In the early 1920s Fred Waring was a student at Penn State, where he formed Waring's Pennsylvanians (which featured a trademark glee club) who entered radio on pioneer station WWJ in Detroit. This generous, fascinating compendium of 24 (all accompanied) songs is from 1925 to 1928, a boom time of heady first success for the Pennsylvanians. Fred's amazing career as a bandleader stretched from the 1920s to the 1970s, enjoying his greatest success in the 1930s, appearing in many movies. These songs have the "jazz age" manic optimism that fit so well in the backgrounds of early cartoons. This is feel-good, funny, tongue-in-cheek dance music with titles like "Keep Sweeping The Cobwebs Off The Moon," "Don't Sing Aloha When I Go," "Syncopation Sal," "How About Me?," "What Do You Say?" and "Any Ice Today, Lady?" (with a bit that sounds like Popeye singing to Olive). It's not possible to be in a bad mood while listening to a Fred do the vocals on a truly silly song like "Bolshevik." Great stuff, digitally restored and remastered! |
