JACK TEAGARDEN — Father Of Jazz Trombone (2004) 3CD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Jack Teagarden made the trombone sexy, and his pliant, lazy tone made the instrument swing like a trumpet. He was also a remarkable singer, with a warm, Texas drawl that gave everything he sang a marvelous intimacy. Such talents did not go unnoticed in the jazz world, and he worked with such notables as Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Red Nichols, Joe Venuti, Eddie Condon and Louis Armstrong, among others, throughout his long career. This three- disc box spans the years 1928 to 1947, and its 72 tracks show an amazingly consistent performer, giving the whole set a cohesiveness that makes it indispensable. Included are Teagarden's near-definitive versions of "Basin Street Blues," "Beale Street Blues," "Blue River," "Jack Armstrong Blues," "St. Louis Blues" and a couple runs at "St. James Infirmary." With his offhand, nuanced singing style, Teagarden raises songs like "Aunt Hagar's Blues" to the level of vital Americana, and no one in jazz has ever gotten more out of the trombone at any level. Combined with his early-'60s gems for Verve Records (Mis'ry and the Blues and Think Well of Me), this collection provides an overview and a wonderful introduction to an American treasure. Steve Leggett
CD One - Makin' Friends (Recordings 1928-1938)
CD Two - Jack Hits The Road (Recordings 1928-1943)
CD Three - Too Marvelous For Words (Recordings 1943-1947)

EDDIE CONDON – 1927-1938 | The Chronogical Classics – 742 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Here's a package that defines traditional Chicago-styled jazz from the roots on up. Closely patterned after the style of Bix Beiderbecke, four hot stomps recorded for the OKeh label in December of 1927 form a handsome keystone to the Eddie Condon chronology. It's the Austin High Gang, appearing on record as McKenzie & Condon's Chicagoans, and they swing hard. What a great front line: Frank Teschemacher, Jimmy McPartland, and Bud Freeman. Gene Krupa kicks like a mule. Legend has it Mezz Mezzrow played cymbals, although Condon claimed all Mezz did was hold on to the bass drum so Krupa wouldn't knock it across the room. In July of 1928, Condon, Krupa, and Tesch made a pair of records with pianist Joe Sullivan. "Oh Baby (Rain or Shine)" begins with a group scat vocal and cooks to a gravy. Teschemacher plays both clarinet and alto sax on this date. Shortly before his death in 1973, a mature Eddie Condon made this wry statement regarding both "Indiana," recorded for Parlophone on July 28, 1928, and the art of singing in general: "This record paid the rent at the Cumberland Hotel for one month; for all four guys in the band. I sing here. I was young and didn't know any better. I do now." Condon also sang on "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry," chirping the lyrics over Art Miller's delightful bowed bass. These innocent vocals are endearing and do not detract in any way from the musical entertainment. "Makin' Friends" has a vocal by Texas trombonist Jack Teagarden with whiny spoken interjections by Mezz Mezzrow. Was this the inspiration for Nappy Lamare's incessant chattering on Wingy Manone's records of the mid-'30s? Alarming thought. Great insights into the socioeconomic reality of jazz musicians can be found in Condon's autobiography, We Called It Music. It is there that Condon claims that the Victor session of February 8, 1929, was considered an "experiment" in racially mixed recording, possibly the first integrated date for a major label. The next "experiment" that Condon would put together for Victor was the notorious "Fats Waller & His Buddies" adventure, another racially mixed session that came together haphazardly one month later. Those sides appear as part of the Fats Waller chronology on Classics 689. The Condon story continues here on Classics 742 with a series of excellent recordings made for Brunswick in 1933 and Commodore in 1938. What's documented here is the flowering of Condon's career and those of the men who collaborated with him. The Brunswick sides are relatively rare. Here are Max Kaminsky, Pee Wee Russell, Bud Freeman, Floyd O'Brien, Artie Bernstein, Sid Catlett, and the great pianist Alex Hill, who really comes across beautifully. The Commodore material brings on George Brunies, Jess Stacy, Artie Shapiro, George Wettling, and Bobby Hackett, who renders up his famously gorgeous treatment of "Embraceable You." It is fitting that this disc ends with "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland," an ancient saloon song gassed up into a perfect riot of joyous energy. It is the perfect closer for this cardinal Condon collection. arwulf arwulf  
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EDDIE CONDON – 1938-1940 | The Chronogical Classics – 759 (1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Here is a particularly tasty portion of old-fashioned Chicago-style jazz, calmly dished out by some of Condon's very best bands. "Jackson Teagarden and his trombone" deliver the nicest portrait of "Diane" ever painted. "Serenade to a Shylock" slowly ambles through Mr. T's vocal and suddenly kicks up into a stomp, sharpened at the edges by Pee Wee Russell's gloriously filthy clarinet. Bud Freeman glides effortlessly into "Sunday" and "California." Bud's relaxing influence bathes the entire band in rosy light even during upbeat finales. On August 11, 1939, Davey Tough actually made it into a recording studio. While George Wettling and Lionel Hampton had each served ably on the preceding tracks, it's invigorating to hear Mr. Tough driving the band the way he did. The same could be said for Joe Sullivan, with all due respect for Jess Stacy and Joe Bushkin. The chemistry on this little Decca date is really magical. "Friar's Point" gets low-down and dirty, a funky collective discourse on the human condition. Back with Commodore Records on November 30, 1939, Condon retained Max Kaminsky, Brad Gowans, and Pee Wee Russell for a real blowing session. While "Jelly Roll" bakes itself brown, during "Strut Miss Lizzie" the band sounds almost possessed. "It's Right Here for You" is just plain gorgeous. These really are among the best records Condon ever produced, and everybody ought to get a chance to hear them on a regular basis. On