LOUIS JORDAN AND HIS TYMPANY FIVE – 1934-1940 | The Chronogical Classics – 636 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

There's a lot more to Louis Jordan than "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie." Here is an opportunity to check out the man's very earliest recordings, beginning with a series of rare treats that fill in the blank spots at the beginning of his story. It's worth having the entire disc just for the sake of "I Can't Dance (I Got Ants in My Pants)." This 1934 Clarence Williams record clearly demonstrates where Jordan would soon be heading as a performer, and what would distinguish him for the rest of his career. Jordan's exacting delivery and sense of timing are already evident, and Williams sounds delighted to be able to interact with someone with a distinct knack for humorous bantering. It's a shame they didn't knock off another dozen tunes together! Jordan's work with Chick Webb is represented here by three vocals from 1937. He sings very sweetly on "Gee But You're Swell" and "It's Swell of You," sounding so sugary that a lot of folks probably wouldn't even recognize him. "Rusty Hinge" is a bit livelier, and Jordan puts a tiny bit of cayenne in his honeyed vocal as the band swings out. Chick Webb's orchestra helped to define the big-band sound of the '30s, and "Hinge" is a good example of that archetypal style. The first records that Jordan made as a leader were cut in December of 1938. His band at that time was named after their regular jam spot, the Elk's Rendezvous Club, located at 484 Lenox Avenue in beautiful Harlem, U.S.A. It seems as though having recorded with Webb for Decca must have enabled Jordan to continue working for that label as a leader in his own right. Rodney Sturgis sings three pleasant tunes in a warm, smooth voice -- "So Good" is the catchiest -- then Jordan takes over as vocalist. "Honey in the Bee Ball" is much lighter fare than the punchy stuff Jordan would later become famous for. A very silly "Barnacle Bill the Sailor" has ridiculous falsetto vocals from both Jordan and the band. But then things start to coalesce. Did you ever wonder who put the "Tympany" in the Tympany Five? Well, here's the answer. On the session of March 29, 1939, Walter Martin augmented his regular drum kit with a kettledrum. The instrumental "Flat Face" has a whole lot of ascending and descending runs on the tympanum, and the instrument is marginally audible throughout the rest of the material on this disc. Even when you think it isn't there, Martin uses it like an enormous tom-tom to add ballast to the band. The pedal drum with variable pitch would gradually disappear but the band was to be called the Tympany Five for years to come. Ballsy tenor man Lemuel Fowler was eventually replaced by the equally tough Stafford "Pazuzza" Simon. Both of these saxophonists made good use of their lower registers. Courtney Williams plays smudge-pot trumpet and Jordan demonstrates what a kick-ass alto player he was. By 1940 all the ingredients are there, anticipating the well-known hit records this little band would soon be churning out in rapid succession. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

ROY ELDRIDGE – 1943-1944 | The Classics Chronological Series – 920 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Roy Eldridge worked with Gene Krupa for a couple of years, then made a series of hot sides with a great seven-piece band, featuring tenor saxophonists Ike Quebec and Tom Archia. "After You've Gone" begins with a funny false-start introduction that Eldridge seems to have developed while working with Krupa. "The Gasser," a hot-to-trot walking blues, was based on the chord changes of "Sweet Georgia Brown." Also included here are two lovely, passionate ballads and an incomplete take of "Oh, Lady Be Good." The Esquire Metropolitan Opera House V-Disc Jam Session turned into a real all-star blowout on "Tea for Two," the conglomerated ensemble sounding pretty crowded by the time it works up to the out chorus. Eldridge's next adventure occurred with Lionel Hampton's V-Disc All-Stars. "Flyin' on a V-Disc" is, of course, Hamp's big hit "Flyin' Home." He hammers the vibes while saying "heyyy!' and keeps on saying it, clapping his hands and braying like a goat throughout all subsequent solos by the horn players, eventually leading the pack into an inevitable grandstand conclusion. The Little Jazz Trumpet Ensemble is heard on one of the earliest of all Keynote sessions, and the very first of producer Harry Lim's instrument-oriented dates, setting a precedent for the Coleman Hawkins Sax Ensemble and the Benny Morton Trombone Choir. Emmett Berry's inspiration was Roy Eldridge himself, while Joe Thomas patterned himself after Louis Armstrong. "St. Louis Blues" in particular is amazing. They work it up to a fine finish. Eldridge's working relationship with Decca Records bore fruit briefly in June of 1944 with another big-band date. This particular group included former Fats Waller trumpeter John "Bugs" Hamilton, ace trombonist Sandy Williams, and a pair of strong tenor players -- Franz Jackson and Hal Singer. Two dramatic ballads resulted, along with yet another patented stampede version of "After You've Gone." The orchestra assembled on October 13, 1944, had a formidable trombone section, as Williams found himself flanked by noteworthy slip horn agents Wilbur DeParis and Vic Dickenson. This band was also fortified with the presence of trumpeter Sidney DeParis, drummer Cozy Cole, and flashy amplified guitarist Napoleon "Snags" Allen, who is heavily featured on "Fish Market," a rocking blues that sounds a bit like "Tuxedo Junction." After Eldridge savors a pretty air called "Twilight Time," he leads a charge through "St. Louis Blues." Running the changes as fast as he can through a muted horn, Eldridge fires off a rapid stream of lyrics, turns Franz Jackson loose for a scorching hot tenor solo, and heads up an explosive hot finale. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :

REX STEWART – 1934-1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 931 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On January 9, 1935, Rex Stewart made his first records with Duke Ellington. Clearly, Duke was already a very strong presence in the young cornetist's musical life. "Stingaree," recorded on December 12, 1934, by Rex Stewart & His Orchestra, sounds more than a bit like "Stompy Jones," recorded by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra on January 9, 1934. "Baby, Ain't You Satisfied" was the flip side of "Stingaree," issued on a 78-rpm Vocalion record bearing the serial number 2800. This is the kind of information that the Classics Chronological reissue series provides in its discographies, by the way. You can savor the gradual evolution of an artist's career while poring over recording data and neat little lists of personnel. One name that stands out from the "Stingaree" session is reedman Rudy Powell, who was distinguishing himself in the company of Fats Waller during this same time period. Powell's verbal expostulations during "Satisfied" are as funky and funny as those gruff outbursts usually spoken by Waller or Louis Armstrong. These two numbers are the perfect curtain-raiser for an unusually diverse musical profile. Many of Stewart's best and most often reissued recordings were made under the auspices of Irving Mills and Duke Ellington. Here at last is a collection that expands the lens to include music well outside of that familiar ground. Rex Stewart's Big Seven made four sides on behalf of the Hot Record Society in the summer of 1940. Stewart led his Big Eight on a Keynote date in June of 1944. A slightly reconstituted Big Eight slapped down three contemporary-sounding tracks for Capitol in January 1945. Another octet, now billed as Stewart's "Orchestra," made four records for Parlophone in July 1945. Finally, there is the wild and woolly Mercury session of February 8, 1946. Seldom has an essential segment of Rex Stewart's career been so carefully represented on one disc. The Hot Record Society session glows with the rhythmically magical combination of Wellman Braud and Davey Tough. A slow drag entitled "Solid Rock" is exceptionally passionate and blue. The Keynote sides, especially "Zaza" and "Swamp Mist," are marvelous pieces of chamber jazz, graced with the minds of pianist Johnny Guarnieri and the great Harry Carney, who brought along his bass clarinet. Great changes in style took place within the span of time represented by this CD. A particularly good year for the appearance of young whips who seemed always to be looking ahead, like Earl Bostic and Al Sears, was 1945. There is a smoky tenor sax solo by Stafford "Pazuzza" Simon on "That's Rhythm." A 1946 remake of the famous Ellington/Stewart collaboration "Boy Meets Horn," a funky "Jug Blues," and the outrageous "B.O. Blues" demonstrate Stewart's increasingly eccentric approach to artistic expression and musical entertainment. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

