The Best of Pete Fountain

Pete Fountain | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 21, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca Jazz
• ASIN: B000003N4N
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,276 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #19 in Music > Jazz > Dixieland
  • #21 in Music > Jazz > New Orleans Jazz

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Though clarinetist Pete Fountain has long been a fixture on the New Orleans jazz scene, his greatest notoriety came from his 1957-1959 nationally televised appearances with the Lawrence Welk orchestra leading a small group playing traditional jazz. Fountain, a Benny Goodman disciple who plays the old standards with indefatigable fervor, is a fixture on Mardi Gras day in New Orleans, leading the early morning parade down St. Charles Avenue with his "Half Fast" marching club. As Fountain walks, he plays the numbers on this record that comprise his standard repertoire--"While We Danced at the Mardi Gras," "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans," "Basin Street Blues," "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans," "When the Saints Come Marching in March" and "St. Louis Blues." --John Swenson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars King of the clarinet!, September 3, 2001

By 

S. Morrison (Grove City, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best of Pete Fountain (Audio CD)

You won't go wrong buying this CD! Pete's at his very best mixing jazz and dixieland in his unique style. This music will have you snapping your fingers, tapping your toes, and strutin' to the tunes. My favorite CD of Pete's.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THE TITLE SAYS IT ALL!, January 24, 2000

By 

Alex Udvary (chicago, il United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Best of Pete Fountain (Audio CD)

The only problem I have with Fountain and "the late and great" Al Hirt is they never made actual New Orleans jazz albums. And by that I mean they never played with the usual setup (A piano, trumpet\cornet, Trombone, Banjo\Guitar, Clarinet and so on) at least the albums I have by them. I still enjoy Fountain's albums though and think he is one of the best. My favorite tracks are "High Society",which is a very old New Orleans song played back in the day of Morton and maybe even before. This song has the traditional setup that I'm talking about. Pete's solo is nothing short of terrific. Then there's " Bye Bye Bill Bailey" which also is played with the traditional backup. For something differnt there's "China boy" the velocity the group plays at might not be or ever be matched. It really is "The Best of Pete Fountain"!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of Pete Fountain, December 31, 2000

By 

"joseanco" (Santos - SP - BRAZIL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of Pete Fountain (Audio CD)

I have several CDs performed by Pete Fountain, three of these autographed, but this album is my favorite. It's really the best. "Fascination Medley", "Stranger on the Shore" and "Over the Waves" are fantastic performances. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to find Pete's CDs in Brasil. I had never found them here. I think a few people know him here.