Customer Reviews

Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings

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

 

 

Buddy Bregman takes the Frank Sinatra/Nelson Riddle "swingin'" approach on this disc, introducing Bing Crosby into a totally unfamiliar environment, and in the process creates something truly wonderful. Of course Frank Sinatra blazed this hyper-swinging sound on his brilliant, conceptualized albums with Nelson Riddle and Billy May. Buddy Bregman, a friend of one of Bing's sons, convinced Bing to try out this format, and even got some Sinatra sidemen in the band, including Sinatra's most notable reedman, the great trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison. Buddy had recently finished working with Ella Fitzgerald on one of her songbook projects, and although he was young, that experience spoke well of him. Of course Bing had originally inspired Francis, and almost every other singer, with his relaxed, jazzy microphone crooning in the late 20s and 30s, and was especially important for having incorporated the rhythmically relaxed jazz style into ballad singing. As we know, Frank went on to become his own master, innovating the emotionally thematic LP, the unbroken melodic line (which he claimed to have learned from Tommy Dorsey), the canonization of the great composers and their songs (Frank began reaching back in an age when a song had a shelf-life of a few months), and musically topnotch productions which he closely oversaw, using the best songs, best arrangers, best musicians, best engineers, etc. Frank's style, aside form being jazz infused, had little in common with Crosby's, unlike singers such as Perry Como who were strictly in the Crosby mold (though wonderful nonetheless). Frank's rhythmic approach was his own conception, and was utterly different than Bing's. What Frank got from Bing, aside from the singer-as-the-star model, was the initial "crooning" sensibility, wherein the singer didn't howl and emote, but rather sung softly into the microphone in a highly intimate style.

In any case, Bing (a good friend of Sinatra's) was more like a friendly uncle by the time of this LP, and famously spent more time thinking about golfing than anything musical (we Crosby fanatics will be first to admit this) having decades earlier established his brilliance and offered his innovations. Bing was happy to go into the studio early in the morning and charmingly knock out whatever material some producer asked him to, with little or no personal input, then get on with his golf game. Maybe this is a good thing, because Bing would not have come up with this album on his own. Buddy Bregman convinced a reluctant Bing to try it ("Will they be able to hear me over those horns?"), and Bing went in and knocked out the songs in a day or two, and he knocked 'em dead. Direct hit, Bing style. Great band, good arrangements, truly excellent songs, and PHENOMENAL Crosby singing (he does not ape Sinatra at all, he merely places himself in the Sinatra musical universe) make for something thrilling and unique in the Crosby legacy.

This is my favorite Bing LP, and his most swinging one of all. The colorful swing-band sounds come blazing out of the speakers and demand attention, whilst Bing remains supremely relaxed and in control, like a cool river running through a teeming jungle, expertly handling whatever shocks (there are a few) Bregman's arrangements throw at him. It's sometimes as if Bing is happily sipping lemonade in a hammock during an air assault...utterly unflappable!

I think that this disc is a great start for Bing beginners, and is a great way to initiate people into Bing's music, as it will almost instantly demolish any preconceived notions that listeners may hold about the man's artistry. Sound quality is fantastic as well.

Highly, highly recommended.

Finally Bing Crosby's great album of standards has been issued on CD in an affordale pressing. Here Crosby sings an impressive grouping of tunes by Rogers and Hart, the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, and other masters of the American Popular Song. All are set to the aggressive swing arrangements of Buddy Bregman- arranger of Ella Fitzgerald's "Cole Porter Songbook" and other notable Verve albums of the 1950s. Crosby's easygoing swing style contrasts nicely with Bregman's brassy orchestration, and harks back to his early Jazz work. Each and every track is worthwhile. Why this wasn't reissued earlier is one of the great mysteries of our time.

One couldn't ask for more than this CD offers, except perhaps that it had come along in the age of stereo. The selections are top notch, the arrangement reminiscent of Riddle with Sinatra, and Bing in top form.

This is BING CROSBY's best original LP.We'll never thank BUDDY BREGMAN enough for this.Let's not forget that BING was the most popular AMERICAN singer before FRANK SINATRA came in .The choice of songs was perfect;the swinging horn laden orchestra goes around and do not outplays BING's voice.You'll notice that whenever a CROSBY song is in a songbook tribute collection,they choose the songs from that album.BING was a gentleman in the true sense of the world;his honesty was never fainted.In fact,this record is BING going to SINATRA's turf and finding that he could do it.My only regret is that after he made that record,BING was more inclined to play golf than to record,but the man had worked hard in the 30's and 40's,so he had the right to make things easier for him.Along with the collection HIS LEGENDARY YEARS,a must for any BING CROSBY fan,this is a record to treasure forever.

