The first two selections on this chronological reissue of Red Norvo's early recordings has the xylophonist jamming "I Got Rhythm" and "Lady Be Good" in an octet in early 1936. Otherwise he is featured with his 12 to 13 piece big band on 21 selections, 13 of which have vocals by his wife Mildred Bailey (including "A Porter's Love Song to a Chambermaid," "It's Love I'm After," "Smoke Dreams," and "Slummin' on Park Avenue"). The instrumentals are highlighted by "I Know That You Know," "Remember" (famous for trumpeter Stew Pletcher's odd solo), "I Would Do Anything for You," and "Jiving the Jeep." Eddie Sauter's arrangements and Norvo's xylophone gave the big band its own unique musical personality. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :
17.7.23
RED NORVO AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1936-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1123 (2000) FLAC (tracks), lossless
25.4.23
BOB HOWARD AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1936-1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1076 (1999) | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Bob Howard did a lot of recording in the mid-'30s for Decca, with the hope that his Fats Waller-influenced jive singing would catch on as Waller's records had for Victor. It did not work out, but Howard did record enough material to fill up three CDs. This particular set has the 21 selections that he cut during five sessions in 1936-1937. Howard, who also played piano, sticks here exclusively to singing and is joined by sextets/septets that often include trumpeter Marty Marsalis, Sid Trucker, or Slats Long on clarinet and Zinky Cohn or Frank Froeba on piano. The music (which includes "Bojangles of Harlem," "Copper Colored Gal," "Me, Myself And I," "Penny Wise and Pound Foolish," and "He's a Gypsy From Poughkeepsie") is pleasing in small doses but a bit too derivative for extensive listening. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Bojangles of Harlem 2:42
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
2 Mendel's Son's Swing Song 2:53
Erard
3 Sing Baby Sing 2:57
Channing Pollack / Jack Yellen
4 Swinging on the Moon 3:16
Mel Tormé / Joseph Young
5 Copper Colored Gal 2:50
J. Fred Coots / Benny Davis
6 That's What You Mean to Me 3:14
J. Fred Coots / Benny Davis
7 Hop, Skip and Jump 2:36
Bloch / Chancer
8 You're Giving Me a Song and a Dance 2:52
Milton Ager / Marty Symes
9 Me, Myself and I 3:13
Irving Gordon / Alvin Kaufman / Allan Roberts
10 Spring Cleaning 2:27
Teddy Powell / Walter Samuels / Leonard Whitcup
11 You Can't Take It With You 2:50
Wes Hein
12 You're Just a Little Diff'rent 2:37
Mandell / Littau
13 Bundle of Love 2:55
Joyner
14 You're Precious to Me 2:56
Ballard / Pellish / Brusiloff
15 Fan My Brow 2:44
Unknown
16 Formal Night Harlem 3:10
Shuman / Faro / Leman
17 He's a Gyspy from Poughkeepsie 2:49
Bud Green
18 Easy Living 2:44
Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin
19 I'll Take the Key and Lock You Up 2:44
Tinturin / Lawrence / Howell
20 Sing and Be Happy 2:36
Akst / Clare
21 Penny Wise and Pound Foolish 2:31
Fred Rose
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JOACHIM KÜHN — Europeana : Jazzphony No. 1 (Michael Gibbs) (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Europeana won the Annual German Record Critics' Award upon its initial CD release in 1995. ACT Tracklist : 1 Castle In Heaven 4:16 Fr...