JACK TEAGARDEN — Father Of Jazz Trombone (2004) 3CD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Jack Teagarden made the trombone sexy, and his pliant, lazy tone made the instrument swing like a trumpet. He was also a remarkable singer, with a warm, Texas drawl that gave everything he sang a marvelous intimacy. Such talents did not go unnoticed in the jazz world, and he worked with such notables as Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Red Nichols, Joe Venuti, Eddie Condon and Louis Armstrong, among others, throughout his long career. This three- disc box spans the years 1928 to 1947, and its 72 tracks show an amazingly consistent performer, giving the whole set a cohesiveness that makes it indispensable. Included are Teagarden's near-definitive versions of "Basin Street Blues," "Beale Street Blues," "Blue River," "Jack Armstrong Blues," "St. Louis Blues" and a couple runs at "St. James Infirmary." With his offhand, nuanced singing style, Teagarden raises songs like "Aunt Hagar's Blues" to the level of vital Americana, and no one in jazz has ever gotten more out of the trombone at any level. Combined with his early-'60s gems for Verve Records (Mis'ry and the Blues and Think Well of Me), this collection provides an overview and a wonderful introduction to an American treasure. Steve Leggett
CD One - Makin' Friends (Recordings 1928-1938)
CD Two - Jack Hits The Road (Recordings 1928-1943)
CD Three - Too Marvelous For Words (Recordings 1943-1947)

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS ALL STARS – 1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1072 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1947, Armstrong put together his first set of all-stars, including many old friends and colleagues. With Jack Teagarden as the constant on the majority of these sides, we see the personnel shift by year's end, bringing Peanuts Hucko and Barney Bigard into the clarinet seat, with drumming chores split between George Wettling, Cozy Cole (on a four-song orchestra date), and Big Sid Catlett. Kicking off with six tunes from the May 1947 New York Town Hall concert, the set also features a two-song Giants of Jazz session, with Pops in the company of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, Lionel Hampton, Mel Powell, and Louis Bellson, and finishes up with four more studio sides and four performances from a 1947 Decca concert album recorded at Boston's Symphony Hall. This is Pops moving from his big-band sound to a smaller, more comfortable group, getting ready for another run at success. Cub Koda     Tracklist + Credits :

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS ALL STARS – 1947, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1144 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Louis Armstrong's All-Stars were the perfect postwar traditional jazz band, with Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, and Barney Bigard backed by Dick Cary, Arvell Shaw, and Sidney Catlett. Here on one disc are nearly all of the recordings made at Boston's Symphony Hall on November 30, 1947. The first four selections from this concert were issued on the previous volume of the complete recorded works of Louis Armstrong on the Classics Chronological Series. The Symphony Hall transcriptions were among the first extended Armstrong records to be made available to the public. Although eight of these titles were once issued in two parts, they are seamlessly presented here as uninterrupted jams. The most expanded track, clocking in at just over seven minutes, is "Steak Face," containing what is probably the longest drum solo ever recorded by Sid Catlett. The title comes from Armstrong's nickname for Catlett. In addition, Arvell Shaw was given room for an extended bass solo on "How High the Moon." The stylistic range represented here is enormously satisfying, encompassing old favorites like "High Society" and "Mahogany Hall Stomp" as well as progressive ideas from Duke Ellington ("C-Jam Blues") and Coleman Hawkins ("Boff Boff," also known as "Mop! Mop!"). There are marvelous vocals by Jack Teagarden, Louis Armstrong, and Velma Middleton, who spools out a magnificent rendition of Buddy Johnson's "Since I Fell for You." arwulf arwulf     Tracklist + Credits :

LOUIS ARMSTRONG – 1949-1950 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1179 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Diligently reissuing all of Louis Armstrong's recordings, the Classics Chronological Series opens this volume with six sides he waxed for the Decca label during September of 1949. The first two tracks are comforting romantic pop songs sung in front of an orchestra under the direction of Sy Oliver. Much more famous and ultimately among the most lucrative recordings Armstrong ever made, "That Lucky Old Sun" and "Blueberry Hill" had the singer backed by Gordon Jenkins' squarer-sounding big band augmented with a conventional angel cake choir. Then on September 30, 1949, Armstrong recorded with Sy Oliver's band again, this time in two duets with Billie Holiday, one of his greatest admirers. Note that "My Sweet Hunk o' Trash" and "You Can't Lose a Broken Heart" were both composed by James P. Johnson, king of Harlem stride piano. The next chapter in the Armstrong story consists of pure, unadulterated traditional jazz played by a new edition of his All-Stars. The nucleus of Jack Teagarden, Barney Bigard, and Arvell Shaw was greatly fortified by the presence of pianist Earl Hines and percussionist Cozy Cole. Seven of these titles were initially issued in two parts owing to the limitations of the 10" phonograph record. Happily, and thanks to careful editing, Classics now presents each selection as a continuous extended performance, most effectively in the case of the nearly nine-minute "Bugle Call Rag." Garnished with a laid-back "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" and a smokin' five-minute dash through "Panama," these are some of the best Armstrong jams of the early '50s.   arwulf arwulf       Tracklist + Credits :

LOUIS ARMSTRONG – 1950-1951 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1233 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This chapter in the Chronological Classics Louis Armstrong series continues during a particularly fertile period with Armstrong surrounded by great sidemen and performing with others. A pair of tracks here, "Life Is So Peculiar" and "You Rascal You," showcase Satchmo in front of Louis Jordan's Tympani 5, and "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and "Can Anyone Explain?" are duets with Ella Fitzgerald. The sidemen on Armstrong's dates are a venerable crew from a fascinating era, and include Barney Bigard, Jack Teagarden, Cozy Cole, Hank Jones, Ray Brown, and Earl Hines, among others. There are also three Armstrong-led cuts featuring Velma Middleton on vocals: "Baby, It's Cold Outside," "The Hucklebuck," and the collection's closer, "Big Daddy Blues."  -> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa'<-
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LOUIS ARMSTRONG – 1951-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1283 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This series on the Classics label will be of great interest to collectors of classic jazz. The sessions are in chronological order and highlight alternate takes and radio broadcasts of historic jazz. 1951-19522 contains 23 tracks on a single disc including versions of "Big Butter and Egg Man," "When It's Sleepy Time Down South," "Takes Two to Tango," and " Indian Love Call." While the disc is definitely directed toward collectors, anyone with an interest in this period of jazz will also enjoy it. Al Campbell   Tracklist + Credits :

FRANKIE TRUMBAUER AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1932-1936 | The Chronogical Classics – 1275 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 1930s recordings of C-melody saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer are fairly obscure, particularly compared to his classic 1927-29 collaborations with Bix Beiderbecke. This set starts with a couple sessions from 1932 that feature a large ensemble mostly taken from the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. A couple of interesting medleys benefit from fine arrangements and the band also sounds strong on "Business in Q" and "The Newest St. Louis Blues." There are two sessions from 1934 that feature trumpeter Charlie Teagarden and trombonist Jack Teagarden (who sings "Emaline" and "'Long About Midnight") and includes a version of Beiderbecke's "In a Mist." The other session from 1934 has spots for trumpeter Bunny Berigan and clarinetist Artie Shaw while the numbers from 1936 again include both Charlie and Jack Teagarden. The material is pretty jazz-oriented and some of the other memorable tracks are "China Boy," "Breakin' in a Pair of Shoes" and "Somebody Loves Me." This is excellent music that serves as a transition between the classic jazz of the 1920s and swing. Scott Yanow  
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FRANKIE TRUMBAUER AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1936-1946 | The Chronogical Classics – 1331 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Despite the fact that, compared to his contemporaries like Jack Teagarden and Artie Shaw, there are relatively few Frankie Trumbauer recordings as a leader, this period, from the mid-'30s to the mid-'40s, is arguably his most satisfying. Here with the Three Ts (Trumbauer with Jack and Charlie Teagarden) and leading a few bands with Shaw, Pee Wee Erwin, Carl Kress, Matty Matlock, John Kiefer, Bob Haggart, and more as sidemen, Trumbauer laid down some of his most memorable sessions, recording tunes such as "'S Wonderful," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance," and 18 more. Along with Teagarden's stunning vocal style, reaching its peak during these years, and the deep swinging blues approach, these sides have been ignored for far too long under Trumbauer's signature.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
