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BARGAIN BASEMENT
COMPACT DISCS - Jazz, Dance Bands & Vocalists
| COUNT BASIE | Acrobat 4020 | Jukebox Hits 1940-1952 | ● CD |
| 20 tracks, 60 min, essential Here's Basie you don't hear every day. My favorite, & his most-reissued sides were done for Decca 1936-40. The only Decca side heard here is the classic One O'Clock Jump, cuz it was reissued by Victor in '47 & still hit the charts! What's here are the '40-46 Okeh/Columbia sides & the '47-'50 Victor hits. Of course Mr. 5x5, Jimmy Rushing is here on vocals, but there's a bunch of females thrush's you don't usually hear, like Lynne Sherman singin All Of Me, Thelma Carpenter singing and something rare, Basie covering Duke - on I Didn't Know About You, & Ann More singin Jivin' Joe Jackson. Rushing is here on such classics as Goin' To Chicago Blues/ I Want A Little Girl, & fun cover of Open The Door Richard with Sweets Edison taking a comic vocal on this & a follow-up tune Free Eats! (GM) COUNT BASIE: All Of Me/ Blue And Sentimental/ Blue Skies/ For The Good Of Your Country/ Free Eats/ Goin' To Chicago Blues/ I Ain't Mad At You/ I Didn't Know About You/ I Want A Little Girl/ Jimy's Blues/ Jivin' Joe Jackson/ One O'Clock Boogie/ One O'Clock Jump/ Open The Door, Richard!/ Paradise Squat/ Patience And Fortitude/ Red Bank Boogie/ Robbin's Nest/ Rusty Dusty Blues/ The Mad Boogie |
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| BROTHER BONES & HIS SHADOWS | Acrobat ACMCD 4081 | Globetrottin' With Bones | ● CD |
| 17 tracks, recommended The first ever CD release devoted to this unique performer, Freeman Davis aka Brother Bones - one of the few artists to make commercial recordings featuring his bones playing. His 1949 recording of Sweet Georgia Brown featured him whistling the old standard, accompanying himself on bones, joined by clarinetist Joe Darensbourg and an unknown organist. It became a top 10 pop and R&B hit and in 1952 was adopted by The Harlem Globetrotters basketball as their theme song and at the beginning of each game would enter the auditorium whistling along with Bones' meaning that in spite of its obscurity has been heard by millions of people worldwide. Most of his recordings are pretty much in the same vein, sometimes with a larger backing group. Tunes include Red Wing/ China Town/ Jada/ Rosetta/ Five Foot Two Eyes Of Blues/ Listen To The Mockingbird/ Poor Butterfly/ Lou-Easy-An-I-A, etc. Sound is excellent and booklet has information on the history of bones playing and brief biographical notes on Davis. (FS) |
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| THE CATS & THE FIDDLE | Fabulous 191 | We Cats Will Swing For You, Vol. 1 : 1939-1940 | ● CD |
| 16 tracks, 45 mins, highly recommended First of two budget priced volumes presenting an introduction to the recordings of this fine and important group who specialised in the jive vocal style with the occasional close harmony ballad and featured the distinctive instrumental sound of tenor guitar, two tipples and string bass. This volume, covering 1939 and '40 has 16 songs and includes their most famous one I Miss You So which has been covered by dozens of groups and solo vocalists as well as Nuts To You/ Gang Busters/ We Cats Will Swing For You/ Chant Of the Rain/ Public Jitterbug No 1/ Left With The Thought Of You, etc. Sound is excellent and there are brief notes. Once you become converted you might want to check out the three volumes on Dee Jay Jamboree (55101, 55102 & 55105 - $18.98 each) which features all thri studio recordings plus radio transcriptions. (FS) |
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| THE CATS & THE FIDDLE | Fabulous 196 | We Cats Will Swing For You, Vol. 2 : 1941-1942 | ● CD |
| 16 tracks, highly recommended Another 16 fine examples of jiving harmonies and blues ballads - includes one session with Tiny Grimes on guitar or piano. Includes Hep Cats Holiday/ You're So Fine/ Swing The Scales/ One Is Nevr Too Old To Swing/ I'm Gonna Pull My Hair (let My Wig Come Down)/ Until I Met You/ Blue Skies/ Another Day, etc. (FS) |
