Big Band Jazz: The Jubilee Sessions 1943-1946

Editorial Reviews
From Jazziz
Tracing the development of bop during 1943-44 has been made more difficult by a lack of recordings, caused by shellac shortages during the war and the AFM recording ban. Questions regarding just how early Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie became influential and who, besides them, was making creative breakthroughs still arise. Happily, the material on Hindsight's three CD set big band jazz: The Jubilee Sessions, 1943-1946 sheds light on these issues. The set contains Jubilee recordings, which were often airshots of jazz bands cut by Armed Forces Radio and aimed primarily at African Americans in the military. Particularly important is saxophonist Sonny Stitt's appearance on Tiny Bradshaw's "Ready, Set, Jump" (1944). Stitt always claimed that he'd developed his style by himself, independent of Charlie Parker's influence. As Ira Gitler cites in his book Jazz in the Forties, Stitt said that the first time they met and played together, Parker told him, "You sure sound like me." Moreover, Miles Davis said that he heard Stitt with Bradshaw in 1942 and remembers that Stitt was playing much the same then as he did later. But most bop fans have dismissed Stitt's claim, finding it hard to believe that Sonny could've developed a Parker-like style on his own, despite the fact that there are cases of jazzmen creating similar styles independently.Stitt claimed he was marked by Scoops Carry, whose 1940 alto solo on Earl Hines' "Jelly Jelly" was very advanced and similar to bop. Stitt's alto-sax solo on "Ready, Set, Jump" lends credence to his claim that he owed far less to Parker than was generally believed because his playing is fully evolved bop. Of course, he could've copped his style from Bird earlier. Parker recorded with Jay McShann in 1941, and, according to Stitt, the two jammed in 1943. Still, in 1944, Parker was little known. Generally, only John Jackson, another McShann altoist, is considered to have been influenced by Bird at that time. So maybe Stitt has been seriously shortchanged by critics and historians. Additionally, Bradshaw's charts and the playing of trumpeter Talib Dawood have a bop flavor here. Five 1943 Andy Kirk tracks have modern qualities as well. Future trumpet greats Howard McGhee and Fats Navarro are heard with Kirk, in transition between swing and post-bop styles. Tenorman Jimmy Forrest sounds progressive as well; his playing was marked by Ben Webster, Lester Young, and Illinois Jacquet, and he ends his solo on "Wednesday Night Hop" with a Gillespie-ish phrase. Another tenorman, Eddie Loving, displays a Young influence. The alto soloist sounds like a cross between Willie Smith and Parker on "Wednesday Night Hop." On other Kirk airshot albums from 1943-44, pianist Johnny Young reveals Art Tatum, Nat Cole, and bop influences, and, on "New Orleans Jump," there are phrases identical to those from the introduction to Gillespie's "Be Bop," which was cut in 1945. (There was no composer credited for "New Orleans Jump" on its LP appearance.) With all this evidence, it would seem that Kirk's 1943-44 band was a hotbed of modernism comparable to Earl Hines' 1943 outfit, something that is not generally known. There are other fascinating boppish moments to be found in this music: Check Earl Hines' tracks with tenor great Wardell Gray; Carry and trumpeter Willie Cook or Jimmy Lunceford with Freddie Webster featured on "Yesterdays;" Billy Eckstine with Gene Ammons and Sarah Vaughan; Wilbert Baranco with tenorman Lucky Thompson and trumpeter Snooky Young; Lucky Millinder with Joe Guy (the first trumpeter to be influenced by Gillespie) or Gerald Wilson with Snooky and pianist Jimmy Bunn, and Cootie Williams with Bud Powell. There are also fine, characteristic performances by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Benny Carter, Claude Hopkins, Erskine Hawkins, Fletcher Henderson, Jimmy Munday, the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, and a very good band led by union official and agent Elmer Fain. What a treasure chest!

Tracks:

Intro - Benny Carter And His Orchestra
Sweet Georgia Brown - Benny Carter And His Orchestra
Habanera - Benny Carter And His Orchestra
Jubilee Jump - Benny Carter And His Orchestra
Intro - Earl 'Fatha' Hines And His Orchestra
Stomping At The Savoy - Earl 'Fatha' Hines And His Orchestra
Scoops Carry Mary - Earl 'Fatha' Hines And His Orchestra
Rosetta - Earl 'Fatha' Hines And His Orchestra
The Honeydripper - Earl 'Fatha' Hines And His Orchestra
Intro - Elmer Fain And His Orchestra
Stampede In G Minor - Elmer Fain And His Orchestra
Bolero At The Savoy - Elmer Fain And His Orchestra
Pick A Rib - Elmer Fain And His Orchestra
Let's Jump - Count Basie And His Orchestra
I Found A New Baby - Count Basie And His Orchestra
I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town - Count Basie And His Orchestra
My! What A Fry! - Count Basie And His Orchestra
Intro - Gerald Wilson And His Orchestra
On The Alamo - Gerald Wilson And His Orchestra
Star Dust - Gerald Wilson And His Orchestra
Frantic On The Atlantic - Gerald Wilson And His Orchestra
Intro - Erskine Hawkins And His Orchestra
Shower - Erskine Hawkins And His Orchestra
The Bear Mash Blues - Erskine Hawkins And His Orchestra
After Hours - Erskine Hawkins And His Orchestra
One O'Clock Jump - Erskine Hawkins And His Orchestra

