JELLY-ROLL MORTON – 1926-1928 | The Chronogical Classics – 612 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While Louis Armstrong was cutting some of jazz's bedrock material, fellow New Orleans native and pianist Jelly Roll Morton was making equally fine, yet long overshadowed, recordings with his Red Hot Peppers combo. And it's his 1926-1927 sides for Victor, cut during a handful of sessions in New York, that form the pinnacle of his '20s heyday. This Classics disc, one of several of the label's chronological Morton titles, includes a good share of those standout tracks, but unfortunately excludes several essential numbers like "Sidewalk Blues," "Black Bottom Stomp," and "Grandpa's Spells" (Classics' earlier 1924-1926 release picks up the slack). While completist Morton fans will no doubt be drawn to this series, curious listeners in search of a well-balanced introduction should check out JSP's superior-sounding Vol. 1 collection. Stephen Cook
Tracklist + Credits :

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  
Tracklist + Credits :

ELLA FITZGERALD – 1938-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 518 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After her giant hit of "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," the already-popular Ella Fitzgerald became the main attraction with the Chick Webb Orchestra and the majority of their recordings from 1938 feature the singer who was then 20. She is particularly strong on the ballads (such as "You Can't Be Mine") and had a hit in "Undecided" (the lone 1939 selection on this CD) although her work on the novelties is less memorable. All of these Classics releases are worth picking up for a definitive (and very complete) look at early Fitzgerald. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

BESSIE SMITH – 1929-1933 | The Classics Chronological Series – 977 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These 24 tracks represent the last phase of Bessie Smith's recording career. Over the course of ten years and 160 great songs, Smith had without a doubt earned her place as the Empress of the Blues. Unfortunately, until her passing in 1937, she spent most of her time on the show circuit. For fans hungry for a healthy dose of her legacy, though, generous discs such as this provide a chance to revel in the classic female blues singing queen's lusty power. As usual, Smith is helped out by the day's jazz royalty. Featured over the course of the cuts here -- many penned by both Smith and pianist Clarence Williams -- are such top soloists as Benny Goodman, Chu Berry, James P. Johnson, and Frankie Newton. Of course, Smith grabs most of the attention, especially on definitive sides like "Gimme a Pigfoot" and "Black Mountain Blues," not to mention the ribald gem "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl." And as far as sound quality goes, this and many other of the discs in the Classics chronological series provide a viable alternative to Columbia's celebrated Complete Recordings line. Stephen Cook  
Tracklist + Credits :

JAMES P. JOHNSON – 1921-1928 | The Classics Chronological Series – 658 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Oh man, this is it. The very earliest phonograph records ever made by the guy who taught Fats Waller how to stride with a piano. How much really great jazz is there on record dating from 1921? Not a hell of a lot, by anybody's estimation. Classics 658 opens up with three 1921 piano solos, one originally issued on the Black Swan label and two bearing the trademark OKeh. Johnson was already famous for his player piano rolls, which he'd begun to produce back in 1916. Getting to hear an audio recording of him at the keyboard so early in the game is an experience not to be missed by anyone who truly loves this part of our cultural heritage. Yet if the solo piano version of "Carolina Shout" makes for nearly three minutes of joyous listening, the impossibly rare eight-piece band rendition might cause vertigo among those who take this kind of historical material personally. Jimmie Johnson's Jazz Boys and James P. Johnson's Harmony Eight sound a bit like Eubie Blake's early-'20s ensembles, with that precious sort of pit orchestra ambience belonging to those distant days. Contemporary ensembles may reinterpret the material, but nobody will ever be able to re-create the sound of jazz in 1921 as heard on these historical recordings. Spread across three different recording labels, the six piano solos from 1923 provide a fascinating glimpse at where Johnson was at in his musical evolution during this important year. A quick jump to 1927 yields gorgeous solo readings of "Snowy Morning Blues" and Perry Bradford's "All That I Had Is Gone." Bradford himself makes a bit of noise kicking lyrics around on two sides by a seven-piece mob called the Original Jazz Hounds and two more by Johnson's Jazzers, consisting only of Johnson and cornet man Louis Metcalf. Four sides from 1928 round off this wonderful retrospective. Cornet ace Johnny Dunn leads his Original Jazz Hounds with reedman Garvin Bushell backed by both James P. Johnson and Fats Waller at the piano. "What's the Use of Being Alone?" is late-'20s New York jazz at its very finest. Two slow drags by Jimmy Johnson's Orchestra feature Fats Waller, Cootie Williams, and Charlie Holmes, along with train conductor impersonations by Perry Bradford. The entire ensemble sobs its way through "Mournful Tho'ts" without divulging the name of the trombonist, who momentarily does a marvelous job of submerging the mood under several inches of murky water. A staggering assortment of rare recordings covering seven years out of a decade that never ceases to amaze those who take the time to listen back on those recordings that have managed to survive. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :

SLIM GAILLARD – 1939-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 724 (1993) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Volume two in the Classics Slim Gaillard chronology presents the Flat Foot Floogee Boys in all their pixilated glory. Well known for his silly and imaginative use of hip scat and cannabis-informed "viper talk," Gaillard was also one of a handful of individuals who pioneered the use of the electrically amplified guitar. This entertaining compilation presents Gaillard in the company of trumpeters Cyril Newman, Al Killian, and Henry Goodwin, lightning alto saxophonist Herman Flintall, Kenneth Hollon on tenor sax, the versatile Garvin Bushell on clarinet, pianist Loumell Morgan, bowing/singing bassist Slam Stewart, and dynamic drummer Herbert Pettaway (also known as "Hubert"). There are no sleepers among these vintage recordings, which were originally issued on the Okeh and Vocalion labels. Slow ballads come across as very cool and groovy while most of the vocal routines are based on simple riffs with lyrics derived from basic hip vernacular. A jam like "Beatin' the Board" is a miracle of collectivity and "Sploghm" is cherished by collectors and jazz heads as a masterpiece of rapid-fire small-group swing. The call and response "Broadway Jump" takes the art of nonsensical babble to new levels of silliness. Soon the public would come to associate Gaillard almost exclusively with this sort of eccentric novelty chatter rather than with the bop revolution with which in some ways he was closely aligned. Invariably tempered with Gaillard's peculiar sense of humor, the bop element would become significantly more pronounced in 1945 and 1946, as later volumes in this excellent series thoroughly demonstrate. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    That's A Bringer - That's A Hanger - That's A Drag    2:56
2    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    A-Well-A-Take-'Em-A-Joe (Crap Shooter's Jive)    3:01
3    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Chicken Rhythm    2:52
4    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Swingin' In The Key Of C    2:41
5    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Boot-Ta-La-Za    3:23
6    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    (My Darling) It's You, Only You    3:10
7    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Beatin' The Board    2:57
8    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Look Out    2:52
9    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Matzoh Balls    2:35
10    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Early In The Morning    2:35
11    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Chittlin' Switch Blues    2:48
12    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Huh! Uh-Huh!    2:50
13    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Windy City Hop    2:42
14    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Baby, Be Mine    2:56
15    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Sploghm    2:34
16    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Fitzwater Street (Located In Philadelphia)    2:48
17    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Don't Let Us Say Good-Bye    2:57
18    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Rhythm Mad    2:44
19    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Bongo    2:54
20    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Broadway Jump    2:47
Credits :    
Acoustic Bass – William Smith (tracks: 1 to 12)
Acoustic Bass, Vocals – Slam Stewart (tracks: 13 to 20)
Alto Saxophone – Herman Flintall (tracks: 1 to 7)
Clarinet – Garvin Bushell (tracks: 17 to 20)
Drums – Herbert Pettaway
Piano – Loumell Morgan
Tenor Saxophone – Kenneth Hollon (tracks: 8 to 12)
Trumpet – Al Killian (tracks: 4 to 12), Cyril Newman (tracks: 1 to 3), Henry Goodwin (tracks: 17 to 20)
Vocals, Guitar – Slim Gaillard

