There are 49 tracks on this double album, and nowhere is there a note of bebop, although the careworn Mr Elman and his expert clarinettist Heinie Beau play some ersatz phrases on the title track.
There’s a “Zig’s Mambo”, a “Samba With Zig” and a “Zig’s Polka” too. If you tire of the name you can escape to “Hup-Je-De-Bee” or “The Wedding Samba”.
Although a lot of the numbers are good tunes, there’s too much angel-singing, and Mr Elman shows neither the technique nor the inspiration of Harry James.
There are a lot of good musicians here. Lou McGarity breaks out once but Charlie Shavers remains anonymous on his dozen tracks. Heinie Beau is a fine clarinettist, and I was interested to see that several of the arrangements are the work of Sid Cooper, better known as a reed man with Tommy Dorsey. I know Sid was a nice man because I interviewed him once.
Discography
Elman (t, ldr) with Heinie Beau (cl); Charlie Shavers (t) and others.
Sounds of Yester Year DSOD2098
