Shaw completists will need to get this for the 5 or 6 previously-unissued performances included, although it takes a little bit of sorting out to determine just what exactly those are (and I admit that nowhere does the disc, which runs 60:01, state that anything is previously-unreleased).
The sound is good to very good.
The first 4 tracks are, by coincidence, the same four songs which Shaw recorded for Brunswick only two days before, but these are previously-unreleased versions from a November 1, 1936 broadcast at the French Casino in New York City, over WABC. (Interesting to detect, at this early date, a few notes of his theme, Nightmare, in-between the selections, not to mention the several bars of it during Skeleton in the Closet.)
The next 4 tunes were recorded April 28, 1937 by Shaw and his band in the guise of "The Rhythm Makers," for Thesaurus (mx.07889), specifically made as a simulated broadcast, with an unidentified announcer. Misdated here as "May 1937," these were already released by Swingdom, on LP, and more recently, were on CD, as part of "Artie Shaw: The Complete Rhythm Makers Sessions 1937-1938 Volume 1" (Jazz Band TMCD 2190/91-2).
Still another group of 4 tunes, from the March 5, 1939 Old Gold "Melody & Madness" program, which featured Shaw with humorist Robert Benchley, were out on Jazz Guild and, later, Phontastic. Ears may perk up with the brief snippet of When You're Smiling (which follows Rosalie), but the "Burns & Allen" Frenesi (July 1, 1940) was already out on Hep.
Unfortunately, flat-out deception is discovered not longafter when a 1939 "Melody & Madness" Nightmare is passed off (and poorly edited) as opening what is listed as an "October 12, 1940" aircheck from the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Suspicions are further warranted when Alice Blue Gown and Sugar each end, as separate tracks, rather than a flowing broadcast. Cross Your Heart, missing a number of bars at the start, seems legitimate as a previously-unissued Shaw performance - probably misdated, it may actually be from January 21, 1941 (Alice Blue Gown could be from the same date).
The disc ends with 3 songs from an October 26, 1940 broadcast from the Palace, and they have been issued before, on Aircheck.
There are, too, a number of mis-spellings, such as the composers of Jungle Drums,
Lecurno and Lembardo; Non-Stomp Flight; Frenise; the Grammercy Five; and Pegga (or, elsewhere, "Peggy") LaCentra. Also, Along the Santa Fe Trail is incorrectly titled On the Santa Fe Trail in the listing here.
The photos of Shaw with Peg LaCentra and, inside the jewel case, Billie Holiday, will be new to some, but the front cover is very plain.
It's worth stressing that even familiar Shaw remains valid and appealing, but the majority of this material has been issued more than once by various collector's labels, and is misleadingly and / or carelessly presented here -- thus the low rating. (In other words, the rating doesn't reflect the music.) C'mon, Mr. Burke! Isn't there at least a full CD's worth of previously-unissued Shaw music in your holdings that you can issue and with the care it deserves?
the big bands are back
in a new and exciting way
The sound on each is very good (as Capitol's of this period always was).
The Prima CD selects 26 performances by the singer-trumpeter-bandleader, including, for the first time on a Prima compilation, I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song), from Disney's "The Jungle Book."
Smith's companion disc presents 27 of her solo recordings, including a previously-unreleased, live version of When Day Is Done (from the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas), with an introduction by Prima.
But I have to take issue with some of the song choices. Prima's versions of Hello Dolly and Cabaret are not "essential." (My review copies didn't include liner notes. Were these and a couple other weak ones, Luigi and Civilization, not even recorded on Capitol? They seem to have a different feel and sound altogether.) How can it be the "essential" Smith without It's Magic? And why repeat the same That Old Black Magic on each disc?
Ironically, Capitol itself released a better selection in 1991, the Prima "Capitol Collectors Series" disc (#94072).
Still, the fresh artwork is attractive on both titles, and Capitol deserves encouragement for keeping this kind of music available in 2007.