REX STEWART – 1946-1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1016 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After leaving Duke Ellington's Orchestra, cornetist Rex Stewart went to Europe for a few years, recording extensively. This entry in Classics' "complete" series has a four-song studio session and a jam cut shortly before Stewart went overseas plus sessions in Paris (including six tunes from a concert) and Stockholm. The music is fairly erratic overall. There are some fireworks on a quartet date with pianist Billy Kyle, bassist John Levy, and drummer Cozy Cole, and the two-part, privately recorded "I May Be Wrong" has its moments. With the exception of a previously unreleased alternate take of "Blue Jay" from 1945 (which has a vocal by Joya Sherrill) that had been discovered and was tagged on to the end of this CD, the other selections find Stewart heading a group also including trombonist Sandy Williams (he has some of his best late-period solos), John Harris on clarinet and alto, tenor-saxophonist Vernon Story, pianist Don Gais, Simon Brehm or Fred Ermelin on bass, and drummer Ted Curry. Stewart sings "Run to the Corner" and Honey Johnson is strangely country-oriented on "Waitin' for the Train to Come In"; otherwise the performances are instrumentals. Although Stewart plays in his usual fiery mainstream swing style, some of the arrangements are a bit boppish and do not work that well, plus the recording quality is decent but not great. The overall results are not without their strong moments but are a little uncomfortable and not too essential. However, it is nice to have this formerly scattered music put out in coherent order. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

REX STEWART – 1947-1948 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1016 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Here is a delightful visit from Rex Stewart's All Star European Tour Band, the way they sounded in Paris during December of 1947 and January 1948. If you ever need or want a perfect taste of what trombonist Sandy Williams could do with a ballad, "I Cried for You" might be the best example on record anywhere. The surprise star soloist in this package, though, is tenor saxophonist Vernon Story. His own composition "Storyville" is a brisk example of what many folks at the time would have called rebop. Story also blows up a storm on "Cherokee," "Stardust," "Goofin' Off," and (of course) "Vernon's Story." Whatever happened to this guy? He seems to have fallen out of circulation fairly soon after these recordings were made. As for Rex Stewart, this bag of tunes is characteristically varied, from a very hip, Coleman Hawkins-inspired handling of "Stompin' at the Savoy" through a solidly old-fashioned "Muskrat Ramble" to a brief visit from Django Reinhardt on "Night and Day" and "Confessin'." While the hot and humorous numbers are entertaining, there's nothing quite so satisfying as Rex Stewart's subtleties on ballads and blues. Glowing examples here include Duke Ellington's "I Didn't Know About You," the ethereal "Swamp Mist," and the blues sketches "Sacknasty," "Last Blues," and especially "Jug Blues," a slow drag with an almost cowpoke bassline ambling along behind Stewart's muttering cornet. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

ELLA FITZGERALD – 1937-1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 506 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The second of six CDs in the Classics label's complete reissue of Ella Fitzgerald's early recordings features the singer as a teenager with the Chick Webb Orchestra, in addition to leading two sessions that use Webb's sidemen and performing a pair of songs ("Big Boy Blue" and "Dedicated to You") with the Mills Brothers. Highlights include "I Want to Be Happy," "If Dreams Come True" and her big hit, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." Although not yet the brilliant jazz singer she would become, Fitzgerald already had a highly appealing voice and the ability to swing on any song she was given. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

ELLA FITZGERALD – 1938-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 518 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After her giant hit of "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," the already-popular Ella Fitzgerald became the main attraction with the Chick Webb Orchestra and the majority of their recordings from 1938 feature the singer who was then 20. She is particularly strong on the ballads (such as "You Can't Be Mine") and had a hit in "Undecided" (the lone 1939 selection on this CD) although her work on the novelties is less memorable. All of these Classics releases are worth picking up for a definitive (and very complete) look at early Fitzgerald. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

ELLA FITZGERALD – 1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 525 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Unlike GRP, which has merely reissued the "best" of early Ella Fitzgerald domestically, the European Classics label has released all of the great singer's early recordings (from the 1935-41 period) on six CDs. This, the fourth volume, has her final recordings with Chick Webb's Orchestra (before the legendary drummer's premature death) and her first after she took control of his big band. Fitzgerald is best on "'Tain't What You Do" and the ballads (particularly "Don't Worry About Me," "Little White Lies," "Stairway to the Stars" and "Out of Nowhere") although she is less memorable on such uptempo novelties as "Chew-Chew-Chew Your Bubble Gum" and "I Want the Waiter with the Water." This CD is well worth acquiring along with the other entries in this definitive series. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

