"The only thing I'm afraid of is death. When I was eighteen or nineteen I could have died. I was ready for death. Today, I'm not ready anymore. I've lost too much time as it is." - Bill Evans (when asked if he was afraid of getting old.)
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
Bill Evans Quotes
"Not at all." - Bill Evans (when asked if he was interested in politics.)
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
Bill Evans Quotes
"Freedom is to make room where there isn't any to start with. You take a music part. It seems there's no freedom in there, but if you take the time, and if you understand what's in the part, you'll find as much freedom as you want. You can also throw the part away, sit down on the piano, play with your elbows and say: `This is freedom.' Not for me. The most valuable freedom is the one which has strength, because it is won against something solid, something rigid." - Bill Evans
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
Bill Evans Quotes
"In New York, it's pathetic to see so many superb musicians who are starving! Maybe somewhere else they would be kings, but in New York, they're nobody. I had to fight myself for a long time. When I arrived in New York, I had to wait three years before I made it. But it's very hard. If you succeed easily, you run the risk of falling back down as easily. But if you take the time and your talent is real, it will last." - Bill Evans
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
Bill Evans Quotes
"I started to play piano at six. I used to play classical music and only what was written. If they'd asked to play the "Star Spangled Banner," I couldn't have done it without the part. At 12, I was starting to play in bands. I was playing what was written until the day I did something that wasn't. It was wonderful to find something that wasn't written and yet sounded good! That's what really led me to jazz." - Bill Evans
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
Bill Evans Quotes
"I started professionally at 12 1/2. Everybody wants to play jazz after school, and out of hundreds of thousands, only a few people emerge. So it's not like if you decide what you're gonna do and shut yourself in a closet to practice." - Bill Evans
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
Bill Evans Quotes
"I like [Thelonious Monk] a lot. What comes from Monk, some others absorbed it, too. He's such a strong and beautiful individual that imitating him is insulting him, and it's a mistake to do so. You give up your own personality when you imitate him--or anybody else for that matter." - Bill Evans
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
Bill Evans Quotes
"I think first [I admired] Nat King Cole. A great pianist. And then Earl Hines, Bud Powell. Bud had been my greater influence because he's got a sense of the form. Also Dave Brubeck, George Shearing, Oscar Peterson, Al Haig, Lou Levy. You learn from everyone. From Nat King Cole I'd take rhythm and sparsity; from Dave Brubeck a particular voicing; from George Shearing also a voicing, but of another kind; from Oscar Peterson a powerful swing; from Earl Hines a sense of structure. Bud Powell has it all." - Bill Evans (on which piano players he admired most)
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
Bill Evans Quotes
"I am worked hard to [become successful] and I had put all my hopes in it. But I see so many talented people who are not successful." - Bill Evans
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
Bill Evans Quotes
"I hardly believe I'm as talented as some others. Someone with talent possesses a kind of facility and plays well as early as 16 or 17, much better than I could play myself at that age. I had to practice a lot and spend a lot of time searching and digging before I got anywhere. And because of that, I later became more aware of what I was doing. I wasn't an imitation. I found myself with a synthesis of the playing of many musicians. From this something came out and I think it's really mine." - Bill Evans
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
Bill Evans Quotes
"I love impressionists. I love Debussy. He's one of my favorite composers. I'm not crazy about painting, but if I was, I would prefer the Impressionists. Sometimes, I feel like I'm living two hundred years behind, back in the eighteenth century, not in the twentieth. So I don't know if I'm an impressionist or not. I have the desire to change, but I feel I can't as long as I'm not able to replace what I'm doing by something better. I haven't found anything better yet, so I'm satisfied with what I have." - Bill Evans
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
source: Interview with Jazz Magazine (France), 1965
Louis Armstrong Quotes
"If you decide to walk into the schools with the little colored kids, take me along, Daddy." - Louis Armstrong (wired message to President Eisenhower, regarding Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, 1957)
source: NY Times (published: September 23, 2007)
source: NY Times (published: September 23, 2007)
Louis Armstrong Quotes
"It's getting almost so bad a colored man hasn't got any country." - Louis Armstrong
source: NY Times (published: September 23, 2007)
source: NY Times (published: September 23, 2007)
Miles Davis Quotes
Eric Dolphy. See, when he got on the bass clarinet, he sounded different. You can take a guy off a trumpet, put him on a bass trumpet, and he plays different. Take a guitar player that you think is bad, and put him on electric bass — that does the trick." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"If you're trying to be hip, be hip." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"You should never be comfortable, man. Being comfortable fouled up a lot of musicians." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"Dave [Holland] plays the way he wants to play. And it's usually what's needed. You know, Dave is such a deep thinker. You can't tell him too much, else it might spoil his spirit, you know." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"You see, women usually make the men satisfied and contented. Bitches like to feel good, have their back rubbed at the same time, look good in the latest clothes, have their man where they want him. You know, they like the comfort. Then, when you come on the stage they want that same thing. They don't want to have to think, or follow you. If they don't like you right away by the way you look, or something, they won't go for you. W Guys should stay away from women—that comfort thing. There's too much crap going on in the world that you're supposed to be comfortable. You've got to be on your toes. You can't just stand—because they're fighting somewhere, man, and it's pretty messy." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"Audiences — they like colour, you know. I can go out there wearing a red suit, man, and they'll say I'm out of sight ... I think they should be educated; you should always drop something on an audience ... When you get in front of an audience, you should try to give 'em something. After all, they're there looking at you like this. You can't go out and give 'em nothing." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"Sometimes [playing free] doesn't happen, because maybe a guy's wife'll come in, you know, and his ego will catch him. If everybody's completely just straight—without any old ladies over here, a fourth of whisky over there; if it's balanced right, it'll come off. It has to be. But when you get egos involved with playing free, you can't do it." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"That's the way you judge a car, man, [good or bad], when you start it up. It's just the same thing. I mean, I drive a Ferrari — not to be cute, but because I dig it. I'd rather drive a ten–year–old Ferrari than one of them new things—they don't go." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"I'm not messing around with nobody's woman. If I want a woman I go get her - you know what I mean?" - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"I'm out there doing the best that I can, My lip is cut and I'm still playing." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"I mean, it makes me sick when I see a white man sitting there smiling at me being entertaining, man. When I know what he's gonna do after he gets through. You know, when you see that thing on their face — like: "Entertain me." You know what I mean? Even the black guy that's trying to be white — even he can have that crap on his face." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"Americans don't like any form of art, man. All they like to do is make money. They don't like me, Sammy Davis, or anybody else. They don't like nothing. They just like Sammy because he can make 'em a lot of money." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"Jazz is an Uncle Tom word. They should stop using that word for selling. I told George Wein the other day that he should stop using it." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"I used to enjoy all the white bands when I was a kid listening to the radio. But the record companies, they take music and label it — like, they say "rock". Because the white singers can't sound like James Brown, they call him "soul". They've been doing that for years. That's the prejudice crap." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"Tom Jones is funny to me, man. I mean, he really tries to ape Ray Charles and Sammy Davis, you know. He's nice–looking; he looks good doing it. I mean, if I was him, I'd do the same thing. If I was only thinking about making money." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"I would never try and play like Harry James, because I don't like his tone — for me. It's just white. You know what I mean? He has what we black trumpet players call a white sound. But it's for white music ... I can tell a white trumpet player, just listening to a record. There'll be something he'll do that'll let me know that he's white." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"I don't hold it against Dizzy [Gillespie], you know, but if a guy wants to play a certain way, you work towards that. If he stops — he's full of crap, you know. I mean, I wouldn't do it, for no money, or for no place in the white man's world. Not just to make money, because then you don't have anything. You don't have as much money as whoever you're trying to ape; that's making money by being commercial. Then you don't have anything to give the world; so you're not important. You might as well be dead." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"White folks always think that you have to have a label on everything — you know what I mean?" - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Miles Davis Quotes
"You want to know how I started playing trumpet? My father bought me one, and I studied the trumpet. And everybody I heard that I liked, I picked up things from." - Miles Davis
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
source: Interview with Les Tomkins, 1969
Barack Obama Quotes
"[My father] took me to a jazz concert, and it wasn't until later in life that I realized: 'Maybe that's why I got really interested in jazz.'" - Barack Obama
source: Interview with CBS News (June 21st, 2009)
source: Interview with CBS News (June 21st, 2009)
Duke Ellington, “The OKeh Ellington” (Sony, 1991—tracks recorded 1927-31)
Review:
Digesting the music of Duke Ellington's revolutionary "jungle" period is a complicated pursuit because he recorded multiple arrangements for a number of labels between 1927 and 1932. Sony owns his OKeh and Columbia cuts (found on these two CDs), BMG owns his Victor sides, and Decca owns his Brunswick and Vocalion work (issued on the three-CD Early Ellington). All of them contain readings of standout compositions like "Black and Tan Fantasy," "East St. Louis Toodle-oo," "Black Beauty," "The Mooche," "Mood Indigo," and "Rockin' in Rhythm." The OKeh package lacks versions of "Solitude" and "Creole Love Call," but offers some noteworthy exclusives: superb solo stride-piano versions of "Black Beauty" and "Swampy River"; Jabbo Smith's wonderful trumpet solo on a 1927 version of "Black and Tan Fantasy" as a game-day replacement for "indisposed" co-composer Bubber Miley; and the first recording of "The Mooche," with Miley in control and guitarist Lonnie Johnson augmenting an already formidable lineup that includes Tricky Sam Nanton, Barney Bigard, Harry Carney, and Johnny Hodges. Even when a star like trumpet-growl pioneer Miley moved on, Cootie Williams would more than fill the gap. Musically, Ellington brought jazz to new levels of sophistication, complexity, and emotional depth during this first great period, synthesizing the classic New Orleans sound with a vibrant theatrical element and a dynamic rhythmic impulse.
Tracklist:
Disc: 1
East St. Louis Toodle-oo
Hop Head
Down In Our Alley Blues
What Can A Poor Fellow Do?
Black And Tan Fantasy
Chicago Stomp Down
Sweet Mama (Papa's Getting Mad)
Stack O'Lee Blues
Bugle Call Rag
Take It Easy
Jubilee Stomp
Harlem Twist (East St. Louis Toodle-oo)
Diga Diga Doo
Doin' The New Low Down
Black Beauty
Swampy River
The Mooche
Move Over
Hot And Bothered
The Blues With A Feelin'
Goin' To Town
Misty Mornin'
I Must Have That Man
Freeze And Melt
Mississippi Moan
Disc: 2
That Rhythm Man
Beggar's Blues
Saturday Night Function
Jungle Jamboree
Snake Hip Dance
Lazy Duke
Blues Of The Vagabond
Syncopated Shuffle
The Mooche
Ragamuffin Romeo
East St. Louis Toodle-oo
Sweet Mama
Hot And Bothered
Double Check Stomp
Black And Tan Fantasy
Big House Blues
Rocky Mountain Blues
Ring Dem Bells
Three Little Words
Old Man Blues
Sweet Chariot
Mood Indigo
I Can't Realize You Love Me
I'm So In Love With You
Rockin' In Rhythm
Digesting the music of Duke Ellington's revolutionary "jungle" period is a complicated pursuit because he recorded multiple arrangements for a number of labels between 1927 and 1932. Sony owns his OKeh and Columbia cuts (found on these two CDs), BMG owns his Victor sides, and Decca owns his Brunswick and Vocalion work (issued on the three-CD Early Ellington). All of them contain readings of standout compositions like "Black and Tan Fantasy," "East St. Louis Toodle-oo," "Black Beauty," "The Mooche," "Mood Indigo," and "Rockin' in Rhythm." The OKeh package lacks versions of "Solitude" and "Creole Love Call," but offers some noteworthy exclusives: superb solo stride-piano versions of "Black Beauty" and "Swampy River"; Jabbo Smith's wonderful trumpet solo on a 1927 version of "Black and Tan Fantasy" as a game-day replacement for "indisposed" co-composer Bubber Miley; and the first recording of "The Mooche," with Miley in control and guitarist Lonnie Johnson augmenting an already formidable lineup that includes Tricky Sam Nanton, Barney Bigard, Harry Carney, and Johnny Hodges. Even when a star like trumpet-growl pioneer Miley moved on, Cootie Williams would more than fill the gap. Musically, Ellington brought jazz to new levels of sophistication, complexity, and emotional depth during this first great period, synthesizing the classic New Orleans sound with a vibrant theatrical element and a dynamic rhythmic impulse.
Tracklist:
Disc: 1
East St. Louis Toodle-oo
Hop Head
Down In Our Alley Blues
What Can A Poor Fellow Do?
Black And Tan Fantasy
Chicago Stomp Down
Sweet Mama (Papa's Getting Mad)
Stack O'Lee Blues
Bugle Call Rag
Take It Easy
Jubilee Stomp
Harlem Twist (East St. Louis Toodle-oo)
Diga Diga Doo
Doin' The New Low Down
Black Beauty
Swampy River
The Mooche
Move Over
Hot And Bothered
The Blues With A Feelin'
Goin' To Town
Misty Mornin'
I Must Have That Man
Freeze And Melt
Mississippi Moan
Disc: 2
That Rhythm Man
Beggar's Blues
Saturday Night Function
Jungle Jamboree
Snake Hip Dance
Lazy Duke
Blues Of The Vagabond
Syncopated Shuffle
The Mooche
Ragamuffin Romeo
East St. Louis Toodle-oo
Sweet Mama
Hot And Bothered
Double Check Stomp
Black And Tan Fantasy
Big House Blues
Rocky Mountain Blues
Ring Dem Bells
Three Little Words
Old Man Blues
Sweet Chariot
Mood Indigo
I Can't Realize You Love Me
I'm So In Love With You
Rockin' In Rhythm
Sidney Bechet, “The Sidney Bechet Story” (Proper, 2001; tracks recorded 1923-50)
Review:
Sidney Bechet was one of the great figures in the history of jazz, and many of the songs included in this compilation are genuine classics. The sound quality is also excellent considering the dates that they were recorded. When Bechet performs old standards (Summertime, Limehouse Blues, St. Louis Blues, etc.), his versions are often among the best ever recorded. Duke Ellington himself said that Bechet's version of "The Mooche" was the best he'd heard, including the one by his own band (which was a classic in its own right). I'm sure that anyone who enjoys early jazz would love this great 4-CD set.
