CAB CALLOWAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1930-1931 | The Classics Chronological Series – 516 (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Cab Calloway is long overdue for a reappraisal. Long put down by some writers as a mere entertainer, he was actually a superior jazz-influenced singer whose vocal abilities were often overshadowed by his showmanship. The ideal way to acquire his best recordings are to get the 12 CDs in Classics' Complete series. Not only do these reissues include his hits, but also some jazz instrumentals and enjoyable obscurities that give one a more well-rounded picture of the "Hi-De-Ho Man." This particular Classics CD has his first 24 recordings; from the start, his colorful style was already fully formed. It is particularly interesting to hear Calloway performing some material associated with others, especially "Happy Feet" (Paul Whiteman), "The Viper's Drag" and "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby" (the latter two with Fats Waller), and several Duke Ellington hits. One of the better Harlem orchestras, Calloway's early band had formerly been known as the Missourians and included several fine soloists, particularly trumpeter Lammar Wright and Walter Thomas on tenor and baritone. Highlights include "St. Louis Blues," "Some of These Days," a classic rendition of "St. James Infirmary," "Nobody's Sweetheart" and the original version of "Minnie the Moocher." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Gotta Darn Good Reason Now (For Bein' Good) 3:09
De Priest Wheeler / Lamar Wright
2     St. Louis Blues 2:53
W.C. Handy
3     Sweet Jennie Lee! 3:06
Walter Donaldson
4     Happy Feet 2:35
Milton Ager / Jack Yellen
5     Yaller 3:24
Hubert Myers
6     The Viper's Drag 3:19
Fats Waller
7     Is That Religion? 2:52
Mitchell Parish / Maceo Pinkard
8     Some of These Days 2:54
Shelton Brooks
9     Nobody's Sweetheart 3:17
Ernie Erdman / Gus Kahn / Billy Meyers / Elmer Schoebel
10     St. James Infirmary 3:02
Joe Primrose / Traditional
11     Dixie Vagabond 3:02
Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn
12     So Sweet 2:56
Haven Gillespie / Nelson Shawn
13     Minnie the Moocher 3:09
Cab Calloway / Clarence Gaskill / Irving Mills
14     Doin' the Rhumba 2:54
Charles F. Kenny / Nick A. Kenny / Irving Mills / Frank Perkins
15     Mood Indigo 2:26
Barney Bigard / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills    
16     Farewell Blues 2:33
Paul Mares / Leon Roppolo / Elmer Schoebel    
17     I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby 2:36
Alex Hill / Fats Waller
18     Creole Love Song 2:53
Duke Ellington
19     The Levee Low Down 2:55
Shelton Brooks / Irving Mills    
20     Blues in My Heart 2:54
Benny Carter / Irving Mills    
21     Black Rhythm 3:11
Donald Heywood / Irving Mills     
22     Six or Seven Times 3:21
Irving Mills / Fats Waller
23     My Honey's Lovin' Arms 3:06
Joseph Meyer / Herman Ruby     
24     The Nightmare 2:49
Hubert Myers / Riley

CAB CALLOWAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1931-1932 | The Classics Chronological Series – 526 (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The second of 12 Classics CDs that reissue all of Cab Calloway's recordings from 1930-42 has 23 performances that trace the singer's success during an 11-month period. He shows what he learned from his older sister Blanche on some of the songs, but on "You Rascal You," "Aw You Dawg" and "Kickin' the Gong Around," the singer could be mistaken for no one else but himself. There is a bit of surface noise on some of the tracks (sometimes sounding like a light rain) and even a skip on "Without Rhythm" but the wonderful music far outvalues the minor technical faults. Due to the solos of trumpeter Lammar Wright, clarinetist Arville Harris and the tenor of Walter Thomas, the tight ensembles and Calloway's exuberant (in the case of "Basin Street Blues," rather silly) singing, there are many memorable selections on this set. Highlights include "Bugle Call Rag," "Stardust," "Trickeration," "Kickin' the Gong Around," "Corrine Corinna," "The Scat Song" and "Dinah." This is very enjoyable and often-classic music that lets one know immediately why Cab Calloway was so popular during the 1930s. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     It Looks Like Susie 2:55
Cliff Friend
2     Sweet Georgia Brown 2:36
Ben Bernie / Kenneth Casey / Maceo Pinkard
3     Basin Street Blues 2:57
Spencer Williams
4     Bugle Call Rag 2:31
Billy Meyers / Jack Pettis / Elmer Schoebel
5     You Rascal, You 3:15
Sam Theard
6     Stardust 3:28
Hoagy Carmichael / Mitchell Parish
7     You Can't Stop Me from Lovin' You 2:54
Mann Holiner / Alberta Nichols
8     You Dog 2:59
Cab Calloway
9     Somebody Stole My Gal 2:50
Leo Wood
10     Ain't Got No Gal in This Town 3:17
John Robinson
11     Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 3:02
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
12     Trickeration 2:56
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
13     Kickin' the Gong Around 3:11
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
14     Down-Hearted Blues 2:53
Lovie Austin / Alberta Hunter
15     Without Rhythm 2:45
Dan Dougherty / Jack Yellen
16     Corrina, Corrina 3:04
17     Stack O' Lee Blues 3:05
Lew Colwell / Rafael Lopez
18     The Scat Song 3:08
Cab Calloway / Mitchell Parish / Frank Perkins
19     Cabin in the Cotton 4:04
Cab Calloway / Mitchell Parish / Frank Perkins
20     Strictly Cullud Affair 3:04
Al J. Neiburg / Maceo Pinkard
21     Aw You Dawg 2:49
Cab Calloway
22     Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day 3:13
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
23     Dinah 3:10
Harry Akst / Sam M. Lewis / Joe Young