Birth of a Band [Import]

Product Description
Japanese reissue of 1959 album, that's unavailable domestically, packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. Includes 2 bonus tracks 'Daylie Double' & 'The Midnight Sun Will Never Set'. Mercury. 2003.

Birth of a Band,Quincy Jones,Universal,Jazz

Jazz

Music

jazz

music

Average customer rating: Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V) Not one of his bests, but very close John Williams' finest work A Great Conclusion to the Prequel Trilogy Williams is slumming it

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Star Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Movie Scores | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Star Wars Trilogy Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope ASIN: B000850IS6 Release Date: 2005-05-03

Tracks:

1. Star Wars and The Revenge Of The Sith
2. Anakin's Dream
3. Battle Of The Heroes
4. Anakin's Betrayal
5. General Grievous
6. Palpatine's Teachings
7. Grievous and the Droids
8. Padme's Ruminations
9. Anakin vs. Obi-Wan
10. Anakin's Dark Deeds
11. Enter Lord Vader
12. The Immolation Scene
13. Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious
14. The Birth Of The Twins and Padme's Destiny
15. A New Hope and End Credits

Amazon.com

John Williams' lovely and moving score for the sixth Star Wars film brings thirty years of collaborating on George Lucas' beyond-popular intergalactic franchise to a close. (Is this really the end of Star Wars? Can't Lucas and Williams work together on a prequel to these prequels? Let us hope so, and that Jar Jar Binks is nowhere near it.) As this music accompanies the most exciting Star Wars film in many a moon, the soundtrack itself is more fun, more evil, more nasty and bumpy. Many of the heroic, anthemic themes woven throughout Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith will necessarily be familiar to any fan of the series, from the "Imperial March" to the main theme. It's remarkable how stirring the latter can be, no matter how many times you've heard it, and even for those who do not have all their money invested in S.W. memorabilia. There is a lot of new music here, and the lush, extensive range of both Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra is on display, most notably in the menacing, percolating "General Grievous" and the rousing "New Hope" end theme. --Mike McGonigal

The Force Is Also with:

Star Wars Trilogy soundtrack box set	Star Wars Episode II sountrack	Star Wars Episode II, Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace	Star Wars Trilogy on DVD	Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Customer Reviews:

Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V).......2007-06-21

product: Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V), included as bonus disc in Episode III soundtrack.

The bonus dvd with this soundtrack was the reason I purchased. I enjoy film soundtracks, and science fiction, but this dvd was a real highlight for me. I got the soundtrack cd out of the local library. The cd was missing from the case, but I found this wonderful dvd instead that I went out to purchase later.

With optional segments of dialog from Ian McDiarmid, this film is a stunning visual and musical overview of the full epic story of episodes I-VI of Star Wars. For those of us who felt that eps. IV-VI fell short of our expectations, this film presents them well as parts of the whole story. The Musical Journey also stands as a summary of the entire SW opus for someone who is not familiar with the Star Wars characters and plot. Highly recommended.

Options: no subtitles or other options.

Not one of his bests, but very close.......2007-05-21

The Episode III soundtrack is very good. Not great, but very, very good. You can tell that Williams is getting old, but he still manages to weave together a very memorable score.

My favorite tracks are "Battle of the Heroes," "Anakin's Betrayal," Palpatine's teachings, "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan," and the "Immolation Scene."
The others are very good as well, but these are especially nice. "Battle of the Heroes" is Dual of the Fates for Revenge of the Sith. "Anakin's Betrayal" is a very sad track that is, in my opinion, one of William's most powerful pieces. "Palpatine's Teachings" is really, really neat. It's very dark and moody, a perfect piece for the evil emperor. The only weird thing is the end. "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan" is the action piece that plays during the battles of Anakin and Obi-Wan, and Yoda and the Emperor. Finally, "The Immolation Scene" is another sad piece, even more so than "Anakin's Betrayal."

Although I really like this CD, there are some things that are missing (as usual). First, the whole sequence where the droids are looking for Obi-Wan after he was shot. You see Obi-Wan in his ship with Senator Organa on the Hologram (or whatever it is), and Obi-Wan says that his clones turned on him. That was some pretty awesome music that OF COURSE was left out of the CD. Then there was Dual of the Fates in the movie, but completely absent from the CD. And probably the most annoying was that whole piece of music before Obi-Wan and Anakin fight. It was so touching and sad and I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY LEFT IT OUT! Absolutely amazing. Also, did anyone notice that some little bits were cut out? For example, in Anakin vs. Obi Wan, they cut out about a second or two of choir. What?! What the heck is with that? It's when Anakin is running on the long thing and jumps on the droid on the lava. Also, there was some pretty cool drumming when you see Yoda and the Emperor fighting, and you can see the whole stadium (the big room). There's also drumming in "Enter Lord Vader" that is muted in the soundtrack.

