Album Description

Subtitled - The History Of The Honkin' & Screamin'Saxophone. Not for the faint hearted, this compilation of106 tracks bursts at the seams with the sound of 50 hardblowing saxophonists who, between 1942-1952, formed thenucleus of what became known as the Honkers & Screamers.Artists include Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, Wild BillMoore, Paul Williams, Hal Singer, & many more. Includes68-page illustrated booklet with biographies of the players & full discography details. Four standard jewel cases housed in a slipbox. Proper. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The original stuff!
If you're into the "new" swing explosion (and I do like the new Setzer; also check out HiBall Lounge Sessions and the new Love Dogs), you'll love this. No slow dances; it rocks! And it's the real stuff, the stuff that started it all. Boogie to this, babies, and check out where swing was born! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A Memorable Collection, But Not Really For the Casual Fan
Strictly speaking, "swing" designates a style of performance in which the emphasis falls on the offbeat. Even so the term "big band swing" is a flexible one, and if your ideas about it center on the style of The Glenn Miller Orchestra you will likely be disappointed with this double disk collection, which ranges in tone from the strict tempos of the Deco era to the bop-inflected sounds popular in post-World War II America.

In the big band era, most popular ballrooms and dance clubs had a "house orchestra," and each strove to create a specific style that would set them apart in the highly competitive world of big band music--and overall this collection does a superior job of capturing both the broad differences and subtle nuances that made each band distinctly different from the rest, as well as giving the listener an overview of the form as it changed over time. Consequently, the selections here are not often the most popular, but rather most indicative.

The emphasis here is really more upon lesser known bands and then-popular but now forgotten releases, including such one-hit wonders as Casa Loma Orchestra, a house band that reached a brief popularity with the "Casa Loma Stomp." Even so, there are famous names aplenty, such as Duke Ellington, The Dorsey Brothers, Count Basie, Chick Webb, Louis Armstrong, Woody Herman, Bennie Goodman, Artie Shaw--and yes, even the inescapable and to my mind slightly overrated Glenn Miller, to name but the most obvious.

Hardcore fans are likely to regret the absence of certain artists and certain tunes--my own complaint is that Cab Calloway is absent from the collection, and it is unfortunate that Artie Shaw is represented by "The Continental" instead of "Begin the Beguine." It is also true that the sound quality, particularly re recordings from the early 1930s, is sometimes problematic; this, however, is inevitable, for early recording techniques were a far cry from current standards. Even so, you'd have to go some to find a collection that so effectively captures the wide array of styles seen in big band music over the course of 25 years of popularity.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Swing, swing, swing
This is a nice anthologie which is not typical for it features lsser known bands and lesser known songs. It has Don Redman's classic Chant Of The Weed, a RARE Spud Murphey & His Orchestra track! This cd is pure swing at it's best. My wife & I are swing dancers and there is palnty here for lindy hopping, shag, balboa, and jitterbug. Fun msuic for dancing or listening. A great place to start and the 1st disc gives you a nice sampling of where swings roots come from...

Well, almost all of us agree
This is a glorious collection. The cover art is indeed repugnant. And some of the recordings are a little hissy. But the performers sound pretty mean to me.

A good anthology covers the big numbers (though maybe not the biggest) and also uncovers mistakenly overlooked items. This does a good job on that, for the relative novice. And it also moderates between up-tempo and more relaxed performances, so it's not just constant swing. Another tip o' the hat--well-chosen selections. I had never heard of Lucky Millinder when I bought this, nor The Mills Blue Rhythm Band, nor the Casa Loma Orchestra. Those cuts alone made it worth the price--this stuff swings! And I found some new bands to investigate as well....never enough CDs on the shelf!

I found this collection almost perfect. How can anyone say Saratoga Drag doesn't swing....my shoulders gyrate and hips swivel. And I'm an old, non-dancing, rhythm-free guy. Thanks Decca!

It's got it all !!
This CD has the most wonderful classic swing tunes I have heard. As a matter of fact, it has tunes that you don't find anywhere else. I keep looking around to find out what the most popular CD's are, and this one is never on the list. Either the majority of people haven't heard this collection, or the swing world needs to be advised. Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen have done a wonderful job of producing this collection. Personally, I think this CD will provide a full set of danceable tunes. If you haven't heard it, you gotta' listen to it. Currently, I have about 25 swing CD's in my collection. I still keep playing this one again and again. It's one of the Best!!!

