Jazz Focus

Unaccustomed As They Were - Famous musicians playing alternate instruments . . recordings of Benny Goodman on bass clarinet, alto and baritone saxes, Jimmy Dorsey on baritone sax and cornet (with Joe Venuti), Tommy Dorsey on trumpet, Ed Hall on baritone sax (with Claude Hopkins), Jack Teagarden on cornet (with Irving Mills), Barney Bigard on tenor sax (with Ellington), Milt Hinton on tuba (with Tiny Parham), Buster Bailey on alto (with Clarence Williams), Pee Wee Russell on tenor sax (with Red Nichols), Coleman Hawkins on clarinet (with Fletcher Henderson) and Bud Freeman on clarinet (with Bunny Berigan). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

52nd Street All Stars - the great clarinetist Tony Scott put together an album for Coral in 1958 celebrating the 52nd Street scene from the 1930's and 40's  - featuring Bebop players like Red Rodney, George Wallington and Roy Haynes, transitional players like Al Cohn, Mundell Lowe and Tommy Flannagan and Swing stars like Coleman Hawkins, Pee Wee Russell, J.C. Higginbotham, Emmett Berry and Al Casey --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

An influential group in Chicago from 1957-1965, the Original Jass All Stars was founded by Swing era clarinet- and saxophonist Franz Jackson who united several African-American jazz players of the 1920's to play traditional, New Orleans-styled music.  Bob Shoffner, John Thomas, Al Wynn, Rozelle Claxton, Ralph Tervalon, Lawrence Dixon, Bill Oldham and Richard Curry are heard playing selections from their five LPs from the period. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

A great little band from the Famous Door in 1936-7 . . trumpet and vocalist Louis Prima was fresh from New Orleans and not yet his later Las Vegas persona . . here he plays superb trumpet and sings in the style of Louis Armstrong, abetted by clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, who called this the happiest musical time of his life . . .lots of fun but great jazz as well (and an audio clip from the film they appeared in as well) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

.Coleman Hawkins with the Mound City Blue Blowers, Chocolate Dandies and McKinney's Cotton Pickers 1929-1931, featuring Benny Carter, Pee Wee Russell, Red McKenzie, Glenn Miller, Jimmy Dorsey, Fats Waller, Jimmy Harrison, Don Redman, Claude Jones, Sidney DeParis, Bobby Stark, Rex Stewart, Muggsy Spanier and Jack Russin --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Stan Getz on 1945, 46 and 49 sessions for Savoy with Kai Winding's Kats, the Stan Getz Quartet and Orchestra featuring Shorty Rogers, Hank Jones, Max Roach, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Jimmy Raney and Earl Swope . . two Getz records with Benny Goodman (for Columbia, featuring Mel Powell and Billy Butterfield) are added for good measure --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Midge Williams is not a well known name today and she did not record a great deal, but the sides with her "Jazz Jesters" feature three different bands active in the 1930's - the Raymond Scott Quintet (with Carl Wade, Pete Pumiglio and Dave Harris), Billy Hicks' Sizzlin' Six (with Fernando Arbello and Edmond Hall) and the John Kirby Sextet (with Frankie Newton, Charlie Shavers, Buster Bailey, Pete Brown, Russell Procope and Billy Kyle).  Some one off records with Teddy Wilson (with Vido Musso and Jonah Jones), Lil Armstrong (Jonah Jones and Don Stovall) and Miff Mole complete the collection. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Clarinet-centric recordings this time . . .George Lewis, Louis Cottrell, Steve Angrum, Harry Shields and Ray Burke with a variety of rhythm sections including Alton Purnell, Slow Drag Pavageau, Emmanuel Sayles, Butch Thompson, Cie Frazier, George Guesnon, Art Hodes, Pops Foster, Jeanette Kimball, Danny and Blue Lu Barker, Johnny St. Cyr, Chink Martin and Sherwood Mangiapanne. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Trumpet-centric recordings with no other horns!  Featuring features by Louis Armstrong, Red Allen, Isaiah Morgan, Punch Miller, Kid Howard and Johnny Wiggs with rhythm sections . . .recorded between 1937 and 1960. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

The Dawn of Swing . . not on the Dawn label, but four sessions made between 1933 and 1935 featuring a cavalcade of swing musicians . . racially integrated bands led by Benny Carter (featuring Max Kaminsky, Floyd O'Brien, Chu Berry, Teddy Wilson and Sid Catlett), Taft Jordan (with Johnny Mince, Ward Silloway, Elmer Williams and Wilson), Bud Freeman (Bunny Berigan, Claude Thornhill and Cozy Cole) and Bunny Berigan (with Edgar Sampson, Eddie Miller and Cliff Jackson) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support