Jazz Focus

WETF Show - A Side of Cole . . .not Hawkins this time, but Nat "King" Cole recording with other swing groups from 1940-1947.  The Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Lester Young Trio, Dexter Gordon Quintet  and a special addition, Cole's first records - 1936 with his brother Eddie's band.  Featuring Kenneth Roane, Wesley Prince, Oscar Moore, Buddy Rich, Red Callendar, Harry Edison --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Mardi Gras . .Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band 1944, 45.  These recordings were in some ways the beginning of the New Orleans Jazz Revival - done for Crescent in Los Angeles they feature mostly New Orleans-born African-American musicians who were active professionally from the first and second decades of the 20th Century.  Mutt Carey, Ory, Omer Simeon, Darnell Howard, Buster Wilson, Bud Scott, Ed Garland, Minor Garland, Alton Redd, and, on two live shots from the Orson Wells radio show, Zutty Singleton and Jimmy Noone. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Teddy's Boogie - Teddy Powell and His Orchestra . . little known big band from 1939 at the beginning of its career featuring live recordings, transcriptions and its first Decca records with Jerry Neary on trumpet, Pete Skinner on trombone, Gus Bivona on clarinet, Don Lodice on tenor sax and Milt Raskin on piano - some great swing playing! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

The underrated cornet/trumpet player Sterling Bose was active as a Bix and King Oliver influenced stylist in the 1920's but played with a raft of big bands in the 1930's . . these 1935 recordings focus on three groups (and one bonus) . . .The Vic Berton Orchestra has Bose with the leader on drums, Spencer Clark on bass sax, Matty Matlock, Pee Wee Russell and Chick Bullock while the Little Ramblers are led by Adrian Rollini (on piano!), Sid Stoneburn, Freddy Fallensby and other members of the Joe Haymes Orchestra.  The Haymes musicians (Stoneburn, Bose, and tenor saxophonist Johnny Van Eps) are also with Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven, featuring the leader and Edythe Wright.  The bonus is the actual Joe Haymes Orchestra on one tune  - others will be on a future podcast! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

New Moten Stomp - Benny Moten's Kansas City Orchestra from October, 1930 . . one year into the Depression and the Moten band was still popular enough for a marathon recording session for Victor in KC . .featuring Count Basie, Hot Lips Page, Jimmy Rushing, Ed Lewis, Thamon Hayes, Harlan Leonard, Woodie Walder and Willie McWashington --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Who Can Your Regular Be - The Arcadian Serenaders . . Great hot dance band from St. Louis in 1924/5 featuring either Wingy Manone or Sterling Bose with Cliff Holman, Avery Loposer, Johnny Riddick and Felix Guarino . .many of them were either from New Orleans or worked there, so the sound is very much the New Orleans dance band sound of the 1920's --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Back Beat Boogie - Harry James and His "New" Jazz Band in 1956.  When James scaled back his big band, he used his key sidemen (Nick Buono, Juan Tizol, Willie Smith, Herbie Steward, Larry Kinnamon, Foy Blanton, and Buddy Rich) to launch this interesting group.  Never commercially recorded, these sides come from transcriptions for the USMC and feature vocals by Buddy Rich and Peggy King.  Also, two bonus cuts of small groups from the James band of the mid-late 1940's featuring Willie Smith. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Tap Room Swing - Albert Nicholas in the 1930's.  Small group sessions featuring the great New Orleans clarinetist with Clarence Williams (with Eva Taylor and Willie The Lion Smith), Alex Hill (with Gene Sedric, Claude Jones, Joe Thomas and Benny Carter), Freddie Jenkins and HIs Harlem Seven/Bernard Addison and His Rhythm (with Joe Turner, Kirby Walker and Adrian Rollini), The Little Ramblers (with Ward Pinkett, Bill Dillard, Adrian Rollini, Jack Russin and Danny Barker) and the Louis Armstrong Orchestra (live, with Red Allen, J.C. Higginbotham, Pops Foster and Charlie Holmes) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support