HOT LIPS PAGE – 1944-1946 | The Chronogical Classics – 950 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Always to be found smack in the middle of the hottest developments in jazz, Oran Thaddeus "Hot Lips" Page worked comfortably with both old-fashioned and modern young musicians during the mid-'40s. On November 30, 1944, Page's band included busy-fingered tenor man Lucky Thompson and a brilliant young pianist from Pontiac, MI, named Hank Jones. One week later, Page cut a couple of sides for V-Discs with an ensemble that sounded a lot like one of Eddie Condon's Town Hall traditional jam bands. "Sheik of Araby" is notable for Gordon "Specs" Powell's exceptional drumming. Page seems not to have recorded again until September 1945, once again in the company of younger guys with progressive ideas. "Happy Medium" and "Bloodhound" are full of modern moves. How interesting to hear Hank Jones as a young innovator. Saxophonists Dave Matthews and Earle Warren demonstrate how the art of swing stood at the crossroads of modernity in 1945. Contrary to what the discography says, there are no vocals on these two tracks. Dave Matthews sounds like Chu Berry and Don Byas. He shushes down to Ben Webster's level of suavity on "You Come In Here Woman," a misogynistic blues containing the line "Like the butcher told the goat, you've had your fun, now I'm cuttin' your throat." Just in case we don't get the picture, Lips puts his horn to his lips and quotes Chopin's funeral march for a nasty coda. Leonard Feather's "The Lady in Debt," a distant relative of "The Lady in Red," is also apparently a cousin to Page's 1944 enigma, "The Lady in Bed," which was yet another creation of Feather, who seems to have enjoyed writing topical blues novelties for Page. More material from September of 1945 places Page at the front of a larger band, fortified with Buck Clayton, three outstanding trombonists (Benny Morton, Sandy Williams, and J.C. Higginbotham), and three of the toughest saxophonists on the scene at that time (Don Byas, Ben Webster, and Earl Bostic). "Corsicana" cooks itself to a gravy. "They Raided the Joint" is funny if you like songs about alcohol poisoning and police raids. This CD's hottest sides from 1946 are without question "Kansas City Jive" and the rockin' "Birmingham Boogie," featuring Earl Bostic and a solid tenor player by the name of John Hartzfield. "Open the Door Richard" is very funny, beginning with Page's imitation of a drunken person being forcibly ejected from a party. The scenario eventually develops into a rowdy group vocal as Page's band eggs him on into a violent trumpet solo. In a premonition of later developments, Hot Lips distorts his voice into a higher-pitched version of what would eventually become a sandblasted contrabasso, lower than that of Louis Armstrong, closer in fact to Popeye's tonalities. By the early '50s, Hot Lips Page's voice could curdle milk and frighten pigeons. arwulf arwulf  
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HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939 | The Chronogical Classics – 936 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The second Harry James CD put out by the Classics label, this set traces the trumpeter's recording career during a six-month period when his big band was struggling financially. It is surprising that James did not catch on immediately, considering how popular he had been with Benny Goodman and since his band at the time was pretty good. Other than the leader, there were no major soloists in the orchestra (altoist Dave Matthews was perhaps best-known), but the arrangements for the instrumentals (including "Indiana," "I Found a New Baby," a surprisingly cooking "Willow Weep for Me" and "Feet Draggin' Blues") were excellent. A little over half of the 23 selections on this reissue have vocals (eight are Frank Sinatra's first appearances on record, including the minor hit "All or Nothing at All"), but the high points are an interesting, unreleased version of "Flash" and "Sleepy Time Gal," which showcases James with just the rhythm section. Recommended for swing fans bored with the usual Harry James greatest-hits sets. Scott Yanow  
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HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1940-1941 | The Chronogical Classics – 1014 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Harry James cut 29 titles for the Varsity label during his one-year "banishment" from Columbia. The fourth installment in the Classics Harry James chronology documents 16 of these, recorded in May, July, and August of 1940. Here are good pickings for those who enjoy the crooning of Dick Haymes, as it was during this period that the vocalist really established himself. "The Nearness of You" is most certainly one of the best records that Haymes ever sang on, although much of the credit needs to go to the arranger, the band, and its leader. James' virtuosic adaptation of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's The Flight of the Bumblebee is stunning; the Don Redman-styled ensemble vocal on "Four or Five Times" is good clean fun; "Swanee River" picks up where Erskine Hawkins left off with it; and Jimmy Mundy's arrangement of Count Basie's "Super Chief" enabled James and company to swing like the dickens. "Exactly Like You" is among the best of the Varsity instrumentals; here James achieves the perfect balance between honest jazz and popular dance music. On January 8, 1941, Harry James and his orchestra resumed recording for Columbia, the label with which this trumpeter would work for the following 15 years. In addition to periodic ballads (and a weirdly miscast "Ol' Man River") sung by Haymes, Marge Gibson's arrangements and much of the material used by this band seem to have been designed to encourage dancing in public even by those who had little or no dancing ability. This is how and why at long last Harry James began to succeed as leader of a popular American dance band. arwulf arwulf  
