CHARLIE PARKER – The Complete Dean Benedetti Recordings Of Charlie Parker (1990) 7xCD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The packaging is impeccable, this seven-CD box set has a definitive 48-page booklet, and the recording quality is as good as possible, so why the "poor" rating? Dean Benedetti, a fanatical Charlie Parker disciple, recorded Bird extensively during three periods in 1947-1948 but did his best to turn off his wire recorder whenever anyone but Parker was soloing. He became legendary, as did his long lost acetates, and Mosaic has done what it could to make the excerpts coherent but the results
are still quite unlistenable. None of the performances on this large set are complete; guests such as Thelonious Monk and Carmen McRae are introduced, play, or sing two notes and then are cut off. And, although Parker seems to play well, these performances reveal no new secrets and add nothing to his legacy. Scott Yanow    Tracklist + Credits :

COLEMAN HAWKINS - 1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 926 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Covering in detail a timeline from January 1944 to October 1945, this chapter in the Classics Coleman Hawkins chronology presents recordings he made for the Asch, Selmer, Capitol, Super Disc and V-Disc labels during what was an exciting and transitional period in the evolution of jazz. During the '40s Hawkins was deliberately aligning himself with young and innovative players; four of the sessions feature trumpeter Howard McGhee and pianist Sir Charles Thompson; bassist Oscar Pettiford was also an integral part of Hawk's mid-'40s West Coast band. Lush ballads and upbeat jam structures make for excellent listening throughout. Hawk is also heard sitting in with drummer Sid Catlett's all-stars, leading a quintet with the great Art Tatum at the piano, and working up his own extended set of "Variations" for solo tenor saxophone. While some commentators have focused unnecessary attention upon all-too-human drawbacks like Howard McGhee's addictions and occasional bouts of quarreling between Pettiford and Sir Charles, the music contained in this compilation stands squarely in its own light, unsullied by gossip or untoward circumstances.  arwulf arwulf     Tracklist + Credits :

HOWARD McGHEE – 1948 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1058 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This excellent album of vintage bop opens with seven tracks recorded in Chicago during February 1948, using members of the band that Howard McGhee was leading at Chicago's Argyle Lounge at the time. Milt Jackson and Percy Heath are heard on the first three tunes, along with an unnamed baritone saxophonist. For the second session McGhee used an entirely different band, with a tenor player who is believed to have been Kenny Mann and a rhythm section of Hank Jones, Ray Brown, and the great J.C. Heard. Billy Eckstine, who by this time had dissolved his own band and was busily pulling in an unprecedented amount of cash by making vocal pop records for MGM, blows his valve trombone alongside McGhee on this date. No vocalist is mentioned in the enclosed discography, even though someone scats up a storm from time to time. Whoever it was, he didn't sound like Eckstine. McGhee's next recording dates as a leader took place in Paris, where 13 sides were cut for the Vogue and Blue Star labels on May 15th and 18th. This band really cooked, with Jimmy Heath and Jesse Powell joining the trumpeter's front line and a rhythm section of Vernon Biddle, Percy Heath, and Specs Wright. The upbeat numbers are exceptionally well-crafted studies in modern jazz. "Denise" and "Etoile," slow and reflective, sound like the poetically charged "Portrait" studies that young Charles Mingus was already beginning to formulate on his own. The closing selections, recorded for Blue Note in New York on October 11, 1948, pair McGhee with Fats Navarro alongside alto saxophonist Ernie Henry and Milt Jackson playing both vibes and piano. Curly Russell and Kenny Clarke round off this amazing six-piece Howard McGhee Boptet. arwulf arwulf          Tracklist + Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE – 1945-1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 935 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 1945-1946 edition of Gillespie's Classics series finds the bop trumpeter in the kind of top-notch company he kept throughout most of the '40s. Leaving sideman dates for other discs, the 23-track set spotlights Gillespie with his Tempo Jazzmen and an early version of his orchestra; while the former included the stunning likes of Lucky Thompson, Milt Jackson, Al Haig, and Ray Brown, the latter slightly altered the tonal landscape with swing and bop tenor great Don Byas replacing Thompson. Besides fine renditions of "Confirmation," "'Round Midnight," and "Anthropology" by these groups, the disc also includes a handful of enjoyable enough vocal sides featuring vocalist/arranger Johnny Richards. Best for jazz fans who want it all and in chronological order. Stephen Cook              Tracklist + Credits :

CHARLIE PARKER – 1945-1947 | The Chronogical Classics – 980 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This features Bird's first solo sides: the legendary early Savoy and Dial sides. Although most of this material has been reissued ad nauseam in various packages and in varying fidelity, Classics gets all the BB's in the right holes, with great annotation and stellar transfers of the material. No alternate takes -- just the issued sides in that space of compressed genius between 1945 and early 1947. As such, a major document of jazz history. Cub Koda    Tracklist + Credits :

KENNY CLARKE – 1948-1950 | The Chronogical Classics – 1214 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bebop thrived on both sides of the Atlantic during the late '40s. While some Americans treated bop as nothing more than affected "hep talk" and a way of dressing up funny, there were profound artistic innovations at the heart of this new music. Kenny Clarke helped to establish bop in Europe, and the recordings he made in Paris document a wonderful flowering of early modern jazz that would have a decisive impact on the next half century of musical evolution worldwide. Trumpeter Howard McGhee was the prime focus of a session that came at the end of a full season of recording activity during the spring of 1948. This was quite an octet in that John Lewis was the pianist, Hubert Fol and Jimmy Heath played alto saxophones, and Jesse Powell -- featured on "I'm in the Mood for Love" -- played tenor sax. Anyone who's fond of bassist Percy Heath should hear him carrying the melodic line on "Out of Nowhere." Six sides waxed for the small-time Century label in New York on January 25, 1949, resound with Milt Jackson's vibraphone -- he also doubled on piano -- and Kenny Dorham's fine trumpeting combined with the unusual tonalities of a French horn played by Julius Watkins. Furthermore, Joe Harris expanded Clarke's percussion section by handling congas and timbale. The results are something like chamber bop, dignified and progressive. "You Go to My Head" features the vibes -- Jackson makes the ballad feel like a blues -- and "Roll 'Em Bags" sounds something like "Billie's Bounce." Back in Paris, Clarke's next recording date involved Hubert Fol and a facile trombonist by the name of Nat Peck. "Iambic Pentameter," a wild feature for the drums, closely resembles "Epistrophy," while famously opinionated jazz critic Hugo Panassie's name is sent up in an adventurous bop study called "Assy Pan Assy." On March 3, 1950, Clarke participated in a remarkable session with the brothers Hubert and Raymond Fol and bassist Pierre Michelot. Their version of "Out of Nowhere" is a gem. The first version of "These Foolish Things" is so bopped up it's hard to recognize. Version number two, a feature for the bassist, is similarly veiled through harmonic reconstruction. "Those Fol-ish Things" at last reveals the melody, played on alto by Hubert Fol. These variations survive as a pleasant example of the quirkiness of the boppers. The CD closes with two excellent tracks from the spring of 1950, with Gerald Wiggins, Nat Peck, and world-class saxophonist James Moody joining the pack. arwulf arwulf       Tracklist + Credits :