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JOE VENUTI – 1928-1930 | The Chronogical Classics – 1246 (2002) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Even as the Joe Venuti/Eddie Lang instrumentals from the late '20s are worth their weight in gold, more than half of the fun in listening to an overview of this section of their complete recorded works is derivable from the often silly vocalists. Pianist Rube Bloom had a charmingly wobbly voice, preferable perhaps to the too-perfect, painfully innocent, but nevertheless endearing efforts of Smith Ballew. "Sensation," in addition to proving that Jimmy Dorsey could play the hell out of the baritone sax, contains Bloom's wildest vocal, consisting of bursts of scat singing mingled with dramatic moans and pleas for medical/musical assistance in what was apparently intended as a steamy sequel to "Hello Central Give Me Doctor Jazz." The delightful wordless vocal on the marvelous "I Must Have That Man" has often been attributed to Venuti himself. This CD's discography assigns it to drummer Chauncey Morehouse. Everyone agrees that the tuba solo is by the mighty Joe Tarto. Scrappy Lambert squeezes out two hilariously enigmatic love songs, "I Am Only Human After All" and "Out of Breath and Scared to Death of You." The last three tracks on this volume of the Classics Joe Venuti chronology are not so well known, probably because of the comparatively glib vocalists. Back to the instrumentals -- there are only five, but each one is a masterpiece. A 1928 remake of "Doin' Things," recorded with a smaller group the previous year, is refreshing. "Runnin' Ragged," recorded in October of 1929, features Frankie Trumbauer on bassoon. The idyllic "Apple Blossoms," a collectively composed serenade, is a study in perfect peace. Adrian Rollini, armed with bass sax, goofus, and hot fountain pen, enlivened the next Blue Four session, which took place during the spring of the following year. The musicianship on this collection is often astonishing, and the effect upon the central nervous system is known to be beneficial. Everything heard here is priceless for the fact that it is possible to derive from each performance a completely unfounded sense of well-being. In a jaded, postmodern world, that is a precious thing. arwulf arwulf  
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JOE VENUTI – 1930-1933 | The Chronogical Classics – 1276 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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EDDIE CONDON – 1927-1938 | The Chronogical Classics – 742 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Here's a package that defines traditional Chicago-styled jazz from the roots on up. Closely patterned after the style of Bix Beiderbecke, four hot stomps recorded for the OKeh label in December of 1927 form a handsome keystone to the Eddie Condon chronology. It's the Austin High Gang, appearing on record as McKenzie & Condon's Chicagoans, and they swing hard. What a great front line: Frank Teschemacher, Jimmy McPartland, and Bud Freeman. Gene Krupa kicks like a mule. Legend has it Mezz Mezzrow played cymbals, although Condon claimed all Mezz did was hold on to the bass drum so Krupa wouldn't knock it across the room. In July of 1928, Condon, Krupa, and Tesch made a pair of records with pianist Joe Sullivan. "Oh Baby (Rain or Shine)" begins with a group scat vocal and cooks to a gravy. Teschemacher plays both clarinet and alto sax on this date. Shortly before his death in 1973, a mature Eddie Condon made this wry statement regarding both "Indiana," recorded for Parlophone on July 28, 1928, and the art of singing in general: "This record paid the rent at the Cumberland Hotel for one month; for all four guys in the band. I sing here. I was young and didn't know any better. I do now." Condon also sang on "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry," chirping the lyrics over Art Miller's delightful bowed bass. These innocent vocals are endearing and do not detract in any way from the musical entertainment. "Makin' Friends" has a vocal by Texas trombonist Jack Teagarden with whiny spoken interjections by Mezz Mezzrow. Was this the inspiration for Nappy Lamare's incessant chattering on Wingy Manone's records of the mid-'30s? Alarming thought. Great insights into the socioeconomic reality of jazz musicians can be found in Condon's autobiography, We Called It Music. It is there that Condon claims that the Victor session of February 8, 1929, was considered an "experiment" in racially mixed recording, possibly the first integrated date for a major label. The next "experiment" that Condon would put together for Victor was the notorious "Fats Waller & His Buddies" adventure, another racially mixed session that came together haphazardly one month later. Those sides appear as part of the Fats Waller chronology on Classics 689. The Condon story continues here on Classics 742 with a series of excellent recordings made for Brunswick in 1933 and Commodore in 1938. What's documented here is the flowering of Condon's career and those of the men who collaborated with him. The Brunswick sides are relatively rare. Here are Max Kaminsky, Pee Wee Russell, Bud Freeman, Floyd O'Brien, Artie Bernstein, Sid Catlett, and the great pianist Alex Hill, who really comes across beautifully. The Commodore material brings on George Brunies, Jess Stacy, Artie Shapiro, George Wettling, and Bobby Hackett, who renders up his famously gorgeous treatment of "Embraceable You." It is fitting that this disc ends with "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland," an ancient saloon song gassed up into a perfect riot of joyous energy. It is the perfect closer for this cardinal Condon collection. arwulf arwulf  