March 24, 1940, about 17 minutes' worth of "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" was spread over four 12" 78-rpm platters, with 11 musicians taking turns ritualistically hammering out every possible angle of the song. While conventional criticism regards this as a bit too much of a good thing, seasoned jazz heads are surely capable of enjoying dramatically extended solos without undue concern for "normal" parameters. Rules and preconceptions are made to be broken and dispelled. With this precept in mind, the session of November 11, 1940, is particularly tasty. Invading the Commodore studios, popular Victor recording artist Thomas "Fats" Waller cheerfully broke his contract by making records with Condon's band under the pseudonym "Maurice," a name borrowed from one of his sons. This music is exquisite. The combination of Pee Wee and Fats should have occurred much more often than it ever did. Waller and Condon first made records together in 1929 -- in the very same studio, by the way: the wonderful Liederkranz Hall. This, then, was a sort of reunion, bittersweet in retrospect, as Fats died in December of 1943, making this Commodore jam the last time the two men would get to play music together in front of the same microphone. arwulf arwulf  
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EDDIE CONDON – 1942-1943 | The Chronogical Classics – 772 (1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Commodore was the perfect label for small group swing, and a natural choice for Eddie Condon at a time when major labels were often more interested in maintaining cash flow by sticking with trendier categories of musical entertainment like big name vocalists or imitation hep cat stuff for teenagers. At Commodore, the fact that Joe Sullivan was playing piano actually meant something. Milt Gabler really believed in Max Kaminsky. Anyone curious about Maxie's trumpet style should study these recordings as well as the many sides he made with Art Hodes for Blue Note. Here in Commodore territory, Kaminsky mingles nicely with Pee Wee Russell and Brad Gowans. It would be nice to be able to hear where Condon's instincts would have taken him next, but a recording ban made a big hole in the chronology. Condon's next date as a leader was for Bob Thiele's very hip Signature label on November 20, 1943. Present at the piano was Fats Waller's idol James P. Johnson, who steered the band through a lazy rendition of Waller's "Squeeze Me." Having honored the 'Harlem stride piano' component, the band dove into "That's a Plenty" as if saluting their drummer who just happened to be Tony Spargo (nee Sbarbaro) of Original Dixieland Jazz Band fame. This disc is crawling with historical heroes. On December 2, 1943 trombonist Benny Morton sat in for a couple of hot numbers and two marvelous extended sides: "Basin Street Blues" emerged as a languid meditation, while the ancient "Oh, Katherina!" received its hottest interpretation since Sam Wooding & His Chocolate Dandies performed it for the citizens of Berlin back in 1925. What makes this 1943 version kick is the drumming of Big Sid Catlett. The remaining sides from December 1943 are nothing less than charming. Some of these titles first appeared during the early 1920s, which is actually good incentive for historical research if you're into that sort of thing. The other strategy is simply to enjoy the old melodies as played by these wonderfully integrated ensembles. Even just grooving on Pee Wee Russell's individuality -- his eccentricity -- that might be as far as anybody needs to go with these fine old recordings. Maybe just listen to the music for Pee Wee's sake. Listen to that clarinet. Maybe that'll fix you right up. arwulf arwulf  
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EDDIE CONDON – 1944-1946 | The Chronogical Classics – 1033 (1998) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This is how traditional Chicago-style jazz sounded in New York during the mid-1940s. When he wasn't brusquely emceeing these bands on-stage at Town Hall, guitarist and organizer Eddie Condon presented this music on the air and in the recording studio. The phonographic evidence, chronologically arranged and carefully documented, makes for enjoyable listening. Three V-Disc sides for the armed forces have Hot Lips Page lined up next to Sterling Bose, Miff Mole and Pee Wee Russell. This interesting blend of musicians from radically different social and ethnic backgrounds is typical of Condon. Lips sings on a nearly four-and-a-half-minute version of the "Uncle Sam Blues," a wry ode to military conscription. The old "Tin Roof" is summed up in a mere 126 seconds, followed by a slightly longer "Ballin' the Jack." It seems as though V-Disc encouraged short takes so as to be able to squeeze as many tracks as possible on to their newly devised 'unbreakable' lightweight 12" 78rpm records. The Decca session of December 12, 1944 sounds a lot like the Town Hall mixture of pressure cookers and attractive love songs. Bobby Hackett turns "When Your Lover Has Gone" into a prayer. Lee Wiley (who was Eddie Condon's idea of the Perfect Woman) sings a couple of sweet numbers, and the band kicks the stuffing out of a theme only identified as "Impromptu Ensemble." Here Jack Teagarden blows hot trombone and sings up a parcel of lyrics he first used on a "Chicagoans" session back in 1929. Special mention should be made of baritone saxophonist Ernie Caceres who blows mellow for Lee and very hot during the stomps. Two days later the band emitted 59 seconds of "jump" music and 33 seconds of "blues" for radio broadcast purposes. Lee sang two more ballads and Teagarden hammed up the "Sheik of Araby" with strange new novelty lyrics before they swung it to pieces. Jack also sings and plays handsomely on "Somebody Loves Me." Speaking of melodies composed by George Gershwin, the 1945 sessions include what might be the loveliest version of "My One And Only" ever recorded, starring Bobby Hackett. "Lady Be Good" and "Swanee" take on an almost Dixieland flavor. On March 27, 1946 Wild Bill Davison, Gene Schroeder and Davey Tough incited a grand "Farewell Blues" with the bridge from "Weary Blues" grafted on to its midsection. "Improvisation for the March of Time" was built across the familiar slow blues/fast blues formula, and a couple of very attractive pop songs were magically transformed into honest instrumental jazz before the band knocked off for the day. The session of July 17th, 1946 is memorable for the presence of pianist James P. Johnson, who sends out sparks during "Just You, Just Me," and the voice of John "Bubbles" Sublett, one-time musical cohort of Buck Washington. Sublett is heard singing W.C. Handy's "Atlanta Blues," also known as "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor." That's the great thing about an Eddie Condon date: you never know who's going to show for the gig. arwulf arwulf  
