PEETIE WHEATSTRAW — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 6 · 1938- 1940 | DOCD-5246 (1994) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Vol. 6 in the complete works of Peetie Wheatstraw as reissued by Document covers a timeline from October 1938 to April 1940, opening with the last three recordings on which he ever played piano and following his progress through a fine swing-inflected session that took place in New York with pianist Sammy Price, guitarist Teddy Bunn, and drummer O'Neil Spencer; a real Chicago blues outing with guitarist Lonnie Johnson and harmonica handler Rhythm Willie Hood, and the first five titles from a phenomenally satisfying date featuring three of New York's greatest jazz musicians: trumpeter Jonah Jones, pianist Lil Hardin Armstrong, and drummer Big Sid Catlett. While Peetie had previously made records that ventured into jazz territory (see "Throw Me in the Alley" with trombonist Ike Rodgers on Vol. 2), interacting with musicians of this caliber was a fresh development and hearing him in this company is a treat not to be missed. Note that Sam Price dutifully played Wheatstraw's signature intro on the first version of "Possum Den Blues," then abandoned it on take two and never looked back. Why did Peetie cease playing piano for keeps on his own records in 1939? According to an informed theory advanced by his biographer Paul Garon, Peetie's relations with the musicians' union might have deteriorated to the point where he was permitted to sing in a recording studio but not to play any instruments. In any case, what you get here is an excellent sampler of Peetie Wheatstraw's later work that taps into four decidedly different sessions, including the only date he ever shared with a jazz trumpeter. "I Want Some Sea Food" was partly inspired by Fats Waller's recording of "Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood Mama)," which was cut about nine months earlier. Peetie's tune references vaginal pungency even more directly than his 1936 recording (see Vol. 3) of "The First Shall Be Last and the Last Shall Be First," which contains a reference to limburger cheese. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1.    Black Horse Blues 3:08
Drums – Unknown Artist
Guitar – Lonnie Johnson 
Vocals, Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
2.    Sugar Mama 3:06
Drums – Unknown Artist
Guitar – Lonnie Johnson
Vocals, Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
3.    Me No Lika You 3:04
Drums – Unknown Artist
Guitar – Lonnie Johnson 
Vocals, Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
4.    Possum Den Blues (take A) 2:50
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Piano – Sam Price
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
5.    Possum Den Blues (take B) 2:54
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Guitar [Uncredited] – Teddy Bunn
Piano – Sam Price
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
6.    Little Low Mellow Mama 2:56
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Guitar – Teddy Bunn
Piano – Sam Price
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
7.    A Working Man's Blues 2:54
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Guitar – Teddy Bunn
Piano – Sam Price
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
8.    One To Twelve (Just As Show) 3:06
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Guitar – Teddy Bunn
Piano – Sam Price
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
9.    Let's Talk Things Over 2:48
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Guitar – Teddy Bunn
Piano – Sam Price
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
10.    Sinking Sun Blues 2:52
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Guitar – Teddy Bunn
Piano – Sam Price
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
11.    Easy Way Blues 2:48
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Guitar – Teddy Bunn
Piano – Sam Price
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
12.    Machine Gun Blues 2:46
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Guitar – Teddy Bunn
Piano – Sam Price
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
13.    Beer Tavern 2:30
Drums – Unknown Artist
Guitar [Prob.] – Lonnie Johnson 
Piano [Poss.] – Lee Brown
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
14.    You Can't Stop Me From Drinking 2:31
Drums – Unknown Artist
Guitar [Prob.] – Lonnie Johnson 
Harmonica [Prob.] – Rhythm Willie
Piano [Poss.] – Lee Brown
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
15.    I Want Some Sea Food 2:32
Drums – Unknown Artist
Guitar [Prob.] – Lonnie Johnson 
Harmonica [Prob.] – Rhythm Willie
Piano [Poss.] – Lee Brown
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
16.    Rolling Chair 2:30
Drums – Unknown Artist
Guitar [Prob.] – Lonnie Johnson 
Harmonica [Prob.] – Rhythm Willie
Piano [Poss.] – Lee Brown
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
17.    Love Bug Blues 2:37
Drums – Unknown Artist
Guitar [Prob.] – Lonnie Johnson
Harmonica [Prob.] – Rhythm Willie
Piano [Poss.] – Lee Brown
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
18.    Confidence Man 2:23
Drums – Unknown Artist
Guitar [Prob.] – Lonnie Johnson 
Harmonica [Prob.] – Rhythm Willie
Piano [Poss.] – Lee Brown
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
19.    Big Apple Blues 2:55
Drums – Sid Catlett
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
20.    Big Money Blues 2:52
Drums – Sid Catlett
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
21.    Chicago Mill Blues 2:45
Drums – Sid Catlett
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
22.    Five Minutes Blues 2:49
Drums – Sid Catlett
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw
23.    Two Time Mama 3:02
Drums – Sid Catlett
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw 