ERROLL GARNER – 1947-1949 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1109 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Here's one package that demonstrates the piano artistry of Erroll Garner in several settings -- as a solo act, with trio and quartet, and as an integral part of a jumpin' sextet caught live in concert. The Just Jazz series was producer Gene Norman's answer to Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic. Beginning with a jam on Edgar Sampson's "Blue Lou," the main attraction here is tenor saxophonist Wardell Gray. "One O'Clock Jump" and its three sequels bring on trumpeter Howard McGhee, trombonist Vic Dickenson, and Benny Carter on alto sax. (Neither the bassist nor the excellent guitarist are even mentioned let alone identified in the enclosed discography.) In a tasty example of resourceful editing, tracks three through six have been seamlessly linked into one more or less continuous performance. The same trick was accomplished with both halves of "Lover" (tracks seven and eight), which was performed by the rhythm section only. Garner's next recordings were made almost exactly one year later in front of a live audience with guitarist Ulysses Livingston and bassist John Simmons. Four beautiful, superbly crafted studies for solo piano were recorded for the Vogue label in Paris on May 15, 1948. These tracks, which might be new to some U.S. listeners, are a real treat for the Garner connoisseur. Garner was back in California two months later, punching out a version of "Just You, Just Me" at another Just Jazz concert with guitarist Oscar Moore, bassist Nelson Boyd, and drummer Teddy Stewart. This excellent compilation concludes with seven relaxed ballads and one feisty take of "Stompin' at the Savoy" recorded for the Savoy label in February and March 1949. Alvin Stoller and John Simmons interact marvelously with Garner, who was now developing into a purveyor of what has been accurately described as the "rhapsodic ballad." The wide range of styles and instrumentation on this disc mark it as an excellent choice for those who wish to experience the art of Erroll Garner from a variety of musical perspectives. arwulf arwulf  
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OSCAR PETTIFORD – 1951-1954 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1409 (2005) FLAC (tracks), lossless

In 2006. a survey of recordings made during the years 1951-1954 by groups under the leadership of bassist, cellist, and composer Oscar Pettiford was released as part of the Classics Chronological Series. During this period, Pettiford was making history as one of the very first improvising cellists in jazz. Swingin' ‘Til the Girls Come Home and "Bei Mir Bist du Schon" were recorded under the supervision of Leonard Feather on April 28, 1951 for Mercer Records, the label named for Duke Ellington's son. The sextet, billed as Oscar Pettiford, His Cello and Orkette, included trumpeter Howard McGhee, vibraphonist Joe Roland (whose other specialty was scoring bop charts for string ensembles à la Charlie Parker with Strings); pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Tommy Potter, and drummer Art Taylor. Arrangements were provided by Quincy Jones. During the summer of 1951, Pettiford worked with bands led by Jimmy Mundy, Wynton Kelly, and Budd Johnson. In the autumn he assembled a six-piece unit for a series of USO shows (this was during the Korean War) in New Jersey, New York, Japan, Korea, and various islands in the Pacific. In late 1951/early 1952, the group was recorded live in Guam. Those recordings, which include interpretations of older traditional standards played by the young boppers, were subsequently released under Howard McGhee's name, and are not included here. On February 21, 1952 Pettiford recorded again with his cello, now backed by bassist Charles Mingus, pianist Billy Taylor, and drummer Charlie Smith. As if to signal that this was not Pettiford's maiden voyage using the violoncello, one of the pieces was titled "Cello Again." Over the next several months, Pettiford would operate as a member of the Beryl Booker Trio, the Miles Davis Sextet, the Billy Taylor Quartet, and a unit led by pianist George Wallington. He also engaged in collective improvisations with Mary Lou Williams and Kenny Clarke at the Downbeat, where nobody recorded what must have been a series of remarkable experiments in early modern jazz.

