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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Cotton Pickers' Congregation | |||
| 2. Hide And Seek | |||
| 3. South American Joe (Vocalist: Donald Stewart) | |||
| 4. Copenhagen | |||
| 5. Limehouse Blues | |||
| 6. Creole Lady | |||
| 7. Hick Stomp | |||
| 8. Swinganola | |||
| 9. Twilight In Turkey | |||
| 10. Toy Trumpet | |||
See all 26 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Plain Jane | |||
| 2. The Penguin | |||
| 3. Lazybones (Vocalist: Sam Browne) | |||
| 4. Wotcha Gotta Trombone For? (Vocalist: Evelyn Dall) | |||
| 5. Lullaby Of Broadway (Vocalist: Sam Browne & The Rhythm Brothers) | |||
| 6. Chasing Shadows (Vocalist: Jack Cooper) | |||
| 7. Lament For Congo | |||
| 8. You Are My Lucky Star (Vocalist: Jack Cooper) | |||
| 9. Deep Henderson | |||
| 10. They Can't Take That Away From Me (Vocalist: Sam Browne) | |||
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See all 26 tracks on this disc
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Product Description
CD Description
The Essential Ambrose represents both the hot and commercial aspects of Ambrose's band and throughout it exhibits a very high standard of musicianship. Ambrose was known to hire only the best and also to pay accordingly with musicians often earning 10-15 times the national average wage! The first CD in this superbly re-mastered double set reflects the jazz orientated side of Ambrose. It particularly highlights the talents of saxophonist, clarinettist, composer and arranger Sid Phillips who's 'Cotton Pickers Congregation' kicks off the set in spectacular style. Our second CD although very different from the first is nonetheless arresting featuring the 'pop' songs of the day as performed by such consummate musicians as Sam Browne, Jack Cooper and Evelyn Dall. Ambrose's skill had been to recognise talent and use the best available to him. He was not particularly a jazz fan but saw its commercial potential and in Sid Phillips had a magnificent talent he could utilise to his bands best advantage. By the early 1940's however Ambrose's time was over and he never quite made the transition into the modern era. He did however make a comeback of sorts when he managed the singer Kathy Kirby in the 1960's. A millionaire in the 1930's, Ambrose died bankrupt in 1975, a victim of his inability or unwillingness to adapt with the changing times and apparently a little problem called gambling!
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
For those who mourn the BBC's decision to cut the Sunday evening radio programme featuring the great pre-war dance bands, this will prove a great way to recover from the loss with the two-discs featuring fifty-two tracks superbly remastered to a very high degree. In fact, the sound is likely more pristine than when originally issued on 78 rpm shellac discs. Covering the period 1933-1939, Bert Ambrose (1896-1971) lead one of the most popular dance bands of the day with musicians like saxophonist/clarinettist/arranger, Sid Phillips who later fronted his own well appreciated band. Apart from his prominent position within the band, he composer-contributes COTTON PICKER'S CONGREGATION, HICK STOMP, WOOD AND IVORY, STREAMLINE STRUT and many others to the jazzy selections that dominate the first disc, with the Orchestra promoting its hot swinging style which must have seemed quite progressive at the time. CARAVAN, HIDE AND SEEK and POWER HOUSE are amongst those which fizzle and keep the mood strong.
The second disc retains the same orchestral quality but meanders into pop songs contributed by the upcoming Vera Lynn who gets to share THE LOVE BUG WILL GET YOU with Max Bacon and The Manhattan Trio whilst other featured vocalists include Evelyn Dall, Sam Browne, and Jack Cooper with songs like LAZYBONES, LULLABY OF BROADWAY, THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME and SWING HIGH, SWING LOW.
Avid's usual care in presentation includes full recording dates and the necessary retrospective art work which is appropriate as well as eye-catching.
The second disc retains the same orchestral quality but meanders into pop songs contributed by the upcoming Vera Lynn who gets to share THE LOVE BUG WILL GET YOU with Max Bacon and The Manhattan Trio whilst other featured vocalists include Evelyn Dall, Sam Browne, and Jack Cooper with songs like LAZYBONES, LULLABY OF BROADWAY, THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME and SWING HIGH, SWING LOW.
Avid's usual care in presentation includes full recording dates and the necessary retrospective art work which is appropriate as well as eye-catching.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
For the price, don't quibble, just buy it. The sound quality is excellent. One is treated to many of the hits and some rarities from the period of the 1930s. It's an excellent introduction to Ambrose for his 1930s period. It will leave you wanting more and there is a lot of it.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
This budget-priced 2-CD set from Avid is essentially the same as the earlier compilation "Swing Is In The Air" AMSC 690), repackaged with a faux Decca label. The other notable difference is that the earlier version carried a 12-page booklet which comprised a 6-page appreciation by Jim Godbolt, a 2-page tracklist, and a 2-page chronological discography. All we get now is the tracklist, plus a very brief note which Amazon has reproduced in full. I appreciate that Avid has kept down production costs, but surely it's not asking too much to expect more information, perhaps using a three or even four-fold liner note,thus reflecting the status of this reissue.
Leaving aside his 1923 foray into the Columbia studio, Ambrose began his recording career proper in 1927, and carried on recording throughout the war and beyond, although his ranks were depleted by conscription. I've no argument with the fact that this collection does not go beyond 1939, but it could with advantage have commenced earlier than 1933. Nevertheless, what is here is impressive, and includes many of the numbers which rightly made him famous on both sides of the Atlantic.
Leaving aside his 1923 foray into the Columbia studio, Ambrose began his recording career proper in 1927, and carried on recording throughout the war and beyond, although his ranks were depleted by conscription. I've no argument with the fact that this collection does not go beyond 1939, but it could with advantage have commenced earlier than 1933. Nevertheless, what is here is impressive, and includes many of the numbers which rightly made him famous on both sides of the Atlantic.
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