Oh well...if I'm going to collect movie scores, I'm going to have to get used to the fact that in almost all cases there's not going to be every bit of music. I've experienced this in both Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park I (there was very little left out on this score), and almost everything else. At the moment, I'm just waiting for the 22nd, for the Pirates of the Caribbean 3 soundtrack. It's gonna be amazing.

See Yu

John Williams' finest work.......2007-04-20

There is little more I can say that hasn't already been said about the soundtrack to Episode 3, especially what Amazon contributor Dan Mohr wrote in his review of the soundtrack on 2/2/2006. His review captured almost all the thoughts, feelings, and emotions I had when I first listened to the soundtrack, and was, IMO, the best review of John Williams' greatest masterpiece.

Having said that, I will say that few soundtracks have ever so perfectly captured the underlying emotional currents of their respective movie; in the case of ROTS, the contemporaneous tragedies of Anakin's fall to the Dark Side, the extermination of the Jedi, and the rise of the oppressive Empire. The listener is confronted with the depth and totality of the evil that has beset the entire galaxy to a degree that the film could not reach in only 2 hours.

Bravo, Dan Mohr, and BRAVO John Williams!

A Great Conclusion to the Prequel Trilogy.......2007-04-07

This is a great work of art. I rank it 4th among Star Wars soundtracks after A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and The Phantom Menace. I had a hard deciding which I thought was better, The Phantom Meance or Revenge of the Sith, but I decided that The Phantom Menace lays the foundation for so much that is in this soundtrack and is thus the more masterful work. But that doesn't mean that this score still isn't great. Every piece is a thrill to listen to and pace never lets up. "Battle of the Hereos" is an amazing piece and the rendition of the "Funeral Theme" from Episoded I captures the film's tragety magnificently. Also I do not think John Williams could have portrayed the Jedi's extinction more perfectly than he did in "Anakin's Betrayal". This is without a doubt the best score of 2005 and one of the best of the decade.

Williams is slumming it.......2007-04-01

Williams's score for Revenge of the Sith is almost entirely overbearing, lacking any emotional subtlety. The music is overcomplicated and even a bit confusing, especially in the tracks that correspond to action sequences in the movie. His overuse of choral tracks and vocals is too bombastic and irritating to be listened to without the explosions and laser blasts of the soundtrack to soften them. (Yes, this music is actually softened by the sounds of warfare.) Worst of all, much of the music has simply been lifted from earlier scores. At times his self-imitation was so blatant that I actually wondered whether the editor who had complied this score had made a mistake and I was listening to The Empire Strikes Back or A New Hope. Also suffers from not including the entire score, in some cases cutting out musical segues in obvious and awkward ways.

Average customer rating: Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material! Beginner or Expert Very Informative and Enjoyable Frank's view Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

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Tracks:

1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
4. Hungarian Dance No.7
5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
10. Csardas Music
11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
18. Tzigane
19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
20. Caprice No.24
21. The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
27. The Violin Muted
28. Clair De Lune
29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
31. The Pizzicato Violin
32. Pizzicato Polka
33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
35. Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
37. The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
38. Hungarian Dance No.4
39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
42. Bolero
43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

1. Introduction To The Viola
2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
7. The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
10. Cypresses (No.9)
11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
24. Elfentanz, Op.39
25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
28. Flamenco
29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
33. It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
39. The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
40. Capriccio Di Bravura
41. Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
42. The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
6. Sa'Dawi
7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
8. Chamber Music No.II
9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
13. A Variety Of Techniques
14. Chamber Music No.II
15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
20. Naelden, Naelden
21. The Bachian Oboe
22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
26. The Swan Of Tuonela
27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
30. Bolero
31. The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
32. Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
35. The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
38. ...And Quite Low.
39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
44. Introduction To The Saxophone
45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
49. Bolero
50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
53. Sax-O-Phun
54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
60. Bolero
61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
6. Fanfare For The Common Man
7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
11. The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
16. Billy The Kid
17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
21. The Birth Of The Trombone
22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
27. The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
28. Hosannah
29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
35. The Horn And The Hunt
36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
9. Den Hoboecken Dans
10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
12. No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
13. Gymnopedie No.2
14. The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
15. Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
18. Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
22. The Birth Of The Bongo
23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
33. The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
37. Ravel And The Xylophone
38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
40. Introducing The Vibraphone
41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
44. Folk Dances
45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
52. Introducing The Celeste
53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
57. A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

1. Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
2. Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
3. But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
4. Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
5. The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
6. An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
7. Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
8. Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
9. Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
10. Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
11. Mahler's Sleighbells
12. Symphony No.4 (Opening)
13. A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
14. Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
15. Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
16. Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
17. National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
18. And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
19. And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
20. The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
21. The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
22. The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
23. The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
24. The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
25. The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
26. The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
27. The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
28. There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
29. The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
30. Nocturnes
31. Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
32. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
33. The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
34. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
35. The Oboe As Duck
36. Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
37. The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
38. The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
39. The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
40. Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
41. Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
42. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
43. Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
44. The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
45. A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
46. Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
47. A Thunderstorm In A Million
48. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
49. the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
50. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
51. Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
52. The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
42. Canzon 28
43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
51. Images (Gigues)
52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
58. A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Average customer rating: Good overall Great Music from the Birth of Our Nation Protest Songs of the 1770s Important work of musical heritage A good source of enjoyment and education

Music of the American Revolution: The Birth of Liberty Manufacturer: New World Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Arne | Arne, Thomas Augustin | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Spirit of '76 and Ruffles and Flourishes Colonial America Early American Roots The World Turned Upside Down The Civil War: Its Music and Its Sounds ASIN: B0000030FQ Release Date: 1996-07-09

Tracks:

1. The Brickmaker March - American Fife Ensemble
2. Lamentation Over Boston - The Continental Harmony Singers
3. March For The 3rd Regt. Of Foot, Lord Amherst's - The Liberty Tree Wind Players
4. British Grenadiers - American Fife Ensemble
5. Song On Liberty - Sherrill Milnes
6. General Scott's March - The Liberty Tree Wind Players
7. Junto Song - James Richman
8. Lovely Nancy - BIRTH OF LIBERTY
9. American Vicar Of Bray - Sherrill Milnes
10. Independence - The Continental Harmony Singers
11. March Of The 35th Regiment - The Liberty Tree Wind Players
12. Liberty Song - Sherrill Milnes
13. Lady Hope's Reel - American Fife Ensemble
14. Parody Upon A Well-Known Liberty Song - James Richman
15. March For The 76th Regiment - The Liberty Tree Wind Players
16. Warren - The Continental Harmony Singers
17. Stone Grinds All - American Fife Ensemble
18. The King's Own Regulars - James Richman
19. Washington's March - The Liberty Tree Wind Players
20. A Hymn On Peace - The Continental Harmony Singers

Customer Reviews:

Good overall.......2005-07-20

Technically a very clean album. It has a good selection of tunes, particularly for the history buff, however some of the polished choral pieces sound funny when you think that most of them are essentially folk tunes that should be sung with a somewhat less practiced air. Overall, worth the purchase for historical value and good production.

Great Music from the Birth of Our Nation.......2002-02-02

A great collection of music from 18th century America.

If you enjoy fifes and drums, choral compositions, patriotic songs, and uplifting music from the birth of America, please get this CD.

A perfect selection for a patriotic American to play, especially on the 4th of July.

Protest Songs of the 1770s.......2002-01-24

The music that was composed and performed during the American Revolution is presented on this 1 hour CD. Since I was a child, I've enjoyed hearing the drum and fife corps on the Fourth of July and during the Presidential inaugurations, and this CD has several good drum and fife marches. Other selections are 18th century protest songs about taxation ("A taxing we will go...} and British tyranny. There are also some good harpsichord numbers contained on this CD. The musicians are excellent and the sound is clear. I don't know how many common people got to hear music like this during the Revolution, but at least this CD gives the 21st Century listener the opportunity enjoy the "popular" music of 200 years ago. Classical music lovers will enjoy this CD too.

Important work of musical heritage.......1999-02-25

I fell in love with this CD from the first track.The music of the American Fife Ensamble is stirring, I felt positivly rebelious. The satarical songs based on the tunes "British Grenadires" and "Hearts of Oak" are like the paintings of W. Hogarth set to music. You should have more than a cursory knowledge of the 18th century though, to fully enjoy this CD

A good source of enjoyment and education.......1999-02-23

We will never know exactly how these songs sounded when the citizens of Boston were darting black looks to the British regulars on the streets, but I would wager quite a bit that these renditions come pretty close. Of course the "American" accents are an anachronism; but most listeners might be puzzled to hear British accents used for these anti-British songs (with one exception, composed by a British regular!)I have already used selections from this CD to a groups of 3rd and 5th graders and they loved it. So teachers, take note, but be sure they have the words in front of them. A very valuable educational tool that also happens to be a very enjoyable program to hear for its own sake. And as with most New World releases, the annotations alone are worth the price of the product.

