Mezzrow was never a great clarinet player, but certainly was a great character and excelled at surrounding himself with very good musicians. These versions of the Mezz Mezzrow Orchestra and Swing band include Teddy Wilson, Willie The Lion Smith, Sonny White, Frankie Newton, Max Kaminsky, Sy Oliver, J.C. Higginbotham, Floyd O'Brien, Bud Freeman, Benny Carter, Johnny Russell, Happy Caldwell, Pops Foster, Wellman Braud and others --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support ..read more

The buoyant alto player known for his 1930's recordings is here presented leading bands in the 1940's that go from swing to bop to rhythm and blues . . records for Savoy and World Transcriptions featuring Jonah Jones and Ed Lewis on trumpets, Zed Jackson and Ray Parker on piano, Al Casey and Bill Moore on electric guitar, Dallas Bartley on bass, Ed Nicholson on drums and others. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support ..read more

The amazingly progressive tenor saxophonist Byas in four quartet sessions featuring slightly different personnel - Erroll Garner, Johnny Guarnieri, Slam Stewart, Al Hall, Eddie Safranski, Sid Catlett, Doc West and J.C. Heard - doing a varied program of standards, blues and originals --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support ..read more

The great Harlem stride pianist Johnson recorded many piano rolls for various companies including QRS, Universal and Perfection, creating an early prototype of the stride style. Here he is featured playing his own compositions as well as interpretations of other tunes from Tin Pan Alley and the black theatre, including one duet with his erstwhile student Fats Waller --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support ..read more

Sidney Bechet's New Orleans Rhythm Kings live from the Savoy Cafe in Boston, May 1945. For three weeks following the disastrous run with Bechet and Bunk Johnson, the New Orleans trumpet player Peter Bocage was brought in and he is featured on about six broadcasts, which are sampled here! Also featuring Ray Parker on piano, Pops Foster on bass, George Thompson on drums and on two tunes Brad Gowans on valve trombone --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support ..read more

Live Recordings by the influential trad group with Waldo on piano and vocals, Roy Tate on trumpet, Jim Snyder on trombone, Frank Powers on clarinet and tenor sax, Bob Sundstrom and Bill Moorhead on banjo, Mike Walbridge on tuba and Wayne Jones on drums and vocal . . special guest Edith Wilson on vocals! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support ..read more

First sessions by the Illinois Jacquet Orchestra in 1945 while he was between engagements with Cab Calloway and Count Basie . .eight piece band with his brother Russell on trumpet, Henry Coker or Vic Dickenson on trombone, John Brown on alto, Arthur Dennis on bari, Tom Archia occasionally playing tenor, Sir Charles Thompson on piano, Ulysses Livingston on guitar and Charles Mingus on bass with vocals by Russell and Wynonie Harris . .the focus is on the fleet and inventive tenor playing of the leader with a minimum of the showboating for which he was often criticized --- Support this podcast: h ..read more

Bands led by two almost forgotten black musicians from Chicago - drummer Harry Dial and pianist/composer/arranger Alex Hill. In Chicago Harry Dial's Bluesicians included Shirley Clay, Lester Boone, Omer Simeon, George Dixon, Cecil Irwin, and Hayes Alvis . . Hill's band in Chicago from 1930 had Bob Shoffner, George Dixon, Cecil Irwin, Darnell Howard, George James, Zinky Cohn and Sid Catlett . . his 1934 New York band had Joe Thomas, Benny Carter, Clyde Bernhardt, Claude Jones, George James, Albert Nicholas, Gene Sedric, Garnett Clark and others . . excellent sides showcasing many little known p ..read more

Great band straddling swing, bop and R&B, all featuring the Texas tenor, Illinois Jacquet with his brother Russell and Joe Newman on trumpets, J.J. Johnson and Henry Coker on trombones, Ray Perry on alto, Leo Parker and Maurice Simon on baritones, John Lewis and Sir Charles Thompson on piano, John Collins on guitar, Al Lucas on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support ..read more

Bud Freeman was one of the most in-demand sidemen on record sessions in the 1930's - here he is featured extensively with Bunny Berigan (with Forrest Crawford, Chick Bullock), Gene Gifford (with Berigan, Matty Matlock, Claude Thornhill, Morey Samuels), Wingy Manone (with Dicky Wells, Teddy Wilson, Matty Matlock, Gil Bowers, Artie Shaw) and Eddie Condon (with Max Kaminsky, Floyd O'Brien, Pee Wee Russell, Joe Sullivan, Alex Hill) - all between 1933 and 1936. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support ..read more