NEW ORLEANS RHYTHM KINGS – 1925-1935 | The Chronogical Classics – 1150 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 1922-1923 recordings of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings are essential listening for anyone trying to piece together the evolution of New Orleans/Chicago-style jazz (see Classics 1129). To be permitted chronological access to everything that subsequently appeared under the banner of the NORK is a ticket to Elysium for all lovers of classic jazz. The first six selections, recorded in New Orleans near the beginning of 1925, reveal a much different band than the ensembles of 1923. Obviously, Jelly Roll Morton isn't directly involved anymore, even if "Golden Leaf Blues" sounds a lot like "Milenberg Joys." Paul Mares and Leon Roppolo retain their position at the center of things, but trombonist George Brunies has been replaced by the dashing Santo Pecora. Each little three-minute performance is solid and warm. Now the action moves up to New York City. A small cluster of originally unissued test pressings from June of 1934 includes a vaudeville version of "Shine" by a quartet calling itself "the Four Bales of Cotton," with scatting, trumpeting, and friendly patter by Wingy Manone. Although "Shine," with its mildly Jim Crow lyrics, always does better as an instrumental, this theatrical singalong approach is somehow fascinating. The same session yielded two hot instrumentals by a reassembled Rhythm Kings with a front line of Manone, either Brunies or Pecora, clarinetist Sidney Arodin, and the tenor saxophone of Eddie Miller. Why these sides were rejected in 1934 is anybody's guess. By September of that year, Decca was taking them more seriously. Brunies and Manone led a six-piece mob through eight outstanding stomps. Arodin's marvelous "San Antonio Shout" is succeeded by one traditional jazz anthem after the next. Their handling of "Jazz Me Blues" is particularly tasty. The session of September 26 was shaped by a deliberate emphasis on material harking back to the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Back in Chicago on January 26, 1935, Paul Mares led his own version of a reconstituted Rhythm Kings band, referencing the earliest NORK sessions by reviving the Friars Society Orchestra name. The appropriately titled "Reincarnation" is elegantly, majestically blue. "Land of Dreams," "Nagasaki," and "Maple Leaf" swing hard. Pecora is back, along with the mighty Omer Simeon and a tough alto sax player by the name of Boyce Brown. The last band to record under this name in the 1930s had a strong front line in Muggsy Spanier, George Brunies, and Eddie Miller. Two of the numbers are hot Fats Waller spinoffs, while "No Lovers Allowed" is OK and "Since We Fell Out of Love" has notably stupid lyrics, made insufferable by Red McKenzie, who insists on warbling away at each song without mercy. Either you love him or you want to cram a comb down his throat. Whenever the singer runs out of lyrics, Muggsy's cornet shines like the harvest moon. arwulf arwulf  
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MEZZ MEZZROW – 1928-1936 | The Chronogical Classics – 713 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Mezz Mezzrow was never that strong a player. His technique was weak and although he played with enthusiasm and was decent on the blues, he fumbled a lot. However, Mezz did appear on a lot of significant recordings through the years, and some are on this Classics CD. Playing tenor, Mezzrow is heard in 1928 with the Chicago Rhythm Kings, the Jungle Kings (the same group under a different name), Frank Teschemacher's Chicagoans, and the Louisiana Rhythm Kings. Those six titles by overlapping bands feature such major players early in their careers as cornetist Muggsy Spanier, clarinetist Frank Teschemacher, pianist Joe Sullivan, Eddie Condon (on banjo), and drummer Gene Krupa; Red McKenzie takes a vocal on "There'll Be Some Changes Made." Also on this CD are eight swing-oriented numbers from 1933-1934 by a big band headed by Mezzrow and including such top musicians as trumpeter Max Kaminsky, trombonist Floyd O'Brien, altoist Benny Carter, Bud Freeman on tenor, and either Teddy Wilson or Willie "The Lion" Smith on piano. Despite the inclusion of such titles as "Free Love" and "Dissonance," the music is essentially no-nonsense swing. This CD is rounded off by four selections from Art Karle and His Boys (mainly showcases for the dated vocals of Chick Bullock, although trumpeter Frankie Newton is in the backup band) and two songs from Mezz's first 1936 session as a leader. The excellent and often essential music is obviously of greatest interest for the contributions of the many all-stars. Scott Yanow  
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FATS WALLER – 1929-1934 | The Classics Chronological Series – 720 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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SIDNEY BECHET – 1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 619 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Classics' chronological reissue of Bechet's recordings (at least the regular takes) continues with a pair of songs made with blues singer Josh White, eight very enjoyable performances cut with a quartet consisting of cornetist Muggsy Spanier, guitarist Carmen Mastren and bassist Wellman Braud, and a pair of Bechet's Victor sessions. This is one of the strongest entries in this valuable series. Scott Yanow
