HOT LIPS PAGE AND HIS BAND – 1938-1940 | The Chronogical Classics – 561 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A veteran of territory bands from the Southwest and Midwest, Hot Lips Page struck out on his own in the latter half of the '30s to lead a big band. His experience with Bennie Moten and Count Basie's groups may not have translated into similarly stellar material and arrangements, but the rough-hewn yet fluid swing those outfits adhered to certainly found its way into his repertoire. This Classics disc finds Page during those early days from 1938-1940, and includes cuts both by his group and smaller combos featuring Kansas alto legend Buster Smith, pianist Pete Johnson, and tenor saxophonist Don Byas. There's plenty of Page's masterful blues and jazz singing ("Old Man Ben"), along with a fine array of his heated trumpet solos. A fine selection from one of the unwitting godfathers of jump blues and early R&B. Stephen Cook
Tracklist + Credits :

McKINNEY'S COTTON PICKERS – 1930-1931 + DON REDMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939-1940 | The Chronogical Classics – 649 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Classics label's superb series of McKinney's Cotton Pickers releases continues with this set, which features recordings from the original group as well as performances from Don Redman's swing orchestra of the late 1930s. Jason Ankeny
Tracklist + Credits :

PETE JOHNSON – 1938-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 656 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This superlative CD reissue features boogie-woogie pianist Pete Johnson on two classic numbers with singer Big Joe Turner (the original versions of "Goin' Away Blues" and "Roll 'Em Pete"), with inspiring trumpeter Harry James ("Boo Woo" and "Home James"), with his Boogie Woogie Boys (a sextet that includes Turner and trumpeter Hot Lips Page), interacting with fellow pianists Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis (joining Big Joe on "Café Society Rag"), and on a pair of trio numbers. However, it is Johnson's ten unaccompanied piano solos (mostly released previously by Solo Art) that are the rarest and most notable. Taken as a whole, this is Pete Johnson's definitive release, showing that he was much more than just a one-dimensional (although powerful) boogie-woogie specialist. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

BENNIE MOTEN's KANSAS CITY ORCHESTRA – 1930-1932 | The Classics Chronological Series – 591 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The final of the four "complete" Bennie Moten Classics CDs, which contain all of the orchestra's recordings except for a dozen alternate takes, has the band's final selections from 1930 (including some vocals by Jimmy Rushing) and then all of the music from Moten's classic final session of Dec. 13, 1932. With trumpeter Hot Lips Page, trombonist Dan Minor, Eddie Durham (the main arranger) on trombone and guitar, baritonist Jack Washington, Ben Webster on tenor, bassist Walter Page and pianist Count Basie, the orchestra at times almost sounds like the Count Basie big band of 1937. "Toby," the original version of "Moten Swing," "The Blue Room," "Milenberg Joys," "Lafayette" and "Prince of Wails" are among the many memorable selections. Highly recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    The Count    3:10
 Tom Gordon
2    Liza Lee 3:01
 Bud Green / Sam H. Stept
Vocals – Jimmy Rushing
3    Get Goin' (Get Ready To Love) 3:00
 Tot Seymour
Vocals – Jimmy Rushing
4    Professor Hot Stuff    3:21
 Count Basie / Eddie Durham / Bennie Moten
5    When I'm Alone 3:15
 Bennie Moten / Jimmy Rushing
Vocals – Jimmy Rushing
6    New Moten Stomp    2:52
 Bennie Moten
7    As Long As I Love You (Jeanette) 3:07
 Bennie Moten / L. Wood
Vocals – Jimmy Rushing
8    Somebody Stole My Gal 3:02
 Leo Wood
Vocals – Count Basie
9    Now That I Need You 3:00
 Count Basie / Bennie Moten / Pinetop Smith
Vocals – Jimmy Rushing
10    Bouncin' Round    3:08
 Bennie Moten
11    Ya Got Love 3:14
 Al Goodhart / Al Hoffman / Oliver Nelson
Vocals – Jimmy Rushing
12    I Wanna Be Around My Baby All The Time 2:55
 George W. Meyer / Joe Young
Vocals – Jimmy Rushing
13    Toby    3:24
 Eddie Barefield / Bennie Moten
14    Moten Swing    3:18
 Bennie Moten
15    The Blue Room    3:18
 Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
16    Imagination 3:25
 B. Russell
Vocals – The Sterling Russell Trio
17    New Orleans 2:59
 Hoagy Carmichael
Vocals – Jimmy Rushing
18    The Only Girl I Ever Loved 3:10
 Bobby Ziegler
Vocals – The Sterling Russell Trio
19    Milenberg Joys    2:45
 Walter Melrose / Jelly Roll Morton
20    Lafayette    2:45
 Count Basie / Eddie Durham
21    Prince Of Wails    2:49
 Elmer Schoebel
22    Two Times 3:07
Sauberg
Credits :    
Banjo – Leroy Berry (tracks: 1 to 21)
Bass [String] – Walter Page (tracks: 13 to 22)
Brass Bass – Vernon Page (tracks: 1 to 12)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Eddie Barefield (tracks: 13 to 22)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Jack Washington (tracks: 1 to 21)
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Harlan Leonard (tracks: 1 to 12)
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Woody Walder (tracks: 1 to 12)
Directed By – Bennie Moten
Drums – Willie McWashington
Piano – Count Basie
Piano Accordion, Piano – Ira "Buster" Moten (tracks: 1 to 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Ben Webster (tracks: 13 to 21)
Trombone – Dan Minor (tracks: 13 to 21), Thamon Hayes (tracks: 1 to 12)
Trombone, Guitar – Eddie Durham
Trumpet – Booker Washington (tracks: 1 to 12), Ed Lewis (tracks: 1 to 12), Oran "Hot Lips" Page, Joe Keyes (tracks: 13 to 21), Dee Stewart (tracks: 13 to 21)

