You meet ardent collectors among jazz fans who simply must have each and every album of their favourite music that has been published. Some even possess only records of just a few bands or soloists. But the majority of jazz buffs will most likely act spontaneously once they know what they like: When they hear exciting music of the kind they prefer, they will try to get it on record. Like this they accumulate a large quantity of music and the mixture is quite exciting.
The glorious time of the big bands which was followed by the dance hall craze in the swing era started in the 1920s. Bandleader Fletcher Henderson and his arranger Don Redman developed the style of the big bands. They organized the band completely different from the way it was done in classical jazz. Now they had a brass section with more trumpets and trombones, a reed section with several saxophones and a strong rhythm section. The result was a new powerful sound, based on sophisticated arrangements fired by hot solos. The Henderson band that employed soloist like Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster and Chu Berry on tenor and trumpeters Rex Stewart, Roy Eldridge and Henry “Red” Allen was the role model for many following big bands.
Benny Goodman, the King of Swing of the 1930s, learned a lot from Henderson. He copied his big band concept and played his arrangements. Henderson wrote some of his best pieces for Goodman. The encyclopedia includes many recordings of Goodman’s big band in the 1930s and 1940s. The powerful sound of a swinging big band, distributed by radio and on records,attracted more and more people and the number of successful bands grew immensely. Even well-informed jazz enthusiasts find it hard to name the best among the many bands. Satchmo-fans will stick to their idol and confer the title on Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra, others think Duke Ellington’s band was the greatest, or maybe one of the white bands led by Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Tommy Dorsey.
For many connoisseurs however Count Basie’s orchestra was the ideal of a big band, fiercely swinging and relaxed. In 1932 Basie formed his first band with members of the Bennie Moten orchestra and he successfully led big bands for many years. He worked with soloists such as the trumpeters Harry “Sweets” Edison and Buck Clayton, saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans and the famous All American Rhythm Section with Walter Page on Bass, Freddie Green on guitar and the drummer Jo Jones. In 1939 the Basie band performed at the Carnegie Hall in New York City, playing two concerts “From Spiritual to Swing” which were organized by the promoter and Basie fan John Hammond.
CD001 - Fletcher Henderson (1931) Vol.1
CD002 - Fletcher Henderson (1932-33) Vol.2
CD003 - Fletcher Henderson (1934-36) Vol.3
CD004 - Fletcher Henderson (1936-37) Vol.4
CD005 - Fletcher Henderson (1937-38) Vol.5
CD006 - Don Redman (1931-32) Vol.1
CD007 - Don Redman (1932-33) Vol.2
CD008 - Don Redman (1933-37) Vol.3
CD009 - Duke Ellington (1933) Vol.1
CD010 - Duke Ellington (1934-35) Vol.2
CD 1: Fletcher Henderson 1931-32
FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS CONNIE'S INN ORCHESTRA
01. Oh, It Looks Like Rain (Harburg - Ager)
02. Sweet Music (Dietz - Schwartz)
03. My Sweet Tooth Says I Wanna (But My Wisdom Says No) (Young - Clare - Stept)
04. Malinda's Wedding Day (Weldon)
CONNIE'S INN ORCHESTRA
05. You Rascal You (Theard)
06. You Rascal You (Theard)
07. Blue Rhythm (Leslie - Mills)
08. Blue Rhythm (Leslie - Mills)
09. Sugarfoot Stomp (Oliver - Armstrong)
10. Low Down On The Bayou (Leslie - Mills)
FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
11. Singin' The Blues (Fields - McHugh)
12. It's The Darndest Thing (McHugh)
13. Blues In My Heart (Carter - Mills)
14. Sugar (Meyer - Young)
15. Business In F (Bleyer)
CONNIE'S INN ORCHESTRA
16. 12th Street Rag (Bowman - Razaf)
17. Milenbergjoys (Morton - Melrose - Mares)
FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
18. Strangers (O'Flynn - Coots)
19. Take Me Away From The River (Song Of The Viper) (Parker)
20. Say That You Were Teasing Me (Turk - Ahlert)
21. Take A Picture Of The Moon (Young - Little)
22. I Wanna Count Sheep Till The Cows Come Home (Little - Young)
23. Poor Old Joe (Carmichael)
CD 2: Fletcher Henderson 1932-33
FLETCHER HENDERSON & HIS CONNIE'S INN ORCHESTRA
01. Casa Loma Stomp (Gifford)
02. Blue Moments (Henderson)
03. How Am I Doin', Hey Hey (Branch - Redman)
04. Goodbye Blues (McHugh - Fields - Johnson)
FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
05. Honeysuckle Rose (Waller - Razaf)
06. New King Porter Stomp (Henderson)
07. Underneath The Harlem Moon (Revel - Gordon)
08. Yeah Man! (Sissle - Robinson)
09. King Porter Stomp (Morton)
10. Queer Notions (Hawkins)
11. Can You Take It? (Henderson)
12. Can You Take It? (Henderson)
13. Queer Notions (Hawkins)
14. It's The Talk Of The Town (Levinson - Symes - Neiburg)
15. Night Life (Hudson)
16. Nagasaki (Warren - Dixon)
17. Happy Feet (Ager - Yellen)
18. I'm Rhythm Crazy Now (Henderson)
19. Ol' Man River (Kern - Hammerstein II)
20. Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day (Arlen - Koehler)
21. Ain't Cha Glad? (Waller - Henderson)
22. I've Got To Sing A Torch Song (Dubin - Warren)
CD 3: Fletcher Henderson 1934-36
FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
01. Hocus Pocus (Hudson)
02. Hocus Pocus (Hudson)
03. Phantom Fantasy (Morgan)
04. Harlem Madness (Williams - Henderson)
05. Tidal Wave (Hudson)
06. Limehouse Blues (Fuller - Braham)
07. Shanghai Shuffle (Rodemich - Conley)
08. Big John's Special (Henderson)
09. Happy As The Day Is Long (Koehler - Arlen)
10. Tidal Wave (Morgan)
11. Down South Camp Meetin' (Henderson)
12. Wrappin' It Up (Henderson)
13. Memphis Blues (Handy)
14. Wild Party (Hudson)
15. Rug Cutter's Swing (Henderson)
16. Hotter Than 'Ell (Henderson)
17. Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away) (Kahn - Gershwin - Gershwin)
