Bunny Berigan Anyone?

Khorn · 08-13-2004, 03:51 AM

This guy was one super talent. Which are the best sounding Cd's available of his work?

ZenArcher · 08-13-2004, 07:28 AM

Hi there! I'm a big Bunny Berrigan fan as well. I'd recommend searching out some of the "Chronological Classics" CDs. They seem to be out of print, but still available on Amazon and other places. The source material they use isn't always the best, but they do not further muck up the sound. There's also a CD on Hep Records that sounds very good.

**Steve Hoffman** · 08-13-2004, 11:19 AM

I'm a Bunny Berigan fan (Louis Armstrong's favorite trumpeter).

Bunny like Bix led a sad life. Alcohol does that to you. Bunny was quite a drinker. He once drank 16 scotches and then went on the bandstand feeling no pain, he stepped right off and sailed to the floor, still playing, still feeling no pain. Funny, but when you die at 34 it's actually tragic.

Try and find the MCA LP I did on Bunny for some of his rare stuff.

Now, the bad part:

I have NEVER heard an RCA LP or CD that does justice to his work. The best I can recommend is the BUNNY BERIGAN Vintage Music LP on RCA-Victor. It's a good sample of his work but it's lifeless, as are the 45 "boxes" from the early 1950's. RCA-Victor made the WORST sounding 78 to tape transfers in history, adding echo and compression, truly dreadful. The ONLY way to hear the power of this guy's trumpet is on the original 78's.

Now, the good part:

Most of these original Victor 78's are out there and cheap. The 12" disc of "I Can't Get Started" is perhaps one of the best records ever made (and it has a whopping 30 db of dynamic range to boot). An essential record. Avoid the 10" version as it's just a dub of the big record with the beginning cut off.

I have EVERY Bunny Berigan 78 under his own name, including all the Vocalions, Brunswicks and Scroll Victors. I just love the guy.

Sckott · 08-13-2004, 11:26 AM

Boy, you ARE a serious 78 collector!

vanmeterannie · 08-13-2004, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Hoffman

RCA-Victor made the WORST sounding 78 to tape transfers in history, adding echo and compression, truly dreadful.

I thought the Glenn Miller I had on LP and CD sounded alright until I put on a 78 of "Moonlight Cocktail" recently...it's like they are standing right in front of you. The presence on 78s can be really amazing sometimes.

I have the 12" "I Can't Get Started", but it has a chip out of it...so basically I have the 10" version!

ZenArcher · 08-13-2004, 12:10 PM

Is it kosher for someone to transfer these 78s to CD and sell 'em? Are the recordings in the public domain?

I am *not* asking anyone to do it, just wondering what the legal status of some of these recordings are.

Geoman076 · 08-13-2004, 12:50 PM

I've been eyeing the mosiac 7 cd Bunny Box set. Anyone have this who could give their review/opinion??

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/Display...lectionID=1041

**Steve Hoffman** · 08-13-2004, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geoman076

I've been eyeing the mosiac 7 cd Bunny Box set. Anyone have this who could give their review/opinion??

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/Display...lectionID=1041

It sure looks interesting. Richard M. Sudhalter is one of my heroes, a true 78 RPM historian and all around nice guy.

John Oteri · 08-13-2004, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Hoffman

I'm a Bunny Berigan fan (Louis Armstrong's favorite trumpeter).

Bunny like Bix led a sad life. Alcohol does that to you. Bunny was quite a drinker. He once drank 16 scotches and then went on the bandstand feeling no pain, he stepped right off and sailed to the floor, still playing, still feeling no pain.

Isn't that what got him fired from the Goodman Orchestra? Or am I thinking of someone else?

tatifan · 08-14-2004, 11:00 AM

I picked up the JSP box set, being not quite ready to plunk down the Mosaic dollars. My suspicion is that they have cloned the Mosaic transfers (only the alternate takes are missing, but otherwise the sequencing is the same), which apparently has become JSP's way. The transfers are from great sources, but a bit lacking in immediacy -- I'd be interested to hear from someone who's compared the Mosaic to the JSP.

Some fantastic music, in either case!

**Steve Hoffman** · 08-14-2004, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Oteri

Isn't that what got him fired from the Goodman Orchestra? Or am I thinking of someone else?

No. Bunny's wanderlust came into play. He didn't like the hard road traveling much, which is ironic because when he formed his own band he had to not only travel to one night stands on the cold tour bus, but he had to be the band manager as well, a talent Bunny never had, he was all music. Of course, the extra stress of managing his own big band caused him to drink even more.

After Goodman (SOMETIMES I'M HAPPY/KING PORTER STOMP) Bunny joined Tommy Dorsey's band in 1937 (MARIE) and his own band in 1938 (I CAN'T GET STARTED). By 1940 he was back with Tommy Dorsey (EAST OF THE SUN) but quit after a year because he said he didn't get enough to play. He then tried his own band again but lost his Victor contract in 1941. By 1942 he was on Eli Oberstein's new ELITE label (I GOT IT BAD AND THAT AIN'T GOOD) but his bouts of drinking left him more and more incapable of touring.