MORE NEW CDS
Louis Armstrong: "Bing & Louis: Havin' Fun," Storyville ( Den ) 103 8405; "Louis Armstrong
in Scandinavia," Storyville ( Den ) 108 8602 [ 4-CD set ]
Ray Anthony: "Have You Heard?," Montpellier ( UK ) MONTCD 009
Ben Bernie: "Ben Bernie," Retrieval ( UK ) 79055
Gus Bivona: "It's Allright with Me," Montpellier ( UK ) 33 [ = Mercury LP + Warner Brothers LP ]
Duke Ellington: "The Duke Box," Storyville ( Den ) 108 8600 [ 8-CD set ]
Maynard Ferguson: "The One and Only" [ his final studio recording, made in July 2006 ]
Benny Goodman: "The Young Benny Goodman 1928-1931," Timeless Historical ( UK )
CBC1088 [ 76:00; incl. 9 selections as member of Ben Selvin Orchestra ]
Ted Heath: "Big Band Percussion / Beatles, Bach and Bacharach," Vocalion ( UK ) 4346
[ = London LPs ]
Earl Hines: "The Chronological Earl Hines 1953-1954," Classics ( Fr ) 1440
Stan Kenton: "In True '52 Stereo," Dynaflow 20071; "Kenton for Collectors Vol.3," Dynaflow
20072; "Artistry in Omega," Dynaflow 20073
Art Mooney: "Greatest Hits & More," Sepia ( UK ) 1094
Ray Noble: "Hot Sides," Retrieval ( UK ) 79052
Tommy Reynolds: "Tomorrow & Beyond," Joyce JRC-1027 [ 22 tracks; 1939-56 ]
Luis Russell: "Saratoga Shout," ASV ( UK ) Living Era 5658
Gerald Wilson: "The Chronological Gerald Wilson 1946-1954," Classics ( Fr ) 1444
various artists: "Swing Is the Thing," Retrieval Records ( UK ) RTR 79054
SNEAK PEEK
Now in preparation are several more CDs which will be of interest. In August, Renovation will issue another volume of the "complete" Ted Weems; Hep has the Chick Webb Orchestra right after Chick's death led by Ella Fitzgerald (i.e., "Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra," swinging live broadcast performances of Sugarfoot Stomp, In the Groove At the Grove, Back Bay Shuffle, and 19 others); and BMG Japan will re-release on CD the ca.1957 RCA Victor LP by Peanuts Hucko and Helen Ward, "With a Little Bit of Swing." I was too anxious to wait 'til August to mention them, because these kinds of items don't normally get their due!
Looking further down the road... Audiophonic is reportedly working on Artie Shaw, Les Brown, and Ray McKinley titles and Mosaic Records is preparing a "Mosaic Select" package of Woody Herman from the Philips label during the early 1960s.
CALLING ALL COLLECTORS
The 36th annual "Jazz Bash" (once known as the "Ken Crawford Bash") will be held at the Holiday Inn of South Plainfield, New Jersey on the 22nd and 23rd of this month. The "Bash" features, of course, countless 78s, 45s, 33s, CDs, and DVDs for sale. Collector Dave Weiner and Ron Hutchinson of The Vitaphone Project will show rare jazz films, followed by rare record playoffs and challenges hosted by collector Henry Schmidt. Sounds like fun! For additional information, send an e-mail to Ragtime39@comcast.net.
FLETCHER HENDERSON MUSEUM
Work continues on the Fletcher Henderson Museum in his hometown of Cuthbert, Georgia; a space was purchased at 102 Peachtree Street and it's scheduled to open late this year.
One of the Museum's crown jewels will be the complete library of materials which once belonged to jazz author - historian Walter C. Allen, donated by his family. Allen was an expert on Henderson's life and career, having written the authoritative Hendersonia: The Music of Fletcher Henderson and His Musicians (Highland Park, NJ: Walter C. Allen, 1973). Allen's collection included sheet music, recordings, autographed first-edition books, magazines, photos, taped interviews, and correspondence.
