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BARGAIN BASEMENT
COMPACT DISCS - Jazz, Dance Bands & Vocalists
| BENNY CARTER | RCA 66539 | Benny Carter 1928-52 | ● CD |
| 2 CD set featuring 32 performances of Carter as sideman and
leader. The 1st 10 cuts has Carter in a variety of settings - with Charlie
Johnson's Paradise Orch. (1-24-28) featuring Jabbo Smith, Charlie Irvis,
Sidney DeParis & Edgar Sampson (Charleston Is The Best Dance After All),
4 from '34 with an all-star lineup of Mezz Mezzrow Orch. with Max Kaminsky,
Reunald Jones, Bud Freeman, Willie The Lion Smith, John Kirby & Chick Webb (Apologies/
Sendin' The Vipers + 2), 2 sessions from '39 with Eddie Mallory Orch.
backing Ethel Waters (one with Tyree Glenn) (Push Out/ I Just Got A
Letter), Walkin' By The River by Una Mae Carlise from 11-13-39
and 2 numbers from 2 all-star Lionel Hampton dates one with Dizzy Gillespie,
a sax section of Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster & Chu Berry and a rhythm
section of Clyde Hart, Charlie Christian, Milt Hinton & Cozy Cole! There are
4 sessions from the early 40s with such greats as Sidney DeParis, Doc
Cheatham, Jonah Jones, Vic Dickenson, Emmett Berry & Maxie Sullivan, and 3
from the early 50s with Cheatham, Taft Jordan, Tyree Glenn & Lucky Thompson.
Includes Back Bay Boogie/ Cruisin'/ Sunday Afternoon/ Cuddle Up, Huddle
Up/ Lullaby To A Dream, etc. (GM) |
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| BARBARA DANE | Dreadnaught 1603 | Livin' With The Blues | ● CD |
| Reissue of Barbara's second album, originally issued on Dot
in 1959 is a more jazz flavored offering than her first. Accompanied by a
band that included such heavyweights as Earl "Fatha" Hines, Benny Carter,
Plas Johnson, Leroy Vinnegar and others she performed a selction of 10 blues
and jazz standards - Livin' With The Blues/ If I Could Be With You/ Bye,
Bye Blackbird/ Mecca Flat Blues/ Porgy, etc. |
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| ROY ELDRIDGE | Columbia CK 45275 | Little Jazz | ● CD |
| Although trumpeter Eldridge gained a lot from close
listening to Louis Armstrong and Rex Stewart he claims as his inspiration
tenor sax great Colman Hawkins. This LP takes a look at some of his prime
creative years, 1935-40, playing in many different settings but often with
his pal Chu Berry on tenor sax. Besides the backing groups for Billie
Holiday and Mildred Bailey, "Little Jazz" can be heard here with the
orchestras of Teddy Hill, Fletcher Henderson, Putney Dandridge and Teddy
Wilson, as well as the group he took into the studio, with him as the
leader, in 1937. Big Chief De Sota (Grand Terrace Swing)/ Warmin' Up/
Wabash Stomp/ Heckler's Hop , etc.... |
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| DIZZY GILLESPIE | Savoy Jazz 17109 | Odyssey, 1945-1952 | ● CD |
| Wonderful three CD retrospective of the early work of this
great trumpeter features 64 tracks featuring him in a variety of settings -
from small groups to big bands, as member of Slim Gaillard's Orchestra,
backing blues singer Albinia Jones and a session with strings. Musicians
include Kenny Dorham, Dexter Gordon, Budd Johnson, Sonny Stitt, Jack McVea,
John Coltrane, Stuff Smith and many others. Includes 30 page booklet with
notes and discographical info. |
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| BENNY GOODMAN | Columbia/Legacy 474396 | 16 Most Requested Songs | ● CD |
| Drawing on recordings from the 30s through the 50s this set
includes Let's Dance/ Avalon/ Memories Of You/ Clarinet A La King/ Why
Don't You Do Right/ Stompin' At The Savoy/ Symphony/ How Am I To Know
and eight more classics featuring sidemen like Charlie Christian, Gene
Krupa, Lionel Hampton and Cootie Williams. |
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| DEXTER GORDON | Black Lion 760118 | Body & Soul | ● CD |
| Live 1967 concert from Copenhagen with Kenny Drew/ piano,
Nils-Henning Orsten Pedersen/ bass & Albert Heath/ drums. Five tunes
including the title tune plus Like Someone In Love/ Blues Walk, etc.
