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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Having jointly celebrated their 80th birthdays at the end of last year, John Dankworth and his jazz-icon wife, Cleo Laine are knighted national treasures who have been at the forefront of jazz performance and recordings for the past seven decades, with their artistic activities continuing via a busy schedule ahead. This excellent compilation mainly shines the spotlight on Johnny - the saxophone player who aimed higher than most to form one of Britain's most respected big bands that reached world renown with numerous recordings released over the years. This two-disc anthology of forty-seven typical tracks covers his 1953-1960 EMI output which yielded two hits - EXPERIMENTS WITH MICE, a 1956 humorous tribute to legendary band leaders and their individual styles (although the similarly themed/narrated follow-up BIG JAZZ STORY failed to repeat its success) plus AFRICAN WALTZ which caught disc-buyers fancy in 1960. Whether revising old standards STARDUST, S'WONDERFUL, CRAZY RHYTHM, MOONGLOW, YOU GO TO MY HEAD; swinging some big-band favourites- JERSEY BOUNCE, ADIOS (both live), I CAN'T GET STARTED and PERDIDO or introducing some Dankworth originals- APPLECAKE, MELBOURNE MARATHON and YOUNGER EVERY DAY, there's no let-up of the crisp orchestral power which has soared and flourished non-stop over the years. Even Cleo gets in on the act with a few numbers including AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', I KNOW YOU'RE MINE, I GOT RHYTHM and I GOT IT BAD AND THAT AIN'T GOOD.
Without doubt, this is one of the best UK big-band compilations around at present so it's highly recommended for variety and flair.
Without doubt, this is one of the best UK big-band compilations around at present so it's highly recommended for variety and flair.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This 45 track double CD is fantastic value for money. It covers the period 1953 to 1961. All but 2 tracks are by the Dankworth band. Those 2 are by the Dankworth Seven. Johnny Dankworth was very much a hero of us jazz lovers of the 1950s and, then living in the Medway Towns, I remember travelling with my friends to gigs in Margate and Ashford and taking in any in our home towns. I always thought his was the pick of the British big bands during that period. I know memory can play tricks but I am sure his gigs had a far heavier jazz influence than some of these tracks. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty to enjoy here for the jazz fan. Maybe it was a case of being able to stretch out more in concert than was often allowed in the recording studio. There is no recording info. in the sleeve notes but a comprehensive discography can be found on google. My wife walked in whilst I was playing the first disc and thought it was an American band. I think that can be taken as high praise. Cleo Laine turns up on a handful of tracks to great effect. We used to sneer a bit at British drummers during the fifties but always rated Kenny Clare and these discs prove that he and Allan Ganley were pretty damn good.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
At last us lovers of the Johnny Dankworth big band of the 1950s can celebrate!
A collection of CDs has been very slow in coming but now we may indeed celebrate. I watched this band perform on something like 25 occasions back then and became truly smitten on jazz though John's efforts. I later took up the trumpet, such was the influence. Actually, I heard Johnny before I heard such giants as Parker, Brown and Gillespie. These two CDs are excellent and pretty much representative; having said that, the band here plays some tunes which I never heard them play back then, numbers such as 'Moonglow,' 'Adios' and 'Limehouse Blues,' are actually more representative of that other British big band giant, Ted Heath. The accent here is more on big band swing, whereas the live band were often more about solid jazz when I heard them. But that criticism is indeed minor for here one may take a real joy to here again people like trumpeter Dickie Hawdon (sadly, recently departed), Danny Moss (also departed within the last two years), plus Johnny's most lyrical alto. I also never noted back then (but it is very clear here) what a great lead trumpet Derrick Abbott was.
My advice? Snap this superb double CD set while you can!
A collection of CDs has been very slow in coming but now we may indeed celebrate. I watched this band perform on something like 25 occasions back then and became truly smitten on jazz though John's efforts. I later took up the trumpet, such was the influence. Actually, I heard Johnny before I heard such giants as Parker, Brown and Gillespie. These two CDs are excellent and pretty much representative; having said that, the band here plays some tunes which I never heard them play back then, numbers such as 'Moonglow,' 'Adios' and 'Limehouse Blues,' are actually more representative of that other British big band giant, Ted Heath. The accent here is more on big band swing, whereas the live band were often more about solid jazz when I heard them. But that criticism is indeed minor for here one may take a real joy to here again people like trumpeter Dickie Hawdon (sadly, recently departed), Danny Moss (also departed within the last two years), plus Johnny's most lyrical alto. I also never noted back then (but it is very clear here) what a great lead trumpet Derrick Abbott was.
My advice? Snap this superb double CD set while you can!
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