While We're Doing Music


Try this one, from Benny Goodman.   



This particular recording is from his set at Carnegie Hall, and it's been digitally cleaned up.  I have the CD set ostensibly from one of the original sets of recording tapes that Goodman had squirreled away in his attic, found later, and released.  The CD set is deliberately not cleaned up, which the quasi-purist in me appreciates, but I like the cleaned up version of Sing, Sing, Sing, also. 

What really attracts me to this piece though, other than my liking for Big Bands and swing music, is the free-flowing extempore performance.  The basic piece is a three-minute dance song, but near the end of the Carnegie performance, the band was well fired up and into their music.  Krupa, probably with Goodman's prior permission, blew the piece into a jam session, and the main musicians each got a long-ish solo, with Krupa's drums both underlying the sets and bridging them, tying them all together.  And there's a bit of byplay as Goodman seems to get into a loop in his second set, and Krupa's drums jump in to prod him.  The piece then moves to an absolutely cold piano solo by Jess Stacy.

Enjoy.

Eric Hines

6 comments:

bthun said...

Even an old Hillwilliam like myself loves Sing, Sing, Sing.

And it's not bad for a bit of late night canning Gumbo accompaniment with wooden spoons on the pressure cooker while the sweetie is all sweaty and covered with tomatoes, corn, and okra.

Oh me oh my oh... =;^}

Anonymous said...

Just don't listen to it the last thing before you try to go to sleep . . . :) Try "String of Pearls" instead.

In 1995 the BBC released propaganda music that Glen Miller recorded for them shortly before his death. The recordings include the German-language commentary and introductions. The plates were stored and forgotten until someone started rooting around in the early 1990s and re-discovered them. Great stuff and not too "tidied up." Has my favorite recording of "Poinciana" ever in the set.

LittleRed1

Grim said...

It's hard to dislike any song that sounds like Bugs Bunny is directing it.

bthun said...

Heh...

Duck season.

Tom said...

Good song. I prefer to hear Louis Prima singing it, though.

Also, great for wearing out the dance shoes. I only want to hear this once a night, though.

Gringo said...

That recording shows the mastery of Gene Krupa.