Havin' Fun [2 CD]

Performer: Bing Crosby
Producer: Anders Stefansen; Anders Stefansen
Distributor: RED Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Bing Crosby (vocals); Bing Crosby (spoken vocals); Jack Teagarden (vocals, trombone); Dinah Shore, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee (vocals); Ken Carpenter (spoken vocals); Perry Botkin and His Orchestra, Perry Botkin (guitar); Joe Venuti (violin); Jack Chaney, Jack Chaney (tenor saxophone); James Moore , Phil Stephens (bass guitar); Johnny Cyr, Johnny Cyr (drums); Louis Armstrong (vocals, trumpet); Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires (vocals); Matty Matlock (clarinet); Nick Travis (trumpet); Dick Taylor (trombone); Mel Henke, Buddy Cole (piano); Nick Fatool (drums); John Scott Trotter's Orchestra. Additional personnel: Dinah Shore, Ella Fitzgerald, Jack Teagarden, Joe Venuti, Peggy Lee . Audio Remasterer: Hans Nielsen . Liner Note Author: Chris Albertson. Recording information: Los Angeles, CA (1949-1951); Marine Memorial Theatre, San Francisco, CA (1949-1951). Unknown Contributor Roles: Bing Crosby; Ken Carpenter. Bing Crosby hosted a radio program beginning in 1949 that ran throughout most of the following decade. It featured a number of different musicians, with his good friend Louis Armstrong as a frequent guest. This two-CD set, previously issued on individual discs by Jazz Unlimited as Havin' Fun and Havin' More Fun, was repackaged by Storyville, adding detailed liner notes by Chris Albertson. The banter between the two men varies between ad-libbed and scripted, though it is clear they enjoy one another's company on-stage. Because these performances are excerpted from a number of different programs, there are several versions of "Rockin' Chair," "Blueberry Hill," "Up a Lazy River," and "Lazy Bones," most of which aren't very different from one another. Although Armstrong is primarily a vocalist, he has several opportunities to play trumpet, too, including a hot instrumental ("Panama") with Joe Venuti. Other guests include Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Dinah Shore, Jack Teagarden, and Venuti. Fans of Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong will find this set to be an excellent investment. ~ Ken Dryden

JazzTimes (p.94) - "In addition to a lot of Dixielandish music, a special treat is hearing the often-hilarious verbal interplay of Crosby and Armstrong..."

It can be safely said that Bing Crosby taught America how to sing. Before his arrival in the 1930s, the airwaves were filled with off-pitch, rakish crooners and semi-operatic belters. It was Crosby who brought nuance to popular singing, popularizing the crooning style that influenced everyone from Frank Sinatra to Nat "King" Cole. He was even on hand for the early years of jazz, singing with jazz vocal group the Rhythm Boys in the 1920s. For decades, Crosby was a multi-media giant, hosting his own radio show, appearing on TV, and turning in highly regarded performances in tons of films, both musical and dramatic. He won a Best Actor Oscar in 1945 for his leading role in GOING MY WAY, and his "Road" films with Bob Hope are the stuff of comedic legend.

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