, Dexter in command - not to be missed. |
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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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| EARL HINES | RCA 66499 | The Indispensable Earl Hines - Vol. 5/6 (1944-1966) | ● CD |
| 2 CD set with 20 solo & trio sides, done for producer Bob
Thiele's labels. 1st is 4 done for Signature on Feb. 26, 1944 with Al Casey
(g) & Oscar Pettiford (b) - Honeysuckle Rose/ Squeeze Me + 2. The
rest are straight reissues of 2 Lps - Spontaneous Combustion (Contact 2 from
1964) solo piano from 3-7-64 - Black Coffee/ Tosca's Dance + 7 and
Contact 7 from 1966 by The Earl Hines Trio with Edward Davis(b) & Elvin
Jones(d). |
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| JOHNNY HODGES & HIS ORCHESTRA | Columbia EK 66972 | Hodge Podge | ● CD |
| Reissue of 16 classic late 30's cuts, mostly blues, all
small groups. With Ellington's baton in hand, and most of his fine band in
tow (Cootie Williams, Lawrence Brown, Harry Carney and Duke himself) Hodges
shines in this rollicking set which includes Rendezvous With Rhythm,
Hodge Podge, Savoy Strut, Hometown Blues and twelve more. (MB) |
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| JAMES P. JOHNSON | Biograph BCD 105 | Carolina Shout | ● CD |
| 14 piano rolls cut by James P., digitally recorded for
beautiful sound. James P. was the 1st Black artist to cut rags on rolls, &
two of his earliest are here, Steeplechase Rag (done for Universal) &
Twilight Rag (for Metro-Art), both originals & both from 1917. The
remaining dozen were cut for QRS 1921-25, & include his most famous
compositions, Charleston/ Eccentricity/ Carolina Shout as well as
tunes by Sissle & Blake Baltimore Buzz, Perry Bradford Nervous
Blues, WC Handy Ole Miss Blues, & even the New Orleans Rhythm
KingsFarewell Blues (GM) |
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| HOWARD MCGHEE | Black Lion 760110 | Sharp Edge | ● CD |
| Trumpeter McGhee was one of Charley Parker's cohorts in the
early days of bebop, and he survived to continue making important music.