In February 1953, Pettiford joined the Duke Ellington orchestra, replacing Charles Mingus, who was fired after tussling with valve trombonist Juan Tizol in front of a live audience. While swiftly becoming an important ingredient in Duke's ensemble, Pettiford sat in with Bud Powell and Roy Haynes at Birdland. After playing the Apollo Theater with Duke, he toured with the Ellington orchestra to Albuquerque and Pasadena. While in Los Angeles in June of 1953, he recorded his masterpiece "Blues in the Closet" and three other numbers with his All-Stars, a quintet which featured himself and Harry Babasin on celli. After gigging with Wardell Gray in August and September, Pettiford joined a Norman Granz package tour with Ellington. On December 29, 1953 the New Oscar Pettiford Sextet cut five tracks for the Mingus/Roach-owned and operated Debut label, again featuring the leader on cello, with Julius Watkins blowing French horn, Phil Urso on tenor sax, and a rhythm section of Walter Bishop, Charles Mingus, and Percy Brice. Quincy Jones wrote the arrangements for "Tamalpais Love Song" (later shortened to "Tamalpais") which featured Pettiford on the bass, and Quincy's own "Stockholm Sweetnin'." Pettiford began the year 1954 sitting in with a small band led by Illinois Jacquet's big brother, trumpeter Russell Jacquet. On March 21, Pettiford, the trailblazing jazz cellist, recorded six titles (four of which are included here) for the Vogue label with tenor saxophonist Al Cohn, trombonist Kai Winding, guitarist Tal Farlow, bassist Henri Renaud, and drummer Max Roach. The producers of the Classics Chronological Series are to be commended for having assembled these cello-centered recordings of Oscar Pettiford on one album for all to enjoy and learn from.. arwulf arwulf
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CHARLIE VENTURA – 1945-1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1044 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Philadelphia native Charlie Ventura was born Charles Venturo in 1916. Following in his father's footsteps, he worked at first for the Stetson hat company. Inspired by tenor saxophonist Leon "Chu" Berry, he took up the sax on his own and eventually made his first appearance on records as a member of Berry's ensemble. After extensive nocturnal gigging while working at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Venturo sat in with Roy Eldridge and soon began recording with Gene Krupa's orchestra. It was Krupa who first brought Venturo to Los Angeles. This wonderful compilation presents a wealth of precious material recorded between March 1945 and March 1946 in both L.A. and New York. These are the first records that Venturo issued under his own name, and they all used the original spelling. He wasn't presented on records as "Charlie Ventura" until September of 1946. Teamed at first with Howard McGhee and then with Buck Clayton, Venturo cut eight sides for the small-time Sunset and Black & White labels. These were followed by five episodes for tenor and rhythm section recorded in New York for the rapidly rising Savoy label. While Chu Berry was his prime influence, Venturo's progress paralleled that of Coleman Hawkins as swing evolved rapidly into bop. Here Venturo demonstrates his remarkable prowess as both balladeer and front burner. The drumming of Gordon "Specs" Powell enhances and fortifies the two sessions from August of 1945. A loose-limbed live "Jam Session Honoring Charlie Venturo" resulted in extended versions of "The Man I Love" and "Stompin' at the Savoy," and were brought out on the Lamplighter and Crystalette labels by producer Ted Yerxa. The omission of Ventura's famous performance at Town Hall in 1945 -- issued on Commodore and reissued by Atlantic -- is puzzling and somewhat disappointing, but the rest of the material is so rare and excellent as to compensate for the gap. Back with Black & White in March of 1946, Venturo led a sextet including trumpeter Red Rodney and Jimmie Lunceford's star alto saxophonist, Willie Smith. There are several contenders for "best Charlie Ventura compilation," but this one, documenting his first year as leader of his own recording ensembles, rates among the very best. arwulf arwulf  
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GEORGE AULD – 1940-1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1322 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Smooth and sometimes flashy tenor saxophonist Georgie Auld was heavily featured with Benny Goodman, Bunny Berigan, and Artie Shaw, whose band Auld attempted to front after Shaw, suffering psychological distress at finding himself mobbed by hyper-appreciative fans, retreated to Mexico in order to obtain some sort of privacy. Eight sides from January and February 1940 sound a lot like the previous Shaw orchestra; Kay Foster's vocals sweeten up five of these, while "This Is Romance," "Juke Box Jump," and "Sweet Sue" are solid, danceable big-band instrumentals. The orchestra was not a success and soon threw in the towel, partly because, unlike Shaw's previous material, these records came out on the little Varsity label rather than Victor's Bluebird imprint. Cut to the spring of 1944, and music of an entirely different sort. A "saxtet" co-led by Auld, Ben Webster, and Coleman Hawkins makes four sides for the progressive Apollo label, with Charlie Shavers, Israel Crosby, and Specs Powell in the band, among others. Hawkins naturally steers, with Webster riding shotgun. "Porgy" and "Uptown Lullaby" are languid ballads, while the exciting "Pick-Up Boys," with its off-mike vocal interjections, is perfectly matched by "Salt Peanuts," which in 1944 placed these musicians on the cutting edge of new jazz. This exquisite session makes the whole package worth having. The rest of the chronological survey shows Auld leading his orchestra in an up-to-date fashion. Five sides were recorded for Apollo only five days after the "saxtet" date, now bolstered with groovin' arrangements by Budd Johnson. The presence of Al Cohn and Howard McGhee doesn't hurt, either. Auld shows off a bit on a luxuriant "Concerto for Tenor" and steams up the place during "Taps Miller." "I Can't Get Started," bifurcated so as to fit on either side of a 10" record, is essentially Auld's homage to Coleman Hawkins. In February and March of 1945, Auld gathered together an exceptionally hot band for a brief spate of recordings issued on the Guild label. Auld's perceptive personnel choices included Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Butterfield, Freddy Webster, Trummy Young, Al Cohn, Manny Albam, Chubby Jackson, Erroll Garner, and Shadow Wilson! Patti Powers had a pretty little voice while Gordon Drake, whose droopy balladeering bordered on the soporific, served as a sort of laudanum poultice on "I Fall in Love Too Easily." Not surprisingly, the instrumentals ("Georgie Porgie," "In the Middle," and "Co-Pilot") provide more excitement and gratification. arwulf arwulf
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LEO PARKER – 1947-1950 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1203 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

