ANDY KIRK AND HIS TWELVE CLOUDS OF JOY – 1939-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 640 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Andy Kirk's Twelve Clouds of Joy was a top-notch Kansas City swing band that, by 1939, featured the pop vocals of Pha Terrell, the more blues-oriented singing of June Richmond, creative arrangements by Mary Lou Williams, and some excellent soloing from pianist Williams and Dick Wilson on tenor. Most memorable in this entry in Classics' "complete" Andy Kirk CD series are "Floyd's Guitar Blues" (an odd but pioneering electric guitar feature for Floyd Smith), "Wham" and "Scratching In the Gravel." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     You Set Me on Fire 2:57
Colwell / MacKinnon
2     (I Guess) I'll Never Learn 3:12
Gordon / Kaufmann
3     Close to Five 2:55
Mary Lou Williams
4     Floyd's Guitar Blues 3:09
Floyd Smith
5     (I Wanna Go Where You Go, Do What You Do) Then I'll Be Happy 2:31
Lew Brown / Sidney Clare / Cliff Friend
6     S'posin' 2:26
Paul Denniker / Andy Razaf
7     I'll Never Fail You 2:55
Victor Mizzy / Irv Taylor
8     Why Don't I Get Wise to Myself 2:42
Sid Bass / Ken Hecht
9     I'm Getting Nowhere With You 2:46
Wood / Adams
10     I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You 3:02
Bing Crosby / Ned Washington / Victor Young
11     Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone 2:51
Sidney Clare / Sam H. Stept
12     Big Jim Blues 2:56
Mary Lou Williams
13     Wham (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam!) 3:05
Eddie Durham / Taps Miller
14     Love Is the Thing 2:57
Ned Washington / Victor Young
15     Why Go on Pretending 2:57
Mary Lou Williams
16     It Always Will Be You 3:16
Hays / Copano / O'Day
17     Fine and Mellow 3:02
Billie Holiday     
18     Scratchin' in the Gravel 3:10
Mary Lou Williams / D. Wilson
19     Fifteen Minute Intermission 3:06
Buddy Cannon / Sunny Skylar
20     Take Those Blues Away 2:51
Jackson
21     Now I Lay Me Down to Dream 2:54
Eddie Howard, Jr. / Ted Fio Rito    
22     There Is No Greater Love 3:02
Isham Jones / Marty Symes
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Earl Miller (tracks: 1 to 16), Rudy Powell (tracks: 17 to 22)
Bass – Booker Collins
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – John Harrington
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Edward Inge (tracks: 17 to 22)
Directed By – Andy Kirk
Drums – Ben Thigpen
Guitar, Electric Guitar – Floyd Smith
Piano – Mary Lou Williams
Tenor Saxophone – Dick Wilson, Don Byas (tracks: 1 to 16)
Trombone – Fred Robinson (tracks: 13 to 22), Henry Wells (tracks: 1 to 12), Ted Donnelly
Trumpet – Clarence Trice, Earl Thomson (tracks: 1 to 16), Harold Baker (tracks: 17 to 22), Harry Lawson
Vocals – June Richmond (tracks: 5, 11, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20), Pha Terrell (tracks: 1, 2, 6 to 10, 14, 15, 21, 22)

ANDY KIRK AND HIS CLOUDS OF JOY – 1940-1942 | The Classics Chronological Series – 681 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Andy Kirk Orchestra was going through some major changes during the period covered by this CD. Tenor star Dick Wilson died prematurely; pop singer Pha Terrell had left; pianist and chief arranger Mary Lou Williams departed in early 1942 (Ken Kersey was her replacement on piano); and such interesting younger players as trumpeters Harold "Shorty" Baker and Howard McGhee and Al Sears on tenor gave the group a slightly different sound. Actually, the music on this CD (late-period swing) is consistently on a higher level than on most of the previous CDs in the Classics series. Highlights include "The Count," "Hey Lawdy Mama," "Boogie Woogie Cocktail" (featuring Kersey) and Howard McGhee's recording debut on the exciting "McGhee Special." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Midnight Stroll 3:19
