Yes, appears so. I'm not crazy about a lot of the Venuti in that set, but love the George Whetting (though that and a lot of the Venuti is not "hot early jazz."
It’s great to see a thread like this, I have to go back and see what’s mentioned, but since my time is limited I want to second something that was included the John R. T. Davies list. Cab Cab Calloway and the Missourians, 1929-1930 John R. T. Davies The Missourians were a hot killer band and Calloway ditched his band to lead them. Try their first sides and the early Cab Calloway. Try his St. Louis Blues and hold your breath while he holds a note. The trumpeter (at least with Callaway, I don’t remember if he was a Missourian) is Doc Cheatham. He might help you to give Jabbo a rest. Also Second the Henderson recommendation. On the KC front aren’t there sides of the Blue Devils. Also find the Bessie Smith sides with Armstrong and Bechet. They disappoint arch Blues fans, but I love them, I think most people do. I’ll check back in and take some notes, I am way behind in what’s going on in reissues. Gregg
Johnny Dodds' Paramount recordings have a great selection of his more obscure music, including sessions with Lovie Austin, Blind Blake, Junie Cobb, Freddie Keppard, Tiny Parham and others... fairly well represented on two Black Swan CDs (I haven't heard these, but have been happy with Black Swan mastering in the past): http://jazzology.com/item_detail.php?id=BSCD-32 http://jazzology.com/item_detail.php?id=BSCD-33 Also, if you can find it, 'New York Horns (1924-1928)' (Hot 'n' Sweet/Epm) is one of my favorites... small groups, all instrumental, great introduction to some very original and lesser known New York studio bands: http://allmusic.com/album/new-york-horns-1924-1928-r220045 Lots of material from this period can also be found on LP: labels like Biograph, Collector's Classics, Fountain, Herwin, Historical, RCA (France), VJM and others... including some items still not reissued on CD.
This thread has great info. I just bumped it up to see if anyone else has any recommendations to add.
Thanks for bumping. I appreciate that! Maybe someone knows of some new releases? I'd love to hear improved releases of Luis Russell Orchestra and of The Rhythmakers. Most releases by these two bands suffer from some degree of NR. Never heard of the Rhythmakers? Check them out! And Tommy Dorsey blows some mean trombone in these sessions. Here's a brief description: Trumpeter Red Allen teams up with Pee Wee Russell (heard on both clarinet and tenor) and either Joe Sullivan or Fats Waller on piano for eight selections originally released under singer Billy Banks's name, seven from the Rhythmakers and one number ("Who Stole the Lock on the Hen House Door") from a date headed by guitarist Jack Bland. The heated interaction between Allen and Russell (particularly on the later version of "Oh Peter") is quite inspired, and, even with the many Billy Banks vocals, this music should greatly satisfy Dixieland and New Orleans jazz fans.
Jazz Oracle just released three three-cd sets of Red Nichols material on Brunswick. Ted Kendall has done the remastering. I be they are really something, I've gotten all three sets but so far only listened to the first one. Sound is excellent. Great players: Goodman, Teagarden, Lang, Kress, Rollini et al.
Late to the party, but it doesn't get much hotter than Fess Williams' 1929-30 recordings. There's a 2-CD Jazz Oracle release, which is a little excessive. I really like the "Hot Town" LP on IAJRC -- probably all you need.
If you're getting addicted to this stuff, then it's time to head to New York City, to Harlem's National Jazz Museum. They have the Savory collection available for listening. The period covered is just after the period covered in this thread, roughly 1935-40. I recommend it for two reasons, first, the sound quality is often stunning and the performances are often small groups playing outside the constraints of 78 rpm swing records.
Punch Miller with various bands. Blows me away all the time. http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1592315/a/Punch+Miller+%26+Albert+Wynn+(1925-1930).htm (Note:CD has vocals and not all have Punch in the lineup)
I got into a lot of jazz from this era by way of a mid-1990's Marshall Cavendish (UK-only?) part-work series called Jazz Greats. There were 80 issues (plus a few specials) of a magazine that came out every two weeks, each with a cover-mount CD. They sold special binders to put the magazines in to form a kind of a jazz encyclopaedia and the 80 or so CDs quickly took up shelf-space. I recently noticed that they're making them available again as subscriber downloads, well, Octavian Direct Ltd are. This time, they're making the music available as MP3 files (yuck!), the magazine comes as a PDF file (OK!) and the CD artwork is in JPG format for you to print out, if you wish. All in all, it's an invaluable introduction to early jazz and it all can reside on your computer, taking up no valuable shelf-space. Link: Jazz Greats Online
I have a few of the cds from the 'nineties releases of Jazz Greats, remastering was by J. R. T. Davies, excellent sounds.
Yes, indeed, the late John R.T. Davies did an amazing amount of work (all analogue, BTW) to restore and preserve a lot of this stuff for our generation. Future generations may have to make do with the MP3 versions, alas.
