Jazz Focus

Stompin' Around - 1935 radio transcriptions of the Casa Loma Orchestra featuring Gene Gifford arrangements and solos by Sonny Dunham, Grady Watts, Billy Rausch, Clarence Hutchenrider, Pat Davis, Joe Hall and Tony Briglia . .great on the cusp of swing playing!

Great 1930's sides led by Red McKenzie and the Mound City Blue Blowers with Muggsy Spanier, Coleman Hawkins, Eddie Miller, Bunny Berigan, Yank Lawson, Nappy Lamare, Gil Bowers, Ray Bauduc and others

Trumpeter Art Farmer was in France and Sweden with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra in the Fall of 1954 and recorded with several groups, including two under his own name . . these sides feature Clifford Brown, Jimmy Cleveland, Anthony Ortega and Clifford Solomon from the Hampton band as well as Swedish stars Ake Persson, Bengt Hallberg, Arne Domnerus and Lars Gullin playing Quincy Jones arrangements and blending the hard bop and cool styles

Most of the recordings released under the name of the great guitarist Eddie Lang  . . .1927-33 featuring great guitar solos as well as duets with Frank Signorelli or Art Schutt.  Also some great band sides with Tommy Dorsey (on trumpet as well as trombone), Jimmy Dorsey, Leo McConville, Andy Secrest, Charles Strickfadden, Izzy Friedman, Joe Tarto and Stan King.

Johnny Dodds and Jimmie Noone on Decca . . 1937 and 1938 sessions for the two innovative New Orleans clarinetists backed by a swing band including Charlie Shavers, Pete Brown, Teddy Bunn, John Kirby, Wellman Braud and O'Neil Spencer

Dick Johnson - great Boston alto player on two albums from the 1950's for Emarcy and Riverside including Dave McKenna, Wilbur Ware and Philly Jo Jones . .great swing and bebop

Ella and Louis - great duos by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong from three albums 1957-59 backed up by Russ Garcia's Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Quartet with Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Louis Bellson or Buddy Rich

Great quartet that existed through most of 1954 - studio session with Ed Hall, Ralph Sutton, Walter Page and Cliff Leeman and broadcasts with Hall, Sutton, Page and Charlie Lodice (and Clyde Hurley added on a few!)  - terrific arrangements and fire-y playing all around.

Classic Jazz Quartet with Marty Grosz, Dick Wellstood, Richard Sudhalter and Joe Muranyi - lp and live performances from the mid 1980's . .great swing playing and arrangements

Rhythm Wreckers - Dixieland, Swing and Western Swing with Ben Pollack, Harry James, Muggsy Spanier and Irving Fazola.  Various 1936-38 sessions run by Ben Pollack with members of his big band backing teenaged cowboy singer Whitey McPherson as well as doing some straight ahead jazz .  .