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Product Description
Product Description
Swing comes to the Essential Collection with the addition of Benny Goodman to our ever expanding series. Our re-mastered double CD takes up the Goodman story in 1933 and follows him through the critical year of 1935 when he made the monumental decision to play a selection of Fletcher Henderson tunes to a restless crowd at the Palomar Ballroom. Taking the tunes at breakneck speed the set was compelling and unrestrained, the King Of Swing had been born! We say goodbye to Goodman in 1952 with appropriately a song entitled "Goodbye," by which time he had disbanded the big bands and began to form smaller groups and bands for specific projects. By then his reputation was secure as the tracks on this CD will testify.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Sentinel
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a truly lovely collection of mellow melodies from the clarinet master. There are 48 songs on this double cd, 19 from his small groups, and the rest from his orchestras, and if you listen to the Amazon samples you'll notice the excellently re-mastered sound quality, even of the oldest recordings.
You also get ten enchanting vocal pieces, from Jack Teagarden, Peggy Lee, Lionel Hampton, Mildred Bailey and Helen Forrest, but for me Helen Ward's rich, sensuous tones are a real highlight.
Although Goodman made his big breakthrough with his orchestra in 1935, for me the smaller group recordings have greater clarity of melody, and a greater intimacy than the more powerful big-band sound, allowing Goodman's clarinet work to soar like a lark, or entwine you in its honeyed tones. Almost all the pieces hover around the standard 3 minute format, except for 'Sing,Sing,Sing' which clocks in at a mighty 8.44, and where his orchestra come closest to sounding ready to explode!
There are too many lovely pieces for me to select highlights, as I'd be here all day. Suffice it to say that this is a really sumptuous collection, and Avid are to be commended on the sound quality; it's a real listening treat. The added joy is that you get almost 160 minutes of beautiful music at such a bargain price. Buy now before you miss out!
You also get ten enchanting vocal pieces, from Jack Teagarden, Peggy Lee, Lionel Hampton, Mildred Bailey and Helen Forrest, but for me Helen Ward's rich, sensuous tones are a real highlight.
Although Goodman made his big breakthrough with his orchestra in 1935, for me the smaller group recordings have greater clarity of melody, and a greater intimacy than the more powerful big-band sound, allowing Goodman's clarinet work to soar like a lark, or entwine you in its honeyed tones. Almost all the pieces hover around the standard 3 minute format, except for 'Sing,Sing,Sing' which clocks in at a mighty 8.44, and where his orchestra come closest to sounding ready to explode!
There are too many lovely pieces for me to select highlights, as I'd be here all day. Suffice it to say that this is a really sumptuous collection, and Avid are to be commended on the sound quality; it's a real listening treat. The added joy is that you get almost 160 minutes of beautiful music at such a bargain price. Buy now before you miss out!
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In America in the 1930s clarinettist and bandleader Benny Goodman became known as the `King of Swing' and his popularity spread abroad. Initially he was a solid session musician playing with well-established bands, but fame came after he formed his own band, with jazz historians insisting his success stemmed from an engagement at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles in 1935. Goodman started the evening with standard arrangements that got only a lukewarm reception, so he came back after an interval with swinging versions that had dancers go wild. It is folklore that he was prompted by drummer Gene Krupa quipping "If we're gonna die Benny, let's die playing our own thing". This is considered to be the start of the `swing era' with music geared to jitterbug and jive as well as quickstep and foxtrot.
There are those who reckon his Carnegie Hall Concert in New York in 1938 was Benny Goodman's peak performance, yet some of the event's significant hits are missing from this `Essential Collection'. The double CD album embraces the period 1933-1952, and immediately from track 1. with orchestra backing for scintillating clarinet on `Let's Dance' to the final track 48. `Goodbye' with strings accompaniment it is an inspired collection of Benny Goodman recordings. Personally this suits me in preference to the bebop, cool jazz and classic music of Goodman's later years. However on `Essential Collection' many of the finest numbers are by Trio, Quartet and Sextet rather than more customary big band.
There are numerous examples of the full Benny Goodman Orchestra with my favourites being brilliant brass on `King Porter Stomp', `Stompin' At The Savoy' and `Always'.... Read more ›
There are those who reckon his Carnegie Hall Concert in New York in 1938 was Benny Goodman's peak performance, yet some of the event's significant hits are missing from this `Essential Collection'. The double CD album embraces the period 1933-1952, and immediately from track 1. with orchestra backing for scintillating clarinet on `Let's Dance' to the final track 48. `Goodbye' with strings accompaniment it is an inspired collection of Benny Goodman recordings. Personally this suits me in preference to the bebop, cool jazz and classic music of Goodman's later years. However on `Essential Collection' many of the finest numbers are by Trio, Quartet and Sextet rather than more customary big band.
There are numerous examples of the full Benny Goodman Orchestra with my favourites being brilliant brass on `King Porter Stomp', `Stompin' At The Savoy' and `Always'.... Read more ›
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
very good all round more than 20 pieces of music per CD showing the best Benny Goodman had to offer, recommended to anyone who loves Jazz and with a price of £3.99 you can't go too far wrong.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Magenta
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Lovely collection of the very talented Mr Goodman's music, and a good price too, excellent hum along in the car CD.
By R. M. M.
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I specifically bought this for Sing, Sing, Sing, but found it to have lots of good tracks and several splendid ones. I cannot praise this 2 cd collection too highly.
By Mr Walt P
Format:MP3 Download|Amazon Verified Purchase
First time downloading MP3's Went reasonable well Not quite shure I did it right But ended up with all the tunes
Content of the music top class Will probably have another go some time
Content of the music top class Will probably have another go some time
By Dorn
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have quite a few Benny Goodman CDs but this one is one of the best. Can thoroughly recommend it.
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Really good Easy Listening, good range of material, as the Cover says, a really essential collection. Recommend it to anyone.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
IBenny Goodman
This CD was exactly what I was looking for bringing back many happy memories of times gone.
It was received in one parcel of three well within the time stated. Read more
It was received in one parcel of three well within the time stated. Read more
Published 4 months ago by MRS V A ELTON
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great collection
Just what I wanted - a great collection!This will be played a lot as it is very relaxing and enjoyable.
Published 5 months ago by Elizabeth Oxon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb value!
Bought this for the catchy Sing, sing, sing from the BBC Christmas trailer. As someone who listens to everything from Joe Satriani to Tracey Chapman via Steely Dan and Led Zeppelin... Read more
Published 5 months ago by S. Studd
5.0 out of 5 stars
King of Swing
Don't forget Swing. Jazz's last, greatest and most glorious moment at the height of popular fashion, before it took another direction altogether with BeBop, Cool and later shifts... Read more
Published 7 months ago by McPoohser
5.0 out of 5 stars
essenttial collection benny goodman
very good music sound track superb good recording of look forward to buyingthe big band era look forward to buying more big band music
Published 13 months ago by D. J. Ellis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great dance music
I only wanted one track but when I heard a sample of some of the others I decided to buy the complete download. Read more
Published 18 months ago by L. Toombs
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