Personnel: Benny Goodman (clarinet); Lionel Hampton (vocals, vibraphone); Helen Ward, Martha Tilton (vocals); Toots Mondello, Hymie Schertzer, Bill DePew, Noni Bernardi, George Koenig (alto saxophone); Arthur Rollini, Dick Clark, Vido Musso, Jerry Jerome, Babe Russin (tenor saxophone); Harry James, Ziggy Ellman, Nate Kazebier, Bunny Berigan, Pee Wee Erwin, Sterling Bose, Harry Geller, Murray McEachern, Ralph Muzillo (trumpet); Red Ballard, Jack Lacey, Joe Harris, Vernon Brown (trombone); Frank Froeba, Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacy (piano); Allan Reuss, George Van Eps, Ben Heller (guitar); Harry Goodman, John Kirby (bass); Gene Krupa, Dave Tough, Buddy Schutz (drums).
Recorded in New York, New York, Chicago, Illinois and Hollywood, California between 1935 and 1937. Includes liner notes by Loren Schoenberg.
Digitally remastered by Mike Sobol.
Personnel: Benny Goodman (clarinet); Lionel Hampton (vocals, vibraphone); Helen Ward, Martha Tilton (vocals); Benny Heller, George Van Eps, Allan Reuss (guitar); Teddy Wilson (clarinet, piano); George Koenig, Jerry Jerome, Nuncio "Toots" Mondello, Hymie Schertzer (alto saxophone); Arthur Rollini, Dick Clark , Babe Russin, Vido Musso (tenor saxophone); Chris Griffin , Sterling Bose, Nate Kazebier, Ralph Muzillo, Irving Goodman, Harry Geller, Harry James, Murray McEachern, Pee Wee Erwin, Ziggy Elman, Bunny Berigan (trumpet); Noni Bernardi, Jack Lacey, Bill DePew, Joe Harris , Vernon Brown, Red Ballard (trombone); Frank Froeba, Jess Stacy (piano); Buddy Schutz, Dave Tough, Gene Krupa (drums).
Liner Note Author: Loren Schoenberg.
Recording information: Chicago, IL.Hampton, Lionel; Hollywood, CA; New York, NY.
Arrangers: Fletcher Henderson; Jimmy Mundy.
The Benny Goodman library hasn't been well treated by RCA-BMG, especially in the area of mid-priced compilations -- there were too many reissues done in the late '80s and early '90s, before the advent of 20-bit and 24-bit mastering and other high-resolution digital formats, that really make a difference on those old analog masters. The result is a lot of Goodman out there on CD (from Sony Music as well as BMG, the former label hardly being guiltless in this matter, either) that sounds tinny and thin. That is most decidedly not a problem with this 20-song CD, which offers the kind of sound that CDs originally promised (but generally didn't deliver) on music of this vintage, all dating between 1935 and 1938 -- Goodman's solo on "St. Louis Blues" does, indeed, sound as though the clarinetist is suddenly in the room with you, and the entire rhythm section right down to the guitar comes through just as clearly as the featured soloists. What's more, you even get the experience of room ambience on these nearly 70-year-old masters. It's worth buying just to hear the studio rendition of "One O'Clock Jump," a piece better known from its concert incarnation at the legendary Carnegie Hall performance -- most of what's here is instrumental, though the producers have included the Martha Tilton-sung "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" (in two-parts), "And the Angels Sing," "Goodie Goodie" with Helen Ward's vocals, and, most important, "Exactly Like You," featuring the Goodman Quartet with Lionel Hampton singing -- Hampton's vibraphone is so much in the fore that it sounds as fresh as if it had been recorded yesterday, on "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Moonglow." Loren Schoenberg's annotation is as good as the remastering, and the disc is a bargain by any measure, as well as a pleasure. ~ Bruce Eder