PEETIE WHEATSTRAW — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 7 · 1940- 1941 | DOCD-5247 (1994) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Volume seven in Document's complete Peetie Wheatstraw chronology contains his last 23 recordings which were made in New York and Chicago during the years 1940 and 1941. Instrumentally, this album is similar to volume six in that Wheatstraw is backed by blues and jazz musicians who deliver a more varied series of performances, breaking what some may regard as the textural and melodic predictability of his many previous recordings. Peetie's accompanists include pianists Lil Hardin Armstrong and Jack Dupree, trumpeter Jonah Jones, drummer O'Neil Spencer, blues harpist Robert Lee McCoy, and an unidentified tenor saxophonist on the "Old Organ Blues," the eerily titled "Hearse Man Blues," and "Bring Me Flowers While I'm Living." Jones' trumpet obligato is at times arrestingly beautiful, and these laid-back recordings hint at where Peetie was headed as an artist. He could have done very well in the postwar era, easing into what the industry began calling rhythm & blues, and very likely becoming a hero of early rock & roll. His sudden death, brought on by reckless driving and the legalized liquor he so emphatically prized over prohibition hooch, was a terrible tragedy for his family, his friends, and posterity. Peetie and his wife lived at 468A North Third Street in East St. Louis. Horrifically, the car crash that took his life occurred less than a block away from home, and his wife witnessed the accident without at first realizing that he had been in the car. It was Sunday, December 21, 1941, and Peetie was celebrating his 39th birthday. Intending to track down some good liquor, he piled into a Buick for a joyride with his friends Will Rainey, Ronnie Self, and Big Joe Williams, after inviting Teddy Darby along for the ride with the words "C'mon, let's go blow this Buick out." Darby declined the offer and they drove off in search of booze. A little later, Joe (who according to his own recollection was inebriated and getting "evil") stumbled out of the Buick to catch a streetcar to his home in St. Louis. Glancing through the window of the Buick he saw Peetie sitting in the back seat, smiling and strumming his guitar. What happened next is a tragically over-the-top drunk driving story. It was 11:30 A.M. and the rolling party was heading back home. Attempting at high speed to round a curve in Third Street near Illinois Avenue, whoever was behind the wheel lost control as the Buick careened up an embankment and smack into the back end of an immobile Louisville & Nashville Railroad freight train with such force that ten cars moved 25 feet. All three men were thrown from the car, Rainey and Ronnie were killed instantly, and Peetie died in a hospital nearly five hours later. This story differs from the widely circulated legend of a daredevil racing to beat a locomotive at a crossing, but the results were the same. At the time of his death, Wheatstraw was one of Decca's best-selling blues artists, still considered worthy competition for Bluebird's star, singing pianist Walter Davis. The range of Peetie's influence was profound and included Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Williams, Georgia Slim, B.B. King, and most emphatically, James Sherrill, aka Peanut the Kidnapper. Artists whose billing included references to Wheatstraw were Floyd "Dipper Boy" Council ("The Devil's Daddy-In-Law"); Jimmie Gordon ("Peetie Wheatstraw's Brother"); Robert Lee McCoy ("Peetie's Boy"), and Harmon Ray, billed either as Herman "Peetie Wheatstraw" Ray or "Peetie Wheatstraw's Buddy." The Wheatstraw legend refuses to die, and as his records continue to be reissued, no label has come close to honoring this artist so thoroughly as Document has with its seven-volume set of his complete recorded works in chronological order. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1.    Jaybird Blues    3:01
2.    Suicide Blues    2:57
3.    Pocket Knife Blues    3:05
4.    Gangster's Blues    2:44
5.    Cuttin' 'Em Slow    2:57
6.    Look Out For Yourself    2:55
7.    No 'Count Woman    3:21
8.    What's That?    3:10
9.    I Don't Feel Sleepy    2:35
10.    My Little Bit    2:36
11.    Seeing Is Believing    2:44
12.    The Good Lawd's Children    2:55
13.    You Got To Tell Me Something    2:51
14.    Love Me With Attention    2:42
15.    I'm A Little Piece Of Leather    2:50
16.    Don't Put Yourself On The Spot    2:34
17.    Old Organ Blues    2:24
18.    Hearse Man Blues    2:28
19.    Bring Me Flowers While I'm Living    2:28
20.    Pawn Broker Blues    2:24
21.    Southern Girl Blues    2:25
22.    Mister Livingood    2:22
23.    Separation Day Blues    2:29
Credits : 
Bass – Unknown Artist (tracks: 16 to 23)
Compilation Producer – Johnny Parth
Drums – Sid Catlett (tracks: 1 to 8)
Harmonica [Poss.] – Robert Lee McCoy (tracks: 9 to 15)
Liner Notes – Paul Garon
Piano – Lil Armstrong (tracks: 1 to 8)
Piano [Poss.] – Lil Armstrong (tracks: 9 to 23)
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Tenor Saxophone [Almost Certainly] – Chu Berry (tracks: 16 to 19)
Trumpet – Jonah Jones (tracks: 1 to 8)
Vocals – Peetie Wheatstraw 

GEORGIA WHITE — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 4 · 1939-1941 (1994) DOCD-5304 | RM | FLAC (tracks), lossless

The fourth and final volume of Georgia White's complete recorded works as compiled and reissued by Document during the 1990s is packed with 24 titles recorded for the Decca label in Chicago and New York between May 1939 and March 1941. During this period she collaborated with pianist Blind John Davis, bassist John Lindsay, and guitarist Teddy Bunn, often singing at a relaxed and perhaps more traditionally staid pace than was customary for this often spunky vocalist, although "Hydrant Love" and "Do It Again" do have a bit of a kick to them. Wesley Wilson's "Take Me for a Buggy Ride" was solidly identified with Bessie Smith when White recorded it just a couple of years after the death of the Empress, and "'Tain't Nobody's Fault But Yours" is one of several Porter Grainger compositions linking White with her predecessors in the grand tradition of female blues. On "Panama Limited" she sounds more than a little like Victoria Spivey. The bands backing her on the second half of this collection included trumpeter Jonah Jones, clarinetist Fess Williams, pianist Lil Hardin Armstrong, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Walter Martin -- real swing musicians, whose participation successfully undermines the artificially imposed boundaries between blues and jazz. This remarkable vocalist deserves much more recognition than has ever come her way, and one can only hope that careful remastering, judicious marketing, and growing interest among youthful listeners will serve her memory with the respect that she deserves. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1.        How Do You Think I Feel    2:56
2.        Fire In The Mountain    3:04
3.        When The Red Sun Turns To Gray    3:01
4.        Hydrant Love    2:35
5.        Do It Again    2:54
6.        Beggin' My Daddy    2:28
7.        What Have You Done To Me?    2:41
8.        Take Me For A Buggy Ride    2:36
9.        Furniture Man    3:06
10.        I'm Doing What My Heart Says Do    2:30
11.        You Got To Drop The Sack    2:21
12.        'Tain't Nobody's Fault But Yours    2:25
13.        Worried Head Blues    2:26
14.        Jazzin' Babies Blues    2:55
15.        Papa Pleaser    2:45
16.        Sensation Blues    2:44
17.        Late Hour Blues    2:37
18.        Panama Limited Blues    2:41
19.        You Ought To Be Ashamed Of Yourself    2:48
20.        Mail Plane Blues    2:32
21.        Mama Knows What Papa Wants When Papa's Feeling Blue    2:25
22.        Come Around To My House    2:37
23.        Territory Blues    2:21
24.        When You're Away    2:49
Credits : 
Alto Saxophone – Unknown Artist (tracks: 9 to 13)
Clarinet – Fess Williams (tracks: 14 to 19)
Compiled By, Producer – Johnny Parth
Double Bass – John Lindsay (tracks: 1 to 3), Unknown Artist (tracks: 20 to 24)
Double Bass [Prob.] – Milt Hinton (tracks: 4 to 8)
Drums – Unknown Artist (tracks: 9 to 13), Walter Martin (tracks: 14 to 19)
Guitar – Teddy Bunn (tracks: 1 to 8), Unknown Artist (tracks: 20 to 24)
Liner Notes – Colin J. Bray
Music Librarian [Original Recordings From The Collections Of] – Bob Graf, Daniel Gugolz, Johnny Parth, Roger Misiewicz, Tom Tsotsi, Werner Benecke 
Piano – Georgia White (tracks: 14 to 24), Sammy Price (tracks: 1 to 8)
Piano [Prob.] – Georgia White (tracks: 9 to 13)
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Trumpet – Jonah Jones (tracks: 14 to 19)
Vocals – Georgia White 

FRANKIE "Half-Pint" JAXON — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 3 · 1937-1940 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After cutting records with the Harlem Hamfats in Chicago during the years 1937 and 1938, Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon made his final recordings in New York City in 1939 and 1940 with bands that included trumpeters Jonah Jones and Henry "Red" Allen, Ellingtonians Barney Bigard and Wellman Braud, and veteran pianist Lil Hardin Armstrong. Although Half Pint's old-time sense of humor is fully present with songs like "They Put the Big Britches on Me," "Take Off Them Hips," "Turn Over," "Let Me Ride Your Train," "You Know Jam Don't Shake," and "You Can't Put That Monkey on My Back," he came across more smoothly backed by some of the Apple's best instrumentalists playing Harlem-styled swing. The highly sexualized "She Loves So Good" is an update of a profoundly lewd and libidinous original that Half Pint recorded a few years earlier with Tampa Red's Hokum Jug Band, along with a steamily erotic version of Leroy Carr's "How Long, How Long Blues." The third and last volume in Document's chronological history of Frankie Jaxon also contains a boogie-woogie adaptation of Half Pint's theme song, "Fan It," which was fast becoming a hit for artists as diverse as Woody Herman and Bill Boyd's Cowboy Ramblers. Jaxon is said to have quit performing in 1941, whereupon he secured a steady job as a United States government worker in the Pentagon. Transferred to Los Angeles in 1944, he either died there shortly afterwards or survived all the way into 1970, depending upon which biographical sources you wish to believe. When in 1994 Document reissued no less than 69 recordings by this amazing entertainer, few people realized what a precious gift had been bestowed upon an unsuspecting public. Watch out for Half Pint, this little guy is dynamite. His sense of humor and passionate delivery is likely to grow on you. arwulf arwulf

