NEWSLETTER #126
Jazz, Dance Bands, Vocalists
Mose Allison -> Bert Williams
| MOSE ALLISON | Collectables 6347 | Swingin' Machine | ● CD $11.98 |
| Reissue of 1966 Atlantic album featuring Mose with a small
group including Jimmy Knepper on trombone and Jimmy Reider on tenor.
Includes a version of Duke Ellington's I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues
plus Swingin' Machine/ Stop This World/ If You're Going To The City/ So
Rare and others. |
|||
| MOSE ALLISON | Collectables 6350 | I've Been Doin' Some Thinkin' | ● CD $11.98 |
| Reissue of 1968 Atlantic album of prime Mose featuring his
idiosyncratic, Hoagy-ish voice and his boppish but Hoagy-ish piano with Red
Mitchell on bass and Bill Goodwin/ drums on 11 fine originals and You Are
My Sunshine. Also City Home/ Jus Like Livin'/ If You're Goin' To The
City/ Back On The Corner and others. (JM) |
|||
| CHRIS BARBER'S JAZZ BAND | Lake 141/142 | The Complete Decca Sessions, 1954/55 | ● CD $25.98 |
| Two CD set with 29 tracks recorded by this important and
most popular British jazz band for Decca in 1954 and 1955. The group
included Pat Halcox/ cornet, Monty Sunshine/ clarinet, Tony "Lonnie"
Donegan/ banjo, Jim Bray/ bass & sousaphone and Ron Bowden/ derums. These
sessions included tracks recorded by a spinoff group led by Donegan - the
Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group including his classic performance of Rock
Island Line which started the short lived skiffle craze in England. Also
included are guest vocals by Ottilie Patterson - a singer from Ireland who
was influenced by Bessie Smith. |
|||
| COUNT BASIE | Neatwork 2054 | The Alternative Takes, Vol. 3 : 1941 | ● CD $13.98 |
| 26 tracks, 75 min, essential Lester Young may be gone, but
the '41 Basie band is still a mighty Orch! These Okeh sessions include such
greats as Buck Clayton, Sweets Edison, Al Killian, Dan Minor, Tab Smith,
Buddy Tate, Don Byas & of course The All American Rhythm Section of Green,
Basie, Page & Jones, with a rare appearance of Kenny Clarke sitting in for
Jones on a couple tracks. And if this isn't enough, the tracks Feedin'
The Bean & 9:20 Special have Coleman Hawkins guesting! This set
includes multiple takes of most of the tunes, including 4 each of Fiesta
In Blue & One-Two-Three-O'Lairy. Most of the vocals are by Jimmy
Rushing, but this includes King Joe Pts 1 & 2 with vocals by Paul
Robeson! (GM) |
|||
| BIX BEIDERBECKE & FRANKIE TRUMBAUE | JSP 913 | Bix & Tram | ● CD $29.98 |
| Four CD set with 81 tracks featuring legendary cornetist Bix
Beiderberbecke and alto/ C melody sax wizard Frankie Trumbauer. The first
three CDs are reissues of individual JSP CDs issued some years ago featuring
their collaborative efforts between 1927 and 1929 and the fourth disc is a
miscellany of rare recordings recorded between 1924 and 1934 featuring these
artists individualy including Bix's only recorded piano solo from 1927. The
first three discs were remastered by John R.T. Davies and although there are
no credits for the fourth disc the sound is excellent. Other musicians and
vocalists appearing on these sessions include Jimmy Dorsey, Eddie Lang,
Adrian Rollini, Joe Venuti, Frank Signorelli, Don Murray, Pee Wee Russell,
Bill Rank, Izzy Friedman, Bing Crosby, Scrappy Lambert, Chet Hazlett, Roy
Bargy, Wilbur Hall, Snoozer Quinn, Miff Mole, Seger Ellis, The Deep River
Quintet and others. |
|||
| THE BLUE NOTES | Proper PRPCD 013 | Township Bop | ● CD $13.98 |
| Reissue of first recordings from 1964 by legendary South
African jazz sextet which included pianist Chris McGregor and alto saxist
Dudu Pukwana. Shortly after these recordings the group left South Africa and
eventually settled in London where they were a big influence on the British
jazz scene. |
|||
