LENA HORNE WITH LENNIE HAYTON'S ORCHESTRA — Stormy Weather (1957-2002) RM | Bluebird First Editions Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This LP features a fine sampling of the type of material that Lena Horne performed in the 1950s. Backed by an orchestra arranged and conducted by her husband Lennie Hayton, Horne digs into such tunes as "Mad About the Boy," "Stormy Weather," "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home," and "Just One of Those Things." The music swings but is middle-of-the-road pop rather than jazz. However, Lena Horne is heard throughout in top form, and this set is easily recommended to her fans. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Tomorrow Mountain 2:57
Duke Ellington / John Latouche
2    Out of This World 3:39
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
3    Summertime 2:54
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
4    Mad About the Boy 3:06
Noël Coward
5    Ridin' on the Moon 1:58
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
6    Stormy Weather 3:47
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
7    Baby, Won't You Please Come Home? 2:14
Charles Warfield / Clarence Williams
8    Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home 3:33
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
9    I'll Be Around  2:56
Alec Wilder
10    I Wonder What Became of Me 3:00
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
11    Just One of Those Things 2:09
Cole Porter
– BONUS TRACKS –
12    Stormy Weather 3:54
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
13    Come Runnin' 2:55
Roc Hillman
14    From This Moment On 1:56
Cole Porter
15    A Cockeyed Optimist 3:30
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
16    I Have Dreamed 2:16
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
17    The Surrey With the Fringe on Top 3:51
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
18    Wouldn't It Be Loverly 2:52
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
19    What's Right for You (Is Right for Me) 2:58
Hubert Doris / Bernie Gluckman / Tommy Goodman
20    Sweet Thing 2:32
Betty Walberg
21    That Old Feeling 2:16
Lew Brown / Sammy Fain
Credits
Vocals – Lena Horne
Orchestra conducted Lennie Hayton
with Jimmy Maxwell, Charlie Shavers and George Duvivier
Notes :
Tracks 12-13: Previously Unreleased.

SY OLIVER AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1949-1952 | The Chronogical Classics – 1365 (2004) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist + Credits :

BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1098 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Despite competition from Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Count Basie, and Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman largely held on to his popularity during the 1939-1940 period. The personnel was changing in his big band, but it was still a strong outfit with trumpeters Ziggy Elman and Jimmy Maxwell, trombonist Vernon Brown, Jerry Jerome on tenor, pianist Johnny Guarnieri, and singer Helen Forrest being significant voices. Among the better big band selections on this consistently swinging CD are "Zaggin' With Zig," "The Fable of the Rose," "Shake Down the Stars," and "I'm Nobody's Baby"; however, it is the three sextet numbers that take honors. "Till Tom Special," "The Sheik of Araby," and "Poor Butterfly" feature Goodman with guitarist Charlie Christian, Lionel Hampton, and either Count Basie or Guarnieri on piano. All of the Benny Goodman recordings from this era are well worth acquiring by swing fans. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist :

BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1940-1941 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1154 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The second Benny Goodman & His Orchestra (the one he organized after taking a few months off to partly recover from sciatica) is heard on this CD during their first recordings. Cootie Williams and Jimmy Maxwell are in the trumpet section, trombonist Lou McGarity and tenor saxophonist Georgie Auld have solo space, bassist Artie Bernstein drives the rhythm section, and Helen Forrest takes some fine vocals. Eddie Sauter's often-radical arrangements (including "Benny Rides Again," "Taking a Chance on Love," "Superman," and "Moonlight on the Ganges") really challenge the clarinetist and are quite often classic. In addition, an excellent small-group date with Williams, Auld, pianist Ken Kersey, and Charlie Christian includes "Breakfast Feud," "I Can't Give You Anything but Love," and "Gilly." Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1236 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD in Classics' extensive Benny Goodman series starts out with the last Sextet date to feature Charlie Christian, including two songs ("Blues In B" and "Waitin" For Benny") performed by the band without Goodman during a rehearsal that was taped by an alert engineer. Otherwise, this CD consists of big band performances from Goodman's still-mighty orchestra, featuring trumpeters Cootie Williams (showcased on "Fiesta In Blue") and Jimmy Maxwell, trombonist Lou McGarity, and Georgie Auld on tenor. Helen Forrest has seven excellent vocals including "When The Sun Comes Out" and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," and there are diverse arrangements by the likes of Eddie Sauter, Jimmy Mundy, Edgar Sampson, and Margie Gibson. Several of these numbers are rarely reissued despite their high quality, so it is a pleasure to hear the complete sessions in chronological order by this memorable big band. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist :

BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941-1942 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1303 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :

AL COHN - Jazz Mission to Moscow (1962-2010) RM | Jazz名盤 999 Best & More | FLAC (tracks), lossless

In 1962 Benny Goodman had a historic visit to the Soviet Union, touring with a big band full of young all-stars. After the orchestra returned to the U.S., tenor saxophonist Al Cohn (who had not made the trip but did write some of Goodman's charts) put together an album (also released by Colpix) using many of the sidemen and paying tribute to the event. Strangely enough none of the six numbers are Cohn originals and he does not play on the record although he arranged all of the music. Of the six songs, "Mission to Moscow," "Let's Dance" and "Russian Lullaby" were part of Goodman's repertoire. Altoist Phil Woods effectively doubles on clarinet and other soloists include tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, trumpeter Marky Markowitz and trombonist Willie Dennis. An interesting set of modern swing but this LP has been unfortunately long out-of-print. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Mission To Moscow 4:20
Written-By – Mel Powell
2    The Sochi Boatman 5:17
Adapted By – A. Gilbert
Arranged By – Al Cohn
3    Midnight In Moscow 5:59
Written-By – Ball, Soloviev-Sedoy, Matusovsky
4    Let's Dance 4:32
Written-By – Baldridge, Stone, Bonime
5    Russian Lullaby 5:39
Written-By – Irving Berlin
6    Red, White And Blue Eyes 4:53
Adapted By – A. Gilbert
Arranged By – Al Cohn
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Phil Woods
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Jerry Dodgion
Baritone Saxophone – Gene Allen
Bass – Bill Crow
Drums – Mel Lewis
Piano – Eddie Costa
Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims
Trombone – Willie Dennis
Trumpet – Jimmy Maxwell, Markie Markowitz