LESTER YOUNG — The "Kansas City" Sessions (1997) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This is a CD overflowing with classic performances. The great Lester Young is heard with the 1938 version of the Kansas City Six, a group also including trumpeter Buck Clayton (in prime form), Eddie Durham on electric guitar (where he preceded Charlie Christian) and trombone, the rhythm guitar of Freddie Green, bassist Walter Page, and drummer Jo Jones. The four selections (all of which are joined by an alternate take apiece) are most notable for Young's switching to clarinet on some of the pieces. His clarinet solo on "I Want a Little Girl" sounds eerily like Paul Desmond's alto of 15 years later. These classic cool jazz performances have delightful interplay between the two horns. The second part of the reissue features the 1944 Kansas City Six in which Young (sticking to tenor) and trumpeter Bill Coleman are joined by a three-piece rhythm section and trombonist Dickie Wells. Wells, who takes some very colorful and nearly riotous solos, rarely sounded better, and the four selections are highlighted by three equally rewarding versions of "I Got Rhythm" and two of "Three Little Words." The CD concludes with the four titles by 1938's Kansas City Five, which was essentially the early Kansas City Six without Young. Clayton is once again in top form, and Durham's guitar solos were among the first worthwhile examples of the electric guitar on record. This gem is highly recommended for all jazz collections. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Kansas City Six–    Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (#2)    3:00
2    Kansas City Six–    Way Down Yonder In New Orleans    2:57
3    Kansas City Six–    Countless Blues    3:01
4    Kansas City Six–    Countless Blues (#2)    2:59
5    Kansas City Six–    Them There Eyes (#2) 2:57
Vocals – Freddie Green
6    Kansas City Six–    Them There Eyes 2:58
Vocals – Freddie Green
7    Kansas City Six–    I Want A Little Girl    2:53
8    Kansas City Six–    I Want A Little Girl (#2)    2:54
9    Kansas City Six–    Pagin' The Devil    2:57
10    Kansas City Six–    Pagin' The Devil (#2)    2:55
11    Kansas City Six–    Three Little Words (#2)    3:19
12    Kansas City Six–    Three Little Words    2:52
13    Kansas City Six–    Jo Jo    3:17
14    Kansas City Six–    I Got Rhythm (#3)    3:15
15    Kansas City Six–    I Got Rhythm (#2)    3:15
16    Kansas City Six–    I Got Rhythm    3:16
17    Kansas City Six–    Four O'Clock Drag    2:51
18    Kansas City Six–    Four O'Clock Drag (#3)    2:50
19    Kansas City Five–    Laughing At Life    3:05
20    Kansas City Five–    Good Mornin' Blues    2:51
21    Kansas City Five–    I Know That You Know    3:04
22    Kansas City Five–    Love Me Or Leave Me    2:47
Credits :
Bass – John Simmons (tracks: 11 to 18), Walter Page (tracks: 1 to 10, 19 to 22)
Drums – Jo Jones
Guitar – Freddie Green (tracks: 1 to 10, 19 to 22)
Piano – Joe Bushkin (tracks: 11 to 18)
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Lester Young (tracks: 1 to 18)
Trombone – Dicky Wells (tracks: 11 to 18)
Trombone, Electric Guitar – Eddie Durham (tracks: 1 to 10, 19 to 22)
Trumpet – Bill Coleman (tracks: 11 to 18), Buck Clayton (tracks: 1 to 10, 19 to 22)
Notes.
Recorded in New York City.
Tracks 1 to 10 recorded September 28, 1938.
Tracks 11 to 18 recorded March 27, 1944.
Tracks 19 to 22 recorded March 16, 1938.

