Jazz Focus

First blush of Barnet's popular Bluebird big band recording here for Thesaurus Transcriptions with two titles for Variety featuring Frankie Newton.  The band features Don McCook on clarinet, Bobby Burnett on trumpet, Don Ruppersberg on trombone, Bus Etri on guitar, Nat Jaffe on piano and James Lamare on baritone sax in addition to the leader playing remarkably well on tenor and especially alto.

Largely forgotten clarinet player in the late swing/bebop style here featured on 1943/44 recordings with Red Norvo (and Teddy Wilson, Slam Stewart and Remo Palmieri) and Eddie Heywood (with Don Byas, Ray Nance and others)

Little known but dependable and highly original cornet player on the "Pete Kelly's Blues" soundtracks here featured with the Kings of Dixie, Russ Morgan's Wolverines, Ben Pollack's Pic-A-Rib Boys and others . . with Matty Matlock, Eddie Miller, Heinie Beau, Moe Schneider, Ray Sherman, Dick Cary, Nick Fatool, Red Callendar, Walt Yoder and lots of great guitar by George Van Eps!

Very late period recordings of the renowned John Kirby Sextet for V-Disc, Crown, Asch, Disc, Apollo and live broadcasts.  Featuring the original members Charlie Shavers, Buster Bailey, Russell Procope, Billy Kyle and Kirby, there are also guest appearances by Hot Lips Page, Emmett Berry, George Taitt, Clarence Brereton (trumpet), George Johnson, Hilton Jefferson (alto sax), Budd Johnson, Ben Webster (tenor sax), Clyde Hart, Hank Jones, Ram Ramirez (piano) and Bill Beason (drums).

Recordings for Verve with DeFranco, Sonny Clark, Gene Wright and Bobby White.  Terrific swing to bop standards and originals.

New Orleans trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen featured with Buster Bailey's Chocolate Dandies (with Benny Carter, J.C. Higginbotham, Danny Barker, Walter Johnson), Benny Morton and His Orchestra (Jerry Blake, Ed Inge, Teddy McRae), Jimmy (James P.) Johnson and His Orchestra (Higginbotham, Gene Sedric, Sid Catlett, Pops Foster) and Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra (Higginbotham, Charlie Christian, Clyde Hart, Earl Bostic)

Great 1935-36 sessions for Vocalion featuring the singer and entertainer with a band led by the New Orleans trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen - also featuring Buster Bailey, Joe Marsala, Teddy Wilson, James Sherman, Clyde Hart, Eddie Condon, Wilson Myers, John Kirby and Cozy Cole

Superb chamber jazz featuring Shaw on clarinet with either Billy Butterfield or Roy Eldridge on trumpets, Johnny Guarnieri on harpischord (!), Dodo Marmarosa on piano, Al Hendrickson or Barney Kessel on guitar, Jud DeNaut or Morrie Rayman on bass, Morey Feld or Lou Fromm on durms.  Two bonus (live) tracks with Shaw soloing with Count Basie's band and rhythm section

The early version of the DeParis Brothers' band live from Jimmy Ryan's and featuring Wilbur on trombone, Sidney on trumpet, Omer Simeon on clarinet, Don Kirkpatrick and Norman Lester on piano, Eddie Gibbs and Danny Barker on banjo and Freddie Moore on drums.

Excellent big band led by trumpeter Eldridge in the middle 1940's before and after his tenure with Artie Shaw.  Arrangements by Elton Hill, Buster Harding and others featuring him with Sandy Williams on trombone, Porter Kilbert, Joe Eldridge and Edmond Gregory (Sahib Shihab) on alto, Franz Jackson and Tom Archia on tenors, Duke Jordan on piano, Sam Allen on guitar, Cozy Cole on drums and others