Average customer rating: Big Band History Classic Benny Goodman, Uneven Sound Experience a musical phenomenon in this superb package! Time machine on a disk Benny's Apex

The Birth of Swing Benny Goodman Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Complete RCA Victor Small Group Master Takes The Complete Decca Recordings America's #1 Band: The Columbia Years Stomping at the Savoy The Complete Recordings 1941-1947 ASIN: B000002WGI Release Date: 1991-11-12

Tracks:

1. Hunkadola (Take 1)
2. Hunkadola (Take 2)
3. I'm Livin' In A Great Big Way
4. Hooray For Love
5. The Dixieland Band
6. Japanese Sandman
7. You're A Heavenly Thing
8. Restless
9. Always
10. Get Rhythm In Your Feet
11. Ballad In Blue
12. Blue Skies
13. Dear Old Southland
14. Sometimes I'm Happy
15. King Porter Stomp
16. The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
17. Jingle Bells
18. Santa Claus Came In The Spring
19. Good-Bye
20. Madhouse (Take 1)
21. Madhouse (Take 2)
22. Sandman
23. Yankee Doodle Never Went To Town
24. No Other One

Tracks:

1. Eeny Meeny Miney Mo
2. Basin Street Blues
3. If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight
4. When Buddha Smiles
5. It's Been So Long
6. Stompin' At The Savoy
7. Goody-Goody
8. Breakin' In A Pair Of Shoes
9. Get Happy
10. Christopher Columbus
11. I Know That You Know
12. Star Dust
13. You Can't Pull The Wool Over My Eyes
14. The Glory Of Love
15. Remember
16. Walk, Jennie, Walk
17. House Hop (Take 2)
18. House Hop (Take 3)
19. Sing Me A Swing Song (And Let Me Dance)
20. (I Would Do) Anything For You
21. In A Sentimental Mood
22. I've Found A New Baby
23. Swingtime In The Rockies
24. These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You

Tracks:

1. There's A Small Hotel
2. You Turned The Tables On Me
3. Here's Love In Your Eyes
4. Pick Yourself Up
5. Down South Camp Meeting
6. St. Louis Blues (Take 1)
7. St. Louis Blues (Take 2)
8. Love Me Or Leave Me (Take 1)
9. Love Me Or Leave Me (Take 2)
10. Bugle Call Rag (#1)
11. When A Lady Meets A Gentleman Down South
12. You're Giving Me A Song And A Dance
13. Organ Grinder's Swing
14. Peter Piper
15. Riffin' At The Ritz
16. Alexander's Ragtime Band
17. Somebody Loves Me
18. 'Tain't No Use
19. Bugle Call Rag (#2)
20. Jam Session
21. Goodnight, My Love
22. Take Another Guess
23. Did You Mean It?

Amazon.com essential recording

As a phenomenon in popular music, the swing era can be dated from one night, August 21, 1935, when Benny Goodman's big band arrived to a tumultuous throng at Los Angeles's Palomar Ballroom, the young audience inspired by his broadcasts on an East Coast radio show that had already been cancelled. It would begin the greatest period of popularity ever achieved by a jazz style, and Goodman's was the band most responsible. All of Goodman's RCA recordings from this period are included in this three-CD set, which contains some of the popular songs of the day as well as much inspired jazz. Goodman's clarinet swirls elegantly through the music, and the horn sections are precise and swinging in arrangements by Fletcher and Horace Henderson and Jimmy Mundy. There are electric moments from Bunny Berigan's brief stay in the band, while Gene Krupa's drumming is a constant stimulus to swing. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

Big Band History.......2007-02-25

71 classic Big Band tracks from the King of Swing, including two never released alternate takes. In truth, jazz musician Duke Ellington, who wrote over 2000 compositions, was already performing Swing music for ten years before Big Band took off. In any case, this sprawling, 3 cd set of Benny Goodman tracks contain many fine performances that are sure to please any fan of Big Band music. The remastering is a bit uneven in spots, but the set is still enjoyable as a whole. At some point I wish the record companies would issue this and other vintage material from the best available 78's without any noise reduction. These old discs do in fact have higher fidelity as is.

