Four sessions featuring different singers with first class jazz accompanists doing a blues repertoire. Albinia Jones (with Dizzy Gillespie, Don Byas, Gene Sedric, Leonard Ware and Sammy Price), Helen Humes (with Herbie Fields, Bobby Stark, Prince Robinson and Leonard Feather), Pleasant Joseph (aka Cousin Joe, with Pete Brown, Leonard Hawkins, Ray Abrams) and Joe Turner (with Pete Johnson, Don Byas, Frankie Newton and Leonard Ware). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Bob Wallis was a good trumpet player who played in Acker Bilk's first groups before founding his own. These 1957-61 recordings sample the first part of his bandleading career featuring Bilk, Keith "Avo" Avison on trombone, Doug Richmond on clarinet, Hugh Rainey on banjo, Dick Heckstall-Smith on soprano sax, a very young, pre-Cream Ginger Baker on drums and others . . all playing in a solid four beat New Orleans style --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

The legendary New Orleans clarinetist returned home in the early 1940's and led bands there until he died in 1949. This group was a regular eight piece group modeled after the Bob Cats and featuring Whimpy Miller, Julian Lane, Steve Giarratano, Pete Laudeman, Bunny Franks and Charlie Dukes. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Garner was known primarily as a solo pianist or by working in a trio, but early in his career he played as a sideman with several groups (strange, given that he didn't read music). Here we hear him small groups led by Wardell Gray, Don Byas, Charlie Parker and Lucky Thompson (also with Stuff Smith) and a big band led by Georgie Auld (with Dizzy Gillespie, Trummy Young, Al Cohn and Al Killian). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

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

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

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

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

Johnny Windhurst was born in 1926 and by the time he was in his late teens was playing with Eddie Condon and Sidney Bechet. Here is a sampling of his work - informed in equal parts by Bobby Hackett and Louis Armstrong. Sidney Bechet's New Orleans Rhythm Kings (with Pops Foster), Eddie Condon and His Band (with Cutty Cutshall, Ed Hall and Gene Schroeder), Barbara Lea and the Billy Taylor Quintet, Walt Gifford's New Yorkers (with Condon, Eddie Hubble, Dick Cary and Bob Mitchell) and his own quartet in Boston. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

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

Studio band led by the New Orleans trumpeter Wingy Manone for Vocalion, OKeh and Banner in 1934 and 1935. Using members of the Ben Pollack Orchestra (Matty Matlock, Eddie Miller, Gil Bowers, Nappy Lamare, Harry Goodman, Ray Bauduc) Manone recorded a mix of original jazz tunes and Tin Pan Alley pops with a driving rhythm and outstanding solos. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Almost unknown guitarist who could have provided some competition to Django Reinhardt in the 1930's . . Born in Argentina, Aleman lived in Paris for most of the 30's, returning home when war clouds gathered. Here are solo recordings of his, his own trio and quintet as well as sideman adventures with Bill Coleman, Garland Wilson, Danny Polo, Una Mae Carlisle, Alix Combelle, Phillipe Brun, Eddie Bruner, Wilson Myers and Tommy Benford --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Hodges' studio groups - mostly featuring Ellingtonians - recorded during his period away from the band. Harold "Shorty" Baker, Clark Terry (trumpet), Lawrence Brown (trombone), Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet and tenor sax), Arthur "Babe" Clarke (tenor sax), Harry Carney (baritone sax), Billy Strayhorn, Call Cobbs, Leroy Lovett (piano), Lloyd Trottman, Jimmy Woode (bass), Louis Bellson, Joe Marshall, Sonny Greer (drums) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Studio band using the Red Nichols stock company and led by trombonist Mole - one of the unsung heroes of 1920's Jazz. With Nichols on cornet, Art Schutt and Joe Sullivan on piano, Vic Berton, Gene Krupa and Stan King on drums, Eddie Lang, Carl Kress and Dick McDonough on guitar and banjo, Joe Tarto on tuba and reeds played by Jimmy Dorsey, Pee Wee Russell, Fud Livingston and Adrian Rollini. All recorded for OKeh in New York! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

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

These 1995-2002 sessions for Challenge records feature the crack Dutch big band playing published and unpublished arrangements and compositions by Billy Strayhorn, including a very early version of "Lush Life" (aka "Lonely Again") all featuring tremendous solos by the members of the band --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Unusual sessions during the Depression - black big bands active in Chicago in the 1930's (most musicians from the previous decade) playing good jazz! . .Richard M. Jones (with Artie Starks, Preston Jackson, Herschel Evans, Louis Metcalf, Ed Saint, others), Frankie Half Pint Jaxon (with Guy Kelly, Al Wynn, Dalbert Bright, Dave Young, others), and Reuben "River" Reeves (with Gerald Reeves, Franz Jackson, Norval Morton, Tubby Hall, others) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

On the face of it, the New Orleans trumpeter Manone and the great swing tenor sax player Berry were ill-fitted, but these 1938 and 1939 sessions were remarkably successful, featuring jazz standards and some pop tunes as well as Buster Bailey, Gus Fetterer, Buck Scott, Joe Marsala, Conrad Lanoue, Danny Barker, Zeb Julian and Cozy Cole --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

The Chicago-based West End Jazz Band (featuring Mike and Leah Bezin, Frank Gualtieri, John Otto, Mike Walbridge, Wayne Jones and Mike Albiniak) was especially active in the first fifteen years of the 21st Century and specialized in Hot Dance. Here, they play a series of selections recorded in the 1920's by the Coon Sanders Nighthawks. Terrific arrangements - the six piece band sounds like at least ten! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Great recordings made by Ethel Waters in 1938 and 1939 for Bluebird . . accompanied by her husband at the time, Eddie Mallory and His Orchestra which included Mallory, Shirly Clay, Tyree Glenn, Castor McCord, Benny Carter, Garvin Bushell, Reginald Beane, Danny Barker, Milt Hinton and Charles Turner --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support