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EDDIE CONDON – 1938-1940 | The Chronogical Classics – 759 (1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Here is a particularly tasty portion of old-fashioned Chicago-style jazz, calmly dished out by some of Condon's very best bands. "Jackson Teagarden and his trombone" deliver the nicest portrait of "Diane" ever painted. "Serenade to a Shylock" slowly ambles through Mr. T's vocal and suddenly kicks up into a stomp, sharpened at the edges by Pee Wee Russell's gloriously filthy clarinet. Bud Freeman glides effortlessly into "Sunday" and "California." Bud's relaxing influence bathes the entire band in rosy light even during upbeat finales. On August 11, 1939, Davey Tough actually made it into a recording studio. While George Wettling and Lionel Hampton had each served ably on the preceding tracks, it's invigorating to hear Mr. Tough driving the band the way he did. The same could be said for Joe Sullivan, with all due respect for Jess Stacy and Joe Bushkin. The chemistry on this little Decca date is really magical. "Friar's Point" gets low-down and dirty, a funky collective discourse on the human condition. Back with Commodore Records on November 30, 1939, Condon retained Max Kaminsky, Brad Gowans, and Pee Wee Russell for a real blowing session. While "Jelly Roll" bakes itself brown, during "Strut Miss Lizzie" the band sounds almost possessed. "It's Right Here for You" is just plain gorgeous. These really are among the best records Condon ever produced, and everybody ought to get a chance to hear them on a regular basis. On March 24, 1940, about 17 minutes' worth of "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" was spread over four 12" 78-rpm platters, with 11 musicians taking turns ritualistically hammering out every possible angle of the song. While conventional criticism regards this as a bit too much of a good thing, seasoned jazz heads are surely capable of enjoying dramatically extended solos without undue concern for "normal" parameters. Rules and preconceptions are made to be broken and dispelled. With this precept in mind, the session of November 11, 1940, is particularly tasty. Invading the Commodore studios, popular Victor recording artist Thomas "Fats" Waller cheerfully broke his contract by making records with Condon's band under the pseudonym "Maurice," a name borrowed from one of his sons. This music is exquisite. The combination of Pee Wee and Fats should have occurred much more often than it ever did. Waller and Condon first made records together in 1929 -- in the very same studio, by the way: the wonderful Liederkranz Hall. This, then, was a sort of reunion, bittersweet in retrospect, as Fats died in December of 1943, making this Commodore jam the last time the two men would get to play music together in front of the same microphone. arwulf arwulf  
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EDDIE CONDON – 1944-1946 | The Chronogical Classics – 1033 (1998) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This is how traditional Chicago-style jazz sounded in New York during the mid-1940s. When he wasn't brusquely emceeing these bands on-stage at Town Hall, guitarist and organizer Eddie Condon presented this music on the air and in the recording studio. The phonographic evidence, chronologically arranged and carefully documented, makes for enjoyable listening. Three V-Disc sides for the armed forces have Hot Lips Page lined up next to Sterling Bose, Miff Mole and Pee Wee Russell. This interesting blend of musicians from radically different social and ethnic backgrounds is typical of Condon. Lips sings on a nearly four-and-a-half-minute version of the "Uncle Sam Blues," a wry ode to military conscription. The old "Tin Roof" is summed up in a mere 126 seconds, followed by a slightly longer "Ballin' the Jack." It seems as though V-Disc encouraged short takes so as to be able to squeeze as many tracks as possible on to their newly devised 'unbreakable' lightweight 12" 78rpm records. The Decca session of December 12, 1944 sounds a lot like the Town Hall mixture of pressure cookers and attractive love songs. Bobby Hackett turns "When Your Lover Has Gone" into a prayer. Lee Wiley (who was Eddie Condon's idea of the Perfect Woman) sings a couple of sweet numbers, and the band kicks the stuffing out of a theme only identified as "Impromptu Ensemble." Here Jack Teagarden blows hot trombone and sings up a parcel of lyrics he first used on a "Chicagoans" session back in 1929. Special mention should be made of