Warner Bros. Big Band, Jazz & Swing Short Subject Collection (6 DVD Set)Warner Bros. Big Band, Jazz & Swing Short Subject Collection (6 DVD Set)
Join many of entertainment history’s all-time greatest performers and ensembles, gathered in this jaw-dropping assemblage from the Warner Bros.’ vault. This one-of-a-kind 11+-Hour, 6-Disc Collection of 63 Theatrical Shorts is your ticket to a golden age of melody and musicianship.
Rating:  Price: $ 66.74 |
(out of 4 reviews)
Review by jamco2000 for Warner Bros. Big Band, Jazz & Swing Short Subject Collection (6 DVD Set)
Rating:
A fantastic assemblage of 63 Warner theatrical shorts. Its all rare music. You can listen to it in your car or at home. A great gift. The prints are fine. Here is a list of the contents:
DISC 1:
Ramblin’ `Round Radio Row #1 (1932-33)
Ramblin’ `Round Radio Row #2 (1932-33)
Ramblin’ `Round Radio Row #3 (1932-33)
Ramblin’ `Round Radio Row #4 (1932-33)
Ramblin’ `Round Radio Row #5 (1932-33)
Ramblin’ `Round Radio Row #6 (1932-33)
Ramblin’ `Round Radio Row #1 (1933-34)
Ramblin’ `Round Radio Row #2 (1933-34)
Ramblin’ `Round Radio Row #1 (1934-35)
The Yacht Party
The Audition
DISC 2:
Yamekraw
Smash Your Baggage
That’s the Spirit
Pie, Pie Blackbird
Rufus Jones for President
All Colored Vaudeville Show
King for a Day
The Black Network
DISC 3:
Eddy Duchin & Orchestra
Mills Blue Rhythm Band
Isham Jones & His Orchestra
Ben Pollack & His Orchestra
Dave Apollon & Co. in The Wishing Stone
Johnny Green & His Orchestra
Borrah Minevitch & His Harmonica Rascals
Red Nichols & His World Famous Pennies
George Hall & His Orchestra
Harry Reser & His Eskimos
Little Jack Little & Orchestra
DISC 4:
Jimmie Lunceford & His Dance Orchestra
B.A. Rolfe & His Orchestra in Off the Record
Leon Navara & His Orchestra in Sin-Copation
Cab Calloway & His Orchestra in Hi De Ho
Freddie Rich & His Orchestra
Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra
Larry Clinton & His Orchestra with Carol Bruce
Ray Kinney & His Royal Hawaiian Orchestra
Swing Cat’s Jamboree
Saturday Night Swing Club
Larry Clinton & His Orchestra in The Dispy Doodler
DISC 5:
Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra
Artie Shaw & His Orchestra in Symphony of Swing
Vincent Lopez & His Orchestra with Betty Hutton
Frances Carroll & the Coquettes
Larry Clinton & His Orchestra with Bea Wain
Rita Rio & Her Orchestra
Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
Henry Busse & His Orchestra
Cliff Edwards & His Buckaroos
Woody Herman & His Orchestra
Skinnay Ennis & His Orchestra
DISC 6:
Hal Kemp & His Orchestra
Glen Gray & the Casa Loma Orchestra
Six Hits and a Miss
Borrah Minevitch & His Harmonica School
Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra
Jammin’ the Blues
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
Jan Savitt & His Band
Spade Cooley, King of Western Swing
Stan Kenton and Orchestra
Desi Arnaz & His Orchestra
Review by D.Q. Slotkins for Warner Bros. Big Band, Jazz & Swing Short Subject Collection (6 DVD Set)
Rating:
Don’t pay more than the original price of $49.95 from the Warner Bros. collection website.
Review by Mark Schildberg for Warner Bros. Big Band, Jazz & Swing Short Subject Collection (6 DVD Set)
Rating:
Every studio did its share of musical short subjects in the 30′s and 40′s, but this collection from Warner Bros. (a reissue of a collection previously available on VHS and Laserdisc) is required viewing for anyone who wants to remember or discover jazz from this period.
What makes the Warner shorts so valuable is that they put the music front and center. Very few of them use a trumped-up storyline to string the numbers together. Especially important is the short “Jammin’ the Blues,” featuring Lester Young, Sid Catlett, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Barney Kessel, and other jazz immortals. It’s just the musicians doing what they do best against stark backgrounds. The music is given the dignity it deserves and the film offers a clear insight into the joys of a jam session. It has been called one of the greatest films on jazz ever made.
The shorts directed by Jean Negulesco are especially well conceived and filmed, with intriguing uses of light, shadow, composition and angles. But the music remains the star at all times.
It is regrettable that so many black musicians of this period were subjected to stereotypical depictions that were commonplace in popular entertainment at the time. But at least we have visual records of these great artists in performance.
There are a couple of amusing ringers in the package too, like the harmonica bands of Borrah Minevitch and the Western Swing bands of Bob Wills and Spade Cooley.
I cannot recommend this collection highly enough. It’s great viewing and great history at the same time.
Review by mcjazz for Warner Bros. Big Band, Jazz & Swing Short Subject Collection (6 DVD Set)
Rating:
It is some kind of disapointing that Warner Brothers did NOT provide any additinal information other than the title of the shorts with their 6 DVD pakage. There is NO track listing nor band line-up. please be aware that there are many shorts which are NOT related to jazz at all, for instance the “Rambling ‘Round Radio Rows”. They show some kind of rehearsal but overall there is very little music at all.
Be aware that the bands of Borrah Minevitch, Johnny Green, Cliff Edwards, Ray Kinney, Leon Navara (Sin-Copation), Dave Apollon (The Wishing Stone), B.A. Rolfe (Off the record), Cliff Edwards and His Buckaroos, Bob Wills & Desi Arnaz DON’T fulfil the expectations of a real swing fan.
So overall an overpriced pakage which could easy fit on 4 disks if Warner Brother took jazz seriously and left out the fillers and concentrate on the real thing. ( keep in mind that there are more jazz shorts in their vaults which are NOT issued by now like – Mount City Blue Blowers, Gus Arnheim, Seger Ellis, Red Nichols, Hazel Green just to name a few)
You’d keep in mind that the DVDs you will receive are burned on demand and NOT playable on your computer