LEE WILEY — Night in Manhattan (1952-2007) MONO | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Collectors' Choice Music presents a rare compilation featuring Lee Wiley's most prolific and oft-requested post-World War II extended-play platter, including three complete 10" discs that the vocalist cut for Columbia in the early '50s. When initially issued, Wiley had already experienced significant success as a traditional pop and torch singer circa the '30s. During this era she was supported by such notables as Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, and the Johnny Green-led Casa Loma Orchestra. Due to its thematic nature, this project could rightly be considered as an early Songbook or concept album. That said, it is Night in Manhattan that perhaps most accurately exemplifies the moods, sounds,and auras of The Big Apple after hours. Wiley's unmistakable voice yields a distinct, organic,and otherwise full-bodied timbre. She unleashes varying degrees of that charm, bringing to life the Great American Songbook classics "Any Time, Any Day, Anywhere" and "(I Don't Stand) A Ghost of a Chance (With You)" with her trademark sense of a distant and at times flawed vulnerability. Wiley is joined by Bobby Hackett and Joe Bushkin's Swinging Strings on Night in Manhattan. Comparatively, the Vincent Youmans and Irving Berlin anthologies offer collaborations with Stan Freeman and Cy Walter, who collectively continue building upon Wiley's considerable back catalog of similar "songbooks" cut throughout the '40s. These centered on the works of Rodgers & Hart, Cole Porter, and George & Ira Gershwin. The original decision to cover both high-profile and obscure titles alike -- such as the elegant "Tea for Two" compared to the equally engaging "Why Oh Why" -- was an inspired one to be sure. Yet it is unquestionably Sings Irving Berlin that serves up one of the finest examples of the magic that can occur when a performer is given access to songs that at times sound as if they were penned specifically for them. Supported by a single keyboard, the classics "I Got Lost in His Arms," "Fools Fall in Love" and "How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)" are haunting and ethereal -- much like Manhattan herself. Lindsay Planer
Tracklist :
1    Manhattan 3:24
Written-By – Rodgers-Hart
2    I've Got A Crush On You 3:25
Written-By – I. Gershwin-G. Gershwin
3    A Ghost Of A Chance 3:16
Written-By – Crosby, N. Washington, V. Young

4    Oh! Look At Me Now 3:08
Written-By – Bushkin, De Vries
5    How Deep Is The Ocean 2:51
Written-By – Berlin
6    Time On My Hands 2:47
Written-By – Adamson, M. Gordon, Youmans
7    Street Of Dreams 3:13
Written-By – S. Lewis, V. Young
8    A Woman's Intuition 3:31
Written-By – N. Washington, V. Young
9    Sugar 3:07
Written-By – Alexander, Pinkard, Mitchell
10    Any Time, Any Day, Anywhere 2:25
Written-By – Wiley, N. Washington, V. Young
11    Soft Lights And Sweet Music 2:32
Written-By – Berlin
12    More Than You Know 3:12
Written-By – W. Rose, Eliscu, Youmans
Credits :
Piano – Cy Walter, Joe Bushkin, Stan Freeman
Trumpet – Bobby Hackett
Vocals – Lee Wiley

KANSAS CITY 5, 6 & 7 – 1938-1944 | The Classics Chronological Series – 912 (1996) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist + Credits :

GENE KRUPA – 1949-1951 | The Chronogical Classics – 1359 (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 The 15th installment in the Classics Gene Krupa chronology opens with a big-band arrangement of a "madcap" melody by Soviet composer Dmitri Kabalevsky. The last of Krupa's Columbia records were cut in Los Angeles on May 9, 1949, with sanguine spoken outbursts and wild trumpet solos by Roy Eldridge. There's creamy singing from Bill Black and a stilted group vocal -- a routine borrowed from Tommy Dorsey -- during "Why Fall in Love with a Stranger." Delores Hawkins, heard at her sultriest on "Watch Out!," appears to be emulating Ella Fitzgerald. After more than ten years as a Columbia recording artist, Krupa switched over to Victor in March of 1950. Bassist Don Simpson wrote the arrangements for new versions of six melodies composed by Fats Waller, and for some strange reason known only to arranger George Williams, a big-band adaptation of Gene Autrey's "Dust" opens with a quote from Richard Strauss' tone poem Also Sprach Zarathustra. During the spring of 1950, Krupa began alternating his big-band dates with tight little blowing sessions featuring an old-fashioned Eddie Condon-type jazz band. Both bands featured vocalist Bobby Scoots, a lively specimen most appropriately chosen to sing the lyrics to that immortal discourse on the human condition, "Cincinnati Dancing Pig." The only antidote for this is a solid instrumental rendering of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles," one of the most popular hits of 1919, here given the ham-and-eggs treatment by a band assisting Krupa in returning to his Chicago-style roots. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :

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  
Tracklist :

