Who better than the connoisseurs at Mosaic records to properly document the legacy of pop vocal pioneers the Four Freshmen? Superior sound as well as booklets that are equally as informative as they are visually striking herald the label's long-standing commitment to quality. This nine-disc retrospective contains all 14 Four Freshmen long-players cut for Capitol records during the '50s, as well as the quartet's contributions to Stan Kenton's Popular Favorites and Road Show albums. The set commences with a five-song demo cut in New York City at the behest of Capitol in April of 1950. The remainder of discs one through three compile the singles and EPs that would eventually be reconfigured and re-released as Voices in Modern and Freshman Favorites, Vols. 1 & 2. Scattered chronologically throughout these three discs are five tracks issued only on 45, with another 17 that remained previously unissued altogether. Discs four through eight contain the concept albums that ultimately became one of the Four Freshmen's most distinctive trademarks. Each featured the quartet with an eclectic variety of musical soundscapes and accompaniments. Included are: ... And Five Trombones, ... And Five Trumpets (featuring four additional bonus tracks), ... And Five Saxes, Voices in Latin (with one additional bonus track), Voices in Love, Love Lost, ... And Five Guitars, Voices and Brass, First Affair, and The Freshman Year. The final disc showcases the Four Freshmen in two different performance environments. The first was originally issued as In Person and includes four bonus tracks. The second is the quartet's sizable contributions to Stan Kenton's Road Show album. A particular highlight is Kenton's orchestral accompaniment on "Day In, Day Out," "Angel Eyes," and "September Song." The latter is also a bonus track featuring vocalist June Christy, who shared the bill with Kenton and the Four Freshmen. The Complete Capitol Four Freshmen Fifties Sessions box set is limited to an edition of 3,500 copies and available mostly at independent CD dealers or online at www.mosaicrecords.com.
by Lindsay Planer
