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THE
WAR SOUNDTRACK
Did you catch The War by Ken Burns on PBS a few weeks ago? I watched
a couple of the episodes and was enthralled, as I am whenever I view one
of Burn's masterworks. The music was especially well directed so it's gratifying
to find a new 4 CD soundtrack release containing the many diverse songs
from the series.
The
CDs are arranged by category: Sentimental Journey is a rich selection
of ballads from the war era, I'm Beginning To See The Light spins
the dance hits, Songs Without Words showcases the evocative classical
music used for the programs, while the fourth CD mixes swing, blues, bluegrass
and classical into a tempestuously tasty brew.
They're
are all terrific, harkening back to a truly sparkling moment in the history
of entertainment. I've always had a fascination with the 1940s, starting
as a young boy. I suppose that's natural, my father served during the
war as did all of his friends, so I was exposed to this music at an early
age. These are collectively some of the best tunes ever etched to vinyl
and this CD set does a bang up job of presenting the greatest artists
the era had to offer.
 I'm
Beginning To See The Light unleashes the Big Band sound at it's
very finest - Ellington, Dorsey, Miller, Barnet, Basie, Goodman alongside
many other legendary band leaders. You get the greatest hits of the era,
the best renditions of the tunes, all blended effectively - not the middle
of the road, flat versions all too often trotted out when pop music from
the early-1940s is dumped onto compilations.
This
is the creme de' le' creme, the swingin' years in a nutshell. Start a
party with this one:
1. C JAM BLUES Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra
2. FRENESI Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
3. IN THE MOOD Glenn Miller & His Orchestra
4. LET ME OFF UPTOWN Gene Krupa & his Orchestra
5. TAXI WAR DANCE Count Basie & His Orchestra
6. THE SHEIK OF ARABY Coleman Hawkins All Star Octet
7. PISTOL PACKIN MAMA Al Dexter & His Troopers, with vocal by Al Dexter
8. AMERICAN PATROL Glenn Miller & His Orchestra
9. FOR THE GOOD OF YOUR COUNTRY Count Basie & His Orchestra
10. CHEROKEE Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra
11. ROSE ROOM Benny Goodman Sextet
12. I'M BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT Harry James & His Orchestra
13. TUXEDO JUNCTION Erskine Hawkins (the Twentieth Century Gabriel) &
His Orchestra
14. ONE O CLOCK JUMP Count Basie & His Orchestra
15. I M CONFESSIN Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
16. (I'VE GOT A GAL IN) KALAMAZOO Glenn Miller & His Orchestra
17. BOOGIE WOOGIE Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra
18. TAIN T WHAT YOU DO (IT S THE WAY THAT YOU DO IT) Jimmie Lunceford
& His Orchestra
19. SING, SING, SING Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
 Sentimental
Journey is a leisurely jaunt through some of the most beautiful
and haunting pop ballads of all time. Timeless classics every one, a joyously
melancholy reflection of the times they were written for:
1. WE'LL MEET AGAIN Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
2. DANCING IN THE DARK Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
3. LITTLE BROWN JUG Glenn Miller & His Orchestra
4. I'LL BE SEEING YOU Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra
5. MOONGLOW Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
6. MEMORIES OF YOU Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
7. I'LL GET BY Harry James & His Orchestra
8. ON THE ALAMO Benny Goodman & His Sextet
9. PENNIES FROM HEAVEN Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra
10. BODY AND SOUL Coleman Hawkins & His Orchestra
11. LET'S GET LOST Frank Sinatra
12. BLUES IN THE NIGHT Cab Calloway & His Orchestra
13. THERE SHALL BE NO NIGHT Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra
14. ECHOES OF HARLEM Cootie Williams & His Rug Cutters
15. SKYLARK Earl Hines & His Orchestra
16. SATURDAY NIGHT IS THE LONELIEST NIGHT OF THE WEEK Frank Sinatra
17. PAPER DOLL The Mills Brothers
18. LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY Frank Sinatra
19. SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY Les Brown & His Orchestra
20. WAITING FOR THE TAIN TO COME IN Harry James & His Orchestra
 Songs
Without Words is moody and intense, melodic and soaring; perfect
background music for most any endeavor. A great CD for a late night seduction
- or cleaning the house, whichever you're better at. It's a little string-y
for my tastes but if you're looking for a superior, all-purpose classical
CD this is the one, it's an impressive selection.