 Sammy Lowe
Vocals – June Richmond
2    Little Miss    3:12
 Ned Washington
3    The Count    3:09
 Tom Gordon
4    Twelfth Street Rag    2:55
 Euday L. Bowman
5    (Ev'rything Happened) When I Saw You 3:06
 Mueller Johnson
Vocals – Henry Wells
6    If I Feel This Way Tomorrow (Then It's Love) 2:59
Vocals – Henry Wells
7    Or Have I 2:50
 Sam H. Stept
Vocals – Henry Wells
8    Cuban Boogie Woogie 2:19
Lake / La Vere
Vocals – June Richmond
9    A Dream Dropped In 3:05
 Marty Symes
Vocals – Henry Wells
10    Is It A Sin (My Loving You?) 3:04
 Marcus Carcus
Vocals – Henry Wells
11    Ring Dem Bells    2:49
 Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
12    Big Time Crip 2:58
 Wells / Mary Lou Williams
Vocals – Orchestra
13    47th Street Jive 3:11
 Roosevelt Sykes
Vocals – June Richmond
14    I'm Misunderstood 3:20
Grouya
Vocals – Henry Wells
15    No Answer 2:47
Wood / Hoffman / Siegler
Vocals – Henry Wells
16    Hey Lawdy Mama (Meet Me In The Bottom) 2:56
Easton
Vocals – June Richmond
17    Boogie Woogie Cocktail 2:46
Arranged By – Kenny Kersey
18    Ride On, Ride On 2:25
Tolbert
Vocals – June Richmond
19    McGhee Special 2:58
Arranged By – Howard McGhee
20    Worried Life Blues (Someday Baby) 2:27
 Henry Nemo
Vocals – Floyd Smith
21    Take It And Git 3:13
Chapman / Chapman / Green / Marshall
Vocals – Orchestra
22    Hip Hip Hooray 2:58
Nemo / Ebbins
Vocals – June Richmond
23    Unlucky Blues 2:50
Feather / Feather
Vocals – June Richmond
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Ben Smith (tracks: 16 to 23), Earl Miller (tracks: 12 to 15)
Bass – Booker Collins
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Rudy Powell (tracks: 1 to 11)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – John Harrington
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Dick Wilson (tracks: 1 to 15), Edward Inge
Directed By – Andy Kirk
Drums – Ben Thigpen
Guitar, Electric Guitar – Floyd Smith
Piano – Kenny Kersey (tracks: 16 to 23), Mary Lou Williams (tracks: 1 to 15)
Tenor Saxophone – Al Sears (tracks: 16 to 23)
Trombone – Henry Wells (tracks: 1 to 15), Milton Robinson (tracks: 16 to 23), Ted Donnelly
Trumpet – Clarence Trice (tracks: 1 to 15), Harold Baker (tracks: 1 to 15), Harry Lawson, Howard McGhee (tracks: 16 to 23), Johnny Burris (tracks: 16 to 23) 

CAB CALLOWAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1938-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 576 (1991) APE (image+.cue), lossless

The seventh of the Classics label's 12 Cab Calloway CDs traces his progress during an 11-month period through 24 recordings. The band's main soloists at the time included trumpeters Shad Collins and Irving Randolph, trombonists Claude Jones and Keg Johnson and especially tenor great Chu Berry (the band gets four instrumentals on this set). Singer June Richmond has a couple of vocals but obviously Cab Calloway is the main reason that the orchestra was working so steadily. With such songs as "Shout Shout, Shout," "Do You Wanna Jump Children" and "F.D.R. Jones" among the more memorable tracks, this CD (along with the others in the valuable series) is well worth picking up. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Skrontch    2:50
Ellington / Mills
2    We're Breakin' Up A Lovely Affair    2:57
unknown
3    Peck-A-Doodle-Do    2:51
Calloway / Jones / Mosby / Mills
4    At The Clambake Carnival    2:28
Chu Berry
5    Hoy-Hoy    2:49
Conrad
6    Miss Hallelujah Brown    2:21
Davis / Coots
7    The Congo-Conga    3:00
Davis / Coots
8    The Boogie-Woogie    2:37
Davis / Coots
9    There's A Sunny Side To Everything    2:25
Davis / Coots
