One of the Best Old Time Singers You Never Heard Of
David L Hutchins | Mesa, AZ | 12/11/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you like the singers and the music of the 30's you'll love this set. Al Bowlly is not as well known the the U.S. as he is in the U.K. where he made over 1,000 recordings between 1927 and 1941. Perhaps you could call him the Bing Crosby of the U.K.; however he doesn't sound at all like Bing. Bowlly has a gentle, soothing voice, but it's not quite a smooth as some singers. In spite of that, everything he sings on these 3 CDs sounds effortless. The only problem I have with this set is that on many of the songs, the vocal portion of the song is 1/4 to 1/3 of each song and the rest is instrumental. It's really great band music, so it's still very pleasant to listen to, but I would have preferred much longer vocals. It is probably partly due to the style of the time in which vocals didn't always run for the entire song. Often the vocal doesn't even start until an instrumental lead-in and sometimes the vocal doesn't go to the end of a selection either. There are some real gems in this collection of which "Nicky the Greek" is one. His "South of the Border" is as good as any I have ever heard. Some songs such as "Over the Rainbow" are done somewhat different than you might be used to, but it's like hearing a new song instead of the same old tired treatments that you may have heard over and over again. Bowlly doesn't quite have the same pazazz as some singers; the songs seem a little subdued at times and might be slightly boring to some listeners who like more passionate singers who put a lot of effort into their songs or who like livlier arrangements. Bowlly sometimes sounds like he is coasting and not working very passionately. Perhaps he was just so good that he just made it sound easy. Every song is smooth and effortless, which is probably a tribute to Bowlly's ability to handle just about any material easily. This set should be part of any complete collection of 30's music."