MEZZ MEZZROW – 1944-1945 | The Chronogical Classics – 1074 (1999) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 Mezz Mezzrow was a fascinating and driven character, very involved during the mid-'40s with dynamic elements like Integration, Socialism, Sidney Bechet, Afro-American culture in general, and most emphatically his personal religion, The Blues. Mezz always returned to this idiom, this way of thinking and playing, as if it were home. The trio session that opens this disc is composed of four variations on blues changes. "Feather's Lament," a searching sequel to "Really the Blues," trails off suddenly at the three-and-a-half-minute mark. It is obvious that Mezz was absorbed in his reverie, probably playing with his eyes closed, and lost track of the time. This is a precious little segment of the Mezzrow chronology. Intimate communication between three friends resulted in music of incredible honesty and depth, particularly at slow tempos. When they picked up steam, Mezz had a way of hammering out shrill tones with very human but also rather taxing insistence. He wheedles and whittles with his woodwind, keening like a locked-out feline as every ounce of his private emotions sincerely splatter all over the room. It's downright cathartic. Mezz probably should not be compared to other reed players. There's just no point, and it's not fair. Pee Wee Russell had a more advanced musical mind, and better chops. So what? Like Pee Wee and a number of peculiarly gifted jazz musicians, Mezz existed in his own alternative reality. He was a poet who adored his Afro-American inspirations. Mezz believed in a hip, integrated society where everybody is on the level. His musical adventures demonstrate terrific courage. Aligning himself with a formidable musician like Sidney Bechet was more than brash hubris or foolish bravado. Mezz had chutzpah and should be respectfully remembered for it. One thing about Bechet's leonine intensity and gravitational pull -- it allowed Mezz to noodle creatively without having to carry the full weight of an embellished melodic line. "House Party" is a beautiful example of a slow drag played by the Mezzrow/Bechet duo fortified with rhythm and a third horn, in this case Hot Lips Page. "Perdido Street Stomp" takes this energy out into the street. "Revolutionary Blues" follows the established pattern of a relaxed blues that heats up to a stomp for the flip side. "Blood on the Moon" is as scary as its title, with Page threatening and complaining in ways that are inseparable from the blues tradition. A whole stack of blues was concocted the next day by this same band, with vocals by an often unpleasant fellow named Pleasant Joe. There is also one vocal by Douglas Daniels, former member of the Spirits of Rhythm. "Ole Miss" demonstrates the precise discipline that Bechet could bring to any ensemble. The remaining tracks, which include a couple of reinterpretations of tunes that had been waxed earlier in the season, are about as solid as anything that this odd couple ever recorded together. arwulf arwulf  
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BLUE LU BARKER – 1938-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 704 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is one of the lesser entries put out by the European Classics label. Blue Lou Barker was a so-so singer who had the novelty hit "Don't You Make Me High"; all 21 of her prewar recordings are included on this CD. The more memorable moments are provided by the sidemen, which include trumpeters Red Allen and Charlie Shavers, clarinetist Buster Bailey, tenor saxophonist Chu Berry, and her husband, guitarist Danny Barker. Scott Yanow  
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BLUE LU BARKER – 1946-1949 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1130 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Singer Blue Lu Barker's second Classics release has all of her recordings from 1946-1949 and, combined with the earlier release (1938-1939), all of her sessions as a leader are now available. Barker was a pleasant if limited singer and one might want to hear these 25 selections in small doses. Blu Lu is joined by combos (usually five to seven pieces) led by her husband guitarist Danny Barker, who also contributed the majority of the tunes. The backup groups include such notables as trumpeter Shad Collins, tenors Teddy McRae and Jerry Jerome, and pianist Gerald Wiggins. The music, released originally by Apollo and Capitol (except for three cuts originally rejected), include a remake of "Don't You Feel My Leg" and such tunes as "You Gotta Show It to Me Baby," "I Feel Like Laying in Another Woman's Husband's Arms," "Now You're Down in the Alley," "Loan Me Your Husband," and "Bow-Legged Daddy." Scott Yanow  
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LUCKY MILLINDER AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1947-1950 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1173 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This third volume of Lucky Millinder's complete works in chronological order brings together for the first time three Deccas from October 1947, 12 sides recorded for Victor between January and November 1949, and 12 titles waxed for the King label during the year 1950. Millinder is remembered as a shrewd bandleader who accurately assessed the prevailing trends in popular entertainment during the late '40s. His strategy seems to have involved a wide range of musical styles, a spectrum reflected in this grab bag compilation. Millinder clearly tailored the material to fit each record label and its assumed audience. Of course, Victor was selling to a more generalized public while King's clientele was predominately Afro-American. Listening through all 25 tracks is quite an experience. There is coy, bluesy jazz and there is jazzy blues sung by saucy, soulful Annisteen Allen. There's a surprise appearance by rowdy Myra Johnson, famous for