Austin Lindy Hop
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Austin Lindy Hop
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Willie Smith with the Harry James Orchestra(Columbia 1944-1955/ released 1990)
This week's find emphasizes the lesson to never stop perusing your music collection after nine years of collecting because you just might find some gems you forgot existed. It's sometimes amazing to discover what you already own. Unfortunately, although we try to recommend CDs that are readily available on the market, this CD is difficult to find outside of my collection. If you find it anywhere else, snatch it up. Willie Smith was an alto sax player with Jimmy Lunceford's orchestra who some consider to have been the third best alto sax player of the 1930s after Benny Carter and Johnny Hodges. He also sang the vocals on Lunceford's biggest hit, "Rhythm is our Business." Smith left Lunceford's band in 1942 and eventually landed in Harry James' band, where he was better appreciated and better paid. In 1951, he left James' orchestra after seven years to replace Johnny Hodges in Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1951 to replace Johnny Hodges. he later played with Billy Mays' orchestra, before returning for a ten-year stint to Harry James' orchestra in 1954. This CD contains some fantastic original Swing Era Big Band music, with the original versions of some classic songs that evolved over the years: one of the finest "original" versions of "Moten Swing," "Blue Turning Grey Over You, and the original Harry James version of "Two O'Clock Jump" (featured on the "Swingin at Capitol" compilation on LP's Top 25 CD list). It also features a great version of the staid standard, "Tuxedo Junction," as well as good versions of "Perdido" and "Stompin at the Savoy." The rhythm one these recordings is fluid, light, and playful, yet strong and danceable. |
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