Alfredo & His Band
1. My Love Parade
Ambrose & His Orchestra
2. Lady, Play Your Mandoline
3. Butterflies In The Rain
The Ballyhooligans/Phil Green
4. Whispering
Don Marino Barreto & His Cuban Orchestra
5. Green Eyes
BBC Dance Orchestra/Jack Payne
6. The Peanut Vendor
BBC Dance Orchestra/Henry Hall
7. Stars Over Devon
Ivy Benson & Her Girls' Band
8. I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You
Bertini & The Tower, Blackpool Dance Band
9. Letting In The Sunshine
Harry Bidgood & His Broadcasters
10. Telling It To The Daisies
The Blue Mountaineers/ Joe Brannelly
11. Love, You Funny Thing
Josephine Bradley & Her Strict- Tempo Dance Orchestra/ Geraldo
12.Tea For Two
Larry Brennan & The Winter Gardens ( Blackpool ) Dance Band
13. When Cafe Lights Were Low
Eddie Carroll & The Casani Club Orchestra
14. In The Sweet Long Ago
The Connecticut Collegians ( Jay Wilbur & His Band )
15. Day By Day
Billy Cotton & His Band
16. The Girl In The Little Green Hat
17. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
Herman Darewski & His Band
18. Wishing ( Will Make It So )
The Durium Dance Band/ Lew Stone
19. Can't We Talk It Over?
The Durium Revellers/ Arthur Lally
20. Too Many Tears - When Yuba Plays A Rumba On The Tuba |
This CD is quite rightly on the Naxos
Nostalgia label as that must be the category in which its greatest
appeal lies . It would be difficult to argue a case for its being
groundbreaking material and, in most of the instances found here,
the level is workman-like at the best. However, these bands were
mainly the resident orchestras at various venues throughout the
country and so were generally required to provide music for dancing,
dining and as a low level background entertainment. The more successful
units were given radio broadcasts on a semi-regular basis ( as was
the case for their counterparts in America). Because of this practice
some of the bandleaders became household names and went from strength
to strength ( Billy Cotton, Geraldo, Ambrose, Lew Stone).
The music is a mixture of standard dance band fare mixed with the
odd comedy number and a smattering of early attempts at Latin -American
tunes. The level of performance is generally quite good - the average
professional player at that time seemed to have reasonable technique
and musicianship and be capable of playing a passable "Hot
" chorus. However the difference between the British players
of that time and those in the U.S.A. lay in the relaxation of delivery
and in the feeling of "Swing". There are exceptions (
Nat Gonella for one ) but as a rule this was the case before the
musicians mixed together more, from the war years onwards.
The vocals are, on the whole, moderate to poor - obviously such
gifted singers as Al Bowly do not fall into this category but I
am afraid he is very much in the minority on this compilation .
Of course the vocal refrain was more of a novelty or added extra
on many of these recordings, but even so, in places it is a little
like amateur night.
This disc is surely not for the serious Jazz follower. Perhaps it
is best looked on as an insight into what was then a rapidly burgeoning
form of popular entertainment and as a reflection of a part of social
history now sadly departed.
Dick Stafford |
CD Reviews
NAXOS Nostalgia
8.120603