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| JOHN COLTRANE | Prestige 30059 | Fearless Leader - The 1957-58 Sessions Led By Coltrane | ● CD |
| 6 CD Box Set John Coltrane's tenure at Prestige Records,
starting in the Spring of 1957, is often seen as a transitional time in
his career, providing the groundwork that led to the legendary work he
did with Impulse and Atlantic. However, when one listens to this music
relating it to the times it was made in, one can appreciate how forward
thinking it really was; Trane was growing, exploring, and breaking small
boundaries during the late '50's. This six CD box captures his tracks as
a band leader from, 1957 to 1958, working with some of the best
musicians of the time: Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Donald Byrd, Freddie
Hubbard, and Jimmy Cobb. Completely remastered and including a 64-page
booklet with rare photos, complete discography and sessionograpy, and
liner notes, this set is a must for serious Bop heads or Jazz fans who
want great music in an attractive package. |
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| JOHN COLTRANE | Prestige 30204 | Interplay - The 1956-58 Prestige Group Sessions | ● CD |
| 5 CD box set. The companion to 2006's "Fearless Leader"
Box Set, "Interplay" collects Coltrane's sessions for Prestige as a
sideman or collaborator cut between 1956 and 1958. Like the earlier set,
the music is presented chronologically in a very attractive package with
crisp remastering and all the bells and whistles. The material ranges
from standards to originals, from hard bop to swinging, lyrical material
and shows Trane's versatility and firmly lays the foundation for his
later Atlantic recordings. For fans, this set is material they probably
already own but with superior sound and in a beautiful package; for
newcomers, this set is a treasure trove of scintillating music. |
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| BILLY ECKSTINE | Proper Intro 2068 | A Proper Introduction To Billy Eckstine - Blues, Ballad | ● CD |
| 22 tracks, highly recommended Excellent intro to Mr. B, from his beginnings as vocalist for Earl Hines to his smooth ballads & up to some great scat & bop! Opening up is the sole number with Fatha, but it's the classic Jelly Jelly. From there it's the first of Billy's all-star orchestras - including such sidemen as Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, Art Blakey, Sonny Stitt & Sonny Criss & includes such classics as Stormy Monday Blues & Skylark, done '42-'49. However from there Bily goes to slick orchestras as he becomes one of the first Black romantic singers & sings gorgeous versions of such tunes as Sophisticated Lady/ Prisoner Of Love & Body & Soul. Finally, there's a couple two-sided discs done with The Metronome All-Stars including Roy Eldridge, Lester Young & Max Roach - the "A" sides of How High The Moon & St. Louis Blues features a straight ahead vocal, but by the "B" side, the band's cookin' & Billy's scattin'! Booklet with full discographical info. (GM) |
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| THE FOUR ACES | Proper Intro 2080 | Heart And Soul | ● CD |
| 24 tracks, 65 min., recommended A post-war, pre-rock and roll, white, close-harmony vocal group, The Four Aces, with leader Al Alberts, financed their own first single Sin (It's No Sin) (Victoria V-101-A) and, following its success, signed with Decca, where they hit it big with Three Coins InA Fountain, Heart And Soul, Stranger In Paradise, and Mister Sandman. But with the rise of doo wop and rock and roll came a corresponding drop in popularity for The Four Aces and their more sedate style. In 1956, Alberts folded his hand and went solo without wild success. The Four Aces replaced him and carried on, but musical tastes had changed and left them behind. A nice collection of their work at an even nicer price. (JC) |
