Firehouse Stomp - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Goff, Harper
Everybody Loves My Baby - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Palmer, Jack [1]
Pagan Love Song - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Brown, Nacio Herb
San - Firehouse Five Plus Two, McPhail
Fireman's Lament - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Kimball
Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me - Firehouse Five Plus Two, McCarron, Charles R
Yes Sir, That's My Baby - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Donaldson
Red Hot River Valley - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Traditional
Riverside Blues - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Dorsey, Tommy [1]
Brass Bell - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Thomas, Frank [1]
The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Lockhart
Tiger Rag - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Costa, Harry Da
Frankie and Johnny - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Traditional
Sweet Georgia Brown - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Bernie, Ben
Sobbin' Blues - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Berton, Vic
Just a Stomp at Twilight - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Traditional
Down Where the Sun Goes Down - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Buck
St. Louis Blues - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Handy, W.C.
Track Listings (18) - Disc #2
Twelfth Street Rag - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Bowman, Euday L.
Copenhagen - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Davis, Charles [Sax
Wabash Blues - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Meinken, Fred
Firechief Rag - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Alguire, Danny
Lonesome Mama Blues - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Brown
Who Walks in When I Walk Out - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Freed, Ralph
Chinatown, My Chinatown - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Jerome, William
South - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Hayes, Thamon
Lonesome Railroad - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Traditional
Show Me the Way to the Fire - Firehouse Five Plus Two, King, Irving
Lovin' Sam - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Agar
When You Wore a Tulip - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Mahoney
Five Foot Two - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Henderson
San Antonio Rose - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Wills, Bob
Southern Comfort - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Firehouse Five Plus
I've Been Floating Down the Old Green River - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Cooper, Joe
Mississippi Rag - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Krell, William H.
Runnin' Wild - Firehouse Five Plus Two, Gibbs, Arthur
First recorded in 1949, this band was the side project of a group of animators at the Walt Disney studios; this two-CD set collects the group's recordings up to 1954. The Firehouse Five began at the peak of the California ... more »revival of traditional jazz, when the music was sharply divided into warring camps and traditions were jealously defended. But there was nothing doctrinaire about the band's enthusiastic, almost frenetic, approach. Owing as much to vaudeville as it did to New Orleans jazz, it invoked the spirit of America's early popular music, including novelty tunes like "Who Walks in When I Walk Out." The sirens and other sound effects that the band added to its music even suggest a kinship with its inspired contemporary Spike Jones. Though these recordings may send traditional purists into apoplexy, the level of musicianship is surprisingly high and the spirit is infectious. --Stuart Broomer« less
First recorded in 1949, this band was the side project of a group of animators at the Walt Disney studios; this two-CD set collects the group's recordings up to 1954. The Firehouse Five began at the peak of the California revival of traditional jazz, when the music was sharply divided into warring camps and traditions were jealously defended. But there was nothing doctrinaire about the band's enthusiastic, almost frenetic, approach. Owing as much to vaudeville as it did to New Orleans jazz, it invoked the spirit of America's early popular music, including novelty tunes like "Who Walks in When I Walk Out." The sirens and other sound effects that the band added to its music even suggest a kinship with its inspired contemporary Spike Jones. Though these recordings may send traditional purists into apoplexy, the level of musicianship is surprisingly high and the spirit is infectious. --Stuart Broomer
Daniel R. Lindsay | Hilo, HI United States | 12/05/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Firehouse Five Plus Two were wonderful musicians. This is a fact often overlooked, as they clearly played for fun -- both the listeners' and their own. In their early years, their humor and slapstick antics on stage often obscured their excellent musicianship. This double CD of their earlier recordings shows their growth and development, but the goofiness which characterized their live performances is not present in these studio recordings. In my view, they did not reach their peak till the arrival of George Probert and his magnificent soprano sax playing; Probert appears on only a few of these tunes. But the infectious energy and joy of this band was apparent from the start, and these songs can be played again and again with satisfaction and joy."
