DIZZY GILLESPIE – The Champ (1956-2003) RM | Savoy Jazz Classic Masters | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

An early LP on Savoy that gathers Dizzy Gillespie's small-group recordings from 1951-52, The Champ has a lot to recommend it -- songs, sidemen, and performances. With just one exception, each of the selections are drawn from quintet or sextet dates, boasting work by Art Blakey, Milt Jackson, J.J. Johnson, Percy Heath, and Stuff Smith in addition to an early appearance from John Coltrane (he made his debut with Diz, though not here). On the title track, a six-minute jam released as a two-part single, Gillespie plays furiously and tenor Budd Johnson contributes a great squawking solo. "Birk's Works," one of Dizzy's finest compositions, gets its first commercial recording, while Stuff Smith's violin solo gives "Caravan" exactly the exotic touch it needs to lift it above competing versions. Diz and Joe Carroll trade vocals on "On the Sunny Side of the Street," and bop culture meets gospel for "Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac."  John Bush
 Tracklist :
1 The Champ 05:43
 Dizzy Gillespie
2 Birk's Works 03:09
Dizzy Gillespie
3 Caravan 02:56
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Juan Tizol
4 Time On My Hands 02:26
Harold Adamson / Mack Gordon / Vincent Youmans
5 On the Sunny Side of the Street 03:09
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
6 Tin Tin Deo 02:43
Gil Fuller / Dizzy Gillespie / Chano Pozo
7 Stardust 03:07
Hoagy Carmichael / Mitchell Parish
8 They Can't Take That Away from Me 03:46
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
9 The Bluest Blues 02:57
Dizzy Gillespie / Gary McFarland / Sir Charles Thompson
10 Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac 03:10
 Dizzy Gillespie
11 Ooh-Shoo-Be-Doo-Bee 03:21
Joe Carroll / Dizzy Gillespie / Bill Graham
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Bill Graham (tracks: 3 to 5, 7 to 11), John Coltrane (tracks: 2, 6)
Baritone Saxophone – Bill Graham (tracks: 3 to 5, 7 to 11)
Bass – Bernie Griggs (tracks: 8, 11), Percy Heath (tracks: 1 to 7, 9, 10)
Drums – Al Jones (tracks: 3 to 5, 7 to 11), Art Blakey (tracks: 1), Kansas Fields (tracks: 2 to 6)
Guitar – Kenny Burrell (tracks: 2, 6)
Organ – Milt Jackson (tracks: 3 to 5, 7 to 9)
Piano – Milt Jackson (tracks: 2, 6, 10), Wynton Kelly (tracks: 8, 11)
Tenor Saxophone – Budd Johnson (tracks: 1), John Coltrane (tracks: 2, 6)
Trombone – J.J. Johnson
Trumpet – Dizzy Gillespie
Vibraphone – Milt Jackson (tracks: 2, 6, 10)
Violin – Stuff Smith (tracks: 3 to 5, 7, 9)
Vocals – Dizzy Gillespie (tracks: 10), Joe Carroll (tracks: 1, 3 to 5, 7 to 11), Melvin Moore (tracks: 1, 10), Milt Jackson (tracks: 3 to 5, 7 to 9)

TOMMY DORSEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1928-1935 | The Classics Chronological Series – 833 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the first volume of the complete studio recordings of Tommy Dorsey as presented in the Classics Chronological Series. The first five tracks, relatively rare and gloriously instrumental, are worth the cost of the entire album. Four of these, recorded for the OKeh label in 1928 and 1929, feature "Tom Dorsey" playing the trumpet in the company of guitarist Eddie Lang with drummer Stan King and either tubaist/string bassist Jimmy Williams or pianist Frank Signorelli. The opening selection, an intimate rendering of Perry Bradford's "It's Right Here for You," has a lovely harmonium accompaniment by Arthur Schutt that mingles marvelously with Lang's reflective improvisations. Dorsey's expressive trumpeting pleasantly reflects the influence of Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke. His next opportunity to record under his own name occurred on Bastille Day in July of 1932. Billed now as "Tommy Dorsey," he presented his own composition, "Three Moods." Backed by a seven-piece "orchestra" that included brother Jimmy Dorsey, trumpeter Manny Klein, and Larry Binyon on tenor sax, the trombonist established a waltz and transformed it into a gavotte and then a swinging foxtrot. Beginning on September 26, 1935, Dorsey, billed for one last time as "Tom," made his first recordings