Customer Reviews

With the Big Bands

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This was part of the massive "mail order only" series from Time-Life back around 1991 which dealt in similar fashion with most of the notable big bands of the 1930s/1940s. Some had two or more volumes, and the great Benny Goodman was one of those with at least two that I know about - this one and another titled King Of Swing with another 21 great tracks.

These were recorded from 1935 to 1939 and are presented here in amazingly good sound quality, along with 3 pages of background notes and two pages offering comments on each selection by Stanley Dance, noted jazz critic who passed away in 1999. There is also a discography of the contents showing the musicians involved with each recording, which I list hereunder showing year of recording and, where applicable, the vocalist, label number and chart performance (if there is no such information, it did not chart):

1) Let's Dance - Oct 24, 1939 - Columbia 35301; 2) These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You - June 15, 1936 - vocal by Helen Ward - Victor 25351 - # 1 for 2 weeks July/Aug 1936; 3) Madhouse - Sept 27, 1935 - Victor 25268; 4) You Turned The Tables On Me - Aug 13, 1936 - vocal by Helen Ward - Victor 25391 - # 1 for 2 weeks Oct/Nov 1936); 5) Stompin' At The Savoy - Jan 24, 1936 - Victor 25247 - # 11 Aug 1936 (NOTE: in 1937 Benny re-recorded this and it was released on Victor 25521 and went to # 4 that March); 6) Life Goes To A Party - Dec 2, 1937 - Victor 25726; 7) The Dixieland Band - Feb 19, 1935 - vocal by Helen Ward - Victor 25009 - # 11 May 1935 (NOTE: Columbia also issued a different version of the same song, also involving Ward, recorded while the band was under contract there, and it too charted at # 10 in May on Columbia 3033); 8) Swingtime In The Rockies - June 15, 1936 - Victor 25355 - # 2 Aug 1936; 9) If Dreams Come True - Dec 3, 1937 - Victor 25726; 10) Get Rhythm In Your Feet - June 25, 1935 - vocal by Helen Ward (where you'll hear the line "... commence to rock and roll, get rhythm in your feet and music in your soul ...." long, long before Alan Freed allegedly coined the term) - Victor 25081 as the flip of Ballad In Blue; 11) Bach Goes To Town - Dec 15, 1938; 12) Don't Be That Way - Feb 16, 1938 - Victor 25792 - # 1 for 5 weeks April/May 1938; 13) Did You Mean It? - Nov 5, 1936 - vocal by Ella Fitzgerald - Victor 25469; 14) Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - Dec 9, 1936 - Victor 25492; 15) Can't Teach My Old Heart New Tricks - Oct 22, 1937 - vocal by Martha Tilton - Victor 25711 - # 14 Dec 1937; 16) Big John's Special - May 28, 1938 - Victor 25871; 17) When Buddah Smiles - Nov 22, 1935 - Victor 25258; 18) Changes - July 7, 1937 - Victor 25634; 19) Why'd Ja Make Me Fall In Love? - vocal by Martha Tilton - April 22, 1938 - Victor 25846 - # 12 June 1938; 20) Sing, Sing, Sing - July 6, 1937; 21) Good-Bye featuring Bunny Berigan on trumpet - Sept 27, 1935 - Victor 25215 - # 20 Feb 1936 - this became his closing theme.

Just a wonderful compilation.

When these were first issued 15-20 years ago you could only get them direct by mail order from Time-Life. Each in the vast series has magnificent sound quality, and with this one you get, in the fold-out insert, 2 1/2 pages of background information on Charlie and two pages providing comments on the recordings included by the late renowned Jazz critic Stanley Dance, who passed away at age 89 in 1999, There is also a discography of the contents showing the date of each recording nd the musicians involved.

Since the contents are not listed above, I have provided them here with the vocalist, chart performance - if nothing is shown it did not chart - and label numbers, where applicable): 1) Cherokee - July 17, 1939 - Bluebird 10373 - # 15 Oct 1939; 2) So Far, So Good - Feb 7, 1940 vocal by Mary Ann McCall - Bluebird 10618; 3) Pompton Turnpike featuring Billy May on trumpet - July 19, 1940 - Bluebird 10825 - # 3 Nov 1940; 4) You're My Thrill - Jan 7, 1941 - vocal by Lena Horne - Bluebird 11141); 5) Redskin Rhumba - Oct 14, 1940 - Bluebird 10944 - # 18 Dec 1940/Jan 1941); 6) Clap Hands! Here Comes Charley! - December 11, 1939 - Bluebird 10602; 7) The All-Night Record Man - July 17, 1939 - vocal by Charlie Barnet and Judy Ellington - Bluebird 10373 - flip of Cherokee; 8) The Count's Idea - Sep 10, 1939 - Bluebird 10453; 9) The Duke's Idea - Sept 10, 1939 - Bluebird 10453 as the flip of track 8); 10) Scrub Me, Mama, With A Boogie Beat - Dec 3, 1940 - vocal by Ford Leary - Bluebird 10975); 11) Wild Mab Of The Fish Pond - Sept 17, 1940 - Bluebird 10888 as the flip of Night And Day); 12) 'Deed I Do - March 21, 1940 - vocal by Mary Ann McCall - Bluebird 10669 as the flip of Where was I?; 13) Southern Fried - Sept 17, 1940 - Bluebird 10944 # 20 Feb 1941; 14) Peaceful Valley - June 19, 1940 - Bluebird 10846; 15) Ponce de Leon - April 29, 1941 - Bluebird 11194; 16) Charleston Alley - Jan 7, 1941 - Bluebird 11037 - # 24 April 1941; 17) Cuban Boogie Woogie - Oct 9, 1939 - vocal by Judy Ellington - Bluebird 10479); 18) The Right Idea - Oct 9, 1939 - Bluebird 10530); 19) Wings Over Manhattan - Sept 17, 1940 - Bluebird 10885); 20) Good-For-Nothin' Joe - Jan 7, 1941 - vocal by Lena Horne - Bluebird 11037 as the flip of Charleston Alley; Leapin' At The Lincoln - March 21, 1940 - Bluebird 10774.

If you can get a copy at the used price shown, and you're a fan of the Big Band sound in general, or Charlie Barnet in particular, my advice is go for it. You won't be disappointed.