The Museum's Board of Directors hopes that the facility will become a destination for jazz scholars and fans.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
Doc Severinsen, trumpeter (Fio Rito '45; Barnet '47-'49; S. Donahue '48; T. Dorsey '50), b.July 7, 1927
Rusty Dedrick, trumpeter (Stabile '38-'39; Norvo '39-'41; Thornhill '41-'42 and '46-'47; McKinley '46), b.July 12, 1918
Roc Hillman, guitarist (Dorsey Bros. '34-'35; J. Dorsey '35-'40; Kyser '40-'47) - composer, b.July 13, 1910
Buddy Moreno, vocalist (Griff Williams '40?; Jurgens '40-'42; James '43-'44), b.July 13, 1912
Larry O'Brien, trombonist (T. Dorsey Orch. '61-'65) - leader (Miller Orch. '81-'83 / '88- ), b.July 15, 1933
Danny Bank, saxophonist (Barnet '42-'44; Goodman '45-'46; Whiteman '47; Shaw '49-'50), b.July 17, 1922
Kay Starr, vocalist (Crosby '39; Miller '39; Venuti '39-'42; Barnet '43-'45), b.July 21, 1922
Gloria DeHaven, singer (Savitt '42) - actress, b.July 23, 1925
Ronny Lang, saxophonist (Ennis '47; Brown '49-'90? [ not continuous ]), b.July 24, 1927
Louis Bellson, drummer (Fio Rito '42; Goodman '42 and '46; T. Dorsey '47-'49; James '51; Ellington '51-'53; Dorsey Bros.
'55-'56), b.July 26, 1924
Hank Jones, pianist (Kirk '45; Shaw '53-'54; Goodman '56-'58), b.July 31, 1918
NECROLOGY
Johnny Frigo, 90, bass (Chico Marx '42; J. Dorsey '46-'47) - violin, d.July 4, 2007, "complications
related to a fall" in the lobby of his condo building in June (he went to the hospital with
fractured vertebrae and a broken pelvis)
James T. Maher, 90, writer - historian, d.July 18, 2007
Al Hendrickson, 87, guitar (Shaw '40-'41; Slack '41 / '46; Vallee '42-'44?; Goodman '47; J. Gray '49-'51),
d.July 19, 2007
Art Davis, 73, bass (Gillespie '59-'60; Basie 7/1/62 Roulette session), d.July 29, 2007, heart attack
THE THINGS SHE DID THIS SUMMER
Claire Schwartz of the Vaughn Monroe Appreciation Society deserves congratulations for the wonderful job she did planning and hosting the Society's gathering in Boston recently.
As she arranged, participants went on a tour of Monroe-related locations, including the New England Conservatory (where Monroe studied voice in 1935, and which has a large collection of original Monroe band arrangements and "Camel Caravan" acetates), Boston Public Library (which holds materials related to Monroe and his manager Jack Marshard), the one-time site of Seiler's Ten Acres (where Monroe's band debuted in 1940) in Wayland, the former site of The Meadows (a night club/restaurant Monroe owned) in Framingham, the old Vaughn Monroe Productions office on Newberry Street, his former residence at 3 Pine Road, and a subsequent home at 35 Pickwick Road in Newton.
They also got to watch three mid-1950s TV appearances by Monroe (courtesy of The Game Show Network), shared recorded music, and talked about him.
As if that wasn't enough, Claire put together a 3-1/2-minute video tribute to Monroe, combining his recording of The Things We Did Last Summer with various images appropriate to the lyrics. It may be viewed on youtube.com.
SEE A BIG BAND LIVE
Les Brown's Band of Renown directed by Les Brown, Jr.: Jul. 2-5 / 7 / 9-12 / 14, Mickey Gilley Theatre,
Branson, MO
Cab Calloway Orchestra directed by C. Calloway Brooks: Jul. 19, Astoria Park, Astoria, NY
Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Bill Tole: Jul.6, Hoover Auditorium, Lakeside, OH; Jul. 9, Robert Z. Hawkins
Amphitheater, Reno, NV
Sammy Kaye Orchestra directed by Roger Thorpe: Jul.26, Snug Harbor, Staten Island, NY
Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians with Al Pierson: Jul. 26, Lincoln Park, Tracy, CA; 29-Aug. 3, cruise on
Missisippi Queen riverboat
Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Larry O'Brien: Jul. 2, Bowman County Fairgrounds, Bowman, ND; Jul. 4, Beaver
