HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937-1939 | The Chronogical Classics – 903 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Trumpeter Harry James was very consistent in his musical tastes throughout his career. This CD, which has the first 22 selections that James recorded as a leader, starts off with eight numbers in which the trumpeter (still a Benny Goodman sideman at the time) uses many of Count Basie's top sidemen (including trombonist-arranger Eddie Durham, tenor saxophonist Herschel Evans and singer Helen Humes) for swinging performances highlighted by "Life Goes to a Party" and "One O'Clock Jump"; James' bands (particularly from the 1950s on) would often sound like a duplicate of Basie's. In addition, this CD has four tunes from 1938 in which James mostly uses Goodman players (plus baritonist Harry Carney), and he is also heard on the first six numbers by his big band (including "Two O'Clock Jump" and his earliest recording of his theme "Ciribiribin"). However, the hottest performances are four numbers in which James is backed by a boogie-woogie trio featuring either Pete Johnson or Albert Ammons on piano. This enjoyable CD is full of many examples of James' hot swing trumpet and is easily recommended to swing fans. Scott Yanow  
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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 – 1939-1940 | The Chronogical Classics – 970 (1997) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 This third installment in the Classics Harry James chronology opens with nine solid sides recorded in Los Angeles during November of 1939. Seven of these are fine examples of big-band swing created expressly for dancing purposes. The lively and dramatic "Concerto for Trumpet" is a masterpiece in miniature. "Flash" and "Avalon" were based on arrangements written by the great Andy Gibson. One player deserving of wider recognition is pianist Jack Gardner, an able technician who rocks like a fiend during "Back Beat Boogie." Although the public certainly enjoyed these records, the men who ran Columbia, having expected quicker sales and larger profits, chose to eliminate Harry James from their roster shortly after the session of November 30th. As an ex-Benny Goodman trumpet star who hadn't yet hit the big time as a bandleader, James was up against several highly competitive, shrewd, and successful operators, most notably Tommy "Cutthroat" Dorsey, who lured Sinatra away even as Columbia lowered the boom. It would take a little over a year for the A&R executives to realize their mistake and rehire Harry James. In the meantime, he signed on with ex-Victor producer Eli Oberstein's Varsity label, a modest enterprise for which he would spend about six months recording a reasonable assortment of jazz, dance, and pop tunes. The first Varsity date took place on February 12, 1940. James had retained most of the players in his well-oiled big band; one worthy development was the appearance of tenor saxophonist Vido Musso, a lusty-toned soloist who shone during this band's utterly marvelous rendition of "Alice Blue Gown" and tasty cover of Erskine Hawkins' famous hit "Tuxedo Junction." Note also the presence of James himself behind the drum kit on "Headin' for Hallelujah." Having auditioned as a composer and arranger, Dick Haymes instead found himself filling the "vocal gap" left by the departure of Frank Sinatra. His mellifluous handling of "How High the Moon" was the perfect counterweight to trumpeter Jack Palmer's smoothly hip, almost Trummy Young-like vocal on the Harry James rendition of Cab Calloway's "Boog It." The leader plays a lot of trumpet on "The Sheik of Araby," sounding at first like Bunny Berigan, then working himself up to a crescendo worthy of Roy Eldridge. arwulf arwulf  
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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 | The Chronogical Classics – 1052 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the fifth installment in the Classics Harry James chronology. It presents all the studio recordings he made with his orchestra between late January and early May of 1941, beginning with a powerful instrumental jeremiad entitled "Eli Eli." Given the rise of violent anti-Semitism in Europe throughout the 1930s and its subsequent escalation into the Second World War, James was demonstrating admirable solidarity by composing and recording this very Jewish-sounding lament for a major record label. Its title is derived from "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?," a cry of despair from the 22nd Psalm, which Jesus of Nazareth is said to have uttered while being crucified by Italians. The logical segue from this moody piece into The Flight of the Bumblebee, "The Carnival of Venice," "Trumpet Rhapsody," and Chopin Waltz in C sharp minor is a rewarding treat for listeners who enjoy a bit of European classical infusion with their big-band swing. These recordings document an important turning point in the Harry James story; thanks to an idea put forth by producer Morty Palitz, his orchestra was now augmented by a skilled and not-too-sugary string quartet, with results comparable to those achieved by the viol-enhanced ensembles of Freddy Martin and Artie Shaw. The public went for this stuff in a big way, and James was soon enjoying unprecedented commercial success. Crooner Dick Haymes turns in half a dozen sweet vocals, including a cover of Una Mae Carlisle's magnum opus "Walking by the River," but most of these Columbia and V-Disc recordings are tastefully swung instrumentals. 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
