Search - Erskine Hawkins :: Jukebox Hits

The 20th century gabriel!

rick from Boston | 11/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A great collection of swing and blues from one of the best big bands. Although they never achieved the fame Basie, Ellington, Goodman,Shaw, and others did, Hawkins kept his band together for over 25 years. He stayed current, as the disc will show, incorporating swing, blues, bop, and honkin' R&B into his music. Tuxedo junction was copied by Glen Miller almost note for note. Listen to the original and the other great swing tunes on this disc to hear one of the better big bands of the era."

Nice overview of a second tier band.

HardyBoys.us | Long Island USA | 04/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jukebox Hits gives a nice overview of Erskine Hawkins' work from 1940-1950.

Hawkins and his band never hit the dizzying heights of such bands as Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, The Dorseys or Count Basie (to name a few of the superstars of the time) but was a solid working band of the era.

The style ranges from big band to swing to bebop to pop corn (Tennessee Waltz is atrociously cornball).

The musicianship is first-rate and the instrumental numbers are great but the vocal tunes are not up to the same standard.

Unfortunately some of the recordings are scratchy and/or tinny.

There are also decent liner notes and information for each song."