10    Shout, Shout, Shout    2:36
Blake
11    Mister Paganini - Swing For Minnie    2:50
Lambert / Richards
12    Jive (Page One Of Hepster's Dictionary)    2:57
Calloway / Payne / Berry
13    Do you Wanna Jump, Children    2:23
Donahue / Heusen / Bryan / Selsman
14    I'm Madly In Love With You    2:58
Davis / Coots
15    April In My Heart    2:36
Melnardi / Carmichael
16    Blue Interlude    2:35
Carter / Kurtz / Mills
17    F.D.R. Jones    2:20
Rome
18    Deep In A Dream    2:58
DeLange / Heusen
19    Tee-Um Tee-Um Tee-I, Tahiti    2:09
Johnson / Shuster / Powell
20    Angels With Dirty Faces    2:56
Spitalny / Fisher
21    Long Long Ago    2:22
Unknown
22    Afraid Of Love    2:30
Fenderson / Miller / Spitalny
23    Ratamacue    2:25
Cole / Thomas / Battle
24    Ad-De-Dey    2:42
Hupfeld

HAROLD NICHOLAS - Harold Nicholas, June Richmond, Andy Bey (2000) Jazz In Paris 20 / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    On The Sunny Side Of The Street 4:00
Written-By – Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields
2    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours? 2:33
Written-By – Charles Trénet, Léo Chauliac
3    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    Saint Louis Blues 3:50
Written-By – William Christopher Handy
4    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    That Old Black Magic 3:20
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
5    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    Teach Me Tonight 4:06
Written-By – Gene De Paul, Sammy Cahn
6    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 4:18
Written-By – Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach
7    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    Over The Rainbow 2:02
Written-By – E. Y. Harburg
8    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    I Only Have Eyes For You 3:09
Written-By – Al Dubin, Harry Warren
9    June Richmond & The Quincy Jones Orchestra–    I've Gotta Right To Sing The Blues 2:12
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
10    June Richmond & The Quincy Jones Orchestra–    Sleep 2:44
Written-By – Earl Lebieg
11    June Richmond & The Quincy Jones Orchestra–    Everybody's Doing It 2:19
Written-By – Irving Berlin
12    June Richmond & The Quincy Jones Orchestra–    Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea 2:30
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
13    Andy And The Bey Sisters–    Scoubidou 2:45
Written-By – Lewis Allan, Maurice Tézé, Sacha Distel
14    Andy And The Bey Sisters–    Smooth Sailin' 2:46
Written-By – Arnett Cobb
Credits :
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Jo Hrasko (faixas: 9 to 12)
Double Bass – Guy Pedersen (faixas: 9 to 12), Paul Rovere (faixas: 13, 14)
Drums – Kenny Clarke (faixas: 9 to 14)
Piano – Henri Renaud (faixas: 9 to 12)
Producer, Conductor, Arranged By – Quincy Jones (faixas: 9 to 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Barney Wilen (faixas: 13, 14)
Trombone – Billy Byers (faixas: 9 to 12)
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham (faixas: 13, 14), Roger Guérin (faixas: 9 to 12)
Vocals – Geraldine Bey (faixas: 13, 14), Harold Nicholas (faixas: 1 to 8), June Richmond (faixas: 9 to 12), Salomé Bey (faixas: 13, 14)
Vocals, Piano, Arranged By – Andy Bey (faixas: 13, 14)
Nota :
Recorded in Paris in 1959 (1-8) and April 1959 (13-14) and at the Hoche Studio, Paris on September 16, 1957 (9-12)
Reissue of the Fontana 10" LP 882 101 (1-8) and of the Barclay EP 70 105 (9-12)
Partial reissue of the Fontana EP 464 451 (13-14) (the titles "Bye bye blackbird" and "Fascinatin' rhythm", which were present on the original release, came from a session recorded in London, which explains their non-appearance here).