Cheek To Cheek 1935

My new turntable has arrived so today I offer a rip from a 1985 LP, Cheek to Cheek 1935 (Nostalgia NOST 7657). I wish I could get copies of the other years featured in this series from Sweden, not just for the great music but for the liner notes by Anders R. Öhman. Even though I love many different styles of music, I have to nod in appreciation with Öhman's assessment. Here is just a sample:

"Fifty years later the music of 1935 seems more wonderful than ever. For decades we have now been used to watch how the young generations go "crazy" about very boring or bad, sometimes even directly harmful, types of music and/or of painfully incompetent or musically unstatisfactory artists. Radio, TV and record producers are to this day - often without realizing what they are doing - promoting extremely inferior music with a square, lifeless rhythm. A monotonous and noisy output of sounds, the level of which has been raised more andmore in order to get enough reaction from listeners. This development is singularly sad and unnecessary in view of the fact that we never had a greater number of technically competent musicians than at present, but they are, alas, often used to disadvantage.

Is this description of today's rock- and pop-music biased and unfair? It is, no doubt, somewhat exaggerated and generalizing but in the main it is, I am afraid, not far from reality. What is quite serious and very hard to excuse is that those who are responsible for the musical output in radio and TV take part in creating a demand or even a "need" for trash: by repeatedly hearing the kind of recordings I am referring to the listeners believe that this is music worth listening to. They get used to it, their receptive powers are degraded and the demand is there - it is a crime almost as serious as drug peddling! And the wealth of good, popular music and jazz is waiting in the shelves, unplayed." And here we are 24 years later and the quality of music today is, well, .... Enjoy. +

Tracks

(side one)
1. My Blue Heaven - Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra
2. King Porter Stomp - Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
3. Cheek to Cheek - Fred Astaire acc. by Leo Reisman and His Orchestra
4. Djangology - The Quintet of the Hot Club of France with Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelly
5. What a Little Moonlight Can Do - Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra. (v. Billie Holiday)
6. There's Rhythm in Harlem - Mills Blue Rhythm Band
7. The Dixieland Band - Bob Crosby and His Orchestra
8. I'm Getting Sentimental over You - Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra

(side 2)
9. Thanks a Million - Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra
10. Someday Sweetheart - Benny Goodman Trio (Goodman, Wilson, Krupa)
11. Top Hat, White Tie and Tails - Al Bowlly with Ray Noble and the Freshmen
12. When Day Is Done - Mildred Bailey and Her Swing Band
13. In a Sentimental Mood - Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
14. Drun't in Der Lobau - Greta Keller mit Orkester, Dirigent Peter Kreuder
15. Sometimes I'm Happy - Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
16. Lulu's Back in Town - Fats Waller and His Rhythm