Creek Resort, Avon, CO; Jul. 8, Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, Dubuque, IA; Jul. 10, Bear Creek Farms, Bryant, IN; Jul. 11,
Lake Anna Park, Barberton, OH; Jul. 12, James Duncan Plaza, Massillon, OH; Jul. 14, Holt High School Auditorium, Holt, MI; Jul. 16,
Coney Island Park, Cincinnati, OH; Jul. 17, Foellinger Theater, Fort Wayne, IN; Jul. 18, World Friendship Shell, Bay City, MI; Jul. 19,
Shopping Center, Oakwood Village, OH; Jul. 21, American Music Theatre, Lancaster, PA; Jul. 22, Auletto Caterers, Almonesson, NJ;
Jul. 23, National Golf Club, Saratoga Springs, NY; Jul. 24, The Pavilion. Old Orchard Beach, ME; Jul. 25, Imperial Theatre, St. John, NB
CAN; Jul. 27, Officers Club, US Naval Station, Newport, RI; Jul. 28, private dance, Narragansett, RI; Jul. 29, Palace Theatre,
Manchester, NH; Jul. 30, tba, Berlin, NH
Russ Morgan Orchestra directed by Jack Morgan: Jul. 8, Indiana Roof Ballroom, Indianapolis, IN; Jul. 14, American
Legion, Orland, IN; Jul. 19-23, cruise, Mississippi Queen riverboat
IN-PRINT AND / OR ONLINE
Bauer, Jennifer K. "Jazz legend Hampton had bond with Nez Perce Tribe," Lewiston [ ID ]
Tribune, July 25, 2007. [ Hampton was made an honorary member of the tribe ]
Copeland, Alan. Jukebox Saturday Nights: Alan Copeland, Pop Music, Big Bands,
in Radio, Movies and TV from 1920s thru 1960s (Albany, GA: BearManor Media, 2007).
[ 312-pg book; incl. story of his working with The Modernaires from 1948-on ]
Eaton, Tony. "On the Net: Tony Eaton is still surfing," Moonlight Serenader, Number 313 /
3rd Edition 2007, pp.9-10. [ reviews websites of The Modernaires, John Miller, Jan Eberle ]
Friedwald, Will. "Arts & Letters: Thoroughly Modern Benny [ Carter ]," New York Sun /
nysun.com, July 30, 2007. [ discussing two recent CDs, one featuring Carter mostly as a player, the other mostly as
a composer ]
Gilbert, Andrew. "Jazz Talk: Drummer comes home to visit family, play for fans," [ Walnut
Creek, CA ] Contra Costa Times, July 12, 2007. [ about drummer Sylvia Cuenca, who recently finished
recording an album with trumpeter Clark Terry (Hampton '45; Barnet '47-'48 / '58 Everest "Cherokee" LP / '66-'67; Basie '48-'51 / '76 Pablo
"Basie Jam" LP; Ellington '51-'59) playing music by drummer - bandleader Louis Bellson (Fio Rito '42; Goodman '42 and '46; T. Dorsey '47-'49;
James '51; Ellington '51-'53; Dorsey Bros. '55-'56) ]
Hilburn, Robert. "Backtracking: Prima and Smith's chemistry and showmanship on exhibit,"
Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2007. [ review of Capitol/EMI 92566 and 00013 ]
Modell, Ron. "Catching Up With Quincy Jones," Instrumentalist, July 2007.
Panken, Ted. "Reissues: Ellingtonian Drama," DownBeat, July 2007, p.78. [ review of Mosaic 235 ]
Sudyk, Bob. "Many Subjects on Dean's List: A Sports Talk Innovator - Just Don't Call Him
Soft," Hartford [ CT ] Courant, July 1, 2007. [ Arnold Dean, host of "One Night Stand with the Big Bands" on WTIC,
is now 77 and semi-retired ]
Taylor, Roland. "Miller's Mighty Service Band: The ensemble in focus," Moonlight Serenader,
Number 313 / 3rd Edition 2007, pp.2-5. [ continuing chronology ]
Vagg, Miranda. "Big Band: Glenn Miller Orchestra set to play concert at Medina high this
fall," Medina [ NY ] Journal-Register, July 29, 2007. [ the Medina High School Band is presenting the Miller
Orchestra as a fundraiser ]
send feedback about July 2007 "Big Band News" via e-mail
return to "Big Band News" directory
go to Big Band Library homepage
Louis Prima
"Jump, Jive an' Wail:
The Essential Louis Prima"
Capitol/EMI 95266
Big Band Library rating: GOOD
Keely Smith
"The Essential Capitol Collection"
Capitol/EMI 00013
Big Band Library rating: GOOD
JULY 2007 "BIG BAND NEWS"
compiled by Christopher Popa
This is an especially good month for compact disc releases by the big bands, with several often-ignored names included and uncommon material by others!
