TOMMY DORSEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1938-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1197 (2001) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist + Credits :

TOMMY DORSEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1237 (2002) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This 12th installment in the Classics Tommy Dorsey chronology documents the trombonist's Victor studio recordings dating from the first half of 1939. Drummer Dave Tough was back with the band for a few months and Yank Lawson was in the trumpet section for a grand two-part version of the Jelly Roll Morton/New Orleans Rhythm Kings collaborative masterpiece "Milenberg Joys." This excellent stomp was arranged by Deane Kincaide, whose charts helped to make the Dorsey band sound somewhat hipper than it ever had before. The five other instrumentals included in this part of the Dorsey chronology are "Dawn on the Desert," "Marcheta," "By the River Sainte Marie," "Tea for Two," and "Peckin' with the Penguins," a loping opus composed and arranged by Kincaide. Edythe Wright was on her way out of the Dorsey dynasty at this point, which might explain why she's only heard singing on four of the titles reissued here. The best of these is Koehler/Bloom's whimsical "Got No Time." For an interesting listening experience, compare this performance with Fats Waller's version of the same song, recorded one day later for Victor's subsidiary Bluebird label. Speaking of Waller, on the session of February 9th, goofy Skeets Herfurt tried hard to navigate the scat line from "Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood Mama)." Waller's definitive version had been waxed on January 19th and Dorsey, always on the lookout for catchy material to spice up his act, hastened to cover the song as soon as he'd heard it. Rodgers & Hart's "Blue Moon," with its brusque band vocal behind crooning Jack Leonard, gets the same treatment that had made "Marie" into a hit record. The band swings well enough but Dorsey's willingness to milk this routine must have made some listeners wonder which popular song would next become transformed into something so obviously patterned after "Marie." arwulf arwulf        Tracklist :

TOMMY DORSEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939, Vol. 3 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1327 (2003) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The 14th installment of the Classics Tommy Dorsey chronology documents all of the Victor recordings he made with the Dorsey Orchestra and with the Clambake Seven from August 3 to October 20, 1939. During this period, Sy Oliver and Jimmy Mundy wrote a handful of big-band arrangements for the bespectacled trombonist. There are only two instrumental records in this segment of the Dorsey discography. "Night Glow" is lush and idyllic. "March of the Toys," from Victor Herbert's Babes in Toyland, dates back to 1903. The swing version heard here resulted from an arrangement by tenor saxophonist Deane Kincaide. The rest of this compilation belongs to the vocalists. On August 28th, Dorsey, Hughie Prince, and the Clambake Seven sang "Vol Vistu Gaily Star," based upon Slim Gaillard's "Vol Vist du Gaily Star," a wonderful, almost surreal record Gaillard had made for Vocalion almost exactly one year earlier with a small group including Slam Stewart. Dorsey constantly tempered his sentimental output with comedic material that ranged from imitation hip to almost annoyingly silly and at times overbearing. Hughie Prince sings a corny cowboy song complete with Hollywood-style whoops from the band. Edythe Wright, who coolly negotiates "Are You Havin' Any Fun?" and a couple of wistful love songs, does everything she can with "Shoot the Sherbet to Me, Herbert" and manages to pull off the puerile "All in Favor of Swing Say 'Aye'." The last nine tracks on this disc are features for crooner Jack Leonard and sugary chanteuse Anita Boyer. Dorsey was among the first bandleaders to record Jerome Kern's "All the Things You Are." His sweetly buzzing trombone introduces the melody with studied precision. arwulf arwulf     Tracklist :

HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1946-1947 | The Chronogical Classics – 1313 (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For those who get their kicks by tracing the reissuance of the complete studio recordings of Harry James on the Classics Chronological Series, this is the 12th installment, and it appeared in 2008. During the months covered by this portion of the retrospective (August 26, 1946, through April 9, 1947), the trumpeter continued to ride the crest of his fame as a featured Columbia artist, showcasing pop vocalists and maintaining an orchestra that specialized in relaxing mood music as well as swing. Active in the band at this time was ex-Ellington composer, arranger, and valve trombonist Juan Tizol. The inclusion of the Harry James treatment of Tizol's "Keb-Lah" makes for intriguing comparison with a version recorded by an octet under Tizol's name (one of the only sessions he ever led) for the Keynote label five months earlier on April 7, 1946. With Tizol on that date were saxophonists Babe Russin and Willie Smith, both members of the James orchestra, as was tenor man and fellow Keynote recording artist Corky Corcoran. The jazz element is most strongly manifested in "Keb-Lah" and extended renditions of "Moten Swing" and "Feet Draggin' Blues." James was still utilizing cellos, violas, and violins on some of his records but was in the process of gradually reducing their number and phasing them out during this period. Singers heard on this compilation are Buddy DeVito, Pat Flaherty, Art Lund, and Marion Morgan, a pleasant-voiced performer who eventually quit the band after hearing the leader observe that "singers have ruined the band business." Morgan is the singer heard on "Heartaches," a song that was originally recorded as a rhumba on two different occasions during the 1930s by the Ted Weems Orchestra with whistling by Elmo Tanner and "rediscovered" in 1947 by a DJ in Charlotte, NC. Harry James seems to have timed the release of his version perfectly, for it climbed into the Top Ten on the pop charts. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :

SARAH VAUGHAN – 1951-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1296 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Aficionados of Classics' chronological series of compilations may be disheartened by this volume of Sarah Vaughan sides, taken from her early-'50s stint on Columbia. After years of perfection, listeners soon came to expect the best from Classics -- thorough compilations, faithful sound, and dozens of hot sides by some of the best jazz artists of the swing era. Unfortunately, while few female vocalists swung as righteously as Sarah Vaughan, there's no evidence of it here. The compilation includes two dozen sides, from the beginning of 1951 through the very end of 1952, at a time when Columbia was marketing her as a "serious" vocalist, neither jazz fire nor pop novelty but straight, trad balladry. Backed by large, string-filled orchestras (most led by Paul Weston or Percy Faith), Vaughan doesn't shine. Her voice, majestic and filled with drama, should be perfect in this setting, but the gauzy arrangements and often subpar material make a difficult task nearly impossible. Since Vaughan's delivery was usually direct, it was difficult for her to fight poor material and lackluster backing (unlike Billie Holiday, that notoriously excellent singer of bad material). She performs the opener, "Ave Maria," with operatic precision, and exercises her deep, low vibrato on "My Reverie," but shows little interest in anything more than straightforward readings. "Street of Dreams," one of the few songs here that outlasted the '50s, is one of the few bright spots amidst the gloom. John Bush  
Tracklist + Credits :

BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1396 (2005) FLAC (tracks), lossless

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JESS STACY – 1951-1956 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1453 (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The third installment in the Classics chronological overview of recordings issued under the name of pianist Jess Stacy traces a time line from March 16, 1951, to March 3, 1956, with recordings made exclusively in Los Angeles, CA. It opens with eight titles recorded for Brunswick by Stacy, guitarist George Van Eps, bassist Morty Corb, and drummer Nick Fatool. This quartet's marvelous integrity is strongly in evidence on Rodgers & Hart's "You Took Advantage of Me" and endures throughout each of the ensemble members' subsequent collaborations. Tracks nine through 18 were recorded for Atlantic during April 1954 by two different nine-piece Benny Goodman reunion bands under the leadership of Jess Stacy. With all due respect to tenor saxophonists Babe Russin and Vido Musso, the real star of these swinging sessions was front-line trumpeter Ziggy Elman. According to Classics producer Anatol Schenker, these miniature big-band recordings (including a rendition of Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye" lasting 50 seconds and a tiny take of "Let's Dance" that clocks out at less than half a minute) were only released to the public following the success of the sentimentalist motion picture The Benny Goodman Story. Stacy recorded four more titles (including a blues dedicated to jazz critic Otis Ferguson) for Atlantic on October 6, 1955, this time with bassist Artie Shapiro and drummer Nick Fatool. Stacy and Fatool also recorded four duets (on themes composed by Stacy) for Brunswick on March 3, 1956. This all adds up to one of the most enjoyable Jess Stacy compilations ever assembled by anyone, especially as the range of instrumentation -- duet, trio, quartet, and nonet -- illuminates him as a wonderfully adaptable improviser. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :

ARTIE SHAW AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1946-1950 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1368 (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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WINGY MANONE AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1936-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 887 (1996) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The fifth in Classics' complete Wingy Manone series of CDs features the good-humored trumpeter/singer on 21 selections from a nine-month period. A fair amount of Wingy's sidemen are obscure, but they do sometimes include clarinetists Joe Marsala and Matty Matlock and trombonist George Brunies. Manone sings on all of the selections, and even if many of the songs are far from classics, the swinging solos and jubilance of these Dixieland-oriented performances make the music worth hearing. Highlights include "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" (which has Manone interacting with singer Sally Sharon), "In the Groove," "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," "Floatin' Down to Cotton Town" and "You Showed Me the Way." Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

