LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS HOT FIVE AND HOT SEVEN – 1926-1927 | The Classics Chronological Series – 585 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Louis Armstrong's Hot Five was the most influential jazz band of the mid-'20s. The first volume of Armstrong's complete works reissued by Classics followed this group's trail of recordings from November of 1925 through those made almost exactly one year later. Opening this second volume of vintage Armstrong, the Hot Five's last three records of 1926 are peppered with hot vocals intended to entertain and amuse. May Alix shouts the lyrics to "Sunset Cafe Stomp" and Armstrong puts across an interesting tune referencing two downtrodden ethnic groups, Irish and Afro-American. "You Made Me Love You" is not the venerable vaudeville number recorded by Al Jolson in 1913, but a punchy Armstrong original similar to the quaint syncopated love songs he had cooked up with Lil Hardin when they were still working for King Oliver. In May 1927 Armstrong expanded his ensemble for the first time to become the Hot Seven. The addition of Pete Briggs on tuba and Baby Dodds at the drums resulted in a full-bodied sound that made "Willie the Weeper" and "Potato Head Blues" so remarkably and enduringly potent. Armstrong's version of Fats Waller's "Alligator Crawl" is a miracle of perfect timing and immaculate ease. If Lil Hardin Armstrong's references to domestic violence seem a bit reckless during "That's When I'll Come Back to You," listeners should be advised that Afro-American music has always caused consternation by openly referring to topics usually swept under the rug. During the autumn and winter of 1927 Armstrong scaled his band back to five pieces, revisiting Kid Ory's 1922 novelty rag "Ory's Creole Trombone," adding a sixth player in guitarist Lonnie Johnson on "I'm Not Rough," and introducing to the world one of Lil Hardin Armstrong's all-time greatest compositions, "Struttin' with Some Barbecue." arwulf arwulf  Tracklist :

KING OLIVER AND HIS CREOLE JAZZ BAND – 1923 | The Chronogical Classics – 650 (1992) FLAC (tracks), lossless

There are more than a handful of undiluted jazz records that predate King Oliver's sessions of 1923, but few had managed to put it together in a recording studio quite so powerfully or, as it turned out, so very influentially. These primordial artifacts, now digitally remastered and chronologically assembled, form a substantial chunk of the bedrock of early recorded jazz. They're also remarkably liberating if, for just a few minutes, you make yourself into a fly on the wall of the Gennett studios. Note that young Louis Armstrong had to pretty well stand outside of the room so that he wouldn't overpower the rest of the players. Johnny Dodds interacted wonderfully with the brass, weaving wreaths of wooded filigree around the exhortations of Honore Dutrey's deep-voiced trombone. Lil Hardin, when you can hear her, is quite the majestic pianist, especially on "Chimes Blues." Baby Dodds couldn't use a full set of drums, as Gennett's Neolithic microphones couldn't handle anything beyond wood block or muffled snare and a small cymbal. Most previous issues of the 1923 Oliver Gennetts didn't include the OKeh sessions from June of that same year. These help to fill out the rest of the picture. The general recording ambience is less muddled, the clarinet seems to have been given greater opportunities for expressing itself in the lower register, and Lil's piano is more audible. Hardin and Armstrong's collaborative "Where Did You Stay Last Night?" sounds like a clear premonition of what Armstrong's Hot Five would be accomplishing by 1925. For years, jazz critics and historians have whined about the presence of Stump Evans, who blew C-melody saxophone on the session of October 5, 1923. As if being nicknamed "Stump" wasn't demeaning enough, Evans has been posthumously reviled for not sounding like Coleman Hawkins, although in 1923 young Hawk was hardly more facile than Stump, who sounds just fine on "Krooked Blues," slap tongue and all. Everything here bears repeated listening. Savor the wonderment of experiencing most of the best recordings King Oliver managed to make before pyorrhea forced him off the scene. Hearing those two cornets flying around the room together is an essential part of any classic jazz appreciation. A special treat lies within the melodic structure of "Camp Meeting Blues," which is clearly recognizable as the basis for Duke Ellington's "Creole Love Call." The inclusion of this and three other Columbia sides makes Classics 650 the ultimate early King Oliver survey, second to none. arwulf arwulf  