Tracklist:
Disc: 1
1. Wild Cat Blues
2. Kansas City Man Blues
3. House Rent Blues [The Stomp]
4. Texas Moaner Blues
5. Mandy, Make up Your Mind
6. I'm a Little Blackbird Looking for a Bluebird
7. Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning
8. Early Every Mornin'
9. Cake Walking Babies from Home
10. Pickin' on Your Baby
11. Sweetie Dear
12. I Want You Tonight
13. I Found a New Baby
14. Lay Your Racket
15. Shag
16. Maple Leaf Rag
17. Polka Dot Rag
18. Tain't a Fit Night Out for Man or Beast
19. I'm Just Wild About Harry
20. Dear Old Southland
21. Okey-Doke
22. Characteristic Blues
23. Blackstick
24. Southern Sunset
Disc: 2
1. Jazz Me Blues
2. Blue Horizon
3. Muskrat Ramble
4. Jeepers Creepers
5. Jackass Blues
6. Milenberg Joys
7. Up in Sidney's Flat
8. House Party
9. Blood on the Moon
10. Ole Miss
11. Gone Away Blues
12. Out of the Gallion
13. Blame It on the Blues
14. Old Stack O'Lee Blues
15. Love for Sale
16. Laura
17. Tommy's Blues
18. I'm Speaking My Mind
19. I Found a New Baby
20. Fidgety Feet
21. At a Georgia Camp Meeting
Disc: 3
1. Old Man Blues
2. Wild Man Blues
3. Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning
4. Blues in Thirds
5. Save It, Pretty Mama
6. Stompy Jones
7. Egyptian Fantasy
8. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
9. Sheik of Araby
10. I Know That You Know
11. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
12. I'm Coming Virginia
13. Limehouse Blues
14. Georgia Cabin
15. Strange Fruit
16. Blues in the Air
17. Mooche
18. Twelfth Street Rag
19. Mood Indigo
20. Rose Room
21. Oh, Lady Be Good
22. What Is This Thing Called Love?
23. After You've Gone
24. V-Disc Blues (Bugle Call Rag/Ole Miss Rag)
25. St. Louis Blues
Disc: 4
1. Sweet Patootie
2. Trixie's Blues
3. Hold Tight [Want Some Seafood Mama]
4. Jungle Drums
5. Ja-Da
6. Really the Blues
7. When You and I Were Young, Maggie
8. Weary Blues
9. Summertime
10. Pounding Heart Blues
11. Oh, Didn't He Ramble?
12. High Society
13. I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say
14. Winin' Boy Blues
15. Indian Summer
16. One O'Clock Jump
17. Preachin' Blues
18. Sidney's Blues
19. Four or Five Times
20. Lazy River
21. China Boy
22. Perdido Street Blues
23. Shake It and Break It
Sidney Bechet was one of the great figures in the history of jazz, and many of the songs included in this compilation are genuine classics. The sound quality is also excellent considering the dates that they were recorded. When Bechet performs old standards (Summertime, Limehouse Blues, St. Louis Blues, etc.), his versions are often among the best ever recorded. Duke Ellington himself said that Bechet's version of "The Mooche" was the best he'd heard, including the one by his own band (which was a classic in its own right). I'm sure that anyone who enjoys early jazz would love this great 4-CD set.
Tracklist:
Disc: 1
1. Wild Cat Blues
2. Kansas City Man Blues
3. House Rent Blues [The Stomp]
4. Texas Moaner Blues
5. Mandy, Make up Your Mind
6. I'm a Little Blackbird Looking for a Bluebird
7. Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning
8. Early Every Mornin'
9. Cake Walking Babies from Home
10. Pickin' on Your Baby
11. Sweetie Dear
12. I Want You Tonight
13. I Found a New Baby
14. Lay Your Racket
15. Shag
16. Maple Leaf Rag
17. Polka Dot Rag
18. Tain't a Fit Night Out for Man or Beast
19. I'm Just Wild About Harry
20. Dear Old Southland
21. Okey-Doke
22. Characteristic Blues
23. Blackstick
24. Southern Sunset
Disc: 2
1. Jazz Me Blues
2. Blue Horizon
3. Muskrat Ramble
4. Jeepers Creepers
5. Jackass Blues
6. Milenberg Joys
7. Up in Sidney's Flat
8. House Party
9. Blood on the Moon
10. Ole Miss
11. Gone Away Blues
12. Out of the Gallion
13. Blame It on the Blues
14. Old Stack O'Lee Blues
15. Love for Sale
16. Laura
17. Tommy's Blues
18. I'm Speaking My Mind
19. I Found a New Baby
20. Fidgety Feet
21. At a Georgia Camp Meeting
Disc: 3
1. Old Man Blues
2. Wild Man Blues
3. Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning
4. Blues in Thirds
5. Save It, Pretty Mama
6. Stompy Jones
7. Egyptian Fantasy
8. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
9. Sheik of Araby
10. I Know That You Know
11. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
12. I'm Coming Virginia
13. Limehouse Blues
14. Georgia Cabin
15. Strange Fruit
16. Blues in the Air
17. Mooche
18. Twelfth Street Rag
19. Mood Indigo
20. Rose Room
21. Oh, Lady Be Good
22. What Is This Thing Called Love?
23. After You've Gone
24. V-Disc Blues (Bugle Call Rag/Ole Miss Rag)
25. St. Louis Blues
Disc: 4
1. Sweet Patootie
2. Trixie's Blues
3. Hold Tight [Want Some Seafood Mama]
4. Jungle Drums
5. Ja-Da
6. Really the Blues
7. When You and I Were Young, Maggie
8. Weary Blues
9. Summertime
10. Pounding Heart Blues
11. Oh, Didn't He Ramble?
12. High Society
13. I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say
14. Winin' Boy Blues
15. Indian Summer
16. One O'Clock Jump
17. Preachin' Blues
18. Sidney's Blues
19. Four or Five Times
20. Lazy River
21. China Boy
22. Perdido Street Blues
23. Shake It and Break It
Jelly Roll Morton, “Jelly Roll Morton: 1926-1930” (JSP, 2000)
Review:
n both sound quality and price, England's JSP Records continues to put the American major labels to shame with their prewar jazz collections. Following superb multidisc releases of seminal recordings by Louis Armstrong and Django Reinhardt, JSP now offers this Jelly Roll Morton compendium, which includes all his Victor recordings from 1926 to 1930. Thanks to the work of remastering guru John R.T. Davies and a sinfully reasonable price, this five-disc collection far surpasses any U.S. release. The music is exuberant and evocative throughout, as Morton's substantial composing and arranging talents come into clear focus. He was able to maintain the joyous ensemble spirit of New Orleans jazz while continuing the music's evolution toward swing's sophistication. Focusing on Morton's Chicago prime, volume 1 is full of highlights, not just of this set, but of early jazz as a whole. Especially noteworthy is the trio date with the Dodds brothers, from June 1927, that yielded "The Pearls," "Wolverine Blues," and "Mr. Jelly Lord."
Volume 2 follows Morton to New York and features a few forceful piano solos, a strong session with trumpeter Red Allen and unsung clarinet player Albert Nicholas, plus a standout trio date with clarinetist Barney Bigard and drummer Zutty Singleton. Volume 3 is not as consistently brilliant, but offers some gems as well, including cuts with Nicholas and trumpeter Ward Pinkett on board from July 1930. The final two discs contain mostly alternative takes, but unfortunately, the masters of Morton's terrific New York session debut are for some reason buried at the end of disc four's alternates. It is, however, a tiny caveat considering the overall worth of this indispensable box.
Tracklist:
Disc: 1
1. Black Bottom Stomp
2. Smoke-House Blues
3. Chant
4. Sidewalk Blues
5. Dead Man Blues
6. Steamboat Stomp
7. Someday, Sweetheart
8. Grandpa's Spells
9. Original Jelly Roll Blues
10. Doctor Jazz
11. Cannonball Blues
12. Hyena Stomp
13. Billy Goat Stomp
14. Wild Man Blues
15. Jungle Blues
16. Beale Street Blues
17. Pearls
18. Wolverine Blues
19. Mr. Jelly Lord
Disc: 2
1. Red Hot Pepper
2. Deep Creek Blues
3. Pep
4. Seattle Hunch
5. Frances [Fat Frances]
6. Freakish
7. Burnin' the Iceberg
8. Courthouse Bump
9. Pretty Lil
10. Sweet Anita Mine
11. New Orleans Bump [Monrovia]
12. Down My Way
13. Try Me Out
14. Tank Town Bump
15. Sweet Peter
16. Jersey Joe
17. Mississippi Mildred
18. Mint Julep
19. Smilin' the Blues Away
20. Turtle Twist
21. My Little Dixie Home
22. That's Like It Ought to Be
Disc: 3
1. Each Day
2. If Someone Would Only Love Me
3. That'll Never Do
4. I'm Looking for a Little Bluebird
5. Little Lawrence
6. Harmony Blues
7. Fussy Mabel
8. Ponchartrain
9. Oil Well
10. Load of Coal
11. Crazy Chords
12. Primrose Stomp
13. Low Gravy
14. Strokin' Away
15. Blue Blood Blues
16. Mushmouth Shuffle
17. Gambling Jack
18. Fickle Fay Creep
Disc: 4
1. Chant
2. Sidewalk Blues
3. Dead Man Blues
4. Someday, Sweetheart
5. Grandpa's Spells
6. Original Jelly Roll Blues
7. Cannonball Blues
8. Hyena Stomp
9. Billy Goat Stomp
10. Wild Man Blues
11. Jungle Blues
12. Beale Street Blues
13. Pearls
14. Wolverine Blues
15. Georgia Swing
16. Kansas City Stomp
17. Shoe Shiner's Drag
18. Boogaboo
19. Shreveport Stomp
20. Mournful Serenade
Disc: 5
1. Shreveport Stomp
2. Seattle Hunch
3. Freakish
4. Burnin' the Iceberg
5. Courthouse Bump
6. Pretty Lil
7. Sweet Anita Mine
8. New Orleans Bump [Monrovia]
9. Tank Town Bump
10. Sweet Peter
11. Jersey Joe
12. Mississippi Mildred
13. Each Day
14. Oil Well
15. Load of Coal
16. Crazy Chords
17. Primrose Stomp
18. Strokin' Away
19. Blue Blood Blues
20. Gambling Jack
n both sound quality and price, England's JSP Records continues to put the American major labels to shame with their prewar jazz collections. Following superb multidisc releases of seminal recordings by Louis Armstrong and Django Reinhardt, JSP now offers this Jelly Roll Morton compendium, which includes all his Victor recordings from 1926 to 1930. Thanks to the work of remastering guru John R.T. Davies and a sinfully reasonable price, this five-disc collection far surpasses any U.S. release. The music is exuberant and evocative throughout, as Morton's substantial composing and arranging talents come into clear focus. He was able to maintain the joyous ensemble spirit of New Orleans jazz while continuing the music's evolution toward swing's sophistication. Focusing on Morton's Chicago prime, volume 1 is full of highlights, not just of this set, but of early jazz as a whole. Especially noteworthy is the trio date with the Dodds brothers, from June 1927, that yielded "The Pearls," "Wolverine Blues," and "Mr. Jelly Lord."
Volume 2 follows Morton to New York and features a few forceful piano solos, a strong session with trumpeter Red Allen and unsung clarinet player Albert Nicholas, plus a standout trio date with clarinetist Barney Bigard and drummer Zutty Singleton. Volume 3 is not as consistently brilliant, but offers some gems as well, including cuts with Nicholas and trumpeter Ward Pinkett on board from July 1930. The final two discs contain mostly alternative takes, but unfortunately, the masters of Morton's terrific New York session debut are for some reason buried at the end of disc four's alternates. It is, however, a tiny caveat considering the overall worth of this indispensable box.
Tracklist:
Disc: 1
1. Black Bottom Stomp
2. Smoke-House Blues
3. Chant
4. Sidewalk Blues
5. Dead Man Blues
6. Steamboat Stomp
7. Someday, Sweetheart
8. Grandpa's Spells
9. Original Jelly Roll Blues
10. Doctor Jazz
11. Cannonball Blues
12. Hyena Stomp
13. Billy Goat Stomp
14. Wild Man Blues
15. Jungle Blues
16. Beale Street Blues
17. Pearls
18. Wolverine Blues
19. Mr. Jelly Lord
Disc: 2
1. Red Hot Pepper
2. Deep Creek Blues
3. Pep
4. Seattle Hunch
5. Frances [Fat Frances]
6. Freakish
7. Burnin' the Iceberg
8. Courthouse Bump
9. Pretty Lil
10. Sweet Anita Mine
11. New Orleans Bump [Monrovia]
12. Down My Way
13. Try Me Out
14. Tank Town Bump
15. Sweet Peter
16. Jersey Joe
17. Mississippi Mildred
18. Mint Julep
19. Smilin' the Blues Away
20. Turtle Twist
21. My Little Dixie Home
22. That's Like It Ought to Be
Disc: 3
1. Each Day
2. If Someone Would Only Love Me
3. That'll Never Do
4. I'm Looking for a Little Bluebird
5. Little Lawrence
6. Harmony Blues
7. Fussy Mabel
8. Ponchartrain
9. Oil Well
10. Load of Coal
11. Crazy Chords
12. Primrose Stomp
13. Low Gravy
14. Strokin' Away
15. Blue Blood Blues
16. Mushmouth Shuffle
17. Gambling Jack
18. Fickle Fay Creep
Disc: 4
1. Chant
2. Sidewalk Blues
3. Dead Man Blues
4. Someday, Sweetheart
5. Grandpa's Spells
6. Original Jelly Roll Blues
7. Cannonball Blues
8. Hyena Stomp
9. Billy Goat Stomp
10. Wild Man Blues
11. Jungle Blues
12. Beale Street Blues
13. Pearls
14. Wolverine Blues
15. Georgia Swing
16. Kansas City Stomp
17. Shoe Shiner's Drag
18. Boogaboo
19. Shreveport Stomp
20. Mournful Serenade
Disc: 5
1. Shreveport Stomp
2. Seattle Hunch
3. Freakish
4. Burnin' the Iceberg
5. Courthouse Bump
6. Pretty Lil
7. Sweet Anita Mine
8. New Orleans Bump [Monrovia]
9. Tank Town Bump
10. Sweet Peter
11. Jersey Joe
12. Mississippi Mildred
13. Each Day
14. Oil Well
15. Load of Coal
16. Crazy Chords
17. Primrose Stomp
18. Strokin' Away
19. Blue Blood Blues
20. Gambling Jack
Django Reinhardt, “The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order” (JSP, 2000; tracks recorded 1934-39)
Review:
This wonderful five-disc box is an indispensable collection of prewar, prebop jazz that belongs in the company of your finest Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Benny Goodman sets. Technically, this isn't a true box set--it merely collects five single-disc compilations under one slipcase--but it is infinitely rewarding nonetheless. Disheartened by what he thought were sonically subpar Reinhardt collections, Ted Kendall undertook an ambitious mission to find the best original sources for this classic material and then meticulously remastered them. He wisely opted to leave in some of the surface noise to maintain the clarity and integrity of the music. And what glorious, jubilant music it is! Dating to the very first Quintet of the Hot Club of France sessions in September 1934 (before they'd even established that moniker), the collection includes all the landmark recordings Reinhardt made for Ultraphone, Decca (its English and French labels), and HMV up through the Quintet's 1939 breakup on the eve of World War II. Reinhardt's guitar work is spirited and adventurous throughout--lightning-quick runs, insistent rhythm work, and hybrid "riffs" that seem to split the difference. Nearly all the cuts feature the elegant but vivacious violin work of his most famous foil, Stephane Grappelli, who certainly deserves co-billing on the set. The way the two feed off each other's energy is magical. Despite their well-documented personality clashes, the twosome remains perhaps the most synergistic in jazz history, constantly engaging in their incredible cat-and-mouse games. Often overlooked are the songwriting talents of the two musicians, who contributed several standards to the jazz canon. Though mostly focused on the Quintet recordings, the set detours for such oddities as a pair of solo Reinhardt cuts from 1937 and collaborations with Coleman Hawkins. Simply delightful from beginning to end.