| EDDIE CONDON | Neatwork 2050 | The Alternative Takes, Vol. 1 : 1929-1940 | ● CD $13.98 |
| 25 tracks, 77 min, recommended. Though usually thought of as
40s trad revivalists, The Condon Gang was there from the beginning, a the
opening Bluebird coupling by Eddie's Hot Shots from '29 show, with a cast
that would record together in loosely knot groups over the years, including,
on these sides, Jack Teagarden, Mezz Mezzrow, & Joe Sullivan. More of the
cast gets introduced on the '33 Columbia sides, now including Max Kaminsky,
Pee Wee Russell, Big Sid Catlett & Bud Freeman. The majority of the tunes
are from the great Commodore sides from '38-40 as by Eddie's Chicagoans, the
Windy City 7, or just Eddie Condon & His Band, with more all-stars coming in
& out of the ranks - Jess Stacy, George Brunies, Bobby Hackett, Lionel
Hampton, & even, on multiple takes of the Georgia Grind & Oh
Sister! Ain't That Hot? Fats Waller disguised as "Maurice"! (GM) |
|||
| DORIS DAY | Proper Pairs 103 | It's Magic | ● CD $12.98 |
| 2 discs, 49 tracks, 140 min, recommended. You no longer have
to spend the big bucks on the Bear Family box to get a sizable Day
collection. Starting off with her sides with Les Brown Orch (pre-Band Of
Renown) including the hits Sentimental Journey/ Day By Day & Til
The End of Time, then into her Columbia solo sides, including regular
sessions &, after movie fame, soundtrack work. Mostly orchestral backing,
but there's also her famed '50 sessions with Harry James, & with The Country
Cousins & The Page Cavanaugh Trio. (GM) DORIS DAY: (there's A) Bluebird On Your Window Sill/ (where Are You) Now That I Need You/ (why Did I Tell You I Was Going To) Shanghai/ Again/ Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered/ Canadian Capers/ Confess/ Crazy Rhythm/ Day By Day/ Do Do Do/ Domino/ Every Little Movement (has A Meaning All Its Own)/ Everywhere You Go/ From This Moment On/ I Didn‘t Slip, I Wasn‘t Pushed, I Fell/ I Got The Sun In The Morning/ I May Be Wrong (but I Think You're Wonderful)/ I Want To Be Happy/ If That Doesn‘t Do It/ Imagination/ It‘s A Great Feeling/ It‘s A Lovely Day Today/ It‘s Magic/ It‘s You Or No One/ I‘ll Be Around/ I‘ve Never Been In Love Before/ Let‘s Take An Old-fashioned Walk/ Lonesome And Sorry/ Love Somebody/ Lullaby Of Broadway/ Moonlight Bay/ My Darling, My Darling/ My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time/ Papa, Won‘t You Dance With Me?/ Powder Your Face With Sunshine (smile! Smile! Smile!)/ Pretty Baby/ Put ’em In A Box, Tie 'em With A Ribbon (and Throw 'em In The Deep Blue Sea/ Quicksilver/ Sentimental Journey/ The Best Thing For You/ The Very Thought Of You/ Thoughtless/ Till The End Of Time/ Too Marvelous For Words/ Tulip Or Turnip/ With A Song In My Heart/ Would I Love You/ You Can Have Him/ You‘re Getting To Be A Habit With Me |
|||
| JOHNNY DUNN | Frog DGF 33 | Cornet Blues | ● CD $15.98 |
| Fine collection of 25 sides recorded between 1921 and '28 by
bands led by trumpeter Dunn who was the most influential trumpeter on the
New York scene prior to the arrival of Louis Armstrong in 1924. |
|||
| DUKE ELLINGTON | Neatwork 2051 | The Alternative Takes, Vol. 8 : 1940-1941 | ● CD $13.98 |
| 15 tracks, 75 min, essential. What Duke leaves in the vault
is better than most people's issued output! Though much of what's here is
the great Duke Ellington & His Famous Orch for Victor, most is taken up by
Duke fine sidebands for subsidiary Bluebird - Johnny Hodges Orch, Rex
Stewart Orch & Barney Bigard Orch, each 7 pieces & all including Harry
Carney or Boritone & anchored by that incredible rhythm section of Duke,
Jimmy Blanton & Sonny Greer. Duke's sides include one of my all time fave
Herb Jeffries vocal on The Girl Of My Dreams Tries To Look Like You,
as well as Jumpin' Punkins & I Got It Bad & That Ain't Good.
