Harry Belafonte – Belafonte At Carnegie Hall (2LPs, Analogue Productions)

At the time of this recording, on April 19th and 20th, 1959, Harry Belafonte was already playing an important role in the film business. So it was easy to sell out Carnegie Hall in New York with his name. What no one was prepared for was the way Belafonte involved the assembled audience in the music. He also integrated his own band into a 47-strong orchestra, apparently with ease. “Belafonte At Carnegie Hall” is an audiophile gem for anyone who can laugh while listening to music. Ryan Smith remastered for Analogue Productions at Sterling Sound Studios in New York. The concert is divided into three parts. At the beginning there are traditionals of the black American population, followed by excerpts of Caribbean music from Belafonte’s youth in Jamaica and finally a wild mixture of popular pieces from all over the world rounds off the recording. The complete work was released by the RCA label and stayed on the US charts for more than three years. She established the enormous popularity of the later Belafonte live shows.