Tracklist:
Disc: 1
1. I Saw Stars - Bert Marshall, Django Reinhardt
2. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
3. Dinah
4. Tiger Rag
5. Oh, Lady Be Good
6. I Saw Stars
7. Lily Belle May June - Jerry Mengo, Django Reinhardt
8. Sweet Sue, Just You - Jerry Mengo, Django Reinhardt
9. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
10. Continental - Jerry Mengo, Django Reinhardt
11. Blue Drag
12. Swanee River
13. Sunshine of Your Smile
14. Ultrafox
15. Avalon
16. Smoke Rings
17. Clouds
18. Believe It, Beloved
19. I've Found a New Baby
20. St. Louis Blues
21. Crazy Rhythm
22. Sheik of Araby
23. Chasing Shadows
24. I've Had My Moments
25. Some of These Days
26. Djangology
Disc: 2
1. Honeysuckle Rose
2. Sweet Georgia Brown
3. Night and Day
4. My Sweet
5. Souvenirs
6. Daphné
7. Black and White
8. Stompin' at Decca
9. Tornerai (J'Attendrai)
10. If I Had You
11. It Had to Be You
12. Nocturne
13. Flat Foot Floogie
14. Lambeth Walk
15. Why Shouldn't I?
16. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
17. Please Be Kind
18. Louise
19. Improvisation No. 2
20. Undecided
21. H.C.Q. Strut
22. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
23. Man I Love
24. My Sweet
25. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
26. Improvisation No. 2
Disc: 3
1. Billets Doux
2. Swing de Paris
3. Them There Eyes
4. Three Little Words
5. Appel Direct
6. Hungaria
7. Hungaria
8. Jeepers Creepers
9. Jeepers Creepers
10. Swing '39
11. Japanese Sandman
12. I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight
13. I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight
14. Tea for Two
15. Tea for Two
16. My Melancholy Baby
17. Time on My Hands
18. Twelfth Year
19. Twelfth Year
20. My Melancholy Baby
21. Japanese Sandman
22. Tea for Two
23. I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight
24. Hungaria
Disc: 4
1. Blue Moon
2. Avalon
3. What a Diff'rence a Day Made
4. Stardust
5. St. Louis Blues
6. Limehouse Blues
7. I Got Rhythm
8. I've Found a New Baby
9. It Was So Beautiful
10. China Boy
11. Moonglow
12. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
13. I'se A-Muggin'
14. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
15. Oriental Shuffle
16. After You've Gone
17. Are You in the Mood?
18. Limehouse Blues
19. Nagasaki
20. Swing Guitars
21. Georgia on My Mind
22. Shine
23. In the Still of the Night
24. Sweet Chorus
Disc: 5
1. Exactly Like You
2. Charleston
3. You're Driving Me Crazy
4. Tears
5. Solitude
6. Hot Lips
7. Ain't Misbehavin'
8. Rose Room
9. Body and Soul
10. When Day Is Done
11. Runnin' Wild
12. Chicago
13. Liebestraum No. 3
14. Miss Annabelle Lee
15. Little Love, a Little Kiss
16. Mystery Pacific
17. In a Sentimental Mood
18. Sheik of Araby
19. Improvisation
20. Parfum
21. Alabamy Bound
22. Rosetta
23. Stardust
24. Object of My Affection
This wonderful five-disc box is an indispensable collection of prewar, prebop jazz that belongs in the company of your finest Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Benny Goodman sets. Technically, this isn't a true box set--it merely collects five single-disc compilations under one slipcase--but it is infinitely rewarding nonetheless. Disheartened by what he thought were sonically subpar Reinhardt collections, Ted Kendall undertook an ambitious mission to find the best original sources for this classic material and then meticulously remastered them. He wisely opted to leave in some of the surface noise to maintain the clarity and integrity of the music. And what glorious, jubilant music it is! Dating to the very first Quintet of the Hot Club of France sessions in September 1934 (before they'd even established that moniker), the collection includes all the landmark recordings Reinhardt made for Ultraphone, Decca (its English and French labels), and HMV up through the Quintet's 1939 breakup on the eve of World War II. Reinhardt's guitar work is spirited and adventurous throughout--lightning-quick runs, insistent rhythm work, and hybrid "riffs" that seem to split the difference. Nearly all the cuts feature the elegant but vivacious violin work of his most famous foil, Stephane Grappelli, who certainly deserves co-billing on the set. The way the two feed off each other's energy is magical. Despite their well-documented personality clashes, the twosome remains perhaps the most synergistic in jazz history, constantly engaging in their incredible cat-and-mouse games. Often overlooked are the songwriting talents of the two musicians, who contributed several standards to the jazz canon. Though mostly focused on the Quintet recordings, the set detours for such oddities as a pair of solo Reinhardt cuts from 1937 and collaborations with Coleman Hawkins. Simply delightful from beginning to end.
Tracklist:
Disc: 1
1. I Saw Stars - Bert Marshall, Django Reinhardt
2. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
3. Dinah
4. Tiger Rag
5. Oh, Lady Be Good
6. I Saw Stars
7. Lily Belle May June - Jerry Mengo, Django Reinhardt
8. Sweet Sue, Just You - Jerry Mengo, Django Reinhardt
9. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
10. Continental - Jerry Mengo, Django Reinhardt
11. Blue Drag
12. Swanee River
13. Sunshine of Your Smile
14. Ultrafox
15. Avalon
16. Smoke Rings
17. Clouds
18. Believe It, Beloved
19. I've Found a New Baby
20. St. Louis Blues
21. Crazy Rhythm
22. Sheik of Araby
23. Chasing Shadows
24. I've Had My Moments
25. Some of These Days
26. Djangology
Disc: 2
1. Honeysuckle Rose
2. Sweet Georgia Brown
3. Night and Day
4. My Sweet
5. Souvenirs
6. Daphné
7. Black and White
8. Stompin' at Decca
9. Tornerai (J'Attendrai)
10. If I Had You
11. It Had to Be You
12. Nocturne
13. Flat Foot Floogie
14. Lambeth Walk
15. Why Shouldn't I?
16. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
17. Please Be Kind
18. Louise
19. Improvisation No. 2
20. Undecided
21. H.C.Q. Strut
22. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
23. Man I Love
24. My Sweet
25. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
26. Improvisation No. 2
Disc: 3
1. Billets Doux
2. Swing de Paris
3. Them There Eyes
4. Three Little Words
5. Appel Direct
6. Hungaria
7. Hungaria
8. Jeepers Creepers
9. Jeepers Creepers
10. Swing '39
11. Japanese Sandman
12. I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight
13. I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight
14. Tea for Two
15. Tea for Two
16. My Melancholy Baby
17. Time on My Hands
18. Twelfth Year
19. Twelfth Year
20. My Melancholy Baby
21. Japanese Sandman
22. Tea for Two
23. I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight
24. Hungaria
Disc: 4
1. Blue Moon
2. Avalon
3. What a Diff'rence a Day Made
4. Stardust
5. St. Louis Blues
6. Limehouse Blues
7. I Got Rhythm
8. I've Found a New Baby
9. It Was So Beautiful
10. China Boy
11. Moonglow
12. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
13. I'se A-Muggin'
14. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
15. Oriental Shuffle
16. After You've Gone
17. Are You in the Mood?
18. Limehouse Blues
19. Nagasaki
20. Swing Guitars
21. Georgia on My Mind
22. Shine
23. In the Still of the Night
24. Sweet Chorus
Disc: 5
1. Exactly Like You
2. Charleston
3. You're Driving Me Crazy
4. Tears
5. Solitude
6. Hot Lips
7. Ain't Misbehavin'
8. Rose Room
9. Body and Soul
10. When Day Is Done
11. Runnin' Wild
12. Chicago
13. Liebestraum No. 3
14. Miss Annabelle Lee
15. Little Love, a Little Kiss
16. Mystery Pacific
17. In a Sentimental Mood
18. Sheik of Araby
19. Improvisation
20. Parfum
21. Alabamy Bound
22. Rosetta
23. Stardust
24. Object of My Affection
Bix Beiderbecke, “The Bix Beiderbecke Story” (Proper, 2003; tracks recorded 1924-30)
Review:
If you've never heard a recording by Bix you don't know what you've missed, and if you have you'll never forget it. He was unsurpassed for purity of tone, and his skill transcended mere improvisation, transmuting the most uninspired tunes into melodies of great beauty, seemingly without effort.
This compilation covers his first recordings with the Wolverines, the Sioux City Six, and the Rhythm Jugglers, the best of his recordings with Jean Goldkette and Paul Whiteman, interpolated by those made by studio groups under his own and Frank Trumbauer's name, the two Broadway Bellhops sides, and finishing up with the two Hoagy Carmichael sides.
This was a musician who claimed never to play the same solo twice, but the one thing that's missing is an alternate take or two (and there are many) to show the extent to which Bix's solos altered dramatically from one to the next. But that's a small reservation which does not detract from the impact of the set as a whole.
Individual discs are housed in slipcases, and are accompanied by an extremely detailed 56-page booklet setting out his career and full discographical details. An absolute bargain.
Tracklist:
Disc 1:
1. Fidgety Feet - The Wolverine Orchestra
2. Jazz Me Blues - The Wolverine Orchestra
3. Oh, Baby - The Wolverine Orchestra
4. Copenhagen - The Wolverine Orchestra
5. Riverboat Shuffle - The Wolverine Orchestra
6. Susie (Of the Islands) - The Wolverine Orchestra
7. I Need Some Pettin' - The Wolverine Orchestra
8. Royal Garden Blues - The Wolverine Orchestra
9. Tiger Rag - The Wolverine Orchestra
10. Sensation - The Wolverine Orchestra
11. Lazy Daddy - The Wolverine Orchestra
12. Tia Juana - The Wolverine Orchestra
13. Big Boy - The Wolverine Orchestra
14. Flock O' Blues - Bix Beiderbecke, Sioux City Six
15. I'm Glad - Bix Beiderbecke, Sioux City Six
16. I Didn't Know - Jean Goldkette
17. Toddlin' Blues - Bix Beiderbecke,
18. Davenport Blues - Bix Beiderbecke,
19. Idolizing - Jean Goldkette
20. I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover - Jean Goldkette
21. I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now - Jean Goldkette
22. Trumbology - Frankie Trumbauer
23. Clarinet Marmalade - Frankie Trumbauer
24. Singin' the Blues - Frankie Trumbauer
25. Slow River - Jean Goldkette
26. Ostrich Walk - Frankie Trumbauer
Disc 2:
1. Riverboat Shuffle - Frankie Trumbauer
2. I'm Coming Virginia - Frankie Trumbauer
3. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans - Frankie Trumbauer
4. For No Reason at All in C - Tram, Bix & Lang
5. In My Merry Oldsmobile - Jean Goldkette
6. Three Blind Mice - Frankie Trumbauer
7. Blue River - Frankie Trumbauer
8. There's a Cradle in Caroline - Frankie Trumbauer
9. In a Mist - Bix Beiderbecke
10. Clementine (From New Orleans) - Jean Goldkette
11. Wringin' an' Twistin' - Tram, Bix & Lang
12. Humpty Dumpty - Frankie Trumbauer
13. Krazy Kat - Frankie Trumbauer
14. Baltimore - Frankie Trumbauer
15. There Ain't No Land Like Dixieland to Me - The Broadway Bell-Hops
16. There's a Cradle in Caroline - The Broadway Bell-Hops
17. Just an Hour of Love - Frankie Trumbauer
18. I'm Wonderin' Who - Frankie Trumbauer
19. At the Jazz Band Ball - Bix Beiderbecke
20. Royal Garden Blues - Bix Beiderbecke
21. Jazz Me Blues - Bix Beiderbecke
22. I'm More Than Satisfied - Willard Robison
23. Clorinda - Willard Robison
24. Three Blind Mice - Willard Robison
25. Goose Pimples - Bix Beiderbecke
26. Sorry - Bix Beiderbecke
Disc 3:
1. Cryin' All Day - Frankie Trumbauer
2. Good Man Is Hard to Find - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
3. Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down - Bix Beiderbecke
4. Sugar - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
5. Changes - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
6. (What Are You Waiting For?) Mary - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
7. Lonely Melody - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
8. There'll Come a Time - Frankie Trumbauer
9. Jubilee - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
10. San - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
11. Mississippi Mud - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
12. Back in Your Own Back Yard - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
13. There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth the Salt of My Tears - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
14. Dardanella - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
15. Love Nest - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
16. From Monday On - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
17. Mississippi Mud - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
18. Sugar - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
19. Coquette - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
20. When - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
21. Lovable - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
22. Our Bungalow of Dreams - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
23. Lila - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
24. Borneo - Frankie Trumbauer
25. My Pet - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
Disc 4:
1. Somebody Stole My Gal - Bix Beiderbecke
2. Thou Swell - Bix Beiderbecke
3. Forget Me Not - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
4. Louisiana - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
5. You Took Advantage of Me - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
6. 'Tain't So Honey, 'T'Aint' So - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
7. Bless You Sister - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
8. Dusky Stevedore - Frankie Trumbauer
9. Ol' Man River - Bix Beiderbecke
10. Wa-Da-Da (Everybody's Doin' It Now) - Bix Beiderbecke
11. Take Your Tomorrow (And Give Me Today) - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
12. Love Affairs - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
13. Rhythm King - Bix Beiderbecke
14. Louisiana - Bix Beiderbecke
15. Margie - Bix Beiderbecke
16. Love Nest - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
17. Japanese Sandman - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
18. High on a Hilltop - Frankie Trumbauer
19. Futuristic Rhythm - Frankie Trumbauer
20. Raisin' Tha Roof - Frankie Trumbauer
21. Louise - Frankie Trumbauer
22. Wait Till You See "Ma Cherie" - Frankie Trumbauer
23. Baby Won't You Please Come Home - Frankie Trumbauer
24. China Boy - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
25. Rockin' Chair - Hoagy Carmichael
26. Barnacle Bill, The Sailor - Hoagy Carmichael
If you've never heard a recording by Bix you don't know what you've missed, and if you have you'll never forget it. He was unsurpassed for purity of tone, and his skill transcended mere improvisation, transmuting the most uninspired tunes into melodies of great beauty, seemingly without effort.
This compilation covers his first recordings with the Wolverines, the Sioux City Six, and the Rhythm Jugglers, the best of his recordings with Jean Goldkette and Paul Whiteman, interpolated by those made by studio groups under his own and Frank Trumbauer's name, the two Broadway Bellhops sides, and finishing up with the two Hoagy Carmichael sides.
This was a musician who claimed never to play the same solo twice, but the one thing that's missing is an alternate take or two (and there are many) to show the extent to which Bix's solos altered dramatically from one to the next. But that's a small reservation which does not detract from the impact of the set as a whole.
Individual discs are housed in slipcases, and are accompanied by an extremely detailed 56-page booklet setting out his career and full discographical details. An absolute bargain.
