JAY McSHANN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941-1943 | The Classics Chronological Series – 740 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Twenty-one sides cut by Jay McShann and His Orchestra and the Jay McShann Quartet for Decca Records between 1941 and 1943, with Charlie Parker on about half of what's here, and stretching out on a handful of cuts. The highlight is the group's recording of "Confessin' the Blues," which was a huge hit and resulted in their recording of more than half a dozen similar vocal blues numbers, featuring Walter Brown (who wrote "Confessin'") on vocals. The material here is pretty much weighted to jump blues and boogie-woogie-style numbers, all of it hot and extraordinarily well-played. The pity is, between Decca's insistence on more songs like "Confessin' the Blues" (which was later covered by Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones, among others) and the 1942 recordings band, not much of McShann's repertory or Parker's more outstanding material from the period was laid down. What is here, however, is extraordinary, some of the tightest, bluesiest jazz you'll ever here, all in excellent sound as well, and Parker does soar on a large handful of these tracks. Bruce Eder  
Tracklist + Credits :

JAY McSHANN – 1944-1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 966 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Jay McShann played a pivotal role in the evolution of Kansas City swing, bebop, and R&B. The material presented in this segment of the McShann chronology is mostly based in the blues, with heavy emphasis on vocal talent. A session that took place in Kansas City on November 1, 1944 -- with the great Walter Page handling the bass -- resulted in four sides that were issued on the Capitol label. "Moten Swing" is mighty fine, and an elegant "Sunny Side of the Street" served as the flip side. Julia Lee hadn't recorded for 15 years when she sat in with McShann on this date. "Come on Over to My House" and "Trouble in Mind" turned out well enough that Capitol responded with a recording contract and her career took off anew. The rest of the music heard on this disc was recorded in Los Angeles in 1945 and 1946. Out of 19 tracks, only four of these -- all boogies -- are instrumental. A fifth boogie, bearing McShann's nickname, "Hootie," is nearly instrumental except for a bit of shouting done by someone in or near the band who remains unidentified. The vocalists who figured so prominently in McShann's Philo, Premiere, and Mercury recordings sang the blues exclusively. Numa Lee Moore sounds like a downsized Big Maybelle and Crown Prince Waterford has a bit of a rowdy bite in his voice. Jimmy Witherspoon, featured on no less than nine tracks, sounded something like Joe Turner at this stage of his career. McShann's sax and trumpet players interacted wonderfully with the vocalists, and present on the Mercury sessions was legendary Kansas City drummer Jesse Price. arwulf arwulf  
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HELEN HUMES - On The Sunny Side of the Street (1974-1993) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Several major jazz personalities are heard on this Black Lion reissue CD, recorded live at the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival. The fine singer Helen Humes sticks to standards and blues while accompanied by either Earl Hines or Jay McShann on piano, tenor-saxophonist Buddy Tate, bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Ed Thigpen. Although Hines and McShann are not the ideal accompanists, Humes fares quite well, winning the audience over with her enthusiasm and sincerity. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1    Alright, Okay, You Win    5:08
Mayme Watts / Sidney Wyche
2    If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight    4:30
Henry Creamer / James P. Johnson
3    Ain't Nobody's Business    6:35
Porter Grainger / Everett Robbins
4    Kansas City    4:52
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
5    I'm Satisfied    3:43
Duke Ellington / Mitchell Parish
6    Blue Because Of You    4:55
Charles Carpenter / Louis Dunlap / Quinn Wilson
7    On The Sunny Side Of The Street    3:58
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
8    I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good    6:02
Duke Ellington / Paul Francis Webster
Credits:
Bass – Jimmy Woode
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Lead Vocals – Helen Humes
Piano – Earl Hines (tracks: 5-8), Jay McShann (tracks: 1-4)
Producer – Alan Bates
Tenor Saxophone – Buddy Tate