TOMMY DORSEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937, Vol. 3 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1035 (1998) FLAC (tracks), lossless

 The seventh installment in the Classics Tommy Dorsey chronology opens with four love songs swung by the Clambake Seven and sung by Edythe Wright. On the bluesy and slightly dissonant "After You," the leader plays his trombone using a trumpet mouthpiece, creating a sound somewhat similar to what Jack Teagarden would achieve on his "Glass Blues" of 1944 using nothing more than a trombone mouthpiece and a water glass. Bud Freeman's solo on this track is nothing short of marvelous. A light smattering of instrumentals include a majestic and swinging version of Cole Porter's "Night and Day" arranged by Paul Weston, Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "Canadian Capers," and Hoagy Carmichael's "I May Be Wrong, But I Think You're Wonderful." Most of the selections feature pert or sentimental vocals. The goofiest track is "The Big Apple," a slaphappy Clambake Seven call and response number describing a "new dance" combining characteristics of nearly every popular step of the day. The band carefully recites "my my, yes yes," a phrase lifted directly from Fats Waller. This segment of the Dorsey chronology closes with a weirdly out of step remnant from vaudeville days. Back in 1902 a guy by the name of Fred Fisher came up with a barrelhouse rag bearing the dubious title "If the Man in the Moon Were a Coon." This Jim Crow novelty was published by Chicago's Will Rossiter, a shrewd businessman destined to succeed in 1917 with Shelton Brooks' famous proto-jazz hit, "The Darktown Strutter's Ball." The fact that Tommy Dorsey thought it was OK to record Fisher's "Coon" song in 1937 with Jack Leonard merrily enunciating the words speaks volumes about the state of U.S. culture and ethics during the 20th century. The tune itself, which sounds a little like Tony Jackson's "Pretty Baby," is very catchy and lends itself to full throttle jamming. Bud Freeman runs fiendish riffs up and down the tenor and Johnny Mince's clarinet percolates while Gene Traxler slaps his bass. It's one of this group's hottest records. If only they'd omitted the lyrics. arwulf arwulf    Tracklist :

TOMMY DORSEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1117 (2000) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This ninth edition of the Classics Tommy Dorsey chronology opens with a splendid instrumental rendering of "Shine on Harvest Moon" but then gives way to numerous vocal performances by Jack Leonard, that grenadine-drenched crooner so favored by this bandleader in the years preceding the arrival of Frank Sinatra. Three more instrumentals, Ted Fiorito's "I Never Knew," Irving Berlin's "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning," and "What'll I Do?" allowed tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman to administer an infusion of his own special warmth. Two more sides from the same session scaled the band down to Clambake Seven specifications and featured the beautiful Edythe Wright, who seems to have been capable of singing nearly any song placed in front of her. Freeman left Dorsey to join Benny Goodman after this session. He was replaced by two tenors, Skeets Herfurt and Deane Kincaide. Dorsey still had Pee Wee Erwin and Johnny Mince and his records continued to sell in large numbers. This was largely on account of his vocalists, the best of whom during this period was without a doubt Edythe Wright. arwulf arwulf   Tracklist : 

TOMMY DORSEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1938, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1156 (2000) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The tenth installment of the Classics Tommy Dorsey chronology presents a series of Victor recordings he made during midsummer and early autumn 1938 in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. Edythe Wright was Dorsey's primary vocalist from 1935 to 1939. While some of her recorded performances are pleasantly zippy and entertaining, she sometimes had to participate in Dorsey's tightly scripted mechanical cornball routines, rhythmically chanting rhymed verse in an atmosphere almost entirely devoid of spontaneity, not to mention dignity. The stupidest, most painfully contrived Clambake Seven recording of all was "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," and Wright's duets with Skeets Herfurt are almost as obnoxious. Instrumental tracks therefore take on a comparative aspect of richly rewarding artistic merit. A high-stepping rendition of "Panama" by William H. Tyers, Hoagy Carmichael's wistful "Washboard Blues," the catchy "Copenhagen," and the soon to be famous "Boogie Woogie" were each arranged by tenor saxophonist Deane Kincaide. Other rewarding instrumentals heard here are "Carolina Moon," a bouncing oddity with eccentric modulations and a dash of boogie flavoring called "Lightly and Politely," Benny Carter's "Symphony in Riffs," and "Chinatown, My Chinatown," expertly swung by the Clambake Seven, a tight little group that sounds for all the world like a contingent from the Eddie Condon mob as they tear through a sizzling salute to "The Sheik of Araby." arwulf arwulf     Tracklist :

JESS STACY – 1935-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 795 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pianist Jess Stacy did not lead that many recording sessions during the swing era since he spent long periods playing with the big bands of Benny Goodman and Bob Crosby. This excellent CD contains his 21 selections as a leader from a four-year period. Stacy's three numbers from 1935 include a solo Bix Beiderbecke medley and two songs with bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Gene Krupa. In addition, this set has Stacy's eight piano solos for Commodore, a duet with Bud Freeman on tenor ("She's Funny That Way"), and eight very rare performances (plus an alternate take) cut for Varsity in 1939 that also feature trumpeter Billy Butterfield, tenor saxophonist Eddie Miller, and either clarinetist Hank d'Amico or Irving Fazola in an octet. This CD contains more than its share of gems. Scott Yanow
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ARTIE SHAW AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1007 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As 1939 began, Artie Shaw had the most popular band in jazz, topping Benny Goodman and recording best-selling records for Bluebird. This CD covers a two-month period, as Shaw's band (which features tenor saxophonist Georgie Auld, Tony Pastor on vocals and tenor, drummer Buddy Rich, and singer Helen Forrest) showed that they could swing as hard as anyone. Highlights include "Lover Come Back to Me," "Carioca," "Rose Room," and "I'm Comin' Virginia," although there are also a lot of so-so Forrest vocals. Scott Yanow
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