Tracklist:
Disc 1:
1. Fidgety Feet - The Wolverine Orchestra
2. Jazz Me Blues - The Wolverine Orchestra
3. Oh, Baby - The Wolverine Orchestra
4. Copenhagen - The Wolverine Orchestra
5. Riverboat Shuffle - The Wolverine Orchestra
6. Susie (Of the Islands) - The Wolverine Orchestra
7. I Need Some Pettin' - The Wolverine Orchestra
8. Royal Garden Blues - The Wolverine Orchestra
9. Tiger Rag - The Wolverine Orchestra
10. Sensation - The Wolverine Orchestra
11. Lazy Daddy - The Wolverine Orchestra
12. Tia Juana - The Wolverine Orchestra
13. Big Boy - The Wolverine Orchestra
14. Flock O' Blues - Bix Beiderbecke, Sioux City Six
15. I'm Glad - Bix Beiderbecke, Sioux City Six
16. I Didn't Know - Jean Goldkette
17. Toddlin' Blues - Bix Beiderbecke,
18. Davenport Blues - Bix Beiderbecke,
19. Idolizing - Jean Goldkette
20. I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover - Jean Goldkette
21. I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now - Jean Goldkette
22. Trumbology - Frankie Trumbauer
23. Clarinet Marmalade - Frankie Trumbauer
24. Singin' the Blues - Frankie Trumbauer
25. Slow River - Jean Goldkette
26. Ostrich Walk - Frankie Trumbauer
Disc 2:
1. Riverboat Shuffle - Frankie Trumbauer
2. I'm Coming Virginia - Frankie Trumbauer
3. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans - Frankie Trumbauer
4. For No Reason at All in C - Tram, Bix & Lang
5. In My Merry Oldsmobile - Jean Goldkette
6. Three Blind Mice - Frankie Trumbauer
7. Blue River - Frankie Trumbauer
8. There's a Cradle in Caroline - Frankie Trumbauer
9. In a Mist - Bix Beiderbecke
10. Clementine (From New Orleans) - Jean Goldkette
11. Wringin' an' Twistin' - Tram, Bix & Lang
12. Humpty Dumpty - Frankie Trumbauer
13. Krazy Kat - Frankie Trumbauer
14. Baltimore - Frankie Trumbauer
15. There Ain't No Land Like Dixieland to Me - The Broadway Bell-Hops
16. There's a Cradle in Caroline - The Broadway Bell-Hops
17. Just an Hour of Love - Frankie Trumbauer
18. I'm Wonderin' Who - Frankie Trumbauer
19. At the Jazz Band Ball - Bix Beiderbecke
20. Royal Garden Blues - Bix Beiderbecke
21. Jazz Me Blues - Bix Beiderbecke
22. I'm More Than Satisfied - Willard Robison
23. Clorinda - Willard Robison
24. Three Blind Mice - Willard Robison
25. Goose Pimples - Bix Beiderbecke
26. Sorry - Bix Beiderbecke
Disc 3:
1. Cryin' All Day - Frankie Trumbauer
2. Good Man Is Hard to Find - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
3. Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down - Bix Beiderbecke
4. Sugar - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
5. Changes - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
6. (What Are You Waiting For?) Mary - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
7. Lonely Melody - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
8. There'll Come a Time - Frankie Trumbauer
9. Jubilee - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
10. San - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
11. Mississippi Mud - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
12. Back in Your Own Back Yard - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
13. There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth the Salt of My Tears - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
14. Dardanella - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
15. Love Nest - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
16. From Monday On - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
17. Mississippi Mud - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
18. Sugar - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
19. Coquette - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
20. When - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
21. Lovable - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
22. Our Bungalow of Dreams - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
23. Lila - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
24. Borneo - Frankie Trumbauer
25. My Pet - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
Disc 4:
1. Somebody Stole My Gal - Bix Beiderbecke
2. Thou Swell - Bix Beiderbecke
3. Forget Me Not - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
4. Louisiana - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
5. You Took Advantage of Me - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
6. 'Tain't So Honey, 'T'Aint' So - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
7. Bless You Sister - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
8. Dusky Stevedore - Frankie Trumbauer
9. Ol' Man River - Bix Beiderbecke
10. Wa-Da-Da (Everybody's Doin' It Now) - Bix Beiderbecke
11. Take Your Tomorrow (And Give Me Today) - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
12. Love Affairs - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
13. Rhythm King - Bix Beiderbecke
14. Louisiana - Bix Beiderbecke
15. Margie - Bix Beiderbecke
16. Love Nest - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
17. Japanese Sandman - Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra
18. High on a Hilltop - Frankie Trumbauer
19. Futuristic Rhythm - Frankie Trumbauer
20. Raisin' Tha Roof - Frankie Trumbauer
21. Louise - Frankie Trumbauer
22. Wait Till You See "Ma Cherie" - Frankie Trumbauer
23. Baby Won't You Please Come Home - Frankie Trumbauer
24. China Boy - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
25. Rockin' Chair - Hoagy Carmichael
26. Barnacle Bill, The Sailor - Hoagy Carmichael
Bessie Smith, “The Essential Bessie Smith” (Sony, 1997; tracks recorded 1923-33)
Review:
Bessie Smith was crowned the Empress of the Blues, and, while this moniker was well deserved, she was much more. A prolific recording artist, Smith was quite an eclectic performer. In fact, she may have been one of the first true crossover artists. This neat two-disc set gives the listener a good sampling of her wide repertoire. Smith is backed up by some of the best jazz musicians of her era. Her rendition of "St Louis Blues" for example, features the horn work of a young Louis Armstrong. Smith was not above doing such suggestive material as "Kitchen Man" or "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl" and could breath new life into a pop chestnut like "Alexander's Ragtime Band." And when Smith sang "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," she knew what she was talking about. The title of this album says it all.
Tracklist:
Disc 1:
Aggravatin' Papa
Baby Won't You Please Come Home
'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do
Jail-House Blues
Graveyard Dream Blues (78rpm Version)
Ticket Agent, Ease Your Window Down
Boweavil Blues
Weeping Willow Blues
Dying Gambler's Blues
St. Louis Blues (78rpm Version)
You've Been A Good Ole Wagon
Cake Walkin' Babies From Home
Careless Love Blues (Alternate Take)
I Ain't Goin' To Play Second Fiddle
At The Christmas Ball
Jazzbo Brown From Memphis Town
Backwater Blues (78rpm Version)
After You've Gone
Disc 2:
Alexander's Ragtime Band
There'll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight
Trombone Cholly
Send Me To The 'Lectric Chair
A Good Man Is Hard To Find
Dyin' By The Hour
Me And My Gin
Kitchen Man (78 rpm Version)
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
On Revival Day (A Rhythmic Spiritual)
Moan, You Moaners
Black Mountain Blues
Shipwreck Blues
Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl
Do Your Duty
Gimme A Pigfoot And A Bottle of Beer
Take Me For A Buggy Ride
Down In The Dumps
Bessie Smith was crowned the Empress of the Blues, and, while this moniker was well deserved, she was much more. A prolific recording artist, Smith was quite an eclectic performer. In fact, she may have been one of the first true crossover artists. This neat two-disc set gives the listener a good sampling of her wide repertoire. Smith is backed up by some of the best jazz musicians of her era. Her rendition of "St Louis Blues" for example, features the horn work of a young Louis Armstrong. Smith was not above doing such suggestive material as "Kitchen Man" or "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl" and could breath new life into a pop chestnut like "Alexander's Ragtime Band." And when Smith sang "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," she knew what she was talking about. The title of this album says it all.
Tracklist:
Disc 1:
Aggravatin' Papa
Baby Won't You Please Come Home
'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do
Jail-House Blues
Graveyard Dream Blues (78rpm Version)
Ticket Agent, Ease Your Window Down
Boweavil Blues
Weeping Willow Blues
Dying Gambler's Blues
St. Louis Blues (78rpm Version)
You've Been A Good Ole Wagon
Cake Walkin' Babies From Home
Careless Love Blues (Alternate Take)
I Ain't Goin' To Play Second Fiddle
At The Christmas Ball
Jazzbo Brown From Memphis Town
Backwater Blues (78rpm Version)
After You've Gone
Disc 2:
Alexander's Ragtime Band
There'll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight
Trombone Cholly
Send Me To The 'Lectric Chair
A Good Man Is Hard To Find
Dyin' By The Hour
Me And My Gin
Kitchen Man (78 rpm Version)
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
On Revival Day (A Rhythmic Spiritual)
Moan, You Moaners
Black Mountain Blues
Shipwreck Blues
Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl
Do Your Duty
Gimme A Pigfoot And A Bottle of Beer
Take Me For A Buggy Ride
Down In The Dumps
Danny Barker Quotes
"The New Orleans bands, you see, didn't play with a flat sound. They'd shade the music. After the band had played with the two or three horns blowing, they'd let the rhythm have it." - Danny Barker
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Danny Barker Quotes
"Lots of the bands [in New Orleans] couldn't read too much music. So they used a fiddle to play the lead - a fiddle player could read - and that was to give them some protection." - Danny Barker
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Buddy Bolden Quotes
"Simmer down, let me hear the sound of them feet." - Buddy Bolden
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Danny Barker Quotes
"Everything in New Orleans was competitive. People would always be betting on who was the best and the greatest in everything. That's where the battles of music came in." - Danny Barker
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Johnny St. Cyr Quotes
"The more enthusiastic his audience is, why, the more spirit the working man's got to play." - Johnny St. Cyr
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Johnny St. Cyr Quotes
"A working man have the power to play hot, whiskey or no whiskey." - Johnny St. Cyr
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Johnny St. Cyr Quotes
"A jazz musician have to be a working class of man, out in the open all the time, healthy and strong." - Johnny St. Cyr
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Alphonse Picou Quotes
"I think the first ragtime jazz band I ever heard was Boo Boo Fortunea. He was the only man at that time who played the slide trombone [in New Orleans]. It was approximately, well, before 1900. I was still fifteen or sixteen years old then." - Alphonse Picou
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Alphonse Picou Quotes
"As a boy, the first jazz I heard was a jazz band at the corner of St. Phillips and Claiborne [in New Orleans]. It was called the Excelsior Band. The only musician I remember from that band was Fice Quiyrit, the trumpet player. It was a long time ago." - Alphonse Picou
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Zutty Singleton Quotes
"There were so many bands in New Orleans. But most of the musicians had day jobs, you know -- trades. They were bricklayers and carpenters and cigar makers and plasterers. Some had little businesses of their own -- coal and wood and vegetable stores. Some worked on the cotton exchange and some were porters. They had to work at other trades 'cause there were so many musicians, so many bands. It was the most musical town in the country." - Zutty Singleton
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Kid Ory Quotes
"And during Mardi Gras -- man! That's when we really had fun [in New Orleans]. All day and night bands marched up and down the streets playing their heads off. We played sometimes for a local colored fraternity and marched in front of their parade." - Kid Ory
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Nat Towles Quotes
"You'd march on the graveyard playing very solemn and very slow, then on the way back all hell would break loose! No music, you understand, we didn't know what a sheet of music was. Just six or seven pieces, half a dozen men pounding it out all together, each in his own way and yet somehow fitting in all right with the others. It had to be right, and it was, because it came from the right place." - Nat Towles (on funeral bands in New Orleans)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Wingy Manone Quotes
"Sometimes it took them four hours to get to the cemetary. All the way they just swayed to the music and moaned. At the graveside they chanted questions, such as 'Did he ramble?' 'Did he gamble?' or 'Did he lead a good life until the police shot him down on St. James Street?' Then after the body was buried, they'd go back to town and all the way they'd swing. They just pulled the instruments apart. They played the hottest music in the world." - Wingy Manone (on funeral bands in New Orleans)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Louis Armstrong Quotes
"As many bands as you heard [in New Orleans], that's how many bands you heard playing right. I thought I was in Heaven playing second trumpet in the Tuxedo Brass Band -- and they had some funeral marches that would just touch your heart, they were so beautiful." - Louis Armstrong
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Bunk Johnson Quotes
"A barrel house was just a piano in a hall. There was always a piano player working. When I was a kid, I'd go into a barrel house and play 'long with them piano players 'til early in the mornin'. We used to play nuthin' but the blues." - Bunk Johnson
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Jelly Roll Morton Quotes
"In the year of 1902, when I was about seventeen years old, I happened to invade one of the sections [in New Orleans] where the birth of Jazz originated from." - Jelly Roll Morton
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Louis Armstrong Quotes
"I'll bet right now most of the youngsters and hot club fans who hear the name Storyville hasn't the least idea that it consisted of some of the biggest prostitutes in the world ... Standing in their doorways nightly in their fine and beautiful negligees -- faintly calling to the boys as they passed their cribs." - Louis Armstrong
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Clarence Williams Quotes
"Yes, New Orleans was always a musical town -- a happy town. Why, on Mardi Gras and Christmas all the houses were open and there were dances all over. It was 'open house' everywhere, and you could walk in almost any door and have a drink and eat and join the party." - Clarence Williams
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
Danny Barker Quotes
"One of my pleasantest memories as a kid growing up in New Orleans was how a bunch of us kids, playing, would suddenly hear sounds. It was like a phenomenon, like the Aurora Borealis -- maybe. The sounds of men playing would be so clear, but we wouldn't be sure where they were coming from. So we'd start trotting, start running-- 'It's this way! It's this way!' -- And sometimes, after running for a while, you'd find you'd be nowhere near that music. But that music could come on you any time like that. The city was full of the sounds of music." - Danny Barker
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
source: 'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It' (Nat Shapiro, First published 1966)
100 Greatest Jazz Drummers
Jazz has had the broadest perspective of all genre's in music since it's first note to the present day. It is for that reason that this list is presented in the same manner, with respect to all the myriad forms & interpretations of Jazz that exist today.
Criteria: - These musicians were chosen for their originality, versatility, impact & influence within the genre. For their innovations & the technical ability for improvisation & musical expression in addition to their compositional skill & creative inspiration.
1. Buddy Rich
2. Elvin Jones
3. Max Roach
4. Roy Haynes
5. Jack DeJohnette
6. Tony Williams
7. Billy Cobham
8. Art Blakey
9. Joe Morello
10. Kenny Clarke
11. Gene Krupa
12. Dave Weckl
13. Harvey Mason
14. Peter Erskine
15. Chick Webb
16. Louis Bellson
17. Ed Blackwell
18. Bill Stewart
19. Steve Gadd
20. Papa Joe Jones
21. Connie Kay
22. Jeff "Tain" Watts
23. Philly Joe Jones
24. Paul Wertico
25. Big Sid Catlett
26. Rashied Ali
27. Warren "Baby" Dodds
28. Bernard Purdie
29. Clayton Cameron
30. Don Alias
31. Alphonse Mouzon
32. Alex Acuna
33. Paul Motian
34. Vinnie Colaiuta
35. Narada Michael Walden
36. Chad Wackerman
37. Shelly Manne
38. Johnny Vidacovich
39. Lional Hampton
40. Art Taylor
41. Billy Higgins
42. Lewis Nash
43. John Robinson
44. Danny Gottlieb
45. Antonio Sanchez
46. Bill Bruford
47. Alan Dawson
48. Dannie Richmond
49. Dennis Chambers
50. Ed Shaughnessey
51. Airto
52. Kenny Wollesen
53. Brian Blade
54. Gary Husband
55. Steve Smith
56. Alex Riel
57. Al Foster
58. Ben Perowski
59. Lenny White
60. Bernie Dresel
61. Panama Francis
62. Louis Hayes
63. Sonny Payne
64. Ed Thigpen
65. Jeff Ballard
66. Jay Lane
67. Gary Novak
68. Billy Kilson
69. Jimmy Cobb
70. Idrus Muhammed
71. John Riley
72. Abe Laboriel Jr.
73. Joe LaBarbera
74. Mel Lewis
75. Andrew Cyrille
76. Stanton Moore
77. Adam Nussbaum
78. Ben Riley
79. Cecil Brooks III
80. Simon Phillips
81. Joel Taylor
82. Marvin 'Smitty' Smith
83. Harold Jones
84. T.S. Monk
85. Terry Bozzio
86. Frankie Dunlop
87. Ray Barretto
88. Billy Hart
89. Stan Levey
90. Tony Royster
91. Paul Barbarin
92. Joel Rosenblatt
93. Andre Ceccarelli
94. Martin Drew
95. John Guerin
96. Kenny Washington
97. Leon Parker
98. Luis Conte
99. Gene Jackson
100. Claude Ranger
Criteria: - These musicians were chosen for their originality, versatility, impact & influence within the genre. For their innovations & the technical ability for improvisation & musical expression in addition to their compositional skill & creative inspiration.