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HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941-1942 | The Chronogical Classics – 1132 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On the seventh Classics CD reissuing all of Harry James' early recordings, the trumpeter and his orchestra are heard just before and two months after Pearl Harbor. James' ensemble was rapidly rising to the top of its field. During this period of time, Helen Forrest became James' female vocalist and on her second session with the band she recorded a big hit in "I Don't Want to Walk Without You." Forrest is also in excellent form on "But Not for Me," "I Remember You," and "Skylark." Dick Haymes also has a few spots; best is "You've Changed" and "You Don't Know What Love Is." But most enjoyable are such James instrumentals as "My Melancholy Baby," "B-19," "Strictly Instrumental," and "The Clipper." Since the Columbia label has never reissued all of James' recordings (just sticking to endlessly repackaging the same hits), this Classics series is quite valuable for swing collectors and Harry James fans. Scott Yanow
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HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1942 | The Chronogical Classics – 1178 (2001) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This eighth installment in the Classics Harry James chronology assembles all of his Columbia studio recordings made between February 24 and July 22, 1942, beginning with four superb instrumentals. "By the Sleepy Lagoon," a pretty tone poem later parodied by Spike Jones as "Sloppy Lagoon," is followed with the boogie-woogie-based "Trumpet Blues and Cantabile," a slow sweet "Easter Parade," and an eminently danceable version of "Crazy Rhythm." One change that occurred in 1941 was the departure of tenor saxophonist Vido Musso and the arrival of young Gene "Corky" Corcoran. Much more noticeably, James was continuing to modify the sound of his band with instrumentation most often associated with European classical music. By now the string quartet (first added in January 1941) had expanded into a quintet with the addition of a third violin; Willard Culley began blowing French horn with the Harry James Orchestra on the session of June 5th, and by July 15th the string section had swollen to six fiddles and a cello. There are quite a number of delectable vocals by Helen Forrest (as well as a handful of less substantial ones by Jimmy Saunders) but the most useful and enduring tracks are the instrumentals, during which the interplay of rhythm, reeds, brass, and strings works uncommonly well. arwulf arwulf  
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HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1942-1944 | The Chronogical Classics – 1227 (2002) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This is an unusual Harry James reissue in that, after the first four selections (which are from July 31, 1942), the remainder of the disc consists of James' V-discs of 1942-1944. The Musicians Union's recording strike stopped all recording for at least 16 months and, in the case of James' label Columbia, nearly two-and-a-half years. The trumpeter's last studio date of 1942 resulted in the final of three Helen Forrest hits, "I've Heard That Song Before." His wartime band is heard on V-disc versions of such songs as "Two O'Clock Jump"; "Back Beat Boogie"; "Blue Lou"; "Charmaine" (which has particularly inventive writing for the string section); "I'll Walk Alone" (Kitty Kallen's first vocal with the band); and "I'm Beginning to See the Light," the latter cut a month before the commercially released hit version. This formerly rare material is taken from a period when Harry James led the most popular swing band in the world, and it will be of strong interest to swing fans. Scott Yanow  
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HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1945-1946 | The Chronogical Classics – 1313 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Classics' gathering of Harry James' material between July of '45 and May of '46 showcases a band on the far side of their peak as one of the finest swing bands in jazz history. The group is still in top-notch form, and provides a glimpse into vocalist Kitty Kallen's finest moments with the band on numbers such as "Wonder of You." Fans of swing will find this an appealing set to twirl along to. Gregory McIntosh