her work with Fats Waller during the early '40s. There are crooners who exude oily sentimental ballads. There are several jump tunes on which Millinder himself sings boisterously along with the band. And there are just three instrumentals, groovy as can be but only three. "Bersark [sic] Boogie" is a progressively structured, pleasantly manic woogie set in a minor mode. The rocking, rolling "D Natural Blues" is really "Do the Hucklebuck," itself a pilfering of Charlie Parker's "Now's the Time." By January of 1949 half of the white bands in the country were making money off of this tune, so Mr. Lucky decided to get himself a piece of the action. (Naturally, nobody was paying Bird any royalties.) "Awful Natural" is a very cool piece of blues featuring the elegant clarinet of Tony Scott. Lucky Millinder's orchestra, in fact, was peppered with outstanding players like trumpeter Lamar Wright, trombonist Tyree Glenn, guitarist Danny Barker, drummer Art Blakey, and a formidable team of saxophonists including Rudy Powell (Musheed Karween), Bull Moose Jackson, Ike Quebec, Frank Wess, Paul Quinichette, Seldon Powell, John Hardee, and Numa "Pee Wee" Moore. While more uniformly satisfying Millinder retrospectives surely exist, the Classics Chronological Series provides an overview that is necessary for an accurate appraisal of this amazing all-purpose jazz/pop/R&B orchestra and the individuals who kept it going during a transitional time when many other big bands fell apart at the seams. arwulf arwulf  
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JAMES P. JOHNSON – 1945-1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1059 (1999) FLAC (tracks), lossless

These are the last recordings made by James P. Johnson, accomplished composer, pianist, bandleader, and mentor to Thomas "Fats" Waller. Unlike certain other reissues, this collection presents the precious material most carefully, without a lot of excessive surface noise. Poetically speaking, "Blues for Jimmy" is a sort of self-portrait, even an open letter from Johnson to himself -- in which case, everyone ought to enjoy such a peaceful relationship with his or her doppelgänger. Musically, this little study seems at first like an imaginary sequel to Fats Waller's "London Suite," with touches of Sergei Rachmaninov in the descending runs. Specifically, "Blues for Jimmy" is a condensed version of "Jazzamine Concerto," or at least its first movement. That work appears here in a six-and-a-half-minute rendering, along with three amiable stride piano exercises. Right in the middle of the set there erupts a surprising adventure in dissonance, "Jungle Drums," reminding listeners that the piano is, after all, a percussion instrument. The main theme begins with a repeated tattoo in the basement of the keyboard. The melody itself is exciting and hints at barely tapped resources of harmonic and rhythmic innovation. The session from May of 1945 is outstanding. "Liza" has often been singled out as a glowing example of Johnson's fully mature style. "Aunt Hagar's Blues" is solid as a mountain. "The Dream" rolls off of his fingers most elegantly, its tango rhythms soothing to the nerves. "St. Louis Blues" gets the boogie-woogie treatment. "Sweet Lorraine" reveals Johnson's personality with calm, passionate dignity. There is a gap in the chronology. Having survived a debilitating stroke, Johnson rested up and was back in front of the recording microphone in February and June of 1947. "Maple Leaf Rag" has all the rambunctious anarchy of a Fats Waller solo. "Daintiness Rag" allows for one last delightful glimpse of Johnson's famous ability to exercise his powerful touch in the most delicate ways imaginable. Every part of this last solo session is executed with immaculate ease. It is apparent that James P. Johnson influenced Thomas Waller, who in turn influenced James P. Johnson. If "Ain't Cha Got Music" doesn't make the point, "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby" certainly will. West Indian and Caribbean culture was an active component in the Harlem jazz scene. Both Willie "The Lion" Smith and James P. Johnson participated in recording dates that focused on music from the islands. The Creole Serenaders session led by Albert Nicholas was part of an interesting surge of blended New York/New Orleans traditions that found its way onto phonograph records during the years 1946 and 1947. A tasty overview of this phenomenon can be found on the CD Jazz à la Creole: The Baby Dodds Trio (GHB 50), issued in the year 2000. That disc contains a second version of "Salee Dame" that is not included on Classics 1059. arwulf arwulf  
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WINGY MANONE AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1023 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Wingy Manone's popular series of Dixieland-flavored combo records continued in 1939-40. This CD, the sixth in Classics' complete reissuance of Manone's recordings of the era, is most notable for having tenor saxophonist Chu Berry as a key sideman on three of the four sessions. Also heard in the supporting cast on some of the dates are clarinetist Buster Bailey, drummer Cozy Cole and guitarist Danny Barker, although the final four selections are done mostly with obscure players. Manone has his typical jivey vocals on 15 of the 22 selections including "Corrine Corrini," "Beale Street Blues," "The Saints," "My Honey's Lovin' Arms," "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" and "The Mosquito Song." Not too surprisingly, it is the seven instrumentals that are of greatest interest, particularly "Jumpy Nerves" (which uses Manone's riff which would soon become the basis for "In the Mood"), "Royal Garden Blues," "Blue Lou" and "She's Crying for Me." In general, this was a strong period for Manone's recordings and there are plenty of fine solos from Wingy, Chu and Bailey. Scott Yanow  
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