EDDIE CONDON – 1942-1943 | The Chronogical Classics – 772 (1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Commodore was the perfect label for small group swing, and a natural choice for Eddie Condon at a time when major labels were often more interested in maintaining cash flow by sticking with trendier categories of musical entertainment like big name vocalists or imitation hep cat stuff for teenagers. At Commodore, the fact that Joe Sullivan was playing piano actually meant something. Milt Gabler really believed in Max Kaminsky. Anyone curious about Maxie's trumpet style should study these recordings as well as the many sides he made with Art Hodes for Blue Note. Here in Commodore territory, Kaminsky mingles nicely with Pee Wee Russell and Brad Gowans. It would be nice to be able to hear where Condon's instincts would have taken him next, but a recording ban made a big hole in the chronology. Condon's next date as a leader was for Bob Thiele's very hip Signature label on November 20, 1943. Present at the piano was Fats Waller's idol James P. Johnson, who steered the band through a lazy rendition of Waller's "Squeeze Me." Having honored the 'Harlem stride piano' component, the band dove into "That's a Plenty" as if saluting their drummer who just happened to be Tony Spargo (nee Sbarbaro) of Original Dixieland Jazz Band fame. This disc is crawling with historical heroes. On December 2, 1943 trombonist Benny Morton sat in for a couple of hot numbers and two marvelous extended sides: "Basin Street Blues" emerged as a languid meditation, while the ancient "Oh, Katherina!" received its hottest interpretation since Sam Wooding & His Chocolate Dandies performed it for the citizens of Berlin back in 1925. What makes this 1943 version kick is the drumming of Big Sid Catlett. The remaining sides from December 1943 are nothing less than charming. Some of these titles first appeared during the early 1920s, which is actually good incentive for historical research if you're into that sort of thing. The other strategy is simply to enjoy the old melodies as played by these wonderfully integrated ensembles. Even just grooving on Pee Wee Russell's individuality -- his eccentricity -- that might be as far as anybody needs to go with these fine old recordings. Maybe just listen to the music for Pee Wee's sake. Listen to that clarinet. Maybe that'll fix you right up. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :

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  
Tracklist + Credits :

WILLIE "THE LION" SMITH – 1938-1940 | The Chronogical Classics – 692 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the one Willie "the Lion" Smith CD to get. The bulk of the release features Smith on 14 piano solos from January 10, 1939, performing six standards and eight of his finest compositions. Although Smith (with his derby hat and cigar) could look quite tough, he was actually a sensitive player whose chord structures were very original and impressionistic. On such numbers as "Echoes of Spring" (his most famous work), "Passionette," "Rippling Waters," and "Morning Air," Smith was at his most expressive. In addition, this CD has a couple of collaborations with fellow pianists Joe Bushkin and Jess Stacy and a four-song 1940 swing/Dixieland 1940 session with an octet featuring trumpeter Sidney DeParis. Because of the classic piano solos, this memorable set is quite essential. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

ELLA FITZGERALD – 1945-1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 998 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Welcome to a richly rewarding segment of the all too often overlooked plateau that lies between Ella Fitzgerald's recordings with Chick Webb's orchestra during the second half of the 1930s and her triumphant reign as one of the world's most popular jazz singers during the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. The recordings she made between February 26, 1945, and March 1, 1947, illustrate this woman's amazing versatility as she teamed up with an extraordinarily variegated range of vocalists and instrumentalists. Her pleasant collaborations with the Ink Spots and the Delta Rhythm Boys and a few titles with big-band accompaniment serve as appetizers for "Stone Cold Dead in the Market (He Had It Coming)," a disturbingly funny calypso number featuring Louis Jordan & His Tympany 5. Here Ella and Louis put across a performance even more outrageous than Sarah Vaughan's eccentric West Indian suicide song "De Gas Pipe She's Leaking, Joe." While Jordan's band grinds out spicy Caribbean dance music, Ella proudly explains how, fed up with being physically abused, she beat her husband to death with various kitchen utensils. Jordan, who calmly states that he's singing his portion of the duet while stretched out inanimate in the shopping district, admits that he was an abusive drunkard who often beat his wife. This incredibly humorous sendup of the horribly tragic and all too common specter of domestic violence leading to homicide is sustained largely by the female vocalist, who repeatedly describes her husband-killing technique, defiantly exclaims "he had it coming," and even communes with the spirit of Bessie Smith by insisting that she'd do it again even "if I was to die in the electric chair." This interesting compilation also contains a pair of duets with Louis Armstrong, some pleasant performances backed by bands led by pianists Billy Kyle and Eddie Heywood, and some really wild V-Disc collaborations with drummer and scat singer Buddy Rich. Never a dull moment! arwulf arwulf  
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BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1375 (2004) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist + Credits :

BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1946-1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1385 (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Volume 29 in the Classics Benny Goodman chronology lands right on the cusp of this bandleader's transition from Columbia to Capitol and his stylistic progression from swing to bop. The Columbia sides, cut between August 29 and October 22, 1946, are a mixed bag of vocal pop, mood music with strings, jazz standards played by a sextet and big-band dance tunes including a lively version of "Under the Double Eagle," arranged by pianist Joe Bushkin and newly titled as "Benjie's Bubble." Audible only as one-fifth of the unified sax section, tenor saxophonist and Lester Young devotee Zoot Sims worked with Goodman during October 1946 without ever getting a chance to solo on record. Guitarist Barney Kessel did, right after Eve Young's vocal on "That's the Beginning of the End." Recorded at the tail-end of that same session on October 22, 1946, two energetic, bop-inflected sextet performances clearly preface the stylistic territory that lay ahead. Here Kessel sounds at home in the company of vibraphonist Johnny White, pianist Joe Bushkin, bassist Harry Babasin and drummer Louie Bellson. The beginning of Goodman's tenure as a Capitol recording artist is documented here with records he made between January 28 and March 28, 1947. The first Capitol session opens with Mary Lou Williams' delightfully modernistic opus "Lonely Moments." The flip side features group whistling scored for the entire band on her "Whistle Blues." A survey of personnel reveals an almost entirely reconstituted 17-piece ensemble, with vocals by Johnny Mercer and Matt Dennis. Tracks 15 through 25 are trio, quartet and quintet exercises largely featuring the facile jazz accordion of Ernice Felice, a squeezebox innovator who came up in San Jose, CA. Quite different from Goodman's more conventional Columbia recordings. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :

JOE MARSALA – 1936-1942 | The Classics Chronological Series – 763 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

All 21 of clarinetist Joe Marsala's early recordings as a leader are on this enjoyable CD. An excellent swing clarinetist who was flexible enough to play hot on Dixieland records, Marsala's six sessions reflect his versatile musical tastes. Among his more celebrated sidemen on these formerly rare selections are trumpeters Marty Marsala (his brother), Pee Wee Erwin, Bill Coleman, and Max Kaminsky, trombonist George Brunies, altoist Pete Brown, violinist Ray Biondi, drummers Buddy Rich and Shelly Manne (both making their recording debuts), and several fine rhythm sections. Marsala's wife, Adele Girard, the first great jazz harpist, is notably added on 11 of the numbers. Her hot harp playing on "Bull's Eye" and "I Know That You Know" steals the show. Highly recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

JOE BUSHKIN – 1940-1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1434 (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Joe Bushkin (1916-2004) was a fine swing pianist who operated in a groove similar to that of Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacy or Joe Sullivan. He worked with Bunny Berigan, Billie Holiday, Artie Shaw and Eddie Condon, then with Tommy Dorsey and young Frank Sinatra until 1942 whereupon he transferred most of his energies to the war effort by blowing trumpet in the United States Army Air Corps Band until 1946. Bushkin's postwar career would involve him briefly with Benny Goodman's band, in an excursion to Brazil with tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman and subsequently in New York's theater and nightclub scene. In 2007, the Classics Chronological Series took on the Joe Bushkin discography, beginning with his first solo Commodore session of May 17, 1940 (tracks one through five); lining up master takes from three subsequent Commodore dates and rounding off the album with four solid Savoy sides cut in Los Angeles at some undetermined point during the year 1946. Some of these recordings are uncommon and have been sought after for years by jazz lovers. Bushkin's harmonic sensibilities make his "Serenade in Thirds" the most attractive of the 1940 solos. An inspired threesome, Joe Bushkin's Blue Boys waxed five titles on March 28, 1941. "Morgan's Blues" spotlights string bassist Al Morgan and trumpeter Hot Lips Page is featured on the other four tunes. On May 23, 1944 Joe Bushkin waxed another five sides for Commodore, this time with bassist Sid Weiss and drummer Cozy Cole. The following day Bushkin, Weiss and drummer Specs Powell backed trumpeter Ernie Thomas Figueroa, trombonist Bill Harris and 18-year-old tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims; what a thrill to hear a teenage Zoot riding the swift and straightforward changes of "Pickin' at the Pic." The Savoy session of 1946 (tracks twenty through twenty-three) resulted in four choice cuts, rendered pleasantly cool by the lightly amplified guitar of Barney Kessel with subtle support from bassist Harry Babasin. Bushkin's technique at this point brings to mind the dexterity of Nat King Cole, a master pianist who would soon all but abandon the instrument in order to focus his energies on singing pop tunes for mass consumption. The next leg of Joe Bushkin's career would find him recording for V-Disc, MGM, Atlantic, Columbia and Capitol. Hearing this artist's recordings laid out neatly session by session is a wonderful treat for which many listeners are and will continue to be grateful. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :

JOE BUSHKIN – 1947-1950 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1459 (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 2007 the Classics Chronological Series began reissuing every recording known to have been made by pianist Joe Bushkin (1916-2004), starting with the Commodore and Savoy sessions of 1940-1946. Released in 2008, the sequel to that amazing collection delves even deeper into the discographical dilemma of Bushkin's recording activities by tracing his movements during the years 1947-1950, beginning with six sides by Joe Bushkin & His Rhythm that originally appeared on 10" Royale and Rondo-lette LPs. This grab bag of obscure delights includes V-Disc jams, collaborations with cornetist Bobby Hackett and trumpeters Buck Clayton and Roy Eldridge, a smart take of "I May Be Wrong" sung by Liza Morrow, and a two-part romp through "Indiana" drawn from an MGM sampler called Maggie Fisher's Piano Playhouse. Tracks 15-24 are piano solos, recorded on February 24 and 25, 1950, and issued on one of the first-ever Atlantic LPs, I Love a Piano. A marvelous improviser and a skilled interpreter of popular melodies with a background in both Chicago-style and big-band swing, Joe Bushkin was now helping to establish the great mid-20th century genre of keyboard mood music. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :

LEONARD FEATHER – 1937-1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 901 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This very interesting CD reissues six diverse sessions organized and led by jazz critic Leonard Feather, who plays piano or celeste on 11 of the 22 selections (including all of the music during the final two dates). On their two dates, Feather's British Olde English Swynge Band performs swing versions of English folk songs in 1937 and 1938, including "There's a Tavern in the Town," "Colonel Bogey March," and "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes"; the tenor of Buddy Featherstonhaugh (on the earlier session) and trumpeter Dave Wilkins are the solo stars of the rare performances. Better known are Feather's two All Star Jam Bands, which feature such notables as cornetist Bobby Hackett, altoist Pete Brown, Benny Carter (doubling on alto and trumpet), and clarinetist Joe Marsala on some unusual material, including "Jammin' the Waltz." Eccentric singer Leo Watson's spots on "For He's a Jolly Good Feather" and "Let's Get Happy" (based on "Happy Birthday") are memorable. A 1944 all-star group finds Feather comping decently behind trumpeter Buck Clayton (featured on "Scram!"), clarinetist Edmond Hall, and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, while the final set has four basic chord changes (mostly blues) explored by both Feather and fellow writer Dan Burley on pianos; guitarist Tiny Grimes easily takes honors. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

MUGGSY SPANIER – 1939-1942 | The Classics Chronological Series – 709 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Well, let's put it this way. If you were to choose one Muggsy Spanier collection out of his portion of the Classics Chronological Series (or any edition on any other label for that matter), let it be Classics 709, which contains all of the essential material from every session he led between July 7, 1939 and June 1, 1942. This includes the master takes from Spanier's Bluebird "Ragtime Band" sessions of 1939, which are generally considered to have been the apex of his entire career. Participants in these joyous and staunchly traditional proceedings included singing trombonist George Brunies, master clarinetist Rod Cless, tenor saxophonists Ray McKinstry, Bernie Billings and Nick Caiazza, and pianists Joe Bushkin and George Zack. From the languid reflectivity of "Relaxin' at the Touro" to the punchy rowdiness of "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate," this is the very best of the music Muggsy Spanier left to posterity, and it virtually defines the entire genre of Chicago-style New Orleans-inspired traditional jazz. What makes this collection even finer and more useful is the addition of eight lesser-known Decca recordings cut in January and June 1942, with Caiazza joined at times by clarinetist Irving Fazola and someone named Benny Goodman operating both the black stick and the alto sax. Vocals throughout this delightful collection are as follows: George Brunies sings "Big Butter and Egg Man," "Dinah," and "Sister Kate"; trombonist Ford Leary arm wrestles Vernon Dalhart, as it were, in "The Wreck of the Old 97," and Dottie Reid croons "More Than You Know." The most important ingredient, of course, is the wonderful cornet of Muggsy Spanier, who Lester Young gently christened "Muddy Spaniels." arwulf arwulf
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BOBBY HACKETT – 1948-1954 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1403 (2005) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The third installment in the Classics Bobby Hackett chronology examines the recordings he made between June 22, 1948, and November 7, 1954. The compilation opens with two superb five-minute V-Disc jams introduced by Hackett and Eddie Condon, who organized this and dozens of other traditional jazz get-togethers during the 1940s. The front line of Hackett, Cutty Cutshall, Peanuts Hucko, and Ernie Caceres worked wonders. "You Do Something to Me" is a marvelous trumpet/piano duet with Joe Bushkin recorded during the second AFM recording ban; in their spoken introduction they even mention the organization's president, a Mr. Petrillo. Two quintet sessions for Columbia dating from the late summer and early autumn of 1950 combine Dixieland repertoire with relaxed swing standards; Hackett's rendering of "A Room with a View" is particularly beautiful. An unattributed vocal choir intrudes upon an unissued recording of "Sleepy Head"; this turns out to have been a premonition of production values yet to come, as Hackett's next date as a leader (Capitol Records, May 11,1953) would find him accompanied by a rhythm section augmented with four violas and a cello. This combination actually worked rather well; the fact that Hackett had Lou Stein, Billy Bauer, Arnold Fishkin, and Denzil Best in the group helped to temper the effect of the strings, which in any case were all low key, literally speaking. Hackett sounds as relaxed and sophisticated as ever on the concluding tracks, which were recorded on November 7, 1954. By this time the Capitol studios and conductor Glenn Osser were backing him with French horns, woodwinds (including flute and oboe), and a classical harp wafting away next to the rhythm section. Fortunately, the ensemble is kept under control and Hackett sounds just as happy here as he did with his old cohorts from the Condon Mob. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits : 