(GM) |
|||
| DUKE ELLINGTON | Neatwork 2056 | The Alternative Takes, Vol. 9 : 1942-1947 | ● CD $13.98 |
| 24 tracks, 75 min, essential Where Vol 8 had mostly Duke's
side bands, this one is all The Famous Orch, with the exception of a bonus
track - they accidentally put a wrong Cootie Williams track on Vol 7 & now
fix their own mistake! This set starts off with a few final '42 tracks, the
last with Ben Webster & include alts of such great Ellingtunes as Perdido/
Sentimental Lady, & Moon Mist, which features a fine Ray Nance
violin solo!. Push ahead past the recording ban to '44-46 for the final
Victor sides, including alts of I'm Beginning To See The Light/ I Let A
Song Go Out Of My Heat & Don't You Know I Care (Or Don't You Care To
Know). A brief interlude with 2 live radio shots from '47 (C Jam
Blues & another fine version of Moon Mist), & on to the '47
Columbia sessions (Lady Of The Lavender Mist/
Antidisestablishmentarianismist). (GM) |
|||
| BABS GONZALES | Babs 6402 | Cool Whalin' | ● CD $18.98 |
| 25 track collection from this be-bop jive/ scat vocalist
including some with an R&B flavor. Includes the title song plus The
Preacher/ Bab's Celebrity Party/ A Cool Tale Of Love/ Manhattan Fable/ When
Rigor Mortis Sets In/ House Rent Party/ Pay Dem dues/ Git To Dat/ Lullabye
Of The Doomed/ These New York Neighbors/ Be Bop Santa Claus/ Teenage Santa
Claus and others. |
|||
| BENNY GOODMAN | JSP 911 | Benny Goodman | ● CD $29.98 |
| Four CD set featuring 89 tracks recorded by Benny in the 30s
and 40s - each disc being thematic. Disc A features his most popular
instrumental recordings (Let's Dance/ St. Louis Blues/ Star Dust/ Jersey
Bounce, etc.) Disc B features various vocalists recording with his band
(Art Lund, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Fred Astaire, Martha Tilton, Johnny
Mercer and others.), Disc C features sides with small groups and disc D is
called "All The Cats Join In". |
|||
| BENNY GOODMAN | Neatwork 2049 | The Alternative Takes, Vol. 2 : 1937-1938 | ● CD $13.98 |
| 24 tracks, 77 min, highly recommended This set has mostly
tracks that were originally unreleased by Victor when they were first
recorded. The '37 band was one of BG's most famous, with such stalwarts as
Harry James, Gene Krupa, Jess Stacy, Art Rollini, Ziggy Elman & Vido Musso,
along with the original Quartet with BG, Krupa, Lionel Hampton & Teddy
Wilson. Vocals by "Liltin'" Martha Tilton, arrangements by Fletcher
Henderson, & include alternate versions of such classics as Sing Sing
Sing/ I'm Ding-Dong Daddy From Dumas & Don't Be That Way. By the
time of the '38 sides, Krupa's been replaced by the wonderful Davey Tough &
Musso's been replaced by Bud Freeman on such classics as the Blue Room
& The Blues In Your Flat. (GM) |
|||
| EDMOND HALL | Neatwork 2052 | The Alternative Takes, Vol. 2 : 1944 | ● CD $13.98 |
| 25 tracks, 63 min, highly recommended This set contains
material from just 3 sessions - 2 from July '44 for Commodore by Edmund Hall
& His Quartet With Teddy Wilson, which also included the great bassist Billy
Taylor, & a 12/44 session by Edmund Hall & His Swing Sextet for Brunswick.