Buddy Bregman deserves much credit for enticing Bing Crosby into doing this fine album full of swinging tunes that will knock you over with their power and finesse. Bing's voice is more mature on this album, to be sure; but his voice is still strong, potent and instantly memorable. Buddy Bregman's musical arrangements stun you with their pop-swing-jazzy flavor to them; this combination yields a very potent musical backdrop for Bing's songs. Moreover, Bregman employed two incredible musical talents in his orchestra: Harry "Sweets" Edison plays trumpet and Bud Shank plays alto saxophone. Excellent!

The CD begins strong with that joyful number entitled "The Song Is You." Bing sings of a woman he loves and the lyrics describe the woman as "a beautiful theme of every dream I ever knew." This number hums along nicely and beckons you to listen to the rest of the song stack. "Mountain Greenery" follows; this tune displays Bing's desire to be alone with his woman in a countryside home full of peace and harmony.

Other classic ballads that get the Crosby/Bregman treatment include "Cheek To Cheek;" "Heat Wave;" "They All Laughed" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It."

Bregman's arrangement of "September In The Rain" sports a much more upbeat, big band type of arrangement than I have heard. This makes the song just as powerful as the other renditions I enjoy. "Jeepers Creepers" ends the album with strength as it joyfully celebrates the singer's desire to gaze into the eyes of his woman.

The liner notes include an extensive essay about the history of this album by John McDonough and there is an extra essay by Donald Freeman, too. The liner notes give you a facsimile of the original LP back cover notes as well as the song credits. The artwork for the liner notes is excellent. Ben Young does an excellent job of digitally remastering these fine songs.

I highly recommend this CD for Bing Crosby fans as well as fans of classic pop vocals. May you get this CD and enjoy it as much as I did!

This is a great album. As always, Bing's voice and phrasing is unparalleled. This album includes songs not found on compilation-CD's of Bing's work. I like the orchestrations because they are really jazzy and upbeat. However, I think they also detract a little from the album because they interfere with the intimacy that I usually get from a Bing Crosby performance. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this album.

This album was originally released in 1956 (two years before I came along), but after listening to every track, I was thrilled to add it to my collection.

Bing seemed at home with Buddy Bregman's hard-swinging big band arrangements. I must say that Mr. Bregman has very few rivals (including men such as Billy May, Nelson Riddle, Marty Paich and Ray Ellis)when it comes to crafting great charts for vocalists.

This CD is highly recommended for anyone who appreciates great music and great singers!!!

I'm a big fan of the young Bing from his early-30's jazz-infused work to about 1940, when he settled back into the no-effort style he used through the rest of his career - with a few notable exceptions, and this is one of those. Compared to his stunners from the 30's (Sweet Georgia Brown, Shine and Dinah with the Mills Brothers) these are pretty laid-back performances. But they're the swingingest sides Bing cut since those golden early days, and they're more than worth the price of a CD.

Bing seems to genuinely enjoy himself on these songs. As others have mentioned, Bregman got some super sidemen on this album, and Bing always preferred jazz to ballads, even though you wouldn't know it from his post-1940 recordings.

I'm so glad this album was reissued so that those who think Bing only came out in public between Thanksgiving and New Years' can discover how terrific this singer - who set the bar for all who followed - really was.

And if you like what you hear here, go back and try some of the earlier stuff. You'll be amazed.

Gosh, this is a good record, made in response to Sinatra's powerful ascendance. Other reviewers here do it good justice.

In contrast to the workaholic perfectionism of Mr. Sinatra, too many other performers of incredible raw talent sought an alternate path. I'm thinking of Fred MacMurray, Dean Martin, Jackie Gleason and, yes, Bing Crosby. The liner notes here describe how Bing only devoted a couple of mornings effort to the recording so he could hit the links after lunch. That the results are so good speaks to his powers. But one wonders the summits he could have reached had he poured his heart and soul into his craft. For contrast, check out the Steppin' Out sessions that Astaire did with Oscar Peterson. No lack of commitment there.

Thus one star deducted. (I guess this review is kind of like going to heaven and complaining about the harp music.)