Jazz Focus

Latest Episodes:

Lionel Hampton and the Ellingtonians - 1937/8 recordings Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

The long series of recordings for Victor and Bluebird led by Lionel Hampton featured a wide array of black and white jazz musicians of the period - here we focus on those including members of the Duke Ellington band - Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Lawrence Brown, Rex Stewart, Cootie Williams, Sonny Greer and Billy Taylor along with Buster Bailey, Edgar Sampson, Jess Stacy, Allan Reuss, Cozy Cole and Clyde Hart . .all featuring the leader on vibes, piano, drums and vocals!

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WETF Show - Maxine Sullivan with the Scott Hamilton Quintet in Toyko, 1985, 86 Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

Great recordings done for Concord (live and in studio) in Tokyo in the twilight of the singer Maxine Sullivan's career - superb versions of standards and not-so-standards backed by one of the great young groups of the period - Scott Hamilton, John Bunch, Chris Flory, Phil Flanagan, Chuck Riggs

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Annette Hanshaw - the Personality Girl, 1926-28 Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Great early recordings for Pathe and Perfect by Annette Hanshaw - one of the first "crooners" of Tin Pan Alley tunes . . accompanied by Vic Berton, Adrian Rollini, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Jimmy Lytell, Irving Brodsky and Rube Bloom

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WETF Show - Sidney Bechet and His New Orleans Feetwarmers 1940/41 Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

The great New Orleans clarinet and soprano sax player Bechet leading some small groups for RCA Victor in 1940 and 1941 - great arrangements of both standards and originals featuring Red Allen, Gus Aiken, Sidney DeParis, Henry Goodwin, Sandy Williams, J.C. Higginbotham, Vic Dickenson, Lem Johnson, Cliff Jackson, Don Donaldson, James Tolliver, Bernard Addison, Wilson Myers, Wellman Braud, Manzie Johnson, J.C Heard and Sid Catlett among others . .

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Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra, 1923-26 Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

The Bennie Moten band was the primary African-American band in Kansas City and the Oklahoma, St. Louis and Chicago regions for almost the entirety of the 1920's . . here we have their first recordings for OKeh and first two for Victor, chronically their development from 1923's New Orleans-styled group to the almost Fletcher Henderson sound of 1926 featuring Woodie Walder on clarinet, Lammar Wright on cornet, Thamon Hayes on trombone, Harlan Leonard on alto and Moten himself on piano.

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WETF - Louis Jordan . . the first recordings of what became the Tympany Five (1938-41) Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

Louis Jordan was a fine jazz player, but his fame lay more in the direction of novelty and entertainment with a healthy dose of blues and what came to be known as Rhythm and Blues (and early Rock and Roll). Here, he is at the start of his bandleading career with some great arrangements of blues and old standards featuring himself on alto and baritone saxes along with Courtney Williams, Lem Johnson, Stafford Simon, Clarence Johnson, Arnold Thomas and others.

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Keynote Instruments - Benny Morton's Trombone Choir, Coleman Hawkins' All Star Sax Ensemble, Little Jazz' Trumpet Ensemble . . 1944 Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

Great meetings of like instruments - Trombone Choir with Benny Morton, Bill Harris, Vic Dickenson and Claude Jones; Trumpet Ensemble with Roy Eldridge, Joe Thomas and Emmett Berry; Sax Ensemble with Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Tab Smith and Harry Carney . . great rhythm sections all featuring Johnny Guarnieri!

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WETF Show - Claude Thornhill Orchestra, 1947-8 . .with Lee Konitz, Danny Polo, Red Rodney, Barry Galbraith Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

Claude Thornhill led several of the most innovative bands of the Swing Era. With french horns, tubas and a clarinet section he created arrangements like "Snowfall" that were almost impressionistic . . by 1947 he was using arrangers like Gil Evans, Gerry Mulligan and Rusty Dedrick who incorporated bebop and soon to be "Cool" influences into his style as well . . great soloists such as Lee Konitz, Danny Polo, Red Rodney, Barry Galbraith and Mickey Folus are also featured on these studio recordings for Columbia and electric radio transcriptions.

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Coleman Hawkins Quartets - 1943 and 44 for Signature and Keynote Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

Hawkins at the peak of his ability - his tenor sax is here featured with quartets including Teddy Wilson, Eddie Heywood, Jr., Israel Crosby, Oscar Pettiford, Cozy Cole and Sid Catlett

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WETF Show - Gene Krupa and His Orchestra 1956, 58 Drummin' Man and Plays Gerry Mulligan Arrangements Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

A studio version of the Gene Krupa Orchestra from the 1950's featuring re-arrangements of his hits from the 1940's - with Anita O'Day, Roy Eldridge, Dave McKenna, Barry Galbraith Eddie Shu, Aaron Sachs, Jimmy Cleveland, Ernie Royal, Kai Winding, Urbie Green, Phil Woods, Eddie Wasserman and Hank Jones!

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