There being a dearth of
Jimmy Dorsey studio recordings from the 1930s (or any other era) in the CD catalog, this British release fills part of that hole, covering just over a year in the history of the early
Jimmy Dorsey orchestra. Unfortunately, the emphasis is on vocal numbers: there are only three instrumentals here, which won't please those who prefer
Dorsey's jazzier sides. Additionally, some of the arrangements here now sound a bit old hat, along with the numbers (especially "Pick Yourself Up," not well sung by
Bob Eberle, but nicely played), the band not having hit its real stride until later in the decade. But some of what's here is golden: "Dorsey Dervish" is a thumping, pulsing instrumental that almost fills the instrumental gap, and "Stompin' at the Savoy" is a classic in its own right. Additionally, several of the vocal numbers, such as "Slap That Bass" and "The Love Bug Will Bite You" have a sound and a mood that evoke the best memories of popular swing of the period. The bulk of the material here is from movies and Broadway, so you do get the cream of popular composers of the period, including
George and
Ira Gershwin ("They Can't Take that Away from Me," beautifully sung by
Eberle),
Cole Porter ("Rap-Tap on Wood," "Swingin' the Jinx Away," both sung by
Frances Langford, whose work, by itself, almost makes this disc worthwhile) and
Jerome Kern ("Pick Yourself Up"). There's also one oddity here that Warner Bros. cartoon fans will love: a straight version of "I Love to Sing" (sung by
Don Mattison), a
Jolson number that former the basis for a delightful
Jolson parody. The
Duke Ellington number "In a Sentimental Mood" is also here, featuring
Tommy Dorsey's successor on trombone,
Bobby Byrne, doing the vocals. It was a little too early for
Jimmy Dorsey to do as much with any of this as he would have in his prime, six or seven years later, but this is a fun collection with decent sound, marred only occasional by surface noise.