ANITA O'DAY — At Vine St. Live (1991) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

At age 71, Anita O'Day was way past her prime when she performed this live date at the now-defunct Vine St. club. The songs had all been recorded earlier by O'Day in versions more rewarding than these, although she tries her best. Gordon Brisker on tenor and flute leads the backing quintet, which also includes pianist Pete Jolly and does what it can to hold O'Day up. At least she didn't feel compelled to record "Let Me Off Uptown" this late in her career. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To 5:41
Cole Porter
2    Old Devil Moon 4:23
E.Y. "Yip" Harburg / Burton Lane
3    Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby? 4:22
Bill Austin / Louis Jordan
4    A Song for You 3:05
Leon Russell
5.    You Can Depend on Me 3:47
Charles Carpenter / Louis Dunlap / Melvin Dunlap / Earl Hines
6.    Street of Dreams 6:04
Sam M. Lewis / Victor Young
7Y.    You Turned the Tables on Me 4:09
Louis Alter / Sidney Mitchell
8.    Yesterday/Yesterdays 3:48
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern / John Lennon / Paul McCartney
9.    S'posin' 3:59
Paul Denniker / Andy Razaf
10.    It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) 3:52
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
Credits :
Bass – Bob Maize
Drums – Dan D'Imperio
Guitar – Steve Homan
Piano – Pete Jolly
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Gordon Brisker

GENE KRUPA AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941 | The Chronogical Classics – 960 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Gene Krupa's band was in a state of transition when these sides were cut in 1941. Vocalist Irene Day was leaving, the marvelous Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge were coming aboard, and the band was finally coming up to their leader's fiery level of playing. You can hear the change on tracks like "Alreet," and Anita's and Roy's spirited exchange on "Let Me Off Uptown." Everything on here works just fine, grade-A swing propelled by Krupa's always explosive drumming and the spirited playing of his band. Transfers of the of the old Okeh 78s are a bit fusty but generally fine, and the enclosed information in the booklet make this a good buy worth tracking down. Cub Koda
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GENE KRUPA AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941, Vol. 2 | The Chronogical Classics – 1006 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This volume in the Classics Gene Krupa chronology presents everything recorded by the Gene Krupa Orchestra between June 5 and October 3, 1941. These sessions took place in New York, Chicago, and Hollywood. The music came out on the OKeh label and was well received by a record-buying public with an apparently insatiable appetite for pop vocals. In addition to smooth crooning from Howard Dulany and Johnny Desmond there were snappy, jazzy vocals from Anita O'Day. Dulany's best moments occur during the humorous "Love Me as I Am," a humble opus peppered with references to snoring and tabletop doodling. But the real gold in this part of the Krupa saga came from trumpeter Roy "Little Jazz" Eldridge, whose magnificent presentation of Hoagy Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair" -- arranged by Benny Carter -- ranks with the best recordings Eldridge ever made under any circumstances. The enclosed discography leads one to expect a vocal on this track, but here Eldridge funneled his soul into the trumpet exclusively. In 1941 a black man performing with a white big band (and a white female singer!) often ran into racial discrimination. This probably explains why Roy Eldridge and Anita O'Day only sang together on a tiny handful of studio recordings. Here Eldridge adds a humorous extra dimension to O'Day's coolly understated vocal on "The Walls Keep Talking" by screaming loudly and skillfully imitating a barn owl before exclaiming "Lemme get out of here!" arwulf arwulf  
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GENE KRUPA AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941-1942 | The Chronogical Classics – 1096 (1999) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Gene Krupa's big band made a sizable number of records for OKeh and Columbia during the 1940s, with gaping holes in the chronology caused by a World War and two AFM recording bans. The Classics reissue label presents all of this material in chronological order, with this volume covering a time line from October 1941 to February 1942. The main attractions throughout are perky, sensual vocalist Anita O'Day and trumpet archetype Roy "Little Jazz" Eldridge, who is particularly exciting on the instrumental "Ball of Fire." This disc just happens to contain some of O'Day's tastiest performances; "Skylark" and "Side by Side" are richly rewarding, as is a previously unreleased take of Jimmy Mundy's "Bolero at the Savoy." She also demonstrates a penchant for scat singing on the disarmingly cool "That's What You Think." Safer and more conventional pop vocals were emitted by Giovanni Alfredo di Simone, a wholesome young fellow from Detroit known in the music business as Johnny Desmond. Given the militaristically inclined material chosen by many of the big bands during the months preceding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, it is clear that the U.S. was preparing for war. During Gene Krupa's recording session of June 5, 1941, Howard DuLany had sung "'Til Reveille," a sentimental offering directed at armed forces personnel who were separated from their loved ones (see Classics 1006, Gene Krupa 1941, Vol. 2). On November 25, 1941, Johnny