Jean Goldkette - Victor Recordings 192428 (26 tracks) +Album Reviews

One of the best cd's I've ever heard

Josh Duffee | Iowa | 01/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Jean Goldkette Orchestra is in full form on this cd. You have top-name musicians like Bix Beiderbecke, Frank Trumbauer, Doc Ryker, Steve Brown, Chauncey Morehouse, etc.., who are showing you what real musicians can do.
This was the hottest dance orchestra in the 1920's. Musicians and fans would flock from everywhere to see these guys perform when they came close to a town near them. Imgaine this group beating Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra in a Battle of the Bands in New York at the Roseland Ballroom. Fletcher Henderson had the top band in New York, and would defeat any band that would pass through for the Battle of Music.
On this cd, you should listen to track 4, "Dinah." This is the first time an electrical mic was used, and Steve Brown stood 2 feet away from it with his bass, so you can really hear him hitting the strings on the "hot" part of the tune.
All the songs are great, but my favorite, "My Pretty Girl," still stands out amongst them all. Just have a listen-you'll see what I mean!"

A CLASSIC - SHAME ABOUT THE SOUND (OCCASIONALLY)

James N. Kraut | Coral Springs, FL United States | 10/02/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Twenties dance orchestras didn't come any better than this. There are a number of absolute classics on this ample disc. The only problem I have - and any sensitive listener would agree - is the inexplicable lapses in sound quality that occasionally mar the otherwise perfect listening experience. For example, for 4 bars, as a vocal chorus begins, a hugely noticeable hiss suddenly comes in from out of nowhere and disappears just as suddenly. This happens about a half dozen times in all and it's really distracting. Otherwise, Lang & Venuti are a joy as always and the Bix tunes cook like nothing else; he was never in more empathic company. These arrangements are deeply satisfying and stand up to many listenings. Goldkette could swing as well as - or better than - any pre-swing dance band, including Whiteman, who boasted many of the same sidemen. If you're at all interested in this type of jazz (sort of), get it NOW!"

Neglected genius

James N. Kraut | 07/14/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jean Goldkette should be mentioned along with Paul Whiteman when people talk about the great white jazz bands of the 1920s. Besides his exciting arrangements, he was an innovator. When other bands used a tuba, Goldkette use a bass. And while other bands used a banjo, Goldkette had a guitar player. Another reason Goldkette's arrangement are recognizable: jazz violin solos. Many bands simply had the violinist in the background playing the main melody. Goldkette had Joe Venuti fiddling away. The only drawback to this recording is the haphazard use of noise reduction. Sometimes it's not there, other times it's in full force, and that causes a distraction from the great music."

Bix & Co in Hot 20s Dance Band Outfit

Malcolm McPherson | Ivanhoe, Vic Australia | 05/23/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Having heard and enjoyed a few Jean Goldkette tracks over the years, I looked forward to hearing what else his orchestra had done long ago. Well, the rest is a bit up and down. Some great jazz performers of the day are in there, including Bix, Tram, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Hoagy Carmichael and the Dorseys, who individually put in some great performances, but in somewhat variable settings. In 'Clementine', for example, there is a fine saxophone duet with Tram, followed by a great Bix solo, but with what seems to be a baby in the background trying unsuccessfully to bang two saucepan lids together in time to the music. Some of the lyrics are so mushily embarrassing they would make a yak wince or a llama blush, but since when have pop tune lyrics been any different? Some of the singers, in the thirty seconds they had for solos in those days, are polished and enjoyable, for example the Keller Sisters, one of whom you'd swear was Ethel Merman, and also Hoagy in 'So Tired'. But some other warblers are either cheesy, fruity or nutty, or a mixture of cheese, fruit and nut combined. 'My Pretty Girl' is a hot number where an inspired bass-slapper is allowed near the microphone and given free rein to his slapping. Gratuitous sarcasm aside, I like this CD and play it often."

Why the '20's Roared

P. Fairburn | Shediac River, New Brunswick Canada | 04/11/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This disc contains a brief history of great music from the '20's interspersed with embarassing schlock that would make a mother wince. Most people will buy it, and justly so, to hear Bix; however, after listening, the discerning buyer will be happy that he has heard Steve Brown, a very under-rated musician, at his best. Frank Trambauer carries his friend Bix, either through direct inspiration or with wonderful counterpoint in several of the songs. Some of the cuts, like I Didn't Know, have been mastered through a string telephone. But carping about the sound when you're listening to history, or complaining that Chauncey Morehouse was only permitted one high-hat and a snare in the studio, and thus criticising his drumming seems tawdry.
This is a great addition for both jazz neophyte and discerning collector of twenties memoribilia. But when you hear the "restoration" [sic], you will mourn again the passing of John Davies, who knew how to treat this sort of material."

Search - Jean Goldkette :: Victor Recordings 1924-28

CD Details

Similar CDs

Similarly Requested CDs

CD Reviews