GENE KRUPA AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1935-1938 | Serie The Chronogical Classics – 754 (1994) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The first CD in the European Classics label's "complete" Gene Krupa series starts off with two all-star sessions that preceded the drummer's first dates as a big-band leader. Krupa, Benny Goodman, bassist Israel Crosby (featured on "Blues of Israel") and several sideman from Goodman's 1935 band jam four songs, and from the following year, Krupa is joined by trumpeter Roy Eldridge, tenor saxophonist Chu Berry, pianist Jess Stacy, guitarist Allan Reuss, Crosby and (on two of the four songs) singer Helen Ward. The two instrumentals ("I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music" and "Swing Is Here") are near-classics that are quite heated. Otherwise, this CD has Krupa's first 15 numbers with his big band, a promising outfit which during 1938 also featured tenor saxophonist Vido Musso, pianist Milt Raskin and the vocals of Irene Daye and Helen Ward. Highlights include "Feeling High and Happy," "Wire Brush Stomp" and the previously unissued "The Madam Swings It." Scott Yanow

Tracklist :
1.    The Last Round Up 2:41
Written-By – Hill
2.    Jazz Me Blues 2:42
Written-By – Delaney
3.    Three Little Words 2:43
Written-By – Kalmar, Ruby
4.    Blues Of Israel 3:08
Written-By – Krupa
5.    I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music 3:02
Written-By – Franklin
6.    Mutiny In The Parlour 3:00
Written-By – Heyman, Lawnhurst
7.    I'm Gonna Clap My Hands 2:52
Written-By – Farley, Riley
8.    Swing Is Here 2:54
Written-By – Krupa, Berry, Eldridge
9.    Grandfather's Clock    2:31
10.    Prelude To A Stomp 2:30
Written-By – Willett
11.    One More Dream 2:15
Written-By – Coots, Sigler
12.    The Madam Swings It    2:30
13.    I Know That You Know 1:56
Written-By – O'Dea, Harbach, Youmans
14.    Feelin' High And Happy 2:38
Written-By – Bloom, Koehler
15.    Fare Thee Well, Annie Laurie 2:36
Written-By – Thornhill
16.    Jam On Toast 2:20
Written-By – Krupa
17.    If It Rains, Who Cares?    2:20
18.    Wire Brush Stomp 2:10
Written-By – Krupa, Blanco
19.    What Goes On Here (In My Heart) 2:20
Written-By – Robin, Rainger
20.    There's Honey On The Moon Tonight 2:06
Written-By – Gillespie, Coots, Davis
21.    Meet The Beat Of My Heart 2:38
Written-By – Revel, Gordon
22.    My Own 3:00
Written-By – Adamson, McHugh
23.    You're As Pretty As A Picture 2:47
Written-By – Adamson, McHugh
Credits :
Clarinet – Benny Goodman (tracks: 1 to 8)
Drums – Gene Krupa
Performer – Gene Krupa And His Chicagoans (tracks: 1 to 4), Gene Krupa And His Orchestra (tracks: 9 to 23), Gene Krupa's Swing Band (tracks: 5 to 8)
Tenor Saxophone – Chu Berry* (tracks: 5 to 8), Vido Musso (tracks: 9 to 23)
Trumpet – Roy Eldridge (tracks: 5 to 8)
Vocals – Helen Ward (tracks: 6, 7, 11, 14), Irene Day (tracks: 17, 19 to 23), Jerry Kruger (tracks: 15)

GENE KRUPA AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939 | The Chronogical Classics – 799 (1994) Two Version | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The European label's third Gene Krupa set reissues all of the recordings made by the drummer's big band during a five-month period in 1939. Although working steadily, Krupa's Orchestra had not broken through yet (it was still two years away from its prime period). With Irene Daye contributing ten pleasing vocals among the 22 selections and such soloists as trumpeter Nate Kazebier, trombonist Floyd O'Brien, tenor-saxophonist Sam Donahue and pianist Milt Raskin (along with the drummer/leader), the group was starting to show some strong potential, particularly on the instrumentals such as "The Madam Swings It" and "Hodge Podge." Well-played if not overly distinctive swing music. Scott Yanow 

Tracklist :
1.    The Lady's In Love With You 2:43
Vocals – Irene Daye
2.    Some Like It Hot 2:30
Arranged By – Jimmy Mundy
Vocals – Irene Daye
3.    Quiet And Roll 'Em 3:03
Arranged By – Sam Donahue
4.    The Madam Swings It     2:59
5.    Dracula    2:37
6.    My Hands Are Tied 2:47
Vocals – Irene Daye
7.    Variety Is The Spice Of Life 2:41
Vocals – Irene Daye
8.    Foo For Two    2:30
9.    Hodge Podge    3:03
10.    Swanee River 2:59
Arranged By – Jimmy Mundy
11.    Challenger Chop 2:57
Arranged By – Sam Donahue
12.    Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair 2:28
Arranged By – Jimmy Mundy
13.    Don't Be Surprised    2:38
14.    You Taught Me To Love Again 2:48
Vocals – Irene Daye
15.    Down By The Old Mill Stream    2:35
16.    Jungle Madness 2:50
Arranged By – Chappie Willett
17.    Guess I'll Go Back Home (This Summer) 3:05
Vocals – Irene Daye
18.    You And Your Love 3:10
Vocals – Irene Daye
19.    Moonlight Serenade 3:12
Vocals – Irene Daye
20.    Old Black Joe 2:19
Arranged By – Jimmy Mundy
21.    Whisper While We Dance 2:40
Vocals – Irene Daye
22.    Sweetheart, Honey, Darlin', Dear 2:25
Vocals – Irene Daye
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Bob Snyder, Clint Neagley (tracks: 17 to 22), Mascagni Ruffo (tracks: 1 to 16)
Bass – Biddy Bastien (tracks: 17 to 22), Horace Rollins (tracks: 1 to 16)
Directed By, Drums – Gene Krupa
Guitar – Ray Biondi
Piano – Milton Raskin
Tenor Saxophone – Sam Donahue, Sam Musiker
Trombone – Al Sherman (tracks: 9 to 22), Bruce Squires (tracks: 1 to 8), Dalton Rizzotto, Floyd O'Brien (tracks: 9 to 22), Toby Tyler (tracks: 1 to 8)
Trumpet – Charles Frankhauser (tracks: 1 to 8), Corky Cornelius (tracks: 17 to 22), Jack Muntz (tracks: 9 to 16), Nate Kazebier (tracks: 9 to 22), Ray Cameron (tracks: 1 to 16), Tom Gonsoulin (tracks: 1 to 8), Torg Halten (tracks: 17 to 22)

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

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