Explore every episode of the podcast Jazz Focus

After leaving Benny Goodman's band in 1942, Williams put a driving big band together that explored both the new Bebop sounds as well as early rhythm and blues.  These recordings featuring the leader playing at the top of his game, assisted by Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson on vocals and alto, John Jackson and Rupert Cole on alto, Sam The Man Taylor, Edwin Johnson and Lee Pope on tenors, Arnold Jarvis on piano, Gene Redd on vibraphone, Robert Horton and Ed Johnson on trombone and Bob Merrill on vocals.

The band that recorded the soundtrack to the film "Pete Kelly's Blues" was the cream of West Coast Dixieland - Dick Cathcart, Moe Schneider, Matty Matlock, Eddie Miller, Ray Sherman, George Van Eps, Jud De Naut and Nick Fatool.  Almost the same group (with Abe Lincoln, Phil Stephens, Al Hendrikson and Stanley Wrightsman) also recorded as Matty Matlock's Dixie Men . . great jazz!

Great 1955 sessions by one of Condon's best bands (Wild Bill Davison, Bobby Hackett, Cutty Cutshall, Ed Hall, Gene Schroeder, Dick Cary, Walter Page, George Wettling) recording Bix Beiderbecke-related tunes for Columbia . . a few from other sessions featuring Pee Wee Russell, Bob Wilber, Billy Butterfield, Peanuts Hucko, Jack Lesberg, and Leonard Gaskin round out the program.

One of the few true Bebop clarinet players, DeFranco is here featured in his own quintets and sextets recording for Capitol and MGM with Teddy Charles, Jimmy Raney, Kenny Drew, Max Roach and others playing standards and a few originals.

At the dawn of the Swing Era, Ellington was in a bit of a funk . . his recording opportunities were less and the Depression had limited opportunities.  Fortunately, his creativity came back quickly, mostly in answer to the swing style beginning to establish itself.  With a band including Cootie Williams, Rex Stewart, Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol, Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Otto Hardwick, Wellman Braud (replaced by both Hayes Alvis and Billy Taylor), Sonny Greer and Ivy Anderson, he always sounded like himself.

Great 1940's and 50's sessions by the Chicago stride pianist doing solos and trios (with Walter Page, Bob Casey and George Wettling) of unpublished Fats Waller compositions!

The legendary cornetist at the halfway point in his tenure with Duke Ellington, featured on four small group sessions.  Two sessions are his own group of Ellingtonians recording for RCA Victor (including Lawrence Brown, Ben Webster, Harry Carney, Ellington, Jimmy Blanton and Sonny Greer) and two for the Hot Record Society . . one of those by Rex Stewart's Big Seven (with Brown, Barney Bigard, Billy Kyle, Brick Fleagle, Wellman Braud, Dave Tough) and one by Jack Teagarden's Big Eight (Bigard, Webster, Kyle, Fleagle, Billy Taylor and Tough).

Great band featured on V Disc and a live concert at Town Hall . . with Remo Palmieri, Teddy Wilson, Aaron Sachs, Shorty Rogers, Eddie Bert, Slam Stewart, Specs Powell and others, but the real focus is the leader's vibraphone and xylophone.

First blush of Barnet's popular Bluebird big band recording here for Thesaurus Transcriptions with two titles for Variety featuring Frankie Newton.  The band features Don McCook on clarinet, Bobby Burnett on trumpet, Don Ruppersberg on trombone, Bus Etri on guitar, Nat Jaffe on piano and James Lamare on baritone sax in addition to the leader playing remarkably well on tenor and especially alto.

Largely forgotten clarinet player in the late swing/bebop style here featured on 1943/44 recordings with Red Norvo (and Teddy Wilson, Slam Stewart and Remo Palmieri) and Eddie Heywood (with Don Byas, Ray Nance and others)

Little known but dependable and highly original cornet player on the "Pete Kelly's Blues" soundtracks here featured with the Kings of Dixie, Russ Morgan's Wolverines, Ben Pollack's Pic-A-Rib Boys and others . . with Matty Matlock, Eddie Miller, Heinie Beau, Moe Schneider, Ray Sherman, Dick Cary, Nick Fatool, Red Callendar, Walt Yoder and lots of great guitar by George Van Eps!

