Benny Goodman's Golden Era, Vol. 1

Artist: Benny Goodman
Label: Phontastic
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 2
EAN: 7320470000298
ASIN: B00000175J

Release Date: 2000-06-29

Related Categories:

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

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

General

| Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Swing Jazz

| Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Tracks:

Let's Dance
Remember
Me, Myself And I
Sailboat In The Moonlight
Mother Goose Marches On
Shine
Swing, Benny, Swing
Sing, Sing, Sing
Good-Bye
Let's Dance
That Naughty Waltz
Satan Takes A Holiday
So Rare
Let's Have Another Cigarette
Liza
Russian Swing
Chloe
Caravan
Good-Bye

Tracks:

Let's Dance
Sometimes I'm Happy
Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day
My Cabin Of Dreams
Bye, Bye Pretty Baby
Stompin' At The Savoy
Swing High, Swing Low
Sailboat In The Moonlight
Roll 'Em
Good-Bye
Let's Dance
Camel Hop
La Cucaracha
Whispers In The Dark
The Blue Danube
Vibraphone Blues
Swing Song
The Dixieland Band
House Hop
Good-Bye

Customer Reviews:

Benny as he sounded on a typical 1937 evening...spectacular!.......2007-03-28

Wow! Imagine tuning in the radio the mid-to-late 30s and hearing music like this. Well, you don't have to imagine, because that's what this set is--four sequential broadcasts of Goodman's Tuesday night Camel Caravan show on CBS, complete with announcer intro and patter from Goodman and some lightweight comedians. Most of the music is quite fine, although the sponsors felt they had to break up the swing numbers with some silly novelty routines. These never get as silly as the kind of music, say, Kay Kaiser indulged in, but they are forgettable and bring down the musical content somewhat. On the other hand, lovers of kitch may enjoy such items as a Russian comedian who brings swing to the Stepps, or a goofy comic team learning what swing is all about. Then there's an interesting attempt at a singing commercial worked into the program, and since the sponsor was Camel cigarettes we get a number about the pleasures and romance of cigarette smoking among college students. (Back then, even the Surgeon General wouldn't have complained.) It's noteworthy that the female chorus member who acted out this skit was by the following week out of the Camel Chorus and in the Goodman band as the regular girl singer. Her name: Martha Tilton.

But the real highlights here are the hot numbers, which at that time no one could quite do like Benny (and even subsequently it was hard to find equals to that band). On numbers such as Caravan, House Hop, Roll 'Em and Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day, the sidemen blow the roof down and the band plays with a spit-and-polish that's all the more remarkable because it came in an era before tape splicing, yet they can outdo any ensemble today. With musicians like that, you didn't need to splice. Oh, and let's not forget the exciting Trio and Quartet, with Lionel Hampton and Teddy Wilson on several memorable numbers playing what was at that time cutting-edge jazz. (A vibraharp? What was that?!?)

Sound is what you'd expect for the period, a bit tinny but overall not bad. It's certainly more listenable than the Phil Schapp version of the Carnegie Hall concert, so if that recording has you frightened off of '30s BG, be frightened no more. This is a great collection of live airchecks that belongs in any swing-lover's collection. It should also be interesting to students of the period who want to relieve a typical night at home in front of the ol' RCA radio.

Music CD:

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

Mind at Ease ~ Al-D

Wishbone Ash ~ Wishbone Ash

Blood, Sweat and Beers ~ Redneck Girlfriend

Sweet Somewhere Bound ~ Jackie Greene

Roxy Live ~ Eric Burdon

Blame Someone Else ~ Simon Raymonde

Full Moon ~ Brandy

The Greatest Hits of Snow ~ Snow

Be ~ Common

Chicano Thugz ~ Various Artists