baritone saxophonist Ernie Caceres who blows mellow for Lee and very hot during the stomps. Two days later the band emitted 59 seconds of "jump" music and 33 seconds of "blues" for radio broadcast purposes. Lee sang two more ballads and Teagarden hammed up the "Sheik of Araby" with strange new novelty lyrics before they swung it to pieces. Jack also sings and plays handsomely on "Somebody Loves Me." Speaking of melodies composed by George Gershwin, the 1945 sessions include what might be the loveliest version of "My One And Only" ever recorded, starring Bobby Hackett. "Lady Be Good" and "Swanee" take on an almost Dixieland flavor. On March 27, 1946 Wild Bill Davison, Gene Schroeder and Davey Tough incited a grand "Farewell Blues" with the bridge from "Weary Blues" grafted on to its midsection. "Improvisation for the March of Time" was built across the familiar slow blues/fast blues formula, and a couple of very attractive pop songs were magically transformed into honest instrumental jazz before the band knocked off for the day. The session of July 17th, 1946 is memorable for the presence of pianist James P. Johnson, who sends out sparks during "Just You, Just Me," and the voice of John "Bubbles" Sublett, one-time musical cohort of Buck Washington. Sublett is heard singing W.C. Handy's "Atlanta Blues," also known as "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor." That's the great thing about an Eddie Condon date: you never know who's going to show for the gig. arwulf arwulf  
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EDDIE CONDON – 1947-1950 | The Chronogical Classics – 1177 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Eddie was one hard-boiled character. Dour, opinionated, set in his ways, and frankly suspicious of anything that deviated too wildly from the music he knew and loved. Critics and journalists invented a stylistic war between the 'Be Boppers' and the 'Moldy Figs', as progressive innovators and traditional jazz-heads were respectively dubbed. Condon was the archetypal Fig, deeply devoted to old-fashioned ideas of what music was supposed to sound like: melodies you could whistle and rhythms anybody could dance to. We Called It Music is the name of Eddie's excellent, hilarious, insightful, poetic, informative autobiography. It's also the title of a rather burlesque tune recorded in August 1947 by one of Condon's fine traditional jazz bands. While the book contains wonderful eyewitness accounts of hanging out with Bix Beiderbecke and Fats Waller, the song makes fun of musical categories, sneers briefly at "...something called Bleep Bloop," then demonstrates the individual and collective strengths of an authentic Chicago-style jazz band. What makes it work is Jack Teagarden, who could sing anything and make it good. His Texas drawl during the opening 'court room' dialogue might sound like Amos & Andy to those who are not accustomed to hearing this big exaggerated southern fellow acting the clown. Teagarden's other vocals are lovely; who else could sing so convincingly of tulips or sheltering palms? Ruby Braff once referred to 'The Adoration of the Melody'. That's where all of this music is at: each song is cherished and passed around the room. Eddie Condon's NBC Television Orchestra made two recordings for Atlantic in 1949. "Seems Like Old Times" is as beautiful as being alive. "Time Carries On," composed by Condon and arranged by Dick Cary, has a bit of the modernized Benny Goodman about it, particularly during those passages where Peanuts Hucko rides the current. Ralph Sutton is brought in for a couple of whole grain ragtime episodes. If the Dixieland revival wasn't full-blown yet, these records certainly must have helped to jack it up in a hurry. Cherry pie vocalist Jimmy Atkins should have gone on to work for Lawrence Welk after horning in over three otherwise perfectly good Dixieland tunes. Johnny Mercer's golly-gee lyrics to "At the Jazz Band Ball" might make you yearn to compose your own marginally obscene libretto. While we're on that subject: "Jazz Me Blues", which has been called the first X-rated song title to appear on a record (the Wolverines' version of 1924), didn't need lyrics anyway. Moreover: Peggy Ann Ellis sounds like one of them peroxide, lipstick and powder big band vocalists. What a relief when "Yellow Dog Blues" signals a blessed return to instrumental stomps. The band really pounds on it, with Gene Schroeder leading the way. Ralph Sutton assists in the execution of two wonderful relics: "Raggin' the Scale" and James Scott's aptly named "Grace and Beauty Rag." Then Cutty Cutshall takes the trombone out of his mouth and sings "Everybody Loves My Baby." Of course Cutty was no Teagarden but he's easier to take than 'powder and pie' were. And the band swings the hell out of the tune, which is what really matters. arwulf arwulf  
