Bing Crosby - Swingin' With Bing: Bing Crosby's Lost Radio Performances

Bing Crosby was without doubt the most popular and influential media star of the first half of the 20th century. He was the best-selling singer until the rise of Elvis, the biggest movie star of the ’40s, and, as host of a long-running radio show, the most popular radio star of all time. For the first time ever, Shout! Factory is proud to present the very best of his radio performances, remastered from transcription discs recorded and broadcast from 1942 to 1954. Bing’s charming banter and relaxed live performances serve to remind us of his warmth and superior artistry, and guest stars such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nat "King" Cole, Dinah Shore, The Mills Brothers, and The Andrews Sisters provide more than fitting accompaniment.

DISC ONE: BING MEETS NAT KING COLE & THE ANDREWS SISTERS With Jud Conlon’s Rhythmaires and John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra

DISC TWO: BING MEETS ELLA FITZGERALD & LOUIS ARMSTRONG (Their Complete Radio Duets – Part 1) Featuring: Dinah Shore, Jack Teagarden and Red Nichols - With Jud Conlon’s Rhythmaires and John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra

DISC THREE: BING MEETS ELLA FITZGERALD & LOUIS ARMSTRONG (Their Complete Radio Duets – Part 2) Featuring: Red Nichols, Joe Venuti, Jack Teagarden, Les Paul, Ziggy Elman, Toni Arden and The Mills Brothers - With Jud Conlon’s Rhythmaires and John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra Album Description

Wonderful Sound Quality

The book included in this set describes the effort those who worked with Bing went through to obtain the original recordings and restore the sound to original broadcast quality. the care really shows...and the excellent performances by some jazz giants really shines through. they were having fun, and really knew how to sing...
March 23, 2007

Essential - and unbelievable!

Shout! Factory is to be commended for issuing this deluxe box set, brilliantly assembled by Bing Crosby's final record producer, Ken Barnes. At the dawn of the 21st century, it is simply mind-boggling to realize that commercial network radio presented top jazz artists - Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Jack Teagarden, etc. - as featured guests on a regular basis. (In Satchmo's case, he seemed to appear on Bing's program at the drop of a hat during the 1949-51 period.) The mutual admiration between Bing, Louis and Ella make their numbers sparkle. Barnes has also thoughfully included several fine ballads Bing sang on radio but didn't record commercially for Decca, while providing some fine live alternates to Crosby studio recordings in "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" with jazz violinist Joe Venuti, and "It Had To Be You" with a beautiful cornet obbligato by woefully underrated jazz pioneer Red Nichols. The high-quality repertoire in this set seems to bear out the assertion that Bing often performed better material on radio than on records during his long Decca tenure.

Perhaps a touch too much treble was rolled off to reduce surface noise - but that's purely subjective. "Swingin' With Bing" absolutely ranks with "Bing: His Legendary Years" as *the* essential Bing boxed set. Recommended without reservation. October 24, 2006

What a gem!

What a find. Bing's voice is so romantic. It is wonderful that they found these recordings. This music will always have its place. October 2, 2005

Not a lot of smooth Bing lingo

I purchased this after reading the review in the Wall Street Journal. If you like the music of Bing Crosby along with his guests Ella Fitzgerald, Louie Armstrong, the Andrew Sisters and other greats from the 40's and 50's you should enjoy this album.

My only disappointment was the limited verbal digressions by the master, Bing Crosby. He does chat a bit with some of his guests and make a few comments but it is very limited. If you buy this album, do so for the music, which is great, and not for the Bing lingo.

The booklet included was also a real winner. It explained how the early radio recordings were made and the significant role Crosby played in the development of the audio tape machine for recording broadcasts. September 13, 2005

It got that Swing

Bing Crosby for those of us who are Baby Boomers is probably best remembered for treacly Christmas shows in the sixties and seventies. Someone for the old fogies to remember their youth, but not of any real significance. This CD set makes me realize that Crosby is an essential for anyone who appreciates the American Songbook. Sinatra may have been "The Voice", but he took the baton from Crosby. Crosby began in the twenties before the microphone and revolutionized singing when he realized the uses of the new technology. (all technology is new at some point.) These immaculately remastered CDs of some radio shows from the 1940's feature: Andrews Sisters, Nat King Cole, Dinah Shore and the incomparable Louis Armstrong. Last but not least was my reason for buying the set: Ella Fitzgerald. Some of the songs are novelties and of no consequence, but the patter and the singing are top notch. This set of disks makes me more curious about the original crooner. September 12, 2005

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