There's something about the purling, snarling and booting of a baritone sax that can create pleasant disturbances in the listener's spine and rib cage. Leo Parker came up during the simultaneous explosions of bebop and rhythm & blues. Everything he touched turned into a groove. Recording for Savoy in Detroit during the autumn of 1947, Leo was flanked by Howard McGhee and Gene Ammons, who at this point seems to have been operating under the influence of Lester Young. Leo does his own share of Prez-like one-note vamping, bringing to mind some of Lester's Aladdin recordings made during this same time period. Leo's Savoys originally appeared on 78 rpm platters, then on 10" long-playing records. Anyone who has ever heard one of these relics played on period equipment can testify to the sensation of hearing an old-fashioned phonograph wrestling with the extra fidelity contained in the voice of that king-sized sax. The next session happened in New York two months later. J.J. Johnson was on hand to supervise a smart recording of his own soon-to-be-famous "Wee Dot." Dexter Gordon is in fine form and it's nice to hear Joe Newman blowing so much gutsy bebop through his trumpet. Everything smoothes out for a gorgeous rendition of Duke Ellington's "Solitude," a lush feature for the baritone. The rhythm section of Curly Russell, Hank Jones and Shadow Wilson makes this particular session even more solid than usual. Leading his "Quintette" in Detroit on March 23rd, 1948, Leo races into "Dinky" with a run straight out of Herschel Evans' "Doggin' Around." Sir Charles Thompson tosses off some of his most fragmented playing, splattering the walls with abrupt block chords and tiny whirlpools of truncated riffs. "Señor Leo" cruises at a very cool, almost subterranean Latin tempo, a mood that brings to mind Bud Powell's hypnotic opus "Comin' Up." You get to hear the voices of Parker and Thompson at the beginning of "Chase 'n' the Lion," a fine bit of updated boogie-woogie. Apparently, Sir Charles was also known at that time as "Chase." A second session recorded on the same day adds Charlie Rouse to an already steaming band. Leo gnaws his way through four tunes of his own devising. Nothing brilliant here, just good hot jamming. The people at Prestige Records were smart enough to line up a date with the Leo Parker Quartet in July of 1950, resulting in what has got to be the hippest version of "Mona Lisa" ever put on record. The quartet hatched two other handsome ballads and a pair of kickers. "Who's Mad" is a sort of sequel to the famous "Mad Lad," made when Leo was recording for the Apollo label under Sir Charles' leadership. That makes "Mad Lad Returns" a sequel to the sequel. Unable or unwilling to shake this particular thematic, Leo called his next recording band "the Mad Lads." Two out of four sides were issued on the little Gotham label. Meet the all-but-forgotten Henri Durant, a bop tenor who made all the right moves and promptly split the scene. Good thing he at least made it on to this blowing session. Finally, get a load of Leo's creatively reconstituted "Solitude," rejected by Gotham but included by Classics at the tail-end of this mother lode of vintage recordings by the amazing Leo Parker. arwulf arwulf
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LUCKY THOMPSON – 1944-1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1113 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tenor saxophonist Eli "Lucky" Thompson came up in Detroit but made all of his earliest recordings in the Los Angeles area during the 1940s. This fascinating album of rare jazz opens with a mind-blowing Timme Rosenkrantz-sponsored jam session recorded on December 26, 1944. Thompson leads an ensemble combining violinist Stuff Smith, trombonist Bobby Pratt, pianist Erroll Garner, and drummer George Wettling. "Test Pilots" appears to be a collective improvisation during which, like many Stuff Smith dates, the mood is wonderfully relaxed and informal. Recording for the Excelsior label in September of 1945, Lucky Thompson's All-Stars consisted of trumpeter Karl George, trombonist J.J. Johnson, bop clarinetist Rudy Rutherford and a tough rhythm section in Bill Doggett, Freddie Green, Rodney Richardson, and Shadow Wilson. In August, 1946, Thompson appeared in a live performance with fellow tenor Jack McVea and trumpeter Howard McGhee, along with pianist Jimmy Bunn, guitarist Irving Ashby, bassist Red Callender and drummer Jackie Mills. The proceedings were recorded and issued on the Black and White label under the heading of "Ralph Bass' Junior Jazz Series." The five-minute "Oodle Coo Bop" is really "Ornithology." It is followed by a gutsy jam titled "Bopin' Bop," and a 12-minute blowout simply called "Big Noise." This begins with a detailed introduction by producer Ralph Bass, who speaks like a 1940s high school principal or camp counselor. "Body and Soul," a feature for Hilton Jefferson-styled alto saxophonist Les Robinson, was included for the sake of completeness even though Thompson is not heard on this track. His next date as a leader occurred on September 13, 1946 and is noteworthy for the presence of piano genius Dodo Marmarosa. Red Callender and Jackie Mills acted as the perfect "other half" of this smart little quartet. Dodo and Red were present at the "Lucky Moments" session on April 22, 1947, where Thompson delivered a masterpiece in tenor sax ballad artistry, "Just One More Chance." This inventive octet included Benny Carter, Neal Hefti, baritone saxophonist Bob Lawson, guitarist Barney Kessel, and Lester Young's brother Lee on the drums. It forms one rousing conclusion for this excellent collection of Lucky Thompson's earliest recordings. arwulf arwulf  
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SLIM GAILLARD – 1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 864 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These 23 different selections recorded in Los Angeles for the Queen, 20th Century, Bee Bee, and Four Star labels feature Gaillard with partner/bassist/vocalist Bam Brown and a variety of different bands, from the Boogiereeners with Fletcher Smith or a quartet with Dodo Marmarosa on piano. A horn section with saxophonists Teddy Edwards, Wild Bill Moore, and Lucky Thompson and trumpeters Howard McGhee and Karl George back the band on four cuts. Gaillard is heard to good effect whether goofing off, playing boogie harpsichord, singing standards, or jamming hard and swinging steadily. The Smith-Gaillard (on harpsichord) combine gets eight shots. There's the wistful scat of the midtempo "Sighing Blues"; the upbeat, Smith-led "Queen's Boogie" and "Nightmare Boogie"; or the slower, occasionally shouted "Voot Boogie. "Sightseeing Boogie," a mellow song with a spoken-word reference to "Gates" aka Lionel Hampton; a straight instrumental, "Central Avenue Boogie"; a more interactive, Queen-rejected "Boogie"; and a more patient instrumental, "Slim's Cement Boogie," all speak to the center of Gaillard's unique approach. With the horns loading up on background charts and solos, Thompson cuts loose on both "Slim Gaillard's Boogie" and "Harlem Hunch," and Edwards gets the spotlight on the rootsy "Tutti Frutti." "Travelin' Blues" is the undisputed highlight, as Gaillard, in a hilarious, narcoleptic stupor, tries to decide at which "mellow" train stop to land: his ex-Detroit home, Cleveland, or Toledo, influenced by Moore and Thompson's solos. Two other cuts with trombonist Vic Dickenson and two unidentified horns are a slowed "Voot Orenee" and the standard postwar ballad "Please Wait for Me." Nine selections with the Marmarosa-Gaillard-Brown-Zutty Singleton (drums) tandem has the leader on guitar, vibes (for the hot yet soft instrumental "Ding Dong Orenee"), and piano. Well-known hits are here, such as "Laguna" ("lyin' in the sun and havin' fun"); "Laguna Orenee" (different key, rejected by Bee Bee); the static, food-referenced swinger "Dunkin' Bagel"; and dueling vocals and some crooning from Gaillard on the easy swinger "Buck Dance Rhythm." Dual pianos crop up on the instrumental "Boogin' at Berg's"; Gaillard sings the standard torch song "Don't Blame Me"; "Carne" is done in Gaillard's "Spanglish" dialect; and "Ya Ha Ha" is the ultimate fun tune. This CD is a companion to Classics label issues 1937-1938, 1939-1940, and 1940-1942. Because this is the latter period's music and is better recorded, it's perhaps Gaillard at his zenith and shows his most developed musical powers. Highly recommended. Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Voot Orenee    3:01
2    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Please Wait For Me    2:30
3    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Sighing Boogie    2:52
4    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Queen's Boogie    2:51
5    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Voot Boogie    2:52
6    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Nightmare Boogie    2:47
7    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Slim Gaillard's Boogie    2:43
8    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Harlem Hunch    2:40
9    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Tutti Frutti    2:44
10    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Travelin' Blues    3:03
11    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Sightseeing Boogie    2:44
12    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Central Avenue Boogie    2:40
13    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Boogie    2:52
14    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Slim's Cement Boogie    2:40
15    Slim Gaillard Quartet–    Laguna    2:42
16    Slim Gaillard Quartet–    Dunkin' Bagel    2:47
17    Slim Gaillard Quartet–    Boogin' At Berg's    2:49
18    Slim Gaillard Quartet–    Don't Blame Me    3:05
19    Slim Gaillard Quartet–    Laguna Oroonee    2:35
20    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Ya Ha Ha    3:11
21    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Carne    2:49
22    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Ding Dong Oreeney    2:51
23    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Buck Dance Rhythm    3:10
Credits :    
Bass – Thomas "Bam" Brown (tracks: 1 to 23)
Drums – Leo Watson (tracks: 1, 2, 7 to 14), Zutty Singleton (tracks: 15 to 23)
Guitar – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1, 2, 7 to 23)
Harpsichord – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 3)
Piano – Dodo Marmarosa (tracks: 15, 17 to 23), Fletcher Smith (tracks: 1 to 14), Slim Gaillard (tracks: 16)
Tenor Saxophone – Lucky Thompson (tracks: 7, 8, 10 to 14), Teddy Edwards (tracks: 9, 11 to 14), Wild Bill Moore (tracks: 10 to 14)
Trombone, Alto Saxophone – Vic Dickenson (tracks: 1, 2)
Trumpet – Howard McGhee (tracks: 7 to 14), Karl George (tracks: 7 to 14), Unknown Artist (tracks: 1, 2)
Vocals – Slim Gaillard, Thomas "Bam" Brown (tracks: 15 to 23