Classic Benny Goodman, Uneven Sound.......2005-11-29

The mid-1930s were Benny's best years, in my humble opinion. His band has such an optimistic, infectious swing on these records! This CD collects all of his 1935-1936 RCA recordings and presents them nicely. I won't comment too much more on the music itself--other 5-star reviewers here have summed up my thoughts exactly. However, I just had to register my own small complaint with the sound quality on these CDs. It's very uneven. Most tracks sound amazingly fresh and clear, but others sound downright lousy. One of my favorite tunes in the collection, "Goody-Goody," is marred by muddy sound, digital artifacts, and irritating artificial reverb--it's really atrocious. I've got a much better-sounding transfer on an old Reader's Digest LP! A few other tracks like "There's a Small Hotel," and "I'm Lovin' In A Great Big Way" suffer the same problem, although to a lesser extent. I collect music from the 1920s and 1930s and don't expect high fidelity, but neither do I expect such poor quality from records that I know could sound much better. To be fair, the vast majority of selections on these CDs sound wonderful, but it's a shame that a few stand out so sorely. Don't let a few poor-sounding tracks stop you from buying this otherwise excellent set, but hang on to your CDs that may duplicate some of these recordings. You may find you like the sound on those better.

Experience a musical phenomenon in this superb package!.......2004-04-08

Benny Goodman didn't invent the jazz style known as `swing.' Bands such as McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra, and Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra had been swinging hard since the late 1920s. Even an all-white swing band, The Casa Loma Orchestra, had already made an impression on young listeners. But the title of this 3-CD collection, "Benny Goodman: The Birth of Swing," is close to being dead on the money. During 1935 and 1936, the years covered in these studio recordings, Benny Goodman and His Orchestra turned swing into a national phenomenon, and jazz reached its peak of popularity in America (never again would jazz be the popular music of the country -- a rather sad realization). Maybe it wasn't the `birth' of swing, but it was the birth of the swing movement.

These CDs hold a treasure chest of American musical heritage, and every cut here, culled from studio sessions between April 1935 and November 1936, is a miniature gem of swing jazz. The Goodman band was hitting its stride in these years with a collection of great musicians (Gene Krupa on drums, Bunny Berigan on trumpet, Jess Stacy on piano, Helen Ward on vocals) and superb arrangers like Jimmy Mundy and Spud Murphy (who is still alive! I've met him!). But it was arranger Fletcher Henderson who gave the band the swinging Harlem style that made it so distinctive and made dancers' feet catch fire. After a popular stint on the radio show "Let's Dance," the band went on a cross-country tour that almost ended in disaster, until in August 1935 at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles they became a smash hit and proceeded to conqueror the rest of the country.

But these CDs show you how strong the band was before this major turning point, with pieces like "The Dixieland Band," "Get Rhythm in Your Feet," "Blue Skies," "Sometimes I'm Happy," and the piece that made the Palomar Ballroom explode, "King Porter Stomp." And after they found success, Goodman and Company kept throwing out hit after hit: "If I Could Be with You," "It's Been So Long," "Stompin' at the Savoy," "Christopher Columbus" (later integrated into "Sing, Sing, Sing"), "Swingtime in the Rockies," "Bugle Call Rag," and "Goody Goody."

The sound on these CDs is fantastic, with little noise or crackle, but also no sound-reduction techniques that mute or muffle the instruments. The clarity is all there. You can hear Bunny Berigan's stunning trumpet solos on the early recordings with such crispness that you'll understand why he could drive crowds mad. (Sadly, he only stayed a short while with the band.)

These CDs only cover a brief time, so some of Goodman's biggest hits recorded after 1936, including his most famous piece "Sing, Sing, Sing," aren't here. Also missing is legendary trumpet player Harry James, who joined the band in 1937. Nonetheless, there isn't a better set of Benny Goodman recordings available. Honestly, every piece here is terrific and has something interesting to say musically. Along with the hits are some wonderful rarities not often put on CD, such as an alternate recording of "Bugle Call Rag," unused takes of "St. Louis Blues" and "Love Me or Leave Me," Benny doing a rare turn as a singer on "Tain't No Use," and a beautiful version of Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood." Plus, you get performances with Ella Fitzgerald filling in the singer's spot!

The accompanying booklet is enormous, and contains detailed information on the personnel for each recording session. The liner notes give a detailed history of the band during this period and session-by-session descriptions of each of the pieces. Benny Goodman fans will all discover something new here, and first-time listeners will appreciate the music even more with this helpful guide.

If you want to know what this whole "swing thing" was all about, if you want to experience some of the most vibrant music in American history, or if you love Benny Goodman, this CD set is an absolute must. All right Benny, sing me a swing song and let me dance!