WINGY MANONE AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937-1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 952 (1997) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Wingy Manone was a magnetic vocalist and trumpeter whose sense of humor and husky New Orleans drawl could make even the shallowest Tin Pan Alley confection sound attractively hip. "You're Precious to Me" is a strong example of this sort of magic in action. The other two songs recorded on the same day are loaded with funny business but Jack LeMaire's falsetto interjections sound like cheap imitation Step'n Fetchit. This degrading patter upstages Wingy and spoils the timing. Maybe they figured that out and canned the corn; from this point onward, Wingy has the floor and anyone who chimes in does it without sounding idiotic. Instrumentally, Wingy's bands were always strong and tight. Joe Marsala and Babe Russin were excellent reed players. Wingy was fortunate to have them on board for both of these 1937 sessions, and he knew it. "I Ain't Got Nobody" is almost as hot as Fats Waller's version, and Wingy's jump treatment of "Getting Some Fun Out of Life" compares interestingly with Billie Holiday's approach to the same tune. And leave it to Wingy to pull off the relatively superfluous lyrics to "Jazz Me Blues." The session of January 12, 1938 might be familiar to collectors as having been reissued on RCA Black and White as Chu Berry's Indispensable, a package that was conspicuously riddled with Wingy Manone sessions. Chu made a lot of good records with Wingy, and these are among the best of them. After two Scottish airs and a lazy lament, we're treated to one of the funniest and most finely crafted of all Manone creations: "Where's the Waiter," a topic most everyone can relate to. The session culminates with two oddball novelties having something or other to do with being Italian. Using an almost entirely different band, Wingy ground out a half-dozen further sides for Bluebird on May 23, 1938. Brad Gowans, best remembered as Eddie Condon's all-purpose valve trombonist, combines well with an able clarinet and alto saxophonist named Al Kavich. "Let's Break the Good News" is every bit as rowdy as a rendition recorded by Fats Waller around this same time. Wingy and Fats often seem to have been on the same page: In 1939 Fats would record a solo piano version of "Ah! So Pure," an aria from Martha, Friedrich Von Flotow's operatic hit of 1847. Wingy, of course, turns this melody into a foot-stomping singalong. The "Mannone Blues" is actually Bessie Smith's "Backwater Blues," if you crank it up to 78 miles per hour and let Wingy put a few of his own words on it. Slim Gaillard's "Flat Foot Floogie" works well, although this is clearly a case where Waller cut Wingy (and everyone else for the rest of time) with his 'Continental Rhythm' version of the "Floy Floy." Mary Lou Williams' "Little Joe From Chicago" sounds almost as though it was written for Wingy and his scruffy little pack. Here then is another great album of Wingy's unique brand of good-time jazz, with jokes and warts included. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist & Credits :

