The Big 18 - Live Echoes Of The Swinging Bands (2-Disc Set)

Buck Clayton, Charlie Shavers, Rex Stewart, Billy Butterfield (tp), Lawrence Brown, Lou McGarity, Dickie Wells, Vic Dickenson (tb), Peanuts Hucko (cl), Sam Donahue, Ernie Caceres (saxes), Johnny Guarnieri (p), Milt Hinton (b), Jimmy Crawford (d). Tracks from CD 1, from the 12" album "Live Echoes of the Swinging Bands" (RCA Victor LSP-1921). Tracks from CD 2, from the 12" album "More Live Echoes of the Swinging Bands" (RCA Victor LSP-1983).

The Big 18 was an all star big band that pays tribute to the swinging big bands of the thirties. The original idea came from Fred Reynolds, musical director of RCA Victor at the end of the fifties. He called his library to select numbers that would be characteristic of the orchestras of the swing era. He then commissioned arranger Charles Shirley to listen to the original recordings and transcribe them, keeping as much as possible of the flavor of the original band, leaving space in the arrangements for much longer solos than the original short recordings allowed for. Some of the greatest musicians in each band selected the tunes that were chosen to produce these wonderful sessions. It resulted in some very fine solos and an exciting ensemble sound, plus a superb recording that faithfully captured their spirit.

Album: Live Echoes Of The Swinging Bands (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:41
Size: 95.4 MB
Styles: Swing, Big band
Year: 2011

[4:00] 1. Swingtime In The Rockies
[5:12] 2. Easy Does It
[5:46] 3. Five O'clock Drag
[5:35] 4. Feet Draggin' Blues
[4:19] 5. Summit Ridge Drive
[4:33] 6. Tuxedo Junction
[4:46] 7. Blues On Parade
[3:37] 8. Okay For Baby
[3:48] 9. March Of The Toys

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Album: Live Echoes Of The Swinging Bands (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:09
Size: 91.9 MB
Styles: Swing, Big band
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:39] 1. Skyliner
[3:50] 2. Parade Of The Milk Bottle Caps
[4:10] 3. Celery Stalks At Midnight
[2:56] 4. I'm Prayin' Humble
[4:42] 5. Hors D'oeuvre
[3:30] 6. Liza
[3:48] 7. The Cambells Are Swinging
[4:32] 8. Organ Grinder's Swing
[5:30] 9. Ton O'rock Bump
[2:27] 10. Quaker City Blues

Live Echoes Of The Swinging Bands (Disc 1)(Disc 2)

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Lee Wiley - Music of Manhattan, 1951

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:06
Size: 155,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:36) 1. Street of Dreams
(3:11) 2. Oh, Look at Me Now
(1:49) 3. Hallelujah
(4:38) 4. Manhattan
(2:58) 5. Manhattan
(4:18) 6. Ghost of a Chance
(3:02) 7. Sugar
(3:07) 8. I've Got a Crush on You
(3:48) 9. Sugar
(2:23) 10. Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere
(3:04) 11. Oh, Look at Me Now
(2:26) 12. Deed I Do
(3:24) 13. That's for Sure
(1:42) 14. 'S Wonderful
(2:08) 15. I've Got a Crush on You
(1:26) 16. Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere
(2:30) 17. Street of Dreams
(2:52) 18. Manhattan
(1:48) 19. Deed I Do
(3:13) 20. I've Got a Crush on You
(4:02) 21. I'm Comin' Virginia
(3:47) 22. Down to Steamboat Tennessee
(1:45) 23. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home

These 1951 selections come from transcription discs and live appearances at Storyville, a Town Hall Concert, and the Rustic Lodge. Wiley was a great vocalist, often associated with Chicago Dixieland musicians. Her primary influence was Ethel Waters, and she had much in common with Billie Holiday as well.

Both had rather raw, “whiskey soaked” timbres and laid-back attacks, and made up for limited ranges and power with excellent taste, sensitivity and the ability to freshen melodies by improvising on them. She was known for her sensitive ballad performances, but sang blues convincingly as well. Her accompanists here include some fine trumpeters, Billy Butterfield, Buck Clayton, Muggsy Spanier, and Red Allen, and pianist Joe Bushkin.

She’s very relaxed and sure of herself. And she’s wonderfully unpretentious. Pianist Stan Freeman, who worked with her, said Wiley “didn’t know what she was singing half the time.” Maybe, but she interprets lyrics meaningfully, accenting words and syllables astutely. Though her vocals have a weary quality, she never gets maudlin, and there are times when she’s buoyant. By Harvey Pekar
https://jazztimes.com/archives/lee-wiley-music-of-manhattan-1951/

Personnel: Vocals – Lee Wiley; Bass – John Field (tracks: 7 to 13), Milt Hinton (tracks: 16 to 20), Mort Stuhlmaker (tracks: 1 to 5); Cornet – Jack Honeywell (tracks: 21 to 23), Muggsy Spanier (tracks: 7 to 13); Drums – Barrett Deems (tracks: 7 to 13), George Wettling (tracks: 1 to 5), Jo Jones (tracks: 16 to 20); Orchestra – Ray Bloch And His Orchestra (tracks: 15); Piano – Dave Bowman (tracks: 6), George Wein (tracks: 7 to 13), Joe Bushkin (tracks: 1 to 5 16 to 20); Trumpet – Billy Butterfield (tracks: 1 to 6), Buck Clayton (tracks: 16 to 20), Henry "Red" Allen (tracks: 21 to 23)

Music of Manhattan, 1951

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Buck Clayton - A Buck Clayton Jam Session

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 75:39
Size: 138,9 MB
Art: Front

(17:43)  1. Sidekick
(11:52)  2. Change For A Buck
(12:12)  3. The Duke We Knew
(15:11)  4. Glassboro Blues
( 5:10)  5. Glassboro Blues Rehearsal
(13:29)  6. The Duke We Knew Rehearsal