Time machine on a disk.......2001-01-12

I have been checking out Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller records since I was 12 years old from the public library. I turn 25 and finally have money to burn and I buy the Complete Benny Goodman CD set and I am in heaven. I put the first CD in and out comes "Hunkadola" with a sweet albeit cheesy Latin beat. Most of the first CD follows this trend until I hear "Santa Claus came in the Spring" and the sweetness and cheesiness finally get to me and I let out a big toothy grin. That grin did not leave my face until the last song of the third CD when Ella Fitzgerald sings "Did you mean it?" and a small tear rolls down my cheek and I say "yes, sweet voice, I loved all this music" Benny Goodman has way of growling on his clarinet that makes you feel like the sound is reaching in a grabbing your innards and twisting them. Listen to "Pick yourself up" (the theme for the Astair-Rogers movie of the same name.) and "Here's Love in your eyes" and you feel the growl in the former and sweetness in the latter. Read the liner notes, and listen to the all the songs again, and with the help with a glass of wine, or better yet a clean Martini in a comfortable chair, you feel like you were there with Benny, Fletcher, Bunny Berigan, Martha, and sweet, sweet Ella.

Benny's Apex.......2000-08-09

What a marvelous collection this is, showcasing Benny Goodman's golden years, 1935-1937. All of his greatest swing classics are included on this three-CD compilation, including some worthy alternate takes. In some cases, the alternate take is nearly as good as the released version. Listen to Bugle Call Rag, one of Goodman's absolutely mesmerizing standards. The arrangement and instrumentation here are awesome. This is a song you can listen to 1,000 times and never weary of it. Benny's primary vocalist of these years was Liltin' Martha Tilton, and she sings her great hit Goody Goody. Her rendition of this classic should be the standard by which all others are judged.

If you are just beginning to sample Benny Goodman, this is a good place to begin. This set would serve as a worthy introduction to the King of Swing in his glory years.

Average customer rating: Bunkley is God! too short WILD - A Unique Swing That Puts The Others To Bed! Can't get enough of this disc. The Bastard Children of Swing

Birth of the Swerve The Atomic Fireballs Manufacturer: Orbital ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Retro Swing | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Torch This Place Mortyfied Mugzy's Move Prozac Nation Walk on Fire ASIN: B00000G2FA Release Date: 1998-11-24

Tracks:

1. Man With the Hex
2. Spanish Fly
3. Mata Hari
4. Spider Baby
5. Caviar & Chitlins
6. Starve A Fever
7. Catfish Ball
8. Devil Is Dancing

Customer Reviews:

Bunkley is God!.......2004-12-11

First off, let me say... WOW!!! This guy's voice is by far the most creative, powerful, and ear-bending thing, out there, to date. It carries this band to heights otherwise unattainable. The lyrics are also perfect for his style. Don't let the fact that his songs have appeared in major motion pictures steer you away from this mega singer/song writer. He is far from commercial fodder. Rather, in this day and age of poprock nonsense, he may very well become the godfather of resurrected American music. Anything this man puts within his powerful pipes would surely turn into artistic gold! Here's hopin' for more Bunkley!!!!!!

too short.......2003-09-15

The biggest problem with this cd is that it's too short. It's all fun swing music, but after a while it got annoying, which doesn't happen with other swing bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddys. The reason I bought this cd was because I loved the song "Man with the Hex" after I heard it off of the scooby Doo soundtrack. I still think that's the best song on this cd, and the rest of the songs are okay, but nothing great.

WILD - A Unique Swing That Puts The Others To Bed!.......1999-07-06

If you even like swing a little (even if your sick of the clothing, margarine and car ads using "swing" to sell), you'll love this CD. It's hot. This band has a catchy sound that'll have you dancin'. My 5 year old son even runs around singing "Caviar and Chittlins". Great stuff.

Can't get enough of this disc........1999-05-08

Great horns, and certainly not a stylized, "swing is now cool" sound. Wish they would tour near NY--I'd love to hear them live.

The Bastard Children of Swing.......1999-03-27

This record is very very unique. Somewhat of a "swing" record I guess but I usually don't like that kind of thing. This was a very enjoyable record from start to finish...It kind of reminds me of Louis Jordan or perhaps Cab Calloway with a lot more energy. Also has a great singer who sounds somewhat like Tom Waits. -SB-

Average customer rating: Crooner or later...

