When swing became popular and the big-band craze first landed in the 30s, not every American, nor every fan of music was ready for the hard-swinging style led by Benny Goodman and Fletcher Henderson.  The sweet bands, often derided and unfairly compared to those swing bands also active during the 1930's and 40's, came out of a different tradition entirely.  Though similarly influenced by jazz maestros from Duke Ellington to Louis Armstrong, the sound of the sweet bands was simply an outgrowth from the society orchestra of the 1910's and 20's.  Based mostly in New York, hundreds of society bands, Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians to Les Brown and His Band of Renown, paved the way for the most popular band of the World War II era, the Glenn Miller Orchestra and even after large orchestras became unfeasible after the war, the sound of the sweet bands lived on for decades via the Lawrence Welk Show and various big-band tours.  Although virtually all jazz groups prior to the rise of bebop in the early to mid 40's played for dancers, the term dance bands is used to describe orchestras of the 1920's and 30's whose primary funxtion was to play background music for dancers rather than to serve as vehicles for jazz improvisations.  The more progressive dance bands of the early to mid 20's left some room for short solos and by the late 20's most of the less commercial dance bands had brief spots in their arrangements for trumpeters or reed players to solo after the vocal refrain.  The dance bands, although emphasising the melody and the vocalists, were generally influenced by jazz and incorperated elements of swing after the emergence of Benny Goodman in 1935, although they were often classified as sweet bands.  After 1945, dance orchestras became less common, were often tied to nostalgia, and were much less relevant to jazz.  Hindsight Records brings you the best of the original big band recordings of the 30's, 40's, and 50's.  Exciting performances by some of your favorite pop bands such as Les Brown, Artie Shaw and Glen Miller.  It's  big band jazz at its best with unforgetable numbers and previously unavailable performances.  A must have for the collector who wants to experience all the musical riches of the 30's, 40's, and 50's --- Swing is back, but it all started with these sweet to swing bands!