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| LEM FOWLER | RST 1520 | Complete Recorded Works 1923-1927 In Chronological Orde | ● CD |
| Fine collection of blues and jazz featuring excellent
piano player Lemuel Fowler. He is featured accompanying blues singers
Helen Baxter, Helen McDonald, Mae Scott and George Williams. He is
featured on two blues piano solos and there are ten sides by his group
the Washboard Wonders doing blues flavored jazz from two sessions with
differing personnel and ends with two sides by Fowler's Favorites. |
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| PANAMA FRANCIS | Collectables 5313 | All-Stars 1949 | ● CD |
| 15 tracks, recommended Reissue of Krazy Kat LP 813 featuring sides waxed for Gotham. This set really jumps with booting sax licks from Danny Turner on soprano, alto & baritone and George Kelly on tenor. Other cats in the groove include the great Doc Bagby on piano, Herb Gordy on bass & Panama himself on drums who truly punishes skin on Out Of Nowhere . Turner & Kelly excel on Jitterbug Jump and Panama's Jump . You'll wear out the carpet in no time with this one! Thorough sleeve notes. Nine of the 16 cuts are previously unissued. (OLN) |
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| BABS GONZALES | Proper Intro 2052 | Real Crazy - A Proper Introductions To Babs Gonzales | ● CD |
| 23 tracks, 63 min, essential BeBop's biggest cheerleader & most exuberant vocalist, the king of bop, complete with shades, goatee & beret! I first heard Babs many years ago on a Capitol Bebop compilation doing Capitolizing & Professor Bop (both here) & I was hooked! Just a glance at the titles will give you an idea what happening here - starting with his first group 3 Bips & A Bop from '47 doing Oop-Pop-A-Da/ Lop-Pow/ Dob Bla Bli & Weird Lullabye, featuring the great Tadd Dameron on piano. As a solo he went on to Prelude To A Nightmare/ Real Crazy, & a lesson on how to sing bop, You'll Be Boppin' Too. He was also very adept at putting nonsense syllables to such tunes as The Continental/ St. Louis Blues ("They're boppin' Mr. Handy's tune")/ Stomping At The Savoy, & Bird's Ornithology done as The Boss Is Back. The music matches the lyrics, with such greats as Art Pepper, Sonny Rollins, Don Redmond, Ray Nance, Wynton Kelly, Johnny Griffin & Buddy Tate. With 8 page booklet. (GM) |
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| WARDELL GRAY | Black Lion 760106 | One For Prez | ● CD |
| There must have been something really good in the L.A.
water around the end of WWII. Charlie Parker was out there sampling it,
as were Dexter Gordon and other young be-boppers, including ex-Hines
tenor saxman Wardell Gray. The tension in his playing, based on Lester
Young but bursting with new ideas, sums up the era nicely. Dig these
quartet cuts, never before released in the U.S., which pair Wardell with
the very exciting Dodo Marmarosa on Dell's Bell's/ One For Prez/ The
Man I Love/ Easy Swing/ The Great Lie. Great early bop blowing with
a distinctive sound, and multiple takes of most tunes. (MB) |
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| LIONEL HAMPTON | Acrobat 4012 | Jukebox Hits, 1943-1950 | ● CD |
| 20 tracks, 65 min, essential This survey covers tracks by the great Hamp orch that landed in the new Black charts - The Harlem Hit Parade & Hot R&B charts, along with a few that were regional hits. Starting off with what is often called the 1st Rock'n'Roll record, the '42 Decca version of Flyin' Home with Illinois Jacquet on blazing tenor, then followed by RCA Bluebird's re-release (& much more sedate) of the original '40 version with swing vet Jerry Jerome on tenor. After a one-off of Evil Gal Blues (which introduced Dinah Washington & Arnett Cobb to the world) done for Keynote during the recording ban, Hamp was solidly back on Decca with many of his hits being covers of R&B tunes including Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee/ Chicken Shack/ The Hucklebuck/ Blow Top Blues & Everybody's Somebody's Fool, with such greats as Milt Buckner, Al Grey, Gene Morris, even Albert Ammons briefly on piano, & vocals by Hamp, Betty "Bebop" Carter, Little Jimmy Scott & The Hamptones. (GM) |
