Jazz Focus

Knocky Parker - the amazingly versatile pianist whose career went from Texas Blues (he learned from Blind Lemon Jefferson), Western Swing (The Light Crust Doughboys) and traditional Jazz (Doc Evans, Carol Leigh and Yank Lawson/Bob Haggart) . . he does some fantastic versions of Joe Sullivan showpieces

Recordings by the house band at Nick's in 1945 featuring Muggsy Spanier, Pee Wee Russell, Miff Mole, Ernie Caceres and Lou McGarity among others . .Good straight ahead Dixieland/Traditional Jazz by a band that was doing it every night!.

One of the best (and most underrated) Jazz singers of the 1930's was Mildred Bailey - a member of the Coeur D'Alene native American tribe, she grew up in Seattle where, with her brother Al Rinker, began performing in the Jazz style of the 1920's.  After being hired by Paul Whiteman, she began singing on recording sessions in New York in the early 30's.  She married Red Norvo in 1933 and was featured with his band, being billed as "Mr. and Mrs. Swing" until the early 40's.  During that time she made many recording sessions with Jazz players who appreciated her style.  The three sessions on this show feature Bunny Berigan, Johnny Hodges, Chris Griffin, Chu Berry, Mary Lou Williams, Teddy Wilson, Floyd Smith and others as well as first rate singing.

Milton Brown and His Brownies! Western Swing in the 1930's - great jazz by a string group and a superb vocalist!  This group was more jazz than country and featured one of the first electric guitarists to be be recorded - Bob Dunn, as well as an excellent barrelhouse piano player named Fred "Papa" Calhoun.

New Orleans - 1927 . . some of the "road trip" sessions made by Victor and Columbia to record local bands, in this case in the spring of 1927 with Louis Dumaine, Wingy Manone, Papa Celestin, Sam Morgan and others - great NO dance music and jazz

Reuben "River" Reeves . . groomed to be a competitor to Louis Armstrong, Reeves never achieved the notoriety or public exposure he might have. Nevertheless, his recordings in the 1920's with his River Boys (including Omer Simeon, William Barbee and others) were excellent jazz features, while his solos with the Cab Calloway and Fess Williams bands show him to have been an underrated trumpet player of the time.

Benny Goodman on the side . . 1929-31 sideman recordings before he became the King Of Swing . .with Jack Pettis and His Pets, Rube Bloom and His Bayou Boys, The Charleston Chasers and the Venuti-Lang All Star Orchestra (with Jack Teagarden, Charlie Teagarden, Mannie Klein, Tommy Dorsey, Bill Moore, Dick McDonough, Adrian Rollini, Frank Signorelli and Eva Taylor)

This is the second of two shows covering the recorded history of the band known variously as the Friars' Society Orchestra and New Orleans Rhythm Kings.  This program features the last two sessions for Gennett (including a saxophone section and a guest appearance by Jelly Roll Morton) as well as two reunion dates in New Orleans and the first two tunes recorded by the Halfway House Orchestra, which was made up primarily of NORK alumni.  Paul Mares, George Brunies, Santo Pecora, Charlie Cordilla, Jack Pettis, Chink Martin, Ben Pollack, Leon Adde and others are featured, but the real star is clarinetist Leon Roppolo, who is present on all but two tracks.

Buck Clayton led famous jam sessions on record in the late 1950's and 1960's, but these sessions were highly organized, musical presentations of what was then known as "mainstream" jazz . .featuring Dickie Wells, Vic Dickenson, Emmett Berry, Earl Warren, Buddy Tate, Al Williams, Hank Jones, Jo Jones, Kenny Burrell and others.

TNT -Jack and Charlie Teagarden and Frank Trumbauer recording with members of the Whiteman band in the iddle 1930's.  Cameos by Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Johnny Mince and Casper Reardon (on harp!)v