Release Date: 24 March 2017
Label: JSP
Packaging Type: Brilliant Case (Jewel Case size, Holds 2 CDs)
No of Units: 4
Barcode: 0788065907624
Genres: Jazz  Swing Jazz  
Release Date: 24 March 2017
Label: JSP
Packaging Type: Brilliant Case (Jewel Case size, Holds 2 CDs)
No of Units: 4
Barcode: 0788065907624
Genres: Jazz  Swing Jazz  
Description
Berigan Blows a Blast!
His trumpeting skill and melodic invention put Bunny Berigan in front of the pack chasing Satchmo. By 1931, aged 23, he was one of New York's tight circle of session players. Included are Boswell Sisters sides and cuts recorded during Bunny's stay with Benny Goodman. In April 1937, he recorded I Can't Get Started. In December of that year he cut the second, hit version. Both are included.
He was Born in Wisconsin in 1908 and played in college bands before presenting himself aged eighteen to New York bandleader Hal Kemp who rejected him. Two years later, the same Kemp hired Bunny as the 'hot trumpet' for a band he was assembling to tour Europe.
By early 1931, Bunny was back, already known to New York's tight circle of session players, whose approval was no small thing. The first two tracks are from Berigan's early days as a session man and show that he arrived on the scene fully formed. On When I Take My Sugar To Tea it's notable how his muted trumpet cuts through the strict-tempo - if slick - dance band environment.
One of the attractive features of this collection is the frequent presence of the Boswell Sisters. Their spirited close harmony work must have provided a lift to Depression-era audiences. Their skill at mimicking musical instruments made them one of the Mill Brothers' few rivals.
The material on CD A alone demonstrates how lavishly endowed with musical talent New York was. The Boswells stand out in the singing company here, although Lee Wiley - who sings on the last two tracks – holds her own. Also here are sides recorded during Berigan's short but important stay with Benny Goodman. Included here are King Porter Stomp - notable for introducing swing and Bunny to a wider audience - The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea and Madhouse.
Madhouse was cut in Hollywood in September 1936. By December, Bunny was back in New York. In April 1937, Bunny made his first cut of I Can't Get Started. In December of the same year he recorded the second, hit version. Both - very distinctive versions - are included here. Admired throughout the business (Louis Armstrong and Tommy Dorsey both rated him), Berigan had one implacable enemy: himself. He died in 1942 from the effects of alcohol.
Tracklisting
Otis Grand
Various
Judy Garland
James Harman
The Butler Twins
Various Artists
Various
Louisiana Red & Carey Bell
Bunny Berigan
Bunny Berigan