Customer Reviews

Chances Are It Swings

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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This is one of the all-time truly great jazz albums to come out of the 1950's. Shorty's small band sounds bigger than most big bands. The arrangements are fantastic, especially the lead song, "Chances Are". Shorty passed away about five years ago, but his music will live forever with those of us who appreciate his tremendous talent.

I would be so sorry to see this CD go out of print. Shorty Rogers' records have had to take so many snide remarks from the professional critics, I wonder how many passed up this splendid disc. Years ago I went to a used record store and I was always pumping the owner for recommendations because I was too young to have heard the music when it first appeared. Who was his favorite big bandsman?- Shorty Rogers. This Living Stereo disc is just about all the excitement in big band swing you could ask for. It doesn't get much better than this folks.

Robert Allen was a mildly successful songwriter in the 1950s (CHANCES ARE, EVERYBODY LOVES A LOVER, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, IT'S NOT FOR ME TO SAY, and TO KNOW YOU IS TO LOVE YOU are probably his best known songs), and this album showcases some of Allen's compositions as well as Shorty Rogers's arranging skills in a big band setting. Allen was a jazz pianist before turning to songwriting, and many of his tunes have a sophisticated, swinging basis to them. Shorty's arrangements lean more toward the pop field than hardcore jazz, evidenced by the fact that soloists, though present on every tune, are limited in what they can do and rarely, if ever, drink more than 8 measures at a pop. Shorty, Bob Enevoldsen, Bud Shank, Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca, and Pete Jolly among many other top-notch West Coast studio musicians and jazz stars all contribute fine solos - one just wishes for more. WHO NEEDS YOU is an up-tempo swinger that really cooks; YOU KNOW HOW IT IS starts off the same fiery way in the theme statement, then slows down by half to a medium groove. Most of the tunes are taken at medium tempo and seem perfect vehicles for rolling up the carpet and taking a turn or two with your partner: the album is very danceable in a way that many modern-mainstream big band records were in the `50s. Sophistication plus - that's how I view this recording. Nice!

RCA LSP-1975 Mono

FEATURING: Shorty Rogers - Trumpet, Composer, Arranger, Conductor; Robert Allen - Composer; The Giants

SIDE 1: Chances Are; No Such Luck; It's Not For Me To Say; Lilac Chiffon; I Just Don't Know; Who Needs You

SIDE 2: Everybody Loves A Lover; Come To Me; My Very Good Friend In The Looking Glass; You Know How It Is; A Very Special Love; Teacher, Teacher

The best West Coast Big Band Jazz record of all time? It gets My vote!