Search - Hoagy Carmichael :: First of the Singer Songwriters Key Cuts 1924-46

A wonderful selection of early recordings

Rich Ernst | Bridgeton, NJ USA | 08/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I grabbed this box set because it was on sale cheap and my favorite song is "Stardust". Little did I know what a great investment I had made.

I am only in my early 20s, so I was hearing all of these recordings for the first time and I wasn't disappointed. It's too bad this particular collection of CDs seems to be obscure and overlooked when you search for Hoagy Carmichael's music on Amazon. Don't let that fool you; it is great. There are 101 sides here, including recordings by the great Louis Armstrong, the Boswell sisters, Fats Waller, and many with Hoagy himself. The songwriter's own version of "Stardust" is wonderful.

Also, this is the first set I have gotten from JSP Records, so I was pleasantly surprised to find the HUMONGOUS booklet of liner notes which came with this set. It was compiled by Hoagy's personal autobiographer and gives background and analysis for each of the recordings. It is so thorough, it's too thick for me to carry in my regular CD carrying case! All in all, this compilation of recordings from 1924-1946 are terrific and show a wonderful progression in the history jazz and also the works of one of the greatest songwriters of all time. (***** out of *****)"

An Appreciation in Words and Music of Hoagy's Influence

Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 08/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a magnificent set, numbering 101 recordings (two previously unreleased) which span the years 1928 to 1946, and trace the impact Hoagy's compositions had upon the jazz scene, as represented by some of the outstanding bands and soloists of the time.



The very first track exemplifies the point; the composition "Riverboat Shuffle" inspired the young Bix Beiderbecke to one of his finest solos. Hoagy's own performances are interspersed by the likes of Red Nichols, Frankie Trumbauer, Paul Whiteman, Jean Goldkette, The Chocolate Dandies, Mills' Merry Makers, Irving Mills & his Hotsy-Totsy Gang, and Ed Lang (and that's just the first disc!)



To crown it all, there is an 86-page booklet which has been contributed by Richard M. Sudhalter, the author of "Stardust Melody: The Life And Music Of Hoagy Carmichael". All of which makes it a very considerable bargain.



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