Topping the list are six CDs from producer Ed Burke, P.O. Box 61888, Pompano Beach, Florida 33081, which offer excellent music but below-par production.
COMPACT DISC REVIEWS
Glenn Miller & His Orchestra
"The Chesterfield Shows 1939 - 1941"
Soundcraft SC-8001
Big Band Library rating: GOOD
Miller completists should appreciate this one! While half of the 18 performances (totaling 61:00) have been previously released by RCA, the material -- coming in the form of full Chesterfield broadcasts -- is welcomed nonetheless.
The sound is, mostly, very good, and never less than good.
Of historical importance, the December 27, 1939 inaugural Chesterfield show (the only half-hour program in the series, and including the first of what was to become the famous "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue" medleys) has not been out in its entirety before.
In the course of the 4 shows included, listeners should especially enjoy the spirited renditions of, to name a few, I Dreamt I Dwelt in Harlem (November 20, 1940, with Al Klink, on tenor saxophone, leading off a succession of solos by various band members, including Miller) and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (May 8, 1941), along with the less-familiar Is This Our Last Night Together (November 20, 1940, with a vocal by Ray Eberle) and I Take to You (May 8, 1941, sung by Paula Kelly and the Modernaires).
It's a Blue World (February 14, 1940) was left off the back listing of songs; it is heard as track no.9, so subsequent cuts are one track off from the printed listing.
I did notice that, oddly, there are no vocals by Tex Beneke; but I checked and these shows are as broadcast. He is heard soloing on tenor sax on several songs.
The fan photo of Miller and three females on the back is a nice touch, but the front cover is way too similar to another Miller CD, "Be Happy" (Magic DAWE95), released in 2000.
Fats Waller & His Rhythm
"1936 to 1941 Broadcasts"
Soundcraft SC-8002
Big Band Library rating: POOR
The package promises excellent-quality broadcasts; certainly, the sound is very good throughout, but nothing like starting off the disc with scant detail plus a wrong date, and allowing things to go back and forth from then on! Besides, this has all been readily available before.
The first 3 selections, The Joint Is Jumpin', Summertime, and Stompin' At the Savoy, are from the December 11, 1938 "This Is New York" program, broadcast over WABC - not simply "1936," as listed.
The next 2 cuts, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter and Christopher Columbus, are, indeed from an "RCA Show" of May 24, 1936; to be more specific, "The Magic Key of RCA."
The date and source for the 3 tunes which follow, I've Got My Fingers Crossed, Honeysuckle Rose, and Christopher Columbus, are incorrect - they are from "The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour" (also known as "The Rudy Vallee Show") of June 4, 1936.
The next 2 songs, Hallelujah! Things Look Rosy Now and A Thousand Dreams of You, are from another "Magic Key of RCA" airshot, this one January 3, 1937.
7 tunes from a July 5, 1938 "Fats Waller and his Rhythm" broadcast over NBC from Radio City in New York are next, wrongly labeled "1937 remote."
The next 2 cuts, I Found a New Baby and Hold My Hand, are correctly identified, including source ("Saturday Night Swing Club"), date (July 2, 1938), and fellow pianist (James P. Johnson).
The final selection, Honeysuckle Rose, is dated correctly (December 21, 1941) but incompletely (it's from the "Freedom's People" program).
The performances are enjoyable (the low rating is not for the music), but collectors who have just two releases, Radiola CD2MR-112113 (or its LP equivalent) and the Buddha Records CD 7446599603-2, are warned that you already have everything -- all 46:01 worth -- here.
Gene Krupa & His Orchestra
"Feat. Anita O'Day & Roy Eldridge:
1941-1942 Previously-Unreleased Broadcasts"
Soundcraft SC-8002
Big Band Library rating: GOOD
With the statement of "10 tracks not commercially recorded nor previously released" on the back liner, this Krupa CD, which runs 60:56, seems promising. Does it live up to my hopes? Pretty much!
