ANITA O'DAY – 1945-1950 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1274 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Classics volume on Anita O'Day covering 1945 through 1950 takes her through the first five years of her solo career -- after her breakout with Gene Krupa (and "Let Me Off Uptown"), but before the immense success of her Verve years. The only hit present is the bright novelty "Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip," but fortunately O'Day didn't record many castoffs then; instead, par for the course during the late '40s was her bluesy romp version of "What Is This Thing Called Love?," another Cole Porter tune recorded at the same session. Her sweetly swinging versions of "Them There Eyes" and "I Told Ya I Love You, Now Get Out" are excellent, and the backing includes high-caliber musicians Benny Carter, Dave Barbour, and pianist/arranger Ralph Burns. John Bush          Tracklist + Credits :

BUD FREEMAN – 1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 975 (1997) FLAC (tracks), lossless

How pleasant to know Bud Freeman. His warm tone on the tenor sax (and occasionally the clarinet) could best be described as "friendly." Here are all of the sides he recorded for the Keynote label in 1946, presented chronologically, as if the listener were sitting in the studio watching the sessions unfold. For this material to make it onto compact disc is a cause for celebration. "Town Hall Blues" refers to Eddie Condon's famous Town Hall Jazz Concerts, where all of these musicians appeared in every sort of instrumental combination, as Condon loved to constantly rearrange the lineups of his jam session groups. This served to create and maintain an almost Brecht-like "work in progress" atmosphere. The common root language of those public performances was always a blues played in the style of a traditional jazz ensemble. What's presented here on the first track is standard-issue, collectively improvised blues, exactly the way they did it at Town Hall. All that's missing is Eddie Condon's narration, which sounded a lot like gangster banter from a Jimmy Cagney movie. Peanuts Hucko radiates positive energy during "Honeysuckle Rose." Freeman and Joe Sullivan illuminate "Room with a View" most graciously. "You Took Advantage of Me" gets the hot treatment -- this was one of Freeman's favorite jam tunes. There are a couple of very pleasant love songs, then a fine visit to "The Blue Room" with clarinetist Edmond Hall. Now the mood changes along with the personnel. In addition to Hall, formidable percussionist Davey Tough and a very spunky Charlie Shavers glide easily through the relatively modern chord progressions of "Inside at the Southside." "I've Found a New Baby" leads a charge back into fundamentally traditional modes. "Blues for Peanuts" is almost like something from Lester Young. "Taking a Chance on Love" really bubbles up as Freeman's tenor is snugly backed by Bill Dohler's alto sax. There are very few extant recordings of pianist Tut Soper. Rejoice then in his presence on "The Man I Love." At the bottom of this mixed bag are two rather overbearing vocals by Marilyn Ross, most interesting for Freeman's clarinet accompaniment, and a silly song (urging everyone not to put bananas in the refrigerator) sung by the DeMarco Sisters (very close imitators of the Andrews Sisters). The real jazz on this disc is so excellent that only a spoilsport would object to the inclusion of these odds and ends. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    Town Hall Blues    3:12
 Traditional
2    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    Tea For Two    2:48
 Irving Caesar / Vincent Youmans
3    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    Honeysuckle Rose    2:47
 Andy Razaf / Fats Waller
4    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    Room With A View    3:14
 Noël Coward
5    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    You Took Advantage Of Me    2:51
 Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
6    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    Sentimental Baby    2:53
 Jack Palmer
7    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    You're My Everything    2:54
 Mort Dixon / Harry Warren / Joe Young
8    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    Blue Room    2:56
 Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
9    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    Inside At The Southside    2:42
 Bud Freeman / Jack Palmer
10    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    I've Found A New Baby    2:53
 Jack Palmer / Bert Williams
11    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    Royal Garden Blues    2:42
 Clarence Williams / Spencer Williams
12    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    Midnight At Eddie Condon's    2:52
 Bud Freeman
13    Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    Time On My Hands    3:07
 Harold Adamson / Mack Gordon / Vincent Youmans
14    Bud Freeman And The Chicagoans–    Blop Boose    2:25
 Bud Freeman
15    Bud Freeman And The Chicagoans–    Blue Lou    2:59
 Irving Mills / Edgar Sampson
16    Paul Jordan Quartet, Bud Freeman–    Goin' Far Away    3:07
Unknown
17    Paul Jordan Quartet, Bud Freeman–    Blues For Peanuts    2:51
Unknown
18    Freeman Five–    Taking A Chance Of Love    2:50
 Vernon Duke / Ted Fetter / John Latouche
19    Freeman Five–    You Took Advantage Of Me    2:30
 Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
20    Freeman Five–    Ribald Rythym    3:02
Unknown
21    Freeman Four–    The Man I Love    3:16
 George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
22    Freeman Four–    Ontario Barrel House    2:33
Unknown
23    Marilyn Ross–    Hard Hearted Hannah    2:56
 Milton Ager / Charles Bates / Bob Bigelow / Jack Yellen
24    Marilyn Ross–    I'm One Of God's Children    2:48
 Louis Alter / Oscar Hammerstein II / Harry Ruskin
25    Five DeMarco Sisters Acc. By Bud Freeman And His Orchestra–    Chiquita Banana (The Banana Song)    2:44
 Leonard MacKenzie / Gary Montgomery / William Wirges