SLIM GAILLARD – 1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 962 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The year 1946 saw Slim Gaillard's act diversifying like never before. This leg of his chronology finds Gaillard singing and playing guitar, piano, drums, and vibraphone. His guest performers included singing pianist Wini Brown, singing drummer Leo "Scat" Watson (an ideal match for Gaillard's bizarre temperament), bop geniuses Marshall Royal, Lucky Thompson, Dodo Marmarosa, and Howard McGhee, and Zutty Singleton or Scatman Crothers on the drums. Boogie woogie was an essential part of the hip end of popular music in 1946, and Gaillard did it up beautifully in the form of a four-handed piano duet with Wini Brown. "Riff City," a prime example of the "Slim & Bam" act in fourth gear, contains some of bassist Tiny "Bam" Brown's best scat singing. The instrumental "Santa Monica Jump" might be the best overall piece of jazz in this grab bag of recordings originally issued on the Bel-Tone, V-Disc, Atomic, Savoy, and Disc labels. Anyone collecting all of the various volumes of the Gaillard chronology on Classics will experience the thrill of amassing several versions of "Cement Mixer." The version heard here faithfully reproduces the Mexican radio announcer routine Gaillard used in live performance, while in fact "Fried Chicken O'Routee" (a remake of "Ya Ha Ha") seems to have actually been recorded in front of an appreciative audience. The live ambiance is even more pronounced during the "Groove Juice Symphony," also known as "Opera in Vout," presented amid much laughter, cheering, and applause on April 22, 1946, at the Shrine Auditorium. Gaillard and Brown open with Skeets Tolbert's "Hit That Jive, Jack," move into a wild version of Duke Ellington's "C Jam Blues" and cap the set with a fractured extension of Gaillard's own "Flat Foot Floogie" tempered with hints of "Big Noise from Winnetka." This disc contains two versions of "Chicken Rhythm," the second introduced by Bob Hope and issued by the Armed Forces on V-Disc. This interesting segment of the Slim Gaillard story ends with a handful of studio sides representing the full range of his musical persona -- cool love songs, hot jam tunes, and weirdly executed novelties with titles like "Oxydol Highball." arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1    Wini Beatty With Slim Gaillard Trio–    Early Morning Boogie    2:55
2    Slim Gaillard Trio And Wini Beatty–    That Ain't Right, Baby    2:43
3    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Riff City    2:50
4    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Mean Mama Blues    2:50
5    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    Chicken Rhythm    3:04
6    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    Santa Monica Jump    3:01
7    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    Mean Pretty Mama    3:03
8    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    School Kids' Hop    2:55
9    The Slim Gaillard Trio–    Cement Mixer    2:19
10    The Slim Gaillard Trio–    Fried Chicken O'Routee    3:04
Slim Gaillard And Bam Brown    Opera In Vout (Groove Juice Symphony)    
11    –    Introduzione - Pianissimo    2:38
12    –    Recitativo E Finale    2:17
13    –    Andante Contabile In Modo De Blues    3:14
14    –    Presto Con Stomp    3:35
15    Slim Gaillard–    Chicken Rhythm 3:14
Speech [Introduction] – Bob Hope
16    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Jam Man    2:34
17    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    I Don't Know Why    2:22
18    Slim Gaillard–    The Jam Man    3:02
19    Slim Gaillard–    Slim's Riff    1:53
20    Slim Gaillard–    I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)    3:10
21    Slim Gaillard–    Oxydol Highball    2:24
Credits :    
Bass – Bam Brown
Clarinet – Marshall Royal (tracks: 5 to 8)
Drums – Oscar Bradley (tracks: 18 to 21), Scatman Crothers (tracks: 16, 17), Slim Gaillard (tracks: 11 to 14), Zutty Singleton (tracks: 1 to 8)
Drums, Vocals – Leo Watson (tracks: 9, 10, 15)
Guitar – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1 to 20)
Piano – Bill Early (tracks: 16, 17), Dodo Marmarosa (tracks: 5 to 8), Slim Gaillard (tracks: 10 to 14, 21), Wini Beatty (tracks: 1 to 4)
Piano [possibly] – Dodo Marmarosa (tracks: 18 to 21)
Speech [Introduction] – Bob Hope (tracks: 15)
Tenor Saxophone – Lucky Thompson (tracks: 5 to 8)
Trumpet – Howard McGhee (tracks: 5 to 8)
Vibraphone – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1 to 4)
Vocals – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1, 3 to 5, 7 to 18, 20, 21), Bam Brown (tracks: 5, 7 to 18, 20, 21), Wini Beatty (tracks: 1, 2)

ANDY KIRK AND HIS CLOUDS OF JOY – 1940-1942 | The Classics Chronological Series – 681 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Andy Kirk Orchestra was going through some major changes during the period covered by this CD. Tenor star Dick Wilson died prematurely; pop singer Pha Terrell had left; pianist and chief arranger Mary Lou Williams departed in early 1942 (Ken Kersey was her replacement on piano); and such interesting younger players as trumpeters Harold "Shorty" Baker and Howard McGhee and Al Sears on tenor gave the group a slightly different sound. Actually, the music on this CD (late-period swing) is consistently on a higher level than on most of the previous CDs in the Classics series. Highlights include "The Count," "Hey Lawdy Mama," "Boogie Woogie Cocktail" (featuring Kersey) and Howard McGhee's recording debut on the exciting "McGhee Special." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Midnight Stroll 3:19
 Sammy Lowe
Vocals – June Richmond
2    Little Miss    3:12
 Ned Washington
3    The Count    3:09
 Tom Gordon
4    Twelfth Street Rag    2:55
 Euday L. Bowman
5    (Ev'rything Happened) When I Saw You 3:06
 Mueller Johnson
Vocals – Henry Wells
6    If I Feel This Way Tomorrow (Then It's Love) 2:59
Vocals – Henry Wells
7    Or Have I 2:50
 Sam H. Stept
Vocals – Henry Wells
8    Cuban Boogie Woogie 2:19
Lake / La Vere
Vocals – June Richmond
9    A Dream Dropped In 3:05
 Marty Symes
Vocals – Henry Wells
10    Is It A Sin (My Loving You?) 3:04
 Marcus Carcus
Vocals – Henry Wells
11    Ring Dem Bells    2:49
 Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
12    Big Time Crip 2:58
 Wells / Mary Lou Williams
Vocals – Orchestra
13    47th Street Jive 3:11
 Roosevelt Sykes
Vocals – June Richmond
14    I'm Misunderstood 3:20
Grouya
Vocals – Henry Wells
15    No Answer 2:47
Wood / Hoffman / Siegler
Vocals – Henry Wells
16    Hey Lawdy Mama (Meet Me In The Bottom) 2:56
Easton
Vocals – June Richmond
17    Boogie Woogie Cocktail 2:46
Arranged By – Kenny Kersey
18    Ride On, Ride On 2:25
Tolbert
Vocals – June Richmond
19    McGhee Special 2:58
Arranged By – Howard McGhee
20    Worried Life Blues (Someday Baby) 2:27
 Henry Nemo
Vocals – Floyd Smith
21    Take It And Git 3:13
Chapman / Chapman / Green / Marshall
Vocals – Orchestra
22    Hip Hip Hooray 2:58
Nemo / Ebbins
Vocals – June Richmond
23    Unlucky Blues 2:50
Feather / Feather
Vocals – June Richmond
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Ben Smith (tracks: 16 to 23), Earl Miller (tracks: 12 to 15)
Bass – Booker Collins
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Rudy Powell (tracks: 1 to 11)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – John Harrington
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Dick Wilson (tracks: 1 to 15), Edward Inge
Directed By – Andy Kirk
Drums – Ben Thigpen
Guitar, Electric Guitar – Floyd Smith
Piano – Kenny Kersey (tracks: 16 to 23), Mary Lou Williams (tracks: 1 to 15)
Tenor Saxophone – Al Sears (tracks: 16 to 23)
Trombone – Henry Wells (tracks: 1 to 15), Milton Robinson (tracks: 16 to 23), Ted Donnelly
Trumpet – Clarence Trice (tracks: 1 to 15), Harold Baker (tracks: 1 to 15), Harry Lawson, Howard McGhee (tracks: 16 to 23), Johnny Burris (tracks: 16 to 23) 