Desmond chortled away during "Keep 'Em Flying," a zealous paean to the war effort that predates said war by nearly two weeks. By January and February of 1942, Desmond was in full harness with "The Marines' Hymn" and "The Caissons Go Rolling Along." By August of that year Desmond would find himself playing cymbals in the United States Air Force Band. His next involvement with a jazz-inflected big band would be as a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Meanwhile, Anita O'Day paid dutiful tribute to "Fightin' Doug MacArthur" and even saluted Afro-American soldiery with "Harlem on Parade," a cousin to Irving Berlin's "That's What the Well-Dressed Man in Harlem Will Wear." These tracks prove that she could handle any subject matter without copping out or losing her cool. Here, then, is a variegated slice of history, packed with equal parts jazz and U.S. pop culture. The CD booklet contains a vintage photograph of Anita O'Day, looking dolled up and more than slightly dangerous. arwulf arwulf  
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GENE KRUPA AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1942-1945 | The Chronogical Classics – 1096 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 11th CD in Classics' Gene Krupa series has the final recordings of his 1942 big band, all eight recordings by his short-lived "Band That Swings With Strings" and the debut of the Gene Krupa Trio. The last numbers by the 1942 band include four Anita O'Day vocals (highlighted by "Massachusetts" and "Murder, He Says"), trumpeter Roy Eldridge's vocal on "Knock Me a Kiss," and the instrumental "That Drummer's Band." A special bonus on this CD are two trio cuts from 1944 with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco and pianist Dodo Marmarosa that were originally issued as V-Discs. The string orchestra was a frivolity, and its best recording actually did not include the strings -- the pioneering bop vocal "What's This" featuring Dave Lambert and Buddy Stewart. The CD concludes with three selections ("Dark Eyes," "Body and Soul," and "Stompin' at the Savoy") by the Krupa trio with tenor-saxophonist Charlie Ventura. Highly recommended. Scott Yanow  
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GENE KRUPA AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1945 | The Chronogical Classics – 1143 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Gene Krupa's recordings for a four-month period are traced on this CD in the Classics "complete" series. The first eight formerly rare selections feature the Gene Krupa Trio with the extroverted (and sometimes too enthusiastic) tenor saxophonist Charlie Ventura and pianist George Walters; three of the numbers were originally V-discs, three others were not released until the LP era, and the two remaining songs have never been out before. In addition, there are 15 numbers from the Gene Krupa Big Band. The returning Anita O'Day (who gave Krupa new hits in "Opus No. 1," "Boogie Blues," and "Chickery Chick") and ballad singer Buddy Stewart are on all but "It's Up to You" and "Lover." Among the soloists are trumpeter Don Fagerquist and Ventura. The 1945 Gene Krupa Orchestra did not catch on to the level of the 1941-1942 edition, but it definitely had its moments.  Scott Yanow  
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GENE KRUPA AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1945-1946 | The Chronogical Classics – 1231 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although there are some moments of interest on this set of 25 performances, the Gene Krupa Orchestra's studio recordings are mostly weighed down by vocals. Bop trumpeter Red Rodney was with Krupa for part of 1946, but the band just recorded a dozen numbers during this period, with all but "How High the Moon" (which has an early swinging arrangement from Gerry Mulligan) featuring so-so vocals from Buddy Stewart and Carola Grey. Rodney sneaks in a few boppish licks here and there, but overall these are disappointing, particularly compared to the orchestra's radio transcriptions of the era. There are five cuts from 1945: three Anita O'Day vocals (including a fine "Tea for Two"), a good instrumental version of "Lover," and a bombastic Charlie Ventura tenor feature on "Yesterdays." In addition, there are also eight slightly later tracks. Charlie Kennedy gets in some boppish alto solos that sound similar to Charlie Parker, but vocals dominate five numbers, while the other three are not that essential. So this is a lesser release overall, mostly recommended to Gene Krupa completists. Scott Yanow  
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ANITA O'DAY – 1945-1950 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1274 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Classics volume on Anita O'Day covering 1945 through 1950 takes her through the first five years of her solo career -- after her breakout with Gene Krupa (and "Let Me Off Uptown"), but before the immense success of her Verve years. The only hit present is the bright novelty "Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip," but fortunately O'Day didn't record many castoffs then; instead, par for the course during the late '40s was her bluesy romp version of "What Is This Thing Called Love?," another Cole Porter tune recorded at the same session. Her sweetly swinging versions of "Them There Eyes" and "I Told Ya I Love You, Now Get Out" are excellent, and the backing includes high-caliber musicians Benny Carter, Dave Barbour, and pianist/arranger Ralph Burns. John Bush          Tracklist + Credits :