BUNNY BERIGAN AND HIS BOYS – 1935-1936 | The Classics Chronological Series – 734 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bunny Berigan began his prime stretch of solo recordings with this collection of songs cut between 1935-1936. Berigan still worked as a sideman for the likes of Benny Goodman during this period, and he even did some session and film work, but it is his own material which has solidified his reputation as a top figure of the big band era. And while later sides from 1937-1939 would trump some of the ones included here, this collection still brims over with exciting and tight material from a variety of Berigan contingents. In addition to his first stab at "I Can't Get Started" (somewhat inferior to the classic version from 1937), Berigan is featured on a bevy of small group and a large ensemble highlights, like "Chicken and Waffles" and "Blues." There's also a clutch of songs cut under pianist and Goodman-alum Frank Froeba's leadership, which spotlight the pleasant-enough vocal talents of Midge Williams and Chris Bullock. Also on hand, jazz royalty like Artie Shaw, Cozy Cole, Eddie Condon, and Bud Freeman. A fine mix from Berigan's early heyday. Stephen Cook  
Tracklist :
1    Bunny Berigan And His Blue Boys–    You Took Advantage Of Me 3:24
Written-By – Rodgers - Hart
2    Bunny Berigan And His Blue Boys–    Chicken And Waffles 3:00
Written-By – Berigan
3    Bunny Berigan And His Blue Boys–    I'm Coming Virginia 2:44
Written-By – Heywood
4    Bunny Berigan And His Blue Boys–    Blues 3:00
Written-By – Berigan
5    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    It's Been So Long 2:45
Written-By – Adamson, Donaldson
6    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    I'd Rather Lead A Band 2:00
Written-By – Berlin
7    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    Let Yourself Go 2:00
Written-By – Berlin
8    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    Swing, Mister Charlie 3:06
Vocals – Chick Bullock
Written By – Robinson - Taylor - Brooks
9    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    A Melody From The Sky 1:58
Vocals – Chick Bullock
Written-By – Alter, Mitchell
10    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    I Can't Get Started 3:22
Vocals – Bunny Berigan
Written-By – Ira Gershwin, Vernon Duke
11    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    A Little Bit Later On 2:50
Vocals – Chick Bullock
Written-By – Neiburg, Levinson
12    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    Rhythm Saved The World 1:50
Vocals – Chick Bullock
Written-By – Cahn, Chaplin
13    Frank Froeba And His Swing Band–    Just To Be In Caroline 2:59
Vocals – Tempo King
Written By – Hines - Carpenter - Dunlap
Written-By – Carpenter, Hines
14    Frank Froeba And His Swing Band–    'Tain't Nobody's Biz'ness What I Do 2:29
Vocals – Tempo King
Written By – Brown - Sampsel - Markowitz
15    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    I Nearly Let Love Go Slipping Thru' My Fingers 1:47
Written-By – Woods
16    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    But Definitely 2:09
Written-By – Revel, Gordon
17    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    If I Had My Way 2:03
Written-By – Kendis, Klein
18    Bunny Berigan And His Boys–    When I'm With You 2:45
Vocals – Chick Bullock
Written-By – Revel, Gordon
19    Frank Froeba And His Swing Band–    Whatcha Gonna Do When There Ain't No Swing? 3:16
Vocals – Midge Williams
Written-By – Neiburg, Levinson
20    Frank Froeba And His Swing Band–    Organ Grinder's Swing 3:08
Vocals – Midge Williams
Written-By – De Lange, Hudson
21    Frank Froeba And His Swing Band–    Rhythm Lullaby 2:59
Vocals – Midge Williams
Written By – Jenkins
22    Frank Froeba And His Swing Band–    It All Begins And Ends With You 3:12
Vocals – Midge Williams
Written By – Klages - Froeba - Palmer
Written-By – Froeba, Klages
Credits :    
Bass – Artie Bernstein (tracks: 13, 14), Artie Shapiro (tracks: 19 to 22), Grachan Moncur (tracks: 1 to 4), Mort Stuhlmaker (tracks: 5 to 12, 15 to 18)
Clarinet – Artie Shaw (tracks: 9, 10), Joe Marsala (tracks: 5 to 8, 13, 14, 19 to 22), Paul Ricci (tracks: 11, 12), Slats Long (tracks: 15 to 18)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Edgar Sampson (tracks: 1 to 4)
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Eddie Miller (tracks: 1 to 4)
Drums – Cozy Cole (tracks: 9 to 12, 15 to 22), Dave Tough (tracks: 5 to 8), Maurice Purtill (tracks: 13, 14), Ray Bauduc (tracks: 1 to 4)
Guitar – Bobby Bennett (tracks: 19 to 22), Clayton Duerr (tracks: 13, 14), Dave Barbour (tracks: 5 to 8), Eddie Condon (tracks: 9 to 12, 15 to 18)
Piano – Cliff Jackson (tracks: 1 to 4), Frank Froeba (tracks: 13, 14, 19 to 22), Joe Bushkin (tracks: 5 to 12, 15 to 18)
Tenor Saxophone – Art Drelinger (tracks: 19 to 22), Bud Freeman (tracks: 5 to 8), Forrest Crawford (tracks: 5 to 12), Herbie Haymer (tracks: 13, 14)
Trombone – Jack Lacey (tracks: 15 to 18)
Trumpet – Bunny Berigan

BUNNY BERIGAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1936-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 749 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These 23 Berigan sides chronicle a time when the trumpeter was in between being a sideman and putting together his own band. After scoring several solo triumphs with Tommy Dorsey's outfit in 1937 ("Marie," "Song of India"), Berigan organized a mid-sized combo which included such standouts as tenor saxophonist George Auld, pianist Joe Bushkin, and drummer George Wettling. The heyday to come, with Buddy Rich behind the drum kit and a signature reading of "I Can't Get Started," were still about a year off. In the meantime, Berigan and company made out fine with a mix of tight arrangements and the maestro's top-notch solo work. This Classics disc features a sampling of those small group recordings ("All God's Chillun' Got Rhythm," "Swanee River"), plus some of Berigan's first sides with his big band. In spite of a few questionable transfers here and there, the disc has good sound quality throughout. Be that as it may, this installment in Classics' chronological series is still best suited for seasoned Berigan fans. Stephen Cook  
Tracklist :
1     That Foolish Feeling 2:47
Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh
Vocals – Art Gentry
2     Where Are You? 3:08
Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh
Vocals – Art Gentry    
3     In a Little Spanish Town 2:42
Sam M. Lewis / Mabel Wayne / Joe Young
4     The Goona Goo 2:50
Fred E. Ahlert / Harry Reser / Joe Young
Vocals – Art Gentry    
5     Who's Afraid of Love? 2:47
Sidney Mitchell / Lew Pollack
Vocals – Art Gentry    
6     One in a Million 2:40
Sidney Mitchell / Lew Pollack
Vocals – Art Gentry
7     Blue Lou 2:46
Irving Mills / Edgar Sampson
8     I'm Gonna Kiss Myself Goodbye 2:27
Mack Gordon
Vocals – Johnny Hauser    
9     Big Boy Blue 2:13
Dan Howell / Jack Lawrence / Peter Tinturin
Vocals – Johnny Hauser
10     Dixieland Shuffle 2:54
Bob Haggart / Gil Rodin    
11     Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love) 3:10
Cole Porter
12     You Can't Run Away from Love Tonight 3:00
Al Dubin / Harry Warren
Vocals – Carol McKay
13     'Cause My Baby Says It's So 2:48
Al Dubin / Harry Warren
Vocals – Bunny Berigan
14     Carelessly 3:06
Norman Ellis / Nick A. Kenny
Vocals – Carol McKay
15     All Dark People Are Light on Their Feet 2:22
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
Vocals – Ford Leary    
16     The First Time I Saw You 2:16
Allie Wrubel
Vocals – Ford Leary    
17     Love Is a Merry-Go-Round 3:00
Rube Bloom / Johnny Mercer
Vocals – Sue Mitchell     
18     The Image of You 2:50
Fred E. Ahlert / Joe Young
Vocals – Sue Mitchell     
19     I'm Happy, Darling, Dancing With You 2:59
Fred E. Ahlert / Joe Young
Vocals – Sue Mitchell
20     Swanee River 2:20
Stephen Foster
21     All God's Chillun Got Rhythm 2:20
Walter Jurmann / Gus Kahn / Bronislaw Kaper
Vocals – Ruth Bradley
22     The Lady from Fifth Avenue 2:26
Teddy Powell / Walter Samuels / Leonard Whitcup
Vocals – Ruth Bradley
23     Let's Have Another Cigarette 2:39
Herbert Magidson / Allie Wrubel
Vocals – Ruth Bradley

