Soft Lights, Sweet Trumpet/One Night Stand

Soft Lights, Sweet Trumpet/One Night Stand

ASIN: B00005KIXH

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Two CD's for one Soft Lights,Sweet Trumpet & One Night Stand. Both of these albums date from 1952 but represent contrasting sides of the great trumpeter and his band. Soft Lights... spotlights the velvety tone of Harry's horn, while One Night Stand is a performance at the Aragon Ballroom. Standard jewel case. 2001 release.

Tracks:

Ultra
Blues From 'An American In Paris'
Mam Bongo
Memphis Blues
The Flight Of The Bumble Bee
There They Go
Jackpot Blues
You Go To My Head
Don't Stop
Feet Draggin' Blues
Back Beat Boogie
Serenade In Blue
Manhattan
September In The Rain
You Go To My Head
That Old Feeling
If I'm Lucky
Just A Gigolo
Embraceable You

Album Description

Two CD's for one Soft Lights,Sweet Trumpet & One Night Stand. Both of these albums date from 1952 but represent contrasting sides of the great trumpeter and his band. Soft Lights... spotlights the velvety tone of Harry's horn, while One Night Stand is a performance at the Aragon Ballroom. Standard jewel case. 2001 release.

Customer Reviews:

Two sides of James.......2004-02-05

Unlike the other reviewer of this cd, I enjoy the softer side of James. Sure they are standards, but the mood is very relaxed and it DOES NOT place the James band in the easy listening category. There are many improvised moments during the solo spots. I would agree that if both of the live albums were put together, it would have made for a more logical music flow. Maybe time restrictions could not allow both of the live performances to be placed to together. Sonically, the studio performance is much better than the live one. The live recording sounds curiously dated. Not bad, but it certainly can be much better. Considering that the studio album is older by a few months and is sonically superior. The live album also contains a disppointing version of Ultra. This older version is in no way competitive to the updated arrangemet Harry would record for MGM. This version is available on a Verve cd titled, Harry James - The Silver Collection. That version, also live, is far superior to this slower version. This version lacks the energy and excitement that James had in his newer version. Sonically, it is superior too. It is in stereo with nice clean highs and full bass. Still, this is a good cd if you are a James fan.

The Two Sides of Harry James.......2002-12-24

Harry's Columbia studio recordings of the early fifties were no doubt influenced (victimized might be more appropriate) by the dominating presence of Columbia A&R man Mitch Miller -- the "sing-along" guru who almost ruined Frank Sinatra's recording career, was responsible for much of the cornball schlock that filled the radio airwaves at the time, and who, as a consequence (in my estimation), probably did more to promote the rise of rock and roll than any other single individual. In "Soft Lights", we are (no doubt at the behest if not the insistence of Miller) presented with a liberal dose of the schmaltzy ballad style for which Harry James would forever be scorned by jazz critics. Contrast this with "One Night Stand", an exciting live performance that illustrates the true dynamism that was Harry James and his band. Just listen to the fire and passion of the James horn in "Feet Draggin Blues". Or the warm, passionate (no schmaltz here) "You Go To My Head". Or Harry (on bongos, no less) in "Mam Bongo". For a change of pace, dig the brilliant accordion solo in "Flight of the Bumblebee" (Lawrence Welk need not apply). Great stuff. Alas, this CD rates no more than three stars due to the inclusion of "Soft Lights Sweet Trumpet". Had it instead been coupled with "Live At Hollywood Palladium" (another exciting live performance available on another CD that is also sadly coupled with a schlock studio session), it would have rated 10 stars!!!

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