Available on iTunes:"here":http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=58071541Ok, You can see from my MOG User ID that I am a "Jazz Vocal Fan." Now, that's not to say that I don't occasionally allow myself a "guilty pleasure" and buy an all-instrumental CD. Let's just say that of the thousands of CDs I own, only a hundred or so are instrumentals.Normally, I wouldn't have considered purchasing a Gene Krupa album because... well... he was "one of those kinds," a "Drummer!" And a Big Band/Jazz one at that! If anyone reading this has a daughter who is considering joining a band, warn her to stay away from the percussion section! :) I've even heard Meatloaf warn his audience about drummers!Anyway, as a fan of the Verve re-issues, this CD sorta jumped out at me while I was browsing the Jazz section at my local Border's. A year or so before I came across this album I was at a retirement party and was introduced to an eighty-something year old woman who had actually been a Woman Marine in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Much of the music I like comes from that era, so she and I had a lengthy conversation about Anita O'Day, Peggy Lee, Sinatra, and many others. Out of the blue, she mentioned that she had gone to dinner with Gene Krupa in the early 1940s at one point. Of course, knowing who Gene Krupa was, I asked her, "Well, what was he like?""Well," she replied. "He had a potty mouth and was really impressed with himself, but he sure could bang on those drums!"So, "Was she right?" you might ask. Of course she was! A former Marine can always be trusted to tell the truth. The album was recorded in 1958, about the time that most of the record companies had started to record in stereo. The recording engineer for these sessions did a great job at arranging the microphones for Gene's drums, and all of the other instruments that play on this album.Not only did Gerry Mulligan arrange the songs, he also conducted all of the sessions. One of many surprises about this album was seeing that Doc Severinsen played trumpet on all of the tracks. The rest of the orchestra contained many notable musicians known to the Jazz Community.Some of the tracks I especially enjoy are: "Begin the Beguine," "Disc Jockey Jump," "Sometimes I'm Happy," and "How High the Moon?" This album "swings," but isn't so out of control that it can't be played at work or while something else is going on in a room besides just listening to the music.Overall, a most enjoyable purchase!
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