Tracklist :
1.    Prince Budda And His Boys–    When A Woman Gets The Blues 3:00
Acoustic Bass – Unknown Artist
Guitar – Unknown Artist
Piano – Unknown Artist
Vibraphone – Prince Budda
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
2.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon* And The Harlem Hamfats–    She Loves So Good 2:44
Acoustic Bass – John Lindsay
Clarinet – Odell Rand
Drums – Fred Flynn
Guitar – Joe McCoy
Guitar, Mandolin – Charlie McCoy 
Piano – Horace Malcolm
Trumpet – Herb Morand
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
3.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon* And The Harlem Hamfats–    Riff It 2:37
Acoustic Bass – John Lindsay
Clarinet – Odell Rand
Drums – Fred Flynn
Guitar – Joe McCoy
Guitar, Mandolin – Charlie McCoy 
Piano – Horace Malcolm
Trumpet – Herb Morand
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
4.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon* And The Harlem Hamfats–    Some Sweet Day 2:46
Acoustic Bass – John Lindsay
Clarinet – Odell Rand
Drums – Fred Flynn
Guitar – Joe McCoy
Guitar, Mandolin – Charlie McCoy 
Piano – Horace Malcolm
Trumpet – Herb Morand
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
5.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon* And The Harlem Hamfats–    I'm Gonna Steal You 2:31
Acoustic Bass – John Lindsay
Clarinet – Odell Rand
Drums – Fred Flynn
Guitar – Joe McCoy
Guitar, Mandolin – Charlie McCoy 
Piano – Horace Malcolm
Trumpet – Herb Morand
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
6.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon And The Harlem Hamfats–    I Knocks Myself Out 2:54
Acoustic Bass – John Lindsay
Clarinet – Odell Rand
Drums – Fred Flynn
Guitar – Joe McCoy
Guitar, Mandolin – Charlie McCoy 
Piano – Horace Malcolm
Trumpet – Herb Morand
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
7.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon* And The Harlem Hamfats–    They Put The Big Britches On Me 2:34
Acoustic Bass – John Lindsay
Clarinet – Odell Rand
Drums – Fred Flynn
Guitar – Joe McCoy
Guitar, Mandolin – Charlie McCoy 
Piano – Horace Malcolm
Trumpet – Herb Morand
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
8.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon–    Don't Pan Me (Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone) 2:44
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet – Barney Bigard
Drums – Sid Catlett
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
9.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon*–    Callin' Corrine 2:50
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet – Barney Bigard
Drums – Sid Catlett
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
10.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon–    You Can't Put That Monkey On My Back 2:40
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet – Barney Bigard
Drums – Sid Catlett
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
11.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon*–    Fan It Boogie Woogie 2:26
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet – Barney Bigard
Drums – Sid Catlett
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
12.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon–    When They Play Them Blues 2:43
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet – Rupert Cole
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Henry "Red" Allen
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
Washboard – Walter Martin 
13.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon*–    Something's Goin' On Wrong 2:36
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet – Rupert Cole
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Henry "Red" Allen
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
Washboard – Walter Martin 
14.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon–    Wasn't It Nice 3:03
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet – Rupert Cole
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Henry "Red" Allen
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
Washboard – Walter Martin
15.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon*–    You Know Jam Don't Shake 2:40
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet – Rupert Cole
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Henry "Red" Allen
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
Washboard – Walter Martin 
16.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon*–    Let Me Ride Your Train 2:27
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet [possibly] – Fess Williams
Clarinet [probably] – Rupert Cole
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
Washboard – Walter Martin 
17.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon*–    Be Your Natural Self 2:22
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet [possibly] – Fess Williams
Clarinet [probably] – Rupert Cole
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
Washboard – Walter Martin 
18.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon*–    Turn Over 2:42
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet [possibly] – Fess Williams
Clarinet [probably] – Rupert Cole
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
Washboard – Walter Martin 
19.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon*–    Take Off Them Hips 2:33
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet [possibly] – Fess Williams
Clarinet [probably] – Rupert Cole
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon*
Washboard – Walter Martin 
20.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon*–    Gimme A Pig's Foot And A Bottle Of Beer 2:28
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet [possibly] – Fess Williams
Clarinet [probably] – Rupert Cole
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
Washboard – Walter Martin 
21.    Frankie (Half Pint) Jaxon–    You Can't Tell 2:52
Acoustic Bass – Wellman Braud
Clarinet [possibly] – Fess Williams
Clarinet [probably] – Rupert Cole
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
Washboard – Walter Martin 

DAKOTA STATON — The Late, Late Show (1957-1991) Golden Classics Series | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Singer Dakota Staton's first full-length album was one of her best. She had a hit with "The Late, Late Show" and performed memorable versions of "Broadway," "A Foggy Day," "What Do You See in Her," "My Funny Valentine" and "Mooney." Backed by a largely unidentified orchestra arranged by Van Alexander (with Hank Jones on piano), Staton sounds both youthful and mature, displaying a highly appealing voice on a near-classic set. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Broadway 2:50
Billy Bird / Teddy McRae / Henry J. Wood
2     Trust in Me 2:44
Schwartz, Ager, Wever
3     Summertime 2:10
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
4     Misty 2:35
Johnny Burke / Erroll Garner
5     A Foggy Day 2:18
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
6     What Do You See in Her? 2:36
Hal David / Frank Weldon
7     The Late, Late Show 2:34
Roy Alfred / Murray Berlin
8     My Funny Valentine 2:44
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
9     Give Me the Simple Life 2:16
Rube Bloom / Harry Ruby
10     You Showed Me the Way 2:48
Ella Fitzgerald / Bud Green / Teddy McRae / Chick Webb
11     Moonray 2:42
Quenzer, Shaw, Madison    
12     Ain't No Use 2:40
Leroy Kirkland / Sidney Wyche
Credits :
Conductor, Orchestrated By – Van Alexander
Orchestrated By [Assistant] – Hank Jones
Soloist, Piano – Hank Jones
Soloist, Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Dakota Staton

STUFF SMITH AND HIS ONYX CLUB BOYS – 1936-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 706 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This delightful CD has the first 24 titles ever led by violinist Stuff Smith, virtually all of Smith's prewar recordings and the complete output of the violinist's Onyx Club Boys (other than four songs from 1940). With trumpeter Jonah Jones and occasional drummer Cozy Cole the stars of the supporting cast, this was one of the top swing combos of the era. Smith's hard-swinging violin, his enthusiastic vocals, and his interplay with Jones made this a particularly hot unit. In addition to the hit "I'se A-Muggin'," highlights of the disc include "I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music," "After You've Gone," "You'se a Viper," "Old Joe's Hittin' the Jug," "Twilight in Turkey," and the classic "Here Comes the Man With the Jive." Highly recommended Scott Yanow      Tracklist + Credits :

STUFF SMITH – 1939-1944 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1054 (1999) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This segment of the Stuff Smith story finds the fiddler facing personal and professional difficulties that prevented him from recording as much as he'd have liked to. The music that did get committed to wax is more or less uniformly satisfying. The first five selections heard here benefit greatly from the presence of trumpet ace Jonah Jones. "Big Wig in the Wigwam," a song with little redeeming social value when presented by Lionel Hampton, became a solid piece of swing when Stuff's band got a hold of it. Here it bristles with elements of "Diga Diga Doo" and Stuff's earlier rowdy masterpiece "Old Joe's Hittin' the Jug." Four titles released on the budget Varsity label in 1940 include a Grenadine-flavored sob story by Stella Brooks, two high-spirited group vocals, and a wild "Crescendo in Drums," with violin improvisations that seem like premonitions of the sound currents that Leroy Jenkins would be generating with his violin many years later. In November of 1943, Stuff Smith & His Trio made ten sides for the World Broadcasting Service, with Stuff's solos resembling some of Eddie South's best work, with flourishing touches worthy of Florian Zabach. Featured here and on the following two sessions were bassist John Levy and pianist Jimmy Jones, both excellent improvisers who were perfectly suited to Stuff Smith's style and persona. A quartet date with amplified guitarist Mary Osborne sports a pair of modernistic studies in blue, and the vocal duet between Stuff and Osbourne is deservedly famous among people who are interested in historical collaborations. This fine CD closes with six additional trio sides produced by Moses Asch, sounding pleasantly progressive for 1944. arwulf arwulf       Tracklist + Credits :

IKE QUEBEC – 1944-1946 | The Chronogical Classics – 957 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Ike Quebec was something like Ben Webster in his ability to play lush ballads or to scream like a smokestack when the band was cooking. After working for Roy Eldridge and Frankie Newton, Quebec became Cab Calloway's star tenor man in 1944, making everyone sit up and take notice when he wailed over Cab's band in a wonderfully raspy tone utilizing the instrument's extremities for maximum effect. Each of Quebec's sessions as a leader produced staggeringly potent records. J.C. Heard is the drummer on all 20 tracks -- check him out on "Indiana" -- and for bassists you have Milt Hinton, Grachan Moncur II, or Oscar Pettiford. While Roger Ramirez was an excellent pianist, it is a gas hearing Johnny Guarnieri on the Savoy session. Guest horn players are Buck Clayton, Keg Johnson, Jonah Jones, and Tyree Glenn. Guitarist Tiny Grimes is present on three of these dates. His "Tiny's Exercise" is one of the high points of the whole collection. The repertoire throughout is excellent. Languid blues and ballads mingle with piping-hot jam structures. Two very pleasant surprises arrive in a smoothly swung version of Fats Waller's "Blue Turning Grey Over You" and the pleasant "Girl of My Dreams," scheduled to resurface in 1959 as a streamlined vehicle driven by the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop. With all due respect to the Mosaic label and their exhaustively compiled Ike Quebec/John Hardee box, it's good to have these Blue Note master takes together on one disc along with the magnificent Savoy All Stars session that concludes this portion of the chronology. In just a little over one year, Ike Quebec made all of these great jazz records. Each one is a knockout performance guaranteed to blow you away every time you go back and get another taste. arwulf arwulf             Tracklist + Credits :

LIONEL HAMPTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937-1938 | The Chronogical Classics – 524 (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

In 1937, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton began leading a series of all-star swing recording dates. Although he would still be a member of Benny Goodman's organization for another three years, Hampton was a natural-born leader and his record dates featured top sidemen from a variety of major jazz bands. This CD begins the chronological reissue of all of this music (except alternate takes). Hampton is teamed with players from the Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington orchestras plus a large assortment of guests. Among the many highlights are "Hampton Stomp" (featuring Hampton playing rapid lines on the piano with two fingers), "Stompology," Johnny Hodges on "On the Sunny Side of the Street," and some good spots for Jonah Jones' trumpet. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

EARL HINES – 1949-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1288 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This disc begins with five excellent recordings that Earl Hines made for the Royal Jazz label in Paris. These joyous, optimistic trio renderings of "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Fine and Dandy" were part of a sizable bundle of great music recorded on November 4, 1949, the balance of which occupies the final eight tracks of Classics 1120. Two days later, Hines created three interesting piano solos for Royal: a relaxed revisit with Maceo Pinkard's old-fashioned love song "Sugar," a tough and powerful remake of "Boogie Woogie on the St. Louis Blues," and "Singing for My French Brothers," during which the pianist scats amiably. In July of 1950, Hines recorded eight outstanding trio performances to be issued on Columbia's newly developed long-playing 33-and-1/3-rpm format. The combination of Hines with bassist Al McKibbon and the impeccable J.C. Heard was remarkably fruitful. "These Foolish Things" seems to unfold as gradually as the dawn, "Velvet Moon" and "When I Dream of You" are slow and reflective, and the rest of this trio's work swings marvelously. "Diane" develops something like a Cuban rhythm halfway through, then prances the rest of the way home. In December of 1952 Hines was able to wax seven sides for the D'Oro label, which was created especially to record the Earl Hines Sextet, with a front line of trumpeter Jonah Jones, trombonist Bennie Green, and Aaron Sachs, who played clarinet and tenor sax. Vocalists heard here are Helen Merrill (this was her very first appearance on record), Lonnie Sattin (who bellows and croons like an Eckstine caricature), and a soulful Etta Jones (who has a lot of fun hollering "Stop"). Hines himself sings over a rhumba called "Ella's Fella," and "Whirl on a Whirl" also has a bit of that rhythmic Caribbean energy running through it. "Green's Corner" -- which in fact uses the bridge from "Love Is Just Around the Corner" -- is a friendly study for trumpet, tenor sax, and trombone with rhythm accompaniment, including brief solos from bassist Tommy Potter and Earl "Fatha" Hines. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :

TEDDY WILSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1935-1936 | The Classics Chronological Series – 511 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The second CD in Classics' Teddy Wilson series features the definitive swing pianist on two piano solos and leading all-star groups. There are seven generally familiar Billie Holiday vocals (including classic renditions of "I Cried for You" and "These Foolish Things"), a pair from Ella Fitzgerald (her first recordings outside of the Chick Webb Orchestra), two rare ones from Helen Ward, a vocal by Roy Eldridge on a heated "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and seven instrumentals. The strong supporting cast includes such players as altoist Johnny Hodges, trumpeters Frankie Newton, Jonah Jones and Eldridge, trombonist Benny Morton, clarinetist Buster Bailey, tenorman Chu Berry, and baritonist Harry Carney; Benny Goodman makes guest appearances on the two Helen Ward titles. Classic music although most of it is also easily available elsewhere. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

TEDDY WILSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1936-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 521 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Swing collectors may very well find the Teddy Wilson series on Classics to be a bit troubling for, although it logically reissues all of the great swing pianist's recordings as a leader in order (skipping the alternate takes), many of the sides (those featuring Billie Holiday) are also available on Columbia's complete Lady Day program. This particular CD not only has 16 Holiday vocals (including "The Way You Look Tonight," "Pennies from Heaven," a version of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" in which she shows off the influence of Louis Armstrong, and four wonderful titles from her first recorded meeting with tenor saxophonist Lester Young), but also three instrumentals and two rarities apiece from singers Redd Harper and Midge Williams which are sure to frustrate completists. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

TEDDY WILSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 556 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In addition to ten Billie Holiday vocals that are easily available elsewhere (best is "They Say"), this CD has some Wilson piano solos, a few rare Nan Wynn vocals and a band instrumental of "Jungle Love" with cornetist Bobby Hackett, clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, and altoist Johnny Hodges. Excellent music, but the best tracks have been reissued many times, making this CD of less interest than most of the other Classics. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits : 

JONAH JONES – 1936-1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 972 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While the first six recordings presented in this initial volume of the chronologically reissued recordings of Jonah Jones are undeniably rare and worth having access to, the reason for their obscurity is immediately apparent. Dick Porter, the nominal leader of both bands responsible for these Vocalion sides, was a Fats Waller imitator of the worst sort. He patterned his act so closely on Waller's jubilant vocal delivery that it is impossible to ascertain what -- if any -- originality existed in the person of Mr. Porter. Seizing upon Waller's habitual exclamations, Porter overused the outburst "Aha!" until it lost every ounce of its novelty or effectiveness. He even absconded with an entire punch line that Waller had used at the end of his own cheerfully misogynistic version of "I Adore You" -- not to be confused with Waller's "I Simply Adore You." The phrase in question -- "To the pound with the beautiful hound" -- required some form of theatrical buildup. While Waller was making canine references all throughout "I Adore You," Porter chucked the line in at the end of "There's No Two Ways About It" as if he couldn't think of anything else to steal from Waller. The effect of all this upon anyone who knows and loves Waller's work is maddening, and Porter sticks in the mind as a primal irritant to be avoided at all costs. What does this have to do with ace trumpeter Jonah Jones? Well, he played on both of these sessions, striving with the other players to deliver solid swing as desired by the public in the middle 1930s. And yet let it be said that the inclusion of two outstanding Keynote dates and one Commodore blowing session more than make up for the itching, burning sensation created by Dick Porter. Jonah Jones & His Orchestra, consisting of only six players, made four wonderful sides for Harry Lim's Keynote label in September of 1944. Having emerged from Cab Calloway's big band, Jones had a healthy habit of including his friends from Calloway's horde. Tyree Glenn played both vibraphone and trombone. Hilton Jefferson, featured soloist on the creamy "Just Like a Butterfly (That's Caught in the Rain)," also cooked when heat was needed. "Lust for Licks" was based on the changes of "Exactly Like You," and "B.H. Boogie" was a tip of the hat to Buster Harding, whose arrangement of "Twelfth Street Rag" inspired some serious jamming. The 1945 Milt Hinton Sextet, also billed by Keynote as an "Orchestra," shared three crucial players with the previous band: Tyree Glenn, the honorable Mr. Hinton, and the immaculate J.C. Heard. Hinton's "Beefsteak Charlie" got its name from a bar in Manhattan that was preferred by jazz musicians. The reissuing of these Keynote recordings is a serious matter, and the producers of the Classics Chronological Series are to be commended for making them digitally available to the public in the same package with Jones' Commodore session from July 31, 1945. For here are the very best elements from both of the previous bands -- Glenn, Jefferson, Hinton, and Heard -- bundled in with several other strong players including clarinetist Buster Bailey and smokestack tenor Ike Quebec. Jefferson is handed another elegant ballad in "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me," and the band deep-fries the "Rose of the Rio Grande." "Hubba Hubba Hub" seems at first a bit short on melodic invention but quickly evolves into a perfectly satisfying jam vehicle, closing with one of Jones' hottest solos on record. "Stompin' at the Savoy" is set up as a march by Heard, then struts itself silly. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :

VALAIDA SNOW – 1940-1953 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1343 | (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Valaida Snow made a handful of hot records in Copenhagen during October of 1940, she had no idea that her recording career was about to be violently interrupted for nearly five years by people working for Adolf Hitler. Nazi Germany had already occupied Denmark when these "degenerate" jazz records were surreptitiously created in violation of the Nuremberg laws. In a horrible twist of fate, Snow was arrested by the Gestapo, charged with theft and drug use -- two activities at which the Nazis themselves excelled -- and spent many months in a concentration camp before being rescued by influential friends and sent back to the U.S. weighing about 70 lbs. Everything she'd owned had been confiscated, including the gold trumpet given her by Queen Wilhelmina. It took Snow several years to recuperate and gather her strength for a comeback. Her last two authentic swing records are placed at the beginning of this disc. These are amazingly gutsy performances of nice old songs, and she scats beautifully during "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny." The contrast between this pair of pleasant, cheerful stomps and the rest of the material in the chronology -- beginning with the Apollo session of 1945 -- is startling. Recording in New York for the first time since 1933 and sounding at times like young Dinah Washington, Snow sings three torchy ballads and a novelty bounce backed by Bobby Smith, his alto sax and orchestra. The bounce in question is called "Around the World" and features two harmonizing Valaidas in an early example of overdubbing. Her next couple of recording dates took place in Los Angeles, where prevailing pop production values seem to have infected the atmosphere alarmingly. Eight sides issued on the Bel-Tone label prove that Snow was a powerful singer who could flourish in front of any ensemble, even the huge orchestra with strings, flutes, and a keening vocal group billed as the Daydreamers. Snow prevails throughout, especially on "Lonesome Road," where her passionate singing transcends the entire ungainly production menagerie. On the second Bel-Tone session, Snow navigates well through the "exotic" orchestral score of "Caravan." Her ominously paced version of "Solitude" makes for an interesting comparison with Billie Holiday's approach to this Ellington opus. After a pokey, pouty, and slightly insane-sounding lament bearing the almost too-appropriate title "Frustration," Snow sails into "I Must Have That Man." With a brassy big band behind her, the singer sounds more at home than on any of the previous seven selections. From here on out Valaida Snow's story shifts into R&B territory. Recording for the Derby label in January of 1950, she was backed with a rocking jump band led by Jimmy Mundy, spiked with the fiery presences of baritone saxophonist Dave McRae and hot trumpeter Jonah Jones. "Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone" is the cooker. "Chloe" begins with bass clarinet tones and delivers an incredible emotional charge as Snow belts out the lyrics with theatrical intensity. "Coconut Head" is a calypso novelty number, somewhat of a trend in 1950 -- even Sarah Vaughan did a number like this back then. The saga of Valaida Snow tapers off abruptly with two exciting R&B performances recorded in Chicago in 1953. "I Ain't Gonna Tell," a funky baritone sax rocker, is a tantalizing taste of further developments the world would never get to hear from this tough little woman. Underappreciated and grievously underpaid, she struggled to establish herself as a performer in a country where the public had never been all that aware of her existence. Following a performance at New York's Palace Theatre she was felled by a stroke and passed away at the age of 50 in a Brooklyn hospital on the 30th of May 1956. arwulf arwulf   
Tracklist :
1 Some of These Days 2:36
Shelton Brooks
 2 Carry Me Back to Old Virginny 2:49
James A. Bland
 3 The More I Know About Love 2:21
Valaida Snow
4 Around the World  2:33
Bennie Benjamin / George David Weiss
5 Porgy 2:45
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
6 My Heart Is Such a Fool 2:00
Valaida Snow
7 Fool That I Am 3:04
Floyd Hunt
 8 It's the Talk of the Town 2:57
Jerry Livingston / Al J. Neiburg / Marty Symes
 9 Lonesome Road 2:55
Gene Austin / Nat Shilkret
 10 If I Only Had You 2:42
Valaida Snow
11 Caravan 2:55
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Juan Tizol
 12 Solitude 2:52
Eddie DeLange / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
 13 Frustration 2:54
Irving Mills
 14 I Must Have That Man 2:10
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
 15 Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone 3:07
Traditional
 16 When a Woman Loves a Man 2:34
Bernie Hanighen / Gordon Jenkins / Johnny Mercer
 17 Chloe 3:08
Neil Moret (Chas. N. Daniels)
 18 Coconut Head 2:55
Valaida Snow
19 I Ain't Gonna Tell 2:36
Rudy Toombs
 20 If You Don't Mean It 2:56
Valaida Snow
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone, Leader – Bobby Smith (3) (tracks: 7 to 10)
Baritone Saxophone – Dave McRae (tracks: 15 to 18)
Bass – Willy Sorensen (tracks: 1, 2)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Aage Voss (tracks: 1, 2)
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Henry Hagemann-Larsen* (tracks: 1, 2)
Directed By – Jimmy Mundy (tracks: 15 to 18)
Drums, Vibraphone – Eric Kragh
Piano – Bertrand Beck (tracks: 1, 2)
Trumpet – Jonah Jones (tracks: 15 to 18), Tage Rasmussen (tracks: 1, 2)
Vocals – The Day Dreamers (tracks: 7 to 10), Valaida Snow (tracks: 3 to 6)
Vocals, Trumpet – Valaida Snow (tracks: 1, 2, 7 to 20)

LIL HARDIN ARMSTRONG AND HER SWING ORCHESTRA – 1936-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 564 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Years before Joe Glaser assumed unmitigated control over Louis Armstrong's professional existence, Lil Hardin Armstrong essentially served as her husband's manager. She taught him music theory, and advised him how to dress in style and conduct himself with dignity in public. She also suggested when the time was ripe for Louis to break away from King Oliver's band and venture out on his own. Had it not been for Lil Hardin Armstrong, the Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings would never have come together the way they did, and Louis Armstrong's career would have unfolded much differently. Lil was a brilliant pianist. She sang in a gutsy manner, often using lyrics that were disarmingly funny. "Or Leave Me Alone" is one of the best examples of her knuckly humor that you'll ever hear. It also anticipates a song that Groucho Marx would present many years later as an elderly man singing softly under the spotlight at Carnegie Hall. "Show me a rose, and I'll show you a stag at bay...Show me a rose, or leave me alone," he sang, along with other lyrics that can only be described as surreal. Who wrote Groucho's song, and wasn't it closely based upon this spunky bit of fun from 1936? In another surprising premonition, "Brown Gal" is clearly the direct ancestor of "Bad Boy," a big hit for the Jive Bombers during the 1950s. Chu Berry is all over the first six selections, and Buster Bailey's clarinet lights up the first 14. Berry is succeeded by Robert Carroll, Prince Robinson, Tony Zimmers, and Russell Johns. Let's hear it for the great forgotten tenor players! When Wellman Braud showed up to play bass on April 15, 1937, Pops Foster retreated to the drums. It's the kind of a reaction you'd expect out of any sensible bassist, although Foster could have stood his ground. Maybe they flipped a coin. In any case, Foster uses the hi-hat with great success. These songs are all typical of the 1930s, a time when anybody could float a three-minute song regardless of lyrical content. Lil plays no piano on this collection until the session of September 9, 1939. And it isn't until March 18, 1940, that listeners get to enjoy a pair of instrumentals. In spite of the band being identified as Lil's Dixielanders, "Sixth Street" and "Riffin' the Blues" sound like pure unadulterated Harlem swing. The next place to go is Lil's fabulous 1961 session for Riverside Records, a strong installment in that marvelous series entitled Chicago: The Living Legends.  arwulf arwulf   
Tracklist :
1    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Or Leave Me Alone 2:58
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – John Frazier
Guitar – Huey Long
Piano – Teddy Cole
Tenor Saxophone – Chu Berry
Trumpet – Joe Thomas
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Buck
2    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    My Hi-De-Ho Man 2:39
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – John Frazier
Guitar – Huey Long
Piano – Teddy Cole
Tenor Saxophone – Chu Berry
Trumpet – Joe Thomas
Vocals Written-By – Lil Armstrong
3    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Brown Gal 2:43
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – John Frazier
Guitar – Huey Long
Piano – Teddy Cole
Tenor Saxophone – Chu Berry
Trumpet – Joe Thomas
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Avon, Armstrong
4    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Doin' The Suzie-Q 2:48
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – John Frazier
Guitar – Huey Long
Piano – Teddy Cole
Tenor Saxophone – Chu Berry
Trumpet – Joe Thomas
Vocals, Written-By – Lil Armstrong
5    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Just For A Thrill 2:48
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – John Frazier
Guitar – Huey Long
Piano – Teddy Cole
Tenor Saxophone – Chu Berry
Trumpet – Joe Thomas
Vocals, Written-By – Lil Armstrong
6    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    It's Murder 2:18
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – John Frazier
Guitar – Huey Long
Piano – Teddy Cole
Tenor Saxophone – Chu Berry
Trumpet – Joe Thomas (4)
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Buck, Armstrong
7    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Born To Swing 2:33
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – George "Pop" Foster
Guitar – Arnold Adams
Piano – James Sherman
Tenor Saxophone – Robert Carroll
Trumpet – Joe Thomas
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Avon, Armstrong
8    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    (I'm On A) Sit-Down Strike For Rhythm 2:41
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – George "Pop" Foster
Guitar – Arnold Adams
Piano – James Sherman
Tenor Saxophone – Robert Carroll
Trumpet – Joe Thomas
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Avon, Armstrong
9    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Bluer Than Blue 3:08
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – George "Pop" Foster
Guitar – Arnold Adams
Piano – James Sherman
Tenor Saxophone – Robert Carroll
Trumpet – Joe Thomas
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Avon, Armstrong
10    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    I'm Knockin' At The Cabin Door 2:54
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – George "Pop" Foster
Guitar – Arnold Adams
Piano – James Sherman
Tenor Saxophone – Robert Carroll
Trumpet – Joe Thomas
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Avon, Armstrong
11    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Lindy Hop 2:49
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Manzie Johnson
Guitar – Arnold Adams
Piano – James Sherman
Tenor Saxophone – Prince Robinson
Trumpet – Shirley Clay
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Avon, Armstrong
12    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    When I Went Back Home 2:37
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Manzie Johnson
Guitar – Arnold Adams
Piano – James Sherman
Tenor Saxophone – Prince Robinson
Trumpet – Shirley Clay
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Avon, Armstrong
13    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Let's Call It Love 3:00
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Manzie Johnson
Guitar – Arnold Adams
Piano – James Sherman
Tenor Saxophone – Prince Robinson
Trumpet – Shirley Clay
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Armstrong, Matthews
14    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    You Mean So Much To Me 2:50
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Manzie Johnson
Guitar – Arnold Adams
Piano – James Sherman
Tenor Saxophone – Prince Robinson
Trumpet – Shirley Clay
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Jackson
15    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Let's Get Happy Together 2:54
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Tony Zimmers
Double Bass [String Bass] – Haig Stephens
Drums – Sam Weiss
Guitar – Dave Barbour
Piano – Frank Froeba
Trombone – Al Philburn
Trumpet [or] – Johnny McGee, Ralph Muzillo
Vocals, Written-By – Lil Armstrong
16    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Happy Today, Sad Tomorrow 3:09
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Tony Zimmers
Double Bass [String Bass] – Haig Stephens
Drums – Sam Weiss
Guitar – Dave Barbour
Piano – Frank Froeba
Trombone – Al Philburn
Trumpet [or] – Johnny McGee, Ralph Muzillo
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Armstrong, Livingston
17    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    You Shall Reap What You Sow 2:59
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Tony Zimmers
Double Bass [String Bass] – Haig Stephens
Drums – Sam Weiss
Guitar – Dave Barbour
Piano – Frank Froeba
Trombone – Al Philburn
Trumpet [or] – Johnny McGee*, Ralph Muzillo
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Robinson
18    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Oriental Swing 2:58
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Tony Zimmers
Double Bass [String Bass] – Haig Stephens
Drums – Sam Weiss
Guitar – Dave Barbour
Piano – Frank Froeba
Trombone – Al Philburn
Trumpet [or] – Johnny McGee, Ralph Muzillo
Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Written-By – Spencer
19    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Safely Locked Up In My Heart 2:54
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Piano, Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Trombone – J.C. Higginbotham
Trumpet – Reunald Jones
Written-By – Avon, Armstrong
20    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Everything's Wrong, Ain't Nothing Right 3:02
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Piano, Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Trombone – J.C. Higginbotham
Trumpet – Reunald Jones
Written By – Evans
Written-By – Armstrong
21    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Harlem On Saturday Night 2:40
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Piano, Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Trombone – J.C. Higginbotham
Trumpet – Reunald Jones
Written-By – Smith, Johnson
22    Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra–    Knock-Kneed Sal (On The Mourner's Bench) 2:31
Clarinet – Buster Bailey
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – O'Neil Spencer
Piano, Vocals – Lil Armstrong
Trombone – J.C. Higginbotham
Trumpet – Reunald Jones
Written-By – Armstrong, Randolph
23    Lil "Brown Gal" Armstrong And Her Dixielanders–    Sixth Street 2:47
Alto Saxophone – Don Stovall
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Manzie Johnson
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Tenor Saxophone – Russell Johns
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Written By – Fitzpatrick
24    Lil "Brown Gal" Armstrong And Her Dixielanders–    Riffin' The Blues 2:37
Alto Saxophone – Don Stovall
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Manzie Johnson
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Tenor Saxophone – Russell Johns
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Written By – Fitzpatrick
25    Lil "Brown Gal" Armstrong And Her Dixielanders–    Why Is A Good Man So Hard To Find? 3:00
Alto Saxophone – Don Stovall
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Manzie Johnson
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Tenor Saxophone – Russell Johns
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Midge Williams
Written-By – Davis
26    Lil "Brown Gal" Armstrong And Her Dixielanders–    My Secret Flame 3:09
Alto Saxophone – Don Stovall
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Manzie Johnson
Piano – Lil Armstrong
Tenor Saxophone – Russell Johns
Trumpet – Jonah Jones
Vocals – Hilda Rogers
Written-By – Avon, Armstrong

CAB CALLOWAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1940-1941 (1992) The Classics Chronological Series – 629 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Cab Calloway is in superior form throughout this CD (the tenth of 12 Calloway releases from the European Classics label), but it is often the short solos by his sidemen that attract one's interest, particularly those of trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and tenor Chu Berry. By the last ten numbers (including his feature "Jonah Joins the Cab"), trumpeter Jonah Jones had become a member of the powerful band which could rank at the top echelon of swing orchestras. Calloway is also heard near the peak of his powers, and the highlights of this fine set include Benny Carter's "Lonesome Nights" (one of six instrumentals among the 22 numbers), "A Chicken Ain't Nothin' but a Bird," "Ebony Silhouette," "Hep Cat's Love Song," and two versions of "St. James Infirmary." Scott Yanow

Tracklist :
1     Goin' Conga 2:52
Alberto Iznaga    
2     Hot Air 2:54
Cab Calloway / Gene Novello
3     Lonesome Nights 3:01
Benny Carter / Irving Mills    
4     A Chicken Ain't Nothin' But a Bird 2:54
Emmett "Babe" Wallace
5     The Workers' Train 3:17
Cab Calloway / Arthur Shaftel / Sunny Skylar
6     North of the Mohawk Trail 3:26
7     Make Yourself at Home 2:52
Walter Bullock / Jule Styne
8     Run Little Rabbit 3:12
Andy Gibson
9     Willow Weep for Me 3:24
Ann Ronell
10     You Are the One in My Heart 3:12
Cab Calloway
11     Are You All Reet? 3:05
Cab Calloway / Jack Palmer
12     Ebony Silhouette 2:48
Milt Hinton / Benny Payne
13     Hep Cat's Love Song 3:05
Max Boyd / Cab Calloway / Andy Gibson
14     Jonah Joins the Cab 2:35
Cab Calloway
15     Geechy Joe 3:07
Cab Calloway / Andy Gibson / Jack Palmer
16     Special Delivery 2:58
Cab Calloway / Andy Gibson
17     Take the "A" Train 3:05
Billy Strayhorn    
18     Chattanooga Choo Choo 2:41
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren    
19     My Gal 2:43
Al Bernard
20     St. James Infirmary 3:20
Joe Primrose / Traditional    
21     St. James Infirmary 2:46
Joe Primrose / Traditional    
22     We Go Well Together 3:07
Walter Kent / Leo Robin

CAB CALLOWAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941-1942 (1991) The Classics Chronological Series – 682 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 11th of the European Classics label's 12 Complete Cab Calloway CDs (reissuing all of his studio recordings of 1930-42) has the last recordings of trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and tenor Chu Berry with Cab; other soloists include trumpeter Jonah Jones and trombonist Tyree Glenn. Calloway retained his popularity throughout the World War II years and was still in prime form during these 22 recordings. Highlights include a memorable "Blues in the Night," "A Smo-o-o-oth One," "Virginia, Georgia and Caroline" and a new version of "Minnie the Moocher." All of the 12 Classics CDs are highly recommended to Cab Calloway and swing fans; they are perfectly done. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Hey, Doc! 3:16
Kim Gannon / Edgar Sampson
2 I See a Million People (But All I Can See Is You) 3:01
Una Mae Carlisle / Robert Sour
3 Conchita (Cares Nothing About Love) 2:51
Cab Calloway
4 Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol' Me) 3:10
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
5 Mrs. Fiinnigan 2:48
J.C. Higginbotham / Redman
6 My Coo-Coo Bird (Could Swing) 2:51
Buster Harding
7 Says Who? Says You, Says I! 2:27
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
8 The Mermaid Song 2:47
Cab Calloway & His Orchestra
9 Who Calls? 3:11
Stanley Hill / Johnny Marks
10 Nain Nain (No No) 3:15
Cab Calloway / Buck Ram
11 Tappin' Off 2:42
Buster Harding
12 A Smo-o-o-oth One 3:08
Benny Goodman
13 The Moment I Laid Eyes on You 3:17
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
14 Virginia, Georgia and Caroline 2:34
Cab Calloway / George A. Little / Larry Shay
15 Lordy 2:54
Oscar Hammerstein II / Sigmund Romberg
16 I Want to Rock 2:52
Larry Clinton / Buster Harding
17 I'll Be Around 3:10
Alec Wilder 
18 'Tain't No Good 3:13
Roy Jacobs / Leo Wood
19 Minnie the Moocher 3:15
Cab Calloway / Clarence Gaskill / Irving Mills
20 Let's Go Joe 3:09
Cab Calloway / Jack Palmer / J. Eric Smith
21 Ogeechee River Lullaby 3:37
Cab Calloway / Jack Palmer / Leo Wood
22 I Get the Neck of the Chicken 2:45
Frank Loesser / Jimmy McHugh

CAB CALLOWAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1942-1947 (1998) The Classics Chronological Series – 996 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The final CD of the Classic label's complete reissuance of Cab Calloway's 1930-47 recordings also includes the last recordings of Cab with his regularly working big band. This 1998 CD starts out with a couple of superior but originally rejected numbers ("What's Buzzin', Cousin?" and "Chant of the Jungle") from 1942, followed by a couple of rare V-disc numbers from 1944. Otherwise, the material dates from 1945 or 1947 with just two selections from 1946. During this era, the still-popular Calloway was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his orchestra together, as were all the other bandleaders, but the quality of his music remained fairly high, even touched slightly by bop in some of the arranged passages. Some of the vocals are a bit silly, particularly "Dawn Time and "Afternoon Moon," but there are also a few near-classic jive numbers. Highlights include the snobbish "A Blue Serge Suit With a Belt in the Back," "Don't Falter at the Altar" (released here for the first time), "The Jungle King" (one of two numbers done with a septet called the Cab-Jivers), "Give Me Twenty Nickels for a Dollar," "Two Blocks Down, Turn to the Left," "The Calloway Boogie," "Everybody Eats When They Come To My House," and the somewhat bizarre "The San Francisco Fan." Although Calloway dominates the music, there are scattered and consistently worthwhile solos by trumpeter Jonah Jones and tenors Ike Quebec and Sam "The Man" Taylor. Virtually all of these recordings are obscure, making the release of this music quite noteworthy both for swing collectors and Calloway fans. Recommended, as are all of the CDs in Classics' perfectly done Cab Calloway series. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist  :
1    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    What's Buzzin', Cousin? 2:38
Mack Gordon / Harry Owens
Vocals – The Cabaliers
2    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Chant Of The Jungle    3:18
 Nacio Herb Brown / Arthur Freed
3    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    I'm Making Believe 1:50
Vocals – Dotty Salters
 Mack Gordon / James V. Monaco
4    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Foo A Little Ballyhoo    3:01
 Cab Calloway / Buster Harding / Jack Palmer
5    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Let's Take The Long Way Home    2:36
 Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
6    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Foo A Little Bally-hoo    3:01
 Cab Calloway / Buster Harding / Jack Palmer
7    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    All At Once    2:50
 Ira Gershwin / Kurt Weill
8    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Dawn Time    3:01
 Eddie DeLange / Buster Harding
9    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    If This Isn't Love    2:57
 Cab Calloway
10    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    A Blue Serge Suit With A Belt In The Back    2:26
 John Fortis / Max Spickol
11    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Here I Go Just Dreamin' Away    2:47
 Al J. Neiburg / William Henri Woode
12    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    The Honeydripper    2:55
 Joe Liggins
13    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Afternoon Moon    3:09
 Eddie DeLange / Duke Ellington
14    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Hey Now, Hey Now    2:55
 Cab Calloway / Stanley Hill
15    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    I Got A Gal Named Nettie    3:06
 Cab Calloway
16    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Hi-De-Ho Man    2:59
 Cab Calloway / Buster Harding / Jack Palmer
17    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Necessity    2:52
 E.Y. "Yip" Harburg / Burton Lane
18    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Oh Grandpa    2:59
 Cab Calloway / Stanley Hill / Bill Tennyson
19    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Don't Falter At The Alter    2:40
 Cab Calloway
20    Cab Calloway And His Cab-Jivers–    Give Me Twenty Nickels For A Dollar    3:01
Wolf / Brandt
21    Cab Calloway And His Cab-Jivers–    The Jungle King    3:14
 Mort Dixon
22    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Two Blocks Down, Turn To The Left    3:10
 Teddy Powell / Alex Rogers
23    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    San Francisco Fan    3:17
 Sammy Mysels / Dick Sanford
24    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    The Calloway Boogie    3:00
 Cab Calloway
25    Cab Calloway And His Orchestra–    Everybody Eats When They Come To My House    2:43
 Jeanne Burns / Cab Calloway
Credits
Alto Saxophone – Hilton Jefferson
Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Andrew Brown (tracks: 1, 2), Charles Frazier (tracks: 16 to 19, 22 to 25), Rudy Powell (tracks: 7 to 15)
Baritone Saxophone – Greely Walton (tracks: 3 to 6)
Bass – Milt Hinton
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Alfred Gibson (tracks: 2 to 15), Jerry Blake (tracks: 1)
Directed By – Cab Calloway
Drums – Buford Oliver (tracks: 12, 13), Cozy Cole (tracks: 1, 2, 14, 15), J.C. Heard (tracks: 3 to 11), Panama Francis (tracks: 16 to 25)
Guitar – Danny Barker (tracks: 1 to 13), John Smith (tracks: 14 to 25)
Piano – Bennie Payne (tracks: 1, 2, 14, 15), Dave Rivera (tracks: 3 to 13, 16 to 25)
Tenor Saxophone – Bob Dorsey (tracks: 7 to 15), Ike Quebec (tracks: 3 to 15), Irving "Skinny" Brown (tracks: 2 to 6), Sam Taylor (tracks: 16 to 25), Ted McRae (tracks: 1), Walter "Foots" Thomas (tracks: 1, 2)
Trombone – Earl Hardy (tracks: 14 to 19, 22 to 25), Fred Robinson (tracks: 3 to 13), James Buxton (2) (tracks: 16 to 19, 22 to 25), John Haughton (tracks: 9 to 11), Keg Johnson (tracks: 1 to 8, 12 to 19, 22 to 25), Quentin Jackson (tracks: 1 to 19, 22 to 25)
Trombone, Vibraphone – Tyree Glenn (tracks: 1 to 15)
Trumpet – Johnny Letman (tracks: 16 to 19, 22 to 25), Jonah Jones, Lammar Wright (tracks: 1, 2, 16 to 19, 22 to 25), Paul Webster (tracks: 3 to 13, 16 to 19,to 25), Roger Jones (tracks: 5 to 15), Russell Smith (tracks: 1 to 15), Shad Collins (tracks: 1 to 15)
Vocals – Cab Calloway (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 25)