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Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

Title:	Welcome to the CD Notes Conference
Notice:	Welcome to COOKIE
Moderator:	COOKIE::ROLLOW

Created:	Mon Feb 17 1986
Last Modified:	Fri Mar 03 1989
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	1517
Total number of notes:	13349

686.0. "Benny Goodman" by AKOV68::BOYAJIAN (Canis Nervous Rex) Tue Mar 24 1987 02:29

    There isn't a note for Benny Goodman, so I'll start one.
    
    What prompts this note is that one of the newest releases for the
    Columbia Jazz Masterpieces line is a two-disc set of the classic
    Carnegie Hall concert of Benny Goodman, his sextet, and various
    guests.
    
    Those who insist on sonic perfection will cringe at this CD. The
    concert (remember, this was 1938) was broadcast from one mike
    hanging from the rafters to Columbia's studio, where it was recorded
    directly onto disc. Two sets were made, one going to the Library of
    Congress, the other was kept by Goodman, but forgotten for a dozen
    years until his daughter ran across it. The record wasn't even
    listened to before being immediately transferred to tape. The tapes,
    still around after all these years were digitally remastered for
    this CD (and probably for the simultaneous LP/cassette release as
    well), but you can still hear the scratches, pops, etc. from the
    original recording, as well as the primitiveness of the recording.
    
    But this is definitely a case in which the music overshadows the
    recording. In a sense, I rather *like* hearing the scratchiness of
    the sounds, because it evokes the feeling of authenticity. This is
    a performance that deserves to be preserved on CD despite the low
    quality (by today's standards) of the recording. In fact, comparing
    this to the previously released double-CD set of Goodman's 40th
    Anniversary Carnegie Hall concert in 1978, the latter is certainly
    better recorded, but as good as it is, it doesn't have quite the
    atmosphere or punch of the original concert.
    
    Highly recommended, despite the technical shortcomings.
    
    --- jerry

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
686.1		GRAMPS::LASKY		`Wed Mar 25 1987 16:24`	8
	Jerry, I purchased the Benny Goodmans Columbia's unreleased sextet album. It is music of Benny's when he was into jazz type music without his regular backup band. The album is great! The recording on this one is also not the greatest but well worth the price! Bart Lasky
686.2	What was it called?	NCADC1::PEREZ	Batches, we don't need no stinkin' batches	`Wed Mar 25 1987 22:55`	6
	What was the name of the CD? I have become a Benny Goodman fan and am currently chasing the "Lets Dance" CD based on a recommendation in this notes file! Thanks, D
686.3		AKOV68::BOYAJIAN	Canis Nervous Rex	`Thu Mar 26 1987 02:21`	20
	re:.2 The LET'S DANCE CD should be fairly common. I saw a whole bunch of copies at the Nashua Lechmere yesterday. It's the "soundtrack" (such as it is) for the PBS Special that first aired about a year ago, and was just recently repeated. It doesn't have any of the vocal selections, though. It's also relatively short, just over 30 minutes. For those of you who are science fiction fans, the liner notes were written by Harlan Ellison. The CD that .1 referred to is called just THE BENNY GOODMAN SEXTET. It's comprised of some recordings from the early 50's, which they claim is a time period generally ignored in regards to Goodman. If you're looking for the Carnegie Hall concert CD, note that there are two such. The one I reviewed in .0 is the classic 1938 concert. The other double-CD is of the 1978 40th Anniversary concert. --- jerry
686.4		PRANCR::STEWART		`Sat May 16 1987 01:52`	30
	On a binge with a windfall, I hit the Prelude tonight after work. There it was, the CD I've been looking for: The Mozart Clarinet Concerto and Quintet. The Clarinet Concerto is the one where Steve Allen goes to a party at Donna Reeds house and she's so embarrased for him, "a jazz musician playing Mozart!" Seriously, the Concerto in A, K. 622 was recorded 7/9/56 with Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The recording is in great condition. Hiss is at a minimum. The performance is light hearted, and with Benny Goodman's Clarinet is evoked a feeling that ol' Wolfgang would have made the jazz hall of fame. The second piece, here, is the Clarinet Quintet in A, K. 581. This recording brings with it all the noise you would expect from a recording made on 4/25/38. The sound restoration was done by Thomas MacCluskey. Even with all of the background noise the sound of the instruments is clear. The only bothersome thing is the silence between tracks. He is accompanied here by the Budapest String Quartet. In 1935 Goodman got together with his friend John Hammond to jam on some Mozart. Two years later, 1937, Goodman played a movement from the Quintet on a "Camel Caravan" broadcast. The following year, the year of the famous Carnegie Hall concert, he recorded the entire Quintet. This recording is well worth it if your a fan of Benny Goodman or Mozart. =ken
686.5	Goodman N-tet CDs?	HUMAN::BURROWS	Jim Burrows	`Sun Mar 20 1988 15:57`	32
	I'm interested especially in the various Goodman small groups, the Trio, Quartet, etc. So far, I've got three CDs that are just Goodman's small groups, and two that have some small group stuff along with bigger band work. So far I have: Benny Goodman Sextext Columbia Jazz Masterpieces CK 40379 Benny Goodman Trio and Quartet sessions Vol. 1, After You've Gone RCA Bluebird Treasury Series 5632-2-RB The Benny Goodman Quartet, Together Again RCA Bkuebird 6283-2-RB The two CDs with at least some small group work are: Benny Goodman, Live at Carnegie Hall Columbia Jazz Masterpieces G2K 40244 Benny Goodman and friends London 820 179-2 So, does anyone know of any others, especially CDs that are exclussively small groups? As I understand it Goodman recorded at different times in everything from a duo to a septet. The three discs above with the Trio, Quartet and Sextet are amongst my most favorite CDs, and I'd like to expandthat part of my collection. JimB.