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EDDIE CONDON – 1947-1950 | The Chronogical Classics – 1177 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Eddie was one hard-boiled character. Dour, opinionated, set in his ways, and frankly suspicious of anything that deviated too wildly from the music he knew and loved. Critics and journalists invented a stylistic war between the 'Be Boppers' and the 'Moldy Figs', as progressive innovators and traditional jazz-heads were respectively dubbed. Condon was the archetypal Fig, deeply devoted to old-fashioned ideas of what music was supposed to sound like: melodies you could whistle and rhythms anybody could dance to. We Called It Music is the name of Eddie's excellent, hilarious, insightful, poetic, informative autobiography. It's also the title of a rather burlesque tune recorded in August 1947 by one of Condon's fine traditional jazz bands. While the book contains wonderful eyewitness accounts of hanging out with Bix Beiderbecke and Fats Waller, the song makes fun of musical categories, sneers briefly at "...something called Bleep Bloop," then demonstrates the individual and collective strengths of an authentic Chicago-style jazz band. What makes it work is Jack Teagarden, who could sing anything and make it good. His Texas drawl during the opening 'court room' dialogue might sound like Amos & Andy to those who are not accustomed to hearing this big exaggerated southern fellow acting the clown. Teagarden's other vocals are lovely; who else could sing so convincingly of tulips or sheltering palms? Ruby Braff once referred to 'The Adoration of the Melody'. That's where all of this music is at: each song is cherished and passed around the room. Eddie Condon's NBC Television Orchestra made two recordings for Atlantic in 1949. "Seems Like Old Times" is as beautiful as being alive. "Time Carries On," composed by Condon and arranged by Dick Cary, has a bit of the modernized Benny Goodman about it, particularly during those passages where Peanuts Hucko rides the current. Ralph Sutton is brought in for a couple of whole grain ragtime episodes. If the Dixieland revival wasn't full-blown yet, these records certainly must have helped to jack it up in a hurry. Cherry pie vocalist Jimmy Atkins should have gone on to work for Lawrence Welk after horning in over three otherwise perfectly good Dixieland tunes. Johnny Mercer's golly-gee lyrics to "At the Jazz Band Ball" might make you yearn to compose your own marginally obscene libretto. While we're on that subject: "Jazz Me Blues", which has been called the first X-rated song title to appear on a record (the Wolverines' version of 1924), didn't need lyrics anyway. Moreover: Peggy Ann Ellis sounds like one of them peroxide, lipstick and powder big band vocalists. What a relief when "Yellow Dog Blues" signals a blessed return to instrumental stomps. The band really pounds on it, with Gene Schroeder leading the way. Ralph Sutton assists in the execution of two wonderful relics: "Raggin' the Scale" and James Scott's aptly named "Grace and Beauty Rag." Then Cutty Cutshall takes the trombone out of his mouth and sings "Everybody Loves My Baby." Of course Cutty was no Teagarden but he's easier to take than 'powder and pie' were. And the band swings the hell out of the tune, which is what really matters. arwulf arwulf  
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EDDIE CONDON – 1951-1953 | The Chronogical Classics – 1354 (2004) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Oh, yeah! "Ringside At Condon's"! Here come those wonderful long-playing 10" Savoy albums recorded live during the early 1950s at Eddie Condon's nightclub in New York. Each track begins with cheering, applauding and lots of whistling from the uninhibited audience. The music is excellent, with Wild Bill Davison and Edmond Hall out in front playing as hard as they can. The rhythm section is strengthened by pianist Gene Schroeder's interaction with Bob Casey, a forceful bassist whose prodigiously powerful, Pops Foster-like plucking propels the band often even more strongly than Buzzy Drootin's drumming. Casey gets more room for soloing than most traditional jazz bassists were normally granted. "Riverboat Shuffle" fades abruptly during Cutty Cutshall's solo, but he returns immediately for a gorgeous stroll through "Makin' Whoopee." This is the beginning of a medley: Edmond creates a lovely version of "You Made Me Love You" and Wild Bill gently eases into "I Can't Give You Anything but Love," which gradually builds to a smoky climax. The rest of these Savoy recordings are consistently wonderful, particularly those easygoing numbers "The One I Love" and "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams." In November of 1953, Condon's band was heard "Coast to Coast" on a national radio broadcast. Lucky for us, Columbia made an air check and brought out a long-playing record for posterity. The band is larger; Walter Page plays some of the best bass he ever put on record, and the closing blues jam clocks in at ten minutes, more than thrice as long as usual. Two of the performances allow us to eavesdrop on Condon, sounding more than ever like James Cagney, as he gives last minute instructions to the band: "Hold it, George! When we get through the preliminary action for piano, we'll skip into the clarinets. You take that ending, and back to the top. Don't forget: after the tramboon, you got two bars..." Condon sings and strums the guitar, the engineer announces "serial five-oh-three-dash-seven, take five." Condon mutters "Wrong number, call back later! Here we go, ready?" And they steam up "Riverboat Shuffle" as nice as can be. A bit further on, Walter Page moves a horse hair bow over the strings of his bass with resounding force throughout an exquisite medley of ballads. Eddie is heard issuing further instructions before leading the band into a final "Jam Session Blues/Ole Miss." As he nervously spouts last minute advice, Condon comes out with one of his all-time best rhetorical directives: "Let's try to make this as respectable as possible...we might have a chance!" arwulf arwulf  
