Early Jazz Singers

Duke Ellington - Early Ellington: The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings 1926-1931 (1994) [3CD Set] {Decca Jazz}
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© 1994 Decca Jazz / MCA / GRP | GRD-3-640
Jazz / Big Band / Early Jazz / Swing

Duke Ellington recorded for Brunswick from 1926 to 1931, the period in which his great talent and great orchestra first flowered, whether the band was recording under his own name or such pseudonyms as the Washingtonians or the Jungle Band. The earliest recordings are highlighted by the presence of trumpeter Bubber Miley and trombonist "Tricky Sam" Nanton, whose brilliant work with plunger mutes for vocal effects did much to define the early sound–which, in turn, rapidly evolved and expanded with the additions of Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, and Cootie Williams. While the band's repertoire included many blues and popular songs, its distinctive identity emerges from early renditions of such trademark pieces as "East St. Louis Toodle-O," "Black and Tan Fantasy," "The Mooche," and "Mood Indigo." By the end of the period covered in this set, Ellington's ambitious later suites–some of them CD-length–are portended in the elegant extended composition "Creole Rhapsody," his clearly superior contribution to the symphonic jazz movement.

Louis Armstrong - The Complete Town Hall Concert (1947) {2CD 2014 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICP 4005~6}
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© 1947, 2014 RCA / Sony Music Japan | SICP 4005~6 | Mono
Jazz / Classic Jazz / Early Jazz / New Orleans Jazz / Swing

Reissue with latest 2014 DSD remastering. Comes with liner notes. One of the key turning points of Louis Armstrong's career occurred at the Town Hall concert fully documented on this two-CD set, a reissue of the earlier two-LP release. Armstrong, who had been leading a big band for 18 years, was showcased with some musical friends who were all very complementary players (including trombonist Jack Teagarden, clarinetist Peanuts Hucko and cornetist Bobby Hackett), and the results were so exciting that Armstrong soon broke up his orchestra to form a similar all-star sextet.

King Oliver - Off The Record: The Complete 1923 Jazz Band Recordings (2006) {2CD Off The Record-Archeophone ARCH OTR-MM 6-C2}
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© 1923, 2006 Off The Record / Archeophone Records | ARCH OTR-MM 6-C2
Jazz / Early Jazz / New Orleans Jazz / Cornet

Because the personnel include Louis Armstrong, Lillian Hardin, and Johnny and Baby Dodds, the 1923 recordings of King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, originally made for the Gennett, OKeh, Columbia, and Paramount labels, have been reissued numerous times as formats have changed and technology has improved. Here, the Canadian label Off the Record (distributed in the U.S. by Archeophone Records) puts 37 tracks on two CDs, having made transfers from the most pristine 78-rpm discs available.

Joe Zawinul - Money In The Pocket (1966) {2012 Atlantic Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series 24bit WPCR-27016}
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© 1966, 2012 Atlantic / Rhino / Warner Japan / WEA | WPCR-27016 | Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Modal Music / Piano

Features 24 bit remastering and comes with a mini-description. The late, great Joe Zawinul is most fondly remembered for Weather Report and for his later leadership of one of the best world-jazz fusion bands, the Zawinul Syndicate. Money in the Pocket, however, represents the Zawinul story earlier on, in 1965, after he had been playing in Cannonball Adderley's band for four years.

Various Artists - Jazz From Atlanta 1923-1929 {Timeless Historical CBC 1-038 Jazz rel 1997}
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© 1923-1929, 1997 Timeless Records | Timeless Historical Series | CBC 1-038 Jazz | Mono
Jazz / Early Jazz

The main jazz recordings were made in New York, Chicago, and to a lesser extent New Orleans, but Timeless has produced a series featuring the territory bands. This CD features two fine outfits which recorded in Atlanta during the twenties. Charles Fulcher is represented by two sides recorded for Okeh in 1923, and thereafter for Columbia; five in 1925 (two by his Dance Trio), and one apiece in 1926 and 1929. It's worth noting that all were written by him, including "My Pretty Girl", the most famous version of which was by Jean Goldkette.