|
1
|
Nightmare
|
9
|
Moonglow
|
|
2
|
I Surrender
Dear
|
10
|
The
Man I Love
|
|
3
|
Traffic
Jam
|
11
|
Innuendo
|
|
4
|
Concerto
for Clarinet
|
12
|
I Cover
the Waterfront
|
|
5
|
Summertime
|
13
|
Everything
is Jumpin’
|
|
6
|
I Get
a Kick Out of You
|
14
|
Dancing
in the Dark
|
|
7
|
Star
Dust
|
15
|
Begin
the Beguine
|
|
8
|
Lady
Day
|
|
|
This compilation
includes several of the most popular recordings by the Artie Shaw
Orchestra between 1938
and 1949. Virtually as soon as the clarinettist formed his first big
band he caught public attention. During the next fifteen years or
so he made some momentous recordings and enjoyed high personal esteem
even though his career ran alongside that of the great Benny Goodman.
He retired from playing in 1954 when bebop was developing and a time
when the big bands were in decline. That heralded the end of a musical
life of one of the swing era’s finest musicians. He had a brief revival
as a bandleader in the 1980s. After his retirement he concentrated
on writing and lecturing.
Don’t be put off
by the opener ‘Nightmare’ - it would have been better elsewhere. ‘Traffic
Jam’ is a ‘swinger’ obviously enjoyed by all the band and it is good
to hear George Auld’s all too short tenor solo. ‘Concerto for Clarinet’
includes string accompaniment and was composed by Shaw and apart from
‘Begin the Beguine’ was probably his most popular recording. Billy
Butterfield’s performance on trumpet and Shaw’s clarinet work are
par excellence. Whilst on the subject of trumpet players Roy
Eldridge gives an real ‘earthy’ sound on ‘Summertime.’ ‘I Get a Kick
Out of You’ features fine solos by Shaw, Al Cohn on tenor and guitarist
Jimmy Rainey. The accompanying notes don’t name the arranger of this
Cole Porter tune but who ever it was certainly knew how to score for
a big band.
‘Begin the Beguine’
recorded in 1938 is another Cole Porter composition and according
to Andy Velez’s notes ‘was a breakthrough hit for Shaw and brought
him fame at an unparalled (and, according to him, discomforting )
level.’ The up-tempo ‘Innuendo’ composed and arranged by Johnny Mandel
has a catchy theme and besides featuring Shaw, and several members
of the band contains some clever section work – at times reminiscent
of a Sauter-Finegan arrangement. The strict tempo of ‘Dancing in the
Dark’ and the predominant strings are characteristic of dance music
from the 1940s.
Although I have only
highlighted a handful of tracks, for collectors of music from the
‘swing era’ there could be no better example of Shaw’s talent and
that of the many musicians he employed than on ‘Artie Shaw – Star
Dust.’
Jack Ashby
CD Reviews
RCA Bluebird
