Jazz Focus

Louis Armstrong's first recordings in Chicago after over a year away in New York - the first Hot Fives and accompaniments to Hociel Thomas, Chippie Hill and Blanche Calloway.

Louis Armstrong recorded a little of everything over a career in the studios that spanned almost a half a century.  Here are examples of Cuban, Mexican, French, Irish and African songs he made his own!

Great sides from 1927-34 led by and featuring Hawaiian musicians active in Los Angeles and New York- Andy Iona, Sol K. Bright, Sol Hoopi, King Nawahi and others using traditional steel guitar and string ensembles enlivened by horns in most cases.

Great sides featuring the largely forgotten pianist with Punch Miller, Darnell Howard, Cicero Thomas, George James, Bill Johnson and W.E. Burton among others!

Great selection of duos and rhythm section sides with the great Boston pianist backing major soloists!

Second set of great recreations of Louis' 1920's small group recordings done in 1956 - with Yank Lawson and George Barnes in addition to the All-Stars (Louis, Trummy Young, Edmond Hall, Billy Kyle, Squire Girsh, Barrett Deems)

Great recreations of Louis' 1920's small group recordings done in 1956 - with Yank Lawson and George Barnes in addition to the All-Stars (Louis, Trummy Young, Edmond Hall, Billy Kyle, Squire Girsh, Barrett Deems)

Two sessions by Freeman (with Dick Cary, George Barnes, Don Lamond) for Capitol and the rest of the George Wettling session featuring Freeman, Jonah Jones, Milt Hinton and Dave Bowman from 1955.

Two Delmark albums featuring the septuagenarian reed player Jackson with Beebe's Chicago Jazz (Bob Neighbor and others) and the octogenarian Jackson with the Salty Dogs (Lew Green, Tom Bartlett, Kim Cusack, John Cooper, Jack Kuncl, Mike Walbridge, Wayne Jones and Neighbor) playing swing tunes, originals and New Orleans standards, still at the top of his game.  

Four recordings done by Louis with Andy Iona's Islanders, one ("Song of the Islands") from his Autobiography album and three non-Louis sides by Mannie Klein and His Swing-Hulas!

Live sides with Louis back to his roots leading a New Orleans styled jazz band - Edmond Hall, Albert Nicholas, George Brunies, Pops Foster, Danny Barker, Baby Dodds, Art Hodes, Ellis Larkins, Wild Bill Davison, Irving Randolph, Henderson Chambers, Johnny Williams and Jimmy Crawford

The great trumpet player in a selection of mainstream sides done for Vogue with Alix Combelle's band (including Jean-Claude Pelletier), his own sextet for Bethlehem (with George Clarke, Urbie Green, Kenny Kersey, Milt Hinton and Osie Johnson) and a Jazztone session with Sammy Price's Kaycee Stompers with Price, Vic Dickenson, Pete Brown, Milt Hinton and Osie Johnson.

Al Sudhalter was one of the busiest musicians on the dance band scene in Boston in the 1920's and 30's . . .he refused chances to go to New York or London.  Here is he heard in radio broadcasts on WNAC with a jam session group, Herb Marsh and His Orchestra and his own Voice of the Saxophone program from 1932.  The rest is from several Ristic albums made in England in 1968 and 69 with the Anglo-American Alliance including his son, cornetist Dick Sudhalter, trombonist Keith Nichols, clarinetists Ray Whittham and Alan Cooper, pianists Fred Hunt, Brian Lemon and Henry "thins" Francis.

The great trumpeter Jones is here featured on two sides with Bechet for Blue Note (with Jimmy Archey, Wellman Braud, Manzie Johnson and Buddy Weed) and several for Vogue (with a French rhythm section including Andre Persiany) in addition to his own sextet recording for Bethlehem (with Edmond Hall, Vic Dickenson, Kenny Kersey, Pops Foster and Osie Johnson)

Louis' first recordings after his return from Europe in 1935 inaugurated his career as a crooner . . pop tunes featuring him with the Luis Russell band.

Recordings of a variety of Gershwin tunes featuring Louis Armstrong with Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald.

Many piano players took advantage of player-piano technology to record their own compositions during the Jazz and Blues era of the 1920's.  While the playback didn't give a true sense of the performer (no dynamics), it can show a lot of what made those piano players integral to the New Orleans, New York and Chicago scenes.  Featuring Clarence Jones, Clarence "Jelly" Johnson, Lem Fowler, Steve Lewis, Cow Cow Davenport and Hersal Thomas.

