eddie Durham, Jimmie Rushing, Ben Webster, Hot Lips Page all were gathered in a group that was Moten's great rival, The Oklahoma Blue Devils led by Walter Page. When the 1929 hard times hit the Devils and they started losing gigs, getting stranded on tours,etc, Band members started leaving. The more successful Moten hired Basie first, then Durham, then everyone including leader Walter Page.

Besides the ace musicianship of the Blue Devils, the adhesion of Basie and Durham brought their great arranging skill to Moten, and gave them a larger platform to perform on.
I would also guess from listening to the before and after music, that younger men from a newer group pushed the Moten Orchestra closer in the direction of Swing.

My favorite music here are the last pieces from Moten Swing on. They were recorded later and disclose a band that is becoming unified around the concepts that Durham, Basie, and Page brought them, moving away from two-beat swing toward four beat swing.

My favorite piece is the Durham-Basie Arranged Moten Swing which has since become a Jazz Standard. Basie used it as his theme song until One O'clock Jump became a big hit whenthat was adopted. So I have heard a lot of Basie recordings of Moten swing from the 1930s, the 1940s, and fromthe new band of the 1950s and 1960s. However, I have never heard a version that was as much fun and as satisfying and as sharpely performed as the original version with Moten arranged by Eddie Durham.

Toby and Lafayette also burn. Jimmie Rushing is also on-hand through the album with magnificent blues and ballad vocals.
His only vocal rival on this CD is a guy named Bill Basie. That's right, on Somebody Stole My Gal, BASIE DOES A VOCAL SCAT SOLO. COUNT BASIE SINGS!

As you should know, when Moten died, Basie became leader of the band. It isn't exactly true that this band was the immediate ancestor of the Count Basie orchestra. In the year or two between Moten's death and Basie's going east there were a few other break downs and hook ups, but basically this is the core, the last recorded core before the Basie band emerges in 1937 in Chicago and New York and starts recording on Decca.

BTW this music is good fun. If it had been recorded by a bunch of teenagers in the suburbs of Los Angeles last month, it would still be worth listening to.

As the previous reviewer noted in his review, Bennie Moten recorded for many different labels, which was not uncommon during the early Jazz era. Moreover, there are many different versions of the same jazz pieces that Bennie Moten recorded. Therefore, you might have a jazz piece for instance, like Moten's famous hit "South," with several different versions. Also, the reviewer notes that his major competitor was "The Oklahoma Blue Devils," led by Walter Page. These members, including the great Count Basie were eventually hired by Bennie Moten. And as noted in the previous review, this is NOT the Basie band, but the Bennie Moten led Band. It would be after Moten's death, and a couple of years later, before the Count Basie Orchestra would come into its own. [And no doubt, Basie was great!]

This DVD is highly recommended. The sound is just great! I happen to like the early Jazz, prior to 1938. I really like the raw intensity of early jazz, as opposed to what would later become more of a sophisticated and tamer sound. [To me anyway]. This music is timeless. Just listen to any of the tracks that are listed on the audio sample by amazon. What's not to like? I never tire of this music. While I like rock, classical, and just about everything; this music is electrifying, and terrific Jazz by Bennie Moten, which makes this so fabulous to listen to. Also, if you like this sound, don't limit yourself to just Moten; Basie; Armstrong; or King Oliver: listen to many of the lesser known ragtime, blues and Jazz sounds of the era, and I am sure that you'll really be thrilled with this music of the early 1930s. Truly great, and highly recommended!

Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra is little known today. They deserve to be better known, if only for (a) the fact that they formed the nucleus of Count Basie's band and (b) four or so sides cut in, I believe, December 1932. One of these is "Moten Swing" and having it on CD is worth the price of this collection by itself. Even Basie's later version with his own band pales in comparison with this, where he is the pianist only. There is a great story that goes with the session. Don't know if the story is true or not, but track down the story and then listen to "Moten Swing." It'll be good for your soul.