SLIM GAILLARD – 1940-1942 | The Classics Chronological Series – 753 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Volume three in the complete chronological recordings of Slim Gaillard chronicles the further adventures of Okeh recording artists the Flat Foot Floogee Boys. Garvin Bushell blows clarinet on four titles waxed in September 1940. Bushell's long career as a multi-instrumentalist included a date with Fats Waller and James P. Johnson in 1928 and a fiery residency at the Village Vanguard with John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy in 1961. As a member of the Flat Foot Floogee Boys, Bushell sounds best on the upbeat numbers, interacting warmly with trumpeter Henry Goodwin and engaging in a bit of call and response on "Hit That Mess." Two sessions from 1941 scale the band down to a quartet and signal the return of singing bassist Slam Stewart, Gaillard's original partner in crime. Four titles from March 11 are classic Slim & Slam. "Bassology" is among Stewart's most amazing performances on record and one of the great jazz bass recordings of all time. This session is also notable for the presence of pianist Loumell Morgan and percussionist Kenny Clarke. Moving his act to Hollywood during the summer of 1941, Gaillard began to appear in motion pictures, including an appearance with Slam Stewart, Rex Stewart, and Cee Pee Johnson in a wild flick bearing the title Hellzapoppin'. Unfortunately, this compilation does not contain any portion of that film's soundtrack. What you do get to hear are four swingin' sides that constitute 20-year-old drummer Forrest "Chico" Hamilton's first appearance on record. Still in Hollywood on April 4, 1942, Gaillard and Stewart made three amazing sides with tenor sax heavyweight Ben Webster, pianist Jimmy Rowles, and drummer Leo "Scat" Watson, who couldn't restrain an occasional outburst of his own brand of scat singing. Someone appears to be tapdancing during "Groove Juice Special." If this was Watson then he managed to drum and dance at the same time. Why these three incredible recordings were rejected by Okeh and left unreleased is anybody's guess. This session was certainly a high point in the career of each participant. Gaillard's own progress was interrupted first by the 1942 AFM recording ban and then by the draft board. Gaillard would resume making records in 1945 with a decidedly different cast of characters. As a sort of dessert the folks at Classics have amended the package with four rare recordings by the Royal Rhythm Boys from 1939. This almost forgotten little band consisted of Jimmy Prince at the piano, guitarist Billy Moore, and the mighty Slam Stewart, who sings hip duets with Moore in a manner anticipating the Cats & the Fiddle and the King Cole Trio. Although the Classics discography implies that Moore composed "Peace Brother Peace," this song was written by Clarence Williams and introduced in the mid-'30s by Willie "The Lion" Smith & His Cubs. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Put Your Arms Around Me, Baby    2:55
2    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Lookin' For A Place To Park    3:00
3    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Hit That Mess    2:38
4    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Hey! Chef    2:40
5    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Ah Now    2:54
6    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    A Tip On The Numbers    3:06
7    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Slim Slam Boogie    2:32
8    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Bassology    2:37
9    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Bingie-Bingie-Scootie    2:55
10    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    B-19    3:01
11    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Champagne Lullaby    2:53
12    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    African Jive    2:34
13    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Palm Springs Jump    2:36
14    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Ra-Da-Da-Da    2:36
15    Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys–    Groove Juice Special    2:40
16    Royal Rhythm Boys–    In A Shanty In Old Shanty Town    2:37
17    Royal Rhythm Boys–    Blue Skies    3:03
18    Royal Rhythm Boys–    Beat It Out, Bumpin' Boy    2:29
19    Royal Rhythm Boys–    Peace, Brother, Peace    3:06
Credits :    
Clarinet – Garvin Bushell (tracks: 1 to 4)
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Nick Fenton (tracks: 1 to 4), Slam Stewart (tracks: 5 to 19)
Drums – Forrest "Chico" Hamilton (tracks: 9 to 12), Hubert Pettaway (tracks: 1 to 4), Kenny Clarke (tracks: 5 to 8), Leo Watson (tracks: 13 to 15)
Guitar – Billy Moore (tracks: 16 to 19)
Piano – Jimmy Prince (tracks: 16 to 19), Jimmy Rowles (tracks: 13 to 15), Loumell Morgan (tracks: 1 to 8), Tommy Fulford (tracks: 9 to 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Ben Webster (tracks: 13 to 15)
Trumpet – Henry Goodwin (tracks: 1 to 4)
Vocals, Guitar – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1 to 15)

