Harlan Leonard first showed up on traditional jazz radar as a member of Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra. He joined in 1923 and served as a vertebra in the backbone of the Moten reed section until 1931. Teaming up with another Moten veteran, Leonard worked with Thamon Hayes' Skyrockets, helping to steer this band until it too dissolved in 1937. Leonard formed his own Rockets in 1938. In 1940 they appeared at the Golden Gate Ballroom in New York, recorded about 23 sides for Bluebird, toured all over the continental United States, and finally disbanded in 1945 while working in California. This band contained a lot of young talent from Kansas City. Hearing all of their records in one package is a gas. Swing had matured. It was obviously ready to lunge forward into big-band modernity. Beginning with what is the only known recording of an electrically amplified guitar solo by Efferge Ware, "Rockin' With the Rockets" is as solid as its name, with a healthy dance tempo and hot solos from reeds and brass. "Hairy Joe Jump" is based on a simple line that might possibly have spawned the famous introduction to Charlie Parker's "Klactoveesedsteen." Bird almost certainly heard this band when he was still in Kansas City. Did he store this fairly flaccid melody in his brain along with hundreds of other "head arrangements," only to pull it out years later and transform it into gold? Who can say? "Contact" is a fine jam tune. The saxophones growl, and William Smith plays fine piano. "Snaky Feeling" has a cool vocal by trumpeter and arranger James Ross. "Skee" is a smoker, solid stuff for the jitterbug crowd. Myra Taylor sings a perky "World On Fire" and Ernie Williams hollers as hot as the band blows on "Ride My Blues Away." With the bouncy "Parade of the Stompers," listeners have arrived at a turning point, for the next session introduces the arrangements of Tadd Dameron, who also composed material for the Rockets. "Rock and Ride" and "400 Swing" are particularly invigorating. Suddenly, Myra Taylor is back at the microphone singing a song about pickles. Based on the 19th century melody "La Sorella," this pop tune would be irritating if the band didn't swing so hard. "Please Don't Squabble" has Ernie Williams sounding a lot like Jimmy Rushing. Tadd Dameron arranged "A la Bridges," a lush tenor saxophone ballad for Henry Bridges, who comes across like a Coleman Hawkins devotee. "Dameron Stomp" and "Take 'Um" are climactic achievements for this exciting, short-lived band. These recordings, existing at the stylistic crossroads of bebop and swing, are essential episodes in both the saga of the Kansas City scene and the rapid evolution of mid-20th century jazz. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :
18.7.23
HARLAN LEONARD AND HIS ROCKETS – 1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 670 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
3.5.23
BENNIE MOTEN's KANSAS CITY ORCHESTRA – 1923-1927 | The Classics Chronological Series – 549 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Pianist Bennie Moten led one of the finest jazz bands on record in the 1920s, a group that included many of the top musicians of the Midwest. On the first of four Classics CDs -- all of which are recommended to vintage jazz collectors -- that reissue the master takes of all of Moten's recordings, the band quickly evolves from a sextet in 1923 to a solid 11-piece orchestra. Despite a few novelty effects (including clarinetist Woody Walder occasionally getting weird sounds by playing only the mouthpiece of his horn), even the most primitive numbers on this set are quite enjoyable. Highlights include the original version of "South" (Moten's big hit), "Goofy Dust," "Thick Lip Blues" and "Sugar." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Elephant's Wobble 3:09
Bennie Moten
2 Crawdad Blues 2:51
Bennie Moten
3 South 2:46
Thamon Hayes / Bennie Moten
4 Vine Street Blues 3:02
Pete Johnson / Bennie Moten
5 Tulsa Blues 2:51
Bennie Moten
6 Goofy Dust 2:40
Bennie Moten
7 Baby Dear 2:54
Thamon Hayes / Tubby Hayes / Bennie Moten
8 She's Sweeter Than Sugar 2:33
Bennie Moten
Vocals – William Little Jr.
