Harry Belafonte - Belafonte At Carnegie Hall (5LP, 45RPM, Box set)
Harry Belafonte (voc) [click here to see more vinyl featuring Harry Belafonte]
Millard Thomas, Raphael Boguslav (g); Norman Keenan (b); Danny Barrajanos (perc) & orchestra conducted by Robert Corman
5 LPs, Box set
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 45 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Live
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Analogue Productions
Original Label : RCA
Recording: April 1959 live at Carnegie Hall, New York, by Bob Simpson
Production: Bob Bollard
Remastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound
Originally released in 1959
Reissued in 2018
Tracks :
Side A :
Act 1: The Moods of the American Negro
1. Introduction – Darlin’ Cora
2. Sylvie
3. Cotton Fields
Side B :
1. John Henry
2. Take My Mother Home
Side C :
Act 1: The Moods of the American Negro
1. The Marching Saints
Act 2: In The Caribbean
2. All My Trials
Side E :
Act 2: In The Caribbean
1 Mama Look A Boo Boo
2 Come Back Liza
3 Man Smart (woman smarter)
Side F :
Act 3: Round The World
1 Hava Nageela
2 Danny Boy
3 Merci Bon Dieu (From The "Haitian Suite")
Side G :
Act 3: Round The World
1 Cu Cu Ru Cu Cu Paloma
2 Shenandoah
Side H:
1 Matilda
Side I:
1 Spoken entro (Harry Belafonte)
2 Scarlett Ribbons
Side J:
1 Ouverture (instrumenntal)
Reviews :
"Belafonte brought 'world' music to the masses, starting with 'Calypso.' ... By the time these two benefit concerts were performed on April 19th and 20th 1959, Belafonte had amassed a catalog of hits familiar to a wide swath of Americans. ... One can argue that originals are the best but not here. No way! Unlike the original pressings mastered from 2-track mix down from the 3-track original tape, Classic Records' reissue on both 33 1/3 and single-sided 45 RPM records and this new mastering are sourced directly from the 3-track tape. ... However, while I didn't think there was more to get from the tape than what Bernie Grundman got for Classic Records, I think Ryan K. Smith and the Sterling team have done just that, showcased by the utter black QRP backgrounds. ... it is among the greatest, if not the greatest live concert recordings ever made and Belafonte's and the orchestra's performances make it well-worth revisiting." Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com
« The granddaddy of all live albums, this double-LP set captured the excitement of a Harry Belafonte concert at the height of his popularity. Sampled from two consecutive performances of identical material, Belafonte at Carnegie Hall was an anomaly at a time when only comedy albums were recorded outside of the studio environment. It wasn't the first live album ever made, but it was certainly the first to be a major financial and artistic success. It stayed on the best-selling album charts for over three years and remained in print until RCA discontinued pressing LPs. From the opening trumpet fanfare and brief orchestral overture to the epic 12-minute version of "Matilda" (which set a standard for audience participation), the album never lets up. It is exciting, poignant, thrilling, intimate, and at times, spontaneously hilarious. Belafonte's mastery in front of an audience was never better displayed than here, a mastery that resulted in him becoming one of the most popular concert draws in history. Producer Bob Bollard and orchestra leader Bob Corman deftly integrated the 47-piece orchestra into the performance but knew when to lie back to let Belafonte sing, accompanied by a small combo of two guitars, bass, and percussion. The concert is divided in three sections: "Moods of the American Negro," "In the Caribbean," and "Around the World." All the hits are here: "Day O," "Jamaica Farewell," "Mama Look a Boo Boo," and others, plus calypso, folk songs, chain gang songs, spirituals, and songs from other lands, representing a veritable best-of package of his first decade with RCA Victor. For sheer scope and genius of performance, this is the quintessential Belafonte package. » AllMusic Review by Cary Ginell
Ratings :
Allmusic : 5 /5 , Discogs : Rate Your Music :