ELLA FITZGERALD – 1939-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 566 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This fifth in the six-CD series by the European Classics label documents Fitzgerald's recordings during a nine-month period starting shortly after she took over the late Chick Webb's Orchestra. During this era she was much better on the ballads than on the uptempo novelties, many of which (such as "My Wubba Dolly") were not worth saving. Fortunately this CD has a good sampling of ballads (such as "My Last Goodbye," "Moon Ray," "Sugar Blues" and "Imagination") along with two rare instrumentals by her big band. The music is not essential but fans will enjoy this look at her early days. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :

COOTIE WILLIAMS AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941-1944 | The Classics Chronological Series – 827 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist + Credits :

SIDNEY BECHET – 1940-1941 | The Classics Chronological Series – 638 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Classics' Sidney Bechet series continues with this CD, a generous set full of the soprano's prime Victor recordings, including appearances by cornetist Rex Stewart and pianist Earl Hines, Bechet's guest shot with The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street, and his innovative "one-man-band" recordings of "The Sheik of Araby" and "Blues of Bechet." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :

SIDNEY BECHET – 1945-1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 954 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Many uptight critics and jazz historians who analyze Sidney Bechet's Blue Note recordings seem unable to avoid the annoying habit of informed nitpicking. The music deserves a more humble assessment, whereby the ego of the beholder withdraws, allowing breathing space for the true nature of jazz and collective creativity. The recordings made on January 29, 1945, for example, are exceptionally satisfying for anyone who is able to absorb the sound of informal New Orleans polyphony. Max Kaminsky, George Lugg, and Bechet form a strong front line, roundly supported by Art Hodes, Pops Foster, and Freddie Moore, who sings Papa Charlie Jackson's gruff opus "Salty Dog." Kaminsky growls into a mute during Mel Stitzel's definitive slow drag "Jackass Blues," and Artie Matthews' "Weary Blues" rolls at a brisk trot. "High Society" is a wonderful celebration for those who are able to relax and enjoy a good old-fashioned street parade. The next date, involving Bunk Johnson, has attracted quite a bit of contentious commentary. Yet Johnson of all people should not be evaluated using standards usually applied to musicians of other generations or social backgrounds. Here Bechet used only the clarinet, deferring to Johnson, who frankly disliked the soprano saxophone. Jelly Roll Morton's "Milenberg Joys" is a handsome opener, and "Days Beyond Recall" a thoughtful blues. Trombonist Sandy Williams occupies the spotlight during the other slow drag, "Up in Sidney's Flat." In keeping with the diversity of this variegated tradition, the band also delivered up an old-time spiritual and "Porto Rico," a rhumba/stomp that languished in obscurity for 40 years, probably because it didn't fit into someone's preconceived notion of what a traditional jazz band was supposed to sound like. Bechet's next pairing was with clarinet wizard Albert Nicholas. "Quincy Street Stomp" is a spirited strut, and "Old Stack O'Lee" a venerable blues fresh up from the marinade. "Bechet's Fantasy" is full of reflections exquisitely expressed, as if strolling through the Garden District naming each flower and shrub. "Weary Way Blues" was composed and recorded by Lovie Austin and Ida Cox in 1923. Bechet and Nicholas handle the relic gently, almost affectionately. This segment of the Sidney Bechet chronology closes with six sides recorded for the Disc label in May of 1946. Here Bechet is part of a six-piece band, accompanying vocalist Stella Brooks, who at her best sounded as good as Lee Wiley. "St. Louis Blues" is nice and tough, while the sexy "I'm a Little Piece of Leather" feels almost like a backroom burlesque. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :

FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1932-1934 | The Classics Chronological Series – 535 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra was struggling and missing opportunities during this era, its recordings greatly improved from the ones in 1931. Henderson had finally developed into a top arranger (as can be heard on "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Wrappin' It Up"), the band was full of top soloists (trumpeter Bobby Stark has his greatest moments on "The New King Porter Stomp") and even if Coleman Hawkins chose to move to Europe (after starring on "It's the Talk of the Town") the band should have been poised to flourish in the swing era. These recordings (from Classics' complete chronological program) prove that swing did not begin with Benny Goodman in 1935. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :

ETHEL WATERS – 1931-1934 | The Classics Chronological Series – 735 (1993) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Ethel Waters was one of the very few Black performers who was able to keep working in music during the early years of the Depression; in fact her fame grew during the period covered by this excellent CD from Classics' Complete series. Among her backup musicians on these consistently excellent sides are violinist Joe Venuti, the Dorsey Brothers, trumpeter Bunny Berigan, trombonist Jack Teagarden, clarinetist Benny Goodman members of the Chick Webb big band and the entire Duke Ellington orchestra (the latter on "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" and "Porgy"). Highpoints include the Ellington tracks, "St. Louis Blues" (with The Cecil Mack Choir), the original version of "Stormy Weather," "A Hundred Years from Today" and a remake of "Dinah." Highly recommended as are all of the Ethel Waters Classics discs. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 River, Stay 'Way from My Door 3:00 
Mort Dixon / Harry Woods
2 Shine on Harvest Moon 2:58 
Nora Bayes / Jack Norworth
3 I Can't Give You Anything But Love 3:03 
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
4 Porgy 3:09 
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
5 St. Louis Blues 3:24
W.C. Handy
6 Stormy Weather 3:09 
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
7 Love Is the Thing 3:15
Ned Washington / Victor Young
8 Don't Blame Me 3:13 
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh / David Raksin / F. Wess
9 Shadows on the Swanee 2:59 
Johnny Burke / Harold Spina / Joe Young
10 Heat Wave 2:58 
Irving Berlin
11 Harlem on My Mind 3:26 
Irving Berlin
12 I Just Couldn't Take It, Baby 2:54 
Mann Holiner / Alberta Nichols
13 A Hundred Years from Today 2:45 
Ned Washington / Joseph Young / Victor Young
14 Come up and See Me Sometime 3:08 
Louis Alter
15 You've Seen Harlem at Its Best 2:56 
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
16 Miss Otis Regrets 3:02 
Cole Porter
17 Dinah 2:43 
Harry Akst / Sam M. Lewis / Joe Young
18 When It's Sleepy Time Down South 2:43 
Clarence Muse / Otis Rene / Leon René
19 Moonglow 3:19 
Eddie DeLange / Will Hudson / Irving Mills
20 Give Me a Heart to Sing To 3:18 
Ned Washington / Joe Young
21 I Ain't Gonna Sin No More 3:06
Herbert Magidson
22 Trade Mark 3:01 
Sidney Easton
23 You're Going to Leave the Old Home, Jim 3:03
Traditional
Credits :
Larry Binyon – Clarinet, Sax (Tenor)
Jimmy Dorsey – Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
Tommy Dorsey – Drums, Guitar, Piano, Trombone, Violin
 Duke Ellington – Director, Piano
Benny Goodman – Clarinet, Piano, Sax (Tenor), Viola, Violin
Harry Hoffman, Lou Kosloff, Walter Edelstein – Violin
Art Karle – Sax (Tenor)
Stan King, Gene Krupa, Chauncey Morehouse – Drums
John Kirby, Artie Bernstein – Bass
Manny Klein – Clarinet, Trombone, Trumpet
Dick McDonough, John Trueheart – Guitar
Edgar Sampson – Sax (Alto), Violin
Joe Steele, Joe Sullivan, Joe Meresco, Fulton McGrath – Piano
Jack Teagarden, Sandy Williams, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Lawrence Brown – Trombone
Joe Venuti – Guitar, Piano, Violin
Ethel Waters – Vocals
Arthur Whetsol, Cootie Williams, Shirley Clay, Freddie Jenkins, Taft Jordan, Charlie Teagarden, Bunny Berigan, Sterling Bose – Trumpet
Elmer "Skippy" Williams – Sax (Tenor)

