1. Theme/The Back Beat Boogie
2. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
3. The G flat Special
4. My Beloved is Rugged
5. Rose Room
6. It’s the Talk of the Town
7. Opus One
8. I’m Beginning to See the Light
9. Oh, Lady Be Good
10. Temptation
11. Easy
12. St Louis Blues/Theme
Benny
Goodman certainly had an eye for talent. In
the 1930s, he employed at least three musicians
who went on to form their own very successful
big bands: Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa and
Harry James. James formed his band in 1939
and kept it going for most of his life.
These
tracks were recorded for radio broadcasts
between 1943 and 1946 and exemplify the infectious
power of the group. Trumpeter Harry James
is naturally the featured soloist: swinging
nonchalantly in The Back Beat Boogie;
more extrovert on The G flat Special; and
blowing with full force on St Louis Blues.
Space is also given to such stars as Willie
Smith (soloing on clarinet in Rose Room
and his more usual alto-sax in Opus One)
and tenorist Corky Corcoran (notably breathy
in It’s the Talk of the Town and Opus
One).
There
are vocals from the likes of Ginny Powell
and Kitty Kallen – the latter singing the
embarrassingly propagandistic My Beloved
is Rugged ("He was never so healthy
Till he joined the army"). But most of
the tunes are reliable jazz standards, delivered
with panache. Apart from the talented soloists,
the most impressive thing about the band is
probably its unified swing. And the sound
is as good as one can expect in recordings
from the forties.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Submarine
DSOY 693
