Lost Columbia Sides 1928 - 1933
John J. Murphy, Jr | Wantagh, NY, USA | 03/11/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Bing Crosby was "cool" before the intended meaning of this word meant something other than cold. For people really interested in Bing Crosby's development as a huge vocalist, this CD set is indispensable. This represents the recordings that Crosby made with Columbia and its recording subsidiaries after Paul Whiteman, who signed Bing's paychecks at the time, left the Victor Talking Machine Company in mid 1928. We hear an interesting metamorphosis take place as we listen to the sides. Listen to 'Tain't So, Honey, 'Tain't So with Bill Challis arrangements along with Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer, then the first solos recordings by Bing in 1929, then make note of After You've Gone on the second CD. Bing was honing his craft from a straightforward vocalist with jazz influence to a very confident and stylish singer. Bing's affiliation with Whiteman continued to early 1930, where the recordings with that band stop on this set. Then we jump to 1932, wherein Bing is recording for Brunswick, and is a performer on his own having hit full fledged stardom in 1931. The sides are unusual since they may not be the most popular of his songs from that time, but they are jazz influenced, which I believe is the connecting thread throughout this collection. Check out St. Louis Blues with Duke Ellington's Orchestra backing him up (both takes here,and Sweet Georgia Brown with Isham Jones' Orchestra. The Last Round Up, from 1933, is an add on to this album, which is actually a reissue of the Bing Crosby Story Volume 1 that appeared on vinyl around 1970. This song illustrates Bing's style when it was fully mature during 1933 and 1934. Many Crosby fans agree these years produced his best work.
So if you want to hear great jazz musicians, quirky 1920's arrangements, a superb singer in the making, jazzy 1930's recordings, or just want to listen to good Bing Crosby vocals, get this album. It fills in a lot of material that many other albums neglect.
"
For Early Bing, It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This
James N. Kraut | Coral Springs, FL United States | 11/17/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I reviewed Bing's Proper Box Set, "It's Easy to Remember," a couple of years ago and met with some differing responses regarding my disappointment with the sound quality on that set. I found a lack of warmth and felt there was a distracting, metallic presence in the music that kept me from enjoying the wonderful material. This two-cd set is another story. Put them back to back and the difference is obvious. Despite the occasional light scratchiness, the remastering on "Lost Columbian Sides" does these great old tunes justice and the result is an outstanding presentation of Crosby's early work. As a bonus, you get a generous serving of Bix Beiderbecke; some of his solos here are among the best he ever recorded.
Sadly, Bing Crosby has been all but forgotten these days. These sides from the Columbia archives clearly show that he was one of the truly great pioneering jazz singers, spearheading a looser, more casual and rhythmically varied style that influenced everyone who succeeded him, from Sinatra on down. And these 80-year-old arrangements are surprisingly hip and smart, aging quite well. Those with any interest in Bing Crosby's early - and arguably his best - work are strongly urged to give this set a try. It's a superb collection - a real pleasure from beginning to end."
Not Lost, Just Waiting To Be Found
Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 08/09/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"To call these "lost Columbia sides" is something of a misnomer. Four were issued on Okeh and five on Brunswick, and Crosby collectors know most of them well enough, from the original recordings and numerous reissues. Moreover it's stretching a point to argue, as James Ritz does in his liner note, that "it's sadly forgotten that Crosby was amongst America's first great jazz singers". Many of these sides have been reissued relatively recently (particularly on Affinity's 1992 compilation "The Jazzin' Bing Crosby", which offers 48 sides as opposed to the 35 on offer here). If you don't have that or the subsequent Naxos reissues then this could be just what you're looking for, and even if you do, it does contain some additional recordings that are worth having if you don't have to pay a king's ransom to get it!
"
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1