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HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1946-1947 | The Chronogical Classics – 1313 (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For those who get their kicks by tracing the reissuance of the complete studio recordings of Harry James on the Classics Chronological Series, this is the 12th installment, and it appeared in 2008. During the months covered by this portion of the retrospective (August 26, 1946, through April 9, 1947), the trumpeter continued to ride the crest of his fame as a featured Columbia artist, showcasing pop vocalists and maintaining an orchestra that specialized in relaxing mood music as well as swing. Active in the band at this time was ex-Ellington composer, arranger, and valve trombonist Juan Tizol. The inclusion of the Harry James treatment of Tizol's "Keb-Lah" makes for intriguing comparison with a version recorded by an octet under Tizol's name (one of the only sessions he ever led) for the Keynote label five months earlier on April 7, 1946. With Tizol on that date were saxophonists Babe Russin and Willie Smith, both members of the James orchestra, as was tenor man and fellow Keynote recording artist Corky Corcoran. The jazz element is most strongly manifested in "Keb-Lah" and extended renditions of "Moten Swing" and "Feet Draggin' Blues." James was still utilizing cellos, violas, and violins on some of his records but was in the process of gradually reducing their number and phasing them out during this period. Singers heard on this compilation are Buddy DeVito, Pat Flaherty, Art Lund, and Marion Morgan, a pleasant-voiced performer who eventually quit the band after hearing the leader observe that "singers have ruined the band business." Morgan is the singer heard on "Heartaches," a song that was originally recorded as a rhumba on two different occasions during the 1930s by the Ted Weems Orchestra with whistling by Elmo Tanner and "rediscovered" in 1947 by a DJ in Charlotte, NC. Harry James seems to have timed the release of his version perfectly, for it climbed into the Top Ten on the pop charts. arwulf arwulf  
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PETE JOHNSON – 1938-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 656 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This superlative CD reissue features boogie-woogie pianist Pete Johnson on two classic numbers with singer Big Joe Turner (the original versions of "Goin' Away Blues" and "Roll 'Em Pete"), with inspiring trumpeter Harry James ("Boo Woo" and "Home James"), with his Boogie Woogie Boys (a sextet that includes Turner and trumpeter Hot Lips Page), interacting with fellow pianists Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis (joining Big Joe on "Café Society Rag"), and on a pair of trio numbers. However, it is Johnson's ten unaccompanied piano solos (mostly released previously by Solo Art) that are the rarest and most notable. Taken as a whole, this is Pete Johnson's definitive release, showing that he was much more than just a one-dimensional (although powerful) boogie-woogie specialist. Scott Yanow
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MIDGE WILLIAMS AND HER JAZZ JESTERS – 1937-1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 745 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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TEDDY WILSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 531 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For this Classics CD (one in a series of Teddy Wilson releases that reissue all of the pianist's early recordings as a leader), Billie Holiday is featured on nine of the titles including "I'll Get By," "Mean to Me," "Foolin' Myself," and "Easy Living"; all of those gems also feature tenor saxophonist Lester Young. Much rarer are three songs with singer Helen Ward, a vocal by Frances Hunt ("Big Apple"), three by the forgotten vocalist Boots Castle, and five instrumentals. It is a pity that the selections without Holiday were not reissued separately since the Lady Day performances are generally quite common. Such immortal sidemen are heard from as Young, trumpeters Cootie Williams, Harry James and Buck Clayton, altoist Johnny Hodges, baritonist Harry Carney, and clarinetists Buster Bailey and Benny Goodman; this music is essential in one form or another. Scott Yanow
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TEDDY WILSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937-1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 548 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This Classics CD traces pianist Teddy Wilson's recordings during a seven-month period. He backs singer Billie Holiday on eight memorable performances (including "My Man," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," "When You're Smiling," and "I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me"), is showcased on a pair of piano solos, accompanies singer Sally Gooding on four songs that were not initially released until the 1980s, and is heard on four almost-as-rare numbers with vocalist Nan Wynn. Most significant among the occasional instrumentals are a few tunes (including the two-part "Just a Mood" and "Honeysuckle Rose") that Wilson performs in an exquisite quartet with trumpeter Harry James, xylophonist Red Norvo, and bassist John Simmons. Among the other sidemen heard on this valuable CD are trumpeters Buck Clayton, Hot Lips Page, and Bobby Hackett, clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, the tenors of Chu Berry and Lester Young, and altoist Tab Smith.  Scott Yanow