Though a few selections have surface noise, the sound mostly is very good, making it a pleasure to hear, arguably, Krupa's greatest band in such clear fidelity. (Try Eldridge's marvelous solo on Embraceable You as one example.)
However, the printed listing is quite vague, simply dating the performances as "1941-42." Armed with a Krupa discography, I can suggest the following - The Panther Room, Hotel Sherman, Chicago, January 3, 1941: That Drummer's Band and You Can Fool Some of the People Some of the Jive [ sic ]; The Meadowbrook, Cedar Grove, New Jersey, February 2, 1941: Georgia On My Mind and Song of the Islands; The Palladium, Hollywood, California, October 3, 1941: Nothin' Yet, Stop! The Red Light's On, and Rockin' Chair; and The Palladium, November 13, 1942: Cow-Cow Boogie and Knock Me a Kiss. The rest would be even more of a guess, though the discography shows only a single surviving live performance for some of them, such as "The Fitch Bandwagon" radio show, January 18, 1942 with Thanks for the Boogie Ride or the "Spotlight Bands" program, March Field, California, December 25, 1942 for I'd Rather Sleep in a Hollow Log. Twelfth Street Rag and One O'Clock Jump appear to be from separate airchecks in March 1942. It's not essential for me to know the exact dates in order to enjoy these performances, though added details such as the dates or venues or personnel probably would have helped this CD to earn an even higher rating.
Don't be put off by the ghostly image of O'Day inserted in between photos of Krupa and Eldridge on the cover. The music's the real thing, even if the photo isn't.
Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
"1936 to 1940 Broadcasts"
Soundcraft SC-8004
Big Band Library rating: FAIR
Red Nichols
"College Prom with Jack Teagarden:
February 21st, 1935"
Soundcraft SC-8005
Big Band Library rating: GOOD
There are a number of reasons to want this Red Nichols title; for example, as a souvenir of Nichols on a single day (February 21, 1935), for the top-notch orchestra sidemen (including several future members of the Bob Crosby band, among them Eddie Miller, Matty Matlock, and Ray Bauduc), the featured vocals by Ruth Etting, or as a remembrance of the "Kellogg College Prom" radio series - "dedicated to good times and good sportsmanship everywhere."
The sound is good throughout the disc, which totals 56:12.
The songs range from then-new pops, such as Isle of Capri, Blue Moon, and Two Cigarettes in the Dark, to melodies probably associated with the University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth College, for which these installments (program nos.4 and 5) are dedicated. These performances may not be to everyone's taste, but, to me, for what they are, they're fine.
Too bad all of the song titles are not known (whatever track 3 is -- it's labeled, simply, "Instrumental" -- I think it's pretty catchy), nor is the full instrumentation or complete personnel provided.
The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
"1933 to 1935:
Hi Fidelity, Wide Range Demonstration Discs"
Soundcraft SC-8006
Big Band Library rating: POOR
In this case, the material is, beyond the titles and composers, given minimal provenance, no perspective, and little respect. The disc runs 48:04.
The sound, for the most part, has a distracting echo, which evidently was part of the master so we are stuck with it.
Only Forty-Second Street, the initial track, is in excellent sound, given the year. It and two others, Learn to Croon (Frank Luther, vocal) and This Is Romance (Luther with Betty Fredericks, vocal) were done as a demonstration record for World in the period July-October 1933. Two songs which follow, listed as "March 1934," Sandman (the Dorseys' theme) and Is That Religion? (with a vocal by Bob Crosby), are, in fact, from a sustaining broadcast at the Riviera Club, Fort Lee, New Jersey, on September 20, 1934. All five performances were once released to collectors on a Fanfare LP.
The remaining 11 recordings were made as transcriptions for Associated -- not as listed in "1936" -- but, rather, mostly on January 17, 1935. A single track, Weary Blues, was cut February 1, 1935. They (and one additional song, When You Climb Those Golden Stairs, with Bob Crosby's vocal) have been available on Circle for more than 25 years (presently, on Circle CCD-20), and, prior to that, on a Design (!) LP.
Capitol/EMI is releasing two new hits collections of Louis Prima and Keely Smith, respectively, on the 17th of this month. Though almost everything here was previously available on the 1994 Bear Family 8-disc "Capitol Recordings" boxed set, both of these titles would be acceptable introductions for someone who doesn't already have any of their material.