Just found this thread. This is my favorite music of all time too. It's pretty much all I've been listening to for the past few years (minus a few diversions here and there!) I've amassed many of the excellent recommendations listed in this thread. Since most of the labels have already been covered (JSP, Jazz Oracle, etc), I'll say that I haven't limited myself to just the jazz music of this era. The "hot" dance music or "sweet jazz" of this era is fantastic fun too. Rivermont Records has a nice little collection of novelty and sweet jazz stuff. Regarding the singing of this age: I would recommend that fans of this era should really try to get used to it -- since so many great bands/songs have it. But it's not bad actually. They're trying to not get in the way if you think about it. They just sing the little melody and step aside. I kind of like it. It really took my appreciate of Bing Crosby to a new level (awe). He was just on another level. Musically, rhythmically and technically. I strongly urge folks to check out Retrieval's excellent sampler: Bing Crosby: Jazz Singer 1931-1941. I've even gone back further into the time machine and have basically everything Archeophone Records has put out. If you're feeling adventurous...check it out. That will REALLY make you appreciate the loose, hep new jass music of 1917!! They've put out two fantastic reissues for "Off The Record" -- King Oliver's 1923 band and a two disc sampler of N.O. bands. They're also putting out the complete Wolverines, on April 10. Speaking of 1917...the Original Dixieland Jazz Band doesn't get a lot of love for various reasons, but I think they're one of the best of the pioneer class.
A recent CD, perhaps somewhat essential for "serious" Morton enthusiasts: Jelly Roll Morton Rarities (Jazz Oracle) http://allmusic.com/album/rarities-the-rare-band-and-blues-sides-mw0002222833 All new transfers--from very rare originals--have cast some Jelly Roll obscurities in a new light... The opening Paramount sides (his earliest known) sound almost like different recordings, compared with previous reissues. Many tracks have a clarity I've not heard before, important as people are still trying to identify some of these performers. This release seems to favor detail over tonal balance: probably not the most listenable in general, as these are lo-fi recordings. It doesn't supercede the great Masters Of Jazz series, which I find most listenable overall. Some other highlights for me: Fish Tail Blues - I've always loved this (an early version of Sidewalk Blues), haven't heard it in this kind of detail. Three other sides by the group--Jelly Roll Morton's Kings Of Jazz--have a unique sound here as well. Soap Suds - a pitch/speed-corrected version in A flat sounds much more natural (I think) than the same recording in G as originally issued, also included. Great companion CDs are the 'Ferd Jelly Roll Morton' solo piano and 'Complete New Orleans Rhythm Kings' discs on Challenge/Retrieval. Along with the present release, they comprise Morton's complete pre-Victor recordings (1923-1926).
All right, I rambled about Johnny Dodds CDs earlier in this thread, must amend my recommendations. This new release is really impressive: Johnny Dodds On Paramount (2 CD, Frog) http://allmusic.com/album/johnny-dodds-on-paramount-mw0002311241 Amazing collection of '20s Chicago small band jazz, the cast of performers includes Louis Armstrong, Lovie Austin, Jimmy Bertrand, Blind Blake, Jimmy Blythe, Freddie Keppard, Tiny Parham, and many others: very well transferred and mastered by Doug Benson. This seems like the best digital source for the King Oliver Paramounts--I like it better than the Challenge/Retrieval or Archeophone--and probably the best for many of these sides.
What is this a boys club? The BOSWELL Sisters backed by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra (1931-1934) is great jazz with top notch three part harmonies. Volume 1 (either Collector’s Classics or Nostalgia Arts) is the best volume for hot early jazz. By the way, don't buy the Nostalgia Arts version directly from Amazon, if you don't want a CD-R.
Many women appear on the Dodds and Morton collections mentioned above, including instrumentalists... Lil Hardin with King Oliver's Jazz Band, and Lovie Austin with her Serenaders. Often overlooked, pianist/composer/arranger/bandleader Lovie Austin was a jazz and blues pioneer; she leads a number of sessions on the Dodds set. "Frog Tongue Stomp" and "In The Alley Blues" from 1926 are real classics, both her compositions. Her early band accompanied Ma Rainey on Ma's first records. Thanks for that information...
Seems to meet the OP's criteria except for the date range. http://jazztimes.com/articles/11094...swing-hmv-sessions-1936-1948-django-reinhardt
Just wandering through and found this thread - great stuff. Not much to add, other than the new Louis Armstrong Mosaic set led me back to the King Oliver Archeophone release, which has been on steady rotation for the last few days. Anything new and essential in the last few years?
I really like the CD Stop And Listen! - Rare & Hot Black Band Recordings 1923-1930 (Frog)... great compilation, with mastering by Nick Dellow. Some of the more obscure sessions (like those by Leroy Smith and Eddie Heywood) are especially good. http://allmusic.com/album/stop-and-listen!-rare-black-band-recordings-1923-1930-mw0002447668
Archeophone (via their "Off The Record" offshoot-series/label) hasn't released anything since the Wolverine set. Strange. It's a great, well-received series. They do have a new yearbook volume coming out any day now -- 1919. Could be interesting. The 1917 volume was fascinating to me, because it placed the first Jass recordings in context. I've heard "Livery Stable Blues" many, many times -- but to hear it in context with the other "hits" of that year -- is really something you have to experience. It was the first time I ever actually felt how revolutionary and impacting Jazz must have been. It really hit me. You hear songs like "Over There" and then -- BAM! In comes this crazy, youthful, cacophony. Flappers, dancing. It suddenly sounds fresh and exciting. Music changed right there -- and the world was never the same. Pretty wild ****
Thank you for mentioning this label. I have never heard of them before now, and I've just been listening on itunes to the 90-sec samples of the Edison Blue Amberol Records, Domestic Popular Series, Vol. 1 (1501-1530), which is only available digitally. Fantastic stuff! Waltz, aria, overture, pop songs, a minstrel comedy routine, and more. Sounds terrific, and they even have downloadable PDF liner notes for each of the eleven volumes in the ambersol series. The yearbooks you mentioned and some of the themed stuff also catches my eye. What a beautiful label this looks to be!