Master Animators, Amazing Musicians
Duane S. Montague | WA United States | 08/07/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'd been thinking of getting a Firehouse Five Plus Two cd for many years, but it was the recent passing of Ward Kimball (the founder of the group and the animator behind such famous Disney characters like Jiminy Cricket) that made me search for their cds on Amazon.I have always enjoyed the taped performances I've seen by the group (you can catch them on the "Disneyland, USA" DVD released last year), but listening to the music--a frentic, frantic, and altogether fun collection--one can really sense that these men, so reknowned for their artistic talent, were blessed with a multiplicty of talents.It's not intended to be listened to as background music for a quiet evening at home--the fire bells at the beginning of Disc One makes that quite clear--but it definitely is meant to be listened to when you feel like smiling, enjoying some wonderful dixieland jazz (one might feel inclined to look for the nearest speakeasy and dance the charleston), and remembering some of the greatest animators who ever lived, put on this collection, which highlights some of their greatest moments."
Excellent - You won't regret it !!!!
Santiago | California | 10/08/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought it without knowing who these guys were. After talking with some older people they told me that Firehouse Five plus Two had been very famous in the 50's. This CD is a great selection. The sound is very good considering that are recordings for the 40's and 50's. If you like this kind of music you'll find here the best."
Kimball World
Wayne A. | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 08/06/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A long time ago it took me a short while to figure out the things I liked about Disney were all Ward Kimball efforts. In fact, I didn't like straight-up Disney product at all. Hated it in fact. No balls, sap-headed, a bit too precious. Much of Disney couldn't stand Ward either but Walt had a special place in his heart for the maniac. He knew nothing would fly in vison and magic-land unless there was a Trickster there to give it a kick in the arse--something the modern Disney has completely forgotten.
I've heard these wonderful recordings of the band Ward got together described as corny. Banana oil! They're fun and ironic and if you listen carefully you'll hear the spirit of Spike Jones in most of them and you'll also hear the spirit of Ward years later in the Squirrel Nut Zippers (check out the first cut on their Music for Lovers album!). We were starting to see a revival of healthy fun, style, and zaniness in the world until that drip and his entourage of downers turned up in the White House. And of course 9-11 knocked it all into a cocked hat. Too bad.
So screw 'em. Pick this up and blast it while driving through town in your SUV. Order the recently released Thin Man collection and that 90s screwball masterpiece, "Freaked." Hey, one of those Thin Man flicks has a bonus cartoon--Screwy Squirrel dealing with a saccharine Disney-type cutsey-bootsy bunny. Cool. Fight the drips."
Life saving music
Sasha | at sea...sailing somewhere | 12/08/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you feel gloomy and a bit down,there's nothing like Firehouse Five Plus Two to cheer you up and put a smile back on your face - and if you think the music sounds like something out of Disney cartoon,well,you are not so far from the truth since these guys actually worked for Disney as cartoon animators and played as amateurs just for fun of it.
There is something irresistible and adorable about people who play simply because they love the music and joy of banging on those drumms and honking those trombons comes clearly through music like it was recorded yesterday.
Trombonist Ward Kimball lead his work-buddies into playing some ridiculously happy old-time Dixieland where joy bursted like champaigne bubbles and sun shines forever when they break into "Yes sir,that's my baby" - it was not unusual for them to let firemen siren right in the middle of the song,laugh and add some comic twist.
They were still keeping their day jobs but music attracted such following that they recorded several records and this compilation covers their first three LPs: Firehouse Five Plus Two,Goes South! and Plays For Lovers althought they more or less continued later in the next decade,but they were big novelty hit during 1950s and this is where material comes from.
"Runnin' Wild","Five Foot Two","Who Walks In When I Walk Out","St.Louis Blues" and "Everybody Loves My Baby" are some of the highlights of this crazy compilation that would make perfect background for 1920s theme garden party and if you remember movie "Some like it hot" that's kind of music that girl band played.
I understand this is not for everybody and some of my friends said "what the hell?" but it does work miracles for me and always makes day look brighter.I guess good ole' Louis Armstrong performed this kind of music with real enthusiasm and sure he knew a thing or two about Diexieland,but these guys were just fun-loving amateurs and you know,sometimes there is nothign wrong with being "amateur"."