Jazz Focus

Basically a studio band made up of the best white jazz players in New York, this version of the Dorsey Brothers band is heard backing Johnny Mercer, Bing Crosby and Mildred Bailey in addition to doing several great pre-swing instrumentals.  Featuring Bunny Berigan, Mannie Klein, Benny Goodman, Larry Binyon, Fulton McGrath, Eddie Lang, Dick McDonough, Artie Bernstein and Stan King in addition to Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey.

Detroit native Tate Houston was much in demand in the late 1940's through the 1950's - playing with Maynard Ferguson, Milt Jackson, Billy Eckstine, Sonny Stitt and others.  After that he went back to Detroit and played around the local music scene until he died in 1974.  These recordings are from the late 1940's (JC Heard's band, with Joe Newman, Wardell Gray and Al Haig; Sir Charles Thompson's All Stars with Benny Powell, Bob Dorsey and others), 1950's (the album Bone and Bari with Curtis Fuller, Sonny Clark, Paul Chambers and Arthur Taylor) and one from shortly before he died, playing in a recreation of the 1920's band, McKinney's Cotton Pickers!

The great Ellington trumpeter Cootie Williams led a series of dates for Vocalion in the late 1930's featuring his bandmates - Joe Nanton, Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Harry Carney, Billy Taylor, Jimmy Blanton, Sonny Greer, Billy Strayhorn and the Duke himself along with vocalists Scat Powell and Jerry Kruger

The underrated Jazz singer June Christy here at the beginning of her career with Stan Kenton recording for Capitol Transcriptions with Ray Wetzel and John Anderson on trumpet, Kai Winding and Gene Roland on trombone, Boots Mussulli on alto, Bob Cooper on tenor, Freddie Zito and Arnold Ross on piano, Dave Barbour on guitar, Eddie Safranski on bass, Eddie Spanier and Shelly Manne on drums.  Arrangements by Roland and Tommy Todd!

The unique clarinetist Russell is here featured on quartet and quintet sessions for Counterpoint (with Nat Pierce, Steve Jordan, Charles Potter, Walter Page, Karl Kiffe and George Wettling), a trio with Art Hodes, a quartet with Dave Frishberg, George Tucker and Oliver Jackson and a quartet with Jimmy Giuffre, Danny Barker and Jo Jones.

Rex Stewart joined Duke Ellington's band in 1935 and his cornet was one of the most frequently featured sounds with that group for the next decade or so.  During that time he was also heard in small group sessions led by Ellington or himself.  Here are the sessions by Rex Stewart and his 52nd Street Stompers (with Freddy Jenkins, Louis Bacon, Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Hayes Alvis, Billy Taylor, Sonny Greer, Brick Fleagle and Ceele Burke as well as Ellington himself), the Duke Ellington Sextet (with Hodges, Carney, Alvis, and Wellman Braud) and Stewart's first date as a leader, recorded just prior to his joining Ellington (with George Stevenson, Ram Ramirez, Jack Maisel, Billy Taylor, Rudy Powell and Bingie Madison).

An early (1970's) revival band of a group from almost fifty years earlier.  The original MKCP was a crack band from Detroit that was guided by Don Redman and then later Benny Carter, developing a terrific repertoire of hot jazz.  Singer Dave Wilborn (who played banjo as well as sang with the original group) fronted the NMKCP, which was directed by clarinet and saxophone player David Hutson.  Local Detroit and area musicians like Paul Klinger, Tom Saunders, Al Winters, Ted Buckner, Ernest Rogers and Tate Houston provide excellent solos on tunes associated with the original band as well as some others done in the same style.

One of the great Ellington small groups recording in the 1930's - led by the great (yet still underrated) trumpeter Cootie Williams, the various groups include Juan Tizol, Joe Nanton, Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Otto Hardwick, Duke Ellington, Fred Guy, Hayes Alvis, Billy Taylor and Sonny Greer with most of the arrangements by Ellington.

1966 and 1967 sessions featuring Burrell and Woods in tribute to Charlie Christian and Benny Goodman . .great guitar and alto (and a little clarinet) with Matt Manieri on vibes, Richard Wyands on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Grady Tate on drums

The first recordings of the the classic Barnet band - the leader plays solos on tenor and alto, backed by Bob Burnett on trumpet (one special guest appearance by Charlie Shavers), Don Ruppersburg on trombone, either Don McCook or Skippy Martin on clarinet, Nat Jaffe, Phil Moore or Bill Miller on piano and Cliff Leeman on drums.  Excellent jazz!