Erskine Hawkins: Should I go Complete?

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Bob the Builder · #16 Post by **Bob the Builder** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:29 pm

Some more info on Erskine

I'm waiting for Kevin Schaper to chime in about the "interesting" Live At Club Soul Sound.

Another interesting looking rocording. It is always interesting to hear what reunion bands do.

Brian

Eyeball · #17 Post by **Eyeball** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:32 pm

That was the one I had heard in the late 70s and I dont recall being impressed at all.

CafeSavoy · #18 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:09 am

Bob the Builder wrote:Some more info on Erskine

I'm waiting for Kevin Schaper to chime in about the "interesting" Live At Club Soul Sound.
Another interesting looking rocording. It is always interesting to hear what reunion bands do.

Brian

The Fletcher Henderson Reunion band recording was pretty good. Too bad they weren't able to record the live performance. I wonder if anyone privately recorded the event.

Bob the Builder · #19 Post by **Bob the Builder** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 6:39 pm

That is a great album

It is also just good to hear if, and how the musicians have changed their style. I would never expect for them to sound the same as they did 30 years previously.
Musicians move on just like everyone else.
Also sometimes those later bands are moreplaying for them selves rather than commercial gain. Artie Shaw’s “Last Recordings” are a good example of that.

Any way, back to Erskine Hawkins.
I listened to some of his live recordings and they do sound really goood.

Brian

anton · #20 Post by **anton** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:43 am

I agree with Kevin that much of the early stuff starts mellow. One great early track not mentioned by Bob is Strictly Swing (1938). I edited it (gasp!) down to two minutes so that the bass solos come right after the intro. Then there's a great climax. The dancers seem to like it a lot.

Haydn · #21 Post by **Haydn** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 3:14 pm

anton wrote:One great early track not mentioned by Bob is Strictly Swing (1938).

Great track, but on all the CDs I have bought the sound quality of this track is terrible. Which CD is yours from?

Toon Town Dave · #22 Post by **Toon Town Dave** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 1:15 pm

I have it on The Complete Erskine Hawkins 1938-1939 (Collectables label IIRC), it doesn't sound too bad off that CD.

Jonas · #23 Post by **Jonas** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:31 pm

One of my absolute favourite tracks is "Big John's Special" with Erskine Hawkins and His 'Bama State Collegians off the Classics 1936-1938 CD [#653].

As with many other bands, like for example Lunceford's, there are too many poor vocals on every other Hawkins recording. That's why I would like to see one of the great companies (Hep, Jazz Oracle or Frog or other) release Erskine Hawkins's collected INSTRUMENTAL recordings, to avoid all those shitty vocals.

/Jonas