Jazz suffered a major loss when, in the late 1960s, Buck Clayton had to retire from playing due to problems with his lip. But instead of permanently retiring from jazz altogether, he continued to make his mark as an arranger, bandleader, and educator. Clayton doesn't play at all on A Buck Clayton Jam Session: 1975; instead, this blowing date finds him overseeing and directing a 12-piece band that includes Joe Newman and Money Johnson on trumpet, Vic Dickenson and George Masso on trombone, Buddy Tate, Buddy Johnson, and Sal Nistico on tenor sax, Lee Konitz and Earle Warren on alto sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Milt Hinton on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. To be sure, that's a variety of musicians some have strong swing credentials, others were primarily hard boppers, and you even have a musician who came out of the Cool School (Konitz) and went on to explore post-bop. But they manage to find common ground on this swing-oriented jam, which concentrates on Clayton's own compositions and emphasizes blowing, blowing, and more blowing. Thankfully, the liner notes list the order of the solos. Originally a vinyl LP in the '70s and reissued on CD in 1995 (when Chiaroscuro added two previously unreleased bonus tracks), A Buck Clayton Jam Session is less than essential but is an enjoyable jam that die-hard swing fans will appreciate.~ Alex Henderson 

http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-buck-clayton-jam-session-1975-mw0000076132

Personnel: Buck Clayton (conductor, trumpet); Earle Warren, Lee Konitz (alto saxophone); Budd Johnson, Buddy Tate, Sal Nistico (tenor saxophone); Joe Newman, Money Johnson (trumpet); Vic Dickenson, George Masso (trombone); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Milt Hinton (bass); Mel Lewis (drums).

A Buck Clayton Jam Session 1975

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Buck Clayton - Back In Town, Still Around: Live In New York

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 94:51

Size: 217.1 MB

Styles: Mainstream jazz

Year: 2012

Art: Front

[8:04] 1. Lulu's Back In Town

[8:02] 2. Basin Street Blues

[4:18] 3. Ballin' The Jack

[7:21] 4. Medley: Misty/I'm Old Fashioned/Old Folks/Don't Take Your Love From Me

[3:55] 5. Big Noise From Winnetka

[5:44] 6. At The Jazz Band Ball

[4:09] 7. Wolverine Blues

[6:51] 8. When The Saints Go Marching In

[8:28] 9. Fidgety Feet

[5:18] 10. Medley: I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan/Everything Happens To Me/Body And Soul

[7:11] 11. Ja Da

[5:59] 12. Indiana

[5:04] 13. Bye Bye Blackbird

[4:31] 14. All The Jazz Band Ball (Alt Vers)

[5:17] 15. Basin Street Blues (Alt Vers)

[4:34] 16. Original Dixieland One Step

An excellent bandleader and accompanist for many vocalists, including Billie Holiday, Buck Clayton was a valued soloist with Count Basie Orchestra during the '30s and '40s, and later was a celebrated studio and jam session player, writer, and arranger. His tart, striking tone and melodic dexterity were his trademark, and Clayton provided several charts for Basie's orchestra and many other groups. Clayton began his career in California, where he organized a big band that had a residency in China in 1934. When he returned, Clayton led a group and played with other local bands. During a 1936 visit to Kansas City, he was invited to join Basie's orchestra as a replacement for Hot Lips Page. Clayton was also featured on sessions with Lester Young, Teddy Wilson, and Holiday in the late '30s. He remained in the Basie band until 1943, when he left for army service. After leaving the army, Clayton did arrangements for Basie, Benny Goodman, and Harry James before forming a sextet in the late '40s. He toured Europe with this group in 1949 and 1950. Clayton continued heading a combo during the '50s, and worked with Joe Bushkin, Tony Parenti, and Jimmy Rushing, among others. He organized a series of outstanding recordings for Columbia in the mid-'50s under the title Jam Session (compiled and reissued by Mosaic in 1993). There were sessions with Rushing, Ruby Braff, and Nat Pierce. Clayton led a combo with Coleman Hawkins and J.J. Johnson at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, then reunited with Goodman in 1957 at the Waldorf Astoria. There was another European tour, this time with Mezz Mezzrow. He appeared in the 1956 film The Benny Goodman Story and played the 1958 Brussels World Fair with Sidney Bechet. Clayton later made another European visit with a Newport Jazz Festival tour. He joined Eddie Condon's band in 1959, a year after appearing in the film Jazz on a Summer's Day. Clayton toured Japan and Australia with Condon's group in 1964, and continued to revisit Europe throughout the '60s, often with Humphrey Lyttelton's band, while playing festivals across the country. But lip and health problems virtually ended his playing career in the late '60s. After a period outside of music, Clayton once again became active in music, this time as a non-playing arranger, touring Africa as part of a State Department series in 1977. He provided arrangements and compositions for a 1974 Lyttleton and Buddy Tate album, and did more jam session albums for Chiaroscuro in 1974 and 1975. He also became an educator, teaching at Hunter College in the early '80s. Clayton led a group of Basie sidemen on a European tour in 1983, then headed his own big band in 1987 that played almost exclusively his compositions and arrangements. That same year Clayton's extensive autobiography Buck Clayton's Jazz World, with Nancy Miller-Elliot, was published. ~bio by Ron Wynn

Back In Town, Still Around: Live In New York

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The Jimmy Rushing Allstars - Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:20
Size: 131.3 MB
Styles: Jazz/blues vocals
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[5:45] 1. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[6:34] 2. Mjr Blues
[3:29] 3. Tricks Ain't Walkin' No More
[5:37] 4. St. James Infirmary
[9:48] 5. One O'clock Jump
[5:09] 6. Who's Sorry Now
[7:31] 7. These Foolish Things
[5:48] 8. I Ain't Got Nobody
[7:35] 9. Good Morning Blues

Bass – Gene Ramey; Drums – Jo Jones; Piano – Sir Charles Thompson; Tenor Saxophone – Julian Dash; Trombone – Dickie Wells; Trumpet – Buck Clayton; Vocals – Jimmy Rushing.

