Tweet The Bratislava Hot Serenaders dance band

Take a look and a listen at this YouTube video of "The Bratislava Hot Serenaders," a fine hot dance band from Slovakia, of all places: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f88jL13l ... re=related

According to their website at http://www.serenaders.sk, they have released a number of CD's and at least one DVD. Does anyone know of a U.S.-based source for these? SETH

Your post prompted me to resume the search. I found this link to purchase on their website. It appears to be available to US customers and offers several payment choices including Pay Pal. No U.S. based source as far as I know.

http://www.serenaders.sk/?kat=cd&album=5

Joe -- Thanks for your persistence in discovering what I should have found in the first place. I simply assumed that the Bratislava website would not take U.S. orders. And we all know what "assuming" can often do!

Although it likely won't be a problem for me, I believe it's probably a safe assumption (!) that the Bratislava Serenaders DVD will not play on a U.S. Region 1 DVD player. I solved that issue by setting my computer's DVD player to handle Region 2 DVD's (of Max Raabe and his German-based Palast Orchestra, for example). Others with a multi-region DVD player will also avoid this problem. Thank goodness that there are no "regional" CD players.

Thanks again for following through!! SETH

One small glitch, folks:

Assuming (!) that I have done the currency calculations correctly, the Serenaders CD's and DVD are a bargain at 9.90 Euros (about $14.50 at today's exchange rates).

However -- the shipping from Bratislava to New Jersey is estimated at 16.30 Euros (about $23.76). Even divvied up among several items, that ain't hay!!! (And no jokes, please, about New Jersey being a foreign country.)

I guess I shouldn't complain about those 44-cent U.S. stamps anymore, huh? SETH

You can buy one if their albums on MP3 from Amazon for $9.

http://goo.gl/1xBk6

Another tip of the hat to you!! Silly me, I had also searched Amazon, but used "Bratislava Hot Serenaders" but nothing came up. That's because the album is titled simply "Hot Serenaders."

I think the MP3 version will have to do for right now. SETH

Thanks for the additional info, guys. Never thought to look on Amazon. Perhaps iTunes has them, too. I didn't bother to calculate the exchange rate and the price of the CD's themselves isn't out of line but that shipping is too rich for my blood and bank account.

Worlds Records just announced the release of two CD's by the BHS.

www.worldsrecords.com

Thanks, Joe, for the heads-up!! I saw that the BHS title "The Broken Record" was listed in the World Records "Coming Soon" list a few weeks ago, but then it disappeared. So I figured that it simply wasn't going to be available, and after a while, I stopped looking. Very glad that you noticed, I just placed my order! This is a group that definitely deserves a closer look and a wider audience.

BTW, there is also another great Worlds Records offering this week -- a Kino DVD of various early Paramount band shorts, see http://www.worldsrecords.com/cgi-bin/st ... rase=67054

This title includes performances by Bing Crosby in one of his Mack Sennet outings, Rudy Vallee, Ruth Etting and Lillian Roth. There are also some interesting snippets of Bob Wills and Ginger Rodgers, presumably from some early 1930's Tiffany shorts. SETH.

BTW, there is also another great Worlds Records offering this week -- a Kino DVD of various early Paramount band shorts, see http://www.worldsrecords.com/cgi-bin/st ... rase=67054

This title includes performances by Bing Crosby in one of his Mack Sennet outings, Rudy Vallee, Ruth Etting and Lillian Roth. There are also some interesting snippets of Bob Wills and Ginger Rodgers, presumably from some early 1930's Tiffany shorts. SETH.

I saw that too, Seth. Actually those have been out for quite a while. The two volumes were originally released on LD back in the 90's. Unfortunately, when Kino issued them on DVD they eliminated several titles that were on the LD boxed set. Don't really know why.

OK - now that I have been turned on to BHS (thanks in part to this thread) I've also stumbled across on Youtube - The Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra! Here is a cute silent video of one of their tunes:


So shall we have a Battle of the Bands? Who do you prefer - BHS or OPSO??