Jazz Focus

Jazz Focus episodes:

• 06.24.2024

  WETF Show - Early Bop! Ernie Henry 1947-49

  The virtually forgotten Ernie Henry was considered to be possibly the most accomplished alto sax player in Bebop after Charlie Parker. His career was cut short by addiction and ill health, but he made numerous recordings, including these with James...

  
• 06.24.2024

  Dukes of Dixieland Columbia recordings 1961, 62

  The Dukes had a bad rap among jazz fans by 1961 . . their previous records had been stereotypical "dixieland" novelties with occasional good playing. These 1961/2 sessions feature the Assuntos (Frank, Fred and Jac) along with Jerry Fuller, Gene...

  
• 06.17.2024

  Tony's Rag - Tony Parenti clarinet features 1955-65

  Largely forgotten white New Orleans clarinet player Parenti had a long and busy career initially in his hometown, but then in New York and Miami. He was a solid, dependable player whose jazz abilities were overlooked sometimes, but here are...

  
• 06.17.2024

  WETF Show - James Moody in Sweden 1949, 1951

  Great sessions done in the fall of 1949 and January, 1951 when James Moody was touring Europe. He is featured heavily on both tenor and alto saxes, with help from a variety of unsung Swedish jazz players of the day...

  
• 06.11.2024

  Kid Muggsy - Muggsy Spanier in the 1920's

  Muggsy Spanier was a mainstay on the Chicago jazz scene in the 1920's - influenced primarily by King Oliver and Louis Armstrong, he remained true to his style for the rest of his career. Here are some of his first...

  
• 06.11.2024

  WETF Show - Ted Heath and His Music 1944-49

  Immensely influential British big band from the mid 1940's through the 1960's, Ted Heath and His Music was just finding its way in the middle 1940's. Featuring soloists like Kenny Baker on trumpet, Harry Roche and Jackie Armstrong on trombone,...

  
• 06.07.2024

  Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra 1951-53

  The short time Johnny Hodges left Duke Ellington's band produced a bounty of recordings from his regular band and studio groups. Here is the regular group with Nelson Williams, Emmett Berry or Harold "Shorty" Baker on trumpets, Lawrence Brown (trombone),...

  
• 06.03.2024

  WETF Show - Cab Calloway and The Missourians 1929/30

  The first band Cab Calloway led (on recording at least) had previously been known as the Missourians and before that the Original Cotton Club Orchestra. A relentlessly hot dance band, the group featured R.Q. Dickerson and Lammar Wright on trumpets,...

  
• 05.27.2024

  Wingy Manone in the 1920's

  New Orleans trumpet player Manone was well-travelled in the 1920's . . here he is featured with his own groups in New Orleans (with Hal Jordy, Arnold Loyocano and Johnny Miller) and Chicago (with Frank Teschemacher, Wade Foster, Bud Freeman...

  
• 05.27.2024

  WETF Show - Frank Assunto and Herb Ellis, 1962

  Odd pairing - Assunto founded and led the Dukes of Dixieland which was at the height of its popularity in 1962. These recordings were done for Columbia at the same time as sessions by Herb Ellis and His All-Stars. Ellis...

  
• 05.21.2024

  Mezzrow and Ladnier - 1938/9 and 1959

  The remainder of the Panassie sessions of 1938 and the Rosetta Crawford Decca session of 1939 featuring trumpeters Tommy Ladnier and Sidney DeParis, clarinetist Mezz Mezzrow, James P. Johnson (piano), Teddy Bunn (guitar), Elmer James or Pops Foster (bass), Zutty...

  
• 05.21.2024

  WETF Show - Don Byas 1946

  Two great Savoy sessions by the peerless tenor saxophonist, featuring Teddy Brannon, Sanford Gold, Franklin Skeete and Max Roach . .definitely transition sessions between swing and bebop with superb ballad and uptempo playing. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

  
• 05.15.2024

  Le Rois Du Fox-Trot - Jean Pierre Morel, Hot Dance in the 21st Century

  Outstanding French band playing the music of the black dance bands of the 1920's - not recreations, but reinterpretations. Featuring the leader on cornet, Patrick Bacqueville on trombone and vocals, Marc Bresdin, Michel Bescont, Nicholas Montier on saxes, Gerard Gervois...