Collector checklist for Hindsight Records

HSR - 101, "Jimmy Dorsey, 1939-40"
HSR - 102, "Harry James, 1943-46"
HSR - 103, "Les Brown, 1944-46"
HSR - 104, "Glen Gray & Casa Loma .., 1939-40"
HSR - 105, "Charlie Spivak, 1943-46"
HSR - 106, "George Barnes Octet, 1946"
HSR - 107, "Ozzie Nelson, 1940-42"
HSR - 108, "Claude Thornhill, 1947"
HSR - 109, "Larry Clinton, 1937-38"
HSR - 110, "Blue Barron, 1941"
HSR - 111, "Dick Jurgens, 1937-39"
HSR - 112, "Carmen Cavallaro, 1946"
HSR - 113, "Sterling Young, 1939-40"
HSR - 114, "Jan Garber, 1939-40" -- not issued: see HSR - 130
HSR - 115, "Chuck Foster, 1940"
HSR - 116, "Woddy Herman, 1937"
HSR - 117, "Carl Ravazza, 1941-44"
HSR - 118, "Stan Kenton, 1941
HSR - 119, "Eddy Howard, 1946-51"
HSR - 120, "Glen Gray Vol 2, 1943-46"
HSR - 121, "Alvino Rey, 1946"
HSR - 122, "Henry Busse, 1935"
HSR - 123, "Harry James, Vol 2, 1943-46"
HSR - 124, "Stan Kenton, Vol 2, 1941
HSR - 125, "Duke Ellington, Vol 1, 1946"
HSR - 126, "Duke Ellington, Vol 2, 1946"
HSR - 127, "Duke Ellington, Vol 3, 1946"
HSR - 128, "Duke Ellington, Vol 4, 1947"
HSR - 129, "Duke Ellington,  Vol 5, 1947"
HSR - 130, "Jan Garber, 1939-41"
HSR - 131, "Les Brown, Vol 2, 1949"
HSR - 132, "Les Brown, Vol 3, 1949"
HSR - 133, "Mildred Bailey, 1944"
HSR - 134, "Woody Herman, Vol 3, 1944"
HSR - 135, "Harry James, Vol 3, 1948-49"
HSR - 136, "Stan Kenton Vol 3,  1943-44"
HSR - 137, "Blue Barron, Vol 2, 1938-39"
HSR - 138, "Dick Jurgens, Vol 2, 1937-38"
HSR - 139, "Artie Shaw, Vol 1, 1938"
HSR - 140, "Artie Shaw, Vol 2, 1938"
HSR - 141, "Harry James, Vol 4, 1943-48"
HSR - 142, "Harry James, Vol 5, 1943-53"
HSR - 143, "Hal Kemp, Vol 1, 1934"
HSR - 144, "George Hall, 1937"
HSR - 145, "Russ Morgan, 1937-38"
HSR - 146, "Anson Weeks & Hotel Mark Hopkins Orchestra, 1932"
HSR - 147, "Stan Kenton, Vol 4, 1944-45"
HSR - 148, "Artie Shaw, Vol 3, 1939"
HSR - 149, "Artie Shaw, Vol 4, 1939"
HSR - 150, "Harry James, Vol 6, 1947-49"
HSR - 151, "Freddy Martin, Vol 1, 1940"
HSR - 152, "Johnny Mercer w/ Paul Weston Orchestra, 1944"
HSR - 153, "Jimmy Dorsey, Vol 2, 1942-44"
HSR - 154, "Buddy Morrow
HSR - 155, "Jan Garber, Vol 2,
HSR - 156, "Eddy Howard, Vol 2,
HSR - 157, "Stan Kenton, Vol 5,
HSR - 158, "Sammy Kaye, Vol 1,
HSR - 159, "Tiny Hill, Vol 1,
HSR - 160, "Shep Fields New Music, 1942-44"
HSR - 161, "Hal Kemp, Vol 2, 1934"
HSR - 162, "Art Kassels in the Air Orchestra, 1944"
HSR - 163, "Sammy Kay, Vol 2, 1944-46"
HSR - 164, "Skinnay Ennis, 1946-48"
HSR - 165, "Jimmy Dorsey, Vol 3, 1949-51"
HSR - 166, "Joe Reichman, 1944-49"
HSR - 167, "Alvino Rey, Vol 2, 1946"
HSR - 168, "King Sisters w/ Frank Devols Orchestra, 1947"
HSR - 169, "Freddy Martin, Vol 2. 1944-46"
HSR - 170, "Art Kassel, Vol 2, 1945"
HSR - 171, "Chuck Foster, Vol 2, 1938-39
HSR - 172, "Hal McIntyre, 1943-46'
HSR - 173, "Billy Butterfield, 1946"
HSR - 174, "Sonny Burke, 1951"
HSR - 175, "Griff Williams, 1946 1951"
HSR - 176, "Artie Shaw, Vol 5, 1938-39"
HSR - 177, "Jimmie Grier, 1935-36"
HSR - 178, "Jimmy Dorsey, Vol 4, 1950"
HSR - 179, "Shep Fields, Vol 2, 1940"
HSR - 180, "Clyde McCoy, 1936"
HSR - 181, "Tiny Hill, Vol 2, 1944"
HSR - 182, "Elliot Lawrence, 1946"
HSR - 183, "George Paxton, 1944-45"
HSR - 184, "Abe Lyman, 1941"
HSR - 185, "Spike Jones 1946"
HSR - 186, "Johnny Mercer & his Hotel McAlpin Orchestra, 1939"
HSR - 187, "Guy Lombardo, 1950"
HSR - 188, "Charlie Spivak, Vol 2, 1941"
HSR - 189, "Ozzie Nelson, vol 2, 1937"
HSR - 190, "Freddy martin, Vol 3, 1952"
HSR - 191, "Dick Jurgens, Vol 3, 1938"
HSR - 192, "Bob Crosby, 1941-42"
HSR - 193, "Henry Busse, Vol 2, 1941-44"
HSR - 194, "Horace Heidt, 1939"
HSR - 195, "Stan Kenton, Vol 6, 1962"
HSR - 196, "Alvino Rey, Vol 3, 1940-41"
HSR - 197, "Will Osborne, 1936"
HSR - 198, "Frankie Laine, 1947"
HSR - 199, "Les Brown, Vol 4, 1956-57" 
HSR - 200, "Doris Day, 1953"
HSR - 201, "Raymond Scott, 1944"
HSR - 202, "Horace Heidt, 1943-45"
HSR - 203, "Jimmy dorsey Dorseyland Jazz Band, Vol 5, 1950"
HSR - 204, "Jan Garber, Vol 3, 1946-47"
HSR - 205, "Freddy Martin, Vol 4, 1948, 1952"
HSR - 206, "Gray Gordon & His Tic TOc Rhythm, 1939"
HSR - 207, "Sammy Kaye, Vol 3, 1944-46"
HSR - 208, "Ozzie Nelson, Vol 3, 1938"
HSR - 209, "Bob Crosby, Vol 2, 1952-53"
HSR - 210, "Lester Lanin, 1960-62"
HSR - 211, "Raymond Scott, Vol 2, 1944"
HSR - 212, "Jerry Gray, 1952"
HSR - 213, "Jan Savitt, 1939"
HSR - 214, "Kay Starr, 1947"
HSR - 215, "Phil Harris, 1933"
HSR - 216, "Frankie Laine w/ Carl Fisher's Orchestra, Vol 2, 1947"
HSR - 217, "Helen O' Connell w/ Irv Ortons orchestra, 1955'
HSR - 218, "Benny Carter, 1944"
HSR - 219, "June Christy, 1946"
HSR - 220, "Peggy Lee w/ David Barbour and Billy May Bands
HSR - 221, "Jimmie Lunceford & the Harlem Express"
HSR - 222, "Hal Kemp, Vol 3, 1936-37'
HSR - 223, "Patti Page w/ Lou Steins Music, 1949"
HSR - 224,
HSR - 225, "Eddie Miller, 1944-45"
HSR - 226, "Doris Day w/ the Page Cavanaugh Trio"
HSR - 227, "Andy Kirk and the Clouds of Joy"
HSR - 228, "Helen O' Connell w/ the Page Cavanaugh Trio"
HSR - 229, "Kay Starr, 1949
HSR - 230, "Zim Zemarel, Live at the Hyatt Regency
HSR - 231,
HSR - 232, "Erskine Hawkins, 1942"
HSR - 233, "Lucky Millinder, 1942"
HSR - 234, "Rosemary Clooney, 1951-52"
HSR - 235, "June Christy, Vol 2, 1957"
HSR - 236,
HSR - 237, "Lionel Hampton Septet, 1962"
HSR - 238,
HSR - 239, "Bunny Berigan, 1937-38"
HSR - 240, "Ray Anthony, 1952-54"
HSR - 241, "Bob Crosby, Vol 2, 1952-53"

This limited specialty series was designed for the connoisseur collector and includes amazing previously unreleased material from original radio only broadcast recordings and reference recordings spanning from the 1930's into the early 1960's. Bands and artist range from well know legendary to more obscure regional. A truly remarkable collection for the collector who appreciates the performance quality of these special recordings from live club and hotel remotes and other performance transcription recordings.