Blu Ray Review: SOUNDIES: The Ultimate Collection

It is hard to accurately gauge the importance of this four disc collection of Soundies – musical films made for juke boxes in restaurants and bars during the 1940s. Soundies features musical artists of the time performing their songs on 16mm film. These two and three minutes movies would then be placed in juke boxes and patrons could plot in a coin and not only hear the music but see it perform.

Of course, this concept is long gone, but enough of these short musical films have survived and are restored and compiled in this new four-disc set from Kino Lorber. It truly lives up to its title as The Ultimate Collection.

Some of the interest in this set would be early appearances by up-and-coming stars like Doris Day, Dorothy Dandridge, Ricardo Montalban, and Gale Storm. Others will be fascinated by the history of African American music displayed on these reels, with performances by Louis Jordan, Fats Waller, Count Basie, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong. But there is also interest in seeing performers whose careers were limited to nightclubs, and whose only recorded performances were in these soundies.

A variety of different styles is presented here, with pop, rhythm and blues, country, and jazz all represented. Some of rock and roll’s earliest roots can be found here.

This collection is a must-have for anyone interest in different styles of music or in music history. And it is essential to be included in any comprehensive library or research center. It is a true learning experience that is also entertaining and exhilarating.

The set can be purchased at this link: SOUNDIES