ANITA O'DAY – 1950-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1336 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Compilations abound that center on Anita O'Day's work of the '40s and early '50s, before she set about recording one of the liveliest string of LPs ever seen on the planet (from 1955's This Is Anita to 1962's That Is Anita). With 1950-1952, the seminal Classics label reissued a string of titles that haven't seen light very often, a selection of her recordings for labels including London, Clef, and Norgran (the last two were Verve-associated labels). While they stand nowhere near the twin pinnacles of her career -- her big-band heyday and her solo revival yet to come -- O'Day recorded much wonderful music during these two years. In 1952 alone, she recorded three excellent sessions (the final two-thirds of the program), including a swinging date with her Krupa bandmate Roy Eldridge in New York and a sublime Chicago appearance with Roy Kral. John Bush
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STAN KENTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1940-1944 | The Classics Chronological Series – 848 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Stan Kenton's earliest recordings as a leader make this first volume in the Classics Kenton chronology the logical starting point for anyone seeking to comprehend his life and work. Beginning with a long lost "Etude for Saxophones" and plowing through nine Decca sides from late 1941 and early 1942, the producers of this compilation shed light on Kenton's pre-Capitol period. With the exception of "This Love of Mine" (sung by tenor saxophonist Red Dorris), all of the Decca recordings are instrumentals that contain premonitions of Kenton's eventual obsession with stylized modernity. Parallels could be drawn with the music of Claude Thornhill, Larry Clinton and Raymond Scott. Frankly speaking, however, some of these early Kenton routines come across as rather self-consciously put together; the band goes through the motions but the overall approach to rhythm and swing feels rather forced. "Lamento Gitano" transcends these limitations, and the catchy "Concerto for Doghouse" is built around Howard Rumsey's excellent sung-and-plucked bass solo. By the time "El Choclo" was recorded, the band was clearly beginning to find itself and was ready for its next phase of stylistic evolution. The session that took place in Los Angeles on November 19, 1943 was Kenton's inaugural involvement with Capitol Records, an exclusive business arrangement that would continue for many years, superseded only by the occasional date for the United States Armed Forces V-Disc label. Kenton always listened carefully to other bands and learned his best lessons from African-American archetypes and innovators. His signature stamp of originality begins to materialize during the second half of this compilation, betwixt and between various well-chosen covers. Red Dorris does surprisingly well with Duke Ellington's "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me," and after two years of experimentation the overall sound of the band has improved noticeably. The very first recorded version of "Artistry in Rhythm" signals the true inception of the Kenton sound. Seasoned early modern jazz heads will want to listen carefully to the reed section as Kenton was already beginning to employ great saxophonists like Art Pepper, Boots Mussulli and Stan Getz. Admirers of Anita O'Day will appreciate an opportunity to savor four of the six songs she is known to have recorded with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. arwulf arwulf
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STAN KENTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 898 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Volume two in the Classics Stan Kenton chronology presents all of his Capitol and V-Disc recordings made between January 16 and December 26, 1945, with a pair of initially rejected Gene Howard vocal sides from 1944 tossed in as bonus tracks, out of sequence, like an afterthought. Singers would now become an increasingly important ingredient in the postwar entertainment industry. At the beginning of 1945, Kenton's featured female vocalist was sultry Anita O'Day, who later explained with characteristic gut level honesty why she quit after the session of January 16: "The band was great -- but it wasn't a swing band." June Christy began her own recording career with "Tampico" on May 4 after carefully studying the recordings of O'Day, who must have been a tough act to follow. There were occasional bouts of crooning from Gene Howard, and a Roy Eldridge disciple named Ray Wetzel sang and blew his trumpet on "I'm a Shy Guy." Kenton himself was one of four voices used on "I Been Down in Texas," an overbearing, embarrassingly contrived, campy combination of bop caricature and western novelty, grossly cluttered with imitation hepcat vernacular and hyped-up corn. On the more authentically hip side of things, "Around the Town," "Southern Scandal," "Opus in Pastels" and "Painted Rhythm" are among the better instrumental tracks from this part of the Kenton discography. Already the arrangements indicate the influence of Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Buster Harding, Earl Hines and the Billy Eckstine Orchestra. With all of the innovations circulating in the air at that time, it was Kenton's steadily expanding ensemble that attracted much of the attention with its "modern" angularities, shrill brass and bop-flavored charts. Kenton's sax section continued to morph during this period; Stan Getz split around the same time as O'Day and Kenton's old running buddy Vido Musso was back with the band on October 15. arwulf arwulf   
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