Swing? Where?
Well, I hate to spoil the party, but I found this CD disapointing at best.

The bands are certainly Big, but they sure aren't swinging. I love swing--but it ain't here.

The sound is flat, flat, flat, as if the bands played at one end of a huge warehouse and the microphone was set up at the opposite end. Most of the performances are a few beats too slow, and the soloists sound uniformly tired.

On the other hand, the cover art is repugnant. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A rarity...
This one is a rarity in today's music world... a blues album that is diverse, creative, completely true to the music & is loaded with smokin' guitar work that somehow escapes the cliches. If you want the next Stevie Ray you are in the wrong place, but this one has feel to spare, even when reworking classic blues tunes. I sure dig it...

A New Voice for Old Music
I hadn't listened to James Blood Ulmer's music in a while, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I was used to his freer, jazzier recordings such as Tales of Captain Black and No Wave. I was very pleasantly surprised by No Escape. This is Chicago blues at its finest, without the requisite B.B. King-style solos. Instead, Ulmer and his band bring their own voices to the music, without fundamentally changing the structure of the blues style. It shows that a creative artist can continue to be creative even with an old format.

Cosmic Roadhouse Blues
This is far and away James Blood Ulmer's best blues record to date, and it only further solidifies his 21st century re-invention as one of the blues most authentic voices. He's joined by a stellar cast of New York City players, including Vernon Reid, Charlie Burnham, David Barnes and Olu Dara. The first thing that comes to my mind is that this is what the band would sound like at a cosmic roadhouse (and you know there is such a thing). Saddled-up and belly to the bar on a Friday night would be Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, Jerry Garcia, Sun Ra, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Robert Johnson, Ernest Hemmingway, Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, Rosetta Tharpe...and they'd all be hollerin', shouting out amens, tipping big and diggin' Ulmer's blues. Check out Jimmy Reed's "Goin' To New York," interpreted in 2003 jug band style or how about "Bright Lights, Big City," as a 'round midnight blues complete with a tap dancer and Olu Dara blowing that slow drawl Mississippi trumpet. You can envision the smoke hanging heavy in the air. Ulmer's own tunes "Are You Glad To Be In America" and "Satisfy" are brilliant, performed completely solo. Put these next to any other classic acoustic blues and tell me his approach isn't as authentic in its singular identity. What I'm trying to say is that he doesn't sound like Leadbelly, Son House or Lightnin' Hopkins, but he sounds like James Blood Ulmer. His sound is as pure and completely unique as any of the masters. It wasn't influenced by any of the aformentioned because Blood is one of those aformentioned. From the same land, the same headspace, the same values, the same struggle, but on his own individual journey and path. Other tunes like "Come On," "You Know, I Know" and "The Hustle Is On," swing in a loose, heady rockin' style that will get the room jumping. The two highlights that make this disc an absolutely essential recording for 2003 are "Ghetto Child" and "Trouble In Mind." Any description would fall short from doing them justice. All I'll say is buy the disc and dig for yourself. That there is the real deal. As deep, as soulful and as blue as the blues get! No Escape From the Blues for sure...

Christagau's review informs us
Vernon Reid's bid to turn Ulmer into the ranking 21st-century bluesman phase two... New York. .. Reid's banjo cakewalking away with "Goin' to New York".... the tap solo and Olu Dara cameo that break up the famed "Bright Lights, Big City," ...Jimmy Reed songs. Ulmer solos. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Rockin', boppin', jump blues and r&b from the 50's
This is an exellent cd, that reissues all the Okeh master takes by a great r&b jump blues dive of the 50's.

I was very taken when I 1st discovered Ruth Brown's Atlantic recordings like Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean, and was looking for more singers who swung r&b, like Brown, so I stumbled upon Wynona Carr, Helen Humes & Sister Wynona Carr(& even Big mama Thornton), they are all great(especially Humes), but I hadn't yet discovered the great Big Maybelle.

I was talking to an aquintance of mine, an r&b singer from the bay area Miss Lavay Smith, and I was asking her if she was influenced stylisticly by Helen Humes and she said yes, and also named all the singers I though she would, but she also listed Big Maybelle as a big influence, in fact she went up on stage and annoucnced ahe was going to to a big Maybelle tune and she went into "I've Got a Feeling." Later on I bought this Big Maybelle cd, and was blown away, by that song, as well as Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On, New Kind Of Mambo, and essentially every track is a gem, however she sounds particularly jubilant when swinging a jump blues number. Maybelle doesn't hold anything back and sings with raw emotion and power, and she just shuffles thru those r&b numbers with assurance and rhtyhm! A great cd, and a great singer. Also check out Lavay Smith who sings a few Maybelel songs if your in San Francsico, get Lavay Smith's cd Everybody's Talkin' Bout Miss Thang(avaialble on Amazon), which has a version of I've Got a feeling that is truly a lovely tribute to Maybelle.

