COUNT BASIE • JOE TURNER — The Bosses (1974-1994) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Count Basie and an all-star band (including trumpeter Harry Edison, trombonist J.J. Johnson and the tenors of Eddie Davis and Zoot Sims) back up veteran Kansas City blues singer Big Joe Turner on one of his better later albums. The many fine solos inspire Turner, who is in top form on such tunes as "Night Time Is the Right Time," "Wee Baby Blues" and "Roll 'Em Pete." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. Honeydripper 6:42
 Joe Liggins
2. Honey Hush 2:37
 Lou Willie Turner
3. Cherry Red 4:42
 Pete Johnson / Big Joe Turner
4. Night Time Is The Right Time 3:54
 Leroy Carr
5. Blues Around The Clock 4:58
 Willie Bryant
6. Since I Fell For You 3:55
 Buddy Johnson
7. Flip, Flop And Fly    3:28
 Charles E. Calhoun / Chuck Calhoun / Lou Willie Turner
8. Wee Baby Blues 5:37
 Pete Johnson / Big Joe Turner
9. Good Mornin' Blues 3:50
 Count Basie / Eddie Durham / Jimmy Rushing
10. Roll 'Em Pete 4:16
 Pete Johnson / Big Joe Turner
Credits :
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Louis Bellson
Guitar – Irving Ashby
Piano, Organ – Count Basie
Tenor Saxophone – Eddie Davis, Zoot Sims
Trombone – J.J. Johnson
Trumpet – Harry Edison
Vocals – Joe Turner

OSCAR PETERSON – 1950-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1323 (2003) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Oscar Peterson, after making his initial recordings in his native Montreal during 1945-1949, was presented by Norman Granz at a Jazz at the Philharmonic concert in 1950 and hit it big. At first he was featured in duos with either Ray Brown or Major Holley on bass. This CD begins with three selections from a Carnegie Hall concert on September 16, 1950, with Brown including extended versions of "Carnegie Blues" and "I Only Have Eyes for You." Seven studio recordings by the same duo precede the first five recordings by the Oscar Peterson Trio with Brown and guitarist Barney Kessel. This CD's final session has most of the selections recorded by Peterson and Brown with guitarist Irving Ashby on January 26, 1952; Kessel would not officially become the group's guitarist until the following month. Although more swing-oriented than he would become (and showing off the influence of Nat King Cole), Oscar Peterson was already a great virtuoso and rapidly developing his own voice on the piano. These formerly rare recordings are well worth acquiring. Scott Yanow          Tracklist + Credits :

OSCAR PETERSON – 1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1361 (2004) FLAC (tracks), lossless

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NAT "KING" COLE – 1947, Vol. 3 | The Chronogical Classics – 1135 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Boasting incredible sound quality and an impressive track listing, 1947, Vol. 3 is a wonderful collection of some of Nat King Cole's finest recordings from the late '40s. Despite his amazing piano playing, Cole's charming voice is the real star of this album. His smooth croon makes overplayed standards like "Dream a Little Dream of Me" feel fresh again. With minimal accompaniment and only one self-penned track (the humorous piano showcase "The Geek"), the arrangements had a lot of potential for failure. But instead these are some excellent renditions of songs that have mostly fallen out of the American public's interest. Anyone looking for a quality collection of Cole's performances, or even a good collection of classic vocal jazz, should definitely try to give this album a listen, as it really is quite good. Bradley Torreano
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NAT "KING" COLE – 1947-1949 | The Chronogical Classics – 1155 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Nat King Cole could charm most listeners by simply singing a few lines from the phone book. His delivery is so intoxicating that even less-than-stellar material doesn't cause so much as a blink of the eye. This is true with Classics' collection of some of his 1947-1949 cuts, where hardly a classic standard or hit is in sight. What one does get, though, is a generous dose of Nat Cole and the trio's slow-riffin' best . While ranging from the ballad perfection of "How Lonely Can You Get" and "Lost April" to svelte blues sides like "My Mother Told Me," Cole, guitarist Irving Ashby, and bassist Johnny Miller show how they perfected the piano trio template forged by the singer's first group with guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Prince. The disc also includes two boppish instrumentals: "Leap Here" and "Metronome Riff," featuring Cole with large combos stuffed with likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy DeFranco, Bob Cooper, Art Pepper, Bill Harris, and Shelly Manne. Also included are two takes of "Portrait of Jennie," an early strings affair that nicely foreshadows Cole's symphonic run of hits in the '50s. This disc might not work too well as a prime introduction to the the Nat Cole Trio's '40s material -- check out Capitol's Vocal Classics titles for that -- but it certainly will please fans wanting to delve beyond the more popular tracks. And for those keen on getting a good share of Cole's instrumental and jazz-centric sides, check out Capitol's Instrumental Classics and Jazz Encounters collections. Stephen Cook
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NAT "KING" COLE – 1949 | The Chronogical Classics – 1196 (2001) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This thirteenth volume in the Classics Nat King Cole chronology gathers together all of his Capitol recordings made between March 22 and August 2, 1949. As one of Capitol's star attractions, Cole was now interacting with other musicians from the label's variegated roster of talent. Although the phrase 'King Cole Trio' was still appearing in print, Cole, his guitarist Irving Ashby and bassist Joe Comfort, now joined by bongo and conga drummer Jack Costanzo, were surrounded at times by an orchestra -- loaded with strings -- led by Pete Rugolo. This was actually a direct result of Stan Kenton having disbanded in December 1948. Exhausted and ill, Kenton wouldn't record again with his monster band until February 1950. Rugolo was Kenton's right-hand man and Costanzo was an essential component in the Kenton orchestra's Latin American percussion section. With Kenton in temporary retirement, the A&R directors at Capitol started combining talent, and that's how during the year 1949 the 'King Cole Trio' began to sound like an adjunct of the Stan Kenton orchestra. While the trio/quartet sides maintain a decent level of artistic integrity the larger ensembles, together with sugared group choral backgrounds by Alyce King's Vokettes and The Starlighters (also known by the cutesy name "Four Hits and a Miss") seemed to be announcing the arrival of that golden era of over-sweetened pop vocals, the 1950s. arwulf arwulf  
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NAT "KING" COLE – 1949-1950 | The Chronogical Classics – 914 (1996) FLAC (tracks), lossless

