SwingDJs

I'm getting to like quite a few Bob Crosby tracks, but most of the recordings are poor quality . Does anyone have any recommendations for CDs with decent sound quality?

Haydn wrote:I'm getting to like quite a few Bob Crosby tracks, but most of the recordings are poor quality . Does anyone have any recommendations for CDs with decent sound quality?

Great band, wish I could help you. I recall that the GRP CD reissue had good sound quality.

*I'd would like to see people make the distinction between and LP or CD *reissue* being of 'poor quality' vs simply labeling it as "the recordings are poor quality". Usually the original recordings themselves sound great. It is oft-times, however, that the reissue medium sounds poorly.

I hope that this would lead to less people simply dismissing out of hand all older recordings as being 'poor quality'.

Thanks.

3 new Bob Crosby CDs now up in the OTR Shop of http://www.gregpoppleton.com

As I have most of these on LP, I judge the sound quality of the music on these to be very good for the era

Besides, you get to hear the band live in front of big audiences. Gives the music so much more energy than commercial pressings.

1. Bob Crosby
-1937 Congress Hotel B'cast
-1940 B'Cast

2. Bob Crosby
1940 Camel Caravans
2 Complete Shows

3. Bob Crosby
1940 'America Dances' Show
1940 Hotel New Yorker B'cast

Hopes this helps,

Cheers
Greg Poppleton

PS, Forgot to mention. All theses CDs have samples of every track so you can judge for yourself

PPS - The 'America Dances series was b'cast 1939 - 1940 from New York to BBC London (and not by Alistaire Cooke). The recordings are from the New York end.

Cheers
Greg

Eyeball wrote:

Haydn wrote:I'm getting to like quite a few Bob Crosby tracks, but most of the recordings are poor quality . Does anyone have any recommendations for CDs with decent sound quality?

Great band, wish I could help you. I recall that the GRP CD reissue had good sound quality.

[...]

I have "A Proper Introduction to Bob Crosby: The Big Noise From Winnetka" [Proper Intro #2073], on which the tracks sound ok if not great. If you find the slightly "muffled" sound ok, I guess it's a decent buy, since you probably can get it pretty cheap here in Europe.

I haven't listened to the "South Rampart Street Parade" [GRP/Decca #615] I think Eyeball is referring to, but if it's anywhere near any of the other great reissues of Decca records on the GRP label, it's bound to be good. I have GRP/Decca CD reissues with Barnet, Ellington, Kirk, Lunceford, the "Anthology of Big Band Swing" 2-CD set, and more, and they're all great reissues in regard to sound and track selections. The clarity of the sound compared to for example Proper is often vastly better in my opinion. If you can find the GRP CD, I think you should get it, I know I will eventually. I'm looking at buying as many of the GRP/Decca releases as I can get my hands on...

/Jonas

Unless there is more than one BC on DECCA/GRP, that is the one, Jonas.

A friend of mine worked with Bob Crosby for about 15 years and he had lots of BC stories to tell.

I can warmly recommend Jazz Greats 33: "Bob Crosby - The Dixieland Band". It has excellent sound (by John R.T. Davies). In fact, I can warmly recommend everything in this British, out-of-print series. Some of the discs are listed in this organissimo post.

I own a copy of "Stomp Off, Let's Go!" by The Bob Crosby Orchestra and the Bob Cats. It's on the ASV label and contains recordings from 1936-1940. I like it quite a bit - Crosby's version of "Diga Diga Doo," although a little long, is pretty kick-butt.

anton wrote:I can warmly recommend Jazz Greats 33: "Bob Crosby - The Dixieland Band". It has excellent sound (by John R.T. Davies). In fact, I can warmly recommend everything in this British, out-of-print series.

Thanks for that. Jazz Greats were a Marshall Cavendish "partwork" series, meaning they were sold direct to the public and not via the usual music distributors. They might be available second-hand.

Many of his good tracks (such as "Christopher Columbus", "Between 18th and 19th on Chestnut Street", "Swingin' on Nothin'") are only available on one CD collection each, making it quite expensive to collect everything. So, in this case you might have to rely on "other sources"...

(Let me just add how much I love "Swingin' at the Sugar Bowl" with its quirky chord changes!)

It seems that Halycon Records (UK) have issued everything by Bob Crosby on something like 18 CDs in the 90s. Does anybody know what the sound quality is on those discs? I'm thinking about going complete (at least up to 1939 or so)...

anton wrote:It seems that Halycon Records (UK) have issued everything by Bob Crosby on something like 18 CDs in the 90s. Does anybody know what the sound quality is on those discs? I'm thinking about going complete (at least up to 1939 or so)...

From memory the sound quality on the Halcyon CDs is poor I'm afraid.

Okay, thanks. I've ordered three of the early discs anyway, so I'll let you know what I think...

'Bout digital downloads: The only disc with decent sound I've found is 16 Classic Performances. It's on iTunes (but not ever-erratic EMusic). It has the complete first Bob Cats session:

Bob Crosby
[C10382-11]
Bob Crosby's Bob Cats:
Yank Lawson (tp) Warren Smith (tb) Matty Matlock (cl) Eddie Miller (cl-1,ts) Bob Zurke (p) Nappy Lamare (g) Bob Haggart (b) Ray Bauduc (d) Bob Crosby (ldr)
Los Angeles, November 13, 1937
DLA-1060-A Stumbling (1,*) De 1593, MCA (E)2695, Halcyon (E)122 [CD]
DLA-1061-A Who's sorry now ? (*) De 1865, Swingfan (G)1016, MCA (E) 2695, Coral (G)6.22245, CP109, Affinity (E)AFS1014, Zeta ZET766 [CD], Halcyon (E)122 [CD]
DLA-1062-A Coquette De 1756, Swingfan (G)1016, MCA (E) 2695, Coral CP109, Zeta ZET766 [CD]
DLA-1063-A Fidgety feet De 1593, DL8061, MCA (E)2695, Coral (E)CP109, Zeta ZET766 [CD]
DLA-1064-A You're driving me crazy De 1680, Zeta ZET766 [CD]
DLA-1065-A Can't we be friends ? De 1680, DL8061, MCA (E)2695

There's some fucking GREAT Crosby stuff on this transcripts album on emusic.

dogpossum wrote:There's some fucking GREAT Crosby stuff on this transcripts album on emusic.

Nice recommendation! I've just downloaded "Rag Mop".