Very late period recordings of the renowned John Kirby Sextet for V-Disc, Crown, Asch, Disc, Apollo and live broadcasts.  Featuring the original members Charlie Shavers, Buster Bailey, Russell Procope, Billy Kyle and Kirby, there are also guest appearances by Hot Lips Page, Emmett Berry, George Taitt, Clarence Brereton (trumpet), George Johnson, Hilton Jefferson (alto sax), Budd Johnson, Ben Webster (tenor sax), Clyde Hart, Hank Jones, Ram Ramirez (piano) and Bill Beason (drums).

Recordings for Verve with DeFranco, Sonny Clark, Gene Wright and Bobby White.  Terrific swing to bop standards and originals.

New Orleans trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen featured with Buster Bailey's Chocolate Dandies (with Benny Carter, J.C. Higginbotham, Danny Barker, Walter Johnson), Benny Morton and His Orchestra (Jerry Blake, Ed Inge, Teddy McRae), Jimmy (James P.) Johnson and His Orchestra (Higginbotham, Gene Sedric, Sid Catlett, Pops Foster) and Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra (Higginbotham, Charlie Christian, Clyde Hart, Earl Bostic)

Great 1935-36 sessions for Vocalion featuring the singer and entertainer with a band led by the New Orleans trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen - also featuring Buster Bailey, Joe Marsala, Teddy Wilson, James Sherman, Clyde Hart, Eddie Condon, Wilson Myers, John Kirby and Cozy Cole

Superb chamber jazz featuring Shaw on clarinet with either Billy Butterfield or Roy Eldridge on trumpets, Johnny Guarnieri on harpischord (!), Dodo Marmarosa on piano, Al Hendrickson or Barney Kessel on guitar, Jud DeNaut or Morrie Rayman on bass, Morey Feld or Lou Fromm on durms.  Two bonus (live) tracks with Shaw soloing with Count Basie's band and rhythm section

The early version of the DeParis Brothers' band live from Jimmy Ryan's and featuring Wilbur on trombone, Sidney on trumpet, Omer Simeon on clarinet, Don Kirkpatrick and Norman Lester on piano, Eddie Gibbs and Danny Barker on banjo and Freddie Moore on drums.

Excellent big band led by trumpeter Eldridge in the middle 1940's before and after his tenure with Artie Shaw.  Arrangements by Elton Hill, Buster Harding and others featuring him with Sandy Williams on trombone, Porter Kilbert, Joe Eldridge and Edmond Gregory (Sahib Shihab) on alto, Franz Jackson and Tom Archia on tenors, Duke Jordan on piano, Sam Allen on guitar, Cozy Cole on drums and others

A protege of Benny Goodman's at the end of his life, Hasselgard had a short but eventful career.  After coming to the US in 1946 or so, he played with many big names, including Teddy Wilson, Red Norvo, Barbara Carroll, Barney Kessel, Wardell Gray and Goodman himself.  These are three sessions issued under Hasselgard's name as well as four airchecks from the Click with the Benny Goodman Septet.

Millinder went from fronting the Mills Blue Rhythm Band in the 1930's to leading his own, more blues-based group in the 1940's and 50's.  This first edition recorded for Decca and included musicians like Stafford Simon and Sam "The Man" Taylor on tenors, Ernest Purce on baritone, Tab Smith and Ted Barnett on altos with a cameo from Buster Bailey on clarinet.  Trumpets included William "Chiefie" Scott, Archie Johnston and modernists Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Guy and Freddie Webster along with Bill Doggett on piano, George Duvivier or Abe Bolar on bass and Panama Francis on drums.  The real star was Sister Rosetta Tharpe both singing and playing a very early version of rock and roll electric guitar.