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JELLY-ROLL MORTON – 1926-1928 | The Chronogical Classics – 612 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While Louis Armstrong was cutting some of jazz's bedrock material, fellow New Orleans native and pianist Jelly Roll Morton was making equally fine, yet long overshadowed, recordings with his Red Hot Peppers combo. And it's his 1926-1927 sides for Victor, cut during a handful of sessions in New York, that form the pinnacle of his '20s heyday. This Classics disc, one of several of the label's chronological Morton titles, includes a good share of those standout tracks, but unfortunately excludes several essential numbers like "Sidewalk Blues," "Black Bottom Stomp," and "Grandpa's Spells" (Classics' earlier 1924-1926 release picks up the slack). While completist Morton fans will no doubt be drawn to this series, curious listeners in search of a well-balanced introduction should check out JSP's superior-sounding Vol. 1 collection. Stephen Cook
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JOHNNY DODDS – 1927 | The Chronogical Classics – 603 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For those who wish to develop a strong relationship with early jazz, there are certain records that may help the listener to cultivate an inner understanding, the kind of vital personal connection that reams of critical description can only hint at. Once you become accustomed to the sound of Johnny Dodds' clarinet, for example, the old-fashioned funkiness of South Side Chicago jazz from the 1920s might well become an essential element in your personal musical universe. Put everything post-modern aside for a few minutes and surrender to these remarkable historic recordings. It is January 1927, and the band, fortified with Freddie Keppard and Tiny Parham, is calling itself Jasper Taylor & His State Street Boys. The exacting chronology works well here as we are given detailed access to the records made by Dodds and a closely knit circle of musicians during the month of April 1927. Three duets with pianist Parham lie at the heart of Dodds' recorded legacy. Four trio sides feature Lil Armstrong at the piano and some very expressive guitar playing by Bud Scott. "The New St. Louis Blues" is particularly impressive, in fact downright hypnotizing. Scott sounds a lot like Bobby Leecan as he strums and strikes the strings with great deliberation. Speaking of Louis Armstrong, get a load of how he cooks and swings through four incredible stomps with Jimmy Bertrand's Washboard Wizards. Bertrand himself was a lively character, Jimmy Blythe was one of the best pianists in town at the time, and by 1927, Louis was well on his way to becoming the most influential -- and painstakingly imitated -- jazz musician of his generation. The sheer vitality of these records is incredible. Each performance is a delight, and Fats Waller fans will enjoy the Wizards' spunky interpretation of Waller's "I'm Goin' Huntin'." The very next day, Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers made four records in a Crescent City groove. "Weary Blues" positively percolates, and a perusal of the personnel is illuminating. Cornetist Louis Armstrong, trombonist Roy Palmer and clarinetist Johnny Dodds are joined by Barney Bigard, who boots away on a tenor saxophone. 1927 was the year that Bigard joined Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, there to distinguish himself by playing the clarinet like nobody else before or since. How interesting to hear him laying down basslines and occasionally soloing with a big sweaty sax. The presence of Bud Scott, Earl Hines at the piano and Warren "Baby" Dodds behind the drums rounds out one of the most intriguing ensembles in the entire Johnny Dodds discography. The remaining eight sides, variously attributed to the State Street Ramblers, the Dixie-Land Thumpers and to Jimmy Blythe & His Owls, are scruffy stomps with washboard percussion by Baby Dodds, elegant piano from Jimmy Blythe, and the chattering cornet of Natty Dominique. These are among the best records that Johnny Dodds ever made, and the producers of the Classics Chronological Series are to be commended for having released them in this outstanding package. arwulf arwulf  
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JOHNNY DODDS – 1928-1940 | The Chronogical Classics – 635 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