1. Buddy Rich
2. Elvin Jones
3. Max Roach
4. Roy Haynes
5. Jack DeJohnette
6. Tony Williams
7. Billy Cobham
8. Art Blakey
9. Joe Morello
10. Kenny Clarke
11. Gene Krupa
12. Dave Weckl
13. Harvey Mason
14. Peter Erskine
15. Chick Webb
16. Louis Bellson
17. Ed Blackwell
18. Bill Stewart
19. Steve Gadd
20. Papa Joe Jones
21. Connie Kay
22. Jeff "Tain" Watts
23. Philly Joe Jones
24. Paul Wertico
25. Big Sid Catlett
26. Rashied Ali
27. Warren "Baby" Dodds
28. Bernard Purdie
29. Clayton Cameron
30. Don Alias
31. Alphonse Mouzon
32. Alex Acuna
33. Paul Motian
34. Vinnie Colaiuta
35. Narada Michael Walden
36. Chad Wackerman
37. Shelly Manne
38. Johnny Vidacovich
39. Lional Hampton
40. Art Taylor
41. Billy Higgins
42. Lewis Nash
43. John Robinson
44. Danny Gottlieb
45. Antonio Sanchez
46. Bill Bruford
47. Alan Dawson
48. Dannie Richmond
49. Dennis Chambers
50. Ed Shaughnessey
51. Airto
52. Kenny Wollesen
53. Brian Blade
54. Gary Husband
55. Steve Smith
56. Alex Riel
57. Al Foster
58. Ben Perowski
59. Lenny White
60. Bernie Dresel
61. Panama Francis
62. Louis Hayes
63. Sonny Payne
64. Ed Thigpen
65. Jeff Ballard
66. Jay Lane
67. Gary Novak
68. Billy Kilson
69. Jimmy Cobb
70. Idrus Muhammed
71. John Riley
72. Abe Laboriel Jr.
73. Joe LaBarbera
74. Mel Lewis
75. Andrew Cyrille
76. Stanton Moore
77. Adam Nussbaum
78. Ben Riley
79. Cecil Brooks III
80. Simon Phillips
81. Joel Taylor
82. Marvin 'Smitty' Smith
83. Harold Jones
84. T.S. Monk
85. Terry Bozzio
86. Frankie Dunlop
87. Ray Barretto
88. Billy Hart
89. Stan Levey
90. Tony Royster
91. Paul Barbarin
92. Joel Rosenblatt
93. Andre Ceccarelli
94. Martin Drew
95. John Guerin
96. Kenny Washington
97. Leon Parker
98. Luis Conte
99. Gene Jackson
100. Claude Ranger
100 Greatest Jazz Guitarists
Jazz has had the broadest perspective of all genre's in music since it's first note to the present day. It is for that reason that this list is presented in the same manner, with respect to all the myriad forms & interpretations of Jazz that exist today.
Criteria: - These musicians were chosen for their originality, versatility, impact & influence within the genre. For their innovations & the technical ability for improvisation & musical expression in addition to their compositional skill & creative inspiration.
1. Wes Montgomery
2. Django Reinhardt
3. Pat Metheny
4. Joe Pass
5. Charlie Christian
6. John McLaughlin
7. Allan Holdsworth
8. Grant Green
9. John Scofield
10. Jim Hall
11. Larry Coryell
12. Kenny Burrell
13. Bill Frisell
14. Larry Carlton
15. Pat Martino
16. Mike Stern
17. Al Di Meola
18. Lenny Breau
19. Herb Ellis
20. John Abercrombie
21. George Benson
22. Lee Ritenour
23. Tal Farlow
24. Lonnie Johnson
25. Eddie Lang
26. Robert Conti
27. Johnny Smith
28. Bill Connors
29. George Van Eps
30. Jimmy Bruno
31. Jimmy Raney
32. Hank Garland
33. Joe Diorio
34. Barney Kessel
35. Sonny Sharrock
36. Oscar Moore
37. Les Paul
38. Jeff Golub
39. Ralph Towner
40. Russ Freeman
41. Derek Bailey
42. Ted Greene
43. Martin Taylor
44. Howard Roberts
45. Charley Byrd
46. Ed Bickert
47. Chet Atkins
48. Scott Henderson
49. George Barnes
50. Gabor Szabo
51. Robben Ford
52. Charlie Hunter
53. John Pizzarelli
54. Kurt Rosenwinkel
55. Thom Rotella
56. Billy Bauer
57. Henry Johnson
58. Billy Bean
59. Sonny Greenwich
60. Dean Parks
61. Steve Khan
62. Frank Gambale
63. Mark Stefani
64. Stanley Jordan
65. Ronny Jordan
66. Bireli Lagrene
67. Earl Klugh
68. Grant Geissman
69. Ken Navarro
70. Harry Volpe
71. Paul Bollenback
72. Lorne Lofsky
73. Nguyen Le
74. Russell Malone
75. Daryl Stuermer
76. Phil Upchurch
77. Ulf Wakenius
78. Hiram Bullock
79. Andy Summers
80. Nick Webb
81. Tony Mottola
82. Bucky Pizzarelli
83. Norman Brown
84. Tiny Grimes
85. Tommy Tedesco
86. Mark Whitfield
87. Julio Fernandez
88. Marc Ribot
89. Greg Carmichael
90. John Pisano
91. Emily Remler
92. Brian Hughes
93. Fitzroy Coleman
94. Mick Goodrick
95. Kevin Eubanks
96. Carl Kress
97. Wolfgang Muthspiel
98. Tuck Andress
99. Robert Normann
100. Howard Alden
Criteria: - These musicians were chosen for their originality, versatility, impact & influence within the genre. For their innovations & the technical ability for improvisation & musical expression in addition to their compositional skill & creative inspiration.
1. Wes Montgomery
2. Django Reinhardt
3. Pat Metheny
4. Joe Pass
5. Charlie Christian
6. John McLaughlin
7. Allan Holdsworth
8. Grant Green
9. John Scofield
10. Jim Hall
11. Larry Coryell
12. Kenny Burrell
13. Bill Frisell
14. Larry Carlton
15. Pat Martino
16. Mike Stern
17. Al Di Meola
18. Lenny Breau
19. Herb Ellis
20. John Abercrombie
21. George Benson
22. Lee Ritenour
23. Tal Farlow
24. Lonnie Johnson
25. Eddie Lang
26. Robert Conti
27. Johnny Smith
28. Bill Connors
29. George Van Eps
30. Jimmy Bruno
31. Jimmy Raney
32. Hank Garland
33. Joe Diorio
34. Barney Kessel
35. Sonny Sharrock
36. Oscar Moore
37. Les Paul
38. Jeff Golub
39. Ralph Towner
40. Russ Freeman
41. Derek Bailey
42. Ted Greene
43. Martin Taylor
44. Howard Roberts
45. Charley Byrd
46. Ed Bickert
47. Chet Atkins
48. Scott Henderson
49. George Barnes
50. Gabor Szabo
51. Robben Ford
52. Charlie Hunter
53. John Pizzarelli
54. Kurt Rosenwinkel
55. Thom Rotella
56. Billy Bauer
57. Henry Johnson
58. Billy Bean
59. Sonny Greenwich
60. Dean Parks
61. Steve Khan
62. Frank Gambale
63. Mark Stefani
64. Stanley Jordan
65. Ronny Jordan
66. Bireli Lagrene
67. Earl Klugh
68. Grant Geissman
69. Ken Navarro
70. Harry Volpe
71. Paul Bollenback
72. Lorne Lofsky
73. Nguyen Le
74. Russell Malone
75. Daryl Stuermer
76. Phil Upchurch
77. Ulf Wakenius
78. Hiram Bullock
79. Andy Summers
80. Nick Webb
81. Tony Mottola
82. Bucky Pizzarelli
83. Norman Brown
84. Tiny Grimes
85. Tommy Tedesco
86. Mark Whitfield
87. Julio Fernandez
88. Marc Ribot
89. Greg Carmichael
90. John Pisano
91. Emily Remler
92. Brian Hughes
93. Fitzroy Coleman
94. Mick Goodrick
95. Kevin Eubanks
96. Carl Kress
97. Wolfgang Muthspiel
98. Tuck Andress
99. Robert Normann
100. Howard Alden
100 Greatest Jazz Vocal Standards
Criteria: - These Jazz Vocal Standards were chosen on their Impact,
Influence, Quality, and Overall Importance. Each Standard is followed
by two different recommended performances of the Standard by some
of the biggest and most influential Jazz Vocalists in history.
1. Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday/Cassandra Wilson)
2. Summertime (Ella Fitzgerald/Nina Simone)
3. God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday/Carmen McRae)
4. What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong/Etta Jones)
5. What A Difference A Day Made (Dinah Washington/Sarah Vaughan)
6. My Funny Valentine (Sarah Vaughan/Chet Baker)
7. Mack The Knife (Frank Sinatra/Ella Fitzgerald)
8. Body and Soul (Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughan)
9. Someone To Watch Over Me (Blossom Dearie/Ella Fitzgerald)
10. You've Changed (Billie Holiday/Ella Fitzgerald)
11. Lullabye of Birdland (Sarah Vaughan/Ella Fitzgerald)
12. Fine and Mellow (Billie Holiday/Ella Fitzgerald)
13. Fever (Peggy Lee/Michael Buble)
14. The End of A Love Affair (Billie Holiday/Chaka Khan)
15. How High The Moon (Ella Fitzgerald/June Christy)
16. Don't Explain (Billie Holiday/Dinah Washington)
17. Oh Lady, Be Good! (Ella Fitzgerald/Mel Torme)
18. You Don't Know What Love Is (Billie Holiday/Dinah Washington)
19. Teach Me Tonight (Dinah Washington/Al Jarreau)
20. Stormy Weather (Lena Horne/Dinah Washington)
21. Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love) (Eartha Kitt/Billie Holiday)
22. They Can't Take That Away From Me (Ella Fitzgerald/Frank Sinatra)
23. The Very Thought of You (Billie Holiday/ Nat King Cole)
24. East of the Sun (West of the Moon) (Lee Wiley/Diana Krall)
25. I Loves You Porgy (Nina Simone/Billie Holiday)
26. Black Coffee (Peggy Lee/Sarah Vaughan)
27. (Corcovado) Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Sarah Vaughan/Astrud Gilberto)
28. What A Little Moonlight Can Do (Billie Holiday/Betty Carter)
29. Night and Day (Billie Holiday/Mel Torme)
30. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing (Ernestine Anderson/Tony Bennet)
31. Willow Weep For Me (Billie Holiday/Nina Simone)
32. I've Got You Under My Skin (Dinah Washington/Frank Sinatra)
33. Prelude To A Kiss (Sarah Vaughan/June Christy)
34. Tenderly (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong/Sarah Vaughan)
35. Like Someone In Love (Sarah Vaughan/Chet Baker)
36. Misty (Sarah Vaughan/Billy Eckstine)
37. Unforgettable (Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole/Johnny Hartman)
38. I Get Along Without You Very Well (Billie Holiday/Chet Baker)
39. Fly Me To The Moon Frank Sinatra/Astrud Gilberto)
40. Peel Me A Grape (Anita O'Day/Diana Krall)
41. Georgia On My Mind (Ray Charles/Shirley Horn)
42. Girl from Impanema (Astrud Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim/Eartha Kitt)
43. My Man's Gone Now (Sarah Vaughan/Nina Simone)
44. But Beautiful (Billie Holiday/Carmen McRae)
45. Autumn Leaves (Sarah Vaughan/Eva Cassiday)
46. But Not For Me (Billie Holiday/Chris Connor)
47. Easy Living (Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughan)
48. Solitude (Billie Holiday/Ella Fitzgerald)
49. A Night In Tunisia (Ella Fitzgerald/Lamberts, Hendrick, & Ross)
50. Love Me or Leave Me (Billie Holiday/Nina Simone)
51. Blue Skies (Ella Fitzgerald/Dinah Washington)
52. My Favorite Things (Sarah Vaughan/Tony Bennett)
53. Stardust (Sarah Vaughan/Ella Fitzgerald)
54. You Belong To Me (Ella Fitzgerald/Jo Stafford)
55. Agua De Beber (Water To Drink) (Astrud Gilberto/Frank Sinatra)
56. Embraceable You (Sarah Vaughan/Etta James)
57. If I Were A Bell (Dinah Washington/Ella Fitzgerald)
58. Love Letters (Diana Krall/Nat King Cole)
59. Skylark (Susannah McCorkle/Ernestine Anderson)
60. Cheek To Cheek (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong/Sarah Vaughan)
61. Something Cool (June Christy/Carol Sloane)
62. Good Morning Heartache (Billie Holiday/Ella Fitzgerald)
63. Sophisticated Lady (Ella Fitzgerald/Billy Eckstine)
64. Poor Butterfly (Sarah Vaughan/Helen Merril)
65. 'Deed I Do (Lee Wiley/Diana Krall)
66. Time After Time (Chet Baker/Ernestine Anderson)
67. Cry Me A River (Dinah Washington/Etta James)
68. I Only Have Eyes For You (Mark Murphy/Frank Sinatra)
69. April In Paris (Sarah Vaughan/Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong)
70. Cloudburst (Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross/Jon Hendricks)
71. Dedicated To You (Sarah Vaughan/Ella Fitzgerald)
72. My Man (Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughan)
73. Manhattan (Blossom Dearie/Stacy Kent)
74. Twisted (Annie Ross/Manhattan Transfer)
75. A Fine Romance (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong/Billie Holiday)
76. You Go To My Head (Billie Holiday Frank Sinatra)
77. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong/Billie Holiday)
78. You Better Go Now (Jeri Southern/Billie Holiday)
79. 'S Wonderful (Sarah Vaughan/Ella Fitzgerald)
80. Speak Low (Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughan)
81. A Tisket A Tasket (Ella Fitzgerald/Mildred Bailey)
82. All Of Me (Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughan)
83. Straighten Up and Fly Right (Nat King Cole/Natalie Cole)
84. Them There Eyes (Billie Holiday/Ella Fitzgerald)
85. Tell Me More, And More, And Then Some (Billie Holiday/Nina Simone)
86. You'll Have To Swing It (Mr. Paganini) (Ella Fitzgerald/Dee Dee Bridgewater)
87. In A Mellow Tone (Ella Fitzgerald/Johnny Mathis)
88. Our Love Is Here To Stay (Dinah Washington/Ella Fitzgerlad)
89. Violets For Your Furs (Billie Holiday/Frank Sinatra)
90. I Cover The Waterfront (Billie Holiday/Dinah Washington)
91. This Bitter Earth (Dinah Washington/Etta James)
92. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (Helen Merril/Ella Fitzgerald)
93. Take the "A" Train (Betty Roche/Anita O'Day)
94. I Walk A Little Faster (Blossom Dearie/Tony Bennet)
95. I Could Write A Book (Dinah Washington/Betty Carter)
96. I'll Get By ( As Long As I Have You ) (Billie Holiday/ Peggy Lee)
97. Once Upon A Summertime (Blossom Dearie/Astrud Gilberto)
98. That Old Feeling (Chet Baker/Billy Eckstine)
99. Rockin' Chair (Mildred Bailey/Peggy Lee)
100. The Waters of March (Agua De Marco) (Susannah McCorkle/Mark Murphy)
Influence, Quality, and Overall Importance. Each Standard is followed
by two different recommended performances of the Standard by some
of the biggest and most influential Jazz Vocalists in history.
1. Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday/Cassandra Wilson)
2. Summertime (Ella Fitzgerald/Nina Simone)
3. God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday/Carmen McRae)
4. What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong/Etta Jones)
5. What A Difference A Day Made (Dinah Washington/Sarah Vaughan)
6. My Funny Valentine (Sarah Vaughan/Chet Baker)
7. Mack The Knife (Frank Sinatra/Ella Fitzgerald)
8. Body and Soul (Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughan)
9. Someone To Watch Over Me (Blossom Dearie/Ella Fitzgerald)
10. You've Changed (Billie Holiday/Ella Fitzgerald)
11. Lullabye of Birdland (Sarah Vaughan/Ella Fitzgerald)
12. Fine and Mellow (Billie Holiday/Ella Fitzgerald)
13. Fever (Peggy Lee/Michael Buble)
14. The End of A Love Affair (Billie Holiday/Chaka Khan)
15. How High The Moon (Ella Fitzgerald/June Christy)
16. Don't Explain (Billie Holiday/Dinah Washington)
17. Oh Lady, Be Good! (Ella Fitzgerald/Mel Torme)
18. You Don't Know What Love Is (Billie Holiday/Dinah Washington)
19. Teach Me Tonight (Dinah Washington/Al Jarreau)
20. Stormy Weather (Lena Horne/Dinah Washington)
21. Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love) (Eartha Kitt/Billie Holiday)
22. They Can't Take That Away From Me (Ella Fitzgerald/Frank Sinatra)
23. The Very Thought of You (Billie Holiday/ Nat King Cole)
24. East of the Sun (West of the Moon) (Lee Wiley/Diana Krall)
25. I Loves You Porgy (Nina Simone/Billie Holiday)
26. Black Coffee (Peggy Lee/Sarah Vaughan)
27. (Corcovado) Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Sarah Vaughan/Astrud Gilberto)
28. What A Little Moonlight Can Do (Billie Holiday/Betty Carter)
29. Night and Day (Billie Holiday/Mel Torme)
30. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing (Ernestine Anderson/Tony Bennet)
31. Willow Weep For Me (Billie Holiday/Nina Simone)
32. I've Got You Under My Skin (Dinah Washington/Frank Sinatra)
33. Prelude To A Kiss (Sarah Vaughan/June Christy)
34. Tenderly (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong/Sarah Vaughan)
35. Like Someone In Love (Sarah Vaughan/Chet Baker)
36. Misty (Sarah Vaughan/Billy Eckstine)
37. Unforgettable (Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole/Johnny Hartman)
38. I Get Along Without You Very Well (Billie Holiday/Chet Baker)
39. Fly Me To The Moon Frank Sinatra/Astrud Gilberto)
40. Peel Me A Grape (Anita O'Day/Diana Krall)
41. Georgia On My Mind (Ray Charles/Shirley Horn)
42. Girl from Impanema (Astrud Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim/Eartha Kitt)
43. My Man's Gone Now (Sarah Vaughan/Nina Simone)
44. But Beautiful (Billie Holiday/Carmen McRae)
45. Autumn Leaves (Sarah Vaughan/Eva Cassiday)
46. But Not For Me (Billie Holiday/Chris Connor)
47. Easy Living (Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughan)
48. Solitude (Billie Holiday/Ella Fitzgerald)
49. A Night In Tunisia (Ella Fitzgerald/Lamberts, Hendrick, & Ross)
50. Love Me or Leave Me (Billie Holiday/Nina Simone)
51. Blue Skies (Ella Fitzgerald/Dinah Washington)
52. My Favorite Things (Sarah Vaughan/Tony Bennett)
53. Stardust (Sarah Vaughan/Ella Fitzgerald)
54. You Belong To Me (Ella Fitzgerald/Jo Stafford)
55. Agua De Beber (Water To Drink) (Astrud Gilberto/Frank Sinatra)
56. Embraceable You (Sarah Vaughan/Etta James)
57. If I Were A Bell (Dinah Washington/Ella Fitzgerald)
58. Love Letters (Diana Krall/Nat King Cole)
59. Skylark (Susannah McCorkle/Ernestine Anderson)
60. Cheek To Cheek (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong/Sarah Vaughan)
61. Something Cool (June Christy/Carol Sloane)
62. Good Morning Heartache (Billie Holiday/Ella Fitzgerald)
63. Sophisticated Lady (Ella Fitzgerald/Billy Eckstine)
64. Poor Butterfly (Sarah Vaughan/Helen Merril)
65. 'Deed I Do (Lee Wiley/Diana Krall)
66. Time After Time (Chet Baker/Ernestine Anderson)
67. Cry Me A River (Dinah Washington/Etta James)
68. I Only Have Eyes For You (Mark Murphy/Frank Sinatra)
69. April In Paris (Sarah Vaughan/Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong)
70. Cloudburst (Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross/Jon Hendricks)
71. Dedicated To You (Sarah Vaughan/Ella Fitzgerald)
72. My Man (Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughan)
73. Manhattan (Blossom Dearie/Stacy Kent)
74. Twisted (Annie Ross/Manhattan Transfer)
75. A Fine Romance (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong/Billie Holiday)
76. You Go To My Head (Billie Holiday Frank Sinatra)
77. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong/Billie Holiday)
78. You Better Go Now (Jeri Southern/Billie Holiday)
79. 'S Wonderful (Sarah Vaughan/Ella Fitzgerald)
80. Speak Low (Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughan)
81. A Tisket A Tasket (Ella Fitzgerald/Mildred Bailey)
82. All Of Me (Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughan)
83. Straighten Up and Fly Right (Nat King Cole/Natalie Cole)
84. Them There Eyes (Billie Holiday/Ella Fitzgerald)
85. Tell Me More, And More, And Then Some (Billie Holiday/Nina Simone)
86. You'll Have To Swing It (Mr. Paganini) (Ella Fitzgerald/Dee Dee Bridgewater)
87. In A Mellow Tone (Ella Fitzgerald/Johnny Mathis)
88. Our Love Is Here To Stay (Dinah Washington/Ella Fitzgerlad)
89. Violets For Your Furs (Billie Holiday/Frank Sinatra)
90. I Cover The Waterfront (Billie Holiday/Dinah Washington)
91. This Bitter Earth (Dinah Washington/Etta James)
92. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (Helen Merril/Ella Fitzgerald)
93. Take the "A" Train (Betty Roche/Anita O'Day)
94. I Walk A Little Faster (Blossom Dearie/Tony Bennet)
95. I Could Write A Book (Dinah Washington/Betty Carter)
96. I'll Get By ( As Long As I Have You ) (Billie Holiday/ Peggy Lee)
97. Once Upon A Summertime (Blossom Dearie/Astrud Gilberto)
98. That Old Feeling (Chet Baker/Billy Eckstine)
99. Rockin' Chair (Mildred Bailey/Peggy Lee)
100. The Waters of March (Agua De Marco) (Susannah McCorkle/Mark Murphy)
300 Greatest Swing Era Songs
Background: The Swing Era was when big band swing music was at its most popular in America between the years 1935-1945. This music was heard in 3 places mainly. (1) mainstream AM radio ("Your Hit Parade" as so many formats were entitled back then), (2) the dance and concert halls where the big bands played, or soloists like Crosby sang & (3) the Armed Forces USO's & canteens.
Symbols: (v) and (I) stand for vocal (present in recording) and Instrumental (all instrumental) respectively. Noted vocalists or instrumental soloists mentioned made an out-sized contribution to the recording.
Criteria: This list is made up mostly of songs within the "Golden Age of Swing" (1935-1945), plus a few songs from some of the same artists in the same style recorded shortly after the "Golden Age". (See below the list for more details.)
1. Sing, Sing, Sing - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra (1937)
2. Take The A Train - Duke Ellington (1941)
3. In The Mood - Glenn Miller Band (1939)
4. Begin The Beguine - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1938)
5. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be) - Billie Holiday (1944)
6. White Christmas - Bing Crosby (1942)
7. Stardust - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940)
8. I'll Never Smile Again - Tommy Dorsey Orch. w/F. Sinatra & Pied Pipers (v) (1940)
9. Mack The Knife - Louis Armstrong (1955)
10. Chattanooga Choo-Choo - Glenn Miller Band, w/Tex Benecke & The Modernaires (v) (1941)
11. String of Pearls - Glenn Miller Band (1942)
12. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon - The Andrews Sisters (1937)
13. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - The Andrews Sisters (1941)
14. At The Woodchoppers Ball - Woody Herman Orchestra (1939, Decca)
15. Jumpin' At The Woodside - Count Basie Orchestra (1938)
16. T'Ain't Whatcha Do - Jimmie Lunceford Band (1939)
17. One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie Orchestra (1937)
18. Flying Home - Lionel Hampton Band (1942)
19. Blues In The Night - Woody Herman w/his Orchestra (v) (1941)
20. Tenderly - Randy Brooks & His Orchestra (1946)
21. Sentimental Journey - Les Brown Band w/Doris Day (v) (1945)
22. Sometimes I'm Happy - Lester Young (I) (1943)
23. Don't Be That Way - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1938)
24. Stardust - Charlie Spivak Orchestra (1943-aircheck)
25. The Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me - Sidney Bechet & His Hot Six (1951)
26. Satin Doll - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (1953)
27. Solitude - Billie Holiday (1940)
28. Why Don't You Do Right? - Benny Goodman Band w/Peggy Lee (v) (1942)
29. The Man I Love - Benny Goodman Quartet (I) (1937)
30. Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland (1939)
31. It's Only A Paper Moon - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1944)
32. Where Or When - Benny Goodman Trio (I) (1937)
33. Deep Purple - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain, (v) (1938)
34. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire - The Ink Spots (1941)
35. I Can't Get Started - Bunny Berigan (1937)
36. Nuages - Django Reinhardt (1940)
37. It Might As Well Be Spring - Dick Haymes (1945)
38. Hep Hep The Jumpin' Jive - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra (1939)
39. Rum and Coca-Cola - The Andrews Sisters (1945, Decca version)
40. Marie - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Jack Leonard, vocal (1937)
41. God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday (1941)
42. Stormy Monday Blues - Earl Hines Orchestra, w/Billy Eckstine, vocal (1942)
43. The Christmas Song - Nat "King" Cole (1946)
44. A Tisket, A Tasket - Ella Fitzgerald w/Chick Webb Band (1937)
45. Oh! Look At Me Now - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Frank Sinatra & The Pied Pipers (1941)
46. Summertime - Billie Holiday (v) (1936) / Artie Shaw & Orchestra (I) (1945)
47. Glow-Worm - The Mills Brothers (1952)
48. Frenesi - Artie Shaw & Orchestra, (1940)
49. Body & Soul - Coleman Hawkins (1939)
50. I'll Be Seeing You - Tommy Dorsey (Orchestra) w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1940-s, 1944-r)
51. If I Loved You - Perry Como (1945)
52. Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller (1936)
53. September Song - Sarah Vaughn (v) w/Teddy Wilson Quartet (1946)
54. The Trolley Song - Judy Garland (1944)
55. Tangerine - Jimmy Dorsey Band w/Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell (v) (1941)
56. Perfidia - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (1941)
57. Straighten Up & Fly Right - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1942)
58. Let's Get Away From It All - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Frank Sinatra, & The Pied Pipers (1941)
59. Stompin' At The Savoy - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1937)
60. And The Angels Sing - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Ziggy Elman (I) & Martha Tilton (v) (1939)
61. Taking A Chance On Love - Benny Goodman w/Helen Forrest (v) (1940-s, 1943-r)
62. Yes Indeed! - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Jo Stafford (v) (1941)
63. Nature Boy - Nat "King" Cole (1948)
64. Night And Day - Billie Holiday (1939)
65. Song of India - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (1937)
66. You Always Hurt The One You Love - The Mills Brothers (1944)
67. Moonglow - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940)
68. The Man I Love - Billie Holiday (live, 1946) / (studio, 1939)
69. On The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe - Johnny Mercer (1945) / Judy Garland (1945) [competing versions]
70. On The Sunny Side Of The Street - Tommy Dorsey Band w/The Clark Sisters (v) (1944)
71. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie - Fats Waller (1936)
72. Lady Day - Artie Shaw Orchestra w/Roy Eldridge (I) (1944)
73. Choo-Choo Ch'Boogie - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1946)
74. Celery Stalks At Midnight - Will Bradley Orchestra (1940)
75. Skyliner - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra (1944)
76. All The Things You Are - Artie Shaw w/Helen Forrest (v) (1939)
77. Long Ago And Far Away - Dick Haymes & Helen Forrest (1944)
78. One For My Baby and One More For The Road - Frank Sinatra (1947)
79. I've Heard That Song Before - Harry James Band w/Helen Forrest (v) (1942)
80. Cherokee - Charlie Barnet (1939)
81. Salt Peanuts - Dizzy Gillespie w/Charlie Parker (1945)
82. Perdido - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (1942)
83. With The Wind and The Rain In Your Hair - Bob Chester Band w/Delores O'Neill (v) (1940)
84. All Or Nothing At All - Harry James Band w/Frank Sinatra (1939)
85. Candy - Johnny Mercer & Jo Stafford (v) (1945)
86. The Gypsy - The Ink Spots (1946)
87. Artistry In Rhythm - Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1943)
88. Opus One - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (1944)
89. The House Of Blue Lights - Ella Mae Morse w/Freddy Slack Orchestra (1946)
90. Mr. Five By Five - Ella Mae Morse w/Freddy Slack Band (v) (1942)
91. As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson (1931, re-issued 1942)
92. Skylark - Harry James Band w/Helen Forrest (v) (1942) / Maxine Sullivan (v) (1943)
93. Personality - Johnny Mercer (1945)
94. Moonlight In Vermont - Billy Butterfield & His Orchestra w/Margaret Whiting (v) (1945)
95. Fools Rush In - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1940)
96. The Mole - Harry James Orchestra (1941)
97. Sweet Lorraine - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1941)
98. I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo - Glenn Miller Band, w/Tex Benecke & The Modernaires (1942)
99. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Les Brown Orchestra (1946-s, 1949-r)
100. Green Eyes - Jimmy Dorsey Band w/Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell (v) (1941)
101. This Nearly Was Mine - Tommy Dorsey w/Victor Young (I) (1950)
102. Tabu - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1945)
103. The Man With A Horn - Harry James & His Orchestra (I) (1946)
104. Do You Know What It Means To New Orleans? - Louis Armstrong & His Dixieland Seven (1946, Victor)
105. Early Autumn - Woody Herman Band w/Stan Getz (I) (1948)
106. With A Song In My Heart - Doris Day (v) w/Harry James (1950)
107. After Hours - Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra (1940)
108. The Song Is You - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v)
(Sinatra's farewell to Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, radio broadcast, 1942)