Young Blue Eyes: Birth of a Crooner Frank Sinatra With the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Learn to Croon It's All So New! The Essential Frank Sinatra with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (2CD) Everything Happens to Me The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing: Centennial Collection ASIN: B0001JXQ6K Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

1. You Walk By
2. This Love Of Mine
3. Say It
4. East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
5. Medley: June In January/Clouds/You're A Sweetheart
6. Star Dust
7. The One I Love (Belongs To Someone Else)
8. Let's Get Away From It All
9. The Moon Won't Talk
10. The World Is In My Arms
11. Medley: I'm Nobody's Baby/The Nearness Of You/I Can't Love You Anymore
12. Snootie Little Cutie
13. Alice Blue Gown
14. Prairie Night
15. Medley: A Pretty Girl Is Like Melody/Temptation/I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)
16. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
17. Dig Down Deep
18. The Last Call For Love
19. I'll Take Tallulah
20. Just As Though You Were Here

Customer Reviews:

Crooner or later..........2004-04-08

"Sinatra Rediscovered" the flash on the wrapper around this CD proudly proclaims. "Never-before-released tracks from Sinatra's early period newly discovered and available for the first time."

The striking cover of the CD has the word SINATRA in capitals, the singer's figure making the `I' of `Sinatra.' Reminiscent of a neon marquee sign, it looks like a scene from `Las Vegas Nights.'

`Birth of the crooner' is a clever title, too, with its pun intended, no doubt, on Miles Davis' `Birth of the Cool.' The whole point about Sinatra, though, is that he is most emphatically not a crooner. One of the most apposite adjectives I have ever heard applied to Sinatra's singing technique is the word `airless' because that is exactly what it was. Sinatra's revolution was to overturn the breathy, pigeon-chested delivery of the crooners - most notably Bing Crosby himself, of course - and to push all the air out of his vocals. This pneumatic delivery allied to a new, more naturalistic phrasing of the lyric was what was so new about Sinatra in 1940.

What we have here is the fourth volume of newly-released air-checks of Sinatra with Tommy Dorsey and his band released in the past ten years. The trend began with an additional disc of radio air-checks appended to the complete studio recordings of Sinatra-Dorsey released in 1994. Then we had two CDs of material released three or four years ago on the BMG subsidiary Buddha and now this latest volume which has been appropriated by Bluebird, the jazz label of BMG.

The disc is not as exciting as the previous two Buddha releases in terms of either content or sound quality which on the Buddha issues was astonishing. There are some very good quality recordings here too, though, particularly the opening number `You Walk By.' I have long associated this number with Glenn Miller since an air check version of the song was released by his band in the 1950s as part of the excitement generated by the release of The Glenn Miller Story. The Dorsey version is new to me, though, and - as is the case in virtually all of the songs both vocalists attempted - Sinatra's version far outshines that of Miller vocalist Ray Eberle who certainly was a crooner of the old school.

Actually, this is part of the problem for me with listening to Sinatra's recordings with a dance band. With Ray Eberle and Glenn Miller or Sinatra's predecessor Jack Leonard with Dorsey, this was as good as it was going to get. Those two singers were of their time and of that era. They were `on song' as part of that dance band package. When one listens to a pre-war Sinatra recording, in contrast, one usually listens with the knowledge of `Songs for Swingin' Lovers,' `...sings for Only The Lonely' or even Columbia's `The Voice.' Because of my early fascination with Glenn Miller's music, I heard all of Sinatra's recordings with Dorsey before I ever came to Capitol and Reprise. As someone once said, though, you can't go back and having subsequently heard Sinatra's mature work, it's a difficult job then going even further back. In the exercise of your historical imagination, you can give yourself a hernia if you're not careful!

`You Walk By' is one of the highlights of the collection, though. So, too, for different reasons is `This Love Of Mine.' The studio recording is notoriously `boxy' in its sound even when filtered on CD for the digital age. To hear Dorsey-era Sinatra sing this standard with the clarity of a good off-the-air acetate is astounding. Sinatra fans would want this disc in their collection for this recording alone.
`Stardust' achieves similar breath-taking clarity and having heard the familiar studio version so many times on countless compilations, it is quite disorientating to hear it in an - albeit only slightly - different version. Too many of the tracks on this set, though, are `live' versions of studio material which sound neither sufficiently different from the originals to be worth hearing nor are they in any higher fidelity than the studio takes. Why, then, include ` The One I Love' yet again or fluff like `I'll Take Tallulah.'

True, the version of `Snootie Little Cutie' is immeasurably improved by the substitution of Jo Stafford for Connie Haines. Having heard Miss Haines in decent fidelity for the first time ever, though, elsewhere on this disc, singing in one of several medleys included, I will have to revise my opinion of her singing which - again on poor quality studio recordings of the period - usually sounds so nasal and annoying. Her singing is much better than that! Another non-Sinatra gem from a complete medley is Jo Stafford singing `You're a Sweetheart' in a full band arrangement redolent of the Clambake Seven original.