This is the ONE Big Maybelle cd you NEED!
Big Maybelle had a powerful voice and a unique r&b style. If you like Ruth Brown's early playful r&b sides, you will also like Big Maybelle's slightly edgier performances. Both Brown and Maybelle are highly rhythmic singers technically they swign hard, however where Brown uses cuteness and slyness, to win her audience over, Maybelel uses harshness and bite in her delivery. This cd has all her classic and essential 50's jump blues sides, including a rollicking "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and a latin r&b jump blues number "I've Gotta Fellin'." Each song is worthy of repeated listens but those two tracks mentioned stand out one's mind. An exellent singer who is able to handle both swingers and slow blues numbers, and make your heart wrench. Her style is dry and somewhat rough, but on ballads can be bittersweet. A great cd, and it is one that you surely need in your music library weather your a swing dancer and want something cool to dance to, or a blues buff, or even someone interested in the beginnings of rock'n'roll. If you liek this also check out: Big Mama Thornton, Ruth Brown, Candye Kane, and especially Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet lickers, who've revived a Big Maybelle classic.

Greatest Female Singer of all-time!
I sent a friend three Big Maybelle cd's, here's an email that arrived today: "Dan, I am in love with Big Maybelle! Tell me her history. I play the discs all the time-----------thank you so much-----------B"

Here's my review of Very Best, if you've ever been or ever hope to be in love, you need everything Big Maybelle cut as a reference point.

Big Maybelle Smith was ... 300+ pounds. Aretha writes in her autobiography of seeing Maybelle in New Orleans "...with her little-bitty boyfriend." Imagine you're in a small club in Chicago, 2 in the morning, snowing outside, booze, tears, smoke and lost love permeating the place ... and a huge woman singing from the depths of her soul, a place so dark and deep there ought to be a warning label on the cd: Don't listen to this when you're seriously depressed! In the decades since I discovered her I've wondered if Maybelle's voice was a result of her heroin and other addictions, or were the addictions a result of her inner-soul and that voice. "I Don't Know What To Do With Myself" is her song, forget Dionne Warwick. "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" and "That's All" ... they get my vote as the most wonderful songs ever for humans in love. And "I Will Never Turn My Back On You." That's the track that Torch Song Trilogy (the play, not the movie) used at it's end ... it's one thing to say you 'love' somebody, it's quite another to promise you'll never turn your back on them. "Oh Lord, What Are You Doing to Me" showcases that mammoth voice that soars one second and hits rock bottom the next. Maybelle died in Ohio after being in a diabetic coma for two years ... she wasn't yet 50. Listen to this (and other) Big Maybelle, you'll hear every tragedy and heartache a human can endure. I've given dozens of cd's of this collection, invariably, the comment is "How could I have gotten this old without ever hearing about her?" Now. You've heard about her. Go buy the collections! It's a tragedy she never found the fame and fortune her talent deserves. You might even buy a couple extra copies, you'll have friends you want to share them with.
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See above for confirmation! Stop procrastinating. One-Click. You don't have to send me a thank-you.

The Complere Okeh Sessions 1952-'55~Big Maybelle
The Best!!! What a voice. This is the real deal, real stuff you can relate to with real feeling.

Big Maybelle Gets The Juke Joint 'A Jumpin'
Modern urban blues never had it so good. Maybelle Smith shook up the 50's with her streetwise, emotional wailing. She wasn't well known, but those that knew her loved her vocals. They demanded attention, and made you stop and listen. How she wasn't a mega-huge singer at the time just eludes me. She was a formidable wailer. She could cry a river in one song, then turn around and tell you to go stick your head in a light socket you Jinny Mule!

The Complete Okeh Sessions is the compilation to buy. It contains 26 of her best songs in my opinion. The bang for buck on this compilation is amazing. Each song is a masterpiece in it's own right.

You will hear my favorite track of all "Gabbin' Blues", which follows the tale of two bickering females. The catty, and sassy commentary is a pretty good reflection of Maybelle's brassy, assertive attitude in her music. It was a take it, or leave attitude that made her music all the more entertaining. Her wailing also extended to slower more emotionally painful tracks such as "Rain Down Rain", which featured Maybelle using a sad but powerful voice.