The great New Orleans trumpeter Allen accompanies singers for Decca and Vocalion - Victoria Spivey, Rosetta Howard, Trixie Smith, Blue Lu Barker and the remarkable Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon . . also featuring Lil Armstrong, Ulysses Livingston, Sammy Price, Wellman Braud, Sid Catlett, Barney Bigard, Rupert Cole, Albert Nicholas, Charlie Holmes, Luis Russell and Pops Foster.

Great series of V-Disc sessions featuring the clarinetist Hucko as leader (with Lou Stein, Mundell Lowe, Jack Lesberg, Dave Tough, Bobby Hackett, Cliff Strickland and Fred Ohms) and with Joe Bushkin (with Liza Morrow, Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Ernie Caceres, Morey Feld, Ohms) and Johnny Blowers (with Chris Griffin, Bill Stegmeyer, Herb Winfield, Dave Bowman)

Great performances taken from radio broadcasts, live dates and concerts featuring the jazz side of the Miller Orchestra . . solos by Bob Price, Clyde Hurley and John Best (trumpet), Willie Schwartz and Ernie Caceres (clarinet), Hal McIntyre (alto), Tex Beneke and Al Klink (tenor), Chummy McGregor (piano) and Moe Purtill (drums)

Little known black band of the 1930's here featured  in their last set of recordings for Columbia and Variety.  The first set has Red Allen on trumpet, JC Higginbotham on trombone and Joe Garland on tenor and bass sax . .the second group has the reorganized band with Charlie Shavers and Harry Edison on trumpet, Harry Arnold on tenor, Wilbur DeParis on trombone and Lucky Millinder singing.  Both groups feature Tab Smith on alto and soprano and Billy Kyle on piano.

Singer and pianist (born Howard Joyner) had a long series of recordings for Decca in the 1930's - these feature Manny Klein, Benny Carter, Rex Stewart, Buster Bailey, Barney Bigard, Russell Procope, Ben Webster, Teddy Wilson, Clarence Holiday, Elmer James, Billy Taylor and Cozy Cole

Great small swing band led by trumpeter Newton with alto and soprano sax player Tab Smith as music director and arranger -in 1939 it recorded six instrumental sides for Vocalion and backed Billie Holiday on three sessions (two for Vocalion and one for Commodore) although Hot Lips Page and Charlie Shavers replaced Newton on the Vocalion Holiday sides.  Also featuring either Kenny Kersey or Sonny White on piano, Johnny Williams on bass, Eddie Dougherty on drums, Kenneth Hollon on tenor sax and Stanley Payne on alto.

Several Decca sessions from the mid to late 1930's featuring Barker and Armstrong leading bands performing their own tunes - Chu Berry, Robert Carroll, Buster Bailey, Joe Thomas, Charlie Shavers, Teddy Cole, Ulysses Livingston, Danny Barker, Wellman Braud, O'Neil Spencer and others!  

The Casa Loma Orchestra (a collective organization led by Glen Gray) was one of the most influential and imitated white dance bands of the early 1930's. By 1939 the band was largely the same, but they had transitioned to a more conventional swing style featuring soloists Grady Watts and Sonny Dunham on trumpet, Billy Rauch and Pee Wee Hunt on trombone, Murray McEachern on trombone and alto sax, Clarence Hutchenrider on clarinet, Pat Davis on tenor sax, Joe Hall on drums and, driving the whole group, Tony Briglia on drums.

Great Chicago sessions featuring the New Orleans clarinetist leading the New Orleans Wanderers, New Orleans Bootblacks and Chicago Footwarmers . . with George Mitchell, Natty Dominique, Kid Ory, Honore Dutrey, Joe Clark/Walker, Lil Armstrong, Jimmy Blythe, Baby Dodds, Bill Johnson, Johnny St. Cyr and others.