109. These Foolish Things - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Helen Ward (v) (1936)
110. Nice Work If You Can Get It - Fred Astaire (v) / Benny Goodman Trio (I) (live broadcast) (1937, both)
111. I'll Walk Alone - Dinah Shore (1943)
112. Tuxedo Junction - Erskine Hawkins (1939)
113. After You've Gone - Stuff Smith & His Onyx Club Boys (1936)
114. Stormy Weather - Ethel Waters (1933)
115. Tampico - Stan Kenton Orchestra w/June Christy (v) (1945)
116. Besame Mucho - Andy Russell (1944)
117. Going to Chicago - Count Basie Band w/Jimmy Rushing (v) (1941)
118. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues - Jack Teagarden (1939)
119. Sent For You Yesterday and Here You Come Today - Count Basie Band w/Jimmy Rushing (v) (1938)
120. Paper Doll - The Mills Brothers (1942)
121. The White Cliffs Of Dover - Vera Lynn (1942)
122. Night and Day - Fred Astaire (1933)
123. Get Your Kicks On Route 66 - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1942)
124. When It's Sleepytime Down South - Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (1931)
125. Swinging On A Star - Bing Crosby (1944)
126. If I Didn't Care - The Ink Spots (1939)
127. Not So Quiet, Please - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Buddy Rich (I) (1942)
128. Polka Dots & Moonbeams - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (1940)
129. Prisoner of Love - Perry Como (1945)
130. Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday (1939)
131. Cotton Tail - Duke Ellington Orchestra (1940)
132. Getting Some Fun Out Of Life - Billie Holiday (1937)
133. My Reverie - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938)
134. Love Walked In - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra w/Bob Eberly (v) (1938)
135. I'll Get By - Dick Haymes w/Harry James Orchestra (1941)
136. Jukebox Saturday Night - Glenn Miller Band w/Tex Benecke & The Modernaires (1942)
137. Cheek To Cheek - Fred Astaire (v) (1935) / Count Basie Orchestra (I) (1949)
138. They Can't Take That Away From Me - Fred Astaire (1937)
139. That's The Way It Is - Ella Fitzgerald & The Ink Spots (1945)
140. Rockin' In Rhythm - Duke Ellington/The Jungle Band (1931, Decca/Brunswick version)
141. Brazil - Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra (1942)
142. Exactly Like You - Benny Goodman Quartet w/Lionel Hampton (v) (1936)
143. Loch Lomond - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Martha Tilton (v) (1937)
144. Let Me Off Uptown - Gene Krupa Orchestra w/Roy Eldridge (I) & Anita O'Day (v) (1946)
145. Any Old Time - Billie Holiday (v) w/Artie Shaw Orchestra (1938)
146. For Me And My Gal - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland (1942)
147. I Love You For Sentimental Reasons - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1946)
148. Ramona - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1942)
149. Cow Cow Boogie - Ella Mae Morse (v) w/Freddy Slack Band (1942)
150. Under An Orange-Colored Sky - Nat "King" Cole Trio w/Stan Kenton Orchestra (1950)
151. Eager Beaver - Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1943)
152. Little John Special - Lucky Millinder Orchestra w/Dizzy Gillespie (I) (1942)
153. Some Enchanted Evening - Jo Stafford (1949)
154. Don't Take Your Love From Me - Artie Shaw Band w/Lena Horne (v) (1941)
155. Heaven Can Wait - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Jack Leonard (v) (1939)
156. September Song - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1945)
157. The Maid With A Flaccid Air - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1945)
158. The Way You Look Tonight - Fred Astaire (1936)
159. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart - Duke Ellington Orchestra (1937)
160. My Blue Heaven - Artie Shaw & His Gramercy Five (1940)
161. I Cover The Waterfront - Louis Armstrong & Band (1933) / Billie Holiday (1941)
162. Dear Old Southland - Noble Sissle & His Orchestra w/Sidney Bechet (I) (1937)
163. Tippin' In - Erskine Hawkins (1945)
164. Hit The Road To Dreamland - Betty Hutton (1954)
165. Accentuate The Positive - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters (1944)
166. You'll Never Know - Dick Haymes (1943)
167. Sand In My Shoes - Connie Boswell (1937)
168. The Coffee Song - Frank Sinatra (1946)
169. Basin Street Blues - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Joe Harris (v) (1934)
170. Summertime - Sidney Bechet (I) (1937)
171. Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra (1933)
172. Flamingo - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Herb Jeffries (v) (1940)
173. Jeep's Blues - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Johnny Hodges (I) (1938)
174. Sophisticated Lady - Duke Ellington Orchestra (1950 version)
175. Caravan - Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra (1937, Columbia)
176. Harlem Congo - Chick Webb & His Orchestra (1937)
177. Let's Dance - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra (1939)
178. Serenade Of The Bells - Jo Stafford (1947)
179. All God's Chillin' Got Rhythm - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Ivie Anderson (v) (1937)
180. Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?) - Bing Crosby & Connie Boswell (1937)
181. What A Difference A Day Made - Kay Starr (v) w/Charlie Barnet Orchestra (1944)
182. Night and Day - Frank Sinatra (v) w/Axel Stohdahl Orchestra (1943)
183. I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Ivie Anderson (v) (1941)
184. It Don't Mean A Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing - Duke Ellington Band w/Ivie Anderson (v) (1932)
185. Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller Orchestra (1939)
186. The Very Thought of You - Ray Noble Orchestra w/Al Bowlly (v) (1934)
187. Honeysuckle Rose - Lena Horne w/Benny Carter Orchestra (1943)
188. If I Had You - Benny Goodman Sextet (1942)
189. Pennsylvania 6-5000 - Glenn Miller Orchestra (1940)
190. Leap Frog - Les Brown Orchestra (1946)
191. Laura - Freddy Martin & His Orchestra (I) (1945)
192. The World Is Waiting For A Sunrise - Mel Powell Sextet w/Benny Goodman (I) (1942)
193. Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree - Glenn Miller Orchestra w/The Modernaires /
The Andrews Sisters (1942) [competing versions]
194. I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen - Sammy Kaye Orchestra w/Don Cornell (v) (1943)
195. Well, Git It! - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (I) (1942)
196. East Of The Sun - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1940)
197. Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet - Ella Mae Morse (1943)
198. Diga Diga Doo - Artie Shaw & His Band (live broadcast-1939)
199. Elks Parade - Bobby Sherwood & His Orchestra (1942)
200. Daddy - Sammy Kaye Orchestra w/The Kay-Dettes (v) (1941)
201. Intermission Riff - Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1947)
202. Contrasts - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (1940)
203. Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Duke Ellington Orchestra (Bluebird/RCA, 1940)
204. Thanks For The Memories - Bob Hope & Shirley Ross (1938)
205. Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart - Judy Garland (1938)
206. Rock Me To Sleep - Les Brown Brown w/Lucy Ann Polk (v) (1950)
207. I Got Rhythm - Ethel Waters (1930)
208. Corner Pocket - Count Basie Orchestra (1955)
209. Get On Board, Little Children - Ella Mae Morse (1943)
210. Avalon - Benny Goodman Quartet (1937)
211. I Didn't Know What Time It Is - Artie Shaw, w/Helen Forrest (v) (1939)
212. Flat Foot Floogie - Slim and Slam (1938)
213. Play A Simple Melody - Bing Crosby w/Gary Crosby (1950)
214. I've Got The Sun In The Morning - Les Brown Band w/Doris Day (1946)
215. It Had To Be You - Betty Hutton (1944)
216. The Music Goes Round and Round - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Edythe Wright (v) (1935)
217. In The Still Of The Night - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Jack Leonard (v) (1937)
218. Adios, Maraquita Linda - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940)
219. Night Train - Buddy Morrow (1952)
220. Stardust - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Edythe Wright (v) (1937)
221. Across The Alley From The Alamo - The Mills Brothers (1946)
222. Sunday Kind Of Love - Fran Warren (v) w/The Claude Thornhill Orchestra (1947)
223. Little Joe From Chicago - Andy Kirk & His Twelve Clouds of Joy (I) (1938)
224. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Red Norvo Orchestra w/Mildred Bailey (v) (1937)
225. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, & Me) - The Ink Spots (1940)
226. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby? - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1944)
227. Snowfall - Claude Thornhill Orchestra (1941)
228. The Man I Love - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (I) (1945)
229. The Blues (Part 1 & Part 2) - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1936, Columbia)
230. Finesse (Night Wind) - Rex Stewart w/Django Reinhardt (1939)
231. Fascinating Rhythm - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Arthur Schutt, piano (I) (1943)
232. Jungle Drums - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (I) (1938)
233. Once In A While - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/The Sentimentalists (v) (1937)
234. 720 In The Books - Jan Savitt & His Top-Hatters (1939)
235. I Wish I Knew - Dick Haymes (v) (1945)
236. When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano - Glenn Miller Band w/Ray Eberle (v) (1940)
237. Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (1930)
238. I'm Free (What's New ?) - Bob Crosby Orchestra w/Billy Butterfield (v) (1938)
239. South Rampart Street Parade - Bob Crosby & His Orchestra (I) (1937)
240. St. James Infirmary - Artie Shaw Orchestra w/"Hot Lips" Paige (v) (1941)
241. Jingle Jangle Jingle - Kay Kyser & His College Of Musical Knowledge (1942)
242. Lover Come Back To Me - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1939)
243. Are You Hep To The Jive? - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra (1940)
244. You'll Never Walk Alone - Judy Garland (1945)
245. Cross Your Heart - Artie Shaw & His Gramercy Five (1940)
246. Smoke Rings - Glen Gray & His Casa Loma Orchestra (1937)
247. Darn That Dream - Mildred Bailey (v)/Benny Goodman Band (1939)
248. He's Funny That Way - Billie Holiday (1937)
249. In A Persian Market - Larry Clinton Orchestra (I) (1938)
250. Dancing In The Dark - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940)
251. This Year's Kisses - Billie Holiday (v) w/Lester Young (1937)
252. The Woodpecker Song - Glenn Miller Orchestra w/Marion Hutton & The Modernaires (v) (1940)
253. Sugar Blues - Clyde McCoy & His Orchestra (I) (1935)
254. I Hear A Rhapsody - Charlie Barnet Orchestra w/Bob Carroll (v) (1941)
255. Frim Fram Sauce - Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald (1946)
256. I Get Along Without You Very Well - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938)
257. 'S Wonderful - Benny Goodman Quartet (1938)
258. Summit Ridge Drive - Artie Shaw & His Gramercy Five (1940)
259. Amor - Andy Russell (1944)
260. Gotta Be This Or That - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1945)
261. I Love You - Jo Stafford (1944)
262. You Go To My Head - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938)
263. Blues In The Night - Jimmie Lunceford Band (1942)
264. Dinah - Pee Wee Russell & His Rhythm Makers (1939)
265. It All Comes Back To Me Now - Hal Kemp Orchestra w/Bob Allen (v) (1940)
266. The Nearness Of You - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Helen Southern (v) (1940)
267. G. I. Jive - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1944)
268. I'm Glad There Is You - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra w/Bob Eberly (v) (1941)
269. He Ain't Got Rhythm - Benny Goodman Band w/Jimmy Rushing (v) (1936)
270. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Johnny Mercer & Margaret Whiting (1949)
271. My Heart Stood Still - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1939)
272. Pennsylvania Polka - The Andrews Sisters (1942)
273. In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evenng - Bing Crosby & Jane Wyman (1951)
274. Drum Boogie - Gene Krupa Orchestra w/Irene Day (v) (1941)
275. Let The Good Times Roll - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1946)
276. Without A Song - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1941)
277. King Porter Stomp - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1935)
278. South Bayou Shuffle - Hal McIntyre & His Orchestra (1942)
279. Blue Skies - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1941)
280. Elmer's Tune - Glenn Miller Orchestra w/The Modernaires (v) (1939)
281. The Lamp Is Low - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Jack Leonard (v) (1939)
282. When The Saints Go Marching In - Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars (1938)
283. Our Love Is Here To Stay - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938)
284. I Double Dare You - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1937)
285. Bounce Me, Brother, With A Solid Four - Will Bradley Orchestra w/Ray McKinley (v) (1941)
286. It Could Happen To You - Jo Stafford (1944)
287. I Remember You - Harry James Orchestra w/Helen Forrest (v) (1942)
288. Back Bay Shuffle - Artie Shaw Orchestra (1938)
289. In The Blue Of Evening - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1942)
290. Jersey Bounce - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1942)
291. Willow Weep For Me - Stan Kenton Orchestra w/June Christy (v) (1946)
292. Perfidia - Xavier Cugat Orchestra (I) (1943)
293. Time Waits For No One - Helen Forrest (1944)
294. Pompton Turnpike - Charlie Barnet Orchestra (1940)
295. Big Noise From Winnetka - Members of The Bob Crosby Orchestra (I) (1938)
296. Just A Little Bit South Of North Carolina - Gene Krupa Band w/Anita O' Day (1941)
297. Heartaches - Ted Weems Orchestra w/Elmo Tanner (s-1933, r-1947)
298. Music Makers - Harry James & His Orchestra (1941)
299. Cocktails For Two - Spike Jones & His City Slickers (N) (1944)
300. The Dipsy Doodle - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (aircheck-1937)
Symbols: (v) and (I) stand for vocal (present in recording) and Instrumental (all instrumental) respectively. Noted vocalists or instrumental soloists mentioned made an out-sized contribution to the recording.
Criteria: This list is made up mostly of songs within the "Golden Age of Swing" (1935-1945), plus a few songs from some of the same artists in the same style recorded shortly after the "Golden Age". (See below the list for more details.)
