Search - Joe Loss :: The Essential Collection

BANDLEADER WITH A FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS

Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 11/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although Joe Loss began leading a band at the tender age of 21, that was in 1930, by which time the first wave of dance band leaders was well established. But by 1933 Joe was broadcasting and had begun recording, and he went on to outlast the rest of them, only laying down his baton in 1990. One of the factors in his longevity was that he saw early on the need to cater also for the growing popularity of ballroom dancing. From 1937 on he kept a foot in both camps by producing a series of records entitled Dancing Time For Dancers.



This Essential Collection reflects that dual approach by concentrating the dance band aspect on the first CD, which opens with Joe's first signature tune, followed by his first recording, "Happy Ending", for Edison Bell Winner. "Fare Thee Well, Annabelle", which was issued on Octacros, is something of a rarity also. Both Monte Rey and Chick Henderson are well represented in this judicious selection, which spans 1933 to 1949, It concludes with "In The Mood", which he adopted as his signature tune later on. By my reckoning five of the songs in this essential collection (including "Song Of India" where Rose Alper's vocal does little to embellish the melody) could have been bettered, but that is to say that the majority have earned their place. Most of the recordings on the second CD date from the fifties, and serve as a reminder of just how good a ballroom band this was. Despite being in strict tempo format, there is nothing predictable about the music, which sparkles thanks to the quality of the arrangements and the brilliance of the orchestra.

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