Even though Maybelle is gone, her music lives on as a inspiration to your soul, and other countless female wailers now and in the future. ... Read more

Album Description

The 92 recordings on this 4 CD set tell the story of bandleader, vibraphonist, pianist, drummer and all-around showman Lionel Hampton. The story of the oldest established orchestra in jazz history and of a career of monumental achievements. Includes 44 page booklet with rare photographs and track details. Additional artists include Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, Johnny Griffin, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Mingus and Benny Bailey. 2000 release. 4 standard jewel cases housed together in a deluxe slipcase. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Blues 'n' Rhythm Story devotes two discs to four regions--the Midwest, Southwest, West Coast, and East Coast. Featured artists range from the acclaimed (Professor Longhair, Lightnin' Hopkins, Jay McShann, "Cleanhead" Vinson, Dinah Washington) to the wayward. Nevertheless, the overall quality is remarkably high. The 88-page booklet helps put the music in perspective. This isn't a modest investment for a collector, but it's certainly among the elite of the R&B collections yet assembled. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An absolute must for R&B fans!!
This INCREDIBLE 8-CD set covers all of the Mercury blues, R&B and jump music from post-WWII -- the music that laid the foundation for the rock 'n roll revolution of the late '50's. The set is divided by geographic styles; West Coast, Southwest, East Coast and Midwest. There are many artists featured who are all but unknown today, but were popular in the club sub-culture and with returning GI's. I love the small orchestral arrangements of fast, jumpin' blues, boogie, and R&B tunes. The lyrics in many songs are hilarious, and demonstrate the subconscious relief of ending the world wars. Anyone who is remotely interested in R&B and the foundations of rock HAS to get this set. It's expensive, but worth every single penny. I've been listening non-stop since the set arrived, and I walk around all day with the jumpin' and jivin' tunes in my head! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ruth Brown
I think this is a great lbum, She has a very unique voice. I think anybody would like it too! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The great Big Maybelle
Big Maybelle was a big girl and had a great voice, she inspired Janis Joplin, just to name one, and these recordings are from her second label Savoy, she first recorded for Legacy (I suggest you get her Complete Okeh sessions 1952-55 cd too).
In the Savoy years she was accompanied by the orchestra, but this doesn't make her less blues, cause, boy, we're talkin' bout some real blues here. Some real blues.
So if you're a blues fan this is just an essential.
Go on and listen to her and enjoy some blues power. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Blues Classic!
I first heard this album 25 years ago, thanks to some very good friends. It was a favorite back then, one of those albums you played constantly, always finding something time and again that made it special. It's one of those rare CD's that simply does not have a bad cut on it. You'll find that you not only want a hot dog for your roll, but you'll also want this CD for your Blues/Swing/Jazz collection! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Texas Tenor and a Hammond B-3 Pioneer Swing Out !
Wild Bill Davis made the organ swing. Jimmy made it groove and grind. When Hammond/Tenor Trios come to mind, probably names like those, and Jack McDuff, Shirley Scott and others come to mind. If youre really hip to the Hammond, heck you might even remember Milt Buckner playing with Illinois Jacquet (a name that often comes to mind alongside Arnett Cobb), but Ill bet you dont know the organist on this one. - - Austin Mitchell. Yet Austins career predates almost all these cats. He was one of the first - - and very few people have heard of him, mainly because he kinda stayed local in Philly and didnt record much. In fact, this may be your only chance to hear this pioneer in action. - - Its a very different style than your used to. I had the pleasure of not only meeting Austin Mitchell, but him coming to my pad, sitting down at my organ and blowing me away, completely - - especially in his ability to connect chords and actually play the pedals (contrary to popular rumor, Jimmy Smith style organists use their left hand to play bass lines. The pedal, if used at all is secondary. For the old timers, this was kind of sacreligious, because they needed that left hand to play those thick and greasy chords. Listen to him comp ! ! !)

This album swings majorly, however, the Hammond Playing is the vibrato heavy Hammond of a long bygone era. Youll have to get used to it, but once you do you will enjoy this heavy swinging blowing session. (There is a bass player incidently, but never mind that... this is still some heavy B-3 playing and blowing.) So stick a coin in the juke box, turn up the heat and get ready for some toe tapping soulful blowing ! This album will put you out of breath. ... Read more