  
• 05.15.2024

  WETF Show - Side of Monk

  Thelonious Monk made very few recordings as a sideman during the 1950's - here are a few samples! The Clark Terry Quartet (with Sam Jones and Philly Jo Jones), Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (with Bill Hardman, Johnny Griffin and Spanky...

  
• 05.07.2024

  Bill Coleman in Paris - 1935-38

  Excellent jazz sessions for Swing, Ultraphone and Panachord featuring the great if unrecognized black trumpet player Bill Coleman. Sessions under his name and with Garnet Clark, Eddie Brunner and Willie Lewis (also featuring Edgar "Spider" Courance, Frank "Big Boy" Goudie,...

  
• 05.07.2024

  WETF Show - Frank Teschemacher

  Chicago clarinetist Teschemacher influenced a generation of hot jazz players, despite dying in a car crash when he was in his mid-20's. Here he plays with several iterations of the Austin High Gang (with Muggsy Spanier, Mezz Mezzrow, Joe Sullivan,...

  
• 05.03.2024

  WETF Show - Early Thelonious - Monk in 1950 and 54

  WETF Show - Early Monk - Thelonious Monk in 1950 and 1954 . .Two sessions during a very slow period of Monk's career - the Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie session (with Curley Russell and Buddy Rich) for Clef in 1950 and...

  
• 04.30.2024

  Jimmy McPartland - Chicago, 1920's

  Great sessions featuring Chicago cornetist Jimmy McPartland - the Wolverines in 1925 and Original Wolverines in 1927 (Jimmy Hartwell, Maury Bercov, Dick Voynow, George Johnson, Vic Moore, Bob Gillette), McKenzie and Condon's Chicago Rhythm Kings in 1927 (Frank Teschemacher, Bud...

  
• 04.23.2024

  Savoy Blues - blues and Jazz on Savoy, 1944-46. . Helen Humes, Joe Turner, Albinia Jones, Cousin Joe

  Four sessions featuring different singers with first class jazz accompanists doing a blues repertoire. Albinia Jones (with Dizzy Gillespie, Don Byas, Gene Sedric, Leonard Ware and Sammy Price), Helen Humes (with Herbie Fields, Bobby Stark, Prince Robinson and Leonard Feather),...

  
• 04.23.2024

  WETF Show - British Trad - Bob Wallis and His Storyville Jazzmen

  Bob Wallis was a good trumpet player who played in Acker Bilk's first groups before founding his own. These 1957-61 recordings sample the first part of his bandleading career featuring Bilk, Keith "Avo" Avison on trombone, Doug Richmond on clarinet,...

  
• 04.18.2024

  Irving Fazola's Dixielanders - 1944, 45

  The legendary New Orleans clarinetist returned home in the early 1940's and led bands there until he died in 1949. This group was a regular eight piece group modeled after the Bob Cats and featuring Whimpy Miller, Julian Lane, Steve...

  
• 04.18.2024

  WETF Show - Erroll Garner with bands!

  Garner was known primarily as a solo pianist or by working in a trio, but early in his career he played as a sideman with several groups (strange, given that he didn't read music). Here we hear him small groups...

  
• 04.08.2024

  Mezz Mezzrow - 1933-37

  Mezzrow was never a great clarinet player, but certainly was a great character and excelled at surrounding himself with very good musicians. These versions of the Mezz Mezzrow Orchestra and Swing band include Teddy Wilson, Willie The Lion Smith, Sonny...

  
• 04.08.2024

  WETF Show - Pete Brown Quintet/Sextet 1944-5

  The buoyant alto player known for his 1930's recordings is here presented leading bands in the 1940's that go from swing to bop to rhythm and blues . . records for Savoy and World Transcriptions featuring Jonah Jones and Ed...

  
• 04.01.2024

  Don Byas Quartet - Fall, 1945

  The amazingly progressive tenor saxophonist Byas in four quartet sessions featuring slightly different personnel - Erroll Garner, Johnny Guarnieri, Slam Stewart, Al Hall, Eddie Safranski, Sid Catlett, Doc West and J.C. Heard - doing a varied program of standards, blues...

  
• 04.01.2024

  WETF Show - James P. Johnson Piano Rolls 1917-1927

  The great Harlem stride pianist Johnson recorded many piano rolls for various companies including QRS, Universal and Perfection, creating an early prototype of the stride style. Here he is featured playing his own compositions as well as interpretations of other...