9 South Street Blues 2:45
Bennie Moten
10 Sister Honky Tonk 2:38
Bennie Moten
11 As I Like It 2:52
Bennie Moten
12 Things Seem So Blue to Me 3:12
Bennie Moten
13 18th Street Strut 3:00
Bartley Costello / Bennie Moten
14 Kater Street Rag 2:34
Bennie Moten
15 Thick Lip Stomp 2:51
Bennie Moten
16 Harmony Blues 3:33
Jelly Roll Morton / Bennie Moten
17 Kansas City Shuffle 2:50
Bennie Moten
18 Yazoo Blues 2:45
Bennie Moten
19 White Lightnin' Blues 3:34
Bennie Moten
20 Muscle Shoals Blues 3:24
George W. Thomas
21 Midnight Mama 2:59
Bennie Moten
22 Missouri Wobble 3:08
Bennie Moten
23 Sugar 2:49
Edna Alexander / Sidney Mitchell / Maceo Pinkard
24 Dear Heart 3:11
Laforest Dent
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – LaForest Dent (tracks: 15 to 24)
Banjo – LaForest Dent (tracks: 8 to 14), Leroy Berry (tracks: 23, 24), Sam Tall (tracks: 1 to 7, 15 to 22)
Brass Bass – Vernon Page (tracks: 6 to 24)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Jack Washington (tracks: 23, 24)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Harlan Leonard (tracks: 3 to 24)
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Kazoo – Woody Walder
Cornet – Ed Lewis (tracks: 23, 24), Harry Cooper (tracks: 3 to 14), Lammar Wright (tracks: 1 to 22), Paul Webster (tracks: 23, 24)
Drums – Willie Hall (tracks: 1 to 14), Willie McWashington (tracks: 15 to 24)
Piano, Directed By – Bennie Moten
Trombone – Thamon Hayes
BENNIE MOTEN's KANSAS CITY ORCHESTRA – 1927-1929 | The Classics Chronological Series – 558 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
During the period covered by this second of four Classics CDs, Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra was at the peak of its powers, dominating the jazz scene of the Midwest. There were not a lot of famous names in the group yet, but the soloists were colorful, and the band's ensembles could really rock in a pre-swing manner. The main players at the time included cornetist Ed Lewis, Harlan Leonard on various reeds, baritonist Jack Washington and Moten himself on piano. Highlights include "Moten Stomp," "Kansas City Breakdown," "Get Low-Down Blues," "Terrific Blues" and the remake of the band's hit "South." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 The New Tulsa Blues 3:03
Bennie Moten
2 Baby Dear 3:01
Tubby Hayes / Bennie Moten
Vocals – LaForest Dent, Thamon Hayes
3 Twelfth Street Rag 3:19
Euday L. Bowman
4 Pass Out Lightly (There Ain't Nothin' to It) 3:05
Jack Washington
5 Ding-Dong Blues 3:05
Bennie Moten
6 Moten Stomp 2:56
Bennie Moten
7 Justrite 2:40
Bennie Moten
8 Slow Motion 2:36
Bennie Moten
9 Tough Breaks 2:51
Bennie Moten
10 It's Hard to Laugh or Smile 2:41
Bennie Moten
11 Sad Man Blues 3:17
Bennie Moten
Vocals – James Taylor
12 Kansas City Breakdown 2:53
Bennie Moten / Woodie Walder
13 Trouble in Mind 3:06
Richard M. Jones
14 Hot Water Blues 2:30
Bennie Moten
15 Get Low-Down Blues 2:56
Bennie Moten
Speech – Bennie Moten, Ed Lewis
16 She's No Trouble (Sweetheart) 3:19
Hayes
17 South 2:30
Bennie Moten / Jack Washington
18 Terrific Stomp 2:40
Bennie Moten / Jack Washington
19 Let's Get It 3:15
Bennie Moten
20 Kansas City Squabble 2:50
Bennie Moten
21 Rite Tite 2:50
Bennie Moten
22 Moten's Blues 3:04
Bennie Moten
23 That's What I'm Talking About 3:04
Bennie Moten / Woodie Walder
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – LaForest Dent (tracks: 1 to 6)
Banjo – Leroy Berry
Brass Bass – Vernon Page
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Jack Washington
