Boardwalk Empire Volume 1 : Music From The HBO Original Series

 (12 customer reviews)

I have been a longtime fan of Vince Giordano & I have anticipated this release for a long time.
It is outstanding. Vince is responsible for all the music on Boardwalk-Empire. His good taste & excellent musicianship are without peer. I'm 73 years old & have been collecting music from the early jass/pop era for over 50 years. His singers are tremendous. Each fits exactly with the tune they sing. One thing that struck me was the the heavy drumbeat driving the songs. I imagine that in a real club ( as in the show )
it was needed for the dancers. Those of accustomed to the old 78's will be pleasantly surprised. In the early recording industry the drums were very muted and frequently replaced by the tapping of the woodblock.
I thought I'd heard every song from the era. I have heard tens of thousands of recordings. Even so he supprised me with a couple that are brand new to me.

The quality of this recording is outstanding Despite it's terrific old time music...Read more

Here's a head's up to all of you out there who are thinking of buying this CD. I think the show is great, as is the music, but I ordered this CD primarily because I really enjoy the opening song. For some reason, this is not included among the sixteen tracks in this compilation. It's like buying the "Sopranos" soundtrack without "Woke Up This Morning." If the exclusion of the theme song doesn't matter to you, fine. But I just wanted you to be able to make an informed decision.

Vince Giordano has devoted his life to the pursuit of the jazz and big band music of the twenties and thirties. His interest was kindled at the age of five by a cache of 78s in granny's attic, and by the age of fifteen he was a working musician. His passion has developed in several directions, including collecting early sheet music and extant arrangements, transcribing other arrangements from shellac recordings, and recreating these sonic masterpieces through the medium of his New York based 11-piece Nighthawks Orchestra.

Martin Scorsese has become increasingly interested in the creation of what used to be known as period films, the period in question being the early part of the twentieth century. He and Vince have worked together in the past, most notably on the film "The Aviator", but the series "Boardwalk Empire" reaches new heights, as witness this first volume of soundtrack music. It kicks off with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band's warhorse "Livery Stable Blues",...Read more