Every jazz fan knows Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman, and of course
Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins. But only a
small circle of connoisseurs would be able to tell who Claude Hopkins
was, where Dodo Marmarosa played or what the Goofus Five did. Music
lovers usually have their favourites, and jazz in its long history has
experienced many changes and produced many important artists. You don’t
have to know every one of them – or love them all.
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.
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.
CD011 - Duke Ellington (1936-37) Vol.3
CD012 - Duke Ellington (1938-39) Vol.4
CD013 - Duke Ellington (1940) Vol.5
CD014 - Duke Ellington (1940-41) Vol.6
CD015 - Duke Ellington (1942-44) Vol.7
CD016 - Duke Ellington (1945) Vol.8
CD017 - Duke Ellington (1945-46) Vol.9
CD018 - Duke Ellington (1941) Vol.10
CD019 - Mills Blue Rhythm Band (1931) Vol.1
CD020 - Mills Blue Rhythm Band (1931-32) Vol.2
CD 11: Duke Ellington 1936-37
DUKE ELLLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA
01. Clarinet Lament (Barney's Concerto) (Ellington - Bigard)
02. Echoes Of Harlem (Cootie's Concerto) (Ellington)
03. Shoe Shine Boy (Cahn - Chaplin)
04. It Was A Sad Night In Harlem (Lewis - Kresa)
05. Trumpet In Spades (Rex's Concerto) (Ellington)
06. Yearning For Love (Lawrence's Concerto) (Ellington - Mills - Mitchell - Parish)
07. In A Jam (Ellington)
08. Exposition Swing (Ellington)
09. Uptown Downbeat (Blackout) (Ellington)
10. Scattin' At The Cotton Club (Ellington - Mills)
11. Black Butterfly (Ellington)
12. The New Birmingham Breakdown (Ellington)
13. Scattin' At The Kit Kat (Ellington - Mills)
14. I've Got To Be A Rug Cutter (Ellington)
15. The New East St. Louis Toodle-Oo (Miley - Ellington)
16. Caravan (Tizol - Ellington - Mills)
17. Azure (Ellington)
18. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm (Kahn - Kaper - Jurman)
19. Alabamy Home (Ringle - Ellington)
20. Chatter Box (Stewart - Ellington - Mills)
21. Jubilesta (Tizol - Ellington - Mills)
22. Diminuendo In Blue (Ellington)
23. Crescendo In Blue (Ellington)
24. Harmony In Harlem (Hodges - Ellington - Mills)
25. Dusk In The Desert (Ellington - Mills)
CD 12: Duke Ellington 1938-39
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA
01. Stepping Into Swing Society (Ellington - Nemo - Mills)
02. Prologue To Black And Tan Fantasy (Miley - Ellington)
03. The New Black And Tan Fantasy (Miley - Ellington)
04. Riding On A Blue Note (Ellington - Redmond - Mills)
05. Lost In Meditation (Tizol - Ellington - Singer - Mills)
06. The Gal From Joe's (Ellington - Mills)
07. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart (Ellington - Nemo - Mills)
08. Braggin' In Brass (Ellington - Nemo - Mills)
09. Carnival In Caroline (Ellington - Nemo - Mills)
10. Dinah's In AJam (Ellington - Mills)
11. Rose Of The Rio Grande (Leslie - Warren - Gorman)
12. Pyramid (Tizol - Ellington - Mills)