1. Sing, Sing, Sing - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra (1937)
2. Take The A Train - Duke Ellington (1941)
3. In The Mood - Glenn Miller Band (1939)
4. Begin The Beguine - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1938)
5. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be) - Billie Holiday (1944)
6. White Christmas - Bing Crosby (1942)
7. Stardust - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940)
8. I'll Never Smile Again - Tommy Dorsey Orch. w/F. Sinatra & Pied Pipers (v) (1940)
9. Mack The Knife - Louis Armstrong (1955)
10. Chattanooga Choo-Choo - Glenn Miller Band, w/Tex Benecke & The Modernaires (v) (1941)
11. String of Pearls - Glenn Miller Band (1942)
12. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon - The Andrews Sisters (1937)
13. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - The Andrews Sisters (1941)
14. At The Woodchoppers Ball - Woody Herman Orchestra (1939, Decca)
15. Jumpin' At The Woodside - Count Basie Orchestra (1938)
16. T'Ain't Whatcha Do - Jimmie Lunceford Band (1939)
17. One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie Orchestra (1937)
18. Flying Home - Lionel Hampton Band (1942)
19. Blues In The Night - Woody Herman w/his Orchestra (v) (1941)
20. Tenderly - Randy Brooks & His Orchestra (1946)
21. Sentimental Journey - Les Brown Band w/Doris Day (v) (1945)
22. Sometimes I'm Happy - Lester Young (I) (1943)
23. Don't Be That Way - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1938)
24. Stardust - Charlie Spivak Orchestra (1943-aircheck)
25. The Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me - Sidney Bechet & His Hot Six (1951)
26. Satin Doll - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (1953)
27. Solitude - Billie Holiday (1940)
28. Why Don't You Do Right? - Benny Goodman Band w/Peggy Lee (v) (1942)
29. The Man I Love - Benny Goodman Quartet (I) (1937)
30. Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland (1939)
31. It's Only A Paper Moon - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1944)
32. Where Or When - Benny Goodman Trio (I) (1937)
33. Deep Purple - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain, (v) (1938)
34. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire - The Ink Spots (1941)
35. I Can't Get Started - Bunny Berigan (1937)
36. Nuages - Django Reinhardt (1940)
37. It Might As Well Be Spring - Dick Haymes (1945)
38. Hep Hep The Jumpin' Jive - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra (1939)
39. Rum and Coca-Cola - The Andrews Sisters (1945, Decca version)
40. Marie - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Jack Leonard, vocal (1937)
41. God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday (1941)
42. Stormy Monday Blues - Earl Hines Orchestra, w/Billy Eckstine, vocal (1942)
43. The Christmas Song - Nat "King" Cole (1946)
44. A Tisket, A Tasket - Ella Fitzgerald w/Chick Webb Band (1937)
45. Oh! Look At Me Now - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Frank Sinatra & The Pied Pipers (1941)
46. Summertime - Billie Holiday (v) (1936) / Artie Shaw & Orchestra (I) (1945)
47. Glow-Worm - The Mills Brothers (1952)
48. Frenesi - Artie Shaw & Orchestra, (1940)
49. Body & Soul - Coleman Hawkins (1939)
50. I'll Be Seeing You - Tommy Dorsey (Orchestra) w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1940-s, 1944-r)
51. If I Loved You - Perry Como (1945)
52. Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller (1936)
53. September Song - Sarah Vaughn (v) w/Teddy Wilson Quartet (1946)
54. The Trolley Song - Judy Garland (1944)
55. Tangerine - Jimmy Dorsey Band w/Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell (v) (1941)
56. Perfidia - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (1941)
57. Straighten Up & Fly Right - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1942)
58. Let's Get Away From It All - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Frank Sinatra, & The Pied Pipers (1941)
59. Stompin' At The Savoy - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1937)
60. And The Angels Sing - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Ziggy Elman (I) & Martha Tilton (v) (1939)
61. Taking A Chance On Love - Benny Goodman w/Helen Forrest (v) (1940-s, 1943-r)
62. Yes Indeed! - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Jo Stafford (v) (1941)
63. Nature Boy - Nat "King" Cole (1948)
64. Night And Day - Billie Holiday (1939)
65. Song of India - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (1937)
66. You Always Hurt The One You Love - The Mills Brothers (1944)
67. Moonglow - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940)
68. The Man I Love - Billie Holiday (live, 1946) / (studio, 1939)
69. On The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe - Johnny Mercer (1945) / Judy Garland (1945) [competing versions]
70. On The Sunny Side Of The Street - Tommy Dorsey Band w/The Clark Sisters (v) (1944)
71. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie - Fats Waller (1936)
72. Lady Day - Artie Shaw Orchestra w/Roy Eldridge (I) (1944)
73. Choo-Choo Ch'Boogie - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1946)
74. Celery Stalks At Midnight - Will Bradley Orchestra (1940)
75. Skyliner - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra (1944)
76. All The Things You Are - Artie Shaw w/Helen Forrest (v) (1939)
77. Long Ago And Far Away - Dick Haymes & Helen Forrest (1944)
78. One For My Baby and One More For The Road - Frank Sinatra (1947)
79. I've Heard That Song Before - Harry James Band w/Helen Forrest (v) (1942)
80. Cherokee - Charlie Barnet (1939)
81. Salt Peanuts - Dizzy Gillespie w/Charlie Parker (1945)
82. Perdido - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (1942)
83. With The Wind and The Rain In Your Hair - Bob Chester Band w/Delores O'Neill (v) (1940)
84. All Or Nothing At All - Harry James Band w/Frank Sinatra (1939)
85. Candy - Johnny Mercer & Jo Stafford (v) (1945)
86. The Gypsy - The Ink Spots (1946)
87. Artistry In Rhythm - Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1943)
88. Opus One - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (1944)
89. The House Of Blue Lights - Ella Mae Morse w/Freddy Slack Orchestra (1946)
90. Mr. Five By Five - Ella Mae Morse w/Freddy Slack Band (v) (1942)
91. As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson (1931, re-issued 1942)
92. Skylark - Harry James Band w/Helen Forrest (v) (1942) / Maxine Sullivan (v) (1943)
93. Personality - Johnny Mercer (1945)
94. Moonlight In Vermont - Billy Butterfield & His Orchestra w/Margaret Whiting (v) (1945)
95. Fools Rush In - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1940)
96. The Mole - Harry James Orchestra (1941)
97. Sweet Lorraine - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1941)
98. I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo - Glenn Miller Band, w/Tex Benecke & The Modernaires (1942)
99. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Les Brown Orchestra (1946-s, 1949-r)
100. Green Eyes - Jimmy Dorsey Band w/Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell (v) (1941)
101. This Nearly Was Mine - Tommy Dorsey w/Victor Young (I) (1950)
102. Tabu - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1945)
103. The Man With A Horn - Harry James & His Orchestra (I) (1946)
104. Do You Know What It Means To New Orleans? - Louis Armstrong & His Dixieland Seven (1946, Victor)
105. Early Autumn - Woody Herman Band w/Stan Getz (I) (1948)
106. With A Song In My Heart - Doris Day (v) w/Harry James (1950)
107. After Hours - Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra (1940)
108. The Song Is You - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v)
(Sinatra's farewell to Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, radio broadcast, 1942)
109. These Foolish Things - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Helen Ward (v) (1936)
110. Nice Work If You Can Get It - Fred Astaire (v) / Benny Goodman Trio (I) (live broadcast) (1937, both)
111. I'll Walk Alone - Dinah Shore (1943)
112. Tuxedo Junction - Erskine Hawkins (1939)
113. After You've Gone - Stuff Smith & His Onyx Club Boys (1936)
114. Stormy Weather - Ethel Waters (1933)
115. Tampico - Stan Kenton Orchestra w/June Christy (v) (1945)
116. Besame Mucho - Andy Russell (1944)
117. Going to Chicago - Count Basie Band w/Jimmy Rushing (v) (1941)
118. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues - Jack Teagarden (1939)
119. Sent For You Yesterday and Here You Come Today - Count Basie Band w/Jimmy Rushing (v) (1938)
120. Paper Doll - The Mills Brothers (1942)
121. The White Cliffs Of Dover - Vera Lynn (1942)
122. Night and Day - Fred Astaire (1933)
123. Get Your Kicks On Route 66 - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1942)
124. When It's Sleepytime Down South - Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (1931)
125. Swinging On A Star - Bing Crosby (1944)
126. If I Didn't Care - The Ink Spots (1939)
127. Not So Quiet, Please - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Buddy Rich (I) (1942)
128. Polka Dots & Moonbeams - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (1940)
129. Prisoner of Love - Perry Como (1945)
130. Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday (1939)
131. Cotton Tail - Duke Ellington Orchestra (1940)
132. Getting Some Fun Out Of Life - Billie Holiday (1937)
133. My Reverie - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938)
134. Love Walked In - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra w/Bob Eberly (v) (1938)
135. I'll Get By - Dick Haymes w/Harry James Orchestra (1941)
136. Jukebox Saturday Night - Glenn Miller Band w/Tex Benecke & The Modernaires (1942)
137. Cheek To Cheek - Fred Astaire (v) (1935) / Count Basie Orchestra (I) (1949)
138. They Can't Take That Away From Me - Fred Astaire (1937)
139. That's The Way It Is - Ella Fitzgerald & The Ink Spots (1945)
140. Rockin' In Rhythm - Duke Ellington/The Jungle Band (1931, Decca/Brunswick version)
141. Brazil - Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra (1942)
142. Exactly Like You - Benny Goodman Quartet w/Lionel Hampton (v) (1936)
143. Loch Lomond - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Martha Tilton (v) (1937)
144. Let Me Off Uptown - Gene Krupa Orchestra w/Roy Eldridge (I) & Anita O'Day (v) (1946)
145. Any Old Time - Billie Holiday (v) w/Artie Shaw Orchestra (1938)
146. For Me And My Gal - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland (1942)
147. I Love You For Sentimental Reasons - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1946)
148. Ramona - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1942)
149. Cow Cow Boogie - Ella Mae Morse (v) w/Freddy Slack Band (1942)
150. Under An Orange-Colored Sky - Nat "King" Cole Trio w/Stan Kenton Orchestra (1950)
151. Eager Beaver - Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1943)
152. Little John Special - Lucky Millinder Orchestra w/Dizzy Gillespie (I) (1942)
153. Some Enchanted Evening - Jo Stafford (1949)
154. Don't Take Your Love From Me - Artie Shaw Band w/Lena Horne (v) (1941)
155. Heaven Can Wait - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Jack Leonard (v) (1939)
156. September Song - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1945)
157. The Maid With A Flaccid Air - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1945)
158. The Way You Look Tonight - Fred Astaire (1936)
159. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart - Duke Ellington Orchestra (1937)
160. My Blue Heaven - Artie Shaw & His Gramercy Five (1940)
161. I Cover The Waterfront - Louis Armstrong & Band (1933) / Billie Holiday (1941)
162. Dear Old Southland - Noble Sissle & His Orchestra w/Sidney Bechet (I) (1937)
163. Tippin' In - Erskine Hawkins (1945)
164. Hit The Road To Dreamland - Betty Hutton (1954)
165. Accentuate The Positive - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters (1944)
166. You'll Never Know - Dick Haymes (1943)
167. Sand In My Shoes - Connie Boswell (1937)
168. The Coffee Song - Frank Sinatra (1946)
169. Basin Street Blues - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Joe Harris (v) (1934)
170. Summertime - Sidney Bechet (I) (1937)
171. Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra (1933)
172. Flamingo - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Herb Jeffries (v) (1940)
173. Jeep's Blues - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Johnny Hodges (I) (1938)
174. Sophisticated Lady - Duke Ellington Orchestra (1950 version)
175. Caravan - Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra (1937, Columbia)
176. Harlem Congo - Chick Webb & His Orchestra (1937)
177. Let's Dance - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra (1939)
178. Serenade Of The Bells - Jo Stafford (1947)
179. All God's Chillin' Got Rhythm - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Ivie Anderson (v) (1937)
180. Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?) - Bing Crosby & Connie Boswell (1937)
181. What A Difference A Day Made - Kay Starr (v) w/Charlie Barnet Orchestra (1944)
182. Night and Day - Frank Sinatra (v) w/Axel Stohdahl Orchestra (1943)
183. I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Ivie Anderson (v) (1941)
184. It Don't Mean A Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing - Duke Ellington Band w/Ivie Anderson (v) (1932)
185. Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller Orchestra (1939)
186. The Very Thought of You - Ray Noble Orchestra w/Al Bowlly (v) (1934)
187. Honeysuckle Rose - Lena Horne w/Benny Carter Orchestra (1943)
188. If I Had You - Benny Goodman Sextet (1942)
189. Pennsylvania 6-5000 - Glenn Miller Orchestra (1940)
190. Leap Frog - Les Brown Orchestra (1946)
191. Laura - Freddy Martin & His Orchestra (I) (1945)
192. The World Is Waiting For A Sunrise - Mel Powell Sextet w/Benny Goodman (I) (1942)
193. Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree - Glenn Miller Orchestra w/The Modernaires /
The Andrews Sisters (1942) [competing versions]
194. I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen - Sammy Kaye Orchestra w/Don Cornell (v) (1943)
195. Well, Git It! - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (I) (1942)
196. East Of The Sun - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1940)
197. Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet - Ella Mae Morse (1943)
198. Diga Diga Doo - Artie Shaw & His Band (live broadcast-1939)
199. Elks Parade - Bobby Sherwood & His Orchestra (1942)
200. Daddy - Sammy Kaye Orchestra w/The Kay-Dettes (v) (1941)
201. Intermission Riff - Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1947)
202. Contrasts - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (1940)
203. Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Duke Ellington Orchestra (Bluebird/RCA, 1940)
204. Thanks For The Memories - Bob Hope & Shirley Ross (1938)
205. Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart - Judy Garland (1938)
206. Rock Me To Sleep - Les Brown Brown w/Lucy Ann Polk (v) (1950)
207. I Got Rhythm - Ethel Waters (1930)
208. Corner Pocket - Count Basie Orchestra (1955)
209. Get On Board, Little Children - Ella Mae Morse (1943)
210. Avalon - Benny Goodman Quartet (1937)
211. I Didn't Know What Time It Is - Artie Shaw, w/Helen Forrest (v) (1939)
212. Flat Foot Floogie - Slim and Slam (1938)
213. Play A Simple Melody - Bing Crosby w/Gary Crosby (1950)
214. I've Got The Sun In The Morning - Les Brown Band w/Doris Day (1946)
215. It Had To Be You - Betty Hutton (1944)
216. The Music Goes Round and Round - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Edythe Wright (v) (1935)
217. In The Still Of The Night - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Jack Leonard (v) (1937)
218. Adios, Maraquita Linda - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940)
219. Night Train - Buddy Morrow (1952)
220. Stardust - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Edythe Wright (v) (1937)
221. Across The Alley From The Alamo - The Mills Brothers (1946)
222. Sunday Kind Of Love - Fran Warren (v) w/The Claude Thornhill Orchestra (1947)
223. Little Joe From Chicago - Andy Kirk & His Twelve Clouds of Joy (I) (1938)
224. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Red Norvo Orchestra w/Mildred Bailey (v) (1937)
225. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, & Me) - The Ink Spots (1940)
226. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby? - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1944)
227. Snowfall - Claude Thornhill Orchestra (1941)
228. The Man I Love - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (I) (1945)
229. The Blues (Part 1 & Part 2) - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1936, Columbia)
230. Finesse (Night Wind) - Rex Stewart w/Django Reinhardt (1939)
231. Fascinating Rhythm - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Arthur Schutt, piano (I) (1943)
232. Jungle Drums - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (I) (1938)
233. Once In A While - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/The Sentimentalists (v) (1937)
234. 720 In The Books - Jan Savitt & His Top-Hatters (1939)
235. I Wish I Knew - Dick Haymes (v) (1945)
236. When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano - Glenn Miller Band w/Ray Eberle (v) (1940)
237. Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (1930)
238. I'm Free (What's New ?) - Bob Crosby Orchestra w/Billy Butterfield (v) (1938)
239. South Rampart Street Parade - Bob Crosby & His Orchestra (I) (1937)
240. St. James Infirmary - Artie Shaw Orchestra w/"Hot Lips" Paige (v) (1941)
241. Jingle Jangle Jingle - Kay Kyser & His College Of Musical Knowledge (1942)
242. Lover Come Back To Me - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1939)
243. Are You Hep To The Jive? - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra (1940)
244. You'll Never Walk Alone - Judy Garland (1945)
245. Cross Your Heart - Artie Shaw & His Gramercy Five (1940)
246. Smoke Rings - Glen Gray & His Casa Loma Orchestra (1937)
247. Darn That Dream - Mildred Bailey (v)/Benny Goodman Band (1939)
248. He's Funny That Way - Billie Holiday (1937)
249. In A Persian Market - Larry Clinton Orchestra (I) (1938)
250. Dancing In The Dark - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940)
251. This Year's Kisses - Billie Holiday (v) w/Lester Young (1937)
252. The Woodpecker Song - Glenn Miller Orchestra w/Marion Hutton & The Modernaires (v) (1940)
253. Sugar Blues - Clyde McCoy & His Orchestra (I) (1935)
254. I Hear A Rhapsody - Charlie Barnet Orchestra w/Bob Carroll (v) (1941)
255. Frim Fram Sauce - Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald (1946)
256. I Get Along Without You Very Well - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938)
257. 'S Wonderful - Benny Goodman Quartet (1938)
258. Summit Ridge Drive - Artie Shaw & His Gramercy Five (1940)
259. Amor - Andy Russell (1944)
260. Gotta Be This Or That - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1945)
261. I Love You - Jo Stafford (1944)
262. You Go To My Head - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938)
263. Blues In The Night - Jimmie Lunceford Band (1942)
264. Dinah - Pee Wee Russell & His Rhythm Makers (1939)
265. It All Comes Back To Me Now - Hal Kemp Orchestra w/Bob Allen (v) (1940)
266. The Nearness Of You - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Helen Southern (v) (1940)
267. G. I. Jive - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1944)
268. I'm Glad There Is You - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra w/Bob Eberly (v) (1941)
269. He Ain't Got Rhythm - Benny Goodman Band w/Jimmy Rushing (v) (1936)
270. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Johnny Mercer & Margaret Whiting (1949)
271. My Heart Stood Still - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1939)
272. Pennsylvania Polka - The Andrews Sisters (1942)
273. In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evenng - Bing Crosby & Jane Wyman (1951)
274. Drum Boogie - Gene Krupa Orchestra w/Irene Day (v) (1941)
275. Let The Good Times Roll - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1946)
276. Without A Song - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1941)
277. King Porter Stomp - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1935)
278. South Bayou Shuffle - Hal McIntyre & His Orchestra (1942)
279. Blue Skies - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1941)
280. Elmer's Tune - Glenn Miller Orchestra w/The Modernaires (v) (1939)
281. The Lamp Is Low - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Jack Leonard (v) (1939)
282. When The Saints Go Marching In - Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars (1938)
283. Our Love Is Here To Stay - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938)
284. I Double Dare You - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1937)
285. Bounce Me, Brother, With A Solid Four - Will Bradley Orchestra w/Ray McKinley (v) (1941)
286. It Could Happen To You - Jo Stafford (1944)
287. I Remember You - Harry James Orchestra w/Helen Forrest (v) (1942)
288. Back Bay Shuffle - Artie Shaw Orchestra (1938)
289. In The Blue Of Evening - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1942)
290. Jersey Bounce - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1942)
291. Willow Weep For Me - Stan Kenton Orchestra w/June Christy (v) (1946)
292. Perfidia - Xavier Cugat Orchestra (I) (1943)
293. Time Waits For No One - Helen Forrest (1944)
294. Pompton Turnpike - Charlie Barnet Orchestra (1940)
295. Big Noise From Winnetka - Members of The Bob Crosby Orchestra (I) (1938)
296. Just A Little Bit South Of North Carolina - Gene Krupa Band w/Anita O' Day (1941)
297. Heartaches - Ted Weems Orchestra w/Elmo Tanner (s-1933, r-1947)
298. Music Makers - Harry James & His Orchestra (1941)
299. Cocktails For Two - Spike Jones & His City Slickers (N) (1944)
300. The Dipsy Doodle - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (aircheck-1937)