An informal "Jazz party" situation taped in the studio in front of one-hundred invited guests, Jumbo Jimmy Rushing fronts an all-star group of New York Jazzmen and romps his way through a handful of standards. Joining Rushing are Buck Clayton-trumpet, Dickie Wells-trombone, Julian Dash-tenor sax, Sir Charles Thompson-piano, Gene Ramey-bass and Jo Jones on drums. Recorded and engineered by George Piros of Mercury Living Presence fame at Fine Studios in New York City. Originally released in 1967 on the MJR label.

Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You

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Buck Clayton - Buck Clayton Swings The Village

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 72:18

Size: 165.5 MB

Styles: Big band, Swing

Year: 2002

Art: Front

[7:22] 1. Scorpio

[4:48] 2. Swingin' On The State Line

[5:57] 3. Horn O' Plenty

[5:15] 4. Rise And Shine

[5:33] 5. The One For Me

[7:50] 6. B.C. Special

[7:37] 7. Black Sheep Blues

[3:34] 8. Sparky

[5:46] 9. Cadillac Taxi

[4:58] 10. What A Beautiful Yesteryear

[5:59] 11. The Bowery Bunch

[7:33] 12. Song For Sarah

Trumpeter and bandleader Buck Clayton was a mainstay of the '30s and '40s big band. Following that, Clayton led every stripe of band for the next 40 years. In the late 1980s, when age prevented Clayton to play his trumpet, he turned his attention to composition and arrangement for a big band. In 1990, Clayton brought his big band to the Village Vanguard for a recital of his compositions, some written only recently before the show. This music was originally released in 1997 on Nagel Heyer as Buck Clayton Live From Greenwich Village, NYC (Nagel Heyer 030).

As part of their new re-issue program, Nagel Heyer has re-released this recording as Buck Clayton Swings the Village: The Buck Clayton Swing Band in Greenwich Village, NYC. It is 24-bit digitally remastered, providing an already bright recording that much more clarity. The music is fresh and refreshing. It is '30s—'40s Swing, to be sure, but it is composed, arranged and played with very much a 1990s precision. The appeal of this record is that it is not one more recording reprising Ellington, Basie, Goodman, Miller, or any number of bandleaders whose music has been diluted by time and reiteration. Swing presented the contemporary Buck Clayton Songbook. Contemporary talents like Byron Stripling and James Chirillo and veterans like Frank Wess, Warren Vaché and Joe Temperley present Clayton's vision succinctly. As a group, these songs contain easily all of Swing history. Traditionally white bands and blacks bands meld easily here into a crystal-clear solution of swinging, smiling music. It is no wonder that this recording was considered one of the year's best when released. This disc is a must for all big banders. ~C. Michael Bailey

Buck Clayton, John Eckert, Jordan Sandke, Byron Stripling, Warren Vache 

Buck Clayton Swings The Village

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Buck Clayton - Junpin' At The Woodside

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:54
Size: 80,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:02)  1. Rock-A-Bye Basie
(10:37)  2. Junpin' At The Woodside
( 6:36)  3. Blue And Sentimental
( 9:37)  4. Broaway

The Buck Clayton jam sessions of the mid-'50s led to writer Stanley Dance coining the term "mainstream" to describe swing-oriented veterans of the era. This out-of-print LP, whose contents have been reissued by Mosaic in their six-CD Buck Clayton box set, has a variety of top mainstream all-stars jamming on four songs associated with Count Basie. 

The music is taken from three different sessions, with this version of "Jumpin' at the Woodside" splicing together the best of two completely different performances. The lineup of top players (including trumpeters Clayton, Joe Newman and Ruby Braff, trombonists Trummy Young, Urbie Green and Benny Green, clarinetist Woody Herman and tenors Coleman Hawkins, Al Cohn, Buddy Tate and Lem Davis among others) gives one a good idea as to the high quality of the music.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jumpin-at-the-woodside-mw0000871165

Personnel:  Buck Clayton – trumpet;  Joe Newman (tracks 2 & 3), Joe Thomas (track 2) – trumpet;  Ruby Braff – cornet (tracks 1 & 4);  Bennie Green (tracks 1 & 4), Urbie Green (tracks 2 & 3), Dicky Harris (tracks 1 & 4), Trummy Young (track 2) – trombone;  Woody Herman – clarinet (track 2);  Lem Davis – alto saxophone (tracks 2 & 3);  Al Cohn (track 2), Julian Dash (track 2), Coleman Hawkins (tracks 1–4), Buddy Tate (tracks 1 & 4) – tenor saxophone;  Charles Fowlkes – baritone saxophone (tracks 2 & 3);  Jimmy Jones (track 2), Billy Kyle (tracks 2 & 3) – piano, celeste;  Al Waslohn – piano (tracks 1 & 4);  Steve Jordan (tracks 1, 2 & 4), Freddie Green (tracks 2 & 3) – guitar;  Milt Hinton (tracks 1–4), Walter Page (track 2) – bass;  Jo Jones – drums;  Jack Ackerman – tap dancing (track 1).