Except for the master takes, the entire session's here including false
starts, breakdowns & plenty of good jammin' on such tunes as Sheik Of
Araby, Caravan (done by both groups!) & It's Only A Shanty In
An Old Shanty Town. (GM) |
|||
| ILLINOIS JACQUET | Proper BOX 49 | The Illinois Jacquet Story | ● CD $25.98 |
| Four CD set with 79 tracks from the 40s
by this fine and innovative Texas tenor player with backup from Charles Mingus, Sir Charles Thompson, Johnny Otis, Shadow Wilson, Bill Doggett and
Art Blakey. |
|||
| BILLY MURRAY | Archeophone 5501 | The Billy Murray Anthology - The Denver Nightingale | ● CD $14.98 |
| First in depth CD reissue of one the most important and
popular recording artists of the early years of the 20th century. 30 tracks
drawn from Murray's lengthy recording career (1903 to 1943) including some
of his most famous songs like Yankee Doodle Boy/ The Grand Old Rag
and Casey Jones. Includes 24 page booklet with extensive notes. |
|||
| RED NICHOLS | Classics 1241 | 1927-1928 | ● CD $14.98 |
| 20 tracks with Pee Wee Russell, Miff Mole, Jimmy Dorsey,
Frankie Trumbauer and others. |
|||
| TINY PARHAM | Neatwork 2053 | The Alternative Takes, 1928-1930 Plus | ● CD $13.98 |
| 23 tracks, 68 min, highly recommended. The seminal
pianist/bandleader is the anchor on many of the sides here which showcase
alternate takes by some legendary Chicago territory bands. The last part of
the disc has alternate takes done by Tiny Parham & His Musicians, which
included such greats as Punch Miller & Charlie Jackson, recorded for Victor
'28-'30, including the wonderful Head Hunter's Dream (An African Fantasy)
Nervous Tension. Parham is also the only known musician on a couple
takes of the wonderfully named Don't Forget To Mess Around When You Do
The Charleston as recorded by Austin & His Musical Ambassadors for
Paramount in '26, & he's also on 2 sides from 2 sessions done in '27 for the
legendary Black Patti label by (King) Brady's Clarinet Band, AKA Ernest
Michall & His New Orleans Boys, which included Banjo Ikey Robinson on one
tune & Johnny Ct Cyr on the other. The earliest sides are recordings by some
very legendary bands, mostly from New Orleans who were based in Chicago -
Erskine Tate's Vendome Orch with Freddy Keppard & Buster Bailey (a '23 Okeh
coupling), Fate Marable's Society Syncopators (a '24 Okeh coupling with
Foots Thomas), & Lovie Austin & Her Blues Serenaders, a version of
Charleston Mad done for Paramount in '28 with Tommy Ladnier & Jimmy
O'Bryant. (GM) |
|||
| LES PAUL & MARY FORD | Proper Pairs 107 | Guitar Wizard | ● CD $12.98 |
| Two CDs, 50 tracks, 130 mins, essential. Most of the Les Paul
compilations cover the wonderful multitracking sides he did for Capitol in
the early-mid 50. There is a Decca set that has all his 40s sides for that
label. This set combines the best of both, plus has all of Les's pre-Mary
Capitol solo sides. The 1st disc has a fine cross-section of his Decca
sides, which, believe it or not, were mostly jazz, with a drummerless trio.
