Customer Reviews

The Vintage Recordings of Ukulele Ike: 1922-1944

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Cliff Edwards took a scat chorus on record before Louis Armstrong ever did, and he was a great "hot" vocalist often leading dixieland style combos(with his Hot Combination) in the 20's(several examples of that here). This cd also features Edwards exellent ukulele strumming, and novelty songs. This cd covers from the mid twenties thru the 1940's. Great music, and a great singer, and a superb ukulele player. A great CD!!! I can't wait until a complete set of his "Hot Combination" recordings comes out.

In the twenties, there were a dozen or so people who became millionaires in show biz: Chaplin, Mary Pickford, D.W. Griffith, and Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike). It is difficult for most people today to relaize that this near-forgotten star was as huge as he was in the twenties. He was a great crooner and played the ukulele with great skill (he didn't strum it; he mastered it). Ike helped to popularize jazz and interpret it for mainstream America. He sang and crooned beautifully. Unfortunately, he couldn't change his style when swing came into vogue. He also gambled and drank a lot. He died in obscurity (alhtough he had a brief revival playing Jiminy Cricket in Disney's "Pinocchio.) These recordings are just a sample of work from his heyday. Excellent.

Cliff Edwards should be remembered as the consummate artist that he was. Not only did he perform with precision, superb pitch and diction, but his interpretations of pieces reflected considerable individuality and depth. Edwards was able to take an old chestnut and deliver it with life and emotion. Songs like Somebody Loves Me and Together take on an amazing tenderness and bittersweet quality, then he takes a 180 degree turn and hits the listener a song that is raucous, wild and hot. His scat and freak singing can't be beat. And we mustn't forget how much music he got out of a little ukelele.

This is a fine collection of old recordings and while the quality of the sound may be slightly less than what we are used to today, the fact that we have these recordings, itself, is a wonder. Cliff Edwards was a great performer and I am glad to have these samples of his talent. I am only sorry there aren't more of his records available.

While Cliff Edwards is known today as the "voice of Jiminy Crickett" in Disney films, he was a bona fide jazz singer from the 1920's through the 1940's. This collection of Edwards' music draws from several sources. Four unissued test pressings complete the set that includes versions of several of Ukelele Ike's "standards" including "My Old Girl's My New Girl Now" and "Singin' in the Rain." Taken together, this music is a snapshot of Americana. Also, this disc presents Edwards in a wide array of settings---one song is even done with the Hawaiian Jazz artist Andy Iona. Edwards is always tasteful in his interpretations, and the sound quality is pretty good for 60-90 year old recordings.

These recordings are more of historical interest than musical. The sound quality is OK, but seems to cut off at the highs and lows because of the recording technology of the day.