as a leader for the Victor label. The three tunes waxed on that day represent in miniature an accurate condensation of Dorsey's stylistic output over the next few years: an innocent topical pop tune (in this case a rather glib cowboy reverie), a solidly swung traditional jazz stomp (here typified by Artie Matthews' "Weary Blues"), and the occasional dreaded blob of musical cotton candy (epitomized by "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"). Anyone listening through the Tommy Dorsey chronology must contend with pop vocals and sidestep periodic outbursts of brain-numbing corn in order to locate and savor the pockets of real jazz that occur from time to time. If Eddie Condon were alive today he would counsel the truly jazz-inclined to listen for the second-chair trumpeting of Sterling Bose whenever the singers run out of lyrics. Two big-band instrumentals, "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" and "Pagan Star," decisively established the Tommy Dorsey sound and provided the public with highly polished background music for all occasions. Several wonderful performances feature the tap dancing of Eleanor Powell, who sounds like she's been cross-dressing as she cheerfully spouts the lyrics to "Got a Bran' New Suit," makes an ass of herself speaking in a fake British accent during "That's Not Cricket," and redeems her dignity to some extent by hoofing her way through "What a Wonderful World." This vintage love song by Arthur Schwartz should not be confused with Bob Thiele's famous philosophical feel-good soliloquy sung by Louis Armstrong near the end of his life. arwulf arwulf    Tracklist + Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1951-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1286 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This intriguing CD features trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie during a transitional period, more than a year after his 1940s bebop orchestra broke up. "We Love to Boogie" has the first commercially recorded solo of tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, four years before he joined Miles Davis. Gillespie is heard with five different small groups playing music that is both boppish and a little R&B-influenced. Three of the combos match him with baritonist Bill Graham, with Milt Jackson playing as much piano as vibes and violinist Stuff Smith guesting on one session. Highlights include "Birk's Works," Joe Carroll's vocal on "Oh, Lady Be Good," the heated two-part "The Champ," "The Bluest Blues," and Carroll and Gillespie's singing on "On the Sunny Side of the Street." The final four numbers, taken from singles cut for the Atlantic label, are particularly rare. Scott Yanow          Tracklist :

DIZZY GILLESPIE – 1952-1953 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1347 (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Longtime collectors of vintage Dizzy Gillespie recordings will be delighted with this package of predominantly but not exclusively Parisian blowing sessions. The eighth installment in the Classics Dizzy Gillespie chronology opens with three selections from a Blue Star date that took place in Paris on April 6, 1952. A hauntingly soulful "Summertime" is followed by a refreshing "Blue Moon." This is Diz in his early maturity, full of cool whimsy. "Blues Chanté" is essentially a rehearsal take for the excellent "Cripple Crapple Crutch," a humorous blues containing references to a blind sow, a crippled crab, and an elephant's member. This and seven subsequent tracks were recorded for the Vogue label with a sextet featuring tenor saxophonist Don Byas, the brothers Hubert and Raymond Fol, and aspiring bassist Pierre Michelot on April 11, 1952. With the exception of the aforementioned blues and a smart version of Tadd Dameron's "Lady Bird" (here titled "Dizzy Song") the play list for this richly rewarding session is all standards and ballads. Back in the U.S.A. on July 18th, Gillespie presided over a Dee Gee recording date in Chicago with 20-year-old pianist Wynton Kelly and outrageous vocalist Joe "Be Bop" Carroll. In addition to the definitive version of "Oo-Shoo-Be-Doo-Be," this date resulted in a