CHICK WEBB AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1929-1934 (1990) The Classics Chronological Series – 502 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The perfect way to acquire drummer Chick Webb's recordings is to get his two Classics CDs which contain all of his performances as a leader, other than Ella Fitzgerald's features (which are in a separate Ella series) and a few numbers from Webb's final dates. On the first of the CDs, Webb leads a pickup band in 1929 (for "Dog Bottom" and "Jungle Mama"), an early orchestra in 1931 (highlighted by the first version ever of Benny Carter's "Blues in My Heart"), two numbers from 1933, and all of his classic swing sides of 1934. With arranger/altoist Edgar Sampson providing such compositions as "When Dreams Come True," "Don't Be That Way," "Blue Lou," and "Stompin' at the Savoy" (all of which would become better-known for their slightly later Benny Goodman recordings), trumpeter Taft Jordan taking some vocals purposely influenced by Louis Armstrong, Jordan, trombonist Sandy Williams, and tenor saxophonist Elmer Williams coming up with consistently hot solos, and the drummer/leader driving the orchestra, this was one of the top jazz big bands of the era. Highly recommended as is Classics' 1935-1938 Chick Webb volume. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist :
1    The Jungle Band-    Dog Bottom 2:40
Vocals – Ward Pinkett
2    The Jungle Band–    Jungle Mama    3:19
3    Chick Webb And His Orchestra–    Heebie Jeebies 3:08
Arranged By – Benny Carter
4    Chick Webb And His Orchestra–    Blues In My Heart 3:09
Arranged By – Benny Carter
Vocals – Louis Bacon
5    Chick Webb And His Orchestra–    Soft And Sweet 3:07
Arranged By – Benny Carter
6    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    On The Sunny Side Of The Street 2:54
Vocals – Taft Jordan
7    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    Darktown Strutters' Ball    2:51
8    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    When Dreams Come True    3:23
9    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    Let's Get Together 3:05
Arranged By – Edgar Sampson
10    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    I Can't Dance (I Got Ants In My Pants) 2:58
Vocals – Taft Jordan
11    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    Imagination 3:25
Vocals – Chuck Richards
12    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    Why Should I Beg For Love 3:07
Arranged By – Edgar Sampson
Vocals – Taft Jordan
13    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    Stompin' At The Savoy    3:11
14    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    Blue Minor 2:47
Arranged By – Edgar Sampson
15    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    True 2:44
Vocals – Charles Linton
16    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    Lonesome Moments 2:45
Arranged By – Edgar Sampson
17    Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra–    If It Ain't Love 3:00
Vocals – Charles Linton
18    Chick Webb And His Orchestra–    That Rhythm Man 2:57
Vocals – Taft Jordan
19    Chick Webb And His Orchestra–    On The Sunny Side Of The Street 2:50
Vocals – Taft Jordan
20    Chick Webb And His Orchestra–    Lona 2:49
Arranged By – Edgar Sampson
21    Chick Webb And His Orchestra–    Blue Minor 3:06
Arranged By – Edgar Sampson
22    Chick Webb And His Orchestra–    It's All Over Because We're Through 3:17
Vocals – Taft Jordan
23    Chick Webb And His Orchestra–    Don't Be That Way    2:38
24    Chick Webb And His Orchestra–    What A Shuffle 2:57
Arranged By – Edgar Sampson
25    Chick Webb And His Orchestra–    Blue Lou    3:07
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Edgar Sampson (tracks: 6 to 25), Pete Clark (tracks: 6 to 25)
Banjo, Guitar – John Trueheart
Bass [String Bass] – John Kirby (tracks: 6 to 25)
Brass Bass, Bass [String Bass] – Elmer James (tracks: 1 to 5)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Benny Carter (tracks: 3 to 5), Hilton Jefferson (tracks: 1 to 5), Louis Jordan (tracks: 1, 2)
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Elmer Williams
Drums – Chick Webb (tracks: 1, 3 to 25)
Piano – Don Kirkpatrick (tracks: 1 to 5, 18 to 25), Joe Steele (tracks: 6 to 17)
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Wayman Carver (tracks: 14 to 25)
Trombone – Robert Horton (tracks: 1, 2), Claude Jones (tracks: 18 to 25), Fernando Arbello (tracks: 14 to 17), Jimmy Harrison (tracks: 3 to 5), Sandy Williams (tracks: 6 to 25)
Trumpet – Bobby Stark (tracks: 14 to 25), Edwin Swayzee (tracks: 1, 2), Louis Bacon (tracks: 3 to 5), Louis Hunt (tracks: 3 to 5), Mario Bauzá (tracks: 6 to 25), Reunald Jones (tracks: 6 to 13), Shelton Hemphill (tracks: 3 to 5), Taft Jordan (tracks: 6 to 25), Ward Pinkett (tracks: 1, 2)