This session, from 1961, features George Coleman, Junior Mance, George
Tucker and Jimmy Cobb, and shows McGhee not only playing well, but searching
for some new sounds. One thing that hasn't changed is his red-hot sound and
nearly hyperactive sense of invention. Great stuff. (AL) |
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| THELONIOUS MONK | Black Lion 760101 | The London Collection, Vol 1 | ● CD |
| 1st in a series of CDs issuing all of Monk's mammoth
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| RED NORVO | Vintage Jazz Classics VJCD 1005 | The Legendary V-Disc Masters | ● 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 | RST JPCD 1518 | Complete Recordings, Vol. 1 : 1924-25 | ● CD |
| 23 tracks featuring Chicago clarinetist with his Washboard
Band and with groups accompanying blues singers Julia Davis and Sodarisa
Miller. |
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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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| THE ORIGINAL DIXIELAND JAZZ BAND | Retrieval 79033 | In London, 1919-1920 | ● CD |
| Also includes the Okeh sessions from 1922 and '23. |
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| KID ORY | Upbeat Jazz URCD 187 | Portrait Of The Greatest Slideman Ever | ● CD |
| 28 tracks, 69 min, recommended If not for the dodgy sound quality, it would be essential. The whole of Kid's career is here in 3 parts. First off is his rare Ory's Creole Trombone 78 from 1921 with Mutt Carey on trumpet. Next up is Kid & Mutt in an all-star vehicle put together for jazz-fan Orson Welles's '44 radio series. Between March & July of that year, the boy-wonder would have "the last real jazz band" do a tune or two on his broadcast, with a septet with Kid, Carey, Zutty Singleton &, in his final performances, the great clarinetist Jimmy Noone, who died in the midst of this series in 4/44. His replacements were up to par including Barney Bigard & Wade Whaley. Finally there's a set from the 1971 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, which included Don Ewell on piano & NO legend Danny Barker on guitar & banjo. (GM) |
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| BUD POWELL | Black Lion 760196 | Strictly Confidential | ● CD |
| Live solo sides from 1963/64. From Francis Paudras's private
collection. Some of Powell's best late work. |
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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 | Dejavue Retro Gold 4203 | Vocal Groups & Crooners Of The 30s | ● CD |
| Inexpensive and entertaining two CD set featuring five songs
each by Rudy Vallee (Heigh-Ho, Evrybody, Heigh-Ho/ Let's Do It, etc),
Hoagy Carmichael (Georgia On My Mind/ My Resistance Is Low, etc),
Noel Coward (Mad Dogs & Englishmen/ London Pride, etc), Bing Crosby (Swinging
On A Star/ You Are My Sunshine, etc), The Boswell Sisters (Shine On
Harvest Moon/ Wha'd Ja Do To Me, etc), The Ink Spots (When The
Swallows Come Back To Capistrano/ Bless You For Being A Angel, etc), The
Andrews Sisters (Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar/ Bei Mir Bist Du Schon,
etc) and The Mills Brothers (It Don't Mean A Thing/ Till Then, etc). |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Harlequin 142 | Euroswing, 1936-1948 | ● CD |
| Fine set of 25 tracks exploring the little documented
recordings of jazz made in various European countries including Switzerland,
Sweden, Hungary, Russia, Span, Austria and elsewhere. Unexpected but high
quality music originally reissued in the 80s as part of an extensive series
of LPs issued by Harlequin, each featuring jazz from a different country.
Sound quality and liner notes on this CD are superb. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | P-Vine PCD 5800 | The Very Best Of Big Band Swingin' Jive | ● CD |
| Terrific collection of 26 sides featuring some of the
swingingest bands of the 30s and 40s with jive vocals. Includes Stuff Smith
& His Onyx Club Boys, Count Basie & His Orch (with a great tribute on Did
You Ever See Jackie Robinson Hit the Ball and a wild scat vocal by Taps
Miller on I Ain't Mad At You), Boots & His Buddies, Sam Price & His
Texas Bluesicians, Adrian & His Tap Room Gang (Adrian Rolini, Wingy Manone,
Joe Marsala, etc and vocal by Jeanne Burns), Jimmie Lunceford & His Orch.,