RED NICHOLS – 1930-1931 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1462 (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Volume six in the complete recordings of trumpeter Red Nichols as reissued by the Classics Chronological Series consists of 25 Victor and Brunswick recordings dating from September 1930 through January 1931, and is especially recommended to those who enjoy Depression-era jazz and pop vocals, with the pop outweighing the jazz by a considerable margin. "On Revival Day," a topical novelty originally released in two parts on flipsides of a 78 rpm record, trombonist Jack Teagarden is backed by a vocal group billed as the Foursome. Forthwith, Nichols' ensemble is garnished at times with a couple of violins and is almost invariably dusted with sugary vocals by Scrappy Lambert, Dick Robertson, Eddie Thomas, Paul Small, and songwriter Harold Arlen. If you're curious to hear what the composer of "Blues in the Night" sounded like as a crooner, that's him singing "How Come You Do Me Like You Do?" as well as his own compositions "Linda," "You Said It," and "Sweet and Hot." The jazziest vocals, even funkier than Teagarden's, are by trumpeter Wingy Manone, who puts his personal stamp on "Rockin' Chair," "Bugaboo," and "Corrine Corrina." Betwixt and between the vocals there exist smoothly coordinated ensemble passages and a number of fine solos, for almost every group that Nichols ever led was peppered with skilled jazz musicians. In addition to those already mentioned, Nichols is heard alongside clarinetist Benny Goodman, trombonist Glenn Miller, saxophonists Jimmy Dorsey and Eddie Miller, pianist Joe Sullivan, and drummer Gene Krupa. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1    On Revival Day - Part 1 2:40
2    On Revival Day - Part 2 2:38
3    Embraceable You 3:08
4    I Got Rhythm 2:56
5    A Girl Friend Of A Boy Friend Of Mine 2:48
6    Sweet Jennie Lee 2:44
7    Linda 3:06
8    Yours And Mine 2:55
9    That's Where The South Begins 2:44
10    I'm Tickled Pink With A Blue-Eyes Baby 2:48
11    My Honey's Lovin' Arms 2:56
12    Rockin' Chair 3:10
13    Bugaboo 3:12
14    Corrinne Corrina 3:02
15    How Come You Do Me Like You Do? 3:01
16    Blue Again 3:12
17    When Kentucky Bids The World "Good Morning" 3:09
18    What Good Am I Without You? 2:58
19    We're Friends Again 3:09
20    At Last I'm Happy 2:51
21    If You Haven't Got A Girl 2:56
22    You Said It 3:05
23    Sweet And Hot 3:02
24    The Peanut Vendor 2:47
25    Sweet Rosita 3:03
All Credits :

MIFF MOLE – 1928-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1298 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Less jaunty than Kid Ory and not as funky as Charlie Irvis, Miff Mole's trombone had a sound all its own. His calm, assertive presence transformed any ensemble, and the bands he led were usually dependable and solid. If you're not yet a devoted follower, this excellent package might grab you for keeps. The opening session features an inspired Frank Teschemacher, who really shines on "Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble." The rest of the material from 1928 is delightful, sounding a lot like fully arranged small band swing from the mid-'30s. The piano lineup is marvelous throughout: Joe Sullivan, Arthur Schutt, and Frank Signorelli, composer of "I'll Never Be The Same" and "A Blues Serenade." Tuba legend Joe Tarto anchors three different ensembles and sounds particularly comfortable behind the trombone solos. Because they wisely chose not to feature any vocalists on the 1928-1929 sides, the magical interaction between instrumentalists proceeds without interruption. We get a good taste of Jimmy Dorsey's clarinet while Matt Malneck saws away on a hot violin. Dick McDonough's guitar solo on "Playing the Blues" is dazzling. Eddie Lang, however, plays hardly audible straight rhythm guitar on the April 19, 1929, session, restraining himself while the horns bubble and smoke out front. "That's a Plenty" is a prime example of how hot these guys could blow, and Dorsey is joined by tenor man Babe Russin for a wild version of "After You've Gone."
Those 14 hot sides are followed by a session from 1930. It's amazing how ensembles began to congeal and sweeten once the new decade (and the Great Depression) was on. Mole does some stuffy work with a mute and Scrappy Lambert's vocals are a bit fluffy, but the exciting presence of Adrian Rollini's bass saxophone is consoling, much as it was on the Venuti/Lang recordings from this same period. Luckily, we are given the option of skipping the vocal selections and choosing instrumental alternates, which were originally issued on Odeon instead of Okeh. These are as worthy as any of the other instrumental numbers included here.
The material from 1937 is thicker and more heavily arranged, with vocals by Midge Williams, who could be charming, and Chick Bullock, who wasn't. This is an entirely different world from the earlier sides. The presence of Glenn Miller constitutes a manifestation of mainstream big band music ready at that point to seize the market. Mole sounds great once Bullock runs out of lyrics, and even six marginally appealing vocal episodes cannot detract from the simple majesty of this chronologically stacked retrospective. Mole deserves to be remembered and Classics is to be commended for having the gumption to issue his music in this manner. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1    Miff Mole's Molers–    One Step To Heaven    2:58
2    Miff Mole's Molers–    Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble    3:00
3    Miff Mole's Molers–    Crazy Rhythm     2:58
4    Miff Mole's Molers–    You Took Advantage Of Me    3:16
5    Miff Mole's Molers–    You're The Cream In My Coffee    2:56
6    Miff Mole's Molers–    Wild Oat Joe    2:58
7    New Orleans Black Birds–    Red Head    3:01
8    New Orleans Black Birds–    Playing The Blues    2:37
9    Miff Mole's Molers–    I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling    2:54
10    Miff Mole's Molers–    That's A Plenty    2:46
11    Miff Mole's Molers–    Birmingham Bertha    3:10
12    Miff Mole's Molers–    Moanin' Low    3:15
13    Miff Mole's Molers–    You Made Me Love You    2:58
14    Miff Mole's Molers–    After You've Gone    3:18
15    Miff Mole's Molers–    Navy Blues (Vocal)    3:26
16    Miff Mole's Molers–    Lucky Little Devil (Vocal)    3:28
17    Miff Mole's Molers–    Navy Blues (Instr.)    3:21
18    Miff Mole's Molers–    Lucky Little Devil (Instr.)    3:28
19    Miff Mole's Molers–    On A Little Bamboo Bridge    2:43
20    Miff Mole's Molers–    How Could You?    2:49
21    Miff Mole's Molers–    I Can't Break The Habit Of You    2:13
22    Miff Mole's Molers–    Love And Learn    2:24
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Toots Mondello (tracks: 19 to 22)
Bass – Sid Weiss (tracks: 19 to 22)
Bass Saxophone – Adrian Rollini (tracks: 15 to 18)
Bass Tuba – Joe Tarto (tracks: 3, 4, 7, 8)
Clarinet – Frank Teschmacher, Paul Ricci (tracks: 19 to 22)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Jimmy Dorsey (tracks: 7 to 16)
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Fud Livingston (tracks: 3 to 6)
Drums – Gene Krupa, Sam Weiss (tracks: 19 to 22), Stan King (tracks: 3, 4, 9 to 14), Ted Napoleon (tracks: 7, 8)
Guitar – Carl Kress (tracks: 3, 4, 15 to 22), Dick McDonough (tracks: 7, 8, 13, 14), Eddie Condon (tracks: 1, 2), Eddie Lang (tracks: 9, 10), Tommy Felline (tracks: 11, 12)
Mellophone – Dudley Fosdick (tracks: 3, 4)
Piano – Arthur Schutt (tracks: 3 to 6, 9 to 14), Frank Signorelli (tracks: 7, 8, 19 to 22), Joe Sullivan (tracks: 1, 2), Lenny Hayton (tracks: 15 to 18)
Tenor Saxophone – Babe Russin (tracks: 13, 14)
Trombone – Glenn Miller (tracks: 19 to 22), Miff Mole, Vincent Grande (tracks: 19 to 22)
Trumpet – Gordon Griffin (tracks: 19 to 22), Harry James (tracks: 19 to 22), Leo McConville (tracks: 3, 4, 9 to 12), Manny Klein (tracks: 9, 10), Phil Napoleon (tracks: 11 to 14), Phil Napoleon (tracks: 5 to 8), Red Nichols (tracks: 1 to 4), Tony Tortomas (tracks: 19 to 22)
Violin – Matt Malneck (tracks: 7, 8)
Vocals – Chick Bullock (tracks: 21, 22), Scrappy Lambert (tracks: 15, 16), Midge Williams (tracks: 19, 20)