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EDDIE CONDON – 1954-1955 | The Chronogical Classics – 1464 (2008) 32-44.1Hz | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Because it taps into two of the best Eddie Condon albums of the 1950s, this installment in the Classics Chronological Series is right up there with the finest entries in the entire Condon discography. The first five tracks come from Jammin' at Condon's, a studio album cut on June 24 and July 1, 1954. Unlike the earlier LP Ringside at Condon's, the selections are not interspersed with applause, cheers, and whistling. What's conveyed here is the essence of the house band at Eddie Condon's, a traditional jazz-oriented nightclub that opened in 1945 at 47 West 3rd Street and moved uptown to East 56th Street in 1957. Recorded under the supervision of producer George Avakian at a studio inside what had previously been a church on 30thStreet, Jammin' at Condon's was Eddie's second album for Columbia. The formidable front line of trumpeter Billy Butterfield, cornetist Wild Bill Davison, trombonists Cutty Cutshall and Lou McGarity, clarinetists Edmond Hall and Peanuts Hucko, and tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman was buoyed by the alto peck horn of Dick Cary. The rhythm section supporting this hard-swinging wind ensemble consisted of pianist Gene Schroeder, bassist Al Hall, drummer Cliff Leeman, and Condon himself, who was a steady rhythm guitarist. What makes Classics 1464 one of the best Chicago-style jazz compilations ever placed before the public is the addition of Condon's next Columbia LP, Bixieland. Obviously a tribute to his friend and idol Bix Beiderbecke, this delightful album is worth tracking down for the sake of Condon's humorous, insightful, and informative liner notes, which include an excerpt from his indispensable autobiography, We Called It Music. The band assembled for the Bix tribute album included some carry-overs from the previous date, in addition to the Condon Mob's ace drummer George Wettling and legendary Kansas City bassist Walter Page, as well as trumpeter Pete Pesci, who was co-manager of the nightclub. Condon also lists Chivas Regal in the credits, along with the "utterly silent" Bud Freeman; although he was not present at the date, Condon wrote that "it's nice to see his name in print, especially for Bud." While Condon emphasizes that these recordings were not made in order to imitate Beiderbecke, he cites Pesci's work during the last chorus of "I'll Be a Friend with Pleasure" as "about as close to Beiderbecke as it's humanly possible for a living man to get." arwulf arwulf  
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BILLY BANKS AND HIS ORCHESTRA + JACK BLAND AND HIS RHYTHMAKERS – 1932 | The Chronogical Classics – 969 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The real spark behind the Rhythmakers can be summed up in three words: Henry "Red" Allen. Teamed with surrealistic reedman Pee Wee Russell (who plays a lot of tenor sax in addition to his famously wry clarinet), Red stirred up the Rhythmakers in the same way that he completely transformed every band he ever worked with. In addition to the dynamic front line, these snappy sides from 1932 are worthwhile mainly for the presence of pianists Joe Sullivan and Fats Waller, bassists Al Morgan and Pops Foster, and drummers Gene Krupa and Zutty Singleton. What about the nominal leader? Well, Billy Banks sounded more than a little like Cab Calloway in 1932, even singing some of the same topical hits. Billy seems to have gotten waylaid en route to the studio on April 18th. The band cooked up a steaming "Bugle Call Rag" while waiting for the singer to arrive. This is the only instrumental track on the entire album. It is followed by "Oh Peter (You're So Nice)" which has a vocal by Red Allen. Finally Banks showed and sang "Margie" in his rather shrill voice, sounding almost goofy after the wonderfully husky tones of Allen. The session of May 10th uses an unidentified band. Banks tried hard to be clever, scatting up a storm on "The Scat Song," but there are less kicks to be had with this group. As if to make up for a missed opportunity, Banks sang "Oh Peter" on May 23rd with the original ensemble except for Krupa, who was replaced by the mighty Zutty. Billy scats nicely on "Who's Sorry Now?" and "Take It Slow and Easy." These are strong performances, tough stomps played by a band that gradually works Billy down to a hipper delivery. "Bald Headed Mama" focuses on a theme revived years later by Professor Longhair ("Bald Head") and Lou Donaldson ("Wig Blues"). The epicenter of this album is the session of July 26th, 1932. Fats Waller and Pops Foster gas up the band so solidly that Banks sounds vicariously hipper than ever. Red Allen wails while Pee Wee plays only tenor sax, the clarinet being handled by Jimmy Lord. Strum support from simultaneous banjo and guitar certainly doesn't hurt. The most exciting track is "Mean Old Bed Bug Blues" with a very funny falsetto vocal chorus by Fats. W.C. Handy's "Yellow Dog Blues" bumps along at a good clip, with a marvelous piano solo after the perky vocal. "Yes Suh!" is pure vaudeville call-and-response. There's no telling who was in the band on August 18th 1932. About half of this material is quite rare, and it's good to have all of Banks' work on one disc. The album closes with Jack Bland and His Rhythmakers, a racially mixed band that blows the roof off of the "Hen House Door." This is one of Red Allen's wildest vocals on record. "Shine on Your Shoes," popularized by Fred Astaire, features unnervingly wholesome vocalist Chick Bullock, who advises everyone to face each dawn with polished footwear, either literally or metaphorically. The band cooks so hard it doesn't matter who the vocalist is! Bullock was the most heavily recorded vocalist of the 1930s, and this track is, without question, the best side he ever piped in on.