13. Prelude To A Kiss (Ellington - Gordon - Mills)
14. Boy Meets Horn (Twits And Twerps) (Stewart - Ellington)
15. Slap Happy (Ellington)
16. Portrait Of The Lion (Ellington)
17. Cotton Club Stomp (Carney - Hodges - Ellington)
18. Doin'TheVoom Voom (Miley - Ellington)
19. Little Posey (A Portrait Of Freddy Jenkins) (Ellington)
20. Grievin' (Strayhorn - Ellington)
21. Tootin' Through The Roof (Ellington)
22. Weely (A Portrait Of Billy Strayhorn) (Ellington)
CD 13: Duke Ellington 1940
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA
01. Jack The Bear (Ellington)
02. Ko-Ko (Ellington)
03. Morning Glory (Stewart - Ellington)
04. Conga Brava (Tizol - Ellington)
05. Concerto For Cootie (Ellington)
06. Cotton Tail (Ellington)
07. Never No Lament (Don't Get Around Much Anymore) (Ellington)
08. Dusk (Ellington)
09. Bojangles (Ellington)
10. A Portrait Of Bert Williams (Ellington)
11. Blue Goose (Ellington)
12. Harlem Air Shaft (Rumpus In Richmond) (Ellington)
13. At A Dixie Roadside Diner (Leslie - Burke)
14. All Too Soon (Slow Tune) (Sigman - Ellington)
15. Rumpus In Richmond (Brassiere) (Ellington)
16. Sepia Panorama (Night House) (Ellington)
17. In A Mellotone (Ellington)
18. Five O'clock Whistle (Gannon - Myrow - Irwin)
19. Warm Valley (Ellington)
20. Across The Track Blues (Ellington)
21. Chloe (Song Of The Swamp) (Kahn - Moret)
CD 14: Duke Ellington 1940-41
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA
01. Sidewalks Of New York (Lawlor - Blake)
02. Take The "A" Train (Strayhorn)
03. Jumpin' Punkins (M. Ellington)
04. John Hardy's Wife (M. Ellington)
05. Blue Serge (Ellington)
06. After All (Strayhorn)
07. Bakiff (Tizol)
08. Are You Sticking? (Ellington)
09. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin' (Ellington - Strayhorn)
10. The Giddybug Gallop (Ellington)
11. Chocolate Shake (Ellington -Webster)
12.1 Got It Bad And That Ain't Good (Ellington -Webster)
13. Clementine (Strayhorn)
14.The Brown Skin Gal (Ellington -Webster)
15. Jump For Joy (Ellington - Webster - Kuller)
16. Moon Over Cuba (Ellington -Tizol)
17. Five O'Clock Drag (Ellington)
18. Rocks In My Bed (Ellington)
19. Bli-Blip (Ellington - Kuller)
20. Raincheck (Strayhorn)
21.1 Don't Know What Kind Of Blues I Got (Ellington)
22. Chelsea Bridge (Strayhorn)
CD 15: Duke Ellington 1942-44
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA
01. Perdido (Tizol)
02. C Jam Blues (Ellington)
03. Moon Mist (Atmosphere) (M. Ellington)
04. What Am I Here For? (Ellington)
05.1 Don't Mind (Strayhorn - Ellington)
06. Someone (You've Got My Heart) (Ellington)
07. My Little Brown Book (Strayhorn)
08. Main Stem (Ellington)
09. Johnny Come Lately (Strayhorn)
10. Hayfoot, Strawfoot (Lenk - Drake - McGrane)
11. Sentimental Lady (Ellington)
12. A Slip Of The Lip (Can Sink A Ship) (Henderson - M. Ellington)
13. Sherman Shuffle (Ellington)
14.1 Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues (George - Ellington)