BUNNY BERIGAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1936-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 749 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These 23 Berigan sides chronicle a time when the trumpeter was in between being a sideman and putting together his own band. After scoring several solo triumphs with Tommy Dorsey's outfit in 1937 ("Marie," "Song of India"), Berigan organized a mid-sized combo which included such standouts as tenor saxophonist George Auld, pianist Joe Bushkin, and drummer George Wettling. The heyday to come, with Buddy Rich behind the drum kit and a signature reading of "I Can't Get Started," were still about a year off. In the meantime, Berigan and company made out fine with a mix of tight arrangements and the maestro's top-notch solo work. This Classics disc features a sampling of those small group recordings ("All God's Chillun' Got Rhythm," "Swanee River"), plus some of Berigan's first sides with his big band. In spite of a few questionable transfers here and there, the disc has good sound quality throughout. Be that as it may, this installment in Classics' chronological series is still best suited for seasoned Berigan fans. Stephen Cook  
Tracklist :
1     That Foolish Feeling 2:47
Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh
Vocals – Art Gentry
2     Where Are You? 3:08
Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh
Vocals – Art Gentry    
3     In a Little Spanish Town 2:42
Sam M. Lewis / Mabel Wayne / Joe Young
4     The Goona Goo 2:50
Fred E. Ahlert / Harry Reser / Joe Young
Vocals – Art Gentry    
5     Who's Afraid of Love? 2:47
Sidney Mitchell / Lew Pollack
Vocals – Art Gentry    
6     One in a Million 2:40
Sidney Mitchell / Lew Pollack
Vocals – Art Gentry
7     Blue Lou 2:46
Irving Mills / Edgar Sampson
8     I'm Gonna Kiss Myself Goodbye 2:27
Mack Gordon
Vocals – Johnny Hauser    
9     Big Boy Blue 2:13
Dan Howell / Jack Lawrence / Peter Tinturin
Vocals – Johnny Hauser
10     Dixieland Shuffle 2:54
Bob Haggart / Gil Rodin    
11     Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love) 3:10
Cole Porter
12     You Can't Run Away from Love Tonight 3:00
Al Dubin / Harry Warren
Vocals – Carol McKay
13     'Cause My Baby Says It's So 2:48
Al Dubin / Harry Warren
Vocals – Bunny Berigan
14     Carelessly 3:06
Norman Ellis / Nick A. Kenny
Vocals – Carol McKay
15     All Dark People Are Light on Their Feet 2:22
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
Vocals – Ford Leary    
16     The First Time I Saw You 2:16
Allie Wrubel
Vocals – Ford Leary    
17     Love Is a Merry-Go-Round 3:00
Rube Bloom / Johnny Mercer
Vocals – Sue Mitchell     
18     The Image of You 2:50
Fred E. Ahlert / Joe Young
Vocals – Sue Mitchell     
19     I'm Happy, Darling, Dancing With You 2:59
Fred E. Ahlert / Joe Young
Vocals – Sue Mitchell
20     Swanee River 2:20
Stephen Foster
21     All God's Chillun Got Rhythm 2:20
Walter Jurmann / Gus Kahn / Bronislaw Kaper
Vocals – Ruth Bradley
22     The Lady from Fifth Avenue 2:26
Teddy Powell / Walter Samuels / Leonard Whitcup
Vocals – Ruth Bradley
23     Let's Have Another Cigarette 2:39
Herbert Magidson / Allie Wrubel
Vocals – Ruth Bradley

