Blowin Up a Storm: The Columbia Years 1945-47 [Original recording remastered]

Woody Herman & His Orchestra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 26, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 1945
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005LNAW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #330,989 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A missed opportunity, January 28, 2002

By 

Fernando Ortiz de Urbina (LONDON United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blowin Up a Storm: The Columbia Years 1945-47 (Audio CD)

Michael Gilchrist (see above) rightly says "If Columbia was going to all this trouble, why not go for 100% instead of 90%?" I have to add that there several mistakes in these otherwise highly recommended CDs. The takes of both "The Good Earth" and "Summer Sequence, part IV" marked as alternates (CD2, #17 & #22) are actually the ones originally issued, and vice versa (check the tenor sax solos to spot the difference). Furthermore, the two Bijou takes included (CD1, #7 and CD2, #18) are both alternates, and thus the classic Bill Harris solo has been left out this compilation.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long-awaited Woody Columbias, August 17, 2001

By 

Michael Gilchrist (North Melbourne Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blowin Up a Storm: The Columbia Years 1945-47 (Audio CD)

Woody Herman, big band and jazz collectors in general have long awaited this reissue release and will welcome what is arguably the most exciting big band music ever recorded. All the classics are there, along with often quite different, previously unissued takes, plus some interesting background comment from original participant Ralph Burns. One did hope, of course, following the earlier miserly 1988 effort by Columbia, that we might even eventually get a ‘complete’ edition of all the Woody Columbias in a 4 CD box, with all the extra takes, etc. Everything from this period is worth reissuing. This 2 CD set, while excellent, is obviously a compromise. However understandable this might be, what is very disappointing is that with 75 plus minutes available on CDs, Orrin Keepnews, who produced the set, settled for well under this time frame. There was ample room for another half dozen classics at least. Why weren’t Non-Alcoholic, Panacea, Laura, and more of the Woodchoppers slipped in as well? If Columbia was going to all this trouble, why not go for 100% instead of 90%? Even so, what we have here is desert island stuff for the jazz fan. The sound is ear-shattering, enabling us to hear Apple Honey, Wild Root, etc, almost as if for the first time. Absolutely brilliant!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Words fail me, April 28, 2002

By 

David TOWNEND (bristol, avon United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Blowin Up a Storm: The Columbia Years 1945-47 (Audio CD)

The Bijou on tracks 7 and 18 is NOT the famous one originally issued on a 78- I still have it. They got it right on The Thundering Herds on CBS. Summer Sequence part 4 which is claimed to have been unissued I have on an LP bought in the 1950's. The unissued tracks on disc 2 are unbelievably bad and are irrelevant.