With his amazingly warm and intimate vocal style, Nat King Cole could handle any song he came across, transforming it into a cool expressive croon that is unsurpassed in the pop realm. This collection includes perhaps his most famous song, the string-drenched "Mona Lisa," but it also features several lesser known pieces, many of them falling into the novelty song category, a genre Cole practically defined with his assured singing and often innovative (and spare) arrangements. "The Horse Told Me" is a case in point. Essentially a game of whispers turned into a song, Cole's easy vocal puts it over while the odd arrangement, a mix of junkyard percussion and classy piano, keeps it fresh. Another highlight here is "Calypso Blues," which features a marvelously controlled vocal set over a sparse bongo track, and it indicates how versatile Cole was. There is really no song or style he couldn't make his own. While this release is relatively narrow in its focus, it shouldn't be passed over by Cole fans. Steve Leggett  
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FATS WALLER – 1942-1943 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1097 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These are the last recordings in the Fats Waller legacy. The 22 tracks are drawn from sessions recorded in March and July of 1942 and January and September of 1943. Featuring the last recordings with his rhythm, a version of "That Ain't Right" with Ada Brown on vocals and V-disc recordings made for soldiers overseas during World War II. It is the V-disc material that proved Waller wasn't just a jovial clown, which he makes obvious on his version of "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" performed on organ. Anyone only familiar with the Waller hits like "Ain't Misbehavin'" (included here in two separate versions) should hear this to gain perspective on his career. Al Campbell
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LESTER YOUNG – The Complete Aladdin Recordings of Lester Young (1995) 2CD | MONO | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although it has often been written that cool-toned tenor saxophonist Lester Young's experiences with racism in the military during 1944-1945 so scarred him that he never played at the same musical level as he had previously, the music on this essential two-CD reissue disproves that theory. It is true that his attitude toward life was affected and Young became somewhat self-destructive, but his postwar solos rank with the greatest work of his career. This two-fer, which has four selections from 1942 in which Young is heard in a trio with pianist Nat King Cole and bassist Red Callender and a rare 1945 session headed by singer Helen Humes (including a previously unknown instrumental "Riffin' Without Helen"), is mostly taken up with Young's very enjoyable 1945-1948 small-group dates. Highlights include "D.B. Blues," "Jumpin' with Symphony Sid" (which was a minor hit), "Sunday," and "New Lester Leaps In," among many others. Minor errors aside (trumpeter Snooky Young is left out of the personnel listing for the Humes date and Young's final Aladdin session is from 1948, not 1947), this is a well-conceived and brilliant set filled with exciting performances by one of the true greats of jazz. Scott Yanow
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