Here is Part 2 of my record hunting travels over the past weekend. One note that I forgot to mention in the first post was my experience of record shopping with the mask. I'm not a big fan of wearing masks. I find them almost claustrophobic, but that being said, I also understand they are a necessity at the moment until we figure this whole Covid-19 thing out. Wearing a mask in this instance had a benefit I didn't anticipate. When I'm out record shopping, I'm that silly guy that will get on the floor to look under racks, dig through crates and the dust I usually kick up gets annoying. It was almost a pleasure to wear the mask as I did my digging. Okay, enough of my rambling...
Big Bands - Big Stars:
This is a simple 3 record set that is just a good ol' fashioned collection of Big Band songs by various artists. Nothing special about it, but it's a solid collection. It contains the original recordings by the artists which is what I look for. Whenever you are out at flea markets or buying old Big Band recordings online, be sure to confirm that they are the original recordings. If not, you may get stuck with an album filled with some no-name orchestras performing the hits you love. If you don't mind that, then that's great, but I prefer the originals in most cases.
Giants of Jazz - Jack Teagarden:
The Giants of Jazz series is such a great collection of music. If you ever see one of these collections while out and about, buy it! These were put out in the late 1970's and early 1980's and they contain great quality original recordings. The booklets that come with these collections are also first rate. I'll be listening to this collection for years to come. Not bad for a dollar.
Harry James - For Listening and Dancing:
This one I had mixed feelings about. It was put out by Reader's Digest in the early 1980's. Reader's Digest has surprisingly put together some amazing collections in the past. The Glenn Miller collections come to mind as some of their best work. I have to admit I was disappointed to find out that this collection contained recordings from the late 1960's and early 1970's. As I said before, I prefer the originals and not re-recorded material. But, this collection won me over.
First, even though they are re-recordings, Harry James is still Harry James. His playing on these tracks is excellent. Another cool twist is that Helen Forrest reunited with James for this collection and handles most of the vocals. It was the first time they had recorded together since 1942. So many of the hits that originally featured Kitty Kallen on vocals, we re-recorded with Helen on vocals. That was fun to listen to and provided a different feel to many of his old standards.
The collection also came with an informative booklet as well. So, I consider this a very good purchase.
In Closing:
To sum everything up, I like writing about these little record hunting adventures to give you all a "behind the scenes" look at the station. I just want you all to know that the playlists and content on Swing City Radio aren't put together by some "suit" from some corporate office. The music you listen to and love on Swing City Radio is put together by someone just like you, someone that is going to the dustiest part of the second-hand stores to find those Big Band gems only found in the discount bins.
Swing City Radio: Playing Your Big Band and Swing Music Favorites from the 1930's, 40's and Today! - Big Band Radio Station Broadcasting Online from King of Prussia, PA.