Long-lived band from Buenos Aires, the Fenix Jazz Band recorded frequently during the 1980's and 90's and demonstrated a commitment to 1920's Jazz and Ragtime with driving performances of tunes associated with Ellington, Clarence Williams, Morton, Oliver, Armstrong, Bix and many others.

The short-lived barrelhouse pianist recorded a handful of solos and great blues accompaniments heard here - with Sodarisa Miller, Monette, Moore, Priscilla Stewart and Alexander Robinson, but mostly Jimmy Blythe!

Two Victor sessions before and during the filming of the film New Orleans.  With Vic Dickenson, Kid Ory, Barney Bigard, Charlie Beal, Bud Scott, Allan Reuss, Red Callender, Zutty Singleton and Minor Hall.

First sessions by the All-Stars for Victor, with Jack Teagarden, Bobby Hackett, Peanuts Hucko, Ernie Caceres, Dick Cary, Cozy Cole, Al Casey, Arvell Shaw, Sid Catlett, Barney Bigard.

Two GHB and one Stomp Off album present the Portland/Atlanta cornetist fronting a group drawn from the classic Salty Dog lineup - Tom Bartlett, Kim Cusack, Wayne Jones and Mike Walbridge with Debbie Schreyer, Bill Rutan and West Coast vests Bill Carroll, Wally Rose, Pete Clute and Bob Helm.  Great West Coast Trad!

Four great 1944 sessions for Commodore featuring Muggsy Spanier's Ragtimers - with Miff Mole, Lou McGarity, Pee Wee Russell, Ernie Caceres, Dick Cary, Gene Schroeder, Boomie Richman, Eddie Condon, Bob Casey, Bob Haggart, Joe Grauso and George Wettling . . style-setting Dixieland!

Glenn Miller's first lead alto player Hal McIntyre left that group in 1941 to form his own big band, which owed much more to Ellington's sound.  Tenor saxophonists Dave Matthews, Johnny Hayes and Willie Baker, trombonist Jim Emert, trumpeters Sal La Perche, Bobby Guyer and Joe Weidman and arrangers Matthews, McIntyre, Dan Hurd and Howard Gibbeling all contributed to an immensely talented but underrated band.

Great sides recreating some of Louis' earlier recorded hits - with JC Higginbotham (tbn), Charlie Holmes (alto), Bingie Madison (clt), Joe Garland (tenor), Luis Russell (p), Pops Foster (bass), and Sid Catlett (drums)

Chamber jazz with Louis Armstrong featured with the classic Mills Brothers!

Tenor sax player with Woody Herman and Buddy Rich - Eager became known as a highly original soloist although one who used the sound and light attack of Lester Young.  Here his three sessions under his own name and one by Teddy Reig feature Kai Winding (valve trombone!), Doug Mettome (trumpet), Terry Gibbs (vibraphone), Duke Jordan, Ed Finkel, George Wallington, Marty Napoleon (piano), Curly Russell, Leonard Gaskin, Eddie Safranski, Bob Carter (bass), Max Roach, Stan Levey and Shelly Manne (drums)

Bonano was a somewhat antic trumpet player who nevertheless always fronted excellent bands and usually played well himself.  This selection of recordings from 1951-58 feature the clarinetist Harry Shields (brother of Larry) along with Julian Lane, Bob Havens and Emile Christian on trombone, Stanley Mendelsohn and Armand Hug on piano, Joe Capraro on banjo, Chink Martin on tuba and bass, Johnny Castaing and Monk Hazel on drums and Hazel on mellophone.

Swing/Bop Tenor player Lucky Thompson with a series of small groups - His own all-stars and Freddie Green's Orchestra with Basie musicians (Buck Clayton, Karl George, J.J. Johnson, Rudy Rutherford, Bill Dogett, Shadow Wilson, Rodney Richardson) and under his own name with Dodo Marmarosa, Red Callendar and Jackie Mills.  The last session has a true all-star group with Neal Hefti and Benny Carter!