Tracks:

Intro - Billy Eckstine And His Orchestra
Blowin' The Blues Away - Billy Eckstine And His Orchestra
'Deed I Do - Billy Eckstine And His Orchestra
I Want To Talk About You - Billy Eckstine And His Orchestra
Don't Blame Me - Billy Eckstine And His Orchestra
Intro - Cootie Williams And His Orchestra
Roll 'Em - Cootie Williams And His Orchestra
Airmail Special - Cootie Williams And His Orchestra
Intro - Tiny Bradshaw And His Orchestra
It's Sand, Man - Tiny Bradshaw And His Orchestra
Ready, Set, Jump - Tiny Bradshaw And His Orchestra
Intro - Jimmy Mundy And His All Star Orchestra
Hello, Goodbye, Forget It - Jimmy Mundy And His All Star Orchestra
One O 'Clock Boogie - Jimmy Mundy And His All Star Orchestra
Fiesta In Brass - Jimmy Mundy And His All Star Orchestra
Intro - Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra
You're Driving Me Crazy - Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra
King Porter Stomp - Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra
Intro - International Sweethearts Of Rhythm
Blue Lou - International Sweethearts Of Rhythm
Tuxedo Junction - International Sweethearts Of Rhythm
Swing Shift - International Sweethearts Of Rhythm
Intro - Claude Hopkins And His Orchestra
Let's Have A Session - Claude Hopkins And His Orchestra
Let's Hop - Claude Hopkins And His Orchestra
Intro - Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy
Wednesday Night Hop - Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy
McGhee Special - Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy
Basin Street Blues - Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy
Peepin' 'Through The Keyhole - Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy

Tracks:

Intro - Lucky Millinder And His Orchestra
Three Bones - Lucky Millinder And His Orchestra
I Never Knew - Lucky Millinder And His Orchestra
I'll Always Be In Love With You - Lucky Millinder And His Orchestra
Intro - Lionel Hampton And His Orchestra
Hey-Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - Lionel Hampton And His Orchestra
Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't My Baby? - Lionel Hampton And His Orchestra
K-Ration Hop - Lionel Hampton And His Orchestra
Million Dollar Smile - Lionel Hampton And His Orchestra
Flying Home #2 - Lionel Hampton And His Orchestra
Intro - Johnny Otis And His Orchestra
J.T. Stomp - Johnny Otis And His Orchestra
Ernie 'Bubbles' Whitman - Wilbert Baranco And His Orchestra
Bugle Call Rag - Wilbert Baranco And His Orchestra
Night And day - Wilbert Baranco And His Orchestra
The Baranco Boogie - Wilbert Baranco And His Orchestra
Yesterdays - Jimmie Lunceford And His Harlem Express
Hallelujah - Jimmie Lunceford And His Harlem Express
Alone Together - Jimmie Lunceford And His Harlem Express
Intro - Duke Ellington And His World Famous Orchestra
The Canteen Bounce - Duke Ellington And His World Famous Orchestra
Hayfoot, Strawfoot - Duke Ellington And His World Famous Orchestra
A Slip Of The Lip - Duke Ellington And His World Famous Orchestra
One O' Clock Jump - Duke Ellington And His World Famous Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Its Like The Instruments are singing!.......2003-05-25

This is a great Hot Jazz, Bebop, Hot Jazz box set. I recommend this to anyone who loves music of the 1940s. This music will get you up dancing. A lot of the bands are forgotten, but they're remembered again through this box set. I wish they would make music like this today- Instrumental music. Its like the Instruments are singing. You'll enjoy this. If you don't I give your money back! Guaranteed=)

A Delightful Swingin' Surprise.......2003-02-09

This is an upbeat collection that really swings with energy (very few ballads over three CD's). Most live performances from this period are pretty low on sound quality, these CD's are an exception with surprising quality (fidelity), a really great collection at an unbeatable price. If you enjoy big band swing that rocks, check these out.

Music:

Music

Music