Centenary Issue: 26 Original Mono Rec 1935-1947

Ray Noble | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 6, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Asv Living Era
• ASIN: B0000W3Z6E
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #439,787 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans

2. Paris In The Spring

3. Top Hat, White Tie And Tails

4. The Touch Of Your Lips

5. Big Chief De Sota

6. I've Got You Under My Skin

7. Slumming On Park Avenue

8. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

9. Nice Work If You Can Get It

10. You Couldn't Be Cuter

11. I Hadn't Anyone Till You

12. Crazy Rhythm

13. Change Partners

14. Indian Suite: Cherokee

15. Indian Suite: Comanche War Dance

16. Indian Suite: Iroquois

17. Indian Suite: Seminole

18. Indian Suite: Sioux Sue

19. By The Waters Of Minnetonka

20. Friday Night At The Harty's

See all 26 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Sampler of an Excellent Orchestra, May 9, 2007

By 

L. J. Simcik (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Centenary Issue: 26 Original Mono Rec 1935-1947 (Audio CD)

Being familiar with Ray Noble's English New Mayfair Orchestra, I was curious to hear his later American band. The arrangements and performers are all first rate and this album shows the orchestra's wide range from novelty to jazz to sweet to sophisticated. Those who love Al Bowlly will not be disappointed by his vocals on "The Touch of Your Lips" and "I've Got You Under My Skin", but be forewarned that he is only on 5 cuts of this CD and in two of those rather underused. Still, keep listening to enjoy two fabulous numbers demonstrating the range and styling skill of a young Tony Martin. The orchestra's rich, classy style is also well suited with two Fred Astaire vocals. Three of the novelty numbers allow Ray Noble personally to get in on the fun. Although some might find his upper class British twit persona irritating, his timing and wit on "Suspicion!" are superb. There are several orchestral pieces, including "Cherokee" and "Harlem Nocturne," which show the development of the later Ray Noble sound and should not be missed.
The liner notes accompanying the CD are satisfactory (small mistakes here and there but a good history)and every attempt seems to have been made to accurately list all recording labels, dates and band personnel. Like all Living Era products, this is a fine collection, well reproduced. A CD well worth sitting down and listening to without distraction over and over again.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Quintessential Englishman in America, August 1, 2007

By 

Barry McCanna (Normandy, France) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Centenary Issue: 26 Original Mono Rec 1935-1947 (Audio CD)

Ray Noble's first American band was formed on his behalf by Glenn Miller, for whom many of the musicians concerned had worked before. So from the outset there was a cause for conflict between the forthright Mr. Miller (whose posthumous reputation gained enormouslty from James Stewart's sympathetic portrayal)and the mild Mr. Noble. Nonetheless, the recordings he made with that line-up, plus vocalist Al Bowlly and drummer Bill Harty, both of whom he'd been able to import from England, were best-sellers and it's easy to hear why.

Tony Martin and Fred Astaire both recorded with Noble at a later stage, and he himself wasn't above playing a Hooray Henry, as heard here in "Slumming On Park Avenue". His forte however was composing and arranging (three of his most romantic ballads are included), and his Indian Suite ranks high, both as his tribute to the native American people, and because "Cherokee" became one of the standards of the Swing Era.

All of these, and more, are present in this sparkling compilation. I'm particularly glad that it includes the beautiful ballad "Harlem Nocturne" which I used to own on 78.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'bout time !, November 24, 2004

By 

Jiggs "Bounder & Ne'er-do-well" (In my mind's eye, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Centenary Issue: 26 Original Mono Rec 1935-1947 (Audio CD)

I waited a long time for this, having been a long time Al Bowlley & Ray Noble fan. This is first-rate music by many stars of the 1930's who were appreciated by Noble.