CHICK WEBB AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1935-1938 (1990) The Classics Chronological Series – 517 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

To a large extent, the Chick Webb big band is now chiefly remembered as the launching pad for Ella Fitzgerald, but during its peak years it was one of the top swing bands. This 25-song CD from the European Classics label reissues all of the band's recordings from a three-year period that did not feature Fitzgerald as a solo singer; she does make a brief appearance on "Wake up and Live." Although there are nine vocals on this set (including three from a young Louis Jordan), the emphasis is very much on the band's instrumental talents. Such soloists as trumpeters Taft Jordan and Bobby Stark, trombonist Sandy Williams, Elmer Williams and Ted McRae on tenors, and altoist Edgar Sampson are heard from while the drummer/leader propels the ensembles. A special highlight are the four numbers by Chick Webb's Little Chicks, an unusual quintet featuring the pioneering jazz flutist Wayman Carver and clarinetist Chauncey Haughton. This CD is highly recommended to swing fans. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist :
1     Down Home Rag 2:52
Sam M. Lewis / Wilbur Sweatman
2     Are You Here to Stay? 3:11
Kenneth Harrison / Edgar Sampson
3     Moonlight and Magnolias 2:51
Dizzy Gillespie
4     I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful) 3:03
Harry Ruskin / Henry Sullivan
5     Facts and Figures 2:33
Edgar Sampson
6     Go Harlem 2:20
James P. Johnson / Andy Razaf
7     Love Marches On 2:52
Charles Tobias
8     There's Frost on the Moon  2:49
Fred E. Ahlert / Victor Young
9     Gee But You're Swell 2:37
Charles Tobias
10     Rusty Hinge 3:06
Lew Brown
11     Wake up and Live 2:37
Mack Gordon / Harry Revel
12     It's Swell of You 3:12
Mack Gordon / Harry Revel
13     Clap Hands! Here Comes Charlie 2:31
Ballard MacDonald / Joseph Meyer / Billy Rose
14     That Naughty Waltz 3:01
Sol P. Levy / Edwin Stanley
15     In a Little Spanish Town 2:40
Sam M. Lewis / Mabel Wayne / Joe Young
16     I Got Rhythm 2:31
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
17     I Ain't Got Nobody 3:02
Roger Graham / Dave Peyton / Spencer Williams
18     Strictly Jive 3:17
Chick Webb & His Orchestra
19     Sweet Sue, Just You 2:44
Will J. Harris / Victor Young
20     Squeeze Me 3:10
Fats Waller / Clarence Williams
21     Harlem Congo 3:14
Harry White
22     Midnite in a Madhouse (Midnite in Harlem) 2:33
Larry Clinton
23     Azure 3:12
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
24     Spinnin' the Webb 3:04 3:04
Ella Fitzgerald / Chick Webb
25     Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) 2:45
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / Gus Kahn
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Edgar Sampson (tracks: 1 to 14), Louis Jordan (tracks: 18, 20 to 25), Pete Clark (2) (tracks: 1 to 14)
Banjo, Guitar – John Trueheart (tracks: 1 to 14)
Bass [String Bass] – Beverly Peer (tracks: 15 to 25), Bill Thomas (3) (tracks: 3 to 14), John Kirby (tracks: 1, 2)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Chauncey Haughton (tracks: 15 to 25)
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Ted McRae (tracks: 6 to 14, 18, 20 to 25)
Drums – Chick Webb
Guitar – Bobby Johnson (tracks: 18, 20 to 25)
Piano – Don Kirkpatrick (4) (tracks: 1 to 14), Tommy Fulford (tracks: 15 to 25)
Tenor Saxophone – Elmer Williams (tracks: 1 to 5)
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Wayman Carver
Trombone – Claude Jones (tracks: 1 to 5), George Matthews (2) (tracks: 23 to 25), Nat Story (tracks: 6 to 14, 18, 20 to 25), Sandy Williams (tracks: 1 to 14, 18, 20 to 25)
Trumpet – Bobby Stark (tracks: 1 to 14, 18, 20 to 25), Mario Bauzá (tracks: 1 to 14, 18, 20 to 25), Taft Jordan (tracks: 1 to 14, 18, 20 to 25)