  
• 03.25.2024

  WETF Show - Johnny Windhurst . .jazz cornet

  Johnny Windhurst was born in 1926 and by the time he was in his late teens was playing with Eddie Condon and Sidney Bechet. Here is a sampling of his work - informed in equal parts by Bobby Hackett and...

  
• 03.25.2024

  Bechet and Bocage - Savoy Cafe, Boston 1945

  Sidney Bechet's New Orleans Rhythm Kings live from the Savoy Cafe in Boston, May 1945. For three weeks following the disastrous run with Bechet and Bunk Johnson, the New Orleans trumpet player Peter Bocage was brought in and he is...

  
• 03.21.2024

  Wingy Manone - 1934-35

  Studio band led by the New Orleans trumpeter Wingy Manone for Vocalion, OKeh and Banner in 1934 and 1935. Using members of the Ben Pollack Orchestra (Matty Matlock, Eddie Miller, Gil Bowers, Nappy Lamare, Harry Goodman, Ray Bauduc) Manone recorded...

  
• 03.21.2024

  WETF Show - Oscar Aleman . .1930's and 40's Jazz from France and Argentina

  Almost unknown guitarist who could have provided some competition to Django Reinhardt in the 1930's . . Born in Argentina, Aleman lived in Paris for most of the 30's, returning home when war clouds gathered. Here are solo recordings of...

  
• 03.12.2024

  Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra - 1954-57

  Hodges' studio groups - mostly featuring Ellingtonians - recorded during his period away from the band. Harold "Shorty" Baker, Clark Terry (trumpet), Lawrence Brown (trombone), Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet and tenor sax), Arthur "Babe" Clarke (tenor sax), Harry Carney (baritone sax),...

  
• 03.12.2024

  WETF Show - Miff Mole's Little Molers 1927-28

  Studio band using the Red Nichols stock company and led by trombonist Mole - one of the unsung heroes of 1920's Jazz. With Nichols on cornet, Art Schutt and Joe Sullivan on piano, Vic Berton, Gene Krupa and Stan King...

  
• 03.05.2024

  Terry Waldo's Gutbucket Syncopators 1971, 74

  Live Recordings by the influential trad group with Waldo on piano and vocals, Roy Tate on trumpet, Jim Snyder on trombone, Frank Powers on clarinet and tenor sax, Bob Sundstrom and Bill Moorhead on banjo, Mike Walbridge on tuba and...

  
• 03.05.2024

  WETF Show - the Dutch Jazz Orchestra plays Billy Strayhorn

  These 1995-2002 sessions for Challenge records feature the crack Dutch big band playing published and unpublished arrangements and compositions by Billy Strayhorn, including a very early version of "Lush Life" (aka "Lonely Again") all featuring tremendous solos by the members...

  
• 02.26.2024

  Southside Chicago Big Bands 1930s - Reuben Reeves, Frankie Half Pint Jaxon, Richard M. Jones

  Unusual sessions during the Depression - black big bands active in Chicago in the 1930's (most musicians from the previous decade) playing good jazz! . .Richard M. Jones (with Artie Starks, Preston Jackson, Herschel Evans, Louis Metcalf, Ed Saint, others),...

  
• 02.26.2024

  WETF Show - Wingy Manone and Chu Berry

  On the face of it, the New Orleans trumpeter Manone and the great swing tenor sax player Berry were ill-fitted, but these 1938 and 1939 sessions were remarkably successful, featuring jazz standards and some pop tunes as well as Buster...

  
• 02.19.2024

  West End Jazz Band plays Coon-Sanders

  The Chicago-based West End Jazz Band (featuring Mike and Leah Bezin, Frank Gualtieri, John Otto, Mike Walbridge, Wayne Jones and Mike Albiniak) was especially active in the first fifteen years of the 21st Century and specialized in Hot Dance. Here,...

  
• 02.19.2024

  WETF Show - Ethel Waters, 1938-1939

  Great recordings made by Ethel Waters in 1938 and 1939 for Bluebird . . accompanied by her husband at the time, Eddie Mallory and His Orchestra which included Mallory, Shirly Clay, Tyree Glenn, Castor McCord, Benny Carter, Garvin Bushell, Reginald...

