Jazz Focus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Live recordings from the Bing Crosby radio show on CBS between 1949 and 51 - mostly Louis' pop records of the time with a few surprises thrown in!

Classic blues recordings featuring the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith accompanied by a very young Louis Armstrong.