ETHEL WATERS – 1921-1923 | The Classics Chronological Series – 796 (1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Ethel Waters was one of the few singers from the early '20s whose early recordings are still quite listenable. This CD from the Classics label has her first 22 sides (many previously rare including five interesting instrumentals by Waters's band) and, although not on the same level as her performances from a few years later, the music is quite good for the time period. The sidemen are mostly obscure but include pianist Fletcher Henderson and cornetists Gus Aiken and Joe Smith with the highlights being "The New York Glide," "Down Home Blues," "There'll Be Some Changes Made" and "Midnight Blues."  Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1     The New York Glide    3:04   
Unknown
2     At the New Jump Steady Ball    3:26   
Tom Delaney / Sidney Easton
3     Oh, Daddy    3:18    
Victor Herbert / Willy Russell
4     Down Home Blues    3:26  
Tom Delaney
5     One Man Nan    2:56   
Victor Herbert / Willy Russell
6     There'll Be Some Changes Made    3:22  
Billy Higgins / W. Benton Overstreet
7     Dying With the Blues    2:57    
Fletcher Henderson
8     Kiss Your Pretty Baby Nice    3:07   
Edgar Dowell
9     'Frisco Jazz Band Blues    3:27    
Unknown
10     Royal Garden Blues    3:12
Clarence Williams / Spencer Williams
11     Bugle Blues    2:38    
W.C. Handy
12     Jazzin' Babies Blues    3:07    
Ralph "Shrimp" Jones
13     Kind Lovin' Blues    3:04    
Fletcher Henderson / Sidney Mitchell / Ethel Waters
14     Georgia Blues    3:13    
Billy Higgins / W. Benton Overstreet
15     That Da Da Strain    2:55    
Edgar Dowell / Mamie Medina
16     Tiger Rag    3:09   
Harry Da Costa / Eddie Edwards / Nick LaRocca / Henry W. Ragas / Tony Sbarbaro / Larry Shields
17     Pacific Coast Blues    3:36    
Hegamin / Hammed
18     At the New Jump Steady Ball    2:53    
Tom Delaney / Sidney Easton
19     Oh Joe, Play That Trombone    2:37    
Edgar Dowell
20     Memphis Man    2:44    
Henry / Grant
21     Midnight Blues    3:02
 Clarence Williams
22     Brown Baby    2:59
Grant
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Clarence Harris (tracks: 1, 2), Unknown Artist (tracks: 1, 2)
Banjo – John Mitchell (tracks: 20 to 22)
Bass Saxophone – Unknown Artist (tracks: 9 to 11)
Brass Bass – Ralph Escudero (tracks: 1 to 4, 7, 8), Unknown Artist (tracks: 18, 19)
Clarinet – Edgar Campbell (tracks: 3, 4, 20 to 22), Garvin Bushell (tracks: 5 to 11), Unknown Artist (tracks: 7, 8, 18, 19)
Clarinet [?] – Clarence Robinson (tracks: 12 to 17), Elmer Chambers (tracks: 20 to 22)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone [?] – Joe Elder (tracks: 9 to 11)
Cornet – Gus Aiken (tracks: 9 to 11), Joe Smith (tracks: 12 to 17)
Drums – Kaiser Marshall (tracks: 1, 2), Raymond Green (tracks: 16, 17)
Piano – Fletcher Henderson (tracks: 3 to 22), Wilson Kyer (tracks: 1, 2)
Trombone – Bud Aiken (tracks: 9 to 11), George Brashear (tracks: 12 to 17, 20 to 22), James Reevy (tracks: 1, 2), Unknown Artist (tracks: 5, 6, 18, 19)
Trombone [?] – Chink Johnson (tracks: 3, 4, 7, 8)
Trumpet – Unknown Artist (tracks: 3 to 8, 18, 19), Wesley Johnson (tracks: 1, 2)
Violin – Cordy Williams (tracks: 3, 4)
Violin [?] – Charlie Jackson (tracks: 5 to 8)
Vocals – Ethel Waters (tracks: 1 to 8, 12 to 15, 18 to 22)

ETHEL WATERS – 1935-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 755 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Classics does its usual stellar job in chronicling a five-year tenure of Ethel Waters, covering sides she made for Bluebird, Decca, and New York's Liberty Music Shop. It's an interesting mix of blues, pop, and jazz, with her inimitable style guiding it all. A few big jazz names like Tyree Glenn, Danny Barker, and Milt Hinton pop up in the various backing units, but ultimately, it's all Waters' show. Cub Koda

Tracklist :