"Buddy Bolden" was originally a song about farting, the notorious "Winin' Boy" dates from Morton's tenure as a Storyville cathouse piano player. Jelly's Library of Congress recording of his erstwhile theme song contains some of the most sexually explicit lyrics ever sung into a recording microphone. "Winding Boy" was a term used to describe a "tireless stud." While we're on the subject, James Scott's "Climax Rag" is pleasantly stimulating, as are all eight selections from September of 1939. This wonderful disc ends with two delightful solos including "Original Rags," Scott Joplin's masterpiece of 1899. arwulf arwulf  
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FATS WALLER – 1927-1929 | The Classics Chronological Series – 689 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Now this will give you an idea of how versatile Thomas "Fats" Waller had to be during the late 1920s. Classics 689 must be counted among the most stylistically diverse assortments of Waller recordings ever assembled on one collection. Most people who look for Fats Waller's music want to hear "Your Feets Too Big" "Ain't Misbehavin'" or "The Joint Is Jumpin'," and would be terribly confused or put off by the first four selections on this album. These are essentially Harlem lieder elegies, composed and recorded in memory of Florence Mills, a singing actress whose sudden death stunned the Afro-American population. "Bye Bye Florence" is the prettiest of these sad melodies, and its lyrics are very moving: "Little blackbird, all your friends are grieving for you." Two of the three vocalists trill their 'r's as if aspiring to be admitted into operatic society, while Carroll C. Tate sounds a bit more natural. We should be grateful to hear these very rare recordings, which sound a lot like European art songs. On December 1, 1927 Waller made two solo pipe organ records, one hot, one blue. On that day he also sat in with Morris' Hot Babies, alternating between hot pipe organ and Harlem stride piano. "He's Gone Away" is full of pepper, "Geechee" has a great "ooh-wacka-ooh" chorus, "Please Take Me Out Of Jail" is riotous fun, and "Red Hot Dan" contains Waller's very first recorded vocal, which he agreed to perform only after being urged on by Morris. We also get to experience the only two accompaniments that Fats ever performed on record behind his lyricist Andy Razaf. The next two sessions are chamber music of the most unusual sort: as a member of Shilkret's Rhyth-melodists, Waller the pipe organist is teamed with piano, violin, harp and sweetly muffled trombone. As one quarter of an ensemble calling themselves the Louisiana Sugar Babes, Waller's pneumatic pipe organ interacts magically with James P. Johnson's piano, Jabbo Smith's cornet and Garvin Bushell's clarinet, alto sax and bassoon. As one-tenth of an ensemble backing up Gene Austin, Waller gently operates piano and celeste. Participating for the very first time as the named leader of his own hot jazz band, Fats Waller spontaneously concocts a slow drag and a hot stomp. These are two of the best three-minute records made by anybody during the 1920s. For a humorous and detailed eye-and-ear-witness account of how this session almost didn't happen, consult Eddie Condon's autobiography We Called It Music. These musicians had never worked together as a unit, and had no idea what they were going to play when they entered the recording studio. Listen to Waller's piano and you can hear him demonstrating to the band exactly what to do next. After presiding over the creation of two entirely improvised masterpieces, Waller remained seated at the piano to record "Numb Fumblin'" and "Handful of Keys." Seldom has music of this potency and enduring value been recorded in single takes with so little preparation. That's what jazz, and Fats Waller, are all about. arwulf arwulf  
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FATS WALLER – 1929 | The Classics Chronological Series – 702 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Five years before the formation of his famous "Rhythm" band, Thomas "Fats" Waller created a body of solo piano recordings that proved to be only modestly successful with the record buying public of his day. Musicians, on the other hand, have always been affected -- transformed, really -- by Waller's astonishing subtlety, that powerful sensitivity inherited directly from James P. Johnson, Luckey Roberts and Willie "The Lion" Smith. Waller's profound influence upon Art Tatum and Bud Powell can be traced directly back to the piano solos included on this album. Each three-minute performance is a world unto itself, as poetic license is held in balance by the magnetic field of Waller's dramatic gravity. There is a majestic simplicity to each turn of his phrasing, informed by everything that the pianist experienced during the first 25 years of his short life. "Love Me or Leave Me" picks up where "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling" left off. What had served as a lachrymose torch song for pop star Ruth Etting becomes in Waller's hands something more along the lines of a wistfully energetic stomp through the old neighborhood at three o'clock in the morning. Legend has it Waller's perky "Valentine Stomp" was dedicated to Hazel Valentine, proprietor of the pianist's favorite sporting house, the Daisy Chain. Irving Berlin's "Waiting at the End of the Road" is lonelier than "Love Me" but works itself up to a similar pitch of emotional intensity. "Smashing Thirds" and "Turn on the Heat" are, to use a dangerous word, masterpieces. Life simply doesn't get much better than this. Furthermore, let's always remember that Fats Waller was our first jazz organist. Most of his solo pipe organ recordings date from 1927. His 1929 solos on that instrument are less giddy than the earlier "Soothin' Syrup" and "Hog Maw" stomps. There is a ruminative quality to these slow meditations, something that is sure to get by anyone who is impatiently awaiting instantaneous kicks. The strikingly majestic "That's All" was the last pipe organ solo Waller would wax inside the little church in Camden, New Jersey that had been converted into a recording facility. By 1934 he had switched to the Hammond and stuck with it almost exclusively for the rest of his life. The strictly chronological approach to reissuing brings in two peculiar sides by Fats Waller & His Buddies, involving a silly frenetic barbershop quartet billed as the Four Wanderers. "Lookin' Good but Feelin' Bad" is both hyperactive humor and smoking hot jazz, during which Henry "Red" Allen seems about to make his trumpet come apart at the seams. Don't be surprised when pop star Gene Austin sings Waller's "My Fate Is In Your Hands," as the two men collaborated periodically, always with mutual respect. And brace yourself for "Big Business," nearly seven minutes of vintage Negro vaudeville with quite a bit of Jim Crow dialogue included. Listen in on the cast of "Hot Chocolates" as they make plans for "fixing" a prize fight while Fats Waller maintains a steady piano presence in the background. At the beginning of part two, one of the actors actually shouts at him to "cut out that plunkin' on that pianna and let me get my business straight!" arwulf arwulf  
