Greatest Hits

Track Listings

1. Begin the Beguine

2. Stardust

3. I Cover the Waterfront

4. Comes Love

5. Deep Purple

6. Moonglow

7. Any Old Time

8. Frenesi

9. Lover, Come Back to Me

10. To a Broadway Rose

11. Indian Love Call

12. Temptation

13. Oh, Lady Be Good

14. St. Louis Blues

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Artie Shaw was a reluctant bandleader, frequently leaving the music business for extended periods, often at the peak of his powers. Despite that, he was never at a loss for musical ideas, and he had an uncanny ability for assembling first-rate musicians, rehearsing them intently, and creating hit records. This CD is a good introduction to one of the swing era's greatest bands, though its concentration is squarely on hits, often meaning ballads and familiar songs. "Begin the Beguine," a hit for Shaw in 1938, set the pattern for the leader's emphasis on strong melody, richly orchestrated. That melodic bias even led him to incorporate a string section into the band, but he managed to do it more effectively than any other jazz musician of the era. "Stardust" and "Frenesi" are gorgeous treatments, while "To a Broadway Rose" shows strings could swing. Shaw also had a good singer in Helen Forrest, heard on "Come Love" and "Deep Purple," and a great one in Billie Holiday, who appears on Shaw's own "Any Old Time." The greatest drawback with this selection is the absence of any personnel listings apart from the featured vocalists. Even Tony Pastor, who sings on "Indian Love Call," is uncredited. Fine for casual listeners, it's frustrating for those seeking to identify the other soloists. Among the omitted names are tenor saxophonist Georgie Auld, trumpeters Chuck Peterson and Billy Butterfield, and trombonist Jack Jenney. --Stuart Broomer

Greatest Hits,Artie Shaw,RCA,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Swing

Jazz Music: