[Dixielandjazz] The Complete Jimmie Lunceford Decca Sessions

[Robert Ringwald]

>From Mosaic Records:
The Complete Jimmie Lunceford Decca Sessions (7 CDs)
Release Date: May/June 2011
Mosaic is pleased to announce a long awaited project that has been on the wish list
of many of our customers: The Decca recordings of the Jimmie Lunceford band. Blessed
with superb soloists and demandingly advanced arrangements, the Harlem Express, as
they were billed at times, became a favorite among swing fans and the record buying
public in general.
Amongst the classic Decca sides represented here were hits like "My Blue Heaven,"
"Margie" (the Trummy Young trombone and vocal feature which became his trademark),
"Rhythm Is Our Business," "Sleepy Time Gal" (with its remarkable reed passage), "Swanee
River" (the Sy Oliver chart which later was recycled to become one of Tommy Dorsey's
greatest successes), "Organ Grinder's Swing," "Blues in the Night," "The Honeydripper"
and the smash hit of "For Dancers Only." The band had a unique one-on-one relationship
with the public since they rarely played in one venue for long stretches of time.
Their frequent one-nighters made them one of the most traveled bands of the era in
theaters, nightclubs and ballrooms country-wide and the first jazz group to tour
Sweden in 1937.
The Lunceford roster stuck with Jimmie for much of the band's life history and included
the booting tenor of Joe Thomas, the fluid alto of Willie Smith (among the big four
along with Carter, Hodges and Parker), Paul Webster's stratospheric trumpet, the
brilliant trombone work (and vocals) by Trummy Young and one of the greatest of all
jazz drummers, Jimmy Crawford. But what set apart this band from many of the others
were the futuristic yet swinging arrangements by Sy Oliver, Eddie Wilcox, Willie
Smith, Eddie Durham, Gerald Wilson and Tadd Dameron.
This will be the first time all of these Decca sessions are to be gathered together.
We were fortunate to have not only metal parts available from the Universal Music
vaults, but also mint condition test pressings from the collection of the masterful
sound engineer, the late John R.T. Davies and mint 78s from collector (and Mosaic
customer extraordinaire) Leon Dierckx. The text for our booklet comes from researcher
and author of the Lunceford biography "Rhythm Is Our Business," Eddy Determeyer.
Photographs for the booklet include many never seen before images from the Joe Thomas
archives held at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Libraries.
"At the time I joined Jimmie Luceford's band, they could outdraw any band in the
country. Benny Goodman? We were more popular than Benny Goodman! We were the first
black band that played the Paramount Theatre. Not Duke Ellington, not Count Basie.
Six weeks in a row and it was packed every day, people lining up around the corner,
constantly! We could outdraw any band in the country. They were the forerunners,
between swing and bebop. They were right there. And their records prove this. One
of the greatest bands of all time." -- Gerald Wilson
http://emr.emi.com/go.asp?/bEMI002/mCCP9O2F/uU7XNPH2/xQNL1O2F


--Bob Ringwald
www.ringwald.com
Fulton Street Jazz Band
530/ 642-9551 Office
916/ 806-9551 Cell
Amateur (Ham) Radio K6YBV

An Irish Man is sitting in the pub with his wife and he says, "I love you."
She asks, "Is that you or the beer talking?"
He replies, "It's me talking to the beer."