Sophisticated Swing: Best of the Big Bands, Vol. 2

Artist: Les & Larry Elgart
Label: Sony
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 074644890921
EAN: 0074644890921
ASIN: B00000287R

Release Date: 1992-05-19

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

Lounge

| Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

CDs $7 - $10

All Bargain Titles

Tracks:

Sophisticated Swing
(The Gang That Sang) Heart Of My Heart
Bendix Bounce
Soon
The Weasel Pops Off
Geronimo
I Never Knew
Why Don't You Fall In Love With Me
Comin' Through The Scotch
Sophisticated Lady
The Turtle Walk
Easy Pickin'
Time To Go
Big Man On Campus
Senior Hop
My Heart Belongs To Daddy
Varsity Drag
Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart

Similar Items:

Best of the Big Bands, Vol. 1
Les & Larry Elgart/Les Elgart on Tour
Greatest Dance Band in the Land
Swing Slow/Della Della Cha-Cha-Cha
The Great Sound of Les Elgart/It's De-Lovely

Customer Reviews:

A outstanding album from an all-too-much-abused band.......2005-05-15

Though jazz snobs may dismiss the Elgart Brothers for what one writer has called (and I'm paraphrasing) "the tired-businessman's bounce", they got off with a bang with this superb maiden Columbia effort. Here they established their unique sound: the sharp sax staccato, the soft unmuted horns, the piano-less rhythm section with its close-miked guitar. Unsurprisingly the Elgarts attributed no small part of their success to Glenn Miller, and really this band is an offshoot, for though Miller was getting impatient with big-band music before his untimely death, and it's hard to imagine him playing arrangements quite like these, the Miller sound is definitely there, haunting, dreamy, always under the surface, even without the clarinet lead.

What opens one's ears are the four previously unissued tracks, several demos likely recorded before the "Sophisticated Swing" takes, in a Brooklyn ballroom -- and with a piano (Will "The Expert" Friedwald's booklet discussion is typically unclear). The piano adds little, and the Elgarts were wise to discard it, but then these spine-tingling charts didn't need help, like George Williams's "Easy Pickin'" and especially "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," which turns that tiresome song about forbidden love into an electrifying zap. Alas the Elgarts never did swing enough. Had they credibly done so this band could have ranked with the greatest jazz ensembles instead of ultimately being reduced to the hackneyed two-left-footed fake-disco arrangements of "Hooked on Swing." But this is tremendous swing -- and jazz -- however you slice it.

Peculiar programming note: This album also includes two tracks from their later album "Band of the Year" -- but not their most famous song of all, the "Bandstand Boogie." Then again the whole "Best of the Big Bands" series was plagued with such non-sequiturs. One hopes Sony BMG gets around to the first-class reissues this band deserves, not just continuing to palm them off as licensed product. (The current Collectables double-album leaves out the six extra tracks.) Further peculiar programming note: the "ace" CBS engineer Larry Keyes omits the first note of the title tune; given his stellar career he probably never noticed.

One of the best dance band recordings you'll find anywhere........1998-12-19

The Elgart Band played with a bouncy style and a rich, punctuated sound that became definitive of the "fifties". Charlie Albertine's arrangements are, as always, clear, sensual, and fun. The production and sound of the recordings (produced by George Avakian and engineered by Fred Plaud in the legendary CBS 30th Street church studio) are superb. Even though this particular CD - which was the band's first LP for Columbia - is monoraul, when you put it on you'll feel like the band is right there in your living room. A great experience for anyone who enjoys the sound of swing.

try it..you'll love the big band sound.......1998-11-21

been an elgart fan since "zing was a single" very good cd. for non-electronic fans!

The Greatest Dance Band.......1998-10-20

Many critics consider Les Elgart's band to be the best dance band of the big band era.

Arriving on the big band scene near the close of the era (1950's), the Elgart sound swept the American dance scene.

The unique blending of base sax and trombone, along with use of the guitar for rythym, was a new innovation. The chords,frequently minor, produce almost painfully beautiful musical responses on the part of the listener.

This smooth, and happy swing album is sure to please the new swing generation.

Buy and enjoy.

Music CD:

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

Move Me Papi ~ Orlando & Bennett

Red Rubber Ball ~ The Cyrkle

Trouble ~ Ray LaMontagne

I Fought the Law and Other Hits ~ Bobby Fuller

All Night Long: Beautiful Love Songs ~ Various Artists

Fireball Country ~ The Fireballs

Blame It on Love and All the Great Hits ~ Smokey Robinson

Master Piece ~ Paul Mooney

Bow Wow (That's My Name)

A Lot On It ~ Gooch