The
corresponding volume in this series
devoted to British light orchestras
sports an idyllic village cricket match,
full of rolling acres and church spires.
America gives us a diner with bright
neon lights, coffee and a Danish and
with just a hint of angst amidst the
bagels. But all the big names are here
from the opening salvo of "gusto
personified" by Leroy Anderson
and the luscious orchestration of genre
maestro David Raksin’s The Bad and the
Beautiful through to the final piece
of portentous Gershwinesque concoction
presided over by Paul Whiteman (whose
Gershwinesque stripes had been well
and honorably won).
These
examples from the late 1940s and early
1950s pay testament to the high level
of orchestration and execution in the
bands of such as Rose, Gordon Jenkins
and Victor Young. Richard Hayman’s massed
fiddles certainly flaunt their prowess
in No strings attached – ironic title
– and we get some appropriately amusing
genre writing in Brazilian Sleigh Bells,
finely despatched by Percy Faith. Not
everything goes so well; exotically
named Acquaviva – crazy name, crazy
guy – hams up Holiday in Rio and Morton
Gould (surprisingly) disappoints with
a clever-clever Sophisticated Lady whilst
Monty Kelly is inclined to get treacly
in Three o’clock in the morning. But
the dance songs sway and drive and as
ever Rose leads the way in descriptive-pictorial
writing of an exalted level (try Satan
and the Polar Bear for an unlikely sounding
winner). If Gershwin animated Alter’s
Manhattan Masquerade, the Whiteman band’s
one outing on this disc, then Rachmaninov
haunts the pocket piano concerto of
Manhattan Serenade and elsewhere we
can enjoy wordless vocals, guitar solos,
pizzicato fizzers and subtly coloured
writing – and some brash swagger as
well.
Not
having heard the originals it’s difficult
to comment decisively on the transfers,
the majority of which sound warm and
pleasing. A few however sound a bit
cramped – Paul Weston’s Rain in particular
– which makes me wonder whether too
much treble has been cut in the remastering.
Otherwise, another warm welcome.
Jonathan
Woolf
see
also review
by Ray Walker
GUILD GLCD5105
[78.04]