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FATS WALLER – 1929-1934 | The Classics Chronological Series – 720 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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JOE MARSALA – 1944-1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 902 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the story of a man who got his start with traditionally oriented musicians like Wingy Manone and Eddie Condon, then gradually evolved into a "modern" sounding artist who never completely turned his back on the old-fashioned music that had spawned him. Beginning with a typical Chicago jam formula blowing session, Joe's All-Timers -- essentially the Condon band with Joe as leader -- present the slow blues/fast blues pairing, sandwiched between two standard New Orleans stomps. A striking contrast occurs when we encounter the session of November 29, 1944 as Joe's wife Adele Girard opens several of the tunes with arpeggios from her harp. Sounding a bit like her contemporary Robert Maxwell, she swings a bit but also sends flurries of almost Harpo Marx-like effervescence into the air. This combines strangely with Chuck Wayne's amplified guitar and the mingling of trumpet and clarinet. The melodies themselves demonstrate a very modernized swing, with an unmistakable bop edge, right on the money for the mid-1940s, if not somewhat ahead of their time. The tempi are very quick, hasty enough to have given Eddie Condon a headache if he'd even listen to such stuff. During the dynamic "Joe-Joe Jump" Adele plays virtuosic swing harp, showing off her amazing technique. This must have been a very exciting act in person. On the second half of the date Adele takes a break while Linda Keene sings two interpersonal relationship blues, very slow and sultry, obviously inspired by Billie Holiday. Joe was an exceptionally sensitive bluesman, working in wonderfully understated ways with trumpeter Joe Thomas. Sitting in at the piano behind the singer was Leonard Feather, who also wrote the material for her. Leonard composed topical blues for a lot of musicians, most notably Hot Lips Page. "Don't Let It End" is Joe's own piece of blues, deep and clear, powerfully effective as an instrumental. The Joe Marsala Sextet had Dizzy Gillespie sitting in on January 12,1945. It's interesting to compare these sides with the other recordings Gillespie participated in during that same month (see Classics 888). "Perdido" is a creative delight and "Melancholy Baby" becomes a feisty swing-to-bop outing. Chuck Wayne is very plugged in and Diz enjoys himself, working up wild solos over these familiar melodies, signing his name all over "On the Alamo." Joe of course takes this in stride, sounding as comfortable as ever with the music evolving so rapidly all around him. "Cherokee" inevitably exudes bop juice, running rapid and sailing through frantic changes as Diz rips it up. On May 4, 1945 Adele Girard got feature billing with her husband's septet, integrating her swing harp into the ensemble as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. "Southern Comfort" is a suave line, as cool as cukes. There's a spry run through Rodgers & Hart's "Lover," a welcome reinterpretation of "Don't Let It End" (sounding really nice with the addition of the harp), and a sassy version of "Gotta Be This or That," with vocal by Marsala himself. "East of the Sun" is all lavender and lace and "Slightly Dizzy" pours on the bop, showcasing the inventive piano of young Gene DiNovi. "I Would Do Anything for You" comes out elegant, sophisticated and calm. A marvelous finale for this fascinating portrait of a remarkable clarinetist and the unique bands that he led at the stylistic crossroads of 1944 and 1945. arwulf arwulf
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JAMES P. JOHNSON – 1944, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 856 (1995) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This installment in the James P. Johnson chronology includes no less than eight sides featuring the clarinet of Rod Cless, who didn't live long enough to make very many recordings. The first four selections are played by Max Kaminsky & His Jazz Band, a staunch Eddie Condon group recording for Commodore Records in June of 1944. Their music is warmly reassuring. Next comes a series of gorgeous piano solos, each one precious and iridescent as lapis lazuli. In the months that followed the sudden death of his close friend and protégé Fats Waller, Johnson created a series of interpretations of songs written by Waller ("Squeeze Me") or forever linked with him ("I'm Gonna Sit Right Down"). Johnson also set down on record a marvelous catalog of his own compositions, eight of which appear on this disc. Some of these melodies date back to before the 1920s, like "Carolina Shout," which was published in 1914. The Rod Cless Quartet, a combination of Cless and Johnson with a gifted trumpeter named Sterling Bose and bassist Pops Foster, made four records that rank among the best that any of these guys ever made it onto. Bose needs his own retrospective! Hardly anybody knows anything about him. Cless was a woodwind ace who showed great promise, and would have enjoyed some measure of success during the continuation of what became known as the Dixieland revival. What a pity he fell off a balcony and never woke up. James P. Johnson, who had only three partial years of creative activity ahead of him, sounds exceptionally fine throughout this collection of essential Harlem jazz. arwulf arwulf