Junpin' At The Woodside

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Buck Clayton Jam Session - How Hi The Fi

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:35
Size: 125,3 MB
Art: Front

(13:50)  1. How hi the fi
(14:10)  2. Blue moon
(13:47)  3. Sentimental journey
(12:46)  4. Moten swing

The first of the famous Buck Clayton jam sessions, the exciting music on this long out-of-print LP has been reissued as part of a Mosaic box set. Two songs ("Sentimental Journey" and "Moten Swing") are from a December 1953 session in which the trumpeter/leader is teamed with trumpeter Joe Newman, trombonists Urbie Green and Benny Powell, altoist Lem Davis, Julian Dash on tenor, baritonist Charlie Fowlkes, pianist Sir Charles Thompson, guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Walter Page and drummer Jo Jones. However it is "How Hi the Fi" (cut along with "Blue Moon" on March 31, 1954) that is most memorable. Buck and fellow trumpeter Joe Thomas, trombonists Urbie Green and Trummy Young, clarinetist Woody Herman, Davis and Dash, Al Cohn on second tenor, pianist Jimmy Jones, guitarist Steve Jordan, bassist Walter Page and drummer Jo Jones are all in inspired form. The most memorable soloists are the rambunctious Trummy Young, the harmonically advanced chordings of Jimmy Jones and an exuberant Woody Herman who was rarely heard in this type of jam session setting. 

With Clayton having worked out some ensemble riffs for the horns beforehand and plenty of space left for spontaneity, this music has plenty of magic.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/how-hi-the-fi-mw0000868476

Personnel:  Buck Clayton – trumpet;  Joe Newman (tracks 3 & 4), Joe Thomas (tracks 1 & 2) – trumpet;  Urbie Green, Benny Powell (tracks 3 & 4), Trummy Young (tracks 1 & 2) – trombone;  Woody Herman – clarinet (tracks 1 & 2);  Lem Davis – alto saxophone;  Al Cohn (tracks 1 & 2), Julian Dash – tenor saxophone;  Charles Fowlkes – baritone saxophone (tracks 3 & 4);  Jimmy Jones (tracks 1 & 2), Sir Charles Thompson (tracks 3 & 4) – piano;  Steve Jordan (tracks 1 & 2), Freddie Green (tracks 3 & 4) – guitar;  Walter Page – bass;  Jo Jones – drums.

How Hi The Fi

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Buck Clayton - The Golden Days Of Jazz (Swingin' Buck Clayton Jams Count Basie & Benny Goodman)

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:31
Size: 177,6 MB
Art: Front

(25:25)  1. Christopher Columbus
( 9:21)  2. Don't Be That Way
( 8:30)  3. Undecided
( 8:05)  4. Rock-A-Bye Basie
(10:28)  5. Jumpin' At The Woodside
( 6:26)  6. Blue & Sentimental
( 9:12)  7. Broadway

An excellent bandleader and accompanist for many vocalists, including Billie Holiday, Buck Clayton was a valued soloist with Count Basie Orchestra during the '30s and '40s, and later was a celebrated studio and jam session player, writer, and arranger. His tart, striking tone and melodic dexterity were his trademark, and Clayton provided several charts for Basie's orchestra and many other groups. Clayton began his career in California, where he organized a big band that had a residency in China in 1934. When he returned, Clayton led a group and played with other local bands. During a 1936 visit to Kansas City, he was invited to join Basie's orchestra as a replacement for Hot Lips Page. Clayton was also featured on sessions with Lester Young, Teddy Wilson, and Holiday in the late '30s. He remained in the Basie band until 1943, when he left for army service. After leaving the army, Clayton did arrangements for Basie, Benny Goodman, and Harry James before forming a sextet in the late '40s. He toured Europe with this group in 1949 and 1950. Clayton continued heading a combo during the '50s, and worked with Joe Bushkin, Tony Parenti, and Jimmy Rushing, among others. He organized a series of outstanding recordings for Columbia in the mid-'50s under the title Jam Session (compiled and reissued by Mosaic in 1993). There were sessions with Rushing, Ruby Braff, and Nat Pierce. Clayton led a combo with Coleman Hawkins and J.J. Johnson at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, then reunited with Goodman in 1957 at the Waldorf Astoria. There was another European tour, this time with Mezz Mezzrow. He appeared in the 1956 film The Benny Goodman Story and played the 1958 Brussels World Fair with Sidney Bechet. Clayton later made another European visit with a Newport Jazz Festival tour. He joined Eddie Condon's band in 1959, a year after appearing in the film Jazz on a Summer's Day. Clayton toured Japan and Australia with Condon's group in 1964, and continued to revisit Europe throughout the '60s, often with Humphrey Lyttelton's band, while playing festivals across the country. But lip and health problems virtually ended his playing career in the late '60s. After a period outside of music, Clayton once again became active in music, this time as a non-playing arranger, touring Africa as part of a State Department series in 1977. He provided arrangements and compositions for a 1974 Lyttleton and Buddy Tate album, and did more jam session albums for Chiaroscuro in 1974 and 1975. He also became an educator, teaching at Hunter College in the early '80s. Clayton led a group of Basie sidemen on a European tour in 1983, then headed his own big band in 1987 that played almost exclusively his compositions and arrangements. That same year Clayton's extensive autobiography Buck Clayton's Jazz World, with Nancy Miller-Elliot, was published.~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/artist/buck-clayton-mn0000634674/biography

Personnel: Trumpet, Liner Notes – Buck Clayton;   Alto Saxophone – Lem Davis;  Baritone Saxophone – Charlie Fowlkes;  Bass – Milt Hinton, Walter Page;  Clarinet – Woody Herman, Drums – Jo Jones;  Guitar – Freddie Green, Steve Jordan;  Piano – Al Washlon, Billy Kyle, Jimmy Jones, Charles Thompson;  Tenor Saxophone – Al Cohn, Buddy Tate, Coleman Hawkins, Julian Dash;  Trombone – Bennie Green, Dick Harris, Henderson Chambers, Trummy Young, Urbie Green;  Trumpet – Joe Newman, Joe Thomas, Ruby Braff 

The Golden Days Of Jazz (Swingin' Buck Clayton Jams Count Basie & Benny Goodman)