ANDY KIRK AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1943-1949 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1075 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This compilation presents selections from the last several recording sessions (mostly for Decca) of bandleader Andy Kirk. 1943-1949 opens with three late 1943 songs from Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy, which included trumpeters Fats Navarro and Howard McGhee, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest, and vocalist June Richmond. Next comes "Hippy-Dippy," one of the few surviving songs from the only visit Kirk's band made to the studios in 1944. This number is followed by two very popular sellers, "Get Together With the Lord" and "I Know," representing the 1945 period of Andy Kirk and His Orchestra (this time including Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis) and featuring vocals by the Jubalaires, who return to sing on the 1946 recordings of "I Don't Know What I'd Do Without You" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Other vocalists heard on 1943-1949 include Bea Booze, the Four Knights, Joe Williams, and Kenny White. Joslyn Layne
Tracklist :
1    Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy–    Shorty Boo 2:59
Vocals – Unknown Artist
Written-By – Unknown Artist
2    Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy–    Fare Thee Honey Fare Thee Well 2:59
Vocals – June Richmond
Written-By – Alston
3    Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy–    Baby Don't You Tell Me No Lie 3:08
Vocals – June Richmond
Written By – Coleman
4    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra–    Hippy-Dippy 2:32
Written-By – Unknown Artist
5    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra And The Jubalaires–    Get Together With The Lord 2:49
Vocals – The Jubalaires
Written-By – Reichner, Jaffe
6    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra And The Jubalaires–    I Know 3:17
Vocals – The Jubalaires
Written-By – Jennings, Brooks
7    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra–    He's My Baby 3:21
Vocals – Beverley White
Written-By – Kirk, White
8    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra–    Alabama Bound 2:56
Vocals – Bea Booze
Written-By – Williams, Jackson
9    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra–    Soothe Me 2:55
Vocals – Billy Daniels
Written-By – Greene
10    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra–    Doggin' Man Blues 3:04
Vocals – Bea Booze
Written-By – Moore, Jordan
11    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra–    I Don't Know What I'd Do Without You 2:59
Vocals – The Jubalaires
Written-By – Kuhn
12    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra–    I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry 3:00
Vocals – The Jubalaires
Written-By – Kuhn
13    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra–    Now You Tell Me 2:54
Vocals – Joe Williams
Written-By – Roberts, Fisher
14    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra–    Louella 3:05
Vocals – Joe Williams
Written-By – Stone, Marks
15    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra–    So Soon 3:10
Vocals – The Four Knights
Written-By – Razaf, Luce
16    Andy Kirk And His Orchestra–    I'm Falling For You 3:04
Vocals – The Four Knights
Written-By – Williams, Hubert
17    Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy–    Little Girl, Don't Cry 2:35
Orchestra – Unknown Artist
Vocals – Jimmy Anderson
Written-By – Davis, Millinder
18    Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy–    Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee, Drinking Wine 3:07
Orchestra – Unknown Artist
Vocals – Kenny White
Written-By – Williams, McGhee
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Ben Smith (tracks: 1 to 4), Joe Evans (tracks: 5 to 16), Reuben Phillips (tracks: 1 to 16)
Baritone Saxophone – Ed Loving (tracks: 1 to 4), John Porter (tracks: 7 to 16), John Taylor  (tracks: 5 , 6)
Bass – Al Hall (tracks: 7 to 16), Booker Collins (tracks: 1 to 3), Lavern Baker (tracks: 4 to 6)
Directed By – Andy Kirk
Drums – Ben Thigpen (tracks: 1 to 16)
Guitar – Floyd Smith (tracks: 5 to 16)
Piano – Hank Jones (tracks: 5 to 16), Johnny Young (tracks: 1 to 4)
Tenor Saxophone – Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tracks: 5 to 16), J.D. King (tracks: 1 to 4), Jimmy Forrest (tracks: 1 to 16), John Harrington (tracks: 1 to 4)
Trombone – Bob Murray (tracks: 1 to 16), Henry Wells (tracks: 7 to 16), Milton Robinson (tracks: 5 to 16), Joe Baird (tracks: 1 to 4), Wayman Richardson (tracks: 1 to 16)
Trumpet – Art Capehart (tracks: 1 to 4), Clarence Trice (tracks: 13 to 16), Claude Dunson (tracks: 5 to 12), Fats Navarro (tracks: 1 to 4, 7 to 10), Fip Ricard (tracks: 13 to 16), Harry Lawson (tracks: 1 to 12), Howard McGhee (tracks: 1 to 3), John Lynch (tracks: 5 to 16), Talib Daawood (tracks: 5, 6), Unknown Artist (tracks: 4, 11 to 16)

