Chu Berry was considered one of the top tenor saxophonists of the 1930s, just below Coleman Hawkins (his main influence), Lester Young, and Ben Webster. Particularly strong on up-tempo numbers (although his ballad statements could be overly sentimental), Berry might have become an influential force if he had not died prematurely. After playing alto in college, he switched to tenor in 1929 when he joined Sammy Stewart's band. In 1930, he moved to New York, playing with Benny Carter's band and Charlie Johnson's orchestra. He was prominently featured in Spike Hughes' 1933 recording sessions, was a star with the bands of Teddy Hill (1933-1935) and Fletcher Henderson (1936; to whom he contributed his song "Christopher Columbus"), and then found a permanent home with Cab Calloway in 1937. Berry was used on many sessions including with his friend Roy Eldridge, Lionel Hampton (a classic version of "Sweethearts on Parade"), Teddy Wilson, and Calloway (his version of "Ghost of a Chance" became well-known); in addition he led a couple of his own fine dates. Chu Berry died from the effects of a car crash when he was just 31.
CD1 {77:31}
01. Blue Interlude (3:31)
02. I Never Knew (alternate take) (3:08)
03. I Never Knew (3:08)
04. Once Upon a Time (3:29)
05. Krazy Kapers (3:33)
06. Do Your Duty (3:31)
07. I'm Down in the Dumps (3:17)
08. (Lookie, Lookie, Lookie) Here Comes Cookie (3:04)
09. When the Robin Sings His Song Again (2:58)
10. Rosetta (3:13)
11. I'll Never Say 'Never Again' Again (3:03)
12. Get Rhythm in Your Feet (2:49)
13. Chasing Shadows (-2) (2:38)
14. Chasing Shadows (-1) (2:40)
15. When I Grow Too Old to Dream (2:43)
16. I'd Love to Take Orders from You (2:45)
17. I'd Rather Listen to Your Eyes (3:10)
18. When Day Is Done (3:32)
19. Twenty Four Hours a Day (3:04)
20. Yankee Doodle Never Went to Town (2:47)
21. Eeny Meeny Meiny Mo (3:16)
22. I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music (3:07)
23. Mutiny in the Parlor (3:06)
24. I'm Gonna Clap My Hands (3:01)
25. Swing Is Here (2:58)
CD2 {76:41}
01. Christopher Columbus (3:08)
02. Grand Terrace Swing (3:02)
03. Blue Lou (3:12)
04. Stealin' Apples (3:00)
05. Moonrise on the Lowlands (2:46)
06. I'll Always Be in Love with You (3:06)
07. Jangled Nerves (2:38)
08. Mary Had a Little Lamb (3:00)
09. Too Good to Be True (3:14)
10. Warmin' Up (3:20)
11. Blues in C Sharp Minor (3:24)
12. Where There's You There's Me (2:31)
13. Do You or Don't You Love Me (3:05)
14. Mary Had a Little Lamb (2:52)
15. Shoe Shine Boy (3:35)
16. Sing, Sing, Sing (2:36)
17. Knock, Knock Who's There? (alternate take) (2:58)
18. Knock, Knock Who's There? (3:01)
19. Jim Town Blues (2:47)
20. You Can Depend on Me (3:32)
21. Slummin' on Park Avenue (-2) (2:37)
22. Slummin' on Park Avenue (-1) (2:31)
23. Rhythm of the Tambourine (2:43)
24. Back in Your Own Backyard (2:35)
25. Rose Room (3:05)
26. Great Caesar's Ghost (2:23)
CD3 {72:38}
01. Now You're Talking My Language (2:54)
02. Back Home Again in Indiana (2:51)
03. Back Home Again in Indiana (alternate take) (2:54)
04. Too Marvelous for Words (alternate take) (2:58)
05. Too Marvelous for Words (2:57)
06. Limehouse Blues (alternate take) (2:54)
07. Limehouse Blues (2:56)
08. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm (2:44)
09. Chris and His Gang (3:06)
10. I'm Always in the Mood for You (2:57)
11. She's Tall, She's Tan, She's Terrific (2:35)
12. Go South, Young Man (2:13)
13. Mama, I Want to Make Rhythm (3:04)
14. Queen Isabella (2:48)
15. Savage Rhythm (2:36)
16. Chuberry Jam (2:21)
17. Maelstrom (alternate take) (2:50)
18. Maelstrom (2:52)
19. My Secret Love Affair (2:53)
20. Ebb Tide (2:48)
21. A Minor Breakdown (-1) (2:27)
22. A Minor Breakdown (-2) (2:31)
23. Bugle Blues (2:30)
24. My First Impression of You (2:52)
25. With a Smile and a Song (-1) (3:10)
26. With a Smile and a Song (-2) (2:57)
CD4 {72:45}
01. When You're Smiling (2:59)
02. I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me (2:38)
03. Thanks for the Memory (alternate take) (2:44)
04. Thanks for the Memory (2:38)
05. Lover Come Back to Me (alternate take) (3:17)
06. Lover Come Back to Me (3:12)
07. Annie Laurie (2:54)
08. Loch Lomond (2:36)
09. My Mariuccia Take a Steamboat (2:37)
10. In the Land of Yamo Yamo (2:44)
11. Rustle of Swing (alternate take) (3:10)
12. Rustle of Swing (3:01)
13. Three Swings and Out (2:17)
14. I Like Music (With a Swing Like That) (2:38)
15. Penguin Swing (3:33)
16. Peck-A-Doodle-Do (2:52)
17. At the Clambake Carnival (2:31)
18. Hoy-Hoy (2:52)
19. Miss Hallelujah Brown (2:24)
20. Shout, Shout, Shout (2:38)
21. Jive (Page "1" of the Hepster's Dictionary) (2:59)
22. Do You Wanna Jump, Children? (2:26)
23. Blue Interlude (2:39)
24. FDR Jones (2:24)
25. That's All I Ask of You (alternate take) (3:03)
26. That's All I Ask of You (2:59)
CD5 {70:23}
01. Floogie Walk (2:22)
02. I Can Give You Love (2:51)
03. High Society (3:17)
04. Johnny Get Your Horn (3:13)
05. Sweethearts on Parade (3:04)
06. Shufflin' at the Hollywood (alternate take) (3:12)
07. Shufflin' at the Hollywood (3:09)
08. Denison Swing (3:19)
09. Wizzin' the Wizz (alternate take) (2:30)
10. Wizzin' the Wizz (2:31)
11. Downright Disgusted Blues (2:31)
12. Corrine Corrini (2:18)
13. I'm a Real Kinda Papa (2:54)
14. Jumpy Nerves (2:53)
15. Boogie Woogie (2:35)
16. Ain't Cha Comin' Home? (3:22)
17. Royal Garden Blues (2:39)
18. In the Barrel (2:30)
19. Farewell Blues (2:41)
20. Fare Thee, My Baby, Fare-Thee-Well (2:39)
21. Limehouse Blues (2:21)
22. Trylon Swing (2:51)
23. Utt-Da-Zay (3:00)
24. Crescendo in Drums (2:49)
25. The Jumpin' Jive (2:52)
CD6 {71:56}
01. Pluckin' the Bass (alternate take) (2:47)
02. Pluckin' the Bass (2:46)
03. I Ain't Getting Nowhere Fast (2:50)
04. Blue Lou (2:56)
05. When the Saints Go Marching In (2:31)
06. My Honey's Lovin' Arms (2:50)
07. When My Sugar Walks Down the Street (2:55)
08. Hot Mallets (2:19)
09. A Bee Gezindt (2:53)
10. Give, Baby, Give (2:39)
11. Do It Again (2:55)
12. Calling All Bars (alternate take) (3:11)
13. Calling All Bars (2:49)
14. Do I Care? No, No (alternate take) (2:52)
15. Do I Care? No, No (2:50)
16. The Lone Arranger (-2) (2:45)
17. The Lone Arranger (-1) (2:34)
18. Hard Times (3:22)
19. Who's Yehoodi? (alternate take) (3:15)
20. Who's Yehoodi? (3:12)
21. Come On with the "Come On" (2:58)
22. A Ghost of a Chance (alternate take) (2:56)
23. A Ghost of a Chance (3:03)
24. Bye Bye Blues (alternate take) (2:54)
25. Bye Bye Blues (2:54)