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BIX BEIDERBECKE – 1927-1930 | The Chronogical Classics – 788 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the second volume in the all-too-brief Classics Bix Beiderbecke chronology. It presents all 13 Okeh Records cut by Beiderbecke & His Gang between October 5, 1927 and September 21, 1928, followed by Beiderbecke's very last recordings, made between May 21 and September 15, 1930 for the Victor, Vocalion and Brunswick labels. He is heard leading his own band and sitting in with Hoagy Carmichael's orchestra as well as Irving Mills & His Hotsy Totsy Gang. Three years into his brief recording career, Beiderbecke was already beginning to feel confined by the artistic limitations of the entertainment industry. In his excellent and insightful novel-length tribute "Remembering Bix," Ralph Berton recalled his final encounter with Beiderbecke, which took place during the autumn of 1927 shortly before Bix began working for Paul Whiteman. Berton describes their conversation as they listened to the recently waxed Bix & His Gang sides. Although Berton rightfully perceived that some of these were among the hottest and best of Beiderbecke's recordings, Bix was not entirely happy with the results, and even threatened to destroy the master of "Goose Pimples" which was soon issued as Okeh 8544. During this performance he momentarily intruded upon the opening of Frank Signorelli's piano solo, became frustrated and tossed off what he later called a "phony Charleston lick," then responded to gesticulations made by an engineer urging him to finish up before they ran out of room on the disc by letting loose with a couple of very atypical high notes, sharp and fortissimo. Beiderbecke was horrified, incredulous and ultimately contemptuous when the session's producers went ahead and issued what is demonstrably a botched take. Yet in retrospect the excitement of hot jazz transforms even these obvious flaws into personable idiosyncrasies. All 13 sides are anchored with beefy bass saxophones, handled expertly by Adrian Rollini or ably by Min Leibrook. Like the turning of a page, the '30s began for Beiderbecke with a series of collaborations hinting at potential developments that either blossomed or withered away. With names like Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Bud Freeman, Gene Krupa, Hoagy Carmichael and violinist Joe Venuti (who can be heard bawdily intoning the words "Barnacle Bill the Shit-head" in a raspy voice), this home stretch of the Beiderbecke discography reads like a "most likely to succeed" roster. Yet three gifted participants would soon be taken out 'way ahead of schedule; guitarist Eddie Lang was soon to die from complications following a tonsillectomy, Ellington's ex-trumpeter Bubber Miley was already in the process of drinking himself into an early grave, and Bix Beiderbecke's days were numbered. On August 6, 1931 he succumbed to alcoholism and pneumonia at the age of 28. The music on this compilation is an essential portion of his legacy. arwulf arwulf
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FATS WALLER – 1929 | The Classics Chronological Series – 702 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Five years before the formation of his famous "Rhythm" band, Thomas "Fats" Waller created a body of solo piano recordings that proved to be only modestly successful with the record buying public of his day. Musicians, on the other hand, have always been affected -- transformed, really -- by Waller's astonishing subtlety, that powerful sensitivity inherited directly from James P. Johnson, Luckey Roberts and Willie "The Lion" Smith. Waller's profound influence upon Art Tatum and Bud Powell can be traced directly back to the piano solos included on this album. Each three-minute performance is a world unto itself, as poetic license is held in balance by the magnetic field of Waller's dramatic gravity. There is a majestic simplicity to each turn of his phrasing, informed by everything that the pianist experienced during the first 25 years of his short life. "Love Me or Leave Me" picks up where "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling" left off. What had served as a lachrymose torch song for pop star Ruth Etting becomes in Waller's hands something more along the lines of a wistfully energetic stomp through the old neighborhood at three o'clock in the morning. Legend has it Waller's perky "Valentine Stomp" was dedicated to Hazel Valentine, proprietor of the pianist's favorite sporting house, the Daisy Chain. Irving Berlin's "Waiting at the End of the Road" is lonelier than "Love Me" but works itself up to a similar pitch of emotional intensity. "Smashing Thirds" and "Turn on the Heat" are, to use a dangerous word, masterpieces. Life simply doesn't get much better than this. Furthermore, let's always remember that Fats Waller was our first jazz organist. Most of his solo pipe organ recordings date from 1927. His 1929 solos on that instrument are less giddy than the earlier "Soothin' Syrup" and "Hog Maw" stomps. There is a ruminative quality to these slow meditations, something that is sure to get by anyone who is impatiently awaiting instantaneous kicks. The strikingly majestic "That's All" was the last pipe organ solo Waller would wax inside the little church in Camden, New Jersey that had