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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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MUGGSY SPANIER – 1944 | The Classics Chronological Series – 907 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Three high-powered Commodore sessions and a V-Disc blowout make this an exceptionally satisfying packet of Chicago-styled traditional jazz. Without a doubt, this music should be rated alongside Muggsy's all-time greatest recordings. Pee Wee Russell, gloriously soulful and inventive, is present throughout. Rock-solid trombonist Miff Mole made it onto two of the three Commodore dates. No matter how hard the band swung, nothing could shake the Mole. Saxophonists Ernie Caceres and Boomie Richmond were variously brought in to augment or replace the trombone. Muggsy demonstrates his full range of wails, growls, and muted shimmies. Some of these tunes run for more than four minutes, which in 1944 meant big beautiful 12" 78-rpm records. The overall mood is positive, spirited, and even optimistic. Caceres accomplished with his baritone what Adrian Rollini had achieved with a bass sax during the mid- to late '20s. A reed horn with a voice that deep has a way of nudging the whole band along with firm but friendly persuasion. Boomie sounded a lot like Bud Freeman, a good role model for a tenor sax operating within this kind of an ensemble. George Wettling pounds his drums with unusual fervor during "Sweet Sue," inciting a perfect riot of joyous jamming. Pee Wee's first chorus on "Memphis Blues" is so gritty and deep it's frightening! Every tune is rendered with passion. That's where all that satisfaction comes from. Comparing these sides with the highly revered 1939 "Ragtime Band" recordings, these seem just a bit more free and genuine, closer to what these guys must have sounded like in person. The V-Discs are each more than four minutes in duration. "Pee Wee Speaks" has Muggsy introducing the clarinetist as "our new vocalist." Russell grumbles the blues, referencing Muggsy's work ethic and tossing in references to butter and lard. As with every other existing example of Pee Wee Russell the Singer, our man sounds weirdly glib and a little bit sloshed. "Pat's Blues" begins with someone, apparently bassist Bob Haggart, whistling a full chorus of the blues through his teeth. It is a perfectly frowsy finale to this invigorating collection of hot records made by Muggsy Spanier at the height of his powers. arwulf arwulf
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MUGGSY SPANIER – 1944-1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 967 (1997) FLAC (tracks), lossless

If you're looking for a straight, unfiltered shot of full-strength Chicago-style traditional jazz, this disc pulls no punches. Three of the four opening tracks are incendiary Commodore blowouts. Bob Haggart whistles during the opening and closing choruses of his own "Whistlin' the Blues," which comes as a bit of a breather after all that stomping. The next six selections were released on the Manhattan record label, available to the public as souvenirs to be purchased at Nick's Tavern, a hot spot for old-fashioned jazz in Greenwich Village. Four of these tracks feature the exciting baritone saxophone of Ernie Caceres, who exchanges a few words with Muggsy Spanier at the beginning of yet another whistling tune, "Feather Brain Blues." As Haggart whistles in the background, Caceres, speaking in a husky theatrical voice similar to that used by Harry "The Hipster" Gibson, exclaims that he hears a mockingbird. Spanier insists that the creature in question is "a feather brain bird," and vows to "blow him right away" with his trusty cornet. This results in a grand, easygoing blues with a big juicy finale, during which whistler and bassist Haggart gets the last word. The V-Disc session is solid and satisfying, right from the first few bars of a smooth walking treatment of the old "Tin Roof Blues." Creamy tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman is the star of this ensemble, as he transforms good music into something truly wonderful. Loudmouth comedian Phil Harris introduces a five-minute jam on "China Boy," counting it off in a tempo that is far slower than the one used by the band. This was a noticeable feature of V-Discs -- the spoken introductions were almost invariably recorded separate from the songs themselves, and usually sounded that way. Identifying his music as "Dixieland," Muggsy speaks at the beginning of "You Took Advantage of Me," a feature for Freeman, who had made a wonderful recording of this Rodgers & Hart dance tune for the Commodore label back in 1938. This 1945 "update" version is guaranteed to please all fans of Bud Freeman. This fine CD closes with six delightful sides originally released on the innocuous Disc record label. On "Pee Wee Squawks," Pee Wee Russell, who is heard on every session except the V-Discs, sings about how he needs a break: "My horn ain't in tune and my chops are hangin' low." The producers of the Classics Chronological Series are to be commended for periodically dredging up recorded examples of Pee Wee Russell singing in his own weirdly stilted, slightly sloshed manner. arwulf arwulf
