The Andy Kirk Orchestra ended their five-year hiatus from records in March 1936 in a big way, recording ten titles in their first session alone. Mary Lou Williams' arrangements and several strong soloists (including pianist Williams and tenor saxophonist Dick Wilson) gave the band its own musical personality, and their hit recording of "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" (included on this release) made the group a commercial success for a time. Vocalist Pha Terrell's high voice was always an acquired taste, and many of his vocals (other than the hit and "All the Jive Is Gone") are often difficult to sit through. However, most of the songs on this excellent CD are pretty heated, with highlights including "Walkin' and Swingin'," "Lotta Sax Appeal," "Froggy Bottom," "Christopher Columbus" and "The Lady Who Swings the Band." Listeners who are not completists (and the Classics CD series does skip over alternates anyway) may want to acquire GRP/Decca's single CD Mary's Idea instead. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Walkin' And Swingin' 2:55
Arranged By – Mary Lou Williams
Written-By – Williams
2 Moten Swing 3:06
Written-By – Moten, Moten
3 Lotta Sax Appeal 2:54
Written-By – Williams
4 Git 2:51
Written-By – Williams
5 All The Jive Is Gone 2:36
Written-By – Thompson
6 Froggy Bottom 3:12
Written-By – Williams
7 Bearcat Shuffle 3:00
Written-By – Williams
8 Steppin' Pretty 2:48
Written-By – Williams
9 Christopher Columbus 2:42
Written-By – Razaf, Barry
10 Corky 2:25
Arranged By – Mary Lou WIlliams
Written-By – Williams
11 I'se A Muggin' 2:45
Written-By – Smith
12 Until The Real Thing Comes Along 2:55
Written-By – Nichols, Freeman, Holiner, Cahn, Chaplin
13 Puddin' Head Serenade 2:47
Written-By – Hart
14 Until The Real Thing Comes Along 3:01
Written-By – Nichols, Freeman, Holiner, Cahn, Chaplin
15 Blue Illusion 2:44
Written By – Unknown
Written-By [Uncredited] – Emma La Freniere, Thomas J. Gindhart
16 Cloudy 2:54
Written-By – Williams
17 Give Her A Pint (And She'll Tell It All) 2:52
Written-By – Cahn, Chaplin
18 Puddin' Head Serenade 2:35
Written-By – Hart
19 Fifty-Second Street 3:01
Written-By – Cahn, Chaplin
20 The Lady Who Swings The Band 2:45
Written-By – Cahn, Chaplin
21 What Will I Tell My Heart? 3:14
Written-By – Lawrence, Tinturin
22 Dedicated To You 3:21
Written-By – Cahn, Chaplin
23 Wednesday Night Hop 3:06
Arranged By – Les Johnakins
Written-By – Kirk, Johnakins
24 Skies Are Blue 3:02
Written-By – Cahn, Chaplin
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Earl Miller (tracks: 23, 24)
Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – John Williams (14)
Arranged By – Earl Thompson (tracks: 2 to 9, 11 to 22)
Bass – Booker Collins
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – John Harrington
Directed By, Bass Saxophone – Andy Kirk
Drums – Ben Thigpen
Guitar – Ted Robinson
Piano – Mary Lou Williams
Tenor Saxophone – Dick Wilson
Trombone – Henry Wells, Ted Donnelly
Trumpet – Earl Thompson, Harry Lawson, Paul King
Violin – Claude Williams
Vocals – Ben Thigpen (tracks: 4, 6, 11, 12), Harry Mills (tracks: 19, 20), Pha Terrell (tracks: 5, 14 to 17, 21, 22, 24)
1.5.23
ANDY KIRK AND HIS TWELVE CLOUDS OF JOY – 1936-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 573 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
29.4.23
ANDY KIRK AND HIS TWELVE CLOUDS OF JOY – 1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 598 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Andy Kirk's Orchestra was at the height of its popularity during the late 1930s, still riding high from their hit "Until the Real Thing Comes Along." The star of that record, singer Pha Terrell, is on the majority of the songs on this CD (the fourth in Classics' complete reissuance of the master takes of all Andy Kirk recordings from the swing era), but there are some hotter tunes too, most notably "Mess-A-Stomp," "Jump Jack Jump," "Dunkin' a Doughnut" and "Mary's Idea." However, Terrell's dominance of many titles may make many swing fans opt for the GRP/Decca single-disc Andy Kirk sampler instead. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Bless You My Dear 3:06
Jack Lawrence
2 How Can We Be Wrong? 3:15
Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz
3 Mess-A-Stomp 3:04
Mary Lou Williams
4 Toadie Toddle 2:37
Barry Pease / Mary Lou Williams
5 I Won't Tell a Soul (I Love You) 3:09
Hughie Charles / Ross Parker
6 What Would People Say 2:50
Jack Lawrence
7 How Much Do You Mean to Me? 2:59
Levant / Adams
8 Jump Jack Jump 2:53
C.L. Roberts
9 Breeze (Blow My Baby Back to Me) 2:52
Joe Goodwin / Joe Hanley / Ballard MacDonald
10 Ghost of Love 3:12
Jack Lawrence
11 What a Life! (Trying to Live Without You) 3:09
Louis Alter
12 Sittin' Around and Dreamin' 3:03
Andy Kirk
13 What's Your Story, Morning Glory? 3:08
Jack Lawrence / Paul Francis Webster
14 Honey 2:47
Ted Fio Rito
15 September in the Rain 2:41
Al Dubin / Harry Warren
16 Clouds 2:47
Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn
17 Julius Caesar 3:09
Shorty Rogers
18 Dunkin' a Doughnut 2:53
Mary Lou Williams
19 Goodbye 3:03
Gordon Jenkins
20 Mary's Idea 2:57
Mary Lou Williams
21 But It Didn't Mean a Thing 2:56
Mack David
22 (I Don't Believe It But) Say It Again 2:32
Richman / Silver
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Earl Miller
Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – John Williams
Bass – Booker Collins
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – John Harrington
Directed By – Andy Kirk
Drums – Ben Thigpen
Guitar – Ted Robinson
Piano – Mary Lou Williams
Tenor Saxophone – Dick Wilson
Trombone – Henry Wells, Ted Donnelly
Trumpet – Clarence Trice, Earl Thompson, Harry Lawson
Vocals – Pha Terrell (tracks: 1, 2, 5 to 7, 9 to 16, 19, 21, 22)
+ last month
JOACHIM KÜHN — Europeana : Jazzphony No. 1 (Michael Gibbs) (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Europeana won the Annual German Record Critics' Award upon its initial CD release in 1995. ACT Tracklist : 1 Castle In Heaven 4:16 Fr...