His backing ability led him to both blues (some excellent Georgia White
sides from '36) & pop, backing up such Decca big guns as Bing Crosby, The
Delta Rhythm Boys & The Andrews Sisters, as well as a couple country
one-man-band novelty sides done as Rhubarb Red. The 2nd disc starts off with
his instrumental multi-track solo sides that Decca rejected & brought him
onto a long association with Capitol (Brazil/ Nola) along with all
the great sides done with his wife Mary Ford - The World Is Waiting For
The Sunrise/ Tennessee Waltz/ How High The Moon, etc. (GM) THE ANDREWS SISTERS WITH LES PAUL: Rumours Are Flying/ BING CROSBY WITH LES PAUL TRIO: Gotta Get Me Somebody To Love/ It‘s Been A Long Long Time/ Pretending/ Whose Dream Are You/ THE DELTA RHYTHM BOYS WITH LES PAUL TRIO: A One Sided Affair/ What Would It Take/ HELEN FORREST WITH LES PAUL TRIO: Baby What You Do To Me/ Everybody Knew But Me/ LES PAUL & HIS TRIO: / Begin The Beguine/ Dream Dust/ Blue Skies/ Dark Eyes/ My Isle Of Golden Dreams/ Aloha Oe/ Song Of The Islands/ Guitar Boogie/ Steel Guitar Rag/ What Is This Thing Called Love/ LES PAUL: Brazil/ Lover/ Hip-billy Boogie/ Nola/ Caravan/ Cryin‘/ Dry My Tears/ Goofus/ Jingle Bells/ Meet Mr Callaghan/ LES PAUL & MARY FORD:Tennessee Waltz/ Little Rock Getaway/ Mockingbird Hill/ The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise/ How High The Moon/ Chicken Reel/ Walkin‘ And Whistlin‘ Blues/ Josephine/ In The Good Old Summertime/ I Wish I‘d Never Seen Sunshine/ Three Little Words/ Jazz Me Blues/ Just One More Chance/ Whispering/ RHUBARB RED: Deep Elem Blues/ Just Because/ TERRY SHAND & ORCH: Cindy/ The Filipino Hombre/ GEORGIA WHITE: Black Rider/ I Just Want Your Stingaree/ New Dupree Blues |
|||
| SONNY ROLLINS | Jazz Archives 160 222 | Mambo Bounce 1949/ 1951 | ● CD $11.98 |
| The earliest recordings of this giant of the tenor sax - he
was only 19 at the time of the earliest recordings here. He is featured in
the company of Babs Gonzales, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Kenny Drew and
others. |
|||
| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Fremeaux 5031 | Chicago South Side, 1923-1930 | ● CD $29.98 |
| A look at the vibrant Chicago jazz scene in Chicago in the
20s - two CDs with 42 tracks with a 56 page booklet with notes in French and
English, photos and discography. Includes sides by King Oliver's Jazz Band,
Cook's Dreamland Orch., Jimmy O'Bryant's Washboard Band, Erskine tate's
Vendome Orch., The New Orleans Wanderers, Preston Jackson & His Uptown Band,
Pickett-Parham Apollo Syncopaters, Jimmy Bertrand's Washboard Wizards, The
Dixxie-Land Thumpers, Carroll Dickerson's Orch., Albert Wynne & His Gut
Bucket Five, J. Smith Rhythm Aces, Junie Cobb's Grains Of Corn, Alex Hill &
His Orch. and others. |
|||
| BEN WEBSTER | Neatwork 2055 | The Alternative Takes, 1944 | ● CD $13.98 |
| 31 tracks, 71 min, essential 3 complete sessions minus
master takes but including false starts & incomplete takes. The 1st session,
done for World Transcriptions in Feb as by Ben Webster Quintet (AKA Ben &
The Boys) with Hot Lips Page on trumpet, then a March session by The Big Sid
Catlett Quartet Featuring Ben Webster done for Commodore, then finally an
all-star Walter Thomas & His Jump Cats, done for Joe Davis in April, with
Foots Thomas leading, besides Webster, Emmett Berry, Budd Johnson, Clyde
Hart, Oscar Pettiford & Cozy Cole! (GM) |
|||
| BERT WILLIAMS | Archeophone 5003 | The Middle Years, 1910-1918 | ● CD $14.98 |
| 26 tracks, 77 min, essential. This set precedes the first
released volume, ("His Final Recordings 1919-1922" on Archeophone 5002, the
new label that specializes in making wonderfully sounding copies of acoustic
recordings.) One of the first & most important Black performers, Williams
was a vaudevillian who performed wry stories in blackface. This set has 22
Columbia recordings & features a remake of his most well-known performance,
Nobody ("Who soothes my thumpin' thumpin' brain? Nobody") along with
such greats as You Can't Get Away From It/ Oh Death, Where Is Thy Sting?/
Darktown Poker Club/ You Can't Do Nothing Till Martin Gets Here and much
more. The 24 page illustrated booklet includes detailed liner notes, lots of
rare pictures and a reprint of Bert's 1918 essay "The Comic Side Of Trouble"
originally published in The American Magazine. (GM) |
|||