  
• 02.15.2024

  Rhapsody at 100 - Jazz takes on Rhapsody in Blue (Ellington, Mingus, Gershin, Whiteman)

  Rhapsody in Blue is 100 years old as of Febuary, 2024! Here are some historical as well as great jazz performances of the iconic piece - George Gershwin on piano roll and with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, Bert Firman (with...

  
• 02.15.2024

  WETF Show - Southside Jazz 2 - Luis Russell, Tiny Parham, Ikey Robinson, Frankie Half Pint Jaxon

  Small group sides from 1926-30 recorded by Southside African-American bands in Chicago . . Luis Russell (with George Mitchell, Kid Ory, Barney Bigard, Albert Nicholas, Johnny St. Cyr), Tiny Parham (with Kid Ory, Junie Cobb, Roy Hobson), Frankie Half Pint...

  
• 02.08.2024

  Illinois Stomp - Illinois Jacquet Orchestra 1945

  First sessions by the Illinois Jacquet Orchestra in 1945 while he was between engagements with Cab Calloway and Count Basie . .eight piece band with his brother Russell on trumpet, Henry Coker or Vic Dickenson on trombone, John Brown on...

  
• 02.08.2024

  WETF Show - Chicago to New York, 1929-34

  Bands led by two almost forgotten black musicians from Chicago - drummer Harry Dial and pianist/composer/arranger Alex Hill. In Chicago Harry Dial's Bluesicians included Shirley Clay, Lester Boone, Omer Simeon, George Dixon, Cecil Irwin, and Hayes Alvis . . Hill's...

  
• 01.31.2024

  Southside Jazz 1 - Chicago jazz from 1926-1929

  Great unheard jazz from various black groups active in Chicago in the late 1920's - Dave Nelson, Kline Tindall, Vance Dixon, Ernest "Mike" Michall, Cicero Thomas and others producing some exceptionally hot sounds just below the radar . .recordings for...

  
• 01.31.2024

  WETF Show - Illinois Jacquet Orchestra 1947-50

  Great band straddling swing, bop and R&B;, all featuring the Texas tenor, Illinois Jacquet with his brother Russell and Joe Newman on trumpets, J.J. Johnson and Henry Coker on trombones, Ray Perry on alto, Leo Parker and Maurice Simon on...

  
• 01.23.2024

  Rhythm Is His Business - Bud Freeman in the 1930's

  Bud Freeman was one of the most in-demand sidemen on record sessions in the 1930's - here he is featured extensively with Bunny Berigan (with Forrest Crawford, Chick Bullock), Gene Gifford (with Berigan, Matty Matlock, Claude Thornhill, Morey Samuels), Wingy...

  
• 01.23.2024

  WETF Show - Richard M. Jones . .1927-1929

  Great jazz sides by Richard M. Jones' Jazz Wizards, featuring Shirley Clay, William Franklin, Roy Carew, Omer Simeon, Artie Starks, Johnny St. Cyr, Willie Hightower and others, playing the compositions and arrangements of the New Orleans pianist, composer and talent...

  
• 01.17.2024

  Tennessee Tooters - 1924-25 with Red Nicholas, Miff Mole, Harry Reser

  Great studio band playing hot stock arrangements in 1924 and 1925 . . featuring Red Nichols, Mickey Bloom, Miff Mole, Vincent Grande, Charles Panelli, Bennie Krueger, Rube Bloom, Harry Reser, Joe Tarto and others --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

  
• 01.17.2024

  WETF Show - Swing 1946 - Benny Carter, Jonah Jones, Gene "Honeybear" Sedric

  Great sessions for Charles Delauney's Swing label in New York in 1946 featuring Benny Carter and The Chocolate Dandies (Buck Clayton, Al Grey, Ben Webster, Sonny White, John Simmons and Sid Catlett), Jonah Jones and His Cats (Tyree Glenn, Rudy...

  
• 01.08.2024

  WETF Show - George Lewis with Elmer Talbert 1949-1950

  Great early version of the George Lewis band, featuring the trumpet player the leader always said was his favorite - Elmer "Coo Coo" Talbert. Live and transcription recordings from 1949 to 1950 (when Talbert died) also featuring Jim Robinson, Alton...

  
• 01.08.2024

  Benny Carter - 1945, 46

  Benny Carter led a big band from 1932 until 1947, but none was better than the 1945-46 edition, which split time between New York and Los Angeles. Featured in his regular band are Bumps Myers, Idrees Sulieman, Max Roach, Al...