Search - Bob Crosby :: South Rampart Street Blues

"Bob Crosby led one of the hottest big bands of the 1930s"

All That Jazz | 11/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"": Bob Crosby led one of the hottest big bands of the 1930s, a unit that although filled with swing stylists could play Dixieland with the joy and spontaneity of a small group. In time, Bob Crosby's Bobcats would overshadow the big band, but this definitive CD shows how enjoyable the orchestra could be. With such soloists as trumpeters Yank Lawson and Billy Butterfield, clarinetists Matty Matlock and Irving Fazola, Eddie Miller (on tenor and clarinet) and pianists Bob Zurke, Joe Sullivan and Jess Stacy among others, the Crosby aggregation could hold its own with any other band of the time. On their CD, 20 of Bob Crosby's finest performances (17 of which are from 1936-39) are included, with the high points being "Little Rock Getaway" (Zurke's classic interpretation of Sullivan's most famous song), "South Rampart Street Parade," "Big Noise from Winnetka," the original version of "What's New" (known at the time as "I'm Free"), "My Inspiration," "Jimtown Blues," and several heated Dixieland standards. Essential music for any serious jazz collection.""

Greatest Dixieland big band

JJA Kiefte | Tegelen, Nederland | 07/21/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What an exhilarating band Bob Crosby had in the Thirties! Its drive and relentless energy are so infectuous that it is impossible to sit still after you have shoved the disc in your machine. The strong and very original soloists like Yank Lawson (tpt), Eddie Miller (ts), Bob Zurke (pno), Ray Bauduc (dms) and Irving Fazola (clt) add a lot of colour and zest to these recordings. The arrangements, mainly by Bob Haggart and Matty Mattlock, are consistently interesting, the musicianship is excellent. Between its first tentative discs in 1936 and its demise in 1942 the band recorded hundreds of 78s for Decca although, admittedly, only a minor part was solely devoted to the pure jazz we hear here (unfortunately many recordings from 1939-1941 were exceedingly dull, under the pernicious influence of commercialism; the executives at Decca wanted the band to sound more in keeping with what the Millers and Goodmans were doing). Even so, there are loads more very enjoyable recordings that have been left to Submarine Records to reissue, but in such a way as not to make many friends (dull remastering, faulty starts etc.).

Sadly, to my knowledge this is the only worth while compilation of Bob Crosby items to date, and it may be out of print altogether (for released in 1992). What a shame that Decca/GRP or, more obvious labels like Hep, Timeless or JSP have not seen fit to issue a larger collection of Crosby recordings. Liner notes, discographical information and remastering are excellent. And although twenty recordings are a bit short measure, this is an essential disc."