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MUGGSY SPANIER – 1949-1954 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1405 (2005) FLAC (tracks), lossless

About two-and-a-half years transpired between Muggsy Spanier's September 1946 session for the Disc label (see Classics 967, Muggsy Spanier 1944-1946) and the Jazz Limited recording date of February 1949, which resulted in the two tracks that open this fourth volume in the Classics Muggsy Spanier chronology. Based in Chicago, the small-time Jazz Limited record label was an offshoot of Jazz Ltd., a Windy City Dixieland club at 11 East Grand Avenue run by cute little Ruth Reinhardt and her husband, Bill, who can be heard blowing his clarinet on these first two selections. Muggsy Spanier & the Dixieland Band recorded on four separate occasions for the Mercury label in Chicago between March 1950 and May 1952; the first of these groups (tracks three through six) had perhaps the most intriguing lineup in George Brunies, Darnell Howard, Floyd Bean, Truck Parham, and Big Sid Catlett, who was destined to die of a backstage heart attack almost exactly one year later. Aside from the session of August 29, 1951, during which an oddly tense Buddy Charles sings "Moonglow" and "Sunday" with a bit too much vibrato, these sorts of good-time old-fashioned blowing sessions were typical of Spanier's recorded output throughout the years. At the beginning of September 1954 Spanier, who had switched to the trumpet in 1950, was recording for Decca using the old cornet and billing his group as a "Jazz" rather than "Dixieland" band. These recordings, particularly the slower-paced numbers like Hoagy Carmichael's "Judy" and a ten-and-a-half-minute take of "Careless Love," are elegant and majestic in ways that bear comparison with Spanier's best recordings. arwulf arwulf  
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ETHEL WATERS – 1929-1931 | The Classics Chronological Series – 721 (1993) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

During the period covered in this CD from Classics' Complete Ethel Waters series, the singer was quickly developing into a top musical comedy and Broadway star. Although her backup was not as jazz-oriented as previously (despite the presence of such players as clarinetist Benny Goodman, trombonist Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey on clarinet and alto and trumpeter Manny Klein), Waters's renditions of many of these future standards are definitive, particularly "True Blue Lou," "Waiting at the End of the Road," "Porgy," "You're Lucky to Me" and "When Your Lover Has Gone." Superior jazz-oriented singing from one of the very best. Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1     Second-Handed Man    2:46    

Sidney Easton / Ethel Waters
2     True Blue Lou    2:58    
Sam Coslow / Leo Robin / Richard A. Whiting
3     Do I Know What I'm Doing?    2:47    
Sam Coslow / Leo Robin / Richard A. Whiting
4     Shoo Shoo Boogie Boo    2:47    
Sam Coslow / Leo Robin / Richard A. Whiting
5     Georgia Blues    3:21   
Billy Higgins / W. Benton Overstreet
6     I Like the Way He Does It    2:31
7     Waiting at the End of the Road    3:18    
Irving Berlin
8     Trav'lin' All Alone    2:56    
J.C. Johnson
9     Long Lean Lanky Mama    2:48 
10     Better Keep Your Eye on Your Man    2:54    
11     Porgy    3:30    
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
12     Black and Blue    2:55    
Harry Brooks / Andy Razaf / Fats Waller
13     My Kind of Man    2:58    
14     You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me    3:20    
Sammy Fain / Irving Kahal / Peter Norman
15     You're Lucky to Me    3:07    
Eubie Blake / Andy Razaf
16     Memories of You    3:07    
Eubie Blake / Andy Razaf
17     I Got Rhythm    3:05    
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
18     Three Little Words 3:05   
Bert Kalmar / Harry Ruby  
19     When Your Lover Has Gone    3:07    
Einar A. Swan
20     Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone    3:13    
Sidney Clare / Sam H. Stept
21     You Can't Stop Me from Loving You    3:19    
Mann Holiner / Alberta Nichols
22     Without That Gal!    2:51
Walter Donaldson
Credits :    
Bass Saxophone – Adrian Rollini (tracks: 13, 14)
Bass [String Bass] – Joe Tarto (tracks: 2 to 4, 11, 12), Unknown Artist (tracks: 15, 16)
Clarinet – Benny Goodman (tracks: 13, 14, 19 to 22)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Jimmy Dorsey (tracks: 2 to 4, 17, 18)
Drums – Stan King (tracks: 2 to 4)
Guitar – Dick McDonough (tracks: 21, 22), Eddie Lang (tracks: 19, 20), Tony Colucci (tracks: 2 to 4, 11, 12), Unknown Artist (tracks: 7, 8, 17, 18)
Organ – Unknown Artist (tracks: 15, 16)
Piano – Frank Signorelli (tracks: 2 to 4, 11, 12), Pearl Wright (tracks: 1, 5 to 10), Rube Bloom (tracks: 13, 14, 19 to 22), Unknown Artist (tracks: 15 to 18)
Trombone – Tommy Dorsey (tracks: 2 to 4, 13, 14, 17 to 22)
Trumpet – Bob Effros (tracks: 2 to 4, 7, 8), Manny Klein (tracks: 13, 14, 17 to 22)
Trumpet [And/Or] – Manny Klein (tracks: 11, 12), Muggsy Spanier (tracks: 11, 12)
Violin – Ben Selvin (tracks: 2 to 4, 11 to 14, 17, 18), Joe Venuti (tracks: 19, 20), Unknown Artist (tracks: 7, 8, 15, 16)
Violoncello – Unknown Artist (tracks: 7, 8)
Vocals – Ethel Waters