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HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941, Vol. 2 | The Chronogical Classics – 1092 (1999) FLAC (tracks), lossless

After two years of struggling to keep a big band together, on May 20, 1941, Harry James finally recorded the hit that made his orchestra world-famous, "You Made Me Love You." From then on his big band would become more and more popular each month, hitting its peak of popularity during 1942-1946. Also on Classics' sixth Harry James set (which continues the reissuance of all of his early recordings) are Helen Ward singing "Daddy" and such instrumentals as "Jughead," "Dodger's Fan Dance," "Record Session," and "Nothin'." Dick Haymes' nine vocals are of lesser interest but compensating are a trio of previously unreleased but intriguing instrumentals: "Arabesque," "Caprice Viennois," and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen." Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

JACK TEAGARDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941-1943 | The Classics Chronological Series – 874 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The fifth Classics CD to reissue all of trombonist/vocalist Jack Teagarden's early recordings as a leader has more than its share of gems. A dozen selections feature his 1941 big band, and unlike earlier sessions, there are no indifferent vocals or unnecessary pop baggage. Teagarden is heard in prime form on "Chicks Is Wonderful" (which strangely enough is an instrumental), "St. James Infirmary," "A Hundred Years from Today," and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen." There are also two selections that Teagarden performed in the movie Birth of the Blues with Bing Crosby: the classic title cut (sung by Crosby) and "The Waiter and the Porter and the Upstairs Maid" which finds Teagarden, Bing, and Mary Martin all interacting in cheerful form. The last seven numbers on this highly enjoyable CD feature Teagarden jamming with the Capitol International Jazzmen in 1943. He takes three vocals (including "Stars Fell on Alabama") and is well showcased on a previously unissued "Mighty Lak' a Rose." In addition, tenor saxophonist Dave Matthews takes his greatest solo on "In My Solitude"; Billy May takes his hottest trumpet solos throughout the date; pianist Joe Sullivan is a strong asset; and the clarinet spot is taken by either Jimmie Noone or Heinie Beau. "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry" and "'Deed I Do" are both quite hot. Recommended. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist
1    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    Dark Eyes    3:16
2    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    Prelude In C Sharp Minor    3:19
3    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    Chicks Is Wonderful    3:18
4    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    Blues To The Lonely    2:58
5    Bing Crosby, Mary Martin With Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    The Waiter And The Porter And The Upstairs Maid    3:08
6    Bing Crosby With Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    The Birth Of The Blues    3:12
7    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    Blue River    3:07
8    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    St. James Infirmary    3:13
9    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    What Did I Do To Be So Black And Blue    3:04
10    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    A Hundred Years From Today    2:58
11    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    A Rhythm Hymn    2:58
12    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    Prelude To The Blues    3:13
13    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    The Blues Have Got Me    3:07
14    Jack Teagarden And His Orchestra–    Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen    3:04
15    The Capitol International Jazzmen–    Clambake In B Flat    2:46
16    The Capitol International Jazzmen–    Casanova's Lament    2:54
17    The Capitol International Jazzmen–    In My Solitude    2:57
18    The Capitol International Jazzmen–    I'm Sorry I Made You Cry    2:52
19    Jack Teagarden's Chicagoans–    Mighty Lak' A Rose    2:47
20    Jack Teagarden's Chicagoans–    Stars Fell On Alabama    2:57
21    Jack Teagarden's Chicagoans–    'Deed I Do    2:36
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Joe Ferdinando (tracks: 1 to 14), Tony Antonelli (tracks: 1 to 14)
Bass – Art Shapiro (tracks: 15 to 21)
Bass [String Bass] – Arnold Fishkind (tracks: 1 to 10), Myron Shapler (tracks: 11 to 14)
Clarinet – Heinie Beau (tracks: 19 to 21), Jimmie Noone (tracks: 15 to 18)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Danny Polo (tracks: 1 to 14)
Drums – Paul Collins (tracks: 1 to 14), Zutty Singleton (tracks: 15 to 21)
Guitar – Dave Barbour (tracks: 15 to 21), Perry Botkin (tracks: 5 to 10)
Piano – Ernie Hughes (tracks: 1 to 14), Joe Sullivan (tracks: 15 to 21)
Tenor Saxophone – Art Beck (tracks: 1 to 14), Art Moore (tracks: 1 to 14), Dave Matthews (tracks: 15 to 21)
Trombone – Fred Keller (tracks: 11 to 14), Jack Teagarden, Joe Ferrall (tracks: 1 to 14), Jose Gutierrez (tracks: 1 to 14), Seymour Goldfinger (tracks: 1 to 10)
Trumpet – Art Gold (tracks: 11 to 14), Billy May (tracks: 15 to 21), John Fallstitch (tracks: 1 to 10), Pokey Carriere (tracks: 1 to 14), Sid Feller (tracks: 1 to 4), Truman Quigley (tracks: 5 to 14)
Vocals – Bing Crosby (tracks: 5, 6), Jack Teagarden (tracks: 4, 5, 7 to 10, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20), Mary Martin (tracks: 5)