Artist: Roy Eldridge with Dizzy Gillespie and Clark Terry

Artist: Harry James

Covering the vital period of 1939 to 1942, this album is invaluable to anyone reading the recent James biography Trumpet Blues, by Peter J. Levinson. There could be no firmer statement of James's prodigious abilities as a jazz trumpeter and as a bandleader. These are mainly the out-and-out jazz tracks of the period and even when James gave in to the fad for an added string section, as in "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen", the jazz playing triumphed. James was a dedicated, fiery player, determined and totally committed to the music. This comes across in the power and urgency of the music, impelled as it is by his virtuosity and brilliance in constructing his solos. It's no reflection on his very good musicians to say that this more than most was a one-man band because, although he had many good soloists, everything was drenched by James's personality. The result is an instantly identifiable atmosphere that gives his music an extra strong character. Roaring big band jazz throughout. --Steve Voce
The rise of a star, 2008-12-15
Harry James first came to the attention of the music scene when he joined Ben Pollack in 1936, his recording debut coinciding with that of the great New Orleans clarinetist Irving Fazola. Harry impressed all around him with with his fantastic technique, seemingly limitless ideas and great tone and he struck up a lifelong frienship with Pollack's saxist-arranger Dave Matthews and bassist Thurman Teague. As with so many musicians (Goodman, Teagarden, Miller, Bob Haggart etc. etc.), Pollack's band was a stepping stone to greater fame and soon after his stint with Pollack James became Benny Goodman's featured trumpet star, de-throning Ziggy Elman. James got the bandleading bug and late in 1938 he left Goodman to start his own band which included veterans Matthews and Theague and a number of young, inexperienced musicians, among whom we find Frank Sinatra, securing a Columbia recording contract. The band's hard hitting, even agressive style did not go down too well however, and neither did the ballads sung by Sinatra. The recording contract was terminated before the advent of 1940 (and Tommy Dorsey made Sinatra an offer he couldn't refuse....). Between January and August 1940 James recorded for budget label Varsity (the sound quality of which was terrible) and there was a lay off of four months before he was again signed on by Columbia with which he remained until 1955.
This first HEP volume concentrates on the instrumentals James cut for Columbia in 1939 and 1941-1942 (the Varsity period is skipped, thus depriving the listener of such gems as "Superchief" and "Swanee River"). The first seven titles (from 1939) give a good picture of the band's early, Basie-influenced style: driving rhythm, furious riffing and a good deal of solo space, mainly reserved for James (who was the band's strongest instrumentalist), but also Matthews and Claude Lakey on saxes and Ralph Hawkins on piano.
The 1941-1942 band is more disciplined, playing a bunch of fine, Ellington influenced scores. The string section James added in early 1941 is sparingly used and although the writing is seldom very imaginative it is hardly intrusive either (they featured more prominently on the saccharine ballads James later became famous for; only one instance of that can be heard here: "But Not For Me", sung by Helen Forrest).
These recordings are not the ones that put James on the map to fame and fortune, they do show a side of his band that has been overshadowed by circus acts like "Carnival of Venice", "Flight of the Bumble Bee" and his swaggering trumpet offerings on syruppy confections that catered to a romance-hungry public of bobby sox girls.
Remastering and background info are of the usual high standard we have come to expect from HEP.

Artist: Buck Clayton

Artist: Bill Coleman

From Boogie To Funk is arguably the finest album Bill Coleman recorded during the last three decades of his life--decades he chose to spend in France rather than his native USA. The slightly absurd title was apparently chosen through a radio competition, but it does rightly indicate that the emphasis here is on the blues. What makes this unusual among the trumpeter's European recordings is that the band is entirely American, because he was able to take advantage of a visit by the Quincy Jones Orchestra, Just as Coleman was not far behind Armstrong and Eldridge in terms of quality, so Budd Johnson, present here on tenor, was not far behind Hawkins and Young on that instrument. Their partnership here is a great one and when Quentin Jackson uses a plunger mute with his trombone he sustains the profound emotions expressed by his colleagues. The rhythm section is also admirable throughout. --Graham Colombé
Bill Coleman Quentin Jackson and Bud Johnson, 2008-11-18
This is the album of Bill Coleman's music to get, particularly there are not that many available outside the used CDs and LPs market...
Another is, of course, Django Reinhardt's double CD album with his American friends, or Bill Coleman's album of tracks from that era (featuring Dicky Wells....)...

The main fault of this CD is crappy editing of track 2 (why it ends so abruptly - I have no idea) and, admittedly, the head arrangements could have been a bit less loose. But, all in all, the music is really hot and cooking, the musicians (Coleman, Quentin "Butter" Jackson, Budd Johnson...) are going very strong, showing the range of their sound and expressive abilities quite well...

The title of the CD (boogie!) is slightly misleading, but the blues feeling does permiate the proceedings - and there's nothing wrong with that if you ask me.

Artist: Harry James

Excellent value for money, 2004-03-19
This is a great album to play in the car to de-stress those rush hour journeys. Also to play in the background when friends come over. The astounding trumpet playing will make you smile; it is happy, upbeat, and above all, very cool.

Artist: Roy Eldridge

Not so Little Jazz, 2008-06-01
Comprehensive overview of the most significant part of a rich career - to say the least. This 4 CD collection starts with Roy's very first recording in 1935 (with Teddy Hill's big band), and ends with some of his choisiest work from the 50's. The booklet is very informative; it has some fine pictures and complete dates and personell listing. Also; it tells the story of Eldridge's career prior to his first recordings.

Sound quality is fine and music is, well, perfect.

Naturally, I already have some of the tracks in Teddy Wilson, Billie Holiday, Gene Krupa or Fletcher henderson collections, but this is still great.
There are some of the best swing combos I have ever heard in this collection, Roy's work in France is marvelous, there are the incredible "Metronome All stars" (on "St. Louis Blues" in two tempos...) with great Billy Eckstine, Lester Young, Terry Gibbs, Kai Winding and others... Big band tracks lag behind a bit (even Henderson, influntial as he was, doesn't fare well when compared to Krupa's, Eldridge's or Hawkins' combos represented here). But, the big band sides are still good or very good swing music.

Contributions of Coleman Hawkins, Chu Berry, Benny Goodman, Oscar Peterson, Gene Krupa, Israel Crosby (on Teddy Wilson's rightly famous "Blues in C sharp minor"), Don Byas, Buddy Tate and others are great but I would particularly like to recomend the Paris tracks, particularly those with Claude Bolling (duos: "Wild man blues" and "Fireworks"). These are marvelous reworking od Armstrong-Hines classics...

All swing and classic jazz fans should get this music on this or any other collections
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Artist: Harry 'Sweets' Edison

Artist: Roy Eldridge

Artist: Harry James

Artist: Buck Clayton