The Best of the Decca Years
Artist: The Mills Brothers

Most of The Mills Brothers' best-known hits were remastered well, with good notes. ~ Charles S. Wolfe, All Music Guide Read More

New Orleans
Artist: Vestre Jazzvaerk

Some of the finest trad jazz of the past two decades has been performed overseas by European bands. This CD from Storyville (which unfortunately has liner notes only in Danish) features a hot pianoless sextet that stars trumpeter Aage Jesperson, trombonist Poul Schmidt and clarinetist Johs Tersbol. They perform standards by Americans, including... Read More

Softly
Artist: Jackie Coon

The mellow-toned flugelhornist Jackie Coon is some ways a successor to Bobby Hackett. His style is lyrical; one can always hear the melody in his solos, and he plays quietly. On this CD, he is mostly heard in the best possible setting, leading a quartet also including pianist Johnny Varro, bassist Bob Haggart and drummer Ed Metz Jr. Two songs... Read More

Jubilesta
Artist: Dan Barrett

Dan Barrett, probably the top young trombonist currently playing classic jazz, is very well featured on this quartet set with pianist Ray Sherman (himself in superior form), bassist David Stone and drummer Jake Hanna. Barrett revives such songs as "Why Can't You Behave?," "Then I'll Be Happy," "Wherever There's Love," "Wait 'Til You See 'Ma... Read More

Butch & Doc
Artist: Butch Thompson

Pianist Butch Thompson was clearly thrilled to get the chance to record a set of duets with trumpeter Doc Cheatham, who at the time was two months shy of turning 89. Cheatham, who still played with remarkable confidence for one at that advanced age (hitting some reasonable high notes), also takes a few charming vocals. Thompson proves to be an... Read More

No Greater Love
Artist: Chuck Hedges Quartet

Although he has been a top clarinetist for over 30 years and a popular attraction at classic jazz parties and festivals, clarinetist Chuck Hedges has had relatively few opportunities to lead his own record dates; in fact, this Arbors CD was his first session as a leader in nine years. Pianist Eddie Higgins (showcased on his "Magnolia Rag"),... Read More

Laughing at Life
Artist: The Orphan Newsboys
Community Score: 1.00
Hooray for Hoagy!
Artist: Jim Cullum Jazz Band

Cornetist Jim Cullum leads one of the finest classic jazz/Dixieland bands of the 1990s. For this Audiophile CD, his septet (which also includes trombonist Mike Pittsley, clarinetist Allan Vache, and pianist John Sheridan) plays 14 Hoagy Carmichael songs, including such rarely performed numbers as "Kinda Lonesome," "I Walk With Music," and... Read More

Bix 'N' Bing
Artist: Paul Whiteman

The focus of this 20-song CD is the work of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra featuring Bix Beiderbecke and Bing Crosby, a period covering 1927 through 1929, up through their recording of "Waiting at the End of the Road," and includes releases on both RCA-Victor and Columbia. Crosby is part of the Rhythm Boys on much of the material here, though he... Read More

New Orleans
Artist: Jimmie Noone

Sixteen tracks recorded between May 1928 and June 1929 with the Apex Club Orchestra, featuring Earl Fatha Hines at the piano and Joe Poston on alto sax. Most of these titles overlap with the Vocalion sides reissued on Decca's Apex Blues, but the running times vary considerable in some instances, by as much as 30 seconds or more ("Every Evening I... Read More

Louis Armstrong and King Oliver
Artist: Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong's tenure as second cornettist to the great King Oliver is one of jazz history's legendary apprenticeships, on a par with the one Miles Davis served with Charlie Parker or Stephane Grappelli's with Django Rheinhardt. Sadly, only a handful of recordings survive from this formative period in Armstrong's career; happily, all of them... Read More

The Henry Allen Collection, Vol. 2 (1932-1935)
Artist: Henry "Red" Allen