The
track listing:
1. WALTON: THE DEATH OF FALSTAFF Leonard Slatkin & London Philharmonic
Orchestra
2. DVO ÁK: CELLO CONCERTO IN B 3.MINOR (SECOND MOVEMENT) Yo-Yo
Ma, Kurt Masur & New York Philharmonic
3. COPLAND: CONCERTO FOR CLARINET, STRINGS, HARP AND PIANO Benny Goodman,
Aaron Copland & Columbia Symphony Orchestra
4. LIGETI: LAMENTO FROM HOMMAGE Á BRAHMS Pierre-Laurent Aimard,
Marie-Luise Neunecker, Saschko Gawriloff
5. FAURÉ: ÉLÉGIE, Op. 24 Steven Isserlis & Pascal
Devoyon
6. LISZT: NUAGES GRIS Barry Douglas
7. COPLAND: GROVERS CORNERS FROM OUR TOWN Aaron Copland & New Philharmonia
Orchestra
8. MEDELSSOHN: SONG WITHOUT WORDS Yo-Yo Ma & Emmanuel Ax
9. ELGAR: NIMROD FROM ENIGMA VARIATIONS Leonard Slatkin & London Philharmonic
Orchestra
 The
War: A Ken Burns Film Soundtrack is just as effective as the
other three, maybe more so, if you're looking for a party CD. This one
reflects many moods and has a smattering of some more obscure jazz tunes
that are sure to please. What an incredible array of smooth classics you
get on this one by Kate Starr, Ellington, Nat King Cole, Count Basie,
Bing and Les Paul.
The
original music composed for the film that is included is tops, especially
the thrilling Edgar Meyer, Joshua Bell, Sam Bush and Mike Marshall number.
Check out the track listing:
1. American Anthem - Norah Jones
2. Walton, The Death of Falstaff - Leonard Slotkin & London Philharmonic
Orchestra
3. The Wang Wang Blues - Benny Goodman Sextet
4. Movin' Back - Wynton Marsalis (composer & arranger)
5. How Long Blues - Count Basie
6. In the Nick of time - Edgar Meyer, Joshua Bell, Sam Bush & Mike
Marshall
7. It's Been a Long, Long Time- Bing Crosby with Les Paul
8. America My Home (Excerpt) - Wynton Marsalis (composer & arranger)
9. If I could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) - Kay Starr, accompanied
by the Capitol International Jazzmen
10. Blue As the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur (Excerpt) - Yo-Yo Ma &
The Silk Road Ensemble
11. Until I'm In Your Arms Again - Wynton Marsalis
12. Variations For the Healing of Arinushka - Kalle Randalu
13. Basie Boogie - Count Basie & His Orchestra
14. Solitude - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
15. Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp and Piano (Excerpt) - Benny Goodman,
Aaron Copland & Columbia Symphony Orchestra
16. If You Can't Smile and Say Yes - The King Cole Trio
17. American Anthem - Amanda Forsyth & Bill Charlap
These
surprisingly good soundtrack CDs from Ken Burn's The War would
make an excellent addition to any music library, especially if you are
craving the songs of the World War II era but don't know where to start.
 
TV
on DVD Reviews:
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Reviews by Billy
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On BRAVO'S 100 Funniest Movies this month!
The
War: A Ken Burns Film Soundtrack
Product Description:
This stunning soundtrack recording to Ken Burns's epic series features
seventeen pieces of music from the film. It includes war-era favorites
from Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Bing Crosby, and Nat 'King' Cole
as well as music from Edgar Meyer, Aaron Copland and Yo-Yo Ma. The
soundtrack also features new compositions from Wynton Marsalis, and
Norah Jones's breathtaking performance of "American Anthem"-
exclusive to this album.
I'm Beginning To See The Light
Product Description:
To wartime America, music provided both entertainment and uplift.
There may have been rationing and general shortages, but dance halls
flourished as never before, fueled by the bands of the era. Despite
constant depletion of their musicians by the draft, the bandleaders
still found able replacements from the small towns and big cities
of America. Never before or since has such musical talent existed.
On this CD you ll hear the talent and the tunes distilled through
the swing of the bands that kept Americans dancing and singing during
the darkest days of World War II - tunes that buoyed the spirits of
soldiers at home and overseas, and perfectly expressed the American
spirit of affirmation in the face of adversity.
Sentimental Journey
Product Description:
As they lived through the cataclysmic events of World War II, Americans
both in the service and on the home front found a safe harbor, emotionally,
in the buoyant sounds of popular music. Classic titles from The Great
American Songbook served, with the highest distinction, as an indispensable
part of the war effort, lightening the burden of sacrifice as well
as giving voice to the deepest feelings of loneliness, sorrow and
anxious hope. From the breezy bounce of Little Brown Jug to the aching
romance of I ll Be Seeing You, these are the songs in these unforgettable
recordings that built the confidence of a nation in its darkest days.
Songs Without Words
Product Description:
To reflect upon the deep and complex emotions that gripped Americans
on the home front and battle during World War II, filmmaker Ken Burns
turned to classical music to underscore key moments and themes in
THE WAR. The gravitas of a full orchestra, the lamenting sound of
a cello, the intimacy of chamber music, and the uplifting surge of
melody songs without words, both familiar and rarely heard combine
to create a provocative expression of a nation in the midst of the
greatest cataclysm in history.
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