Shall We Swing?/Sounds of the Great Bands! [Import]

Shall We Swing?/Sounds of the Great Bands! [Import]

ASIN: B000089HBD

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Twofer combines two albums, 'Shall We Swing?' (1961) & 'Sounds Of The Great Bands In Latin', from one of the very best exponents of big band music, both are unavailable domestically. 20 tracks. EMI/Capitol. 2003.

Shall We Swing?/Sounds of the Great Bands!,Glen Gray,EMI Int'l,Big Band,Big Bands,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Sweet Bands,Swing

Average customer rating:

I'm not generally a "split the difference" kind of guy

WOW, HORRIBLE

Billy May at his best!

Shall We Swing

Shall We Swing?/Sounds of the Great Bands!
Glen Gray
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Swinging Sounds of the Great Bands

More Sounds of the Great Swing Bands

Smooth Sounds of the Great Dance Bands

Les Brown & His Band of Renown - Best of The Capitol Years

Ray Sings, Basie Swings

ASIN: B000089HBD
Release Date: 2003-04-07

Tracks:

Hungarian Dance No.5
Minuet
Finale G Minor Symphony
Humoresque
Poet And Peasant Overture
Melody In F
D Minor Symphony
Minuet In G
Dance Of The Hours
A String Of Pearls
Lean Baby
Take The 'A' Train
Casa Loma Stomp
Stardust
No Name Jive
Frenesi
Collaboration
The Mole
Early Autumn
King Porter Stomp

Album Description

Twofer combines two albums, 'Shall We Swing?' (1961) & 'Sounds Of The Great Bands In Latin', from one of the very best exponents of big band music, both are unavailable domestically. 20 tracks. EMI/Capitol. 2003.

Album Details

"shall We Swing" is a Collaboration Between Glen and Billy May who Arranged all of the Tracks on the Album. "Sounds of the Great Bands in Latin" is an Album Full of Well Known Tunes Given that Latin Feel.

Customer Reviews:

I'm not generally a "split the difference" kind of guy.......2007-01-24

But this may be a place to do so. The early 60s, when music had not yet been overrun and all opponents crushed by rock, was a time of oldsters trying hard to remain relevant while various newsters fought to be heard. There was a huge folk base, abundant jazz that was still readily available in your local record shop, a strong C&W contingent, Ed Sullivan staples, and various international sounds arriving daily. In 1963 most college-aged people would probably have heard of Chad Mitchell, Eydie Gorme, Woody Guthrie, Martha and The Vandellas, Dave Brubeck, Trini Lopez, Andy Williams, and Henry Mancini. Such variety would soon disappear.

One of the hangers-on still churning out the goods was Glen Gray, a famous swing band leader who had a sensational arranger in Billy May. Together these two, and their crackerjack musicians, spilled out LPs that replicated the old sounds perfectly (and remember, those old sounds weren't as readily available in good quality as they are today) and meandered into "relevance." This is a combo of two relevant records, taking a pair of those early 1960s LPs and packing them on to one CD. You get 9 famous classical tunes performed in a perfect but cold swing style, and 11 swing classics infused with the newly popular Latin flavor.

Though I recognize the excellence of both arrangement and playing, and have no qualms about re-imaging very familiar older material, I cannot warm up to this pair. Somehow the whole thing, including the tracks so highly praised in other reviews, is just a little chilly. Sterile. Packaged. Processed. I'm not sure. But the swing bands of the 30s and 40s, including Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra, had a fire and passion that just feels missing here. You got lots of samples...see if you like them. I don't hate it; I don't love it. Tepid music inspires a tepid response.

WOW, HORRIBLE.......2004-09-15

Who in their right mind would add a latin beat to great swing music? Terrible. Just terrible.

DO NO BUY IF YOU WANT WANT MUSIC THAT SWINGS

Billy May at his best!.......2003-04-05

I've listened to many big band albums but this one remains one of my all-time favorites. The "Shall We Swing" selections are big band arrangements of great classical themes arranged by the incomparable Billy May. These arrangements are fantastic and the band he assembled was up to the challenge. This band has all the great 50's and 60's studio musicians from Hollywood such as Uan Rasey, Babe Russin, Conrad Gozzo, Skeets Herfurt, Don Fagerquist,
Ted Nash etc. Just hearing "Poet and Peasant Overture" and "Hungarian Dance" is worth the price. Truly unique! Get it - you won't be sorry.

The "Sounds of the Great Bands" are from Glen Gray's early 60's albums (and he did a lot of them) in which he did original arrangements of famous bands. No telling these from the originals. Even the solos are practically exact duplicates. Again these arrangments were played by Hollywood's finest.

Shall We Swing.......2003-04-04

Billy May's arrangement of "Poet and Peasant Overture" alone is worth the price of this great album. Great big band; fantastic May arrangements. One of the finest big band albums I've ever heard!

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music