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| SPIKE JONES & HIS CITY SLICKERS | Harlequin 100 | The Bluebirds - "Hiccups That Will Live Forever" | ● CD |
| 26 tracks, highly recommended Spike was either a genius or completely out of his mind, or both. Whatever the diagnosis, he had a sound that no one has been able to duplicate, and his madcap musical satires seemed just right for the war-crazed mentality of the 40's. If you love gunshots, pot-banging, gargling, slide whistles, belching and general ranting, here's a great collection recorded between 1941 and 1945 featuring all his recordings issued on RCA's Bluebird label including one originally unissued song and four previously unissued alternate takes and to give you extra value for money there are five bonus tracks from rare radio transcriptions including two tracks accompanying legendary country songwriter Cindy Walker. It includes his classic original recording of Der Fuehrer's Face plus other gems like Red Wing/ The Covered Wagon Rolled Right Along/ Beautiful Eggs/ Little Bo-Peep Has Lost her Jeep/ Hotcha Cornia/ The Sheik Of Araby/ Come Josephine In My Flying Machine/ Hi Neighbor, etc. 20 page booklet has whimsical notes and a bunch of great photos. (FS) |
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| SPIKE JONES & HIS CITY SLICKERS | Proper BOX 5 | Strictly For Music Lovers | ● CD |
| Four CDs with 95 tracks of horn-tooting pot-clanging
gurgling and hiccuping musical mayhem. It ranges from the relatively
sedate Barstool Cowboy From Old Barstow from 1941 to the totally
demented None But The Lonely Heart (A Soaperetta) from 1947.
Along the way are all your guilty favorites like the unforgettable
(unforgiveable?) Never Hit Your Grandma With A Shovel, the
patriotic You're A Sap Mister Jap and Der Fuehrer's Face
plus St-St-St-Stella/ The Sound Effects Man/ There's A Fly On My
Music/ Cocktails For TwoSerenade To A Jerk/ Chloe/ Libestraume/ I Dream
Of Brownie With The Light Blue Jeans and so much more. It's not all
lunacy though and there is a fair amount of straight ahead dance band
music from Spike and his talented gang. Includes 24 page booklet with
notes and wacky photos. If you've got a jones for Spike invest now,
drive your neighbors batty and attain true inner peace. |
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| SPIKE JONES & HIS CITY SLICKERS | Proper Intro 2047 | A Proper Introduction To Spike Jones | ● CD |
| 23 tracks, 69 mins, highly recommended Budget priced collection of 23 tracks from the immortal master of musical mayhem recorded between 1945 and 1953 with vocals from the likes of Gene Walla Bell, The Boys In The Back Room, Sir Frederick Gas, Homer & Jethro, Doodles Weaver and others. Includes Minka/ Knock Knock (Who's There?)/ Rum Tee Diddle Dee Yump/ Chinese Muletrain/ So' Elp Me/ Tennessee Waltz (must be heard to be believed)/Dance Of The Hours/ What Is A Disk Jockey?/ Baby Buggie Boogie/ I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus/ Lula Had A Baby/ Dragnet/ I'm Getting Sentimental Over You, etc. It also includes I Went To Your Wedding - an utterly crazed parody of Hank Snow's song of the same name that I had as a 78 in the early 50s in England - after not hearing it for more than 40 years it still cracks me up. No duplication with Proper's previously issued box set of Jones (Proper BOX 5 - "Strictly For Music Lovers" - 4 CDs, 95 tracks - $26.98). Excellent sound and 8 page booklet with informative notes & discographical information. (FS) |
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| ANDY KIRK & HIS CLOUDS OF JOY | Acrobat 4077 | Jukebox Hits, 1936-1949 | ● CD |