1  Hottentot Potentate  3:24 

Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz

Ethel Waters

feat: Russell Wooding

2  Thief in the Night 3:13

Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz

Ethel Waters

feat: Russell Wooding

  3  You're a Sweetheart 2:58 

Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh

4  How Can I Face This Wearied World Alone? 2:33 

Eddie Mallory

5  I'll Get Along Somehow  2:29

Dorothy Fields / Gerald Marks

6  You're Mine 2:46 

Sam M. Lewis / Joseph Young

Ethel Waters

feat: Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord / William Steiner

7  Frankie and Johnny 2:59 

Traditional

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord / William Steiner

8  They Say  2:27 

Edward Heyman / Paul Mann / Stephen Weiss

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord / William Steiner

9  Jeepers Creepers 2:47

Johnny Mercer / Harry Warren

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord / William Steiner

  10  Lonesome Walls 2:34

DuBose Heyward / Jerome Kern

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord / William Steiner

  11  If You Ever Change Your Mind 2:47 

Bud Green / Johnny Green / Maurice Sigler / Grady Watts / Mayme Watts

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord / William Steiner

12  What Goes up Must Come Down 3:00 

Rube Bloom / Ted Koehler

Ethel Waters

feat: Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord / William Steiner

13  Y' Had It Comin' to You  2:15

Alan Jay Lerner

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord / William Steiner

  14  Bread and Gravy 2:52

Hoagy Carmichael

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Benny Carter / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord

   15  Down in My Soul 2:59 

Porter Grainger

Ethel Waters

feat: Benny Carter / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord

16  Georgia on My Mind 3:23

Hoagy Carmichael / Stuart Gorrell

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Benny Carter / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord

  17  Stop Myself from Worryin' over You 2:41 

Reginald Beane / Ethel Waters

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Benny Carter / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord

18  Old Man Harlem 2:52 

Hoagy Carmichael / Rudy Vallée

Ethel Waters

feat: Benny Carter / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord

19  Push Out  2:42 

Nathaniel Reed

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Benny Carter / Shirley Clay / Tyree Glenn / Eddie Mallory / Castor McCord

20  Baby, What Else Can I Do? 2:56 

Walter Hirsch / Gerald Marks

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Garvin Bushell / Benny Carter / Eddie Mallory / Charles Turner

21  I Just Got a Letter 2:22 

Dave Franklin / David Franklin

Ethel Waters

feat: Reginald Beane / Garvin Bushell / Benny Carter / Eddie Mallory / Charles Turner

22  Taking a Chance on Love3:03 

Vernon Duke / Ted Fetter / John Latouche

Ethel Waters

feat: Max Meth & His Orchestra

23  Honey in the Honeycomb 2:47 

Vernon Duke / John Latouche

Ethel Waters

feat: Max Meth & His Orchestra

24  Cabin in the Sky 3:14 

Vernon Duke / John Latouche

Ethel Waters

feat: Max Meth & His Orchestra

25  Love Turned the Light Out 2:52 

Vernon Duke / John Latouche

Credits :
Danny Barker – Guitar
Reginald Beane – Composer, Organ, Piano
Garvin Bushell  – Sax (Alto)
Benny Carter  – Clarinet
Shirley Clay  – Trumpet
Tyree Glenn – Trombone, Vocals (Background)
Milt Hinton  – Sax (Baritone)
Eddie Mallory – Composer, Conductor, Trumpet
Castor McCord – Clarinet
Max Meth – Conductor
Max Meth & His Orchestra
William Steiner  – Sax (Alto)
Ethel Waters – Composer, Vocals
Russell Wooding  – Conductor

