The music on this CD is often quite exciting but much of it is issued here in incomplete fashion. There are all four titles from Gene Krupa's Swing Band (a superb pickup group with trumpeter Roy Eldridge, clarinetist Benny Goodman and Chu Berry on tenor in additon to two Helen Ward vocals) but just three numbers from a session led by arranger Gene Gifford with trumpeter Bunny Berigan, six of the ten titles recorded by Mezz Mezzrow's bands during 1936-37 (featuring trumpeter Frankie Newton, Bud Freeman on tenor and a rare ...
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The music on this CD is often quite exciting but much of it is issued here in incomplete fashion. There are all four titles from Gene Krupa's Swing Band (a superb pickup group with trumpeter Roy Eldridge, clarinetist Benny Goodman and Chu Berry on tenor in additon to two Helen Ward vocals) but just three numbers from a session led by arranger Gene Gifford with trumpeter Bunny Berigan, six of the ten titles recorded by Mezz Mezzrow's bands during 1936-37 (featuring trumpeter Frankie Newton, Bud Freeman on tenor and a rare outing outside of the Jimmy Lunceford orchestra by trumpeter Sy Oliver), two jams by Frankie Newton in 1939 and seven songs from Wingy Manone. These important performances deserve better treatment in a more coherent reissue program. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi
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