| 22 tracks, 66 min, essential One of my fave underrated bands featuring the keys & arrangements of the wondrous Mary Lou Williams, & such great musicians as Don Byas, Shorty Baker & pioneer electric-guitarist Floyd Smith, heard here in the landmark Floyd's Guitar Blues. Vocalists include the smooth-voiced Pha Terrell, the boisterous June Rochmond, Billy Daniels, Bea Booze, & pre-doowop vocals from The Jubilaires & The Four Knights. Interestingly, their 1st (on Decca) & last (on Vocalion) hits were covers, the former being Fletcher Henderson's Christopher Columbus & the latter Sticks McGhee's Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee. In between are such classics as the original Until The Real Thing Comes Along / Take It & Git, a pre-bop tune called Wham Re Bop Boom Bam / Get Together With The Lord, & an interesting jump number called Hey Lawdy / Mama (Meet Me At The Bottom), a pre-Howlin' Wolf/John Lee Hooker version of the classic "Meet me at the bottom/ Bring me my boots & Shoes"! (GM) ANDY KIRK & HIS CLOUDS OF JOY: 47th St Jive/ Christopher Columbus/ Dedicated To You/ Doggin' Man Blues/ Drinking Wine, Spo Dee O Dee/ Floyd's Guitar Blues/ Get Together With The Lord/ Hey Lawdy Mama (Meeet Me In The Bottom)/ How I Lay Me Down To Dream/ I Don't Know What I'd Do Without You/ I Know/ I Won't Tell A Soul (I Love You)/ I'm Falling For You/ I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry/ Little Girl Don't Cry/ Skies Are Blue/ So Soon/ Soothe Me/ Take It And Git/ Until The Real Thing Comes Along/ Wham Re Bop Boom Bam/ What Will I Tell My Heart |
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| HUMPHREY LYTTLETON | Smith & Co. 1142 | Just About About As Good As It Gets | ● CD |
| Two CD set with 44 tracks by this popular British trad
trumpeter and his group recorded between 1948 and 1956 - Kater Street
Rag/ The Thin Red Line/ Get Out Of Here And Go Home/ Salty Dog/ Careless
Love/ Miss Jenny's Ball/ Weary Blues/ Mezz's Blues, etc. |
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| LUCKY MILLINDER | Acrobat 4029 | Jukebox Hits, 1942-1951 | ● CD |
| 20 tracks, 59 min, essential Wonderful music from a
solid & seldom reissued band. Besides, over the years, having such great
musicians as Bill Doggett, Freddie Webster, Sam "The Man" Taylor, Tab
Smith, just check out his vocalists, Rosetta Tharpe (here with the
original version of her Shout Sister Shout!), Wynonie "Mr. Blues"
Harris (Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well), Bullmoose Jackson
(heard here with the band on the follow-up I Know Who Threw The
Whiskey In The Well, released under his own name on Queen, as well
as the huge hitI Love You Yes I Do on King), Annisteen Allen (In
The Middle Of The Night), & even Lucky himself on the classic he
wrote, Shorty's Got To Go. And if D Natural Blues sounds
familiar, it's a cover of the early Fletcher Henderson tune which was
revived as The Hucklebuck! (GM) LUCKY MILLINDER: Apollo Jump/ Are You Ready?/ Big Fat Mama/ D' Natural Blues In The Middle Of The Night/ Hurry Hurry/ I Know Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well - Bull Moose Jackson/ I Love You Yes I Do - Bull Moose Jackson/ I Want A Tall Skinny Papa/ I'll Never Be Free/ I'm Waiting Just For You/ Let It Roll/ Little Girl Don't Cry/ Oh Babe/ Savoy/ Shorty's Got To Go/ Shout Sister Shout/ Sweet Slumber/ When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World)/ Who Through The Whiskey In The Well |
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| THE MILLS BROTHERS | Fabulous 266 | Hits And Rarities | ● CD |
| 20 classic sides including My Gal Sal/ Sweeter Than
Sugar/ What's The Reason/ Sweet And Slow/ Rockin' Chair Swing/ By the
Watermelon Vine/ I Guess I'll Get The Papers And Go Home/ Till Then/
Glow Worm, etc. |
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| THELONIOUS MONK WITH JOHN COLTRANE | Riverside 30027 | The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings | ● CD |