hilarious version of "Blue Skies" (wherein Diz and Joe ponder the possibility of getting eaten by a whale), a really nutty take on "Umbrella Man," a wild Louis Armstrong impersonation by Diz, and a gorgeous version of "They Can't Take That Away from Me." On November 24, 1952, Gillespie participated in one of those "jazz battles" contrived by music critics. Presented live at Birdland, "Hot vs. Cool" placed a team of young "modern" musicians (Dizzy Gillespie, tenor man Ray Abrams, bassist Al McKibbon, and drummer Max Roach) alongside players who were more closely associated with "traditional" fare. Trumpeter Jimmy McPartland, the most conspicuous member of this contingent, verbally introduces "Muskrat Ramble." (McPartland's professional career reached back into the mid-'20s when he recorded with the Wolverines after the departure of Bix Beiderbecke.) "Battle of the Blues" quickly develops into a kicking R&B jam, while "How High the Moon," naturally, belongs to the boppers. In truth, of course, McPartland and Gillespie got along marvelously and the only real conflict was between opinionated journalists. The packaging of this CD includes a wonderfully weird snapshot of the two men fingering each other's trumpets while simultaneously trying to blow their horns and smoke tobacco; from the corners of their mouths McPartland dangles a cigarette while Dizzy chews a big cigar. On February 22, 1953, Gillespie and Joe Carroll were back in Paris recording for Vogue. The cream of this session and one of Gillespie's all-time best recordings is their very hip version of Irving Berlin's "Always.". arwulf arwulf    Tracklist + Credits :

WYNONIE HARRIS – 1950-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1289 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Wynonie Harris specialized in driving jump blues numbers that celebrated the party side of urban life, and his tales of whiskey-soaked nights and relentless hangovers reached its peak during his long stay at King Records. This collection covers his last years at the label, and while a couple of his biggest hits are here, like the cranked-up version of Hank Penny's country classic "Bloodshot Eyes" and the engaging novelty number about trying to outsmart the IRS, "Good Morning Judge," Harris by this time was on the sundown side of his zenith, and even though he would seem like an artist ready-made for the emerging rock & roll craze, he never really made the transition. The song "All Night Long" included here is actually by Detroit group the Royals (who later morphed into Hank Ballard & the Midnighters), with Harris doing a guest vocal on the bridge. "All Night Long," in an interesting bit of music trivia, was the flip side to the original version of "Every Beat of My Heart," which Gladys Knight & the Pips turned into a huge hit nearly a decade later. Steve Leggett  
Tracklist
1     Rock Mr. Blues 2:41
Henry Bernard / Lois Mann
2     Stormy Night Blues 2:45
Henry Bernard / Sam Theard
3     Good Morning Judge 2:40
Wynonie Harris / Louis Innis
4     Be Mine My Love 2:52
Henry Bernard / Sydney Mann
5     Mr. Blues Is Coming to Town 3:02
Henry Glover
6     I Want to Love You Baby 2:35
Henry Glover / Lois Mann
7     Put It Back 2:47
Henry Glover
8     Oh Babe! 2:57
Milt Kabak / Louis Prima
9     Teardrops from My Eyes 2:54
Rudy Toombs
10     A Love Untrue 2:54
Henry Glover
11     Triflin' Woman 2:38
Henry Bernard / Lois Mann / Moon Mullican
12     Man, Have I Got Troubles 2:58
Mossman / Carlson
13     Confessin' the Blues 2:50
Walter Brown / Jay McShann
14     Tremblin' 2:28
Annisteen Allen / Henry Glover
15     Just Like Two Drops of Water 2:35
Joe Greene
16     I'll Never Give Up 2:32
Henry Glover / Sam Theard
17     Bloodshot Eyes 2:42
Wynonie Harris / Hank Penny
18     Here Comes the Night 2:36
Henry Glover
19     Lovin' Machine 2:27
Henry Glover / Lois Mann
20     My Playful Baby's Gone 2:30
Henry Glover / Wynonie Harris / Lois Mann
21     Luscious Woman 2:51
Henry Glover / Lois Mann    
22     All Night Long 2:18
Alonzo Tucker    
23     Keep on Churnin' (Till the Butter Comes) 2:55
Henry Glover
24     Married Woman - Stay Married 2:50
Henry Glover    
25     Rot-Gut 2:19
Henry Glover / Lois Mann