18. Christopher Columbus (A Rythm Cocktail) (Berry - Razaf - Davis)
19. Grand Terrace Swing (Big Chief De Sota) (Razaf - Arbeld)
20. Blue Lou (Sampson)
21. Stealin' Apples (Waller - Razaf)
CD 4: Fletcher Henderson 1936-37
FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
01. I'm A Fool For Lovin' You (Lewis - Wendling)
02. Moonrise On The Lowlands (Neiburg - Levinson)
03. I'll Always Be In Love With You (Ruby - Green - Stept)
04. Jangled Nerves (Jungled Nerves) (Henderson - Moore)
05. Where There's You There's Me (Sigler - Goodhart - Hoffman)
06. Do You Or Don't You Love Me (Nesbitt - Small)
07. Grand Terrace Rhythm (Henderson)
08. Riffin' (Henderson)
09. Mary Had A Little Lamb (Trad.)
10. Shoe Shine Boy (Kahn- Chaplin)
11. Sing, Sing, Sing (Prima)
12. Until Today (Levant- Coots- Davis)
13. Knock, Knock, Who's There? (Morris - Lopez - Tyson - Davis)
14-Jimtown Blues (Davis-Rose)
15. You Can Depend On Me (Dunlap - Carpenter - Hines)
16. What Will I Tell My Heart? (Tinturin - Lawrence)
17. It's Wearin' Me Down (Johnson - Henderson)
18. Slumming On Park Avenue (Berlin)
19. Rhythm Of The Tambourine (Franklin)
CD 5: Fletcher Henderson 1937-38
FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
01. Stampede (Henderson)
02. Back In Your Own Backyard (Jolson - Rose - Dreyer)
03. Rose Room (In Sunny Roseland) (Williams - Hickman)
04. Great Caesar's Ghost (Vance)
05. If You Ever Should Leave (Cahn - Chaplin)
06. Posin' (Cahn-Chaplin)
07. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm (Kahn - Jurman - Kaper)
08. Chris And His Gang (Henderson - Henderson)
09. Let'erGo (Clinton - Kay)
10. Worried Over You (Nelson - Rose - Nelson)
11. What's Your Story? (What's Your Jive) (Johnson - Henderson)
12. Trees (Kilmer - Rasbach)
13. If It's The Last Thing I Do (Cahn - Chaplin)
14. Sing You Sinners (Coslow - Harling)
15. You're In Love With Love (Kuhn - McGrain)
16. Stealin' Apples (Waller - Razaf)
17. Don't Let The Rhythm Go To Your Head (Cahn - Chaplin)
18. (I've Been) Saving Myself For You (Cahn - Chaplin)
19. There's Rain In My Eyes (Ager- McCarthy - Schwartz)
20. What Do You Hear From The Mob In Scotland (Cahn - Chaplin)
21. It's The Little Things That Count (Gillespie - Simons)
22. Moten Stomp (Moten)
CD 6: Don Redman 1931-32
DON REDMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
01. Trouble, Why Pick On Me? (Redman)
02. Shakin' The African (Redman)
03. Chant Of The Weed (Redman)
04. Chant Of The Weed (Redman)
05. Shakin' The African (Redman)
06.1 Heard (Redman)
07. How'm I Doin'? (Hey - Hey) (Branch - Redman)