| 2 CD, 20 tracks, 53 mins, highly recommended In 1957, two titans of Jazz, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, joined forces in of those meetings of minds that produce magic music. This compilation spotlights material originally found on the 1957 recording Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane. The sessions from April to July produced material that was spread out over several Monk LPs, including a live album. The two men were playing together in a quartet at New York's Five Spot Caf‚, which led to their working on this material. The duo (with Coleman Hawkins sitting in on one track) recorded Bop gold on Trinkle, Trinkle and Ruby My Dear. To sweeten the pot, compiler Orrin Keepnews (producer of the original sessions) wrote definitive liner notes on what really happened at these sessions, and also included two tracks unavailable elsewhere: an alternate take of Crepuscule with Nellie from the septet sessions for Monk's Music and an alternate of Abide With Me with just Coltrane, Hawkins, and Alto Sax player Gigi Gryce. Landmark recordings in an inexpensive package; what more could you want? (BC) |
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| MARVIN "SMOKEY" MONTGOMERY | Greenhaw Records 2045 | Jazz Banjo Man #1 | ● CD |
| 19 instrumental tracks and one vocal featuring banjo
player best known for his work with the western swing band The Light
Crust Doughboys. Here he performs a selection of mostly pop standard
with various accompaniments including several with the Doughboys and a
couple with the Dallas Banjo Band which features 50 banjo players!
Includes Rhapsody In Blue/ Smokey's Smoke/ Temptation Rag/ Hear Dem
Bells/ The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise/ Swan Lake/ Danny Maudlin,
etc. The one vocal is a muadlin tribute to Smokey Music Man, Play On. |
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| BENNIE MOTEN'S KANSAS CITY ORCHESTRA | Cygnet 1004 | The OKeh Sessions Plus Victor Alternate Takes (25 track | ● CD |
| 25 tracks, very highly recommended Fabulous collection of recordings by one of the greatest southwest territory bands led by the highly influential Kansas City pianist, composer and bandleader Bennie Moten who tragically died in 1932 at the age of 40 while having his tonsils removed. His band was taken over by Count Basie, and the rest, as they say, is history. Playing an amalgam of stride, country blues and early swing, Moten's men could really rock. Their use of energetic rhythmic propulsion and creatively arranged ensemble passages presaged the K.C. swing band era. The first 20 tracks features their entire output for OKeh cut between 1923 and 1925. The first session in 1923 featured just a sextet with Lamarr Wright(cnt), Thamon Hayes(tb), Woody Walder (clt), Moten(p), Sam Tall(bj) & Willie Hall(t). Not only do we get the 2 Moten Orch. sides from this date, but also the 6 they did as a backup band for excellent Kansas City Blues singers Ada Brown and Mary H. Bradford. The second session featured a slightly changed lineup and for their 1925 their group had expanded to eight pieces with Vernon Page on brass bass given the group and even bigger sound. It includes the first recordings of tunes that became Moten standards like South/ Goofy Dust/ Vine St. Blues and others. The last five tracks are previous unissued alternate takes from 1930 and 1931 with a larger group including Count Basie on piano, "Hot Lips" Page on trumpet and others. Although the sound of the band is very different the group still swings like crazy and three of the tunes feature the great Kansas City jazz/ blues singer Jimmy Rushing on vocals. Sound quality is superb even on the acoustically recorded OKeh sides and there are informative notes by Mark Berresford and full discographical info. Blues fans should also check this set out as much of the bands material is blues based. (FS) |
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| RED NORVO | Vintage Jazz Classics VJCD 1005 | The Legendary V-Disc Masters (17 tracks) | ● CD |
| 17 wartime recordings (including alternates, false
starts etc.) featuring Flip Phillips, Ralph Burns, Helen Ward.