been converted into a recording facility. By 1934 he had switched to the Hammond and stuck with it almost exclusively for the rest of his life. The strictly chronological approach to reissuing brings in two peculiar sides by Fats Waller & His Buddies, involving a silly frenetic barbershop quartet billed as the Four Wanderers. "Lookin' Good but Feelin' Bad" is both hyperactive humor and smoking hot jazz, during which Henry "Red" Allen seems about to make his trumpet come apart at the seams. Don't be surprised when pop star Gene Austin sings Waller's "My Fate Is In Your Hands," as the two men collaborated periodically, always with mutual respect. And brace yourself for "Big Business," nearly seven minutes of vintage Negro vaudeville with quite a bit of Jim Crow dialogue included. Listen in on the cast of "Hot Chocolates" as they make plans for "fixing" a prize fight while Fats Waller maintains a steady piano presence in the background. At the beginning of part two, one of the actors actually shouts at him to "cut out that plunkin' on that pianna and let me get my business straight!" arwulf arwulf  
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FATS WALLER – 1929-1934 | The Classics Chronological Series – 720 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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MILDRED BAILEY – 1943-1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1316 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Most of Mildred Bailey's recordings have been reissued, but this CD is particularly special. With the exception of the final four songs, all of the music was originally out on fairly rare V-discs, making this a strong addition to swing and vocal jazz fans' collections. Bailey was one of the most distinctive singers of the 1930s and '40s and she was at the peak of her powers during the World War II years. Particularly worthy are the first four selections (including an extended version of "Rockin' Chair") in which she is accompanied by pianist Teddy Wilson. "Squeeze Me" is taken from the Esquire All-American concert of 1944. There are three songs in which Bailey is joined by a sextet led by her husband vibraphonist Red Norvo (clarinetist Aaron Sachs is in good form), ten songs on which Bailey is accompanied by Paul Baron's orchestra, a heated version of "Dinah" with Wilson and trumpeter Charlie Shavers, and the final studio date with a nonet. In addition to the first version of "Rockin' Chair," other highlights include "Sunday, Monday or Always," "More Than You Know," "Downhearted Blues," "From the Land of the Sky Blue Water," and "I'm Glad There Is You." Recommended. Scott Yanow  
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BESSIE SMITH – 1929-1933 | The Classics Chronological Series – 977 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These 24 tracks represent the last phase of Bessie Smith's recording career. Over the course of ten years and 160 great songs, Smith had without a doubt earned her place as the Empress of the Blues. Unfortunately, until her passing in 1937, she spent most of her time on the show circuit. For fans hungry for a healthy dose of her legacy, though, generous discs such as this provide a chance to revel in the classic female blues singing queen's lusty power. As usual, Smith is helped out by the day's jazz royalty. Featured over the course of the cuts here -- many penned by both Smith and pianist Clarence Williams -- are such top soloists as Benny Goodman, Chu Berry, James P. Johnson, and Frankie Newton. Of course, Smith grabs most of the attention, especially on definitive sides like "Gimme a Pigfoot" and "Black Mountain Blues," not to mention the ribald gem "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl." And as far as sound quality goes, this and many other of the discs in the Classics chronological series provide a viable alternative to Columbia's celebrated Complete Recordings line. Stephen Cook  
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BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1931-1933 | The Classics Chronological Series – 719 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The first half of this chronological release of Benny Goodman's 1931-1933 recordings is comprised of dance band performances from 1931 -- 12 selections with vocals from Paul Small, Smith Ballew, and Dick Robertson that have little to recommend them except excellent musicianship. The jazz content is pretty low and even Goodman is not heard from much. This is from the era when the clarinetist earned his employment as a studio musician. The final ten numbers are from 1933 and are of greater interest. Trombonist/singer Jack Teagarden is well featured on six songs, Billie Holiday makes her hesitant recording debut on "Your Mother's Son-in-Law" and "Riffin' the Scotch," and there are some fine solos along the way by both Jack and Charlie Teagarden, pianist Joe Sullivan, and Goodman. This is still Benny Goodman pre-history, for he would not attempt to lead a big band until 1934. Scott Yanow
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