One of the stranger albums of his career, Louis Armstong's "tribute" to his mentor King Oliver features very few tunes Oliver ever recorded or possibly even played.  Nevertheless, the 1959 sessions feature some of Louis' best late period playing along with Trummy Young, Peanuts Hucko, Billy Kyle, Mort Herbert and Danny Barcelona

1925 sessions featuring Armstrong backing up the Empress of the Blues - Bessie Smith along with Fred Longshaw, Charlie Green and Fletcher Henderson

1959 and 1960 sessions for Audio Fidelity featuring the popular New Orleans band (Frank Assunto, Fred Assunto, Papa Jac Assunto, Jerry Fuller, Stanley Mendelsohn, Lowell Miller, Rich Matteson and others) with the greatest jazz musician of all time - Louis was at a late peak of his abilities and he drives the band to great heights!

The Hi Hat was a legendary club in Boston during the 1950's, featuring what was then known as "modern Jazz" - here are live dates featuring many local musicians (Dean Earl, Bernie Griggs, Jimmy Woode, Jimmy Zitano, Marquis Foster, Dick Twardzik, Herb Pomeroy, Jay Migliori and others) backing up the likes of Stan Getz, Bob Brookmeyer, Sonny Stitt, Allen Eager, Serge Chaloff, Miles Davis and even Charlie Parker!

The trumpeter Yank Lawson was best known for playing with Bob Crosby's band and later in his own groups.  Here he is heard as a sideman with several groups - the Mound City Blues Blowers (with Eddie Miller, Bob Haggart, Nappy Lamare, Ray Bauduc and Red McKenzie), Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (with Johnny Mince, Babe Russin and Moe Purtill), Eddie Condon's Town Hall All-Stars (with Hank D'Amico, Jess Stacy and Lou McGarity), Bud Freeman's Orchestra (with Peanuts Hucko, Vernon Brown, Bill Mustarde, Dave Bowman, Ray McKinley), Deane Kincaide's Orchestra (with Paul Ricci, Hucko and others), and Eddie Condon's O...

Part of the Hot Five recordings for OKeh, these are the ones usually called "The Savoy Ballroom Five" and include seven pieces - Armstrong, Fred Robinson (tbn), Jimmy Strong (clt/ts), Don Redman (as), Earl Hines (p), Mancy Carr (bjo) and Zutty Singleton (d).  With Redman's arrangements (some adapted from his charts for McKinney's Cotton Pickers) and playing, the small group takes on a big band feel.

More broadcast recordings from Crosby's CBS radio show between 1949 and 51 - these feature the "jazzier" sides and have Jack Teagarden, Joe Venuti, Matty Matlock, Buddy Cole, Nick Fatool and Dinah Shore helping out as well!

Allen Eager was recognized by Lester Young to be the best of the young white jazz players following in his style.  More Bebop-influenced than most of his contemporaries, Eager was able to record with Tadd Dameron (with Fats Navarro and Wardell Gray), Gerry Mulligan (with Nick Travis, Lee Konitz, Al Cohn and Zoot Sims), Johnny Bothwell (with Harry Carney and Ray Nance) and the 52nd Street All-Stars with Mary Osbourne, Jimmy Jones, Kenny Clarke and Pete Brown . . .quite a range!

Great small group sessions led by the Chicago tenor player Bud Freeman shortly after the end of WWII.  Recorded for Keynote, Majestic and V-Disc, these sessions feature Charlie Shavers, Wild Bill Davison, Billy Butterfield, Vernon Brown, Lou McGarity, Bill Mustarde, Ernie Caceres, Edmond Hall, Peanuts Hucko, Joe Sullivan, Gene Schroeder, Carl Kress, Carmen Mastren, Trigger Alpert, John Simmons, Bob Haggart, Ray McKinley, Dave Tough and George Wettling

Several sessions done by the visiting Thompson with the Dave Pochonet All-Stars for a variety of Parisian record labels - with Charles Verstraete on trombone, Michel du Villiers on baritone sax, Martial Solal on piano, Jean-Pierre Sasson on guitar, Benoit Quersin on bass and Pochonet on drums.  Late Swing meets Bebop.

Pell made two albums in 1959 and 1960 in tribute to the John Kirby Sextet and some other small groups of the Swing and Cool eras . . featuring Cappy Lewis, Ray Linn, Jack Sheldon (tpt), Hoyt Bohannon, Bob Enevoldsen (tbn), Abe Most and Dave Pell (clarinet), Benny Carter and Art Pepper (alto), Pell (tenor and baritone), Ronnie Lang, Marty Berman and Pell (baritone), John Williams (p), Tony Rizzi (guitar), Red Mitchell (bass), Frank Capp (d)...great playing, especially by the leader on some of his few appearances on clarinet!