CAB CALLOWAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1934-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 554 (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Cab Calloway, who first became popular in 1930, retained his popularity (despite a lot of competition) throughout the swing era. On this excellent CD (the fifth of 12 in the European label Classics' Complete Calloway series), highlights include "Keep That Hi-De-Hi in Your Soul," "Nagasaki," "Copper Colored Gal," "Frisco Flo" and a crazy "That Man Is Here Again." With fine soloists in trumpeters Lammar Wright and Shad Collins, trombonist Claude Jones and (by 1936) the great tenor Ben Webster (along with a top-notch rhythm section that includes bassist Milt Hinton), this was a much better swing orchestra than it is generally rated in jazz history books. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Weakness 3:09
Edwin Swayzee
2     Good Sauce from the Gravy Bowl 3:06
Cab Calloway / Irving Mills / Edwin Swayzee    
3     Keep That Hi-De-Hi in Your Soul 2:56
Cab Calloway / Irving Mills / Morris White    
4     Miss Otis Regrets 3:01
Cole Porter    
5     I Ain't Got Nobody (And Nobody Cares for Me) 3:01
Roger Graham / Dave Peyton / Spencer Williams
6     Nagasaki 2:54
Mort Dixon / Harry Warren
7     Baby Won't You Please Come Home 3:14
Charles Warfield / Clarence Williams
8     I Love to Sing-A 3:06
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg    
9     You're the Cure for What Ails Me 3:02
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
10     Save Me, Sister
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg 3:02
11     Love Is the Reason 3:13
Otis Rene / Leon René
12     When You're Smiling 3:17
Mark Fisher / Joe Goodwin / Larry Shay
13     Jess's Natu'lly Lazy 3:09
Stone / Scharpe / Bishop
14     Are You in Love With Me Again? 3:08
Unknown
15     Copper Colored Gal 2:44
J. Fred Coots / Joe Davis    
16     Frisco Flo 3:25
J. Fred Coots / Joe Davis    
17     The Wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Swing 3:17
J. Fred Coots / Benny Davis
18     The Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man 3:14
J. Fred Coots / Joe Davis
19     Don't Know If I'm Comin' or Goin' 2:42
Lupin Fein / Lee Wainer    
20     My Gal Mezzanine 2:40
Ben Ellison / Otis Rene / Leon René    
21     That Man Is Here Again 3:35    
22     Peckin' 2:55
Harry James / Ben Pollack
23     Congo 2:33
Morris White

CAB CALLOWAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937-1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 568 (1991) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The swing era may have been at its height during the time covered by this CD (the sixth of 12 put out by the Classics label that reissue all of Cab Calloway's 1930-42 recordings) but the colorful vocalist held onto his audience and remained a household name. With such soloists as Ben Webster or Chu Berry on tenor, trumpeters Shad Collins and Lammar Wright and a rhythm section including guitarist Danny Barker and bassist Milt Hinton, Calloway had a particularly strong (if generally overlooked) orchestra. Among the more memorable selections of the 24 included on this CD are "Swing, Swing, Swing," "She's Tall, She's Tan, She's Terrific," "Bugle Blues" and "Hi-De-Ho Romeo." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Swing, Swing, Swing 2:43
Morris White
2     Wake up and Live 2:30
Mack Gordon / Harry Revel
3     Manhattan Jam 2:39
Cab Calloway    
4     Moon at Sea 3:00
Harry Pease / Vincent Rose / Larry Stock
5     I'm Always in the Mood for You 2:58
J. Fred Coots / Joe Davis
6     She's Tall, She's Tan, She's Terrific 2:35
J. Fred Coots / Benny Davis
7     Go South, Young Man 2:13
J. Fred Coots / Joe Davis
8     Mama, I Wanna Make Rhythm 3:05
Richard Byron / Jerome Jerome / Walter Kent
9     Hi De Ho Romeo 2:50
J. Fred Coots / Joe Davis
10     Queen Isabella 2:46
Joe Davis / Paul Denniker
11     Savage Rhythm 2:35
J. Fred Coots / Benny Davis
12     Every Day's a Holiday 2:29
Sam Coslow / Barry Trivers
13     Jubilee 2:33
Stanley Adams / Hoagy Carmichael
14     In an Old English Village 3:12
Edward Pola / Albert Sendrey    
15     (Just an) Error in the News 2:51
Will Hudson / Irving Mills / Henry Nemo
16     A Minor Breakdown (Rustle of Swing) 2:28
Unknown
17     Bugle Blues  2:28
Irving Mills / Jack Pettis / Elmer Schoebel
18     One Big Union for Two 2:56
Harold Rome
19     Doing the Reactionary 2:42
Harold Rome
20     Rustle of Swing 3:00
Cab Calloway / Ralph Yaw
21     Three Swings and Out 2:16
Cab Calloway / Ralph Yaw
22     I Like Music (Played With a Swing Like This) 2:37
Cab Calloway / Ralph Yaw
23     Foolin' With You 2:34
Morris White
24     Azure 2:48
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
Credits :    
Directed By – Cab Calloway
Orchestra – Cab Calloway And His Orchestra
Tenor Saxophone – Ben Webster (tracks: 1 to 3, 7 to 24), Chu Berry (tracks: 4 to 6)
Vocals – Cab Calloway (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 9, 12 to 15, 18, 19, 22 to 24)