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Buddy Tate - Swinging Like Tate

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:48
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:03)  1. Bottle
(8:36)  2. Walk That Walk
(5:59)  3. Miss Sadie Brown
(7:40)  4. Moon Eyes
(7:02)  5. Rockin' Steve
(5:25)  6. Rompin' With Buck

For this CD reissue, which brings back material originally recorded by Stanley Dance for the Felsted label, veteran swing tenor Buddy Tate is heard at the head of two different groups for three obscure songs apiece. The first half has Tate leading his Celebrity Club Orchestra, a four-horn octet that lacked any big names but worked regularly throughout the era. For the second half, Tate is teamed with some of the Count Basie alumni including trumpeter Buck Clayton, trombonist Dicky Wells, altoist Earle Warren and drummer Jo Jones. The music overall is fine mainstream jazz of the 1950's that is easily recommended to straightahead jazz fans although little unexpected or all that memorable occurs. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/swinging-like-tate-mw0000200603 

Personnel: Buddy Tate (tenor sax, clarinet); Pat Jenkins (trumpet); Eli Robinson (trombone); Ben Richardson (alto sax, clarinet); Skip Hall (piano); Everett Barksdale (guitar); Joe Benjamin (bass); Herbie Lovelle (drums); Buck Clayton (trumpet); Dicky Wells (trombone); Earle Warren (alto sax, baritone sax); Lord Westbrook (guitar); Aaron Bell (bass); Jo Jones (drums).

Swinging Like Tate

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Lester Young - Kansas City Swing

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:55
Size: 167,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
(3:00)  2. Countless Blues
(2:59)  3. Them There Eyes
(2:53)  4. I Want A Little Girl
(2:57)  5. Pagin' The Devil
(4:12)  6. I Got Rhythm
(4:09)  7. I'm Fer It Too
(3:06)  8. Hello Babe
(3:06)  9. Linger Awhile
(3:14) 10. Just You Just Me
(3:11) 11. I Never Knew
(3:10) 12. Afternoon Of A Basie-ite
(3:07) 13. Sometimes I'm Happy
(4:44) 14. After Theatre Jump
(4:12) 15. Six Cats And A Prince
(4:28) 16. Lester Leaps Again
(3:53) 17. Destination KC
(2:55) 18. Three Little Words
(3:20) 19. Jo-Jo
(2:51) 20. Four O'Clock Drag
(3:18) 21. I Got Rhythm

Lester Young was one of the true jazz giants, a tenor saxophonist who came up with a completely different conception in which to play his horn, floating over bar lines with a light tone rather than adopting Coleman Hawkins' then-dominant forceful approach. A non-conformist, Young (nicknamed "Pres" by Billie Holiday) had the ironic experience in the 1950s of hearing many young tenors try to sound exactly like him. Although he spent his earliest days near New Orleans, Lester Young lived in Minneapolis by 1920, playing in a legendary family band. He studied violin, trumpet, and drums, starting on alto at age 13. Because he refused to tour in the South, Young left home in 1927 and instead toured with Art Bronson's Bostonians, switching to tenor. He was back with the family band in 1929 and then freelanced for a few years, playing with Walter Page's Blue Devils (1930), Eddie Barefield in 1931, back with the Blue Devils during 1932-1933, and Bennie Moten and King Oliver (both 1933). He was with Count Basie for the first time in 1934 but left to replace Coleman Hawkins with Fletcher Henderson. Unfortunately, it was expected that Young would try to emulate Hawk, and his laid-back sound angered Henderson's sidemen, resulting in Pres not lasting long. After a tour with Andy Kirk and a few brief jobs, Lester Young was back with Basie in 1936, just in time to star with the band as they headed East. Young made history during his years with Basie, not only participating on Count's record dates but starring with Billie Holiday and Teddy Wilson on a series of classic small-group sessions. In addition, on his rare recordings on clarinet with Basie and the Kansas City Six, Young displayed a very original cool sound that almost sounded like altoist Paul Desmond in the 1950s. After leaving Count in 1940, Young's career became a bit aimless, not capitalizing on his fame in the jazz world. He co-led a low-profile band with his brother, drummer Lee Young, in Los Angeles until re-joining Basie in December 1943. Young had a happy nine months back with the band, recorded a memorable quartet session with bassist Slam Stewart, and starred in the short film Jammin' the Blues before he was drafted. His experiences dealing with racism in the military were horrifying, affecting his mental state of mind for the remainder of his life.

Although many critics have written that Lester Young never sounded as good after getting out of the military, despite erratic health he actually was at his prime in the mid- to late-'40s. He toured (and was well paid by Norman Granz) with Jazz at the Philharmonic on and off through the '40s and '50s, made a wonderful series of recordings for Aladdin, and worked steadily as a single. Young also adopted his style well to bebop (which he had helped pave the way for in the 1930s). But mentally he was suffering, building a wall between himself and the outside world, and inventing his own colorful vocabulary. Although many of his recordings in the 1950s were excellent (showing a greater emotional depth than in his earlier days), Young was bothered by the fact that some of his white imitators were making much more money than he was. He drank huge amounts of liquor and nearly stopped eating, with predictable results. 1956's Jazz Giants album found him in peak form as did a well documented engagement in Washington, D.C., with a quartet and a last reunion with Count Basie at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. But, for the 1957 telecast The Sound of Jazz, Young mostly played sitting down (although he stole the show with an emotional one-chorus blues solo played to Billie Holiday). After becoming ill in Paris in early 1959, Lester Young came home and essentially drank himself to death. Many decades after his death, Pres is still considered (along with Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane) one of the three most important tenor saxophonists of all time. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lester-young-mn0000259529/biography

