Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti were masters of their instruments (guitar and violin, respectively). They were pioneers in the "string swing" type of jazz, almost a decade before Django and Stephane Grappelli started doing it over in France (admitting to have been influenced by Lang and Venuti). Only a few of the selections on these two discs are popular tunes of the day, most of the others are compositions of those performing (and it's not just Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang--we also hear Jimmy Dorsey, Frankie Trumbauer, Rube Bloom, Adrian Rollini, and some others on some of the "Blue Four" tracks). These recordings were ahead of their time, and they hold up remarkably well today.
Thanks to the excellent remastering by John R. T. Davies, the recordings sound fresher than other re-issues. Joe Venuti's high-pitched harmonics come through sparkling clear as a bell, and Adrian Rollini's bass sax is so warm and rounded, it's the best thing we have to hearing the group perform live. Most of the tracks on the disc have the same overall texture. If you like one, you'll like 'em all.
Disc: 1
1. Black And Blue Bottom - Eddie Lang/Joe Venuti
2. Stringing The Blues - Eddie Lang/Joe Venuti
3. Stringing The Blues - Eddie Lang/Joe Venuti
4. Wild Cat - Eddie Lang/Joe Venuti
5. Sunshine - Eddie Lang/Joe Venuti
6. Doin' Things - Eddie Lang/Joe Venuti/Arthur Schutt
7. Goin Places - Eddie Lang/Joe Venuti/Arthur Schutt
8. Kickin' The Cat
9. Beatin' The Dog
10. Cheese And Crackers
11. A Mug Of Ale
12. Penn Beach Blues - Joe Venuti/Don Murray/Frank Signorelli/Eddie Lang/Justin Ring
13. Four String Joe - Joe Venuti/Don Murray/Frank Signorelli/Eddie Lang/Justin Ring
14. Dinah
15. The Wild Dog
16. The Man From The South
17. Pretty Trix
18. Doin' Things
19. Wild Cat
20. The Blue Room
21. A Sensation
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Disc: 2
1. My Honey's Lovin' Arms
2. Goin' Home
3. Runnin' Ragged (Bamboozlin' The Bassoon)
4. Apple Blossoms
5. Raggin' The Scale
6. Put And Take
7. Put And Take
8. The Wild Dog
9. Really Blue
10. I've Found A New Baby
11. Sweet Sue-Just You
12. Pardon Me Pretty Baby
13. Little Girl
14. Little Buttercup (I'll Never Be The Same)
15. Tempi Di Modernage
16. There's No Other Girl - Joe Venuti's Rhythm Boys
17. Now That I Need You You're Gone - Joe Venuti's Rhythm Boys
18. The Wolf Wobble - Joe Venuti's Rhythm Boys
19. To To Blues - Joe Venuti's Rhythm Boys
20. Doin' Things - Joe Venuti's Rhythm Boys
21. Wild Cat - Joe Venuti's Rhythm Boys
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