Track Listing

1. I'll Play the Fool
2. Gigolo and I
3. Sunshower
4. Hard Times
5. Mister Love
6. Cherchez la Femme/Se Si Bon
7. I'll Always Have a Smile for You
8. Organ Grinder's Tale
9. You've Got Something/Betcha' the Love Bug Bitcha'
10. Transistor Madness/Future D.J.
11. Sour & Sweet/Lemon in the Honey
12. We Got It Made/Night and Day
13. Nocturnal Interludes
14. Soraya/March of the Nignies
15. Auf Wiedershen, Darrio

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #133342 in Music
• Released on: 1996-07-02
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

A Sweet Gumbo Of Music
I heard the song "Chersee Le Femme" on the radio and loved it but the DJ never said who the artist was. It would get played once in awhile but it was just like this mystery song from out of nowhere. Fast forward to me finally finding out the artist was Dr. Buzzard and purchasing this greatest hits CD. The best way I can describe the style is a mix of Latin, big band, and a little disco. This is one of the most innovative, original, and ejoyable albums I have listened to in awhile. Why didn't this style catch on? Buzzard and Co. were really on to something here. I'm a fan of the Cab Callaway band style and Latin and disco so this was heaven for me. I got my "Cherzee Le Femme" plus new favorites like "I'll Play The Fool" and "The Gigolo and I". But what really caught my ear (and won't let go for at least 2 weeks) is "Sunshower". I love the children singing the chorus. It's just this adorable lovesong. I listen to it and I picture walking with my girlfriend though the park during an actual sunshower and the kids are singing in the background. Any band that can create images like that with music is worth listening to. This album is pure magic.

Two out of three (LPs) are here...
...even after ten thousand times listening to these songs (of which there is not a single "filler"), I get goose-skin when this music plays. It's like a musical in the mind. For me, this is as good as Ellington or Miles; in other words, it belongs to the best music created in the 20th century. It's just a pity that the U.S. hasn't yet awoken to one of its most ingenious musical artists so far (and there have been quite a lot). Stony Browder and his cohorts deserve respect and recognition. It's never too late. And why doesn't Elektra Records finally release "goes to Washington", Savannah's third LP on CD? It's just as good as the two first LPs which are included on this Best-of Set. Again: whoever owns "goes to Washington", PLEASE go ahead and release it. (The original covers would be great, too.) And then, all three Original Savannah Band LPs should be re-released as one grand double CD-set. DR. BUZZARD'S ORIGINAL SAVANNAH BAND FOR EVER!

4.5 stars: The ONLY Dr. Buzzard CD you'll ever need (for now).
Man, this group was truly original from the very moment they emerged back in the late '70s. Fusing big band swing with the pulsating rhythms of disco and whatever chief songwriters/co-founders Stony Browder Jr. and August Darnell could pull from their fertile imaginitive minds, their sound became something that transcended even the most popular music of its day. Another plus they had going for them were the creamy yet playful vocals of lead singer Cory Daye, who really gave the songs that extra vitality needed to make the whole concept run as smoothly as it did. It's a shame this group only lasted a few years before splintering (with Darnell and fellow member "Sugar-Coated" Andy Hernandez branching off to form their own outfit under the name Kid Creole and the Coconuts, their music also worth checking out), but the material they managed to come up with here will definitely stand the test of time if it hasn't already. Recommended for ALL who just love and appreciate good music.

Note: the title of this collection is somewhat misleading, for it really contains the group's entire output (both their self-titled debut album and their slightly more ambitious '78 follow-up 'Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Meets King Pennett') for the RCA label. Unfortunately the tracks are not in chronological order and was probably done to give the impression of it being an actual "very best of" set. Pretty slick marketing ploy, but totally unnecessary if you ask me. Now if only their '79 Elektra release ('Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Goes To Washington') would just get reissued, then you'd definitely have it all!