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Lester Young;   Double Bass – Al Hall, John Simmons, Rodney Richardson , Slam Stewart , Walter Page;  Drums – Jo Jones, Sidney Catlett;  Electric Guitar – Eddie Durham; Guitar – Freddie Green;  Piano – Ellis Larkins, Joe Bushkin, Johnny Guarnieri, Prince Charming;
Trombone – Dickie Wells;  Trumpet – Bill Coleman, Buck Clayton

Kansas City Swing

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Nancy Harrow - Wild Women Don't Have The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:54
Size: 95.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1962/1989
Art: Front

[5:10] 1. Take Me Back Baby
[5:26] 2. All Too Soon
[5:16] 3. Can't We Be Friends
[4:51] 4. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[5:24] 5. Wild Women Don't Have The Blues
[4:24] 6. I've Got The World On A String
[3:51] 7. I Don't Know What Kind Of Blues I've Got
[7:28] 8. Blues For Yesterday

Baritone Saxophone – Danny Bank; Bass – Milt Hinton; Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Tom Gwaltney; Drums – Oliver Jackson; Guitar – Kenny Burrell; Piano – Dick Wellstood; Tenor Saxophone – Buddy Tate; Trombone – Dickie Wells; Trumpet, Leader, Arranged By – Buck Clayton; Vocals – Nancy Harrow. Recorded at Nola Penthouse Studios, New York, November 2 and 3, 1960.

Although singer Nancy Harrow made a strong impression with this debut recording (which has been reissued on CD), she did not lead another record date until 1978 other than a lesser-known effort for Atlantic in 1966. Obviously the years of obscurity were not deserved, for this set is a near-classic. Harrow is heard in her early prime singing such veteran songs as "All Too Soon," "On the Sunny Side of the Street," the seven-minute "Blues for Yesterday," and the title cut (originally done by Ida Cox in the 1920s). A more modern stylist (although influenced by Billie Holiday a little) than the material she performed at the time, Harrow is joined by such top mainstream players as trumpeter Buck Clayton (who provided the arrangements), tenorman Buddy Tate, trombonist Dickie Wells, and pianist Dick Wellstood. Highly recommended, Harrow's debut date has plenty of spirit and enthusiasm. ~Scott Yanow

Wild Women Don't Have The Blues

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Joe Bushkin - Live At The Embers 1952

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:15
Size: 115.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[ 5:58] 1. But Not For Me
[ 6:03] 2. After You've Gone
[ 8:49] 3. Ballad Medley: Easy Living/I've Got The World On A String/ If You Were Mine/Body And Soul
[ 4:30] 4. St Louis Blues
[ 5:22] 5. You're Just In Love
[ 7:16] 6. Honeysuckle Rose
[12:14] 7. Medley: Memories Of You/Yesterdays/September Song/California Here I Come

JOE BUSHKIN piano; BUCK CLAYTON trumpet; MILT HINTON bass; “PAPA” JO JONES drums.

One night in early 1952, violinist and innovative audiophile David Sarser lugged one of the first Ampex reel-to-reel tape decks into a popular Manhattan nightclub on East 54th street called The Embers to record some of the excellent music being served up nightly by four of the world's top Jazz musicians at the top of their game. To hear Clayton live in 1952 on this previously unreleased recording is a revelation. When Bushkin's quartet opened at The Embers for a two-week engagement in the Fall of 1951, they caused such a sensation that owner Ralph Watkins held them over for 16 weeks. Patrons would congregate nightly at the El Morocco club across the street to wait for a table at The Embers to open up.

Live At The Embers 1952

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Vic Dickenson & Joe Thomas & Their All-Star Bands - Mainstream

Styles: Trombone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:23
Size: 88,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:52)  1. Sweethearts On Parade
( 5:58)  2. I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me
( 4:47)  3. Undecided
( 3:39)  4. Crazy Rhythm
( 6:15)  5. The Lamp Is Low
(12:50)  6. Blues For Baby

Mainstream presents swing masters Joe Thomas and Vic Dickenson fronting all-star bands in a time when swing music was elbowing for attention amidst the world of be-bop, cool, and other modern jazz movements. The year was 1958, and English jazz critic Albert J. McCarthy was in New York City writing a book on swing. Surprised to find how difficult a time even the best swing musicians were having in the homeland of jazz, he approached Atlantic Records to sponsor two recording sessions. The first session featured underrated trumpeter Joe Thomas with a band that included Dickie Wells, Buddy Tate, Buster Bailey, and oddly enough, modernist Herbie Nichols on piano. The second session featured the great trombonist Vic Dickenson, Buck Clayton, and Gene Ramey. Both sessions have been re-mastered; the sound quality is excellent. So are the performances. 

Joe Thomas is still grotesquely underrated, and if anyone needs evidence of his mastery this is the recording to bring home that Thomas was among the best of his instrument. Over the years he played and recorded with Fletcher Henderson, Teddy Wilson, and Art Tatum to mention a few. His clear, assured sound and technical skill makes it obvious why McCarthy felt compelled to document this neglected musician. Two-thirds of the disc features Thomas and his band. The other third features Vic Dickenson who has faired better in the annals of jazz history. He is known for his bluesy-toned trombone of exquisite phrasing. Lauded by the famous French jazz critic Andre Hodeir as one of the best of all early jazz musicians, Dickenson doesn’t disappoint on this disc. Although his solo time is limited in the ensemble focus of the arrangements, his solo on "The Lamp Is Low" is particularly memorable. Actually, with either Dickie Wells or Vic Dickenson playing trombone and either Joe Thomas or Buck Clayton playing lead trumpet this is a brass player’s disc if there ever was one. In short, if you’re interested in a satisfying, swing recording featuring a line-up of outstanding soloists, good rhythm sections, and a selection of solid arrangements, then Mainstream is definitely worth checking out. Recommended. ~ Mike Neely https://www.allaboutjazz.com/mainstream-vic-dickenson-koch-international-jazz-review-by-mike-neely.php

Personnel: Joe Thomas, trumpet; Johnny Letman, 2nd trumpet; Dickie Wells, trombone; Buddy Tate, tenor sax; Buster Bailey, clarinet; Herbie Nichols, piano; Everett Barksdale, guitar; Bill Pemberton, bass; and Jimmy Crawford, drums. Vic Dickenson, trombone; Buck Clayton, trumpet; Hal Singer, tenor sax; Herbie Hall, clarinet; Al Williams, piano; Danny Barker, guitar; Gene Ramey, bass; and Marquis Foster, drums.

