FOUR FRESHMEN - Four Classic Albums (The Four Freshmen & Five Saxes / In Person / The Swingers / Stars In Our Eyes) (2CD)

AVID Jazz continues with its Four Classic Album series with a re-mastered 2 CD release from The Four Freshmen, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details
“The Four Freshmen & Five Saxes”; “In Person”; “The Swingers” and “Stars In Our Eyes”
Hold on a minute….The Four Freshmen? Weren’t they the guys Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys kept going on about way back when? Weren’t they easy listening? Well actually they weren’t easy listening as a listen to our four selections will show you. Leave your pre-conceived ideas at the door and enter the jazz/vocal world of The Four Freshmen. Over a long career The Four Freshmen did indeed cover many musical genres but our selections here focuses on the original jazz influence the group came from. After all, the entire group are featured playing their own instruments as well as utilising those fabulous vocals! Meet the boys-Bob Flanigan-bass and trombone, Don Barbour-guitar, Don Barbour-drums and Ken Albers-trumpet and mellophone. Oh and don’t forget those vocals. And then take a look at some of the musicians along for the ride, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Dave Pell, Georgie Auld, with Pete Rugolo, Dick Reynolds and Bill Holman conducting and arranging. This is no easy listening! Finally, to just return to that musical genius Brian Wilson for a moment, surely he was right to be enthusing about these guys, there vocal blend was from another planet. The Beach Boys got eerily close to their vocal sound, particularly in their earlier work. But what finer tribute could there be from the guy who gave us some of the greatest pop music of the twentieth century including the majestic Pet Sounds?

1-12: ‘The Four Freshmen & Five Saxes’
1. Liza
2. You’ve Got Me Cryin’ Again
3. This Can’t Be Love
4. The Very Thought Of You
5. East Of The Sun
6. I May Be Wrong
7. There’s No One But You
8. Sometimes I’m Happy
9. For All We Know
10. Lullaby In Rhythm
11. This Love Of Mine
12. I Get Along Without You Very Well
13-26: ‘In Person’
13. Somebody Loves Me
14. In This Whole Wide World
15. Holiday
16. Sweet Lorraine
17. You’ve Got Me Cryin’ Again
18. My Heart Stood Still
19. Day By Day
20. Indian Summer
21. Them There Eyes
22. Circus
23. It’s A Blue World
24. Mr. B’s Blues
25. Old Folks
26. Malaya

CD2
1-12: ‘The Swingers’
1. Lulu’s Back In Town
2. Lil Darlin’
3. Let’s Take A Walk Around The Block
4. Dynaflow
5. Do Nothin’ ‘Till You Hear From Me
6. Spring Isn’t Spring Without You
7. Taps Miller
8. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street
9. Satin Doll
10. This Could Be The Start Of Something
11. Lullaby Of Birdland
12. I’m Gonna Go Fishin’
13-24: ‘Stars In Our Eyes’
13. Shangri-La
14. Sentimental Me
15. Standing On The Corner
16. The Lamplighter’s Serenade
17. Teach Me Tonight
18. Tom Dooley
19. Opus One
20. I Thought About You
21. Green Fields
22. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
23. In Apple Blossom Time
24. Imagination