By 1942 he developed pneumonia but would NOT leave his band to go it alone, joined up with them, got really sick and, at Polyclinic Hospital with Tommy Dorsey at his bedside, he died on June 2, 1942. 34 years old.

Such a great trumpet player. Powerful, with that Irish sound. One of the few white trumpet players of that era to really go out on a musical limb every time. You can hear it in his Victor recordings, they are full of trumpet mistakes made when Bunny was "reaching for something new". Mistakes on records in those days were rare, in fact I can't think of another artist who had a flubbed note or two go out on record. But it was the stuff AROUND the flub that the fans loved.

The Victor engineers had to place him across the room from the microphones because of his powerful tone. Try and find the original 12" 78 of I CAN'T GET STARTED (With You). THAT is amazing playing; his trumpet dwarfs the entire rest of the band.

Rivendell61 · 08-16-2004, 01:49 AM

I'm another one who has been ready to pull the trigger on that Mosaic set.

For Berigan fans--in addition to the page linked by Geoman076 above--Mosaic has put on their site the complete discography--a wonderful pile of info. Also notes on the mastering, problems encountered, etc.

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/Discogr...lectionID=1041

I'd be interested in any firsthand reports on the Mosaic Berigan set. (For what it is worth my Mosaic Bobby Hackett Box is very well done....).

Mark

08-13-2004, 03:51 AM	#1
Khorn Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: North York (Toronto) Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,203	Bunny Berigan Anyone? This guy was one super talent. Which are the best sounding Cd's available of his work? __________________ "Music? We ain't got no music. We don't need no music. I don't have to show you any stinking music. We have equipment."

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08-13-2004, 07:28 AM	#2
ZenArcher Forum Addict Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 1,727	Hi there! I'm a big Bunny Berrigan fan as well. I'd recommend searching out some of the "Chronological Classics" CDs. They seem to be out of print, but still available on Amazon and other places. The source material they use isn't always the best, but they do not further muck up the sound. There's also a CD on Hep Records that sounds very good.

08-13-2004, 11:19 AM	#3
Steve Hoffman Your host Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 39,603	I'm a Bunny Berigan fan (Louis Armstrong's favorite trumpeter). Bunny like Bix led a sad life. Alcohol does that to you. Bunny was quite a drinker. He once drank 16 scotches and then went on the bandstand feeling no pain, he stepped right off and sailed to the floor, still playing, still feeling no pain. Funny, but when you die at 34 it's actually tragic. Try and find the MCA LP I did on Bunny for some of his rare stuff. Now, the bad part: I have NEVER heard an RCA LP or CD that does justice to his work. The best I can recommend is the BUNNY BERIGAN Vintage Music LP on RCA-Victor. It's a good sample of his work but it's lifeless, as are the 45 "boxes" from the early 1950's. RCA-Victor made the WORST sounding 78 to tape transfers in history, adding echo and compression, truly dreadful. The ONLY way to hear the power of this guy's trumpet is on the original 78's. Now, the good part: Most of these original Victor 78's are out there and cheap. The 12" disc of "I Can't Get Started" is perhaps one of the best records ever made (and it has a whopping 30 db of dynamic range to boot). An essential record. Avoid the 10" version as it's just a dub of the big record with the beginning cut off. I have EVERY Bunny Berigan 78 under his own name, including all the Vocalions, Brunswicks and Scroll Victors. I just love the guy.

08-13-2004, 11:26 AM	#4
Sckott Goodbye. Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: MA Posts: 19,949	Boy, you ARE a serious 78 collector!

08-13-2004, 12:10 PM	#6
ZenArcher Forum Addict Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 1,727	Is it kosher for someone to transfer these 78s to CD and sell 'em? Are the recordings in the public domain? I am not asking anyone to do it, just wondering what the legal status of some of these recordings are.

08-13-2004, 12:50 PM	#7
Geoman076 Sealed vinyl is Fun!! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sagamore Beach, MA Posts: 2,451	I've been eyeing the mosiac 7 cd Bunny Box set. Anyone have this who could give their review/opinion?? http://www.mosaicrecords.com/Display...lectionID=1041

08-14-2004, 11:00 AM	#10
tatifan Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston Posts: 67	I picked up the JSP box set, being not quite ready to plunk down the Mosaic dollars. My suspicion is that they have cloned the Mosaic transfers (only the alternate takes are missing, but otherwise the sequencing is the same), which apparently has become JSP's way. The transfers are from great sources, but a bit lacking in immediacy -- I'd be interested to hear from someone who's compared the Mosaic to the JSP. Some fantastic music, in either case!

08-16-2004, 01:49 AM	#12
Rivendell61 Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Virginia Posts: 216	I'm another one who has been ready to pull the trigger on that Mosaic set. For Berigan fans--in addition to the page linked by Geoman076 above--Mosaic has put on their site the complete discography--a wonderful pile of info. Also notes on the mastering, problems encountered, etc. http://www.mosaicrecords.com/Discogr...lectionID=1041 I'd be interested in any firsthand reports on the Mosaic Berigan set. (For what it is worth my Mosaic Bobby Hackett Box is very well done....). Mark