Mainstream

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Buck Clayton - Passport To Paradise

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:36
Size: 99,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:49)  1. My Funny Valentine
(4:06)  2. I Cover The Waterfront
(4:26)  3. Please Be Kind
(3:17)  4. Sleepy Time Gal
(3:40)  5. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
(3:08)  6. I Cried For You
(2:51)  7. Passport To Paradise
(2:46)  8. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
(2:41)  9. Ma Gigolette
(3:51) 10. Tangerine
(4:25) 11. Body And Soul
(3:30) 12. Green Eyes

Trumpeter Buck Clayton was in Paris at the time of this tasteful and typically melodic quintet date. Joined by a four-piece rhythm section that features pianist Sir Charles Thompson and guitarist Jean Bonal, Clayton (who generally states the opening melody muted and then closes the piece with an open horn) never really cuts loose but is quite pleasing to hear on these standards. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/passport-to-paradise-mw0000909591

Personnel:  Buck Clayton – trumpet;  Sir Charles Thompson – piano;  Jean Bonal – guitar;  Gene Ramey – double bass;  Oliver Jackson - drums

Passport To Paradise

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Harry 'Sweets' Edison - The Swinger (2-Disc Set)

Harry Edison, Buck Clayton (tp), Jimmy Forrest (ts), Jimmy Jones, Kenny Drew (p), Eddie Costa (vib), Freddie Green (g), Joe Benjamin, John Simmons (b), Charlie Persip (d)

Harry Sweets Edison was widely recognized as a master of the muted blues trumpet sound, both when he was with Basies band during the swing era, and from 1953 on, as a freelance on many of the jazz and pop recordings that emanated from Hollywood. In the fall of 1958, Sweets moved back to New York to start a third phase in his career. He put together the swinging sextet showcased in these recordings produced by Verves Norman Granz. The group featured tenorist Jimmy Forrest, who contributed with his great taste and tonal strength, and a first class rhythm section, blessedly boosted by Freddie Green's punching guitar, pianist Jimmy Jones, a crisp-toned and flexible delight, the tasteful Joe Benjamin on bass, and the controlling force of Charlie Persip on drums. This was the kind of straightforward, utterly groovy small group jazz with consistently clear-thinking and strong voices. Trumpeter Buck Clayton joined the second date, playing back to back with Sweets, and guitarist Steve Jordan replaced Green in most of the tracks. Harry Edison the swinger, playing standards or originals or just the blues, glows in these warm sessions with incandescence. He neatly swings through standards and a few of his own tunes.

On the last three tracks of CD-2, coming from a Roulette session, the contribution of the sidemen can easily be overlooked, for it is the Edison personality, open or muted, that lends the tunes its character.

Album: The Swinger (Disc 1)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 77:01

Size: 176.3 MB

Styles: Trumpet jazz, Mainstream jazz

Year: 2011

[7:31] 1. Pussy Willow

[6:05] 2. The Very Thought Of You

[5:18] 3. Nasty

[6:54] 4. The Strollers

[6:54] 5. Sunday

[9:54] 6. Love Is Here To Stay

[4:54] 7. Fair Ground

[5:43] 8. Ill Wind

[8:46] 9. Impressario

[9:50] 10. Short Coat

[5:07] 11. Baby Won't You Please Come Home

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Album: The Swinger (Disc 2)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 76:59

Size: 176.2 MB

Styles: Trumpet jazz, Mainstream jazz

Year: 2011

Art: Front

[7:24] 1. How Am I To Know

[9:14] 2. Blues In The Closet

[6:37] 3. Memories For The Count (Alternate)

[5:51] 4. Come With Me

[6:46] 5. Critics' Delight

[8:57] 6. All Depends On You/Charmaine/How Long Has This Been Going On /Makin' Whoopie

[9:09] 7. Oh! How I Hate To Get Up In The Afternoon

[8:55] 8. Memories For The Count

[5:21] 9. Come With Me (Alt. Take)

[1:57] 10. Indiana

[4:01] 11. Pussy Willow

[2:40] 12. Sweetenings

The Swinger and Mr Swing Disc1,Disc2 

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Buck Clayton - Goin' To Kansas City

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:29
Size: 85.8 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 1960/1990
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. Hello, Babe
[3:28] 2. An Old Manuscript
[3:08] 3. Kansas City Ballad
[4:09] 4. The Jumping Blues
[4:29] 5. Walter Page
[4:41] 6. Midnight Mama
[3:04] 7. John's Idea
[3:13] 8. Steppin' Pretty
[3:36] 9. Dedicated To You
[4:36] 10. The New Tulsa Blues

Although trumpeter Buck Clayton gets top billing, this CD reissue actually features Tommy Gwaltney's Kansas City Nine, an unusual group sporting arrangements by Gwaltney and tenor-saxophonist Tommy Newsom (who decades later became famous for his work on The Tonight Show). The group has an unusual combination of major names (Clayton, trombonist Dickie Wells, guitarist Charlie Byrd, pianist John Bunch, bassist Whitey Mitchell and drummer Buddy Schutz) along with Gwaltney (who doubles on reeds and vibes), Newsom and Bobby Zottola (playing second trumpet and peck horn). Although the nonet performs a variety of songs associated with Kansas City Jazz of the swing era, the arrangements are modern and unpredictable. ~Scott Yanow

Goin' To Kansas City

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Buck Clayton - Tenderly

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Swing
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:09
Size: 86,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:25)  1. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
(2:48)  2. Rosetta
(3:09)  3. Lonesome
(3:23)  4. Tenderly
(2:57)  5. Sugar Blues
(2:45)  6. Black And Blue
(2:31)  7. Premier Bal
(2:56)  8. These Foolish Things
(3:07)  9. Louise
(2:45) 10. Pennies From Heaven
(3:24) 11. Stompin' At The Savoy
(2:52) 12. I'm In The Mood For Love

This out-of-print Inner City LP has tasteful playing by Buck Clayton with a French quintet comprised of Jean-Claude Pelletier on piano and organ, guitarist Jean Bonal, bassist Roland Lobligeois and expatraite drummer Kansas Fields. 