BUDD JOHNSON – 1944-1952 (2003) The Classics Chronological Series – 1307 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One thing about these chronological compilations: if the featured musician only rarely acted as a bandleader, what listeners get is a core sample of nearly every recording date he happened to be in on. In the case of Texas tenor Budd Johnson, the people at Classics decided to begin his story with sessions waxed when he was 34 years of age and had been making records as a sideman for more than ten years. This is a pity, as a thorough survey could have begun with his bizarre vocal on Louis Armstrong's "Sweet Sue" (1933), then sampled his work with Lionel Hampton and Earl Hines, up through 1943. That would have lent context and background to this grab bag of primal bebop and R&B, designated as "the first volume of the recordings of Budd Johnson." Nevertheless, this segment of Johnson's career is exciting and full of surprises. Clyde Hart's Hot Seven, recording for Savoy in December of 1944, included legendary trumpeter Benny Harris and the wild alto sax of Herbie Fields. A Manor date led by squealing trumpeter Al Killian is extra solid due to the presence of Ellington's baritone, Harry Carney, who seems to enjoy weaving a bit of thunder into an already smoking ensemble. J.C. Heard & His Cafe Society Orchestra deliver four very concise, classy studies in boppish swing. George Treadwell's muted trumpet is notably attractive, and Johnson is able to shout or soothe as needed. James Charles Heard was a discerning artist, and his band's interpretation of Ellington's "Azure" is breathtakingly lovely. Of the three sides recorded in March of 1946 for the Hot Record Society by trombonist Dicky Wells & His Big Seven, "Bed Rock" is the cooker, but is somewhat upstaged by "Opera in Blue," a rhapsody built entirely around Johnson's lyrically inspired tenor.
Johnson led his own session in June of 1947 for the obscure Cyclone label. Included here are apparently the only two surviving sides. The tenor is very expressive on "My Heart's Doin' Time (For You)," and Mary Stafford belts out a smart little piece of blues on the flip side. A few months later, crooner Leslie Scott fronted a band with strings and a handful of jazz musicians, including drummer Denzil Best and a very sensuously laid-back Johnson. These sentimental numbers are oddly comforting, and fortunately the strings are not obtrusive. Johnson seems to have specialized in getting signed with small-time labels. In February 1951, working for Faith Records, he can be heard leading an all-star ensemble including Howard McGhee, J.J. Johnson, Cecil Payne, Kenny Drew, Oscar Pettiford, and Kansas Fields. Freddie Jackson sings a tough take on the blues called "Sometime I Feel Like Leaving Home," the band bounces through something called "Grooving in Birdland," and Johnson completely dominates the ballad "Talk of the Town." In March of 1952, Budd Johnson's All-Stars backed vocalist Johnny King on a pair of Louis Jordan-style numbers issued on the MGM label. The leader adapted unflinchingly to every stylistic trend during these years, always delivering gutsy, substantial solos. Here is an intriguing glimpse of one working tenor's professional evolution during a period notable for its many cultural transitions. arwulf arwulf   
Tracklist :
1    Clyde Hart's Hot Seven–    Smack That Mess 3:02
Vocals – Joe Gregory
2    Clyde Hart's Hot Seven–    Dee Dee's Dance    3:00
3    Clyde Hart's Hot Seven–    Little Bennie (King Kong)    2:40
4    Clyde Hart's Hot Seven–    Shoot The Arrow To Me Cupid    3:02
5    Al Killian And His Orchestra–    You're The One    3:00
6    Al Killian And His Orchestra–    Goin' Down     2:40
7    J.C. Heard And His Orchestra–    The Walk    3:00
8    J.C. Heard And His Orchestra–    Heard But Not Seen    2:38
9    J.C. Heard And His Orchestra–    Azure    2:49
10    J.C. Heard And His Orchestra–    Bouncing For Barney    2:54
11    Dickie Wells' Big Seven–    Bed Rock    2:50
12    Dickie Wells' Big Seven–    Opera In Blue    2:59
13    Dickie Wells' Big Seven–    Drag Nasty - The Walk    2:49
14    Budd Johnson–    My Heart's Doing Time    2:43
15    Budd Johnson–    I Just Can't Find That Kind 2:47
Vocals – Mary Stafford
16    Leslie Scott And His Orchestra–    So Long 3:11
Vocals – Leslie Scott
17    Leslie Scott And His Orchestra–    Blue And Sentimental 3:01
Vocals – Leslie Scott
18    Budd Johnson's All Stars–    Sometime I Feel Like Leaving Home 3:09
Vocals – Freddy Jackson
19    Budd Johnson's All Stars–    Grooving In Birdland    3:08
20    Budd Johnson's All Stars–    I'm All Alone 3:07
Vocals – Charlie Singleton
21    Budd Johnson's All Stars–    Talk Of The Town    2:52
22    Johnny King With Budd Johnson And His All Stars–    Where Were You ?    2:09
23    Johnny King With Budd Johnson And His All Stars–    Way Downtown At The Bottom Of The Hill    2:25
Credits
Alto Saxophone – George Dorsey (tracks: 14 to 15), Herbie Fields (tracks: 1 to 4), Hilton Jefferson (tracks: 22 to 23)
Baritone Saxophone – Cecil Payne (tracks: 18 to 23), Cecil Scott (tracks: 11 to 13), Harry Carney (tracks: 5 to 6)
Bass – Al McKibbon (tracks: 7 to 13), Joe Shulman (tracks: 5 to 6), Milt Hinton (tracks: 22 to 23), Oscar Pettiford (tracks: 1 to 4, 18 to 21), Trigger Alpert (tracks: 16 to 17)
Clarinet – Eddie Barefield (tracks: 14 to 15)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Aaron Sachs (tracks: 5 to 6)
Directed By, Piano – Luther Henderson (tracks: 16 to 17)
Drums – Denzil Best (tracks: 1 to 4, 16 to 17), George Jones (tracks: 5 to 6), J.C. Heard (tracks: 7 to 13), Kansas Fields (tracks: 18 to 21), Kelly Martin (tracks: 22 to 23)
Guitar – Chuck Wayne (tracks: 1 to 4), Herman Mitchell (tracks: 16 to 17)
Piano – Billy Taylor (tracks: 22 to 23), Clyde Hart (tracks: 1 to 4), Jimmy Jones (tracks: 7 to 13), Kenny Drew (tracks: 18 to 21), Marty Napoleon (tracks: 5 to 6)
Tenor Saxophone – Budd Johnson, Charlie Singleton (tracks: 18 to 21)
Trombone – Dickie Harris (tracks: 7 to 10), Dicky Wells (tracks: 11 to 13), J.J. Johnson (tracks: 18 to 21), Trummy Young (tracks: 5 to 6)
Trumpet – Al Killian (tracks: 5 to 6), Little Benny Harris (tracks: 1 to 4), George Treadwell (tracks: 7 to 13), Howard McGhee (tracks: 18 to 21), Joe Newman (tracks: 22 to 23)

BILLY STRAYHORN & JOHNNY HODGES - The Stanley Dance Sessions (2005) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Cue's Blue Now 10:03
Written By – Strayhorn, Hodges
2    Gone With The Wind 4:19
Written By – Wrubel, Magidson
3    Cherry 5:54
Written By – Redman, Gilbert
4    Watch Your Cue 3:11
Written By – Strayhorn, Hodges
5    You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me 7:23
Written By – Kahal, Norman, Fain
6    When I Dream Of You 3:33
Written By – Carpenter, Hines
7    Rose Room 6:08
Written By – Hickman, Williams
8    Don't Get Around Much Anymore 3:00
Written By – Ellington, Hodges
9    I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) 3:39
Written By – Ellington, Webster
10    Gal From Joe's 2:30
Written By – Ellington
11    Your Love Has Faded 3:02
Written By – Strayhorn, Ellington
12    I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So 3:23
Written By – Ellington, David
13    Jeep's Blues 3:22
Written By – Ellington, Hodges
14    Day Dream 4:00
Written By – Strayhorn, Ellington
15    Juice A-Plenty 3:22
Written By – Hodges
16    Azure 2:35
Written By – Ellington
17    Tailor Made 3:38
Written By – Mullens, Hodges
18    Star Dust 4:30
Written By – Carmichael
Credits 1-7
Trumpet – Harold "Shorty" Baker
Alto Saxophone – Johnny Hodges
Trombone – Quentin Jackson
Bass –  Al Hall
Clarinet – Russell Procope
Drums – Oliver Jackson
Piano – Billy Strayhorn
Credits 8-18
Alto Saxophone – Johnny Hodges
Arranged By, Conductor – Billy Strayhorn
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Harry Carney
Bass – Aaron Bell
Bass Trombone – Chuck Connors
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Russell Procope
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Hamilton
Drums – Sam Woodyard
Piano – Jimmy Jones
Tenor Saxophone – Paul Gonsalves
Trombone – Lawrence Brown,
Trumpet – Bill Berry, Cat Anderson, Ed Mullens, Harold "Shorty" Baker, Howard McGhee
Notas.
Reissue of two albums originally released as Cue For Saxophone and Johnny Hodges With Billy Strayhorn And The Orchestra.
Tracks 1 to 7 recorded in New York, April 14, 1959.
Tracks 8 to 18 recorded in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, December 11 & 12, 1961.

