Louis Jordan And His Tympany Band Swing Era: Films And Soundies (2003)

Louis Jordan was at the height of his fame during the period covered by this Classics CD. His last session from 1947 is here along with the music recorded during his first five recording dates of 1949. Among the hits are "Safe, Sane and Single," "Beans and Corn Bread," "School Days," and the two-part "Saturday Night Fish Fry." Jordan's Tympany Five had grown to seven pieces by late 1947 and expanded to nine in 1949; among his sidemen were trumpeter Aaron Izenhall, Eddie Johnson, or Josh Jackson on tenor and pianist (and future organist) Bill Doggett. In addition to such favorites as "Don't Burn the Candle at Both Ends," the catchy "Cole Slaw," and "Hungry Man," there are two songs ("Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Don't Cry, Cry Baby") in which Jordan shares the vocals with Ella Fitzgerald. Highly enjoyable music.

Terry Gibbs and His Big Band - Swing Is Here! (1960) {Verve Originals rel 2009}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 248 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 83 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 114 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1960, 2009 Verve / Universal | Verve Originals Series | 0602517967137
Jazz / Bop / Big Band / Vibes

The title Swing Is Here would have been more appropriate for the 1930s instead of 1960 when this album was originally issued, and the big-band era had long since waned. Yet vibraphonist Terry Gibbs kept the home fires burning out in California with this exceptional orchestra of cool jazz giants playing a stack of standards and modern compositions by Bill Holman or Gibbs, and one look back with an Artie Shaw number. What is most interesting about these arrangements is that they are always different in emphasizing the fleet, dampened sound of Gibbs in contrast, apart from, or in tandem with the woodwinds and brass instruments.

A mere fifteen years after the end of WWI, the World witnessed the rise to power of Adolf Hitler, when he became Chancellor of Germany in 1933. The Second World War is widely accepted to have begun in 1939, when British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declared that Britain was at war with Germany. Within hours, Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies made the announcement that this country was also at war. As before, music played a great part in the upkeep of morale, for both the public at home and the brave soldiers, sailors and airmen involved in the conflict.

A chronological history of jazz vocal presented by André Francis and Jean Schwarz. 10 CDs with more than 12 hours of music.
The resulting 2 boxed sets of 10 CDs in each, unlike any other available today, groups together the main vocalists in the story of jazz from the first half of the 20th century. Each of these 20 CDs offers in more or less the same proportion, the purest of African-American song with gospel and blues singers, from truculent Ma Rainey to majestic Bessie Smith, sophisticated Sarah Vaughan to popular Louis Prima, the folk-related tones of Charlie Patton to the honeyed voice of Frank Sinatra.

During 1940-1941, Louis Prima led a medium-size (ten-piece) combo, which by 1944 had expanded to a full big band. Although a popular figure during this era, Prima was not quite a star and his big band never really caught on. The 23 numbers on this good-natured CD include a couple instrumentals ("To You, Sweetheart, Aloha" and the swinging "Look Out"), novelties, vocal numbers for Lily Ann Carroll, and the debut versions of "Robin Hood," "Angelina," and "Oh Marie" (which hints at Prima's 1950s rendition). The leader is the main star throughout the historic release.

This five-disc, 116-track box set presents a sweeping history of the blues from its emergence in the early 1900s clear through to its various contemporary guises, and includes samples of country blues in all of its regional variations, as well as cuts from string bands, jug bands, jazz combos, gritty Chicago blues outfits, and a look at how rock artists like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix incorporated the blues into their distinctive styles. Intelligently gathered and arranged, it treats the blues both from a historical perspective and from a working assumption that the form is still alive and well, continually morphing and transforming itself. There simply isn't a better or deeper survey of the blues on the market.

Stan Kenton and His Orchestras - The Kenton Era (1940-1953) {2CD Sounds of Yester Year DSOD723 rel 2007}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 508 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 370 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 31 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1940-1953, 2007 Sounds of Yester Year | DSOD723
Jazz / Big Band / Progressive Jazz

This four-LP set contains a great deal of extraordinary music from Stan Kenton, most of it recorded live in concert or taken from radio transcriptions. Kenton is heard reminiscing about his first 15 years in the business, there are some selections taken from his famous 1941 stint at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, CA, numbers from rehearsals in 1944, radio airchecks dating from 1944-48, some startling performances by Kenton's Innovations orchestra of 1950-51 and a few swinging numbers from his 1952-53 big band. Virtually all of the music is rare, making this an essential acquisition for collectors.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Louis Prima came up in his hometown gigging steadily in the clubs and doing his best to emulate Afro-American musicians. His number one role model was Louis Armstrong. After playing Cleveland with Red Nichols in 1932, Prima began recording in 1934 and thoroughly established himself on 52nd Street in New York City the following year. Prima was good looking and sang in a pleasantly hoarse voice. His humor was often heavy-handed, and his bands pushed hard to generate excitement among live audiences and the record-buying public. Prima's 1934 bands had strong players in George Brunies, Claude Thornhill, and Eddie Miller. "Jamaica Shout" is a rare example of instrumental Louis Prima: hot jazz with nobody yelling…

Here's Louis from his first flush of success at the Famous Door in New York City. Backed by his New Orleans gang, Prima's distinctive style was already emerging on material like "How'm I Doin'," "Plain Old Me," "Sweet Sue," "Lazy River," "Dinah," and the original version of "Sing Sing Sing." Although the backing is strictly New Orleans (and thus a long way stylistically from his later Capitol sides with Sam Butera & the Witnesses), most of the tunes boast the highly inventive clarinet work of Pee Wee Russell, and Prima's horn is well to the fore on these sides. One for hardcore Prima fans.