The emphasis is on ballads and standards (although there are a pair of obscure Sidney Bechet tunes) but Clayton's appealing sound, naturally melodic style and swinging solos make all of the concise performances of interest to mainstream jazz fans.~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/tenderly-mw0000911536

Personnel:  Buck Clayton – trumpet;  Jean-Claude Pelletier - piano, organ;  Jean Bonal – guitar;  Roland Lobligeois – bass;  Kansas Fields - drums

Tenderly

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Lester Young - The 'Kansas City Sessions'

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1997

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 67:17

Size: 154,6 MB

Art: Front

(3:02)  1. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans (take 2)

(3:00)  2. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans

(3:03)  3. Countless Blues

(3:01)  4. Countless Blues (take 2)

(3:00)  5. Them There Eyes (take 2)

(3:01)  6. Them There Eyes

(2:56)  7. I Want a Little Girl

(2:57)  8. I Want a Little Girl (take 2)

(2:59)  9. Pagin' the Devil

(2:58) 10. Pagin' the Devil (take 2)

(3:22) 11. Three Little Words (take 2)

(2:54) 12. Three Little Words

(3:20) 13. Jo Jo

(3:18) 14. I Got Rhythm (take 3)

(3:18) 15. I Got Rhythm (take 2)

(3:19) 16. I Got Rhythm

(2:53) 17. Four O'Clock Drag

(2:53) 18. Four O'Clock Drag (take 3)

(3:07) 19. Laughing at Life

(2:54) 20. Good Mornin' Blues

(3:06) 21. I Know That You Know

(2:47) 22. Love Me or Leave Me

This is a CD overflowing with classic performances. The great Lester Young is heard with the 1938 version of the Kansas City Six, a group also including trumpeter Buck Clayton (in prime form), Eddie Durham on electric guitar (where he preceded Charlie Christian) and trombone, the rhythm guitar of Freddie Green, bassist Walter Page, and drummer Jo Jones. The four selections (all of which are joined by an alternate take apiece) are most notable for Young's switching to clarinet on some of the pieces. His clarinet solo on "I Want a Little Girl" sounds eerily like Paul Desmond's alto of 15 years later. These classic cool jazz performances have delightful interplay between the two horns. The second part of the reissue features the 1944 Kansas City Six in which Young (sticking to tenor) and trumpeter Bill Coleman are joined by a three-piece rhythm section and trombonist Dickie Wells. Wells, who takes some very colorful and nearly riotous solos, rarely sounded better, and the four selections are highlighted by three equally rewarding versions of "I Got Rhythm" and two of "Three Little Words." The CD concludes with the four titles by 1938's Kansas City Five, which was essentially the early Kansas City Six without Young. Clayton is once again in top form, and Durham's guitar solos were among the first worthwhile examples of the electric guitar on record. This gem is highly recommended for all jazz collections. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-kansas-city-sessions-mw0000087654

Personnel: Lester Young (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Freddie Green (vocals, guitar); Eddie Durham (electric guitar, trombone); Bill Coleman , Buck Clayton (trumpet); Dicky Wells (trombone); Joe Bushkin (piano); Jo Jones (drums).

The Kansas City Sessions

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Count Basie And His Orchestra - Rock-a-Bye Basie [Live in '38 & '39]

Styles: Jazz, Big Band, Swing
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:40
Size: 177,1 MB
Art: Front

(0:59)  1. One O'Clock Jump (Opening Theme)
(3:00)  2. King Porter Stomp
(3:59)  3. Nagasaki
(4:06)  4. Indiana
(3:01)  5. Doggin' Around
(0:32)  6. One O'Clock Jump (Closing Theme)
(3:54)  7. Haven't Changed A Thing
(2:27)  8. Out The Window
(4:20)  9. Wo-Ta-Ta
(3:27) 10. Love Of My Life
(3:26) 11. John's Idea
(2:59) 12. Yeah Man!
(2:35) 13. Indiana
(3:10) 14. Jump For Me
(4:22) 15. Moten Swing
(3:35) 16. Rock-A-Bye Basie
(4:11) 17. Swingin' The Blues
(2:57) 18. Time Out
(2:09) 19. Roseland Shuffle
(3:01) 20. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(3:30) 21. Clap Hands! Here Comes Charlie
(2:25) 22. Lousiana
(2:44) 23. Darktown Strutters Ball
(5:39) 24. One O'Clock Jump

These broadcasts (all but one selection from 1938-39) capture Count Basie's orchestra live from the Famous Door. This CD contains 24 performances, a few of which are incomplete or poorly recorded. However, the enthusiastic solos of Lester Young, fellow tenors Herschel Evans and Buddy Tate, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison and Basie himself are fresh and creative, and the ensembles are consistently swinging. These are the best pre-World War II live recordings of the Count Basie Orchestra and well worth acquiring. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/rock-a-bye-basie-live-in-38-39-mw0000677896

Rock-a-Bye Basie [Live in '38 & '39]

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