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Mark Bakker · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 9:59 pm Post subject: Bing and Al Jolson

Hi Ken

Have i missed something? Sometime ago you mentioned that a new CD 'Bing and Al' would be released in April this year. I keep checking with amazon for new releases, but to no avail. Is this project still happening?
Best Regards,
Mark Bakker

Ken Barnes · Host Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 548

Hi Mark,

Good to hear from you. The Bing-Al Jolson will be released in Septmber on the much-acclaimed Sepia label. It will be a 2-CD set comprising every formal duet that Bing did with Al ( plus a couple of the informal ones ) together with ten solos apiece from the two stars. It also chronicles full details of the 12 broadcasts that these two icons did between 1946 and 1950.

The delay in releasing this has been mainly due to the many refinements we did in the digital restoration. I think you'll be knocked out with the sound and,of course, the performances.

Thnaks again for your interest.

Ken

Sinatrafan · Guest

My interest in Frank Sinatra has led me to appreciate the work of Bing.
The great thing about Bing is that he worked with just about every great artist of the 20th century. I'm unfamiliar with his work with Al Jolson - so I'm looking forward to it. To be honest, though. I'm not too crazy about Jolson. The man was such a ham. But I'm told that his work with Crosby is terrific and I'm curious.

Is there a release date for this album ?

Ken Barnes · Host Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 548

Dear Sinatrafan,

The forthcoming 2-CD set of Bing Crosby and Al Jolson will be released on September 6 on the Sepia label. More details will be posted on the News page later this month.

K.B.

Judy Schmid · Guest

hi, Ken - I hope these will be available at stores in England when I come visit for a few days in October!

Ken Barnes · Host Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 548

Hi Judy,

Yes, the Crosby-Jolson will be released on September 6 and will certainly be in general circulation in time for the International Club Crosby convention in October.

Advance interest in this release has been most encouraging. Watch out for details soon in the NEWS section.

Thanks for your ineterest

Ken

Jim Patterson · Guest

If Bing Crosby meets Al Jolson is as good as "Swingin' With Bing" I think this is going to do great business. Count me in for a copy. I was never a great Jolson fan but I think his work with Bing was a revelation. But then Crosby was always great when working with other artists. He not only blended in with their styles, but seemed to bring out the best in them.
His work with Jolson was a prime example of this.

Greg Van Beek · Guest

I just received an advanced copy of this new 2 CD set, which was produced by the great Ken Barnes, courtesy of Sepia Records' Richard Tay. If you loved last years' "Swingin' With Bing" radio performance box set on the Shout Factory label, you're sure to love this new set on Sepia. It contains all of the duets Bing Crosby performed with Al Jolson on radio, from both Bing's shows, circa 1947-50, and Jolson's own 1947-48 KMH, in addition to a healthy dose of solos by each performer. The remastering job is fantastic....you've never heard these old transcriptions sound so fresh, crisp and clear as they do on this new compilation. Ken Barnes and his production team are master craftsman at painstakingly restoring the audio of vintage recordings and correcting them to play back at their proper speed. Kudos once again to Ken and company for a job well done. The album is due to be released on September 6th. I heartily recommend it to everyone.

Judy Schmid · Guest

Ken - my copies (as I'll be donating one to our local library) of "Bing & Al" arrived today, just as I'm reading to travel to Leeds - such JOY in their voices - I'm so happy you chose to work on this project...thank you, once again!

judy

Ken Barnes · Host Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 548

Thanks, Judy for your support and kind words. I'm glad you like the new album.

Just got back from the USA. I hope you had a good time in Leeds. The ICC are a good bunch of people. I wish I could have been there this year.

Keep up the good work.

Ken

Judy Schmid · Guest

Leeds was wonderful - the ICC folks there treated me as if I were someone special (which I'm not) - they were warm and welcoming - and invoked your name as a saint! Surprised

Cuts were played from the Bing & Al CD reminding people that the holidays were coming and to get these CDs on their holiday gift lists!

Ken Barnes · Host Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 548

Thanks, Judy. I must say the new album has drawn great praise from all quarters and we're all very pleased at the response.

I'm glad you got to the Leeds gathering of the ICC and had a good time. I knew you would because they are a great bunch of people. Kind, outgoing and enthusiastic. If they treated yopu as someone special, they're absolutely right. You are.

As you know, I couldn't make it to Leeds this year because of my recent business trip to the USA, but I'll make every effort to attend next year.

Mark Bakker · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2006 10:32 pm Post subject: Bing and Al

Ken,

I love this CD set, it's hardly been out of my CD player in the lounge or car. The sound restoration is excellent throughout. Even so, the recordings from The Jolson Shows seems to be of a slightly superior sound quality to the recordings of the Crosby shows. Did the Jolson shows come from better source material?
Here's looking forward to more Bing projects!
Mark Bakker
Bristol

Ken Barnes · Host Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 548

Thanks, Mark, for your enthusiasm for this album. I must say I'm pleased with the way it's turned out. The combination of Bing and Al is one of the true highlights in 20th century entertainment.

It's interesting that you feel the sound quality is better on the Jolson shows than on the Crosbys. There were only two Jolson shows and the first was clearly the better of the two. But we didn't do the songs in strict choronological order. It seemed a better idea to mix them up and finish the sequence with the marvellous Gershwin Medley.

In putting the entire album together, we worked from original transcription sources, but because the 12 shows were recorded in three different locations - Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York - they involved different engineers working in different acoustics. In editing and mastering the album, Peter Reynolds and I worked hard to accomplish a consistency of sound that would override these problems and give the impression that each CD was a show in itself. If we didn't succeed 100%, I think we were pretty close. Anyway, I'm glad you like the results.

N. Barbour · Guest

Dear Ken Barnes
I was pleased to learn that the Bing Crosby-Fred Astaire album which you produced in London is soon to re-appear on CD. Will it have any extra tracks this time ?