Jazz Focus

The Creole culture in New Orleans produced many musicians in the early 1900's who became prominent in jazz as band leaders, soloists and teachers. Violinist Piron led a legendary dance band (his New Orleans Orchestra, with Peter Bocage and Steve Lewis) that made two trips to New York in 1923 and 1924 to play and record. These recordings feature the also legendary clarinetist Tio who is better known for having been the teacher of virtually all the great Creole and black clarinet players in the New Orleans tradition in the early 1900's. In addition are some possible Tio items with Clarence...

Sullivan was not well known, except for her classic recording of "Loch Lomond" which stamped her as a semi-classical/folk singer in a jazz style. That wasn't a fair assessment at all, as can be heard from these swinging sides from 1936-40, accompanied by Charlie Shavers, Bobby Hackett, Lloyd ReeseMannie Klein, Frankie Newton, Buster Bailey, Jimmy Lytell, Babe Russin, Toots Mondello, Claude Thornhill, John Kirby, O'Neil Spencer, Buddy Rich and many others.

Harry Hayes had a long career before beginning to record under his own name in 1944. Tours with Fred Elizalde, Louis Armstrong, Nat Gonella and Geraldo gave him a wide musical perspective and these 1944-47 recordings by Harry Hayes and His Band show a player comfortable playing ballads, up tempos swing, lead parts and even some early bop on alto sax. Accompanied by the cream of the British jazz establishment - Kenny Baker, George Chisholm, George Shearing, Tommy Whittle, Aubrey Franks and others - Hayes carved out an enviable reputation for musical quality!

Some of the first records under Turk Murphy's name done for Good Time Jazz in 1950 and 51 . . featuring at various times Bob Scobey, Don Kinch, Bill Napier, Bob Helm. Skippy Anderson, Wally Rose, Burt Bales, Pat Patton, George Bruns, Squire Girshback and others, these were highly influential recordings in the San Francisco traditional jazz style.

The peripatetic Mr. Wooding led bands in New York in the early 1920's, but left in 1925 to begin a world tour touching Berlin, Paris, Moscow, Scandinavia and even Argentina for the next ten years. His group (which initially accompanied the show Chocolate Dandies) was highly influential on the European jazz scene, bringing authentic African-American hot dance band rhythms and solos to a new audience. These recordings feature Bobby Martin, Doc Cheatham and Harry Cooper on trumpets, Al Wynn and Billy Burns on trombones, Willie Lewis, Jerry Blake, Ralph Jones and Gene Sedric on reeds, Freddy Johnson on piano, John...

The pianist extraordinaire in solo and with his Rhythm recording extended and uninhibited tracks for Associated Transcriptions in 1939 . . Waller singing and playing along with John "Bugs" Hamilton on trumpet, Gene "Honeybear" Sedric on clarinet and tenor sax, John Smith on guitar, Cedric Wallace on bass and Slick Jones on drums.

The virtually forgotten Ernie Henry was considered to be possibly the most accomplished alto sax player in Bebop after Charlie Parker. His career was cut short by addiction and ill health, but he made numerous recordings, including these with James Moody (including Art Blakey, Cecil Payne, Dave Burns and James Forman) and Tadd Dameron (with Fats Navarro and Charlie Rouse) for Blue Note and Savoy.

The Dukes had a bad rap among jazz fans by 1961 . . their previous records had been stereotypical "dixieland" novelties with occasional good playing. These 1961/2 sessions feature the Assuntos (Frank, Fred and Jac) along with Jerry Fuller, Gene Schroeder, Jim Atlas, Charlie Lodice and either Jim Hall or Herb Ellis on guitar. Great mainstream dixieland with a vocal feature for Frank Assunto and a broad repertoire spanning dixieland, marches, contemporary Broadway tunes and a folk number or two.

Largely forgotten white New Orleans clarinet player Parenti had a long and busy career initially in his hometown, but then in New York and Miami. He was a solid, dependable player whose jazz abilities were overlooked sometimes, but here are on full displace in trios (with Dick Wellstood and Sam Ulano) and quartets (with Hank Duncan, George Wettling, Milt Hinton, Armand Hug, Abbie Brunies and Chink Martin).

Great sessions done in the fall of 1949 and January, 1951 when James Moody was touring Europe. He is featured heavily on both tenor and alto saxes, with help from a variety of unsung Swedish jazz players of the day including Lars Gullin, Arne Domnerus, Gosta Theselius and Leppe Sundvall.