Something For The Boys/Seven Come Eleven/Flyin' Home/Blue Skies and
many more. |
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| JIMMY O'BRYANT/ VANCE DIXON | RST JPCD 1519 | Complete Recordings Vol. 2/ Complete Recordings | ● CD |
| Features the remaining 9 tracks from 1925/26 by Jimmy
O'Bryant and his Washboard Band plus 14 tracks from fellow Chicago
clarinetist Vance Dixon recorded between 1923 and '31 with various
groups. |
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| LOUIS PRIMA & KEELY SMITH | Capitol 20437 | Wild, Cool & SWingin' | ● CD |
| 2 CDS, 43 tracks, 144 mins, highly recommended Actually this is Louis Prima and Keely Smith with Sam Butera and the Witnesses, a whole mess of talented and highly entertaining performers who were working together creating a whole mess of good times and great music. If you don't have a good Prima and Co. collection, than this is the perfect one to get and now it's at a new lower rate. All their best tracks are here: Old Black Magic/ Hey Boy! Hey Girl!/ The Music Goes Round and Round/ Oh Marie/ Robin Hood/ Oh Babe/ Jump, Jive and Wail/ Just A Gigolo/ I Ain't Got Nobody, and many more, two full CDs chock full of hits. Everyone should have a collection like this, a great time will be had by all. (JM) |
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| THE RHYTHM RASCALS/ SWING RHYTHM BOYS | Timeless 1-047 | + SID PHILLIPS & HIS RHYTHM : 1935-36 | ● CD |
| Hot British Dance band music from the mid 30s. The
Rhythm Rascals and Swing Rhythm Boys were essentially the same group led
by Fred Wilbur and featuring such important British musicians as Ted
Heath, Paul Fenhoulet, Freddie Gardner, Max Abrams and others with
vocals by Sam Costa, Sam Browne and others. The set is rounded out by
four rare sides from Sid Phillips & His Rhythm featuring musicians drawn
from Ambrose's Orchestra. |
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| BUDDY TATE | Night Train 7023 | Tate's A Jumpin' | ● CD |
| Rare 40s recordings by former Basie sideman including
some accompaniments to Jimmy Witherspoon. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | A Time To Remember 1950 | 20 Original Chart Hits From 1950 | ● CD |
| Original recordings of 20 pop favorites from 1950. Being
a British production this is a mixture of American and British releases.
Includes Home Cooking by Bob Hope & Margaret Whiting, Will O'
The Wisp by Charles Williams, Bewitched by Mel Torme plus
tracks by Jo Stafford, Frankie Howerd & Billy Ternent, Nellie Lutcher,
Donald Peers, Stand Kenton and more. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Craig & Co. 120 | The Hanukkah Lounge (Instrumental "Jew Age" music) | ● CD |
| Subtitled "Instrumental Jew Age Music" this is a
collection of "smooth-mood-inducing" music for the holidays - mostly of
the electronic variety. Includes Craig Taubman, Frank London & CURHA,
Scott Leader, The Afro-Semitic Experience and others. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Fabulous 132 | A Very British Christmas | ● CD |
| For Anglophiles or exiled Brits who grew up in England
in the 40s and 50s here's a Christmas blast from the past. 20 tracks
including I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by The Beverly Sisters,
Mrs Santa Claus by Alma Cogan, Santo Natale by David
Whitfield, Where Did My Snowman Go? by Petula Clark, The Very
Best Christmas Of All by Rubby Murray, Star Of Bethlehem by
Josef Locke, I'm Sending A Letter To Santa Claus by the one and
only Arthur Askey ("Ay-Thang-Yew") and others including as coup de grace
(or coup d'etat) the fabulous I'm Walking Backwards For Christmas
by The Goons! |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | K-Tel (UK) 3791 | Hits From The Blitz | ● CD |
| Deleted - last few copies. 20 songs popular in England
during the second world war. Includes In The Mood by Glenn Miller
