Hollywood Swing and Jazz: Hot Numbers from Classic MGM, Warner Brothers & RKO Films

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Say what you will about the state of entertainment-conglomerate megamergers, but this ambitious Rhino compilation of jazz in film--combining music selections from three studios--would have been all but impossible without them. More importantly, this satisfying set serves as a virtual primer of jazz's influence on American films and its rich, multihued heritage and diversity--be it the "race music" of the Mills Brothers' 1933 romp "Congo Fever," Duke Ellington and Hoagy Carmichael's elegant classicism, Louis Armstrong's refined Dixieland, the big-band swing of Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman, or even that unlikeliest of jazz chanteuses, Doris Day. Collectors will also be delighted at the generous sampling of stellar outtakes that surface here for the first time, including an Ellington reading of "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm," originally intended for the Marx Brothers' Day at the Races, a smoky Lena Horne rendition of "I'll Get By," originally recorded for Louis B. Mayer's personal collection. And there are no fewer than nine cuts from the 1960 hipster opus The Subterraneans, many featuring Andre Previn, Art Farmer, Gerry Mulligan, and Art Pepper. Painstakingly compiled and lovingly annotated, this set is both great entertainment and joyous history lesson. Regarding history, it bears noting that when much of America's radio and clubs were still strictly segregated, black jazz performers found their broadest public exposure via Hollywood. --Jerry McCulley

Tracks:

Hooray For Love: Living In A Great Big Way - Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson/Thomas 'Fats' Waller/Jeni Le Gon
Operator 13: Congo Fever (Jungle Fever) (Outtake) - The Mills Brothers
Hollywood Hotel: Let That Be A Lesson To You (Alternate Version) - Johnnie 'Scat' Davis/Frances Langford/Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
Hollywood Hotel: I've Got A Heartful Of Music - The Benny Goodman Quartet
Freddie Rich And His Orchestra: You're An Education - The Three Symphonettes
A Day At The Races: All God's Chillun Got Rhythm (Partially Unused Version) - Ivie Anderson/Benny & The Chrinoline Choir
Going Places: Jeepers Creepers - Louis Armstrong
Dancing Co-Ed: Nightmare - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
Dancing Co-Ed: Traffic Jam - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
Blues In The Night: Blues In The Night (Outtake) - Jimmie Lunceford & His Orchestra
Six Hits And A Miss: You've Got To Know How To Dance - Six Hits And A Mmiss
Cairo: Buds Won't Bud - Ethel Waters
Cabin In The Sky: Things Ain't What They Used To Be/Going Up - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
Cabin In The Sky: Shine - Buck & Bubbles (Ford Buck & John W. Bubbles)/The Hall Johnson Choir
Higher And Higher: Mrs. Whiffen (Outtake) - Mel Torme/Marcy McGuire/Ivy Scott
I Dood It: One O'Clock Jump - Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra
Broadway Rhythm: Body And Soul (Outtake) - The Hazel Scott Trio
Bathing Beauty: Toot Suite (Outtake) - Harry James & His Orchestra
To Have And Have Not: Hong Kong Blues - Hoagy Carmichael
To Have And Have Not: Baltimore Oriole - Hoagy Carmichael
Thrill Of A Romance: Please Don't Say No (Outtake) - The King Sisters
Jammin' The Blues: Jammin' The Blues - Lester Young/Harry 'Sweets' Edison/Illinois Jacquet/Marlowe Morris/Garland Finney/John Simmons...
Jammin' The Blues: On The Sunny Side Of The Street - Marie Bryant
Romance On The High Seas: It's You Or No One - Doris Day
Duchess Of Idaho: You Do Something To Me (Outtake) - Lena Horne
I'll Get By (Private Studio Recording) - Lena Horne

Tracks:

An American In Paris: Do, Do, Do/Bidin' My Time/I've Got A Crush On You/Love Is Here To Stay - Benny Carter & His Orchestra
The Strip: Ain't Misbehavin' (Outtake) - Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars
Skirts Ahoy: Hold Me Close To You - Billy Eckstine
Remains To Be Seen: Taking A Chance On Love - Dorothy Dandridge
Small Town Girl: My Flaming Heart - Nat 'King' Cole
High Society: Now You Has Jazz - Bing Crosby/Louis Armstrong
High Society: I Love You Samantha - Bing Crosby/Louis Armstrong
This Could Be The Night: I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good - Julie Wilson
The Subterraneans: Improvisation (Source #1) - Andre Previn Trio
The Subterraneans: Red Drum Blues - Andre Previn Trio
The Subterraneans: Improvisation (Source #2) - Andre Previn Trio
The Subterraneans: Coffee Time - Carmen McRae
The Subterraneans: Spaghetti Fantasy - Russ Freeman/Bill Perkins/Gerry Mulligan/Art Pepper/Art Farmer/Bob Enevoldson/Buddy Clark...
The Subterraneans: Alarm Clock - Russ Freeman/Bill Perkins/Gerry Mulligan/Art Pepper/Art Farmer/Bob Enevoldson/Buddy Clark...
The Subterraneans: Should I? - Andre Previn Trio
The Subterraneans: Things Are Looking Down - Russ Freeman/Bill Perkins/Gerry Mulligan/Art Pepper/Art Farmer/Bob Enevoldson/Buddy Clark...
The Subterraneans: Bread And Wine - Russ Freeman/Bill Perkins/Gerry Mulligan/Art Pepper/Art Farmer/Bob Enevoldson/Buddy Clark...
All The Fine Young Cannibals: God Bless The Child - Pearl Bailey
Two Weeks In Another Town: Don't Blame Me - Leslie Uggams
Sunday In New York: Sunday In New York - Mel Torme
Get Yourself A College Girl: The Girl From Ipanema - Stan Getz/Astrud Gilberto
Made In Paris: Skol Sister - Count Basie & His Octet
Made In Paris: Goof Proof - Count Basie & His Octet
Made In Paris: Lottie - Count Basie & His Octet
When The Boys Meet The Girls: I Got Rhythm - Louis Armstrong