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Harlan Leonard
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Woody Walder
Cornet – Booker Washington (tracks: 7 to 23), Ed Lewis, Paul Webster (tracks: 1 to 6)
Drums – Willie McWashington
Piano Accordion, Piano – Buster Moten (tracks: 18 to 23)
Piano, Directed By – Bennie Moten
Trombone – Thamon Hayes
BENNIE MOTEN's KANSAS CITY ORCHESTRA – 1929-1930 | The Classics Chronological Series – 578 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
From 1929-30, the Bennie Moten Orchestra could hold its own with fellow big bands like Fletcher Henderson, Paul Whiteman and McKinney's Cotton Pickers, although it was the least known nationally of the four. The third of four Classics CDs completely reissuing Moten's recordings finds the young Count Basie taking over the piano slot and such stars joining the band as singer Jimmy Rushing and (by 1930) trumpeter Hot Lips Page. With cornetist Ed Lewis, Eddie Durham on trombone and guitar, clarinetist Harlan Leonard and Buster Moten (on accordion) also heard from, this was a mighty orchestra, as displayed on such numbers as "New Goofy Dust Rag," "The Jones Law Blues" and "New Vine Street Blues." The four imported Classics sets are certainly more complete than the two CDs put out domestically by Bluebird. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 That Certain Motion 3:00
Bennie Moten
2 It Won't Be Long 2:47
Bennie Moten
3 When Life Seems So Blue 2:50
Bennie Moten
4 Loose Like A Goose 2:54
Bennie Moten
5 Just Say It's Me 2:52
Bennie Moten
6 New Goofy Dust Rag 2:38
Bennie Moten
7 Rumba Negro (Spanish Stomp) 2:47
Count Basie / Bennie Moten
8 The Jones Law Blues 3:05
Count Basie / Bennie Moten
9 Band Box Shuffle 2:27
Count Basie / Bennie Moten
10 Small Black 3:18
Count Basie / Bennie Moten
11 Every Day Blues (Yo Yo Blues) 3:05
Eddie Durham / Bennie Moten
12 Boot It 3:13
Bennie Moten
13 Mary Lee 3:15
Bennie Moten / Speckled Red
14 Rit-Dit-Ray 2:46
Count Basie / Bennie Moten
Vocals – Willie McWashington
15 New Vine Street Blues 2:58
Count Basie / Bennie Moten
16 Sweetheart Of Yesterday 2:37
Bennie Moten / Carl Sigman
17 Won't You Be My Baby? 3:11
Bennie Moten / Jimmy Rushing
Vocals – Jimmy Rushing
18 I Wish I Could Be Blue 3:08
Count Basie / Eddie Durham / Bennie Moten
19 h! Eddie 2:54
Eddie Durham / Bennie Moten
20 That Too, Do 3:18
Count Basie / Eddie Durham / Bennie Moten
Vocals – Jimmy Rushing
21 Mack's Rhythm 3:00
Count Basie / Bennie Moten
22 You Made Me Happy 3:20
Eddie Durham / Bennie Moten
23 Here Comes Marjorie 2:53
Bennie Moten / Henri Woode
Credits :
Banjo – Leroy Berry (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 23)
Brass Bass – Vernon Page (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 23)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Jack Washington (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 23)
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Harlan Leonard (tracks: 1 to 3, 6 to 23)
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Woody Walder
Cornet – Booker Washington (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 23), Ed Lewis (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 23)
Directed By – Bennie Moten
Drums – Willie McWashington
Piano – Bennie Moten (tracks: 1 to 6), Count Basie (tracks: 7 to 23)
Piano Accordion, Piano – Buster Moten
Trombone – Thamon Hayes (tracks: 1 to 3, 6 to 23)
Trombone, Guitar – Eddie Durham (tracks: 7 to 23)
Trumpet – Oran "Hot Lips" Page (tracks: 17 to 23)
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