Customer Reviews

The Best of Victor Young & the Brunswick Studio Orchestra 1932-1934

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This collection features the Brunswick "House Band" under Victor Young's direction, with all-star sidemen as noted above. Simply put, this beautifully-remastered set brings together some very hard-to-find depression recordings of popular hits of the era, and as such is a must-have for fans of 30s pop and jazz.

Only four of the 24 recordings in this set are actually credited to Victor Young & the Brunswick Studio Orchestra. The informative liner notes mention that many titles that were recorded with Victor Young at the helm of the band were pseudonymously issued (although Abe Lyman, Smtih Ballew and Will Osborne had 'real' touring bands). No matter, the disc consists of delightful period items, some of which will be familiar to collectors of British Dance Bands, but there are very few over-recorded titles. The music is performed in typical period fashion, with Young showing a penchant for unusual instruments such as harp, vibraphone, oboe and even a rare hot solo on bass clarinet on the 1933 "Two Tickets To Georgia". All tunes contain the obligatory vocal refrain, quite a few by Smith Ballew and Chick Bullock, while Dick Robertson and Harlan Lattimore (labeled the 'Black Crosby', although he more resembles a husky Denny Dennis) and Paul Small (who sounds like George Barclay) put in appearances. The numbers are peppered with short solos by Joe Venuti, Bunny Berigan, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey (and even Big T on "A Day Without You"). Standout tracks are a haunting version of "You'll Never Get To Heaven That Way", the unlikely contender for musical immortality "My Dog Loves Your Dog", and the peppy "Two Tickets To Georgia" and "Rise 'n' Shine". As an alternative (or rather, an addition) to the British Dance Bands, a very welcome issue in excellent sound quality.

Top class tunes. Love this music so much. It's a crying shame there's not more Victor Young CDs available. Timeless classic either these pop songs or his film work. A very romantic and lush happy sound. Our world needs more music like this!

There is a reason that this product had to be sold by spotlighting some of the side men: the vocalists were quite poor, and therefore virtually unknown to those who enjoy 30s music. Or, perhaps, I just don't care for the jumpy sound of these recordings that sound more like the twenties, which I have never cared for. Many of the English bands and vocalists of the same period are superior those of this CD. However, I am a fan of Young's Decca recordings of the '40s and '50s.