Great jazz sessions featuring the singer, drummer, guitarist and comic Benjamin Sherman Crothers  . . ranging from 1944-77, these bands feature Vic Dickenson, Babe Russin, Paul Smith, Al Hendrickson, Marshall Royal, Snooky Young, Freddie Green, Ray Brown, Ray Bryant and Louis Bellson.

Rollini playing bass sax in both solo and bass line with a variety of late 1920's big bands - Ted Wallace (the California Ramblers), Fred Elizalde, The Dorsey Brothers, Ben Selvin, Rube Bloom, Cornell Smelser . .with the Dorsey Brothers, Jack Teagarden, Benny Goodman, Stan King, Babe Russin, Chelsea Quealy, Bobby Davis and many others

Focus on the jazzier records done by the prolific cornetist Red Nichols, who by the late 1920's was concentrating on more commercial music.  Sides released as by the Louisiana Rhythm Kings (Jack Teagarden, Glenn Miller, Miff Mole, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Pee Wee Russell, Fud Livingston, Joe Sullivan, Gene Krupa) and on radio transcriptions (Miller, Goodman, Charlie Teagarden, Sullivan, Adrian Rollini, Bud Freeman), these are some of the best "hot jazz" recorded by white bands of the period.

Two dates featuring the classic band - featuring the leaders along with Richard Williams and Snooky Young on trumpet, Bob Brookmeyer and Garnett Brown on trombones, Eddie Daniels on clarinet and tenor sax, Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, Jerome Richardson on soprano, alto and flute, Jerry Dodgion on alto, Pepper Adams on bar, Hank Jones and Roland Hanna on piano, and Richard Davis on bass . . the stars are the arrangements by Jones (and two by Brookmeyer)

Two sessions firmly based in the Swing Era featuring the great bebop alto player Charlie Parker - first are the "Wichita Transcriptions" of 1940, featuring members of the Jay McShann band, including Parker, Bob Mabane and William Scott on tenors, Orville Minor and Bob Anderson on trumpets, McShann on piano, Gene Ramey on bass and Gus Johnson on drums. Second is the January 28, 1944 concert at Philharmonic Auditorium in Los Angeles featuring Parker and Willie Smith on altos, Lester Young and Charlie Ventura on tenors, Howard McGhee, Dizzy Gillespie and Al Killian on trumpets, Arnold Ross or Mel Powell on piano, Billy Hadnott on bass and Lee Young on drums.

Rosy McHargue had a career as a clarinet and sax player stretching back to the 1920's, but he spend almost ten years with Ted Weems band, playing and arranging.  By the middle 1940's he lived in the Los Angeles area and was playing up and down the coast with a dixieland band that took its cue from the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (his first great influence).  Before he became a national act through his recordings for Capitol, McHargue did sessions for many small labels, including Jump.  Here, his band has Bob Higgins on cornet, Moe Schneider on trombone, Earl Sturgis on piano, Ray Leatherwood on bass and George Defebaugh on drums.  Also included are earlier sides with Joe Rushton on bass sax, Brad Gowans on valve trombone, Nick Cochrane on cornet, Marvin Ash on piano and Graham Stevenson on drums.  Two tunes he did with Pete Dailey's Chicagoans for Jump are also included

Terrific little band at the beginning of its seventeen year life . . Red Nichols on cornet and arrangements, King Jackson on trombone, Reuell Lynch, Matty Matlock and Rosey McHargue on clarinets, Don Lodice on tenor sax, Bobby Hammack on piano, Joe Rushton on bass sax and Rollie Culver on drums - recording for Jump and Lang-Worth.

Smith played lead alto and jazz for the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, Count Basie, Lucky Millinder, Frankie Newton and on many recording dates during the 1930's and 40's.  After a short retirement in the late 40's he was lured into United's recording studios and had several hits in a sort of combination Swing/Bop/R&B style - his sidemen included organist Sam Malone, pianist Teddy Brannon, trumpeter Sonny Cohn and drummer Walter Johnson, but the focus was on Tab, who played alto and tenor sax in the classic swing style on ballads, blues and originals.

