Artie Shaw-Classic Jazz Archive

Read About This Recording

The main period of Artie Shaw's musical career, 1936-54, was not even two decades long. However during that era, he permanently established himself as one of the greatest jazz clarinetists of all time and a significant bandleader who tried his best to run away from success. While he led six very interesting big bands during his career, the first two are well covered on this two-CD set.

A busy studio musician, Shaw, first gained attention when he was hired to play at a prestigious swing concert. His Interlude In B Flat, performed by Shaw with a string quartet, was the hit of the concert. Soon he had been persuaded to form an orchestra of his own. His first big band, which is featured on the first four numbers on this reissue, had five horns, a string quartet and a rhythm section. However the public preferred a louder and harder swinging band, so by mid-1937, Shaw was leading a more conventional orchestra. It took a year but after he recorded Begin The Beguine, Artie Shaw became a household name.

Among the classic performances included on this fine overview by Shaw's 1938-39 big band are his theme Nightmare, Non-Stop Flight, Back Bay Shuffle, Softly As In A Morning Sunrise, Carioca and Traffic Jam, featuring Shaw, tenor-saxophonist Georgie Auld and drummer Buddy Rich. Wrapping up this twofer is Shaw's slightly later hit Frenesi.

Classic Jazz Archive gives listeners an excellent introduction to the most popular band of Artie Shaw's career.

-Scott Yanow

Extended Article

The music was his clarinet and the clarinet was Artie Shaw. Artie Shaw was the man and the man was the music.

Contents

Imported from Europe!

Nightmare: The Japanese Sandman; A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody; Sugar Foot Stomp; Thou Swell; The Same Old Line; The Chant; The Blues March, Parts 1 & 2; It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary; Nightmare; Let 'Er Go; I'm Yours; Just You, Just Me; Free for All; Non-Stop Flight; I'll Be With You in Apple-Blossom Time; Begin the Beguine; Comin' On; Back Bay Shuffle; I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me; Yesterdays; What is This Thing Called Love?; Softly As in a Morning Sunrise; Copenhagen; Frenesi: It Had to Be You; Jungle Dreams; Lover, Come Back to Me; My Heart Stood Still; Villa; The Man I Love; The Donkey Serenade; Zigeuner; Carioca; Alone Together; Rose Room; I'm Coming, Virginia; Pastel Blue; One Night Stand; One Foot in the Groove; Octoroon; Out of Nowhere; Traffic Jam; Serenade to a Savage; I Surrender, Dear; Oh! Lady, Be Good; Shadows; Frenesi.

Artie Shaw, Clarinet; Willie Kelly, Lee Castaldo, Dave Wade, Zeke Zarchy, John Best, Malcolm Crain, Tom Di Carlo, Chuck Peterson, Claude Bowen, Bernie Privin, Harry Geller, Charlie Margulis, Manny Klein, George Thow, Trumpets; Mark Bennett, Mike Michaels, Harry Rogers, George Arus, Ted Vesley, Russell Brown, Les Jenkins, Randall Miller, Bill Rank, Babe Bowman, Trombones; Les Robinson, Harry Freeman, George Koenig, Blake Reynolds, Bud Carlton, Jack Stacey, Alto Saxes; Tony Zimmers, Jules Rubin, Ronny Perry, George Auld, Dick Clark, Tenor Saxes; Tony Pastor, Tenor Sax/Vocals; Joe Krechter, Bass Clarinet; Jack Cave, French Horn; Morton Rudermann, Flute; Phil Menoli, Oboe; Mark Levant, Harry Bluestone, Peter Eisenberg, Robert Barene, Sid Brokaw, Dave Cracov, Alex Law, Jerry Joyce, Violins; David Sturkin, Stanley Spiegelman, Jack Gray, Violas; Irving Lipschultz, Jules Tannenbaum, Cellos; Julie Schechter, Lou Klayman, Sam Persoff, Jimmy Oderich, Jerry Gray, Sam Rosenblum, Franz Siegfield, Bill Schumann, Strings; Fulton McGrath, Joe Lippman, Les Burness, Bob Kitsis, Sam Wrightsman, Pianos; Gene Stultz, Tony Guttoso, Al Avola, Dave Barbour, Bobby Sherwood, Guitars; Wes Vaughan, Guitar/Vocals; Hank Wayland, Ben Ginsberg, Sid Weiss, Stand-up Basses; Jud DeNaut, Bass; Sammy Weiss, George Wettling, Cliff Leeman, Carl Maus, Drums; Peg La Centra, Leo Watson, Beatrice Wain, Dolores O'Neil, Nita Bradley, Helen Forrest, Pauline Byrne, Vocals; Artie Shaw Orchestra; Artie Shaw's New Music.

Includes 20-page book.