Search - Bunny Berigan :: Key Sessions 1931-1937

Essential, but with some strange inclusions and sad omission

JJA Kiefte | Tegelen, Nederland | 02/17/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are no less than 124 titles on this most generous of Berigan compilations. Some strange choices and a few lamentable omissions however make me detract one star. The five discs span the years 1931-1937 (up to his first session as a regular bandleader for Bluebird, whose recordings are covered on a number of Classics discs, now probably hard to come by). Not included are any of his sides with Hal Kemp, Frank Trumbauer or Gene Gifford, whereas all four Glenn Miller sides, all the Red Norvo octet sides and a number of perhaps less interesting Chick Bullock sides are (all of which are readily available elsewhere).

We do get a plethora of other artists however, the Dorsey Brothers and the Boswell Sisters taking pride of place. We also find Bunny's complete pre-Bluebird recordings under his own name, as well as a number of titles which Bunny recorded with Adrian Rollini, Red McKenzie, Bud Freeman, Mildred Bailey and fellow hard-drinker Dick McDonough (the latter's titles in much better sound quality than the McDonough CDs on Bill Hebden's label). There is a wealth of great music here in excellently remastered sound quality (said to be by JRT Davies, but I couldn't find confirmation of this in the booklets or on the discs themselves). Recording dates and personnel are listed, but no record labels (just matrix numbers) or composer credits. The liner notes are not particularly well written or informative, but the music speaks for itself.

The prices that are currently being asked for this set are absolutely rediculous; I waited for more than a year before one offer of £ 35 came along, which I snapped up immediately. It was certainly worth it."