Les Brown anyone?

[Larry Kart]

Picked up this compilation the other day:

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Capitol-Years-Brown-Renown/dp/B000TDFMKG/ref=sr_1_9?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1425669253&sr=1-9&keywords=les+brown

and was particularly pleased by the precise delicacy of Brown's rhythm section, his drummers in particular. It was also a kick to hear again Skip Martin's iconic chart on "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm."

The Capitol version (they sure knew how to record big bands) is more relaxed and hip than the 1948 Columbia recording that was a big hit for Brown:

[gmonahan]

Brown always led high-quality outfits. I have the old Time-Life compilation. I like this version of "Love," but for my money, the best was the hit version by Red Norvo and Mildred Bailey! You're right about Capitol, though. The Mosaic Harry James/Gene Krupa Capitol set is further evidence of the expertise of that label's engineers from the period.

gregmo

[johnblitweiler]

Picked up this compilation the other day:

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Capitol-Years-Brown-Renown/dp/B000TDFMKG/ref=sr_1_9?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1425669253&sr=1-9&keywords=les+brown

and was particularly pleased by the precise delicacy of Brown's rhythm section, his drummers in particular. It was also a kick to hear again Skip Martin's iconic chart on "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm."

The Capitol version (they sure knew how to record big bands) is more relaxed and hip than the 1948 Columbia recording that was a big hit for Brown:

Love it - and yes, that arrangement is an old favorite.

Mrs. Hensel, who used to cut my hair when I was a boy in South Bend, was mother of Wes Hensel, Brown's 1st trumpeter.

[Larry Kart]

BTW, that graceful trumpet soloist probably was Dick Collins.

[JSngry]

I remember a Saturday Review piece fromt he mid-1950s (no, I was of reading age then, but our local library was well-stocked in that regard, and there were a lot of "real time" jazz articles & reviews in that magazine for a good while, so...carpe diem, etc.), anyway, this article made the point that Les Brown's band was not a jazz band per se, it was a dance band, but it was as close to a jazz band as a dance band could be in the marketplace and not actually be a jazz band...one of those articles that in retrospect seems as clarifying as it does ludicrous, but I have to confess that I did hear Les Brown in a different way after reading that, when I heard him at all, which outside of Leap Frog, Doris Day, and Bob Hope was hardly ever for a looooong time. But yeah, fine band, s close to a jazz band as a dance band could be in the marketplace and not actually be a jazz band.

As true in 1984 as ever, eh?

[JSngry]

whatisthisidonteven

[Larry Kart]

whatisthisidonteven

Now that's what jazz is all about.

Big guy in the undershorts is baritone saxophonist and the band's resident funny man Butch Stone. Other guy is Les' younger brother Clyde "Stumpy" Brown.

Again, nice rhythm section IMO.

Whenever I look at Brown himself, I think of Richard Nixon, minus the paranoid nastiness. Wonder if they were classmates at Duke. (Upon checking, Les was a band-leading undergrad when Nixon was in law school there.)

[Ted O'Reilly]

Wasn't the Brown band referred to as "the milkshake band" as opposed to a drinking/drugging/girl-chasing band?

The did some very fine jazz work on a 1959 Coral LP (CRL 57311) "Jazz Song Book" with guests Buddy De Franco, Terry Gibbs, Frank Rosolino, Zoot Sims, Don Fagerquist and Ronnie Lang.

As well, there was lots of jazz playing on another Coral release "Concert At The Palladium" (Double LP CRL 57000/01) from mostly-performance recordings at (of all places) the Palladium and some studio things from the same period.

[AllenLowe]

I believe I have a CD somewhere with Doris Day and Les Brown.

[duaneiac]

I have that compilation CD mentioned in the first post as well as this 2fer;

I haven't listened to it in many years, but I recall it being respectable pop-jazz, rather than a swinging session.

I also have this, I guess his last album (?) from 1986

which was pretty nondescript, IMO.

[Big Beat Steve]

whatisthisidonteven

Ha! Excellent! I have had this among my Youtube donwloads for quite a number of years and enjoy it every now and then. Butch Stone is a gas anytime.

At the same time I downloaded this (which I had caught in a jazz history program on TV close to 30 years ago but never have found it on LP anywhere so was glad to get it there at last):

Pretty much arranged through, but very crisp and driving, and some nice Dave Pell too.