An article this week on the
Jazzwax blog reminded me that I had processed a set of files by Earle Spencer and His Band a while back, for possible posting here.
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| Earle Spencer |
If you are asking, "Who's Earle Spencer?", I am sure you aren't alone. He was a very young and ambitious West Coast bandleader who achieved some popularity regionally in the postwar years, then dropped out of sight. The quickest (and most accurate) way to characterize his sound is "Stan Kenton-like." But while his approach was an homage, it was a high quality one, with powerful brass and good arrangements, and remains enjoyable 70 years later.
My set includes 10 of the 19 songs that Spencer recorded for the Black & White label from 1946-49, all remastered from 78 needle drops found on Internet Archive. If you like what you hear, the Fresh Sounds label has a new release with all the Black & Whites along with a second disc of live performances.
There is more about Spencer in the
Jazzwax article. Also, a detailed look at his career written by Fresh Sounds' Jordi Pujol can be found
here.
The records are well worth hearing if you like the Kenton blast-attack, and deserve to be better known.
An article this week on the Jazzwax blog reminded me that I had processed a set of files by Earle Spencer and His Band a while back, for possible posting here.