Amazon.com

Say what you will about the state of entertainment-conglomerate megamergers, but this ambitious Rhino compilation of jazz in film--combining music selections from three studios--would have been all but impossible without them. More importantly, this satisfying set serves as a virtual primer of jazz's influence on American films and its rich, multihued heritage and diversity--be it the "race music" of the Mills Brothers' 1933 romp "Congo Fever," Duke Ellington and Hoagy Carmichael's elegant classicism, Louis Armstrong's refined Dixieland, the big-band swing of Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman, or even that unlikeliest of jazz chanteuses, Doris Day. Collectors will also be delighted at the generous sampling of stellar outtakes that surface here for the first time, including an Ellington reading of "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm," originally intended for the Marx Brothers' Day at the Races, a smoky Lena Horne rendition of "I'll Get By," originally recorded for Louis B. Mayer's personal collection. And there are no fewer than nine cuts from the 1960 hipster opus The Subterraneans, many featuring Andre Previn, Art Farmer, Gerry Mulligan, and Art Pepper. Painstakingly compiled and lovingly annotated, this set is both great entertainment and joyous history lesson. Regarding history, it bears noting that when much of America's radio and clubs were still strictly segregated, black jazz performers found their broadest public exposure via Hollywood. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

A Phenomenal Treasure-Trove of Amazing Music........2002-06-22

If you're a fan of "traditional jazz", you'll love this incredible collection from Turner/Rhino. If you're a fan of classic musical soundtracks, you will also find this collection essential for your music library. If you're like me, and you have a pechant for both kinds of music, you'll be in utter ecstacy with the selections here.

The list of performers here reads like a who's who of jazz:
DUKE ELLINGTON, COUNT BASIE, LOUIS ARMSTRONG, GERRY MULLIGAN,
LESTER YOUNG, BENNY GOODMAN, CARMEN McRAE, FATS WALLER, the list goes on and on. What really makes this collection sizzle, are the real rarities included. Who knew Duke Ellington had recorded music for A DAY AT THE RACES with the Marx Bros.? No one! Until
the producers here unearthed a track that had been recorded by 'Sir Duke' for that classic comedy that ended up on the cutting room floor. That's just one example of the jewels to be found here. There are several great vocal renditions, with everyone from Ethel Waters to Pearl Bailey, and you even get a whiff of Brazillian Bossa Nova Jazz with Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto doing a version of THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA that is slightly different (but just as incredible) than the famous recording.

Then there's unreleased material from Nat "King" Cole, Billy Eckstine, and even Dorothy Dandridge. My favorite track is a swingin' rendition of "One O'Clock Jump" by Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra that almost sounds like it's going to explode!

It's too bad that more people don't know about this album. It's one of the most creative assemblages ever released on CD. The album comes with a richly-illustrated booklet and great liner notes, too!

Brilliant selections unavailable elsewhere.......2000-05-21

The only way to approximate this collection would be to turn on your tape recorder while these movies were showing on your TV. Even if you'd managed to do all that, you still wouldn't have the pristine sound quality that Rhino managed to get by using the source material for this collection. Let alone the out-takes that were never included in the released versions of the films.

My favorite examples here are the Bojangles/Fats version of "Great Big Way" (which opens the collection), Ellington's uncut rendition of "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" (Marx Brothers fans take note - this is different than the hacked version that you'll hear in "Day At The Races"), and the Andre Previn selections on disk 2 - there's some wonderful soloing here, as good as the material that Benny Goodman recorded with him in the late 50's.

Sure, there's a little hokey stuff in here too, like the Mel Torme' selection in disk 1, but it's good-natured and doesn't detract from the real gems of the collection. It's a narrowly better value than Rhino's previous movie nugget compilation, "Alive and Kickin'", and it's fair to say that if you like that one, then you'll love this CD too.

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