The focus of this 20-song CD is the work of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra featuring
Bix Beiderbecke and
Bing Crosby, a period covering 1927 through 1929, up through their recording of "Waiting at the End of the Road," and includes releases on both RCA-Victor and Columbia. Crosby is part of
the Rhythm Boys on much of the material here, though he always gets at least a little solo spot. Four of the titles here -- "Sunshine," "Mississippi Mud," "Do I Hear You Saying," and "You Took Advantage of Me" -- never got out originally. Among the other curiosities before us, "Oh Miss Hannah" was only issued outside of the United States. The material is all first-rate, easily among the liveliest and most sophisticated material in the band's output, and among its most enduring today --
Bix Beiderbecke is featured prominently throughout, so the value for his fans is a given, but one shouldn't forget
Whiteman and the rest of the band, or some of the dazzling textures of their arrangements (especially those by Ferde Grofe). What's more, the group was still at its peak as a popular jazz ensemble when these sides were cut, so even listeners who are disinclined to appreciate vocal numbers may want to check this disc out -- it's worth owning for "Mississippi Mud" alone, even though Crosby isn't half as prominent as
Irene Taylor. Some of these cuts appear elsewhere, even on other ASV releases, but since Columbia's Crosby-
Beiderbecke collection is out of print, this is the only way to get that end of the band's output on CD. The sound is generally good to very good, although few tracks such as "High Water" are marred by excess surface noise from their sources.