COLEMAN HAWKINS - 1945 {CC, 926} (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Covering in detail a timeline from January 1944 to October 1945, this chapter in the Classics Coleman Hawkins chronology presents recordings he made for the Asch, Selmer, Capitol, Super Disc and V-Disc labels during what was an exciting and transitional period in the evolution of jazz. During the '40s Hawkins was deliberately aligning himself with young and innovative players; four of the sessions feature trumpeter Howard McGhee and pianist Sir Charles Thompson; bassist Oscar Pettiford was also an integral part of Hawk's mid-'40s West Coast band. Lush ballads and upbeat jam structures make for excellent listening throughout. Hawk is also heard sitting in with drummer Sid Catlett's all-stars, leading a quintet with the great Art Tatum at the piano, and working up his own extended set of "Variations" for solo tenor saxophone. While some commentators have focused unnecessary attention upon all-too-human drawbacks like Howard McGhee's addictions and occasional bouts of quarreling between Pettiford and Sir Charles, the music contained in this compilation stands squarely in its own light, unsullied by gossip or untoward circumstances. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1     All the Things You Are 2:58
Jerome Kern    
2     Step on It 3:08     
Unknown Artist    
3     Riding on 52nd Street 2:51    
Unknown Artist    
4     Memories of You 2:57
Eubie Blake / Andy Razaf    
5     Out to Lunch 2:54
Jimmy Davis / Joe Davis / Walter Thomas    
6     In the Hush of the Night 2:57
Dorsey, Davis, Dorsey
7     Look Out Jack! 2:47
Jimmy Davis / Irene Higginbotham    
8     Every Man for Himself 2:52
Jimmy Davis / Walter Thomas    
9     I'm Yours 3:29
Johnny Green / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg    
10     Under a Blanket of Blue 3:10
Jerry Livingston / Al J. Neiburg / Marty Symes    
11     Beyond the Blue Horizon 2:58
W. Frank Harling / Richard A. Whiting    
12     A Shanty in Old Shanty Town 2:58
Jack Little / Little Jack Little / John Siras / Joe Young / Joseph Young    
13     My Man 3:14
Jacques Charles / Channing Pollack / Albert Willemetz / Maurice Yvain    
14     El Salon de Gutbucket 2:59
Charlie Shavers    
15     Embraceable You 3:02
George Gershwin    
16     Undecided 3:05     
Sydney Robin / Charlie Shavers    
17     Recollections 2:54
Walter Thomas    
18     Drifiting on a Reed 3:04
Charlie Parker    
19     Flyin' Hawk 2:50
Walter Thomas    
20     On the Bean 2:41
Walter Thomas    
21     Sportsman's Hop 3:00     
Sir Charles Thompson    
22     Bean Stalking 3:08
Coleman Hawkins / Erskine Hawkins    
23     Ready for Love 2:59
Howard McGhee    

Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Hilton Jefferson (pistas: 18 to 21)
Bass – Eddie Robinson (pistas: 1 to 3), Johnny Simmons (pistas: 14 to 21), Oscar Pettiford (pistas: 6 to 13)
Drums – Denzil Best (pistas: 1 to 3, 6 to 17), Sid Catlett (pistas: 18 to 21)
Guitar – Allan Reuss (pistas: 6 to 17)
Piano – Billy Taylor (pistas: 18 to 21), Sir Charles Thompson (pistas: 1 to 3, 6 to 17)
Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins
Trombone – Tyree Glenn (pistas: 18 to 21), Vic Dickenson (pistas: 10 to 13)
Trumpet – Dick Vance (pistas: 18 to 21), Howard McGhee (pistas: 1 to 3, 6 to 17)
Vibraphone [Uncredited] – Tyree Glenn (pistas: 20, 21)
Vocals – Matthew Meredith (pistas: 19)
Written-By – Hawkins (pistas: 2 to 5, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15)

COLEMAN HAWKINS - Hollywood Stampede (1945-1989) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Hawkins led one of his finest bands in 1945, a sextet with the fiery trumpeter Howard McGhee that fell somewhere between small-group swing and bebop. This CD contains all of that group's 12 recordings, including memorable versions of "Rifftide" and "Stuffy"; trombonist Vic Dickenson guests on four tracks. This CD concludes with one of Hawkins' rarest sessions, an Aladdin date from 1947 that finds the veteran tenor leading a septet that includes 20-year-old trumpeter Miles Davis. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     April in Paris 2'54
Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
2     Rifftide 2'52
Coleman Hawkins
3     Stardust 3'11
Hoagy Carmichael / Mitchell Parish
4     Stuffy 3'00
Coleman Hawkins
5     Hollywood Stampede 3'07
Coleman Hawkins
6     I'm Through With Love 3'11
Gus Kahn / Fud Livingston / Matty Malneck
7     What Is There to Say? 3'17
Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
8     Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away) 3'04
Harry Barris / Ted Koehler / Billy Moll
9     Too Much of a Good Thing 2'50
Coleman Hawkins
10     Bean Soup 3'04
Coleman Hawkins
11     Someone to Watch over Me 2'46
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
12     It's the Talk of the Town 3'04
Jerry Livingston / Al J. Neiburg / Marty Symes
13     Isn't It Romantic? 3'04
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
14     Bean-A-Re-Bop 2'30
Coleman Hawkins / Hank Jones
15     The Way You Look Tonight 2'46
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
16     Phantomesque 2'53
Coleman Hawkins
Credits :
Tracks 1-4: Los Angeles, February 23, 1945
Howard McGhee: t
Coleman Hawkins: ts
Sir Charles Thompson: p
Allan Reuss: g
Oscar Pettiford:b
Denzil Best: d
Tracks 5-8: Los Angeles, March 2, 1945
Same as above, except Vic Dickenson: tb is added.
"Rifftide" from the same session was unissued but a tape exists.
Tracks 9-12: Los Angeles, March 9, 1945
Same as tracks 1-4, except John Simmons replaces Pettiford.
Tracks 13-16: NYC, June, 1947
Miles Davis: t
Kai Winding: tb
Howard Johnson: as
Coleman Hawkins: ts
Hank Jones: p
Curly Russell: b
Max Roach: d
Digital transfers: Ron McMaster