15. I'm Beginning To See The Light (Ellington - Hodges - James - George)
16. Don't You Know I Care (Ellington)
17.1 Didn't Know About You (Ellington)
18. Work Song (Ellington)
19. Come Sunday (Ellington)
20. The Blues (Ellington)
21. Three Dances (Ellington)
West Indian Dance / Emancipation Celebration / Sugar Hill Penthouse
CD 16: Duke Ellington 1945
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA
01. Carnegie Blues (Ellington)
02. Blue Cellophane (Ellington)
03. The Mood To Be Wooed (Hodges - Ellington)
04. My Heart Sings (Jamblan - Herpin - Rome)
05. Perfume Suite, Part 1 (Strayhorn - Ellington)
a) Love / b) Strange Feeling
6. Perfume Suite, Part 2 (Strayhorn - Ellington)
a) Dancers In Love / b) Coloratura
07. Frantic Fantasy (Stewart - Ellington)
08. It Don't Mean A Thing (Ellington - Mills)
09. Black, Brown And Beige, Part 1 (Ellington)
a) The Blues
10. Black, Brown And Beige, Part 2 (Ellington)
b) West Indian Dance c) Emancipation Celebration
d) Sugar Hill Penthouse
11. Caravan (Tizol - Ellington - Mills)
12. Black And Tan Fantasy (Miley - Ellington)
13. Mood Indigo (Bigard - Ellington - Mills)
14. Take The "A" Train (Theme) Harlem Air Shaft (Ellington)
15. Black Beauty (Ellington)
16. Every Hour On The Hour (I Fall In Love With You) (Ellington - George)
CD 17: Duke Ellington 1945-46
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
01. Hollywood Hangover (Clayton)
02. The Kissing Bug (Stewart - Strayhorn - Sherrill)
03. In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree (Van Alstyne - Williams)
04. Frankie And Johnny, Part 1 (Trad.)
05. Frankie And Johnny, Part 2 (Trad.)
06. Sugar Hill Penthouse (Ellington)
07. Diminuendo In Blue / Crescendo In Blue (Ellington)
08. New World A Comin', Part 1 (Ellington)
09. New World A Comin', Part 2 (Ellington)
10. Prelude To A Kiss (Ellington - Gordon - Mills)
11. Ring Dem Bells (Ellington - Mills)
12.Time's A Wastin' (Ellington)
13. Carnegie Blues (Ellington)
14. Rockabye River (Ellington)
15. Suddenly It Jumped (Ellington)
16. Transblucency (Brown - Ellington)
17. Just Squeeze Me (Ellington - Gaines)
CD 18: Duke Ellington 1941. The Hollywood Transcriptions
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA
01. Take The "A" Train (Strayhorn)
02. I Hear A Rhapsody (Fragos - Baker - Gasparre)
03. It's Sad But True (Ellington)
04. Madame Will Drop Her Shawl (Pine - Brown)
05. Frenesi (Charles - Dominguez)
06. Until Tonight (Mauve) (Ellington)
07. West Indian Stomp (Ellington)
08. Love And 1 (Sillman - Graham - Bergeson)
09. John Hardy's Wife (M. Ellington)
10. Clementine (Strayhorn)
11. Chelsea Bridge (Strayhorn)
12. Love Like This Can't Last (Strayhorn)
13. After All (Strayhorn)
14.Jumpin' Punkins (Ellington)
15. Frankie And Johnny (Trad., arr. Ellington)
16. Flamingo (Anderson - Grouya)
17. Bakiff (Tizol)
18. Stomp Caprice (Strayhorn)
19. Bugle Breaks (Ellington)
20. Have You Changed? (Blue Tears) (Gordon - Dee - Gordon - VanDyke)
21. Raincheck (Strayhorn)
22. Blue Serge (M. Ellington)
23. Moon Mist (M. Ellington)
24.1 Don't Want To Set The World On Fire (Seiler - Marcus - Benjamin - Durham)
25. Easy Street (unknown)
26. Perdido (Tizol - Lengsfelder - Drake)
CD 19: Mills Blue Rhythm Band 1931
MILLS BLUE RHYTHM BAND
01. Straddle The Fence (Calloway - Mills - Heywood)
02. Levee Low Down (Brooks - Mills)
03. Moanin' (White - Mills)
04. Blues In My Heart (Carter - Mills)
05. Minnie The Moocher (Calloway - Mills)
06. Minnie The Moocher (Calloway - Mills)
07. Blue Rhythm (Mills - Leslie)
08. Blue Flame (Perkins - Mills)
09. Red Devil (Perkins - Mills)
10. Star Dust (Parish - Carmichael)
11. Minnie The Moocher (Calloway - Mills)
12. Black And Tan Fantasy (Miley - Ellington)
13. Sugar Blues (Fletcher - Williams)
14. Sugar Blues (Fletcher - Williams)
15. Low Down On The Bayou (Leslie - Mills)
16. Futuristic Jungleism (White - Mills)
17. Moanin' (White - Mills)
18.1 Can't Get Along Without My Baby (Mills - Hayes)
19. Moanin' (White - Mills - Parish)
20. Low Down On The Bayou (Leslie - Mills)
21. Blue Rhythm (Leslie - Mills)
22. Heebie Jeebies (Atkins)
23. Minnie The Moocher (Calloway - Mills)
CD 20: Mills Blue Rhythm Band 1931-32
MILLS BLUE RHYTHM BAND
01. Savage Rhythm (Hoffman - Goodman)
02. I'm Sorry I Made You Blue (Parish - White)
03. Ev'ry Time I Look At You (Hayes - Mills)
04. Snake Hips (Hayes - Mills)
BARON LEE AND HIS BLUE RHYTHM BAND
05. The Scat Song (Parish - Perkins - Calloway)
06. Heatwaves (Leslie)
07. Doin' The Shake (White)
08. The Scat Song (Parish - Perkins - Calloway)
09. Cabin In The Cotton (Parish - Perkins)
10. Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day (Koehler - Arlen)
11. The Growl (White)
12. Mighty Sweet (Akst)
BILLY BANKS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
13. The Scat Song (Parish - Perkins - Calloway)
14. Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day (Koehler-Arlen)
MILLS BLUE RHYTHM BAND
15. Rythm Spasm (White)
16. My Swanee Lullaby (unknown)
17. White Lightning (Perkins)
18. Wild Waves (White - Mills)
BILLY BANKS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
19. Oh! You Sweet Thing (Razaf - Waller)
20. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) (Ellington - Mills)
BARON LEE AND THE BLUE RHYTHM BAND
21. Sentimental Gentleman From Georgia (Parish - Perkins)
22. You Gave Me Everything But Love (Koehler - Arlen)
23. Old Yazoo (Waller)
24. Reefer Man (Razaf - Robison)
