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An introduction to FINEST VINTAGE JAZZ LIVING ERA 2CD’s CD AJS 280

CD 1

1. Livery Stable Blues – Original Dixieland jazz Band
   
2. St Louis Blues – Bessie Smith/Louis Armstrong
   
3. Singin’ the Blues – Bix Beiderbecke
   
4. East St Louis Toodle-oo – Duke Ellington
   
5. Creole Love Call – Duke Ellington
   
6. Feelin’ No Pain – Red Nicholls
   
7. Savoy Blues – Louis Armstrong
   
8. A Handful of Riffs – Eddie Lang/Lonnie Johnson
   
9. Symphony in Riffs – Benny Carter
   10 Honeysuckle Rose – Fats Waller
   11.I Got Rhythm – Django Reinhardt/Stephane Grappelli
   12.Honky Tonk Train Blues – Meade Lux Lewis
   13.Walkin’ & Swingin’ – Andy Kirk/Mary Lou Williams
   14.Sing Me a Song – Ella Fitzgerald/Chick Webb
   15.Marie – Tommy Dorsey/Bunny Berigan
   16.Crazy Rhythm – Coleman Hawkins
   17.Runnin’ Wild – Lionel Hampton
   18.I Got a Right to Sing the Blues – Jack Teagarden
   19.Roll ‘Em – Benny Goodman
   20.Easy Living – Billie Holiday/Teddy Wilson
   21.Jumpin’ at the Woodside – Count Basie
   22.The Big Noise from Winnetka – Bob Crosby
   23.Relaxin’ at the Touro – Muggsy Spanier
   24. Blues in Thirds – Sidney Bechet
   25. When It’s Sleepy Time Down South – Louis Armstrong
   

CD 2

1. Tiger Rag – Original Dixieland Jazz Band
   
2. Dippermouth Blues – King Oliver
   
3. Careless Love Blues – Bessie Smith/Louis Armstrong
   
4. Black Bottom Stomp – Jelly Roll Morton
   
5. Stringin’ the Blues – Joe Venuti/Eddie Lang
   
6. That’s No Bargain – Red Nicholls
   
7. I’m Coming, Virginia - Bix Beiderbecke/Frankie Trumbauer
   
8. Black & Tan Fantasy – Duke Ellington
   
9. West End Blues – Louis Armstrong
   
10. My Monday Date – Jimmy Noone/Earl Hines
    
11. Miss Hannah – McKinney’s Cotton Pickers
    
12. You Rascal You – Jack Teagarden
    
13. King Porter Stomp – Benny Goodman
    
14. Netcha’s Dream – Coleman Hawkins
    
15. My Blue Heaven – Jimmy Lunceford
    
16. Boogie Woogie Stomp – Albert Ammons
    
17. Christopher Columbus – Fletcher Henderson
    
18. This Year’s Kisses – Billie Holoday
    
19. Gone With the Wind – Art Tatum
    
20. Ring Dem Bells – Lionel Hampton
    
21. Honeysuckle Rose – Reinhardt/Grappelli
    
22. Texas Shuffle – Count Basie
    
23. Four or Five Times – Bechet/Spanier
    
24. Cottontail – Duke Ellington/Ben Webster
    

For anyone wanting to trace the history of jazz music from 1917 to 1941, it is all here in this record. In fact it’s here twice, because disc 2 repeats the dose of disc1. I am not sure why Ray Crick, the compiler decided to do it that way, it would have seemed more logical to me for the whole thing to be in chronological order. In any case there is a double dose of jazz history here!

It is a fascinating thought that nearly all of today’s popular music came from these beginnings, thankfully jazz has continued to develop, although even so called contemporary jazz originated here, but sometimes the relationship is hard to find. Another interesting point is that whilst we constantly hear that jazz had it’s roots in Africa, the first tracks on both CD’s are by the all white ODJB in 1917!

Being in my late 60’s, I was brought up with all this music. When I was a teenager there were very few jazz records made, but there were several labels selling vintage jazz. For people starting to take an interest in our great music, these records are essential listening they provide the background to everything that followed. Most of today’s top jazzmen are the product of some musical college or other, where they have received a top class musical education, most of the people on these records were either self taught or learned their instruments in a totally different genre.

The records have examples of most styles of the era from Boogie Woogie to Big Band and the audio restoration performed, means that we are hearing something nearer to the original than has ever been heard before.

Don Mather

 

 

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