You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet: Jolie's Finest Columbia Recordings

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
If you can, put aside memories of his dated blackface routines and give a listen to this disc of Al Jolson's Columbia recordings from 1913 to 1932. Jolson was a master at melding styles--jazz, blues, and Tin Pan Alley--into a syncopated, infectiously funny routine that sounded like nobody else. He was a musical pioneer--one of the few who transferred his mega-success from the stage to early recorded media, and into movies (with his starring role in The Jazz Singer). On these recordings, we can hear his talent in full bloom (and at its prime). "That Little German Band," a top-five hit in 1913, is corny but cute, "On the Road to Calias" is sentimental and touching, and "Swanee"--a collaboration between lyricist Irving Caesar and George Gershwin--is the song most of us remember Jolson for. Of course, the sound quality isn't the best (the majority of tracks were recorded in the days leading up to electrical recording methods), and the orchestra often sounds like an afterthought. That said, this is still a great collection of tunes from America's first entertainment star. --Jason Verlinde

Tracks:

That Little German Band (Al Jolson's La-La Song)
Everybody Snap Your Fingers With Me
Back To The Carolina You Love
Revival Day
Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts For Soldiers
Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula
Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go With Friday On Saturday Night?
Down Where The Swanee River Flows
I Sent My Wife To The Thousand Isles
Tell That To The Marines
I'll Say She Does
On The Road To Calais
Swanee
In Sweet September
Avalon
O-Hi-O (O-My!-O!)
April Showers
Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo'Bye)
Morning Will Come
Stella
Waitin' For The Evening Mail
Hallelujah, I'm A Bum
You Are Too Beautiful
Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody

Amazon.com

If you can, put aside memories of his dated blackface routines and give a listen to this disc of Al Jolson's Columbia recordings from 1913 to 1932. Jolson was a master at melding styles--jazz, blues, and Tin Pan Alley--into a syncopated, infectiously funny routine that sounded like nobody else. He was a musical pioneer--one of the few who transferred his mega-success from the stage to early recorded media, and into movies (with his starring role in The Jazz Singer). On these recordings, we can hear his talent in full bloom (and at its prime). "That Little German Band," a top-five hit in 1913, is corny but cute, "On the Road to Calias" is sentimental and touching, and "Swanee"--a collaboration between lyricist Irving Caesar and George Gershwin--is the song most of us remember Jolson for. Of course, the sound quality isn't the best (the majority of tracks were recorded in the days leading up to electrical recording methods), and the orchestra often sounds like an afterthought. That said, this is still a great collection of tunes from America's first entertainment star. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Ear worms for sale.......2006-08-04

The first time I heard an old Al Jolson record, I thought "who the hell is that?". I heard several layers of manic melodrama going on in his performance, along with strange parodies of foreign accents, and a whole kitchen sinkload of weirdness too subtle to describe. These performances are from that era and have those qualities.

The acoustic horn's narrow dynamic range enhances everything I love about these recordings. Sometimes it's as if you're listening to a crazed puppet or ventriloquist's dummy who wants you to adopt him, and who also happens to sing very well!

This is very entertaining stuff, totally different from later recordings where he is backed by a swing-era big band. If you want high fidelity, look elsewhere. It's pretty much irrelevant to what is appealing about these recordings (they're OLD recordings....got that?) They will add atmosphere and meaning to your life.

Many of the songs, once they're stuck in your mind, will be hard to dislodge. The term is "ear worm" and this disc is full of them. They are a fine antidote to the bland overproduced fodder that fills the airwaves today.

Jolson is underappreciated.......2005-05-09

I grew up with an older generation that idolized Jolson. By the time I reached adolescence, Jolson was easy to imitate and mock. His sentimental songs were remembered while his jazz singing was forgotten. When I finally began to collect music from the twenties, Jolson's jazz age recordings were a revelation. Jolson understood jazz singing and he had the spirit of it down perfectly. Forget the later Jolson when he bascially phoned in his performances. Check out young, lean, hungry, and jazz Jolson. He was good.

Great for the Music Historian.......2001-04-01

This CD is great for the music historian. It features selections from the World's Greatest Entertainer from 1913 through the early 30's.

This CD is well remastered, but even modern technology can only do so much. The songs recorded before 1925 were sung into a horn to cut the record, so even with the best technology, it sounds like you are hearing Jolson through a garden hose or tunnel. The selections done with the use of a microphone (1925 and after) sound quite a bit better.

Fans who want to get as much of Jolson as they can to complete their collection will definitely want this one; folks who want to hear clean, clear, and potent Jolson would do better to buy CD's based on his recordings from the 40's (Best of the Decca Years, or Jolson Live, for example).

Liner notes complement a boatload of good tunes.......1998-10-30

This 24 track collection works wonders in restoring the sound and recovering the mystery of Al Jolson. The Art Deco Series includes detailed annotations, in this case by Herbert Goldman and Will Friedwald, that gloss each track and enrich listening. Great music ought to be atemporal, but a little written guidance does help. Tracks run from 1913 to 1932. Always historically interesting, this collection also has at least a handful of great tunes.

Music:

Music

Music