BENNY GOODMAN & HIS ORCHESTRA - Like A Bolt From The Blue
Digitally restored recordings from 1934
Halcyon DHDL176
Tracks 1 to 4
Benny Goodman ( clt ) directing Manny Klein ( tpt ) Charlie Margulis ( tpt ) Sonny Lee ( tmb ) Coleman Hawkins ( tnr ) Dick McDonough ( gtr ) Arthur Schutt ( pno )Artie Bernstein ( bass ) Gene Krupa ( drs )
Recorded 2 February 1934
Tracks 5 to 8
Benny Goodman ( clt ) directing Charlie Teagarden ( tpt ) George Thow ( tpt ) Jack Teagarden ( tmb ) Hank Ross ( tnr ) Benny Matell ( gtr ) Teddy Wilson ( pno ) Artie Bernstein or Harry Goodman ( bass ) Ray McKinley ( drs )
Recorded 14 May 1934
Tracks 9 to 12
Benny Good man ( clt ) directing Russ Case ( tpt ) Jerry Neary ( tpt ) Art Sylvester ( tpt ) Red Ballard
( tmb ) Jack Lacey ( tmb ) Hymie Schertzer ( alto ) Ben Kantor ( alto ) Arthur Rollini ( tnr ) George Van Eps ( gtr ) Claude Thornhill ( pno ) Hank Wayland ( bass ) Sammy Weiss ( drs )
Recorded 16 August 1934
Tracks 13 to 17
As for tracks 9 to 12 except Harry Goodman ( bass ) replaces Hank Wayland & Tony Sacco 9 GTR ) replaces George Van Eps
Tracks 18 to 20
Benny Goodman ( clt ) directing Pee Wee Irwin ( tpt ) probably Jerry Neary ( tpt ) Art Sylvester ( tpt ) Red Ballard ( tmb ) Jack Lacey ( tmb ) Hymie Schertzer ( alto ) Toots Mondello ( alto ) Arthur Rollini
( tnr ) Dick Clark ( tnr ) George Van Eps ( gtr ) Frankie Froeba ( pno ) Harry Goodman ( bass ) Sammy Weiss ( drs )
Recorded 26 November 1934
Plus various singers including Mildred Bailey, Jack Teagarden & Buddy Clarks
These recordings were made by Benny Goodman with a smallish band two years before his major success at the famous Carnegie Hall Concert.
The first four tracks were made under the supervision of John Hammond and feature the tenor player Coleman Hawkins and three of the tracks have vocals by the marvellous Mildred Bailey. The best track of the four is “Emaline” which has Hawkin’s best solo as well as a fine solo by trombonist Sonny Lee and a clarinet solo by Benny Goodman plus a vocal by Mildred Bailey.
The following four tracks have Jack Teagarden on trombone and two vocals as well as brother Charlie on trumpet but it’s Teddy Wilson’s piano that sparkles particularly on “Moon Glow”.
The following four tracks have a slightly larger personnel but not yet a full big band, on “Take My Word” the arrangement is by Benny Carter and has some superb scoring for the saxophone section.
“I’m A Hundred Per Cent For You” is unfortunately the only track which features the singer Helen Ward as all the other vocalists can be dismissed apart from Jack Teagarden and Mildred Bailey.
This is a period which we tend to forget from the Goodman years and yet there are a number of outstanding solos in this collection and is well worth a listen.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Digitally restored recordings from 1934
Halcyon DHDL176
Tracks 1 to 4
Benny Goodman ( clt ) directing Manny Klein ( tpt ) Charlie Margulis ( tpt ) Sonny Lee ( tmb ) Coleman Hawkins ( tnr ) Dick McDonough ( gtr ) Arthur Schutt ( pno )Artie Bernstein ( bass ) Gene Krupa ( drs )
Recorded 2 February 1934
Tracks 5 to 8
Benny Goodman ( clt ) directing Charlie Teagarden ( tpt ) George Thow ( tpt ) Jack Teagarden ( tmb ) Hank Ross ( tnr ) Benny Matell ( gtr ) Teddy Wilson ( pno ) Artie Bernstein or Harry Goodman ( bass ) Ray McKinley ( drs )
Recorded 14 May 1934
Tracks 9 to 12
Benny Good man ( clt ) directing Russ Case ( tpt ) Jerry Neary ( tpt ) Art Sylvester ( tpt ) Red Ballard
( tmb ) Jack Lacey ( tmb ) Hymie Schertzer ( alto ) Ben Kantor ( alto ) Arthur Rollini ( tnr ) George Van Eps ( gtr ) Claude Thornhill ( pno ) Hank Wayland ( bass ) Sammy Weiss ( drs )
Recorded 16 August 1934
Tracks 13 to 17
As for tracks 9 to 12 except Harry Goodman ( bass ) replaces Hank Wayland & Tony Sacco 9 GTR ) replaces George Van Eps
Tracks 18 to 20
Benny Goodman ( clt ) directing Pee Wee Irwin ( tpt ) probably Jerry Neary ( tpt ) Art Sylvester ( tpt ) Red Ballard ( tmb ) Jack Lacey ( tmb ) Hymie Schertzer ( alto ) Toots Mondello ( alto ) Arthur Rollini
( tnr ) Dick Clark ( tnr ) George Van Eps ( gtr ) Frankie Froeba ( pno ) Harry Goodman ( bass ) Sammy Weiss ( drs )
Recorded 26 November 1934
Plus various singers including Mildred Bailey, Jack Teagarden & Buddy Clarks
These recordings were made by Benny Goodman with a smallish band two years before his major success at the famous Carnegie Hall Concert.
The first four tracks were made under the supervision of John Hammond and feature the tenor player Coleman Hawkins and three of the tracks have vocals by the marvellous Mildred Bailey. The best track of the four is “Emaline” which has Hawkin’s best solo as well as a fine solo by trombonist Sonny Lee and a clarinet solo by Benny Goodman plus a vocal by Mildred Bailey.
The following four tracks have Jack Teagarden on trombone and two vocals as well as brother Charlie on trumpet but it’s Teddy Wilson’s piano that sparkles particularly on “Moon Glow”.
The following four tracks have a slightly larger personnel but not yet a full big band, on “Take My Word” the arrangement is by Benny Carter and has some superb scoring for the saxophone section.
“I’m A Hundred Per Cent For You” is unfortunately the only track which features the singer Helen Ward as all the other vocalists can be dismissed apart from Jack Teagarden and Mildred Bailey.
This is a period which we tend to forget from the Goodman years and yet there are a number of outstanding solos in this collection and is well worth a listen.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
