Jazz Focus

Show - New Orleans, 1927 Field Recordings

New Orleans - 1927 . . some of the "road trip" sessions made by Victor and Columbia to record local bands, in this case in the spring of 1927 with Louis Dumaine, Wingy Manone, Papa Celestin, Sam Morgan and others - great NO dance music and jazz

Show - Reuben "River" Reeves . .Chicago in the 1920's

Reuben "River" Reeves . . groomed to be a competitor to Louis Armstrong, Reeves never achieved the notoriety or public exposure he might have. Nevertheless, his recordings in the 1920's with his River Boys (including Omer Simeon, William Barbee and others) were excellent jazz features, while his solos with the Cab Calloway and Fess Williams bands show him to have been an underrated trumpet player of the time.

Show - Benny Goodman on the Side . . sideman recordings 1929-31

Benny Goodman on the side . . 1929-31 sideman recordings before he became the King Of Swing . .with Jack Pettis and His Pets, Rube Bloom and His Bayou Boys, The Charleston Chasers and the Venuti-Lang All Star Orchestra (with Jack Teagarden, Charlie Teagarden, Mannie Klein, Tommy Dorsey, Bill Moore, Dick McDonough, Adrian Rollini, Frank Signorelli and Eva Taylor)

New Orleans Rhythm Kings/Halfway House Orchestra - 1923-25

This is the second of two shows covering the recorded history of the band known variously as the Friars' Society Orchestra and New Orleans Rhythm Kings.  This program features the last two sessions for Gennett (including a saxophone section and a guest appearance by Jelly Roll Morton) as well as two reunion dates in New Orleans and the first two tunes recorded by the Halfway House Orchestra, which was made up primarily of NORK alumni.  Paul Mares, George Brunies, Santo Pecora, Charlie Cordilla, Jack Pettis, Chink Martin, Ben Pollack, Leon Adde and others are featured, but the real star is clarinetist Leon Roppolo, who is present on all but two tracks.

Buck Clayton - Columbia and Vanguard recordings 1955, 56

Buck Clayton led famous jam sessions on record in the late 1950's and 1960's, but these sessions were highly organized, musical presentations of what was then known as "mainstream" jazz . .featuring Dickie Wells, Vic Dickenson, Emmett Berry, Earl Warren, Buddy Tate, Al Williams, Hank Jones, Jo Jones, Kenny Burrell and others.

Show - The Three T's (Jack Teagarden, Charlie Teagarden, Frank Trumbauer)

TNT -Jack and Charlie Teagarden and Frank Trumbauer recording with members of the Whiteman band in the iddle 1930's.  Cameos by Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Johnny Mince and Casper Reardon (on harp!)v

Show - Jimmy Rushing in the 1950's - Columbia

Jimmy Rushing in the 1950's. . .these recordings were taken from several albums Mr Five by Five recorded for Columbia in the late 1950's - many have a big band led by Buck Clayton with arrangements by Clayton, Nat Pierce and Jimmy Mundy. Great solos by Coleman Hawkins, Buddy Tate, Clayton, Vic Dickenson, Benny Morton, Dickie Wells, Hilton Jefferson, Claude Hopkins , Ben Webster, Helen Humes, Buster Bailey and Urbie Green.

Wingy Manone in the 1920's

New Orleans trumpet player Manone was well-travelled in the 1920's . . here he is featured with his own groups in New Orleans (with Hal Jordy, Arnold Loyocano and Johnny Miller) and Chicago (with Frank Teschemacher, Wade Foster, Bud Freeman and George Wettling). Also with Barbecue Joe and His Hot Dogs (an almost unknown band with Miff Frink - a very hot trombone player) and Bennie Goodman and His Boys (with Freeman, Joe Sullivan and of course Benny Goodman)

Wild Bill Davison on Commodore 1943-47

Classic Condon-styled dixieland led by cornetist Wild Bill Davison and featuring George Brunies, George Lugg, Lou McGarity, Joe Marsala, Ed Hall, Albert Nicholas, Bill Miles, Gene Schroeder, Joe Sullivan, Dick Cary, Eddie Condon, Jack Lesberg, Bob Casey, George Wettling and Dave Tough. All recorded for Commodore, 1943-47.

Ziggy Elman - Zaggin' With Zig

Zaggin' With Zig - The Ziggy Elman Orchestra Bluebird sides from 1938-39 featuring mostly members of the Benny Goodman Orchestra (Hymie Schertzer, Dave Matthews, Toots Mondello, Noni Bernardi, Jerry Jerome, Babe Russin, Art Rollini, Jess Stacy, Milt Raskin, Johnny Guarnieri, Ben Heller, Al Kendis, Nick Fatool, Artie Bernstein) doing some excellent Jazz as well as pop standards.  Two bonus cuts by Toots Mondello and His Orchestra leading virtually the same band (with Claude Thornhill) for Varsity.  Sorry in advance for some technical glitches on this one - the narration part was slightly compromised by a microphone issue, but the music is fine!