BOB HOWARD AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1936-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1076 (1999) | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bob Howard did a lot of recording in the mid-'30s for Decca, with the hope that his Fats Waller-influenced jive singing would catch on as Waller's records had for Victor. It did not work out, but Howard did record enough material to fill up three CDs. This particular set has the 21 selections that he cut during five sessions in 1936-1937. Howard, who also played piano, sticks here exclusively to singing and is joined by sextets/septets that often include trumpeter Marty Marsalis, Sid Trucker, or Slats Long on clarinet and Zinky Cohn or Frank Froeba on piano. The music (which includes "Bojangles of Harlem," "Copper Colored Gal," "Me, Myself And I," "Penny Wise and Pound Foolish," and "He's a Gypsy From Poughkeepsie") is pleasing in small doses but a bit too derivative for extensive listening. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Bojangles of Harlem 2:42
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
2     Mendel's Son's Swing Song 2:53
Erard
3     Sing Baby Sing 2:57
Channing Pollack / Jack Yellen
4     Swinging on the Moon 3:16
Mel Tormé / Joseph Young
5     Copper Colored Gal 2:50
J. Fred Coots / Benny Davis
6     That's What You Mean to Me 3:14
J. Fred Coots / Benny Davis
7     Hop, Skip and Jump 2:36
Bloch / Chancer         
8     You're Giving Me a Song and a Dance 2:52
Milton Ager / Marty Symes
9     Me, Myself and I 3:13
Irving Gordon / Alvin Kaufman / Allan Roberts
10     Spring Cleaning 2:27
Teddy Powell / Walter Samuels / Leonard Whitcup
11     You Can't Take It With You 2:50
Wes Hein
12     You're Just a Little Diff'rent 2:37
Mandell / Littau    
13     Bundle of Love 2:55
Joyner     
14     You're Precious to Me 2:56
Ballard / Pellish / Brusiloff
15     Fan My Brow 2:44
Unknown
16     Formal Night Harlem 3:10
Shuman / Faro / Leman     
17     He's a Gyspy from Poughkeepsie 2:49
Bud Green
18     Easy Living 2:44
Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin
19     I'll Take the Key and Lock You Up 2:44
Tinturin /  Lawrence / Howell    
20     Sing and Be Happy 2:36
Akst / Clare
21     Penny Wise and Pound Foolish 2:31
Fred Rose

