I'm desperately seeking a certain version from "How High The Moon" played in a 27 minute documentary on Rosamunde Pilcher which is part of the bonus material from "Coming Home" (the song is played after 11 minutes). I'm 99% sure it's by Benny Goodman from the forties, HOWEVER when I tried to find that same instrumental version by Goodman online in iTunes and amazon.com, I could only find his version with Helen Forrest singing which is different (although very nice as well).
The version from the documentary sounds more like Benny Goodman with Strings although that was recorded in Hollywood in the early fifties and does not contain "How High The Moon".
If some Benny Goodman expert could help me with this, I would be very glad. "How high the Moon" was released first in 1940 and I'm pretty sure this is a forties version. I could play the version on the phone, if necessary.

Go here,

http://www.downloads.nl/local/en/mp3.html

Type in the search, How High the Moon and see if that is the version that you are lookin for. Hope this helps.

Hi Alan,

Thank you very much for those two pages with "How High The Moon" titles. I listened to each of them, but those are all newer versions recorded after the fifties (except the one from Gene Krupa which I already checked out online yesterday).

I also tried Youtube where they have a 1967 version played by Benny Goodman (but I never liked his xylophone phase ).
I hope somebody will read my post and can help.

Thanks for trying !!!

Chrissie

I remember it only by Les Paul & Mary Ford. Could it possibly be Artie Shaw ? ..... Gregg

According to Wikipedia, it actually was Benny Goodman who released the first "Hit" version of "How High The Moon".

The earliest recorded hit version was by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra. It was recorded February 7, 1940 and released by Columbia Records as catalog number 35391, with the flip side "Fable of the Rose".[2]


I'm not a serious collector, but do have a small assortment of Big Band Music -- mostly on vinyl. Unfortunately, a cursory search of my Benny Goodman collection did not reveal any Goodman copy of "How High The Moon"

Here's one that lets you preview 30 seconds for free.

http://www.last.fm/music/Benny%20Goodma ... the%20Moon

Also, I-Tunes has a longer version that you can also preview for free here:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/how-hi ... mpt=uo%3D4

Jim

Hello Jim,

I also sent you a private e-mail.
Unfortunately both versions from your links are different "How High The Moon" versions.
In my forties version on the documentary the clarinet is the dominating instrument and although I can only hear the beginning of the song (maybe one minute), it does not seem to contain any improvisation which is typical for later jazz decades after the forties.

In any case thank you very very much for trying to find "my" version !

Happy Easter,

Chrissie

Did you check the credits at the end of the documentary? All the music used in the program should be listed, along with the performer, and possibly other info which may help locate the correct version.

Hi Bob,

Theoretically that's an excellent idea. Unfortunately this documentary has not much credits at the end. It just shows the director and that BBC Scotland produced it in 1997 (if I interpret the Roman letters correctly).

I will try to contact now BBC Scotland, but have not much hope as most TV stations don't bother answering their e-mails.

Thanks for your input!

Chrissie

Chrissie:

Try here:

http://www.jazz-on-line.com/pageinterrogation.php

Enter "How High The Moon" & Submit. There are 35 different arrangements available in either .ram or mp3. You can download or listen to any or all of them.

I'd try the Dave Brubeck version (1953) first. If that isn't it, there are a bunch more to sample.

Jim