Maxene: An Andrews Sister
Artist: Maxene Andrews

Patty, not Maxene, Andrews was the lead singer of the Andrews Sisters, with Maxene and third sister Laverne providing harmony and backup. But since the sisters split up, Maxene obviously has learned to sing lead, since she projects a definite identity on this, her debut solo album (which came nearly 50 years after she started recording). The... Read More

1936
Artist: Putney Dandridge
Cookin'
Artist: Butch Miles

Drummer Butch Miles leads a first-class mainstream jazz group on this live set put out by the German Nagel-Heyer label. With trumpeter Randy Sandke, tenor-saxophonist Harry Allen, guitarist Howard Alden and bassist Frank Tate completing the pianoless quartet, the high-quality swing that results is not unexpected. Terrie Richards helps out with a... Read More

The Ugly One with the Jewels and Other Stories
Artist: Laurie Anderson

On her later albums, Laurie Anderson had moved from her earlier spoken word-plus-effects style to a more overtly musical approach, with less effective results. The Ugly One With the Jewels, a recording of a live performance of readings from her book Stories From the Nerve Bible, returned her to speaking instead of singing, and it was her best... Read More

The Hot Club of San Francisco
Artist: The Hot Club of San Francisco

Due to its name and the fact that its core is a swing-based string band, listeners might be excused if they believe that the Hot Club of San Francisco closely resembles Django Reinhardt's band of the 1930's, the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Actually Django is the main inspiration for guitarist Paul Mehling and his quartet (comprising three... Read More

One
Artist: The Ordinaires

The Ordinaires, sadly, were both behind and ahead of the curve. In the early '80s, their blend of rock aggression and classical instrumentation would have been adopted by fans of European chamber rock ensembles like Soft Verdict and the Lost Jockey, and in the late '90s, they would have fit perfectly alongside Tortoise, Rachel's, and the Sea and... Read More

Just Friends
Artist: Henri Chaix

For more than 30 years, pianist Henri Chaix, bassist Alain Du Bois (who was originally a rhythm guitarist) and drummer Romano Cavicchiolo worked together as a trio. Du Bois would pass away just four months and ten days after the live session that makes up this CD, but he plays as well as usual throughout the swing-oriented mainstream music.... Read More