Swing

Bert Kaempfert | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 21, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Taragon
• ASIN: B00004RDRG
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,886 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. At The Woodchopper's Ball

2. Little Brown Jug

3. One O'Clock Jump

4. Lullaby Of Birdland

5. Two O'Clock Jump

6. Airmail Special

7. Apple Honey

8. Intermission Riff

9. Jumpin' At The Woodside

10. Marie

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Sermonette

2. Caravan

3. Opus One

4. Tuxedo Junction

5. Stompin' At The Savoy

6. Take The "A" Train

7. Skyliner

8. Honeysuckle Rose

9. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie

10. Jumpin' Blue

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Fips" takes on the big-band classics, August 20, 2003

By 

Dave Mock ""...brotherhood is not so wild... (Rockville Centre, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swing (Audio CD)

Swing music would seem to be a natural medium for German orchestra leader Bert Kaempfert, whose early inspirations included the American big bands. And this set finds "Fips" and his combo doing a good job covering some of big band music's classics.

This Taragon edition of "Swing" is really two separate albums. The first twelve cuts of Side One are the original "Swing" album that Polydor released in '78. The other three cuts on Disc One, and all of Disc Two, are either covers or Kaempfert originals culled from the bandleader's regular Polydor/Decca/MCA output between 1966 and 1975.

Kaempfert's musicians shine on the energetic "One O'Clock Jump" (great solos by tenor saxes Ferdinand Powell, trumpet/cornet player Ack van Rooyen and trombonist Jiggs Whigham) and brilliant, bracing performances like Benny Goodman's "Air Mail Special" (wonderful solo by Whigham) and Woody Herman's "Apple Honey." Anyone who associates Fips and company with dentists'-office music is in for a shock.

While the Kaempfert orchestra is the equal of the legendary bands on some tracks, on others Kaempfert is surprisingly too mannered. On Ray Wetzel's "Intermission Riff" (the Stan Kenton standby), Count Basie's "Jumpin' At the Woodside" and Goodman's "Stompin' at the Savoy" from Disc Two, Kaempfert's arrangements never manage to convey the energy inherent in the music.

But on Disc Two, Kaempfert's arrangements add sparkle to the Duke Ellington chestnut "Caravan," and a modern sheen to "Opus One" and "Tuxedo Junction." And fans of the Bert Kaempfert/Herbert Rehbein originals will be happy to hear the return of "Easy Glider," the gorgeous instrumental from '74 that closes this interesting and mostly good collection.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bert Kaempfert's labor of love..., September 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Swing (Audio CD)

Recorded in October,1977, this was an album that Bert had looked forward to for years. It's to bad that it suffers from such a cloudy and crowded recording. I've listened to two CD's and one LP of this record and they're all the same. More soloist on this one than most, with Jiggs Whigam and Herb Geller contributing excellent solo work, unfortunately showing what a lightweight Ack Van Rooyen really is. It's not that Van Rooyen can't play, but a trumpet would have suited this classic material so much better than a his fluglehorn. This was Bert's next to last record and it features some of the most demanding arranging of his entire recorded career. A must-have for the hard-core and a good listen for the casual BK fan. If anybody still thinks that Bert Kaempfert's career ended with "Afrikkan Beat", this CD is only one of many pleasant suprises.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic renditions !, January 4, 2005

By 

Geoff (Toronto) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swing (Audio CD)

Take it from a serious Bert Kaempfert fan.
This is the band at it's best and every number which is dedicated to the 1940's swingtime era is done with that terrific style synonymous with Bert Kaempfert and his stellar brass section.

What marvellous musicians.
Listening to this album may convince you that this was the greatest band section ever assembled to making an album.

Get it !