Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong revolutionized the art of singing and changed the course of American music forever. Of course, they did it with recordings like âJust One More Chanceâ and âHeebie Jeebiesâ rather than âWhite Christmasâ and âHello Dolly.â
Recently, the Bing Crosby estate has begun cataloguing and restoring music recorded for Crosbyâs various radio programs. The 160 songs in this Mosaic collection were recorded with the Buddy Cole Quartet between 1954 and 1956 for Bingâs CBS show are absolutely revelatory. Crosbyâs early jazz roots informed his influential career as a pop singer. To our knowledge, these are the only recorded performances of Crosby singing the Great American Songbook in an informal atmosphere with a consummate small jazz ensemble. Without the pressure of phonograph recording sessions which by definition are always in search of hits, these recordings put Crosbyâs artistry in bold relief and redefine the depths of his ...
