Jazz Focus

Show - Fletcher Henderson 1933

Great 1933 sessions by the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra featuring Red Allen, Bobby Stark, Dicky Wells, Hilton Jefferson, Russell Procope, Coleman Hawkins, John Kirby, Horace Henderson and Walter Johnson. Great arrangements by both Hendersons and Will Hudson and some of Hawkins' first ballad performances.

Show - Frankie Newton and Pete Brown

WETF show - Frankie Newton and Pete Brown - a great tandem of trumpet and alto sax who appeared together on numerous sessions in the 1930's . . Newton's Uptown Serenaders, Midge Williams, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Buster Bailey, Jimmy Noone and Jimmie Gordon.  In addition to Newton, Brown, Noone, Bailey and Smith, hear Sammy Price, Edmund Hall, Cecil Scott, Don Frye, O'Neil Spencer and Teddy Bunn . ..some of my favorite small group sides of the Swing Era.

Show - Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt

Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt with the seven and eight piece bands they led c. 1950 - bop, rhythm and blues and pop songs featuring Junior Mance, Benny Green and Art Blakey among others.

Show - Herman Chittison . . Harlem stride and more

Herman Chittison . .the great African American pianist who recorded solos and accompaniments in France as well as piano trios (a la Art Tatum) in the US . . also some vocal accompaniments for Ethel Waters and Thelma Carpenter.

Show - Count Basie's "Other" tenor sax Herschel Evans

Herschel Evans . .Basie's "other" tenor sax player doing sideman sessions with Harry James, Lionel Hampton and Mildred Bailey.  Hear Chris Griffin, Vernon Brown, Benny Carter, Dave Matthews, Charlie Shavers, Teddy Wilson and Jess Stacy among others!  Studio recordings and a jam session from the Bill Savory collection.

Jelly Roll Morton - duos and trios

The great pianist and composer Morton is here featured in some especially small groups - duos with cornetist King Oliver, clarinetist Volly De Faut and alto saxophonist Teddy Smith and trios with the Dodds brothers, Omer Simeon, Barney Bigard, Tommy Benford and Zutty Singleton.

Bunny Berigan - 1938 Radio Transcriptions

The Berigan band featured many young jazz players including Georgie Auld on tenor, Joe Dixon on clarinet, Joe Bushkin on piano and Ray Conniff on trombone, but the star was the leader and his matchless trumpet improvisations.  These Thesaurus transcriptions capture the spirit of the group on live dates although they were done in the studio with a very high quality audio . .many tunes are better versions of the ones they did for Victor, but several were never recorded elsewhere!

Show- Red Nichols and Adrian Rollini

Red Nichols' Five Pennies and Louisiana Rhythm Kings in 1930 . .for Brunswick and Brunswick "Heat" transcription recordings . . featuring Rollini on bass sax and goofus, Benny Goodman and Jimmy Dorsey on clarinet, Bud Freeman and Babe Russin on tenor sax, Jack Russin and Joe Sullivan on piano, Gene Krupa on drums and Glenn Miller on trombone . . unusually hot records for the time period!

Show - Hoagy Carmichael - first recordings!

Hoagy's first records with territory bands and also as a member of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.  Songs like "March of The Hoodlums" should really be revived!  Hoagy sings, arranges, composes and plays piano (and cornet) on these records.

Show - J.J. Johnson . . first bebop trombonist

J.J. Johnson  first sessions as leader for Savoy and Prestige 1946-1949. Great early Bebop with Sonny Rollins, Kenny Dorham, Bud Powell, Leo Parker, Cecil Payne, John Lewis and others!