Jazz Focus

Pianist Art Hodes and clarinetist Rod Cless made a unique and satisfying partnership until Cless died in 1944.  Both steeped in the Chicago jazz tradition, their recordings on Signature (the Art Hodes Trio and the Chicago Boys with Marty Marsala and Earl Murphy), Decca (with Sidney DeParis, Brad Gowans, Eddie Condon, Murphy and Zutty Singleton) and live (with George Brunies, Duke Duval, Jacques Butler and Joe Grauso) compliment their better known efforts on Blue Note, which will be on a later podcast.

Clifford Brown on the West Coast . .great records for Pacific with the "cool" school. .Zoot Sims, Herb Geller, Bob Gordon, Shelly Manne, Joe Maini, Kenny Drew, Walter Benton, Stu Williamson and others backing up the great bop and Hard Bop Trumpeter

We Don't Know From Nothin' - Don Redman and His Orchestra, 1936-37 . . featuring his big band and a small group backing singer Bob Howard . .with Shirley Clay, Harold "Shorty" Baker, Benny Morton, Ed Inge, Robert Carroll, Don Kirkpatrick, Sid Catlett, Manzie Johnson and Harlan Lattimore . Great swing as well as some novelties and superior jazz from all players.

Bob Thiele and Bobby Hackett ..two records for Flying Dutchman in the 1970's . . "The 20's Score Again" - with Hackett, Pee Wee Erwin, Max Kaminsky, Urbie Green, Buddy Morrow, Johnny Mince, Clarence Hutchenrider, Hank Jones, Art Ryerson, Richard Davis, Ted Sommer . . ."What A Wonderful World" - Hackett, Vic Dickenson, Green, Mince, Hutchenrider and Teresa Brewer . .great, late period Condon-style dixieland

Keep Cool - late period Django Reinhardt - electric guitar and bebop, although some acoustic as well (including the definitive solo version of Nuages from 1950) . . Pierre Michelot, Hubert Rostaing, Stephane Grappelli, Hubert Fol, Raymond Fol and many others of the French modern Jazz school

Daughters of the Stride 1 - two outstanding women pianists/singers/entertainers in the 1930's. . .Cleo Brown (recording with Perry Botkin, Gene Krupa, Bobby Sherwood and Vic Berton as well as solo) and Una Mae Carlisle (with Bertie King, Dave Wilkins, Benny Carter, Johnny "Bugs" Hamilton, Zutty Singleton,  and Al Casey).  Great playing and singing as well.

WETF Show - Profit by His Example . .Tatum's favorite pianist Clarence Profit didn't make many records, but we have a good selection of what he did here from 1930-40 . . the Washboard Rhythm Kings with Teddy Bunn, Taft Jordan, Ben Smith and Carl Wade; the Clarence Profit Trio with either Jimmy Shirley or Billy Moore along with Ben Burns and some exceptional solo piano recordings

WETF Show  Carney-val . .Small group sessions in 1944 and 45 for Keynote and HRS featuring Harry Carney's fantastic baritone sax and bass clarinet . . Sandy Williams' Big Eight, Rex Stewart's Big Eight, Harry Carney's Big Eight and Jimmy Jones' Big Eight  . . in addition to the leaders, hear Joe Thomas, Emmett Berry, Vernon Brown, Lawrence Brown, Otto Hardwick, Johnny Hodges, Tab Smith, Ted Nash, Johnny Guarnieri, Shelley Manne. Billy Taylor, Cozy Cole and Brick Fleagle

Shout, Sister . . Tiny Bradshaw and Willie Bryant - two big bands in the 1930's led by vocalists . . Bradshaw's band from 1934 had Russell Procope, Shad Collins, Bobby Holmes, Happy Caldwell, Clarence Johnson and Cozy Cole while Bryant's in 35/36 had Benny Carter, Ben Webster, Glyn Paque, Edgar Battle, and Teddy Wilson

Kansas City 6 plus one or two . . live and rehearsal recordings made by Buck Clayton, Lester Young, Count Basie, Freddie Green, Walter Page and Jo Jones with guests Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian and Leonard Ware.  1938-40.