ZIGGY ELMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1938-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 900 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Ziggy Elman played trumpet beautifully and made lasting, significant contributions to the ripening of jazz and swing during the months immediately preceding the Second World War. As if to illustrate the point, this first segment of Elman's chronology contains his Bluebird recordings dating from December 28, 1938, through December 26, 1939. During this period, the trumpeter's band invariably consisted of two alto and two tenor saxophones with piano, guitar, bass, and drums. Over the course of 12 months a series of fine players passed through Elman's band. Among them were saxophonists Arthur Rollini, Babe Russin, Hymie Schertzer, Toots Mondello, and Jerry Jerome, and pianists Jess Stacy, Milt Raskin, and Johnny Guarnieri. The opening track, "Fralich in Swing," would soon become famous as Benny Goodman's hugely popular "And the Angels Sing." After playing it through at a languid pace, Elman accelerates the tempo to reveal the melody's origins as a Jewish wedding dance. For the flip side Elman chose "Bublitchki," an attractive update of a traditional Slavic air. In a strikingly hip maneuver, his next pair of tunes were drawn from the Richard M. Jones and Maceo Pinkard catalog, respectively. The tasteful repertoire presented throughout this compilation combines relaxing ballads ("I'll Never Be the Same" is particularly eloquent) and catchy dance tunes ("Zaggin' with Zig"). The Judaic element resurfaces nicely during the peculiarly titled "What Used to Was Used to Was (Now It Ain't)." This entire disc is packed with friendly, accessible jazz that swings. No gimmicks, no gags, no self-conscious singers. Ziggy didn't need 'em. arwulf arwulf   
Tracklist :
1 Fralich in Swing (And the Angels Sing) 3:18
 Ziggy Elman feat: Ziggy Elman & His Orchestra
2 Bublitchiki 3:06
Traditional
Ziggy Elman feat: Ziggy Elman & His Orchestra
3 29th and Dearborn 2:54
Richard M. Jones
 4 Sugar 2:57
Edna Alexander / Sidney Mitchell / Maceo Pinkard
5 You're Mine, You 3:17
Johnny Green / Edward Heyman
6 Let's Fall in Love 2:56
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
 7 Zaggin' with Zig 3:05
 Ziggy Elman feat: Ziggy Elman & His Orchestra
8 I'll Never Be the Same 3:01
Gus Kahn / Matty Malneck / Frank Signorelli
 9 You Took Advantage of Me 2:30
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
 10 I'm Yours 3:04
Johnny Green / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
 11 Am I Blue? 2:35
Harry Akst / Grant Clarke
 12 I Have Everything to Live For 2:49
Noni Bernardi / Ziggy Elman
 13 What Used to Was Used to Was (Now It Ain't) 3:26
Sammy Cahn / Saul Chaplin / David Meyerowitz
 14 Bye 'n' Bye 3:12
 Ziggy Elman feat: Ziggy Elman & His Orchestra
15 Love Is the Sweetest Thing 2:39
Ray Noble
 16 Deep Night 3:30
Charles Henderson / Rudy Vallée
 17 Forgive My Heart (You Are My Happiness) 3:20
 Ziggy Elman feat: Ziggy Elman & His Orchestra
18 Tootin' My Baby Back Home 3:03
Noni Bernardi / Ziggy Elman
 19 I'm Through with Love 3:21
Gus Kahn / Fud Livingston / Matty Malneck
 20 Something to Remember You By 3:13
Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz
Credits
Alto Saxophone – Dave Matthews (tracks: 1 to 4), Hymie Schertzer (tracks: 5 to 12), Noni Bernardi, Toots Mondello (tracks: 13 to 20)
Double Bass [String Bass] – Artie Bernstein (tracks: 5 to 8; 13 to 20), Harry Goodman (tracks: 1 to 4), Joe Schwartzman (tracks: 9 to 12)
Drums – Al Kendis (tracks: 1 to 12), Nick Fatool (tracks: 13 to 20)
Guitar – Ben Heller
Piano – Jess Stacy (tracks: 1 to 12), Johnny Guarnieri (tracks: 17 to 20), Milt Raskin (tracks: 13 to 16)
Tenor Saxophone – Arthur Rollini (tracks: 1 to 8; 13 to 20), Babe Russin (tracks: 9 to 12), Jerry Jerome
Trumpet – Ziggy Elman