Brit Bop II - WETF Show featuring the music of Ronnie Scott and his groups, 1946-55.  Featuring Jimmy Deuchar, Derek Humble, Benny Green, Spike Robinson, Vic Lewis, Ralph Sharon, Dave Goldberg, Tony Crosbie, Jack Parnell, Ken Wray and other British bebop luminaries .

WETF Show - James P Johnson and the blues singers . . Stride legend backing Ethel Waters, Rosa Henderson, Clara Smith and Bessie Smith in the 1920's and early 30's

Prolific and consistent trombonist whose career began in the 1920's with Fletcher Henderson here featured in his own small groups and with other swing stars like Harry Carney, Edmund Hall and others

Ellington's great baritone saxophonist Harry Carney in a variety of small group settings from the 1930's and 40's with fellow Ellingtonians and many others

Legendary British tenor player during the 1950’s and 60’s in sessions with Tubby Hall, Zoot Sims, Victor Feldman, Dizzy Reese, Derek Humble, Ken Wray, Jimmy Deucher and others

Oscar Peterson and the tenor saxes . . a selection from Verve/Clef/Mercury albums of the mid to late 1950's featuring the Peterson trio and quartet (including Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, Buddy Rich, Ray Brown, Ed Thigpen and Alvin Stoller) backing up Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Stitt, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Flip Philips and Stan Getz

---

A series of the great trumpeter's recordings with Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Gene Krupa and Charlie Barnet - featuring all those leaders along with Dodo Marmarosa, Vernon Brown, Jon Walton and others

Connie, Martha and Vet Boswell were raised in New Orleans and evolved a highly complex style of trio singing based on the Jazz of the 1920's and 30's . . they were each accomplished musicians (Martha plays piano on many of these tracks) and discerning in their choice of sidemen - Bunny Berigan, Mannie Klein, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Art Schutt, Bobby Sherwood, Dick McDonough, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, Joe Tarto and Stan King are all featured, but the main interest is the singing!

The great New Orleans clarinetist heard here in the most elemental from possible - in a duo with pianist Tiny Parham, trios with Jimmy Blythe on piano and W.E. Burton on drums, Lil Armstrong on piano and Bud Scott on guitar and either Armstrong or Charlie Alexander on piano and Bill Johnson on drums.

When Nichols came out of his temporary retirement during the WWII years, he put together a much more modern group than he had before or after.  This sextet featured the very late swing and even Bebop influenced arrangements of Heinie Beau as well as his superb clarinet playing.  He is matched the the tenor player Herbie Haymer and a rhythm section that isn't completely known but may include Thurman Teague on bass and Rollie Culver on drums . . recorded for McGregor Transcriptions in Los Angeles

WETF Show The Willies - 1940's and 50's small group sessions by the remarkable alto saxist Willie Smith - known for his years playing lead for Lunceford and Harry James, Smith was a stylist on alto and a good arranger as well.  He is presented here with his own groups as well as ones led by Nat King Cole, Billie Holliday, Al Casey, Corky Corcoran, Gene Krupa and Shorty Sherock and featuring those notables as well as Charlie Shavers, Billy May, Les Paul, Murray McEachern, Harry Edison, Teddy Wilson, Allan Reuss and Israel Crosby

Just You, Just Eddie Heywood . . the fine pianist leading his 1940's sextet on recordings made for Commodore, VDisc and Decca and featuring Doc Cheatham, Dick Vance, Henry Parr Jones, Vic Dickenson, Henry Coker, Lem Davis, Marshall Royal, Al Lucas, Jack Parker and others, with a guest appearance by Bing Crosby

Great regional bands of the late 1920's from the Southwest and Midwest featuring up and coming players like Julia Lee, Budd Johnson, Jimmy Crawford, Buster Smith, Hot Lips Page, Jimmy Rushing, Jack Washington and Walter Page with several well known local groups who were fortunate enough to make records!