Jazz Focus

Jazz Focus

Exploring the highways and byways of Classic Recorded Jazz - from the Ragtime era to the day before yesterday!

Episodes

June 30, 2025 56 mins

1966 and 1967 sessions featuring Burrell and Woods in tribute to Charlie Christian and Benny Goodman . .great guitar and alto (and a little clarinet) with Matt Manieri on vibes, Richard Wyands on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Grady Tate on drums

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The first recordings of the the classic Barnet band - the leader plays solos on tenor and alto, backed by Bob Burnett on trumpet (one special guest appearance by Charlie Shavers), Don Ruppersburg on trombone, either Don McCook or Skippy Martin on clarinet, Nat Jaffe, Phil Moore or Bill Miller on piano and Cliff Leeman on drums.  Excellent jazz!

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Goodman was on a fishing trip to Florida in August, 1959 when he heard a little group led by trombonist Bill Harris and tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips and decided to record with them . . this led to several tours and long engagements with a combination of Harris and Phillips with members of the Red Norvo orchestra, including Norvo himself, trumpeter Jack Sheldon, alto and flutist Jerry Dodgion, pianists Gene DiNovi and Russ Freema...

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The bandleader Barnet's greatest influence was Duke Ellington - as an  alto and soprano saxophone player he channeled Johnny Hodges and his trumpet player Bobby Burnet was a devotee of Cootie Williams.  These 1939-42 records (mostly for Bluebird) feature the arrangements of Billy May, who had a unique way of recreating the Ellington sound.  Also heard are Bill Miller on piano, Don McCook on clarinet, Peanuts Holland, Bernie Privin ...

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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, Ro...

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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!

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June 10, 2025 67 mins

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.

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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.

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June 3, 2025 73 mins

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 (re...

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June 3, 2025 55 mins

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!

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May 28, 2025 71 mins

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 Brau...

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May 28, 2025 56 mins

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.

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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.

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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)

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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!

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May 6, 2025 57 mins

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 Jo...

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April 28, 2025 61 mins

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

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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)

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April 22, 2025 61 mins

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

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April 22, 2025 58 mins

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

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