& His Orch., The White Cliffs Of Dover by Vera Lynn, I Did
What I Could With My Gas Mask by George Formby, This Is The Army,
Mister Jones by Irving Berlin, Sing As We Go by Gracie
Fields, Everything Stops For Tea by Jack Buchanan, Mad Dogs &
Englishmen by Noel Coward plus tracks by Flanagan & Allen, Joe Loss
& His Orch., Jack Hylton, Alan Breeze, Al Bowlly and more. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Proper BOX 88 | Jazz In Britain, 1919-1950 | ● CD |
| 4 discs, 101 tracks highly recommended Based on Jim Godboldt's book of the same name, this is jazz in Britain, as opposed to just British jazz. Starting off with the US pioneers Original Dixieland Jass Band recording in London in 1919, then US recordings by 2 groups who would come to the UK & spread their influence, Paul Whiteman's Orch & The Georgians, noted for being the band heard by a young American living in London, John Hammond, & turning him into a long-time jazz fan! Early British jazz here includes Jack Hylton's Rhythmagicians, Fred Elizaide & His Music, Spike Hughes Orch & The Night Club Kings led by Ray Noble. The 2nd vol has the huge influence of UK visits by Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington, and includes London recordings by Duke, Joe Venuti Four, Benny Carter Orch & Cab Calloway Orch, & a Paris recording by Louis, & British bands led by Jack Hylton, Danny Polo, Nat Gonella, Ambrose & His Orch, & The Swing Rhythm Boys with trumpeter Tommy McQuater. Vol 3 has jazz entrenched in the UK with sides by Hylton, Ted Heath, Buddy Featherstonhaugh, Vic Lewis, along with the UK's 1st Black jazz group Ken "Snakehips" Johnson & His West Indian Dance Band, as well as Fats Waller recording in London with British musicians as His Continental Rhythm, & also the hot French import, The Quintette Of The Hot Club Of France with Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelly in London doing the British fave The Lambeth Walk. The final volume has the clash between the new beboppers & the strong Trad Jazz contingent egged on by the arrival of Sidney Bechet & Coleman Hawkins. Includes cuts by The Ronnie Scott Club Eleven Boptet, Victor Feldman Quartet & Johnny Dankworth Quartet on thenmodern side, with trad with Humphrey Lyttleton, heard with Bechet, Graeme Bell & His Australian Jazz Band, as well as a '49 BBC Hi Gang broadcast with Benny Goodman. With 64 page booklet by Godboldt. (GM) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Proper BOX 114 | Squeeze Me - The Jazz And Swing Accordion Story | ● CD |
| 4 CDs, 101 tracks, 4 hours, 53 min., highly recommended
Documenting the accordion in jazz between 1929-1955, this engaging
collection moves in chronological order through its 101 songs and
includes recordings by Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra, The Jungle
Band (featuring Cootie Williams & Johnny Hodges), Guerino Et Son
Orchestre Musette De La Boite A Matelots (featuring Django
Reinhardt)--and that's just the start of Disc 1! For the accordianphobic,
the instrument in question is often not the center of musical attention,
especially on the first two CDs. Many heavily represented performers are
less than household names these days, including Le Quartette Swing Emile
Carrara (6 tracks), Gus Viseur (8 tracks), Joe Mooney Quartet (10
tracks), Quintet Johnny Meyer (8 tracks), Tito Burns And His Sextet (6
tracks), Art Van Damme (9 tracks), Mat Mathews (10 tracks). As usual
Proper has done a first-rate job, right down to the generous 44-page
booklet full of notes and great pics. (JC) |
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| ROB WASSERMAN | Rounder 0179 | Solo | ● CD |
| Now deleted - last copy. Collection of 13 solo
instrumental string bass solos that was acclaimed by Downbeat as the
debut jazz album of 1983. |
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