Bill Davison (feat. George Brunies, Eddie Condon, Edmond Hall, Albert Nicholas) - Quadromania (4 CD, 2005/FLAC)

 One of the great Dixieland trumpeters, Wild Bill Davison had a colorful and emotional style that ranged from sarcasm to sentimentality with plenty of growls and shakes. His unexpected placement of high notes was a highlight of his solos and his strong personality put him far ahead of the competition. In the 1920s, he played with the Ohio Lucky Seven, the Chubb-Steinberg Orchestra (with whom he made his recording debut), the Seattle Harmony Kings, and Benny Meroff. After he was involved in a fatal car accident that ended the life of Frankie Teschemacher in 1932 (his auto was blindsided by a taxi), Davison spent the remainder of the 1930s in exile in Milwaukee. By 1941, he was in New York and in 1943 made some brilliant recordings for Commodore (including a classic version of "That's a Plenty") that solidified his reputation. After a period in the Army, Davison became a fixture with Eddie Condon's bands starting in 1945, playing nightly at Condon's. In the 1950s, he was quite effective on a pair of albums with string orchestras, but most of his career was spent fronting Dixieland bands either as a leader or with Condon. Wild Bill toured Europe often from the 1960s, recorded constantly, had a colorful life filled with remarkable episodes, and was active up until his death. A very detailed 1996 biography (The Wildest One by Hal Willard) has many hilarious anecdotes and shows just how unique a life Wild Bill Davison had. 

 

The Complete CBS Recordings Of Eddie Condon And His All Stars [5 CD, 1994] [FLAC]

 

Chicago jazz and Dixieland fans should go out of their way to pick up this limited-edition five-CD boxed set. The first four discs date from 1953-1957 and feature freewheeling performances (originally out on seven LPs) with such classic soloists as cornetists Wild Bill Davison and Bobby Hackett, trumpeter Billy Butterfield, trombonists Cutty Cutshall, Lou McGarity, and Vic Dickenson, clarinetists Edmond Hall, Peanuts Hucko, Bob Wilber, and Pee Wee Russell and tenorman Bud Freeman among others. Eddie Condon's comments during his band's waterlogged performance at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival alone are worth the price. The final disc of material (all from 1962) is somewhat commercial but still has its moments of interest. 

Eddie Condon, guitar ; his All-Stars (variously: Wild Bill Davison, cornet ; Cutty Cutshall, Lou McGarity, Vic Dickenson, trombone ; Edmond Hall, Peanuts Hucko, Pee Wee Russell, Bob WIlbur, clarinet ; Gene Schroeder, piano ; John Mortillaro, piano, celeste ; Walter Page, Al Hall, Leonard Gaskin, Jack Lesberg, bass ; Cliff Leeman, George Wettling, Buzzy Drootin, drums ; Billy Butterfield, trumpet ; Dick Cary, alto horn ; Bud Freeman, saxophone).