THE THREE KEYS – 1932-1933 + BON BON AND HIS BUDDIES – 1941-1942 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1141 (2000) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Two very obscure series of recordings, both featuring singer Bon Bon (George Tunnell), are reissued in full on this intriguing CD. Bon Bon is best-known for his stint with Jan Savitt's orchestra during the late 1930s/early '40s. On the first 16 selections, he is heard as a pianist-vocalist with the Three Keys, a group also featuring guitarist Slim Furness and bassist Bob Pease; all three musicians sing together. The music is enjoyable jive although not as creative as the Mills Brothers or the Spirits of Rhythm. Among the better selections are "Someone Stole Gabriel's Horn," "Nagasaki," and "Oh By Jingo." Also on this CD are the six surviving selections from two dates by Bon Bon and his buddies during 1941-42. In both caes, the artist is joined by a swing septet. Among the sidemen are trumpeter Je Thomas, clarinetists Buster Smith and Jimmy Lytell, and pianist Billy Kyle, although guitarist Eddie Durham (doubling on trombone) gets solo honors on the first four songs. Bon Bon was an appealing vocalist and this CD should be of strong interest to swing specialists. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist :
1    The Three Keys–    Moon Indigo    3:42
2    The Three Keys–    Somebody Loses, Somebody Wins    3:04
3    The Three Keys–    Jig Time    2:21
4    The Three Keys–    Someone Stole Gabriel's Horn    2:56
5    The Three Keys–    Basin Street Blues    2:49
6    The Three Keys–    Wah-Dee-Dah    2:54
7    The Three Keys–    Nagasaki    2:49
8    The Three Keys–    Fit As A Fiddle    2:25
9    The Three Keys–    Anything For You    3:06
10    The Three Keys–    That Doggone Dog Of Mine    2:51
11    The Three Keys–    Rasputin    2:41
12    The Three Keys–    Oh! By Jingo    2:30
13    The Three Keys–    Heebie Jeebies    2:36
14    The Three Keys–    Song Of The Islands    2:51
15    The Three Keys–    I've Found A New Baby    3:07
16    The Three Keys–    You Can Depend On Me    3:15
17    Bon Bon And His Buddies–    I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire    2:37
18    Bon Bon And His Buddies–    Blow, Gabriel, Blow    2:27
19    Bon Bon And His Buddies–    Sweet Mama Papa's Getting Mad    3:06
20    Bon Bon And His Buddies–    All That Meat And No Potatoes    2:56
21    Bon Bon And His Buddies–    Seeing You Again Did Me No Good    2:44
22    Bon Bon And His Buddies–    Sleepy Old Town    2:55
Credits :    
1-16
Bass, Vocals – Bob Pease
Guitar, Vocals – Slim Furness
Piano – George "Bon Bon" Tunnell
17-20    
Alto Saxophone – Jackie Fields
Bass – Al Hall
Clarinet – Buster Smith
Drums – Jack Parker  
Piano – James Phipps
Trumpet – Joe Thomas
Trombone, Guitar – Eddie Durham
Vocals – George "Bon Bon" Tunnell
21-22
Piano – Billy Kyle
Bass – Haig Stephens
Clarinet – Jimmy Lytell
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Trumpet – Red Solomon
Guitar – George Van Eps
Trombone – Russ Jenner