I believe those are the recordings that also go by the name “Jazz Concert No.2”. I’d have to recheck Goodman’s bio, but I believe there is much more that is unreleased, and even these may be available in better sound. I need to go to the jazz museum and check them out. Check the Amazon reviews regarding sound quality. LP versions might be the way to go.
Off the top of my head, the essential stuff for any Benny Goodman fan, in chronological order, with notes: The Swing Era records with his orchestra RCA put a 3CD set in the early days of jazz CD reissues that was NoNoised to death. Your best bet are the Hep CD's someone else mentioned here, which were done by John R.T. Davies. Start with "Benny Goodman Plays Fletcher Henderson" and "Benny Goodman Plays Jimmy Mundy." (Those are the names of arrangers Goodman used, and Fletcher Henderson was the most important and best of them.) The "chamber" or small group jazz records A 1995 set by RCA is not ideal but it may be your only real choice outside of unauthorized collections. The Carnegie Hall concert Tough, Phil Schaap found the original disc recordings and so for the first time in many decades, RCA was able to remaster the music from the original sources. Unfortuately, Schapp used a terribly thin and harsh EQ. I'm not aware of any other (much less better) transfer, so it's either this or the crappy old one. Or you can burn a copy and do your own EQ. The small combo records with Charlie Christian Sony released an excellent box set in the '00s. B.G. in Hi-Fi Great choice mentioned elsewhere here. Finally, a great Goodman LP mastered from a hi-fi analog tape recording. Also Doug Pomeroy might have mastered an excellent compilation released around 2000. It would've been part of a "Centennial" series of reissues that RCA/Sony put out, and I know his mastering for the Coleman Hawkins one is exemplary. Easily the best mastering engineer of music of this vintage who is still alive.
I totally forgot about the Charlie Christian set. It is essential. I got my LPs before I discovered that set. I certainly like having both though. And the HEP CDs you note constitute an excellent “greatest hits” for early Goodman. And don’t forget the sides with Peggy Lee on Columbia (as well as the Helen Forrest recordings)! And while you’re at it, you can start thinking about the two other great clarinet leaders, Artie Shaw and Woody Herman.
Here is another one I like The Benny Goodman Concert May 1962 inMoscow, Soviet-Union - 2 LP set - reissued in Japan 1980
quote: The remastered Vocalion version on CD is quite good. Didn't know about an existing CD version when I bought the LP set. BTW when I have the choice I prefere mostly the vinyl but a CD is welcome if the vinyl is oop.
I take it back. I must be thinking of another CD. The remastering of the Moscow CD by Vocalion is very harsh. I’ll need to search for an LP or another CD version.
Thats an Discogs offer just if you are interested Benny Goodman And His Orchestra - Benny Goodman Concert (2xLP, Comp, RE) Label:RCA Cat#: RJL-2001~2 Media Condition: Media: Near Mint (NM or M-) Sleeve Condition: Sleeve: Very Good Plus (VG+) With OBI & insert. Vinyl is unplayed condition.sleeve has 5cm seam split but shape is NM View Release Page Seller: Majestic_Sound_Store 100.0%, 372 ratings Ships From:Japan $16.00 + $17.50 shippingabout €30.15 total
I saw this 16-LP box set at Freakbeat for $30 Freakbeat Records If you're interested, give them a call. (I don't know what they charge for shipping) (ask if the booklet is inside) It looks like Benny Goodman The RCA Victor Years Never Played 16 LP Box Set Promo 5704 I RB | eBay benny goodman rca victor years lp | eBay
That's what I have. It was compiled in 1986. I recall it sounding better to my ears than the 8x2 series of LPs issued in the 1970s (based on my comparison between the above and one 2x LP set my brother-in-law bought decades ago). The 1970s LPs sounded a bit muddier to my ears, but I did not make a direct A-B comparison. Though in LP format, they purport to be digital remasters from original source recordings, which at best would be the tapes that RCA made from the original masters back in the late 1940s or so before destroying the latter. The notes state that "digital recording is not magic, so where imperfections exists in original source recordings, they have been removed only insofar as heir removal will not cause a loss in the sound of the music." The credits in this regard are: Executive Producer - Steve Backer Digital Remastering and Production - Steven Miller Engineering - James Nichols Disc Mastering - Jack Adelman I don't know much about the reputations of these gentlemen, though I think Backer did an excellent job with some of the early (late 1980s) CD reissues of RCA material, including the single CD Benny Goodman compilation from 1987 (which might be the best single CD Goodman RCA Victor compilation).