By 1928 and '29 jazz was beginning to mature and recording technology was growing up along with it. Even taking into account his remarkable accomplishments on phonograph records from 1923 through early 1928, the exciting material gathered together on this disc represents -- without question -- some of the very best jazz ever recorded by New Orleans/Chicago clarinet archetype Johnny Dodds. On the first 11 selections, Natty Dominique blows one tough little cornet, and Bill Johnson's bull fiddle comes across more clearly and dramatically than ever before. Throughout the 1920s, many bands relied on the tuba to provide the bassline on their recordings. Bolstered by the Victor Record company's superior equipment, Johnson's pulsing, visceral viol carries everyone along on a tonal current of unforgettable intensity. Anybody interested in trombonist Honore Dutrey should listen closely as this has got to be some of his best work on record. There's nothing quite like hearing Baby Dodds using the washboard as a neat, precise percussion tool. All the same it's refreshing when he switches to the drum kit and Lil Hardin Armstrong presides at the ivories. "Heah Me Talkin'" is a triumph, "Goober Dance" is pleasantly weird, and "Indigo Stomp" a wonderful ritual for piano, clarinet and bass fiddle. At that same session Johnny's group backed blueswoman Sippie Wallace on one song. This would be the only time Sippie and Johnny would collaborate in the studio. "I'm a Mighty Tight Woman" is a remarkable document, one of the strongest performances that this singer ever put across. The Paramount Pickers and Beale Street Washboard Band sessions are a delight, the sort of music you can go back and revisit regularly. The crowning glory of this collection is the inclusion of eight Decca recordings from 1938 and '40 that constitute the phonographic last will and testament of Johnny Dodds. Hearing his noble clarinet resounding in the same company as Charlie Shavers, John Kirby, Lonnie Johnson, Teddy Bunn, and the mighty Richard M. Jones brings out all of the best qualities in each musician. With O'Neill Spencer singing, drumming and rubbing on a washboard, we're faced with fully half of the John Kirby Sextet, a decidedly modern contingent mingling perfectly with players whose experience reached back towards the very beginnings of recorded jazz. arwulf arwulf  
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MEZZ MEZZROW – 1947 | The Chronogical Classics – 1095 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Mezz Mezzrow was a jazz musician better known for writing his exaggerated autobiography Really the Blues in 1946 than for his clarinet playing. This Classics disc highlights the year 1947 when Mezzrow was recording for his own King Jazz label. Even on up-tempo hot numbers, a hazy laid back approach was consistently maintained, which may have had something to do with Mezzrow's fondness for marijuana. However, these are highly enjoyable recordings that feature vocalist Coot Grant on six of the discs 20 tracks along with top New Orleans jazzmen including Sidney Bechet, Pops Foster, and Baby Dodds. Al Campbell
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SIDNEY BECHET – 1940-1941 | The Classics Chronological Series – 638 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Classics' Sidney Bechet series continues with this CD, a generous set full of the soprano's prime Victor recordings, including appearances by cornetist Rex Stewart and pianist Earl Hines, Bechet's guest shot with The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street, and his innovative "one-man-band" recordings of "The Sheik of Araby" and "Blues of Bechet." Scott Yanow
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RICHARD M. JONES – 1927-1944 | The Classics Chronological Series – 853 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The second of two CDs that reissue every recording led by pianist Richard M. Jones is drawn from three periods and has diverse material. The early band sides are often a bit disappointing, particularly the ones from 1927-28 with clarinetist Artie Stalks and a fairly obscure cast. Two numbers with his "Jazz Wizards" in 1929 are better, due to the participation of trombonist Roy Palmer and clarinetist Omer Simeon. Quite rare are six swinging big-band sides from 1935 on which Jones merely directs (although he does sing "Bring It On Home to Grandma"). Also on this CD are a pair of examples of the pianist singing blues in 1936 (assisted by trumpeter Lee Collins on his famous "Trouble In Mind") and four decent blues-oriented Dixieland numbers from 1944 with trumpeter Bob Shoffner and clarinetist Darnell Howard. The music is not essential overall, but since Classics did include everything, one cannot fault the packaging. Scott Yanow  
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