Customer Reviews
Must have for BG & Jazz fans - By: Mr. DAVID Geer, 01 Oct 2008 
Like most other reviewers I was dissapointed with the failure to clean up the scratches & whistles from the original discs, however I still have a tone control though only used it one time round. Now I have got totally used to the variable background noises, & the music does shine wondefully from within & without. And what a show it was, no wonder its a legend! Its complete too, no cuts, all there!
I suspect you could try & clean up these tracks yourself but I got to thinking it not worth the effort - Goodman never sounded so good & its clear that Krupa is a very good reason for the swing & lift of these tracks but as the notes point out he toned himself down for the history of jazz & track with Basie & his boys. You must remember (if you knew) that recording drums & deep notes was very hard apparently backin the '30's. Apparently they broke the microphones so to have such clarity from the drum kit as Schaap achieves is one of the reasons why he left the hiss in, otherwise I suspect the edge simply goes! I was told this when raving over a Django disc; guitar & bass strings weren't so hard on mikes hence the hot clubs strong rythym.
Of course things continued to improve & if you werein the movies then they used absolutely the latest kit to record you - sometimes! Compare the Miller films with the RCA discs & you'll spot cracks, the film score is heaps better & also includes trumpet breaks etc that were deemed a little over the top for the disc.
Without Goodman & his crew/s as demostrated by this disc, jazz would not have enduredin the mainstream for quite so long as it did - though its sadly mainly gone now - can't get those guitar pluckers out of the place!
If you already have this materialin an early issue its probably not going to do so much for you except fillin the gaps & remove the cuts, if you don't then its Goodman at his peak!
5 stars for me anyway!
The Swing King visits Carnegie Hall - By: Peter Jackson, 08 Aug 2002 From the first audience reaction to Benny's swing band starting the evening of January 16 1938, the outfit eased its way into a night of top class performances. Benny's band had trumpet greats Harry James & Ziggy Elman. There was Vido Musso, sax. Jess Stacey, piano. Benny himself, & the magnificent Gene Krupa on drums. After the band had blazed through several of their hits, Benny brought on his quartet.
Some quartet! Benny, Teddy Wilson, piano. Lionel Hampton, vibraphone, & Gene driving them along.
They caressed music at first & then hit the hot stuff with 'Dizzy Spells' with incredible playing from Hampton.
The main music ended with the whole band playing 'Sing Sing Sing. It all made me wish I had been there.
But this issue only for fanatics of this wonderful concert - By: G. J. Long, 26 Nov 2000 As a teenagerin the 1950's I was completely bowled over the by music played at this concert. Since then I have been a Benny Goodman fanatic. My parents bought me the very first two LPs issued & I have since bought the later LP issue & three sets of different CD issues. This is swing at its best with musicians at top of their form. However, buy other versions of this concert on CD before this one. I give it five stars as I found it incredible to hear the complete concert, including tracks that techniquesin the 1950's were unable to transfer to vinyl: these were 'Sometimes I'm happy' & 'If Dreams come true.' All the crackles have been leftin as it was felt that taking them out would reduce the quality of the music but most people will probably find it unacceptable. After nearly 50 years of listening to this concert I still find the music incredibly exciting. Strongly recommend the concert but other versions first please.
Benny Goodman-a lost opportunity? - By: , 20 Apr 2000 
After having, first the LP & then the tape, I welcomed the opportunity to get this, supposedly, extra special version of the concert. The CD gives a better idea of the actual concert, & the intro, by Goodman, sets the tone. However, of the extra tracks indicated, only one gives a band number missing from the tape, the remainder being a series of 'band intros', appearing at the end of the CD. My biggest disappointment is the quality of sound. Given the ability, these days, to bring old recordings up to a high level, no attempt has been made to improve the fidelity. Having said that, we now have a feeling of 'being there', which makes listening worthwhile. However, if I had realised how low grade the sound was, I would not have ordered it.