08. Try Getting A Good Night's Sleep (Pinkard - Tracy - Redman)
HARLAN LATTIMORE AND HIS CONNIE'S INN ORCHESTRA
09. Chant Of The Weed (Redman)
10. I Heard (Redman)
11. Got The South In My Soul (Young - Wiley - Washington)
12. Reefer Man (Robinson - Razaf)
DON REDMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
13. Got The South In My Soul (Young - Wiley - Washington)
14. If It's True (Redman - Bentley - Penrose)
15. It's A Great World After All (Johnson - Redman)
16. You Gave Me Everything But Love (Koehler - Arlen)
17.TeaForTwo(Caesar -Youmans)
18. Hot And Anxious (Redman)
19.1 Got Rhythm (Gershwin - Gershwin)
20. Pagan Paradise (Koehler - Parker)
21. Two-Time Man (Redman - Krieger - Seiderman)
22. Two-Time Man (Redman - Krieger - Seiderman)
CD 7: Don Redman 1932-33
DON REDMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
01. Underneath The Harlem Moon (Gordon - Revel)
02. Ain't I The Lucky One? (Schoebel)
03. Doin' What I Please (Waller - Razaf)
04. Nagasaki (Dixon - Warren)
05. Doin' The New Low - Down (Fields - Mchugh)
06. Doin' The New Low - Down (Fields- Mchugh)
07. How Ya Feelin'? (Johnson - Redman)
08. Shuffle Your Feet / Bandanna Babies (Fields - Mchugh)
09. Mommy, I Don't Want To Go To Bed (Redman - Cook)
10. How Can I Hi-De-Hi (When T Feel So Low - De - Low) (Redman - Cook - Robinson)
11. Shuffle Your Feet/Bandanna Babies (Fields - Mchugh)
12. Sophisticated Lady (Ellington - Mills)
13.1 Won't Tell (Redman - Peetny)
14. That Blue Eyed Baby From Memphis (Palmer)
15. It's All Your Fault (Parish - Redman)
16. Lazy Bones (Mercer - Carmichael)
17. Watching The Knife And The Fork Spoon (Redman - Cook)
18.1 Found A New Way To Go To Town (Dubois - Ellison - Brooks)
19. You Told Me But Half Of The Story (Seiderman - Kreiger - Redman)
20. Lonely Cabin (Redman - Kreiger)
21. She's Not Bad (Redman)
22. No-One Loves Me Like That Dallas Man (Dubois - Ellison - Brooks)
CD 8: Don Redman 1933-37
DON REDMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
01. Our Big Love Scene (Freed - Brown)
02. After Sundown (Freed - Brown)
03. Puddin' Head Jones (Unknown)
04. My Old Man (Hanighen - Mercer)
05. Tired Of It Ah (Unknown)
06. Keep On Doin' What You're Doin' (Kalmar - Ruby)
07. 1 Wanna Be Loved (Rose - Heyman - Green)
08. Gotthejitters (Rose - Webster - Leeb)
CAHN CHAPLIN ORCHESTRA
09. Christopher Columbus (Berry - Razaf - Davis)
DON REDMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
10. A Little Bit Later On (Neiburg - Levinson)
11. Lazy Weather (Kahal - Lenant)
12. Moonrise On The Lowlands (Neiburg - Levinson)
13. 1 Gotcha (Redman - Stein)