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MUGGSY SPANIER – 1944 | The Classics Chronological Series – 907 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Three high-powered Commodore sessions and a V-Disc blowout make this an exceptionally satisfying packet of Chicago-styled traditional jazz. Without a doubt, this music should be rated alongside Muggsy's all-time greatest recordings. Pee Wee Russell, gloriously soulful and inventive, is present throughout. Rock-solid trombonist Miff Mole made it onto two of the three Commodore dates. No matter how hard the band swung, nothing could shake the Mole. Saxophonists Ernie Caceres and Boomie Richmond were variously brought in to augment or replace the trombone. Muggsy demonstrates his full range of wails, growls, and muted shimmies. Some of these tunes run for more than four minutes, which in 1944 meant big beautiful 12" 78-rpm records. The overall mood is positive, spirited, and even optimistic. Caceres accomplished with his baritone what Adrian Rollini had achieved with a bass sax during the mid- to late '20s. A reed horn with a voice that deep has a way of nudging the whole band along with firm but friendly persuasion. Boomie sounded a lot like Bud Freeman, a good role model for a tenor sax operating within this kind of an ensemble. George Wettling pounds his drums with unusual fervor during "Sweet Sue," inciting a perfect riot of joyous jamming. Pee Wee's first chorus on "Memphis Blues" is so gritty and deep it's frightening! Every tune is rendered with passion. That's where all that satisfaction comes from. Comparing these sides with the highly revered 1939 "Ragtime Band" recordings, these seem just a bit more free and genuine, closer to what these guys must have sounded like in person. The V-Discs are each more than four minutes in duration. "Pee Wee Speaks" has Muggsy introducing the clarinetist as "our new vocalist." Russell grumbles the blues, referencing Muggsy's work ethic and tossing in references to butter and lard. As with every other existing example of Pee Wee Russell the Singer, our man sounds weirdly glib and a little bit sloshed. "Pat's Blues" begins with someone, apparently bassist Bob Haggart, whistling a full chorus of the blues through his teeth. It is a perfectly frowsy finale to this invigorating collection of hot records made by Muggsy Spanier at the height of his powers. arwulf arwulf
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MUGGSY SPANIER – 1944-1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 967 (1997) FLAC (tracks), lossless

If you're looking for a straight, unfiltered shot of full-strength Chicago-style traditional jazz, this disc pulls no punches. Three of the four opening tracks are incendiary Commodore blowouts. Bob Haggart whistles during the opening and closing choruses of his own "Whistlin' the Blues," which comes as a bit of a breather after all that stomping. The next six selections were released on the Manhattan record label, available to the public as souvenirs to be purchased at Nick's Tavern, a hot spot for old-fashioned jazz in Greenwich Village. Four of these tracks feature the exciting baritone saxophone of Ernie Caceres, who exchanges a few words with Muggsy Spanier at the beginning of yet another whistling tune, "Feather Brain Blues." As Haggart whistles in the background, Caceres, speaking in a husky theatrical voice similar to that used by Harry "The Hipster" Gibson, exclaims that he hears a mockingbird. Spanier insists that the creature in question is "a feather brain bird," and vows to "blow him right away" with his trusty cornet. This results in a grand, easygoing blues with a big juicy finale, during which whistler and bassist Haggart gets the last word. The V-Disc session is solid and satisfying, right from the first few bars of a smooth walking treatment of the old "Tin Roof Blues." Creamy tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman is the star of this ensemble, as he transforms good music into something truly wonderful. Loudmouth comedian Phil Harris introduces a five-minute jam on "China Boy," counting it off in a tempo that is far slower than the one used by the band. This was a noticeable feature of V-Discs -- the spoken introductions were almost invariably recorded separate from the songs themselves, and usually sounded that way. Identifying his music as "Dixieland," Muggsy speaks at the beginning of "You Took Advantage of Me," a feature for Freeman, who had made a wonderful recording of this Rodgers & Hart dance tune for the Commodore label back in 1938. This 1945 "update" version is guaranteed to please all fans of Bud Freeman. This fine CD closes with six delightful sides originally released on the innocuous Disc record label. On "Pee Wee Squawks," Pee Wee Russell, who is heard on every session except the V-Discs, sings about how he needs a break: "My horn ain't in tune and my chops are hangin' low." The producers of the Classics Chronological Series are to be commended for periodically dredging up recorded examples of Pee Wee Russell singing in his own weirdly stilted, slightly sloshed manner. arwulf arwulf
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BOBBY HACKETT AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1938-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 890 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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BOBBY HACKETT AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1943-1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1047 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Bobby Hackett's band is in the house and presents a pretty tune at a relaxed tempo, the spirit within the song has a chance to climb out of its shell and perch for a few minutes over the front door like one of William Blake's pigmented angels. Hackett's sensitivity turns every ballad into a magical daydream. When the band turns on the heat, you're getting Chicago-style, Eddie Condon-approved traditional jazz, right straight out of the bottle. Condon in fact played guitar on the session of December 23, 1943, along with a swell tenor saxophonist named Nick Caiazza and no-nonsense trombonist Ray Conniff. Pianist Frank Signorelli, composer of "Serenade in Blue" and cardinal member of the Original Memphis Five, takes an occasional break during some of the stomps but really gets to shine with a full-length solo during his magnum opus, "I'll Never Be the Same." Some may feel that this one track is reason enough to seek out the entire album. It all depends on how much respect you have for Signorelli, and for the Art of Melody. The Commodore session of 1944, presented in part as "Jam Session at Commodore No. 6," makes lots of room for Ernie Caceres' magnificent baritone saxophone, with a few diversions supplied by Pee Wee Russell. Lou McGarity was a trombonist comparable to George Brunies. Jess Stacy's piano chemistry worked exceptionally well when combined with Hackett's dignified persona. These excellent jams also perfectly illustrate the artistry of George Wettling, Eddie Condon's preferred percussionist. Wettling drove a substantially different band through four sides for the Melrose label in May of 1945. The ballads are gorgeous; the hot numbers really rip. Both of the sessions from February 1946 utilize a big-band sound intended for slow dancing, with sentimental arrangements by ex-Paul Whiteman anesthesiologist Bill Challis. Lush reeds hover behind Hackett's romantic horn with brief spotlights on clarinetist Hank d'Amico and guitarist Carl Kress. Johnny Guarnieri noodles gently on a celeste, sweetening up an already honey-drenched confection. A nice four-minute V-Disc trio performance is provided to clear the palette. arwulf arwulf