I would add, as I did in an earlier post, your choices for a complete Goodman RCA Victor set is that 16-LP set - which was issued in CD format in Japan at some point (see below, and good luck finding it) - the 1970s LP two-fers, and the "Jazz Tribune" CD or LP two-fers. I did a couple of comparisons between the Jazz Tribune LPs (I have the four "small group" LPs) and the 16-LP set discussed above, and the Jazz Tribune cuts seemed to sound a bit better. (I've heard tell that they may have different European sources, due to separate European masters for the 78s shipped overseas, but I do not know this for sure.) But it was not an in-depth analysis by any stretch.
I decided to pick up an inexpensive copy of the following. I had a Giants of Jazz version of a Miles Davis / John Coltrane concert many years ago that had excellent sound. (I sold it because the material was duplicative of a set I subsequently bought.) It isn't complete. We'll see how it sounds, and whether I want more. There are other CD versions, but they indicate "digital remastering", which scares me a bit in light of my Vocalion experience. I might eventually buy a complete LP version if the price is right and the condition is good (meaning "mint"). I'm not inclined to buy from Japan, and $33.50 is much more than I want to pay.
Not a specific title recommendation, but suggest you check thrift stores. I frequently find great goodman titles very cheap. Just purchased several yale archives cds for 99 cents.
Somebody on Discogs is selling the 16-LP box for $21 total Benny Goodman - The RCA Victor Years: 16xLP + Box, Comp For Sale | Discogs
Looks like a good deal if you're going that route. Though mine was sealed when I bought it, it had the same "saw cut" in the box.
I missed this. Was wondering why it was never released on CD, like the Glen Miller complete RCA CD box set. I'd like to get this CD box set.
Well price is an agument but living in a small town there isnt that opportunity to find cheap Items .OTOH I am mostly a big band fan so my foremost Interest goes for the more modern big bands of Benny and ofcourse the rest of lesser known big bands (beside the great names). You cant have everything and finally we collectors are all "sick" with the piles of vinyl w have to leave behind.
I don't know why they did not issue the recordings on CD in the US nor why the Japanese set isn't at least available somewhere (even at an outrageous price). It seems to have disappeared. The following is available, and it suggests RCA considered issuing their material piecemeal. Below is a collection recorded right before the above in a marathon session that I believe was intended for air play. It could be viewed as the true beginning of the Goodman orchestra on CD. More or less volume one with the Birth of Swing being volume two. I understand the above had a lot of "no noise" applied, however.
If you want to go super cheap, the cassettes are online. Benny Goodman The RCA Victor Years 16 Audio Cassette Box Set | eBay
If you have a good tape player, it’s not a bad purchase. The recordings have some residual hiss, so any tape hiss wouldn’t be an issue.
Thank you, this is extremely helpful. I did pick up the Hep CDs which sound really good. I’m going to look into the LP set you mentioned. I’ve never heard of it but sounds interesting. I do have the Mosaic small group set which is exceptional. Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it.
The people at Mosaic indicated to me that the reason no Goodman Savory material appears in their Savory collection - or any other collection, for that matter - is because the release of the material is being blocked by Goodman’s estate. Goodman’s biographer indicated the failure of such releases was because of the outrageous royalties that would have to be paid to every single musician who performed on the recordings. That latter point sounds spurious given the other releases of Savory recordings and recordings of others, including Goodman, from that era (e.g., the Yale recordings).
I didn’t phrase this correctly. Some of the Savory material was made available on the “Jazz Concert No.2” LPs (two volumes) and 45 boxes (same), the “On the Air” CDs (two of them), and the “Treasure Chest” LPs (three volumes). Jazz Concert No.2 overlaps with On the Air, though the latter includes 14 more songs (unless there is a third Jazz Concert No.2 set I’m not aware of). There is a two-song overlap between the Treasure Chest LPs and On the Air, though I do not know if they are the same performances. What I meant to say was there have been no new releases of the Savory material.
Just picked up all three "Treasure Chest" LPs. I'll be interested in hearing how they compare to my "Jazz Concert No.2" 45s.