14. Who Wants To Sing My Love Song? (Redman - Stein - Eisn)
15. Too Bad (Rredman - Ginshart - Stein)
16. We Don't Know From Nothin' (Redman - King)
17. Bugle Call Rag (Pettis - Meyers - Schoebel)
18. Stormy Weather (Arlen - Koehler)
19. Exactly Like You (Fields - Mchugh)
20. The Man On The Flying Trapeze (Trad.)
21. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Fields - Mchugh)
22. Swingin' With The Fat Man (Swan)
23. Sweet Sue, Just You (Harris -Young)
24. That Naughty Waltz (Levey - Stanley)
CD 9: Duke Ellington 1933
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA
01. Eerie Moan (Young - Wiley)
02. Merry-Go-Round (Ellington)
03. Merry-Go-Round (Ellington)
04. Sophisticated Lady (Ellington - Mills - Parish)
05. I've Got The World On A String (Arlen - Koehler)
06. Down A Carolina Lane (Parish - Perkins)
07. Slippery Horn (Ellington)
08. Black Bird Medley Part 1 (Fields - McHugh)
I Can't Give You Anything But Love / Doin'The Low Down / I Must Have That Man / Baby!
09. Black Bird Medley Part 2 (Fields - McHugh)
Dixie / Diga Diga Doo / Porgy / I Can't Give You Anything But Love
10. Drop Me Off In Harlem (Ellington)
11. Bundle Of Blues (Dragon Blues) (Ellington)
12. Sophisticated Lady (Ellington - Mills - Parish)
13. Stormy Weather (Koehler - Arlen)
14. Hyde Park (Every Tub) (Ellington)
15. Harlem Speaks (Ellington - Mills)
16. Ain't Misbehavin' (Razaf - Waller)
17. Chicago (Fisher)
18. I'm Satisfied (Ellington - Parish)
19. Jive Stomp (Ellington)
20. Harlem Speaks (Ellington - Mills)
21. In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree (Williams - VanAlstyne)
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
22. Rude Interlude (Ellington)
23. Dallas Doin's (Ellington)
24. Dear Old Southland (Creamer - Layton)
25. Daybreak Express (Ellington)
CD 10: Duke Ellington 1934-35
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA
01. Delta Serenade (Ellington)
02. Stompy Jones (Ellington)
03. Solitude (Ellington - DeLange - Mills)
04. Blue Feeling (Ellington)
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
05. Solitude (Ellington - DeLange - Mills)
06. Saddest Tale (Ellington)
07. Moonglow (Hudson - DeLange - Mills)
08. Sump V Bout Rhythm (Ellington)
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA
09. Admiration (Tizol - Mills)
10. Farewell Blues (Schoebel - Mares - Roppolo)
11. Let's Have AJubilee (Trad.)
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA / DUKE ELLINGTON SEXTET
12. Margie (Conrad - Robinson - Davis)
13. Moonlight Fiesta (Porto Rican Chaos) (Tizol - Ellington - Mills)
14. Tough Truckin' (Ellington - Mills)
15. Indigo Echoes (Ellington - Mills)
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA
16. In A Sentimental Mood (Ellington - Mills)
17. Showboat Shuffle (Ellington)
18. Merry - Go - Round (Ellington)
19. Cotton (Koehler - Bloom)
20. Truckin' (Koehler - Bloom)
21. Accent On Youth (Seymour - Lawnhurst)
22. Reminiscing In Tempo, Part 1 (Ellington)
23. Reminiscing In Tempo, Part 2 (Ellington)
24. Reminiscing In Tempo, Part 3 (Ellington)
25. Reminiscing In Tempo, Part 4 (Ellington)