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BOBBY HACKETT – 1948-1954 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1403 (2005) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The third installment in the Classics Bobby Hackett chronology examines the recordings he made between June 22, 1948, and November 7, 1954. The compilation opens with two superb five-minute V-Disc jams introduced by Hackett and Eddie Condon, who organized this and dozens of other traditional jazz get-togethers during the 1940s. The front line of Hackett, Cutty Cutshall, Peanuts Hucko, and Ernie Caceres worked wonders. "You Do Something to Me" is a marvelous trumpet/piano duet with Joe Bushkin recorded during the second AFM recording ban; in their spoken introduction they even mention the organization's president, a Mr. Petrillo. Two quintet sessions for Columbia dating from the late summer and early autumn of 1950 combine Dixieland repertoire with relaxed swing standards; Hackett's rendering of "A Room with a View" is particularly beautiful. An unattributed vocal choir intrudes upon an unissued recording of "Sleepy Head"; this turns out to have been a premonition of production values yet to come, as Hackett's next date as a leader (Capitol Records, May 11,1953) would find him accompanied by a rhythm section augmented with four violas and a cello. This combination actually worked rather well; the fact that Hackett had Lou Stein, Billy Bauer, Arnold Fishkin, and Denzil Best in the group helped to temper the effect of the strings, which in any case were all low key, literally speaking. Hackett sounds as relaxed and sophisticated as ever on the concluding tracks, which were recorded on November 7, 1954. By this time the Capitol studios and conductor Glenn Osser were backing him with French horns, woodwinds (including flute and oboe), and a classical harp wafting away next to the rhythm section. Fortunately, the ensemble is kept under control and Hackett sounds just as happy here as he did with his old cohorts from the Condon Mob. arwulf arwulf  
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JONAH JONES – 1936-1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 972 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While the first six recordings presented in this initial volume of the chronologically reissued recordings of Jonah Jones are undeniably rare and worth having access to, the reason for their obscurity is immediately apparent. Dick Porter, the nominal leader of both bands responsible for these Vocalion sides, was a Fats Waller imitator of the worst sort. He patterned his act so closely on Waller's jubilant vocal delivery that it is impossible to ascertain what -- if any -- originality existed in the person of Mr. Porter. Seizing upon Waller's habitual exclamations, Porter overused the outburst "Aha!" until it lost every ounce of its novelty or effectiveness. He even absconded with an entire punch line that Waller had used at the end of his own cheerfully misogynistic version of "I Adore You" -- not to be confused with Waller's "I Simply Adore You." The phrase in question -- "To the pound with the beautiful hound" -- required some form of theatrical buildup. While Waller was making canine references all throughout "I Adore You," Porter chucked the line in at the end of "There's No Two Ways About It" as if he couldn't think of anything else to steal from Waller. The effect of all this upon anyone who knows and loves Waller's work is maddening, and Porter sticks in the mind as a primal irritant to be avoided at all costs. What does this have to do with ace trumpeter Jonah Jones? Well, he played on both of these sessions, striving with the other players to deliver solid swing as desired by the public in the middle 1930s. And yet let it be said that the inclusion of two outstanding Keynote dates and one Commodore blowing session more than make up for the itching, burning sensation created by Dick Porter. Jonah Jones & His Orchestra, consisting of only six players, made four wonderful sides for Harry Lim's Keynote label in September of 1944. Having emerged from Cab Calloway's big band, Jones had a healthy habit of including his friends from Calloway's horde. Tyree Glenn played both vibraphone and trombone. Hilton Jefferson, featured soloist on the creamy "Just Like a Butterfly (That's Caught in the Rain)," also cooked when heat was needed. "Lust for Licks" was based on the changes of "Exactly Like You," and "B.H. Boogie" was a tip of the hat to Buster Harding, whose arrangement of "Twelfth Street Rag" inspired some serious jamming. The 1945 Milt Hinton Sextet, also billed by Keynote as an "Orchestra," shared three crucial players with the previous band: Tyree Glenn, the honorable Mr. Hinton, and the immaculate J.C. Heard. Hinton's "Beefsteak Charlie" got its name from a bar in Manhattan that was preferred by jazz musicians. The reissuing of these Keynote recordings is a serious matter, and the producers of the Classics Chronological Series are to be commended for making them digitally available to the public in the same package with Jones' Commodore session from July 31, 1945. For here are the very best elements from both of the previous bands -- Glenn, Jefferson, Hinton, and Heard -- bundled in with several other strong players including clarinetist Buster Bailey and smokestack tenor Ike Quebec. Jefferson is handed another elegant ballad in "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me," and the band deep-fries the "Rose of the Rio Grande." "Hubba Hubba Hub" seems at first a bit short on melodic invention but quickly evolves into a perfectly satisfying jam vehicle, closing with one of Jones' hottest solos on record. "Stompin' at the Savoy" is set up as a march by Heard, then struts itself silly. arwulf arwulf
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