[Dixielandjazz] New Jim Cullum 3-CD set

[Dan Augustine]

Jim Cullum fans--
     Bob Black, former banjo-picker with Jim 
Cullum, sent me an email last week about a 3-CD 
set just (apparently) released (although it's 
dated as 2006).  It's called _3 Kings of Jazz_ 
and was recorded by The Jim Cullum Happy Jazz 
Band back in 1976.  So of course i ordered it 
immediately and got it a couple of days ago.
     The first CD has Bix Beiderbecke tunes, the 
second has Louis Armstrong songs, and the third 
has songs by Jelly Roll Morton.
     Personnel are (according to Bob, who played 
on all the sessions): Jim Cullum (cornet), Allan 
Vaché (clarinet), Mark Hess (trombone), Bob Black 
(banjo), Buddy Apfel (sousaphone), Cliff Gillette 
(piano), and Kevin Hess (drums).
     The CD cover claims that Randy Reinhart is on 
trombone, but Bob says that he didn't join the 
band until later in 1976 and did not play at all 
on any of these tunes.  The liner-notes (by 
Richard Sudhalter) also say that Randy Reinhart 
is on trombone, and Bill Chapman is on tuba, but 
in fact neither of them played.  Both Music Minus 
One (who recorded the sessions) and Worlds 
Records perpetuate this mistake.
     The boxed 3-CD set is available from Music Minus One ($29.95) at:
http://www.musicminusone.com/MainPages/details.asp?AlbumID=60412777

and from Worlds Records ($27.00) at:
http://www.worldsrecords.com/pages/artists/c/cullum_jim/jim_cullum_62638.html

     All the players are in fine form: Jim Cullum 
plays extremely well, and hot; Allan Vaché is 
great as usual; Mark Hess (with whom i was not 
familiar) does some very intricate 
trombone-licks; Bob Black does some very nice 
banjo work; and Buddy Apfel is simply great on 
sousaphone (but sometimes you could swear he's 
playing the string bass in an upper register).
     Highly recommended.

     Dan

P. S. Bob was corresponding with Leon Oakley 
about this release, and Leon mentioned a new one 
that he plays on, which i am now of course forced 
to acquire:
Mal Sharpe's Big Money in Jazz Band: _Firecracker Baby_ at:
http://www.worldsrecords.com/pages/artists/s/sharpe_mal/mal_sharpe_62661.html

-- 
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**  Dan Augustine  --  Austin, Texas  --  ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu
**  "The less a science is advanced, the more its terminology tends
**   to rest on an uncritical assumption of mutual understanding."
**             -- Willard V. Quine in _Word and Object_
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