Cab Calloway (the bizarre >Chinese Rhythm), Jack Sneed & His
Sneezers, Lucky Millinder & His Orch (includes the classic Who Threw The
Whiskey In The Well with a Wynonie Harris vocal), Wingy Manone & His
Orch, Cee Pee Johnson & His Band, Snub Mosley, Willie "The Lion" Smith & His
Cubs, Henry Red Allen & His Orchestra (including a terrific version of the
old favorite Dark Eyes with nonsense lyrics) and Jesse Stone & His
Orch. ADRIAN & HIS TAP ROOM GANG: Jazz 0' Jazz/ Nagasaki/ HENRY RED ALLEN & HIS ORCHESTRA: Dark Eyes/ Old Fool Do You Know Me?/ COUNT BASIE & HIS ORCHESTRA: I Aint Mad At You/ Did You Ever See Jackie Robinson Hit The Ball/ BOOTS & HIS BUDDIES: I Like You Best Of All/ CAB CALLOWAY & HIS ORCHESTRA: Chinese Rhythm/ CEE PEE JOHNSON & HIS BAND: The G Man Got The T Man/ JIMMIE LUNCEFORD & HIS ORCHESTRA: Call The Police/ I Need A Lift/ WINGY MANONE & HIS ORCHESTRA: Shoe Shine Boy/ The Music Goes "Round And Ar/ LUCKY MILLINDER & HIS ORCHESTRA: Gotta Shorty Go/ Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well/ THE MILLS BLUE RHYTHM BAND: Yes! Yes!/ SNUB MOSLEY: Pin Up Girl/ Swampland/ Swinging With Mose/ SAM PRICE & HIS TEXAS BLUESICIANS: Do You Dig My Jive/ Lead Me Daddy Straight To The Bar/ STUFF SMITH & HIS ONYX CLUB BOYS: Here Comes The Man With The Jive/ WILLIE "THE LION" SMITH & HIS CUBS: Honeymoonin' On A Dime/ Swing, Brother, Swing/ JACK SNEED & HIS SNEEZERS: Pual Revere/ JESSE STONE & HIS ORCHESTRA: Cole Slaw |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Retrieval 79038 | Americans In Britain | ● CD |
| 23 track collection featuring some of the American bands who
travelled to Britain and recorded there in the 1920 including The Carolina
Club ORchestra, Original Capitol Orchestra, the Southern Rag-A-Jazz Band,
The Boston Orchestra and others. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Savoy Jazz 17197 | First Steps | ● CD |
| 19 tracks, 54 min, essential After the end of the 1st recording ban in '44, NY's Savoy label began finding & recording jazz artists who would change the face of music. Here's some of the earliest, if not the first, recordings of such greats as Charlie Parker, playing alto behind leader Tiny Grimes (Red Cross), Dizzy Gillespie with Bird on Shaw 'Nuff, Miles Davis's 1st leader date, with Parker on tenor (Half Nelson). Also James Moody, with Ray Brown's All-Stars (Moody Speaks), Sonny Rollins with JJ Johnson (Bee Jay), & other early cuts by Don Byas, Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, George Shearing, Fats Navaro, etc. Unfortunately, no complete personnel listings, but informative liner notes from Billy Vera. (GM) |
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| FATS WALLER | Biograph BCD 104 | Classic Jazz From Rare Piano Rolls | ● CD |
| Interesting collection of a dozen rolls cut by Fats for QRS
& Play-A-Roll, 1923-27, in that only Squeeze Me is a Waller
composition, with the rest being Fats' interpretations of vaudeville & blues
tunes including T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do/ I'm Coming Virginia,
& an amazing duet with James P. Johnson on If I Could Be With You.
Bonus 13th track has a 1927 roll of Ain't Misbehavin' cut for QRS by
J. Lawrence Cook.(GM) |
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| FESS WILLIAMS | Retrieval 79032 | Pre-Victors, The Complete Set : 1925-27 | ● CD |
| Fess, the master of the "stove pipe" clarinet, is heard on
24 of his earliest recordings for Gennett, Oct. 2, 1925 - June 25, 1927,
with George Temple (t), David "Jelly" James (tb), Fess (cl,as,v), Perry
Smith (ss,cl,ts,v) and others. Remastered by John R.T. davies set comes with
16 page booklet with extensive notes by Mark Beresford. |
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| LESTER YOUNG | Savoy Jazz 17122 | The Complete Savoy Recordings | ● CD |
| Two CD set featuring all the recordings made by the great
saxophonist for Savoy in 1944, 1949 and 1950 including sides with Johnny
Guarnieri's All Star Orchestra and The Earle Warren Orchestra as well as his
own Quintet and Sextet including a 1950 live concert. Includes numerous
alternate takes of the studio sides. Includes 20 page booklet with notes and
discographical info. |
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