Jazz Focus

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 Grey, Sonny White and of course Carter himself on alto, trumpet and clarinet, with most of the arrangements being his. The two sessions with his all-star band have some of those musicians plus Trummy Young, Dickie Wells, Emmett Berry, Joe Newman, Don Byas, Flip Phillips and others.

Tiny Parham was a well known theater musician, arranger and composer who had a series of recording sessions for Victor in 1928-1930 featuring his compositions and arrangements. This show focuses on two sessions, each of which features the New Orleans trumpeter Punch Miller along with Charles Lawson, Charles Johnson, Dalbert Bright, Mike McKendrick and others.

Three of the few white dance bands in Chicago in the 1930's playing good jazz - Jack and Charlie Teagarden fronting the Charles Lavere band (with Bud Freeman, Rod Cless, Bob Conselman, Dick McPartland), the slightly later Lavere group (with Jabbo Smith, Marty Marsala, Joe Marsala, Joe Masek), and Frankie Trumbauer's short-lived big band featuring mainly himself, but good solos from Joe Harris as well

Great houseband for Rudi Blesh's radio show "This Is Jazz" in 1947. Selections from two broadcasts of the show and two appearances on the same days by the same band on another program. .. .Wild Bill Davison on cornet, Jimmy Archey on trombone, Ed Hall on clarinet, Ralph Sutton on piano, Danny Barker on guitar, Pops Foster on bass and Baby Dodds on drums.

Perhaps the first true New Orleans revival session - George Lewis and His Band was essentially the same group that recorded with Bunk Johnson, but with Avery "Kid" Howard bringing a more modern style to the band. Jim Robinson, Lawrence Marrero, Chester Zardis, Edgar Mosely and "Jim Little" (Sidney Brown) round out the group.

Excellent if unapprecciated big band led by the great pianist Earl Hines. Featuring arrangments by Franz Jackson, Budd Johnson and Gerald Valentine, soloists include Johnson, Jackson, tenor sax player Bob Crowder, alto sax Scoops Carey, clarinets Omer Simeon and Leroy Harris and brass players including John "Streamline" Ewing, Harry Jackson, Walter Fuller and Ed Sims. Vocals by Billy Eckstine!

The New Orleans trombone player Preston Jackson was an active participant in Southside jazz bands in the 1920's . .here he is featured with Richard M. Jones Jazz Wizards (Shirley Clay, Artie Starks, Johnny St. Cyr, George Reynolds, Clifford "Snags" Jones), Bertha "Chippie" Hill and his own Uptown Band (featuring Jones' musicians) and also Luis Russell's Heebie Jeebie Stompers with Bob Shoffner, Darnell Howard, Barney Bigard and St. Cyr.

Swing to Bop records made by members of Woody Herman's First Herd in 1944-46 . . groups led by Harris (with Conte Candoli, Alvin Burroughs and Phillips), Berman (Harris, Phillips, Serge Chaloff) and Phillips (Neal Hefti, Harris, Aaron Sachs and Bill Shine) with a more or less steady rhythm section of Ralph Burns, Billy Bauer, Chubby Jackson and either Dave Tough or Don Lamond.

Teddy Wilson solo piano performances, from his first (unreleased) session in 1934 through some occasional 1941 tracks for Brunswick, ARC and Columbia. He was known as the "Quintessence of Swing" and these somewhat rare solos demonstrate why!

Small groups that played regularly at Cafe Society and other New York establishments for about four years, led by the great pianist Teddy Wilson. Columbia and transcription recordings featuring Bill Coleman, Emmett Berry, Benny Morton, Jimmy Hamilton, Edmond Hall, George James, Al Hall, Specs Powell, Sid Catlett, Slam Stewart and others . .also Helen Ward and Lena Horne on vocals!