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BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1936-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 858 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The addition of Harry James to Benny Goodman & His Orchestra in January 1937 gave Benny Goodman one of the greatest trumpet sections ever with James, Ziggy Elman, and Chris Griffin all able to play both solos and lead. Gene Krupa's drumming became increasingly assertive during this period, adding excitement to the band even if Goodman was not sure that he enjoyed the change in the group's sound. Helen Ward's decision to retire at the end of 1936 was unfortunate (she would never regain the fame that she had at that moment) and it would take Goodman much of 1937 before finding the right vocalist. But with that trumpet section, Jess Stacy, Krupa, and the Benny Goodman Trio and quartet, not to mention the leader's clarinet, this was a classic band -- the most popular in the music world. Among the many highlights on this CD are the Benny Goodman Trio's version of "Tiger Rag," the Benny Goodman Quartet on "Stompin' at the Savoy," Ella Fitzgerald guesting on "Goodnight My Love," "Peckin'," and the original studio version of "Sing, Sing, Sing." Scott Yanow
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BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 879 (1996) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The 1937 Benny Goodman & His Orchestra are still considered one of the top big bands ever. With a trumpet section featuring Harry James, Ziggy Elman, and Chris Griffin; pianist Jess Stacy and drummer Gene Krupa in the rhythm section; the leader's clarinet; and his trio and quartet with Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton, it is no wonder that Benny Goodman was so popular during this era. The main addition to the band during the second half of 1937 was singer Martha Tilton, who fit in quite well. Highlights of this often-stirring program include "Roll 'Em," the quartet on "Avalon" and "Handful of Keys," "Sugar Foot Stomp," and a swinging "Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day." Scott Yanow
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BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937-1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 899 (1996) FLAC (tracks), lossless

During the period covered by this CD, Benny Goodman & His Orchestra reached the height of their success with their historic January 12, 1938, Carnegie Hall concert. Shortly after, Gene Krupa had a personality conflict with Goodman and left the band, being replaced initially by Dave Tough. But Goodman still had such stars as Harry James, Ziggy Elman, Jess Stacy, Martha Tilton, Lionel Hampton, and Teddy Wilson plus himself, so his commercial success continued throughout 1938 despite competition from many other bands. This CD has the final numbers with Krupa (including "Life Goes to a Party," a hot quartet version of "I'm a Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas," "Don't Be That Way," and "One O'Clock Jump") and some worthy post-Krupa performances, including "The Blue Room" and "Make Believe," showing that Benny Goodman was still the king of swing. Scott Yanow
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BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 925 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 1938 version of Benny Goodman & His Orchestra was still a strong ensemble, featuring Goodman, Harry James, Ziggy Elman, tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman, Jess Stacy, Martha Tilton, and Dave Tough on drums, plus in the trio/quartet Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton. Gene Krupa might have been missed, but the ensemble still swung hard. Highlights of this chronological study include "Lullaby in Rhythm," "I Let a Song Go out of My Heart" (featuring Tilton), "Big John's Special," "Wrappin' It Up," and the quartet version of "Dizzy Spells." Scott Yanow
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BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1938, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 961 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Benny Goodman was busy during the three-and-a-half-month period covered by this CD, cutting 22 selections for Victor including "Margie," "Bumble Bee Stomp," "My Honey's Loving Arms," and "Farewell Blues" with his big band and excellent quartet renditions of "Opus 1/2," "Sweet Georgia Brown," "'S Wonderful," and (as a trio) "I Must Have That Man." Artie Shaw may have been surpassing in the popularity polls by late 1938, but Goodman's band (with Harry James, Ziggy Elman, Martha Tilton, Jess Stacy, and Bud Freeman, not to mention Lionel Hampton and Teddy Wilson) was still a mighty swing machine. Scott Yanow
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