BUNNY BERIGAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937-1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 785 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Trees 3:17
Rasbach / Arranged By – Abe Osser
2    Russian Lullaby     3:04
Berlin
3    Can't Help Lovin' That Man     2:35
Kern / Hammerstein
4    Piano Tuner Man 3:31
Rose / Duke
Vocals – Gail Reese
5    Heigh-Ho (The Dwarfs' Marching Song) 2:43
Churchill / Morey
Vocals – Gail Reese
6    A Serenade To The Stars 3:14
Adamson / McHugh
Vocals – Gail Reese
7    Outside Of Paradise 2:57
Tinturin / Lawrence
Vocals – Gail Reese
8    Down Stream 3:20
Lawrence / Nieson / Milton
Vocals – Gail Reese
9    Sophisticated Swing 3:30
Hudson / Parish
Vocals – Gail Reese
10    Caravan Lovelight In The Starlight 3:04
Freed / Hollander
Vocals – Gail Reese
11    Rinka Tinka Man 3:15
Shelton
Vocals – Gail Reese
12    An Old Straw Hat 3:16
Gordon / Revel
Vocals – Gail Reese
13    I Dance Alone 2:45
Kessler / Sillman
Vocals – Gail Reese
14    Never Felt Better, Never Had Less 3:13
Baer / Heff
Vocals – Ruth Gaylor
15    I've Got A Guy 3:01
Sunshine
Vocals – Ruth Gaylor
16    Moonshine Over Kentucky 3:00
Mitchell / Pollack
Vocals – Ruth Gaylor
17    Round The Old Deserted Farm 3:21
Robison
Vocals – Ruth Gaylor
18    Azure     3:15
Duke Ellington
19    Somewhere With Somebody Else 2:55
Leslie / Burke
Vocals – Dick Wharton
20    It's The Little Things That Count 3:23
Gillespie / Simmons
Vocals – Ruth Gaylor
21    Wacky Dust 2:52
Adams / Levant
Vocals – Ruth Gaylor
22    The Wearin' Of The Green 3:31
Arranged By – Joe Lippman
Credits :    
Bass – Hank Wayland
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Joe Dixon, Mike Doty
Drums – Dave Tough (tracks: 4 to 13), George Wettling (tracks: 1 to 3), Johnny Blowers (tracks: 14 to 22)
Guitar – Dick Wharton (tracks: 14 to 22), Tom Morgan (5) (tracks: 1 to 13)
Piano – Fulton McGrath (tracks: 4 to 7), C. Graham Forbes (tracks: 8 to 13), Joe Bushkin (tracks: 19 to 22), Joe Lippman* (tracks: 1 to 3, 14 to 18)
Tenor Saxophone – Clyde Rounds, George Auld
Trombone – Al George (tracks: 1 to 18), Nat Lobovsky (tracks: 14 to 22), Ray Conniff (tracks: 19 to 22), Sonny Lee (tracks: 1 to 13)
Trumpet – Bunny Berigan, Irving Goodman, Steve Lipkins