Annoyingly, the Sinatra-only portion of the medleys is included once or twice, editing out the other two tunes, which is taking devotion to The Voice to its extremes. Sinatra addict as I am, I would prefer to hear him in context. RCA's original `Sentimental Gentleman' LPs of many years ago is the model for dance-band issues such as this. At one point, Tommy Dorsey himself says, `It's not Frank Sinatra and his Orchestra yet.' `Yet,' the announcer echoes ominously. Yet. Looking at the billing on this CD (`with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra' in small letters at the bottom of the cover - not even Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra, already!) - TD's worst fears were confirmed. He is all set in the twenty-first century to be just a footnote in the Frank Sinatra story.
Compiled and annotated by Sinatra authority Will Friedwald, this disc adds a valuable new chapter to that story and is a must-have for the serious Sinatra collector.

Average customer rating:

D-Boy New Birth Brass Band Manufacturer: Nyno ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Zydeco | Cajun & Zydeco | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Cajun & Creole | Cajun & Zydeco | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Buck Jump Rebirth: Kickin' It Live The New Orleans Album Throwback Feel Like Funkin' It Up ASIN: B000005BD9 Release Date: 1997-02-25

Tracks:

1. Mardi Gras In New Orleans
2. D-Boy
3. You Got Yours
4. Spread Your Legs
5. Whoopin' Blues
6. I Ate Up The Apple Tree
7. Smoke That Fire
8. Jesus On The Main Line (Tell Him What You Want)
9. Ms. Lollipop
10. Shakin' That Ass
11. Li'l Liza Jane
12. Caribbean Second Line

Average customer rating:

Early Black Swing: The Birth of Big Band Jazz: 1927-1934 Various Artists Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music 1920-1929 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 1930-1939 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music ASIN: B000008ACV Release Date: 1992-05-01

Average customer rating:

New Orleans Second Line! New Birth Brass Band Manufacturer: Mardi Gras Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Live at Vaughan's What's Going On The New Orleans Album Marsalis Music Honors Bob French Oh, My Nola ASIN: B000H7JDC2 Release Date: 2006-09-12

Tracks:

1. Who Dat Called Da Police
2. Apache
3. Get the Hump out Yo Back
4. Lilly of the Valley
5. I'll Fly Away
6. Crack House
7. I Ate Up the Apple Tree
8. Wolf Stuff
9. Show Me That Dance Called the Second Line
10. Unanae - New Birth
11. Cell Block Nine
12. Here We Go

Average customer rating: From disco to house, all 12" versions!!!

Big 12 Inches: So Excited Various Artists Manufacturer: Buddha / BMG ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: Big 12 Inches: More, More, More Grand 12 Inches, Vol. 3 Club Epic, Vol. 6 Grand 12 Inches, Vol. 2 Grand 12 Inches, Vol. 1 ASIN: B00000IPYH Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

1. I'm So Excited - Pointer Sisters
2. Strike It Up - Black Box
3. Love Come Down - Evelyn 'Champagne' King
4. Rock The Boat - HUES CORPORATION
5. Say It Isn't So - Daryl Hall & John Oates
6. Cherchez La Femme - Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
7. Native New Yorker - Odyssey
8. I'll Be Your Pleasure - Esther Williams
9. You Fooled Me - Grey And Hanks
10. I'm In Love - Evelyn 'Champagne' King
11. Leave A Light On - Martha Wash
12. I Can Understand It - New Birth

Customer Reviews:

From disco to house, all 12" versions!!!.......2005-08-05

One of the best volumes in the series, this one is loaded with familiar tracks. My only real complaint is the 3 minute version of Rock the Boat, a song available in this length on numerous compilations. It seems out of place on a collection of 12" singles. Other volumes are called "Groovin You" and "more more more." Track times are:

1. I'm so excited (5:39)
2. strike it up (5:03)
3. love come down (6:14)
4. rock the boat (3:20)
5. say it isn't so (6:44)
6. cherchez la femme (5:46)
7. native new Yorker (5:31)
8. I'll be your pleasure (7:48)
9. you fooled me (5:35)
10. I'm in love (5:53)
11. leave a light on (13:29)
12. I can understand it (6:23)

Jazz Music:

1. Bloomington
2. Body & Soul [Import]
3. Bouquet [Live]
4. Brazilian Serenade [Import] [Original recording remastered]
5. Brother Jack Meets the Boss
6. Brotherzone [Import]
7. Chez Toots
8. Closer to the Source [Import]
9. Cool Struttin'
10. Dansez-Vous Le Bop?

Jazz Music

jazz music