Tampico

Stan Kenton, June Christy | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 11, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1945
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collector's Choice
• ASIN: B00006RYIN
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #501,693 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Are You Livin’, Old Man? (Armed Forces)

2. Are You Livin’, Old Man? (V-Disc)

3. Tampico

4. I'm Gonna Love That Guy

5. It’s Been A Long, Long Time

6. That's The Stuff You Gotta Watch

7. Ride On

8. I Never Thought I'd Sing The Blues

9. Got A Penny, Jenny?

10. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'

11. I Don't Want To Be Loved By Anyone Else But You

Editorial Reviews

June Christy has long been one of our customers’ favorite female singers, so we thought we’d offer a selection of live and studio performances from a momentous period in her career, her first year (1945) with Stan Kenton’s band (in fact, on the first track here, you can hear the announcer introduce Stan’s new vocalist, June Christy)! Includes two versions each (one V-Disc, one Armed Forces Radio Services) of "Are You Livin’, Old Man?" and the hit "Tampico," "I’m Gonna Love That Guy," "It’s Been a Long, Long Time," "That’s the Stuff You Gotta Watch," "Ride On," "I Never Thought I’d Sing the Blues," "Got a Penny, Jenny?," "Just A-Sittin’ and A-Rockin’" and "I Don’t Want to Be Loved by Anyone Else but You." A Collectors’ Choice Music exclusive!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Music historians will find this album fascinating., July 7, 2004

By 

Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Tampico (Audio CD)

June Christy joined Stan Kenton's Orchestra in 1945 at the age of twenty, and in this digitally remastered CD we hear Christy's very young voice and Kenton's very loud, brassy orchestra in arrangements from 1945 - 1947. Many of the songs Christy and Kenton made so popular in the aftermath of World War II appear here, bright, brash, and full of swing, often with a thumping drum and bass accompaniment--including "Tampico," "On the Sunny Side of the Street," and "I Got the Sun in the Morning"--songs to get the toes tapping and the returning soldiers dancing.

There is nothing subtle about this album, which does not take advantage of Christy's strengths as much as it points up what she has yet to master. She and the band seem to operate on parallel planes, rather than as a unit, and although they alternate star turns throughout, Kenton's band is noticeably heavy when it is paired with Christy's young, clear voice. The best songs on the album are those which take advantage of Christy's youth--the delightful "Rika Jika Jack," as it switches keys from minor to major and back and gives Christy the chance to scat to a blues accompaniment, and another bluesy, minor-keyed song, "Curiosity," which allows her to be bright and cute.

Christy's lower range has not fully developed, at this point, and she sometimes misses low notes when she suddenly has to hit a note that is more than an octave below the range in which she has been singing. "Easy Street," "Soothe Me," and "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" are songs requiring more control than Christy has yet acquired in her lower range. Kenton is Kenton, using the full orchestra, giving his instrumental stars their chances to solo, varying his tempo, and promoting the full-out brassiness and thumping rhythm that civilians celebrating the end of the war are obviously demanding. Kenton and Christy each seem to be in their own worlds here, alternating the spotlight but not yet creating a unified sound. Mary Whipple

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INTENSE FUN., June 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Tampico (Audio CD)

A lot of people will tell you that June Christy went on to record better music in the 1950s, but I prefer the excitement and verve of these big band sides recorded from 1945 to 1947. Here June is coupled with the powerful and impossibly tight Stan Kenton Orchestra, which keeps the listener engaged on ballads and up tempo numbers alike. Some are frightened by the intensity of the Kenton backing, but I never feel that it overpowers June...she more than meets the demands of the hard swingin' blasts of brass and sudden quiet parts which make the dynamics of Kenton so exciting. In fact, hearing June nail the bluesy twists and turns of these arrangements makes me wish that she had sprinkled a few more hard swingin' numbers among her later material.

As far as I've seen, this is the best single disc collection of June and Stan, as it boasts a great track list, a generous 25 tunes, and crystal clear sound. Hearing young June navigate these fantastic and innovative arrangements with the Kenton Orchestra is a real treat, and FUN as heck. I recommend this to any fan of big band, jazz, or classic pop vocals. Fans of the big band/June Christy combination should also check out June's 1962 LP, Big Band Specials, on which she joyously returns to her big band roots.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent C.D., January 16, 2000

By 

r l tector (Merseyside, U.K.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tampico (Audio CD)

A brilliant combination of singer, orchestra, and arrangements. Stan Kenton may be a little out of favour now, but on his less serious side, he is still great. Compare these to Nelson Riddle's famed arrangements for Sinatra ten years later. Makes you think. If 'Ol Blue Eyes' had started out as band singer with Kenton instead of Dorsey, why, then he really might have made something of himself. Buy this one now!