The seventh CD in the Classics label's Gene Krupa reissue series is mostly fairly weak. Despite Krupa's presence, his band at the time was average (only trumpeter Shorty Sherock had much of a reputation as a soloist) and, of the 21 selections on this disc, only three are instrumentals. Irene Daye's nine vocals are certainly listenable, although Howard Dulany's seven ballad features are more routine; Daye and Dulany take "You Forgot About Me" as a vocal duet. The instrumentals ("Hamtramck," "Full Dress Hop" and an excellent version of "Sweet Georgia Brown") are fine, but this CD is only recommended to completists.
This volume in the Classics Gene Krupa chronology presents everything recorded by the Gene Krupa Orchestra between June 5 and October 3, 1941. These sessions took place in New York, Chicago, and Hollywood. The music came out on the OKeh label and was well received by a record-buying public with an apparently insatiable appetite for pop vocals. In addition to smooth crooning from Howard Dulany and Johnny Desmond there were snappy, jazzy vocals from Anita O'Day. Dulany's best moments occur during the humorous "Love Me as I Am," a humble opus peppered with references to snoring and tabletop doodling…
The first CD in the European Classics label's "complete" Gene Krupa series starts off with two all-star sessions that preceded the drummer's first dates as a big-band leader. Krupa, Benny Goodman, bassist Israel Crosby (featured on "Blues of Israel") and several sideman from Goodman's 1935 band jam four songs, and from the following year, Krupa is joined by trumpeter Roy Eldridge, tenor saxophonist Chu Berry, pianist Jess Stacy, guitarist Allan Reuss, Crosby and (on two of the four songs) singer Helen Ward. The two instrumentals ("I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music" and "Swing Is Here") are near-classics that are quite heated…
The second Gene Krupa CD in Classics complete reissuance of his swing-era recordings has 22 titles from Krupa's Orchestra during the latter half of 1938. The big band did not yet have its own personality, but Irene Day was a fine pop/swing vocalist; Leo Watson is in typically eccentric form singing four goodtime numbers; the arrangements of Jimmy Mundy and Chappie Willett generally swing hard; Vido Musso and Sam Donahue get off some fine tenor solos; and the leader/drummer really drives the band. Well worth picking up by swing fans.
The European label's third Gene Krupa set reissues all of the recordings made by the drummer's big band during a five-month period in 1939. Although working steadily, Krupa's Orchestra had not broken through yet (it was still two years away from its prime period). With Irene Daye contributing ten pleasing vocals among the 22 selections and such soloists as trumpeter Nate Kazebier, trombonist Floyd O'Brien, tenor-saxophonist Sam Donahue and pianist Milt Raskin (along with the drummer/leader), the group was starting to show some strong potential, particularly on the instrumentals such as "The Madam Swings It" and "Hodge Podge." Well-played if not overly distinctive swing music.