Gene Krupa Columbia some day?

[ghost of miles]

I've been listening to the Proper Gene Krupa box and wondering if Mosaic might some day put out a Krupa 40's Columbia box. With the Krupa Capitol still in print and the Herman Columbia slated for next year, I doubt they'd be intererested anytime soon... but would anybody else here be intrigued by such a set? I'm guessing it would be pretty large, given Krupa's lengthy stay on the label (although there are two chronological gaps, of course, from the recording bans).

[brownie]

Ghost, no need to wait for Mosaic to do Krupa-Columbia. Chronological Classics

has - slowly but surely - issued all of Krupa's sessions. Don't have the full list with

me now but they were up to 1945 (and about ten Krupa CDs) not long ago.

[ghost of miles]

I'll probably pick up the Classics, but I'm still hoping Mosaic will do up a set. Through '45, huh? Cool... I'm esp. interested in hearing "The Band That Swings With Strings," and they recorded in late '44/early '45.

[BERIGAN]

Ghost, I would be for it as well! The Classics are great, but hey, they will release lots of blue note stuff in the next few years as well, yet we know folks will always want the superior sound of the original recordings..and alternate and unreleased tracks. I am sure there must be some interesting recordings gathering dust in the vaults of Columbia/Sony...to be lost to the ages if someone like Mosaic does not get to them someday....

Edited June 17, 2003 by BERIGAN

[FrancoisD]

I'm esp. interested in hearing "The Band That Swings With Strings," and they recorded in late '44/early '45.

The "Band That Swings With Strings" only recorded twice for Columbia, on November 11, 1944 in Chicago, and January 22, 1945 in Hollywood, waxing seven titles, of which one was rejected (CCO 4295 What Is There To Say -arrEddie Finckel, rec. 11/11/44). The six issued titles were :

CCO 4296-1 I Walked In (v Buddy Stewart) Col 36768

CCO 4297-1B I'll Remember Suzanne v G-Noters arr Gray Rains Col 36768

both from 11/11/44

and

HCO 1231-1 Leave Us Leap (arr Eddie Finckel) Col 36802

HCO 1232 I Should Care (vLillian Lane & G-Noters, arr George Siravo Col 36784

HCO 1233 Cry And You Cry Alone (v G-Noters arr Eddie Finckel) Col 36784

HCO 1234-1 What's This (v Buddy Stewart & Dave lambert, arr Budd Johnson) Col 36802

from 1/22/45.

All are available on Classics 1096, which also has two V-Disc tracks recorded by this band : "The Very Thought Of You", and "Fish Market".

Only "Leave Us Leap", "Fish Market" and "What's This" may be of interest jazz-wise. A very small output, to be sure. Fortunately, several CDs featuring this band from airchecks and transcriptions have been released since the 1990s :

"Leave Us Leap" Vintage Jazz Classics VJC-1047 (1993)

"Live From The Palladium" (1944) Collectors' Choice CCM 1013-2 (2001)

"Hollywood Palladium, January 18, 1945" Canby CACD-1003 (far from he best sonicwise!)

"Drummer Man" (1944-46) Hindsight HCD-262 (1996)

"V-Disc Parties 1944" (half of this CD features Benny Goodman) Notalgia Arts 3020 (2001).

Classics have now reached 1946, with a total of thirteen Krupa CDs issued so far.

[David Ayers]

Aren't these Band That Swings with Strings sides also on the Proper? Correct me if I am wrong.

Uh no scrub that I just checked - only a selection.

Edited June 18, 2003 by David Ayers

[FrancoisD]

Proper Box 1 has "Leave Us Leap" and "What's This" on disc 3, plus three "Band That Swing With Strings" tracks from airchecks "Blue Moon", "Leave Us Leap" and "Moontide" on disc 4.

The best-sounding edition of "What's This" and "Leave Us Leap" is on Collectables 7490 "Boogie, Ballads and Bebop". That CD also includes the previously unissued "To Be Or Not To Bebop" (not by the Swings with Strings unit), from 1947.