MIDGE WILLIAMS AND HER JAZZ JESTERS – 1937-1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 745 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist + Credits :

EDMOND HALL – 1937-1944 | The Classics Chronological Series – 830 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Those who missed out on Mosaic's limited-edition reissue of Edmond Hall's superb Blue Note recordings may want to pounce on this segment of the clarinetist's chronology. Everything there is to love about small-group swing is present at full potency in these remarkably solid performances. For the session of February 5, 1941 Meade "Lux" Lewis put all of his best blues and boogie energies into a celeste, that tinkling little keyboard instrument that sounds like a glockenspiel. The combination of a celestial Lewis and the soulful Hall with guitarist Charlie Christian and bassist Israel Crosby resulted in music unlike anything heard before or since. On November 29, 1943 the Edmond Hall Blue Note Jazzmen had Vic Dickenson and a very inspired Sidney DeParis on the front line. The humbly majestic James P. Johnson makes the music feel like ritual. Three hot numbers are fountains of joy, but the real magic develops during two collectively improvised blues taken at relaxed tempos. Nothing could be finer or more pleasing than this confluence of master improvisers, drawing upon the highly evolved traditions of New York and New Orleans as they listened ever so carefully to each other while inventing their own grammar of straightforward blues, swing and boogie-woogie. The Edmond Hall Sextet recorded four sides for Commodore on December 18, 1943. Guitarist Al Casey sat in on this occasion, only three days after the passing of his mentor, Fats Waller. Eddie Heywood was a great pianist, much less humble than James P. Johnson but formidable enough to rock the hell out of the "Downtown Café Boogie." The piano introduction to a very relaxed "Uptown Café Blues" sounds similar to the beginning of Heywood's blues collaborations with Billie Holiday. Edmond Hall's way of handling the blues is unforgettably immediate and sincere. Both of the 1943 dates are towed into port by the exceptionally fine drumming of Big Sid Catlett. Back with Blue Note on January 25, Edmond Hall leads his All Star Quintet in developing four of his own original compositions. While "Rompin' in '44," the band moves with gently pronounced modernity, rooted in tradition but responding to new ideas and updated styles. Red Norvo, always aware of fresh influences, had something to do with this development. "Blue Interval" is something like a course in organic gardening; "Smooth Sailin'" is a solid upbeat piece of blues, as is the rocking restless jam called "Seein' Red." As a gesture of chronological completeness, Classics tacked on a pair of sides from 1937 with vocals by Henry Nemo. These would be more enjoyable if he didn't closely imitate Fats Waller's singing style, right down to the expostulations and tag lines. Considering the wealth of outstanding jazz on this one CD, these two oddities are a neat bonus. They do not detract in any way from the masterpieces gathered together in memory of the great Edmond Hall. arwulf arwulf  

Tracklist + Credits :

BILLY KYLE – 1937-1938 (1996) The Classics Chronological Series – 919 | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Pianist Billy Kyle spent most of his career as a sideman (most notably with John Kirby's Sextet and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars) and led relatively few sessions, all of which were formerly rare. That fact makes this CD reissue a major event for small-group swing collectors. Kyle's eight selections from 1937 with his "Swing Club Band" (which hints at times at the Kirby group) include two vocals apiece by the Palmer Brothers and Leon Lafell, but are most notable for the playing of trumpeter Charlie Shavers and altoist Tab Smith on the instrumentals. In addition, Kyle is prominent with the Spencer Trio (a group with clarinetist Buster Bailey and drummer O'Neil Spencer), Timme Rosenkrantz's Barrelhouse Barons (which include cornetist Rex Stewart, trombonist Tyree Glenn, tenorman Don Byas, and singer Inez Cavanaugh), and with Jack Sneed & His Sneezers. Sneed was a jazz-influenced calypso singer who was wise enough to use a backup quartet (which included Shavers) taken from the Kirby sextet. Overall, an excellent set of rarities. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Billy Kyle And His Swing Club Band–    Sundays Are Reserved 2:54
 Billy Kyle
Vocals – The Palmer Brothers
2    Billy Kyle And His Swing Club Band–    Havin' A Ball 2:39
 Billy Kyle
3    Billy Kyle And His Swing Club Band–    Big Boy Blue 2:51
 Dan Howell / Jack Lawrence / Peter Tinturin
Vocals – The Palmer Brothers
4    Billy Kyle And His Swing Club Band–    Margie 2:37
 Con Conrad / Benny Davis / J. Russel Robinson
5    Billy Kyle And His Swing Club Band–    Can I Forget You? 2:42
 Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
Vocals – Leon LaFell
6    Billy Kyle And His Swing Club Band–    All You Want To Do Is Dance 2:27
 Johnny Burke / Arthur Johnston
Vocals – Leon LaFell
7    Billy Kyle And His Swing Club Band–    Handle My Heart With Care 2:37
Billy Kyle
8    Billy Kyle And His Swing Club Band–    Girl Of My Dreams 2:29
 Sunny Clapp
9    Spencer Trio–    John Henry 3:05
Traditional
Vocals – O'Neil Spencer
10    Spencer Trio–    Lorna Doone Shortbread 2:55
 Buster Bailey
11    Spencer Trio–    Afternoon In Africa 2:50
 Buster Bailey
12    Spencer Trio–    Baby Won't You Please Come Home 2:31
 Charles Warfield / Clarence Williams
Vocals – O'Neil Spencer
13    Timme Rosenkrantz And His Barrelhouse Barons–    A Wee Bit Of Swing 2:33
 Leo Mathiesen / Timme Rosenkrantz
14    Timme Rosenkrantz And His Barrelhouse Barons–    Is This To Be My Souvenir? 3:10
 Leo Mathiesen
Vocals – Inez Cavanaugh
15    Timme Rosenkrantz And His Barrelhouse Barons–    When Day Is Done 2:17
 Buddy DeSylva / Robert Katscher
Vocals – Inez Cavanaugh
16    Timme Rosenkrantz And His Barrelhouse Barons–    The Song Is Ended 2:15
 Irving Berlin
17    Jack Sneed And His Sneezers–    The Numbers Man  2:29
 Jack Sneed
18    Jack Sneed And His Sneezers–    Sly Mangoose 2:42
 Jack Sneed
19    Jack Sneed And His Sneezers–    West Indian Blues 2:55
 Jack Sneed
20    Jack Sneed And His Sneezers–    Big Joe Louis 2:50
 Jack Sneed
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Rudy Williams (tracks: 13 to 16), Russell Procope (tracks: 13 to 16), Tab Smith (tracks: 1 to 8)
Bass – John Kirby (tracks: 17 to 20), John Williams (tracks: 1 to 8), Walter Page (tracks: 13 to 16)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Eddie Williams (tracks: 1 to 4)
Cornet – Rex Stewart (tracks: 13 to 16)
Drums – Fran Marx (tracks: 5 to 8), Jo Jones (tracks: 13 to 16), O'Neil Spencer (tracks: 1 to 4, 9 to 12, 17 to 20)
Guitar – Brick Fleagle (tracks: 13 to 16), Danny Barker (tracks: 1 to 8)
Piano – Billy Kyle
Tenor Saxophone – Don Byas (tracks: 13 to 16), Harold Arnold (tracks: 1 to 4), Ronald Haynes (tracks: 5 to 8)
Trombone – Tyree Glenn (tracks: 13 to 16)
Trumpet – Billy Hicks (tracks: 13 to 16), Charlie Shavers (tracks: 1 to 8, 17 to 20)