The year was 1947: World War II was over and there was music in the air, with Frank Sinatra making teenagers swoon. On other airways, primarily black radio stations, another, earthier music was being played which would become the foundation for what is now called rock & roll. Back then it was called the blues and rhythm & blues, and its voices had names like Wynonie Harris, Willie Dixon, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Among its musicians were Big Bill Broonzy, Hosea Sapp, and Thunder Smith. This CD is part of a series that chronicles the history of this music that was to have such an impact on rock & roll. This volume collects some of the great hits of 1947, when many baby boomers were born, who would go on to become the major supporters of the idiom…

This CD is volume two in a series produced by Frenchman Bernard Frémeaux and his associates that explores the roots of rock & roll in the blues and rhythm & blues of the late '30s, the '40s, and the early '50s. The songs of that era were sung by primarily African American musical artists and became the inspiration for the phenomenon known as rock & roll. The music features hard-driving rhythms, as well as a sensuousness in both style and lyrics. Many of the early rock & roll stars, notably Elvis Presley, drew on this rich tradition. Unlike the King, most of these musicians received little notice or remuneration from the white audiences that devoured rock & roll music from the '50s on. In this volume of the collection, the music comes from as early as 1938 and carries up through 1946…

The story usually goes that rock & roll was born in 1954 when a young truck driver named Elvis Presley opted to sing black blues his way, and there is no debate that Presley became a catalyst for the explosion that became known as rock & roll. But like most explosions, it had been brewing for a while, and this is the case that Roots of Rock & Roll, Volume 1: 1927-1938 (from the French label Frémeaux) tries to present, drawing together early blues, jazz, folk, and country 78 rpm's in a two-disc package that spans genres and styles. That rock & roll was an evolutionary sponge, soaking up elements of all of these music strands, is obvious, but pinpointing exact musical ancestors can be tough. It is difficult to imagine, for example, some of the artists collected here as proto-rockers (Louis Armstrong, Gene Autrey, Django Reinhardt)…

Influential and diverse New York band led by pop music's one and only big band, salsa, disco, no wave kingpin.

The Quartet is cooking the classy side of the golden age of swing: the 40s. Playing a selection from the Great American Songbook, some dizzy novelty tunes and hot Jazz originals for the Lindy-Hoppers. Vocals, piano, guitar and bass are swingin' in the style of the early Nat King Cole Trio, Slim & Slam, Billie Holiday … just to name a few.

Few performers have ever captured the hearts of an audience like Louis Armstrong. Relive the fascination with this collection of sensational hits from the lovable "Satchmo"… a true platinum legend! This fantastic collection includes thirteen classic tunes, including two songs featuring fellow Jazz Legend Ella Fitzgerald.

2002's The Complete Savoy Recordings contains all 46 recordings Lester Young recorded for Savoy, including numerous alternate takes. This set is nicely assembled, boasting 20-Bit remastering, with good notes and logical sequencing (even if the successions of alternate takes do skew it a bit toward the historian, not the casual listener), making this the best set to date of Young's pivotal Savoy recordings. ~ AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He is considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. Known affectionately as "The Brute" or "Frog", he had a tough, raspy, and brutal tone on stomps (with growls), yet on ballads he played with warmth and sentiment. He was indebted to alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges, who, he said, taught him to play his instrument.

This CD reissue by Columbia in their Legacy series is a bit of a hodgepodge, covering a 2 1/2 year period in the bandleading career of xylophonist Red Norvo. Unfortunately the music is not programmed in chronological order but since most of these largely enjoyable 18 titles (including two never previously released) have rarely been reissued, this sampler will have to do until a more "complete" session comes along. Norvo's band during this period not only featured the occasional vocals of his wife, Mildred Bailey, but fine solo work from the tenor of Herbie Haymer, clarinetist Hank D'Amico and trumpeter Stew Pletcher in addition to the leader. The biggest key in Norvo's orchestra achieving a sound of its own, however, were the distinctive and inventive arrangements of Eddie Sauter. This CD contains great music that deserves to be reissued more coherently.

Jazzy Ash and the Leaping Lizards are releasing their fourth studio album, 'Swing Set', this summer! We've chosen 14 songs to represent and celebrate music created by African-American children, adults, and musicians from the mid-1800s to the early jazz era. You'll hear a fresh take on sassy playground clapping songs, soulful lullabies and classic New Orleans melodies, all presented in style by Jazzy Ash and her band. Every song on this record is over 90 years old. Although many of the songs are familiar, most of the songs' authors are anonymous. But through the melodies and the lyrics, we discover their stories. These songwriters were musicians, or children at play. They were family members; mothers and fathers. They were hard-working and passionate. They danced! They had fun! Now, we have the privilege of gathering these tunes, polishing them up, and presenting them to new audience. It's a swingin' good time!

Pianista, sassofonista, vibrafonista, arrangiatore e compositore, è tra i massimi esponenti italiani del jazz mainstream e tradizionale. Ha partecipato a numerosi festival e a migliaia di concerti di rilevanza nazionale ed internazionale. E’ tra i più attivi musicisti della scena jazz e swing romana.

World-renowned jazz clarinettist Adrian Cox and his quartet present music from their brand new album 'Now Is Spring'. The music on this album tour is written by Adrian and longtime collaborator, pianist Joe Webb. 'Now Is Spring' draws on Cox’s influences of New Orleans, blues and swing music. The tunes are written with the soul and passion of those beyond their years, and they have created a timeless set of beautiful melodies. As a band they play as one, seamlessly creating an often orchestral voice. Their sound has become unmistakable and is one which we hope you will capture first hand.

The dean of American pop vocalists took a different and exciting fork in the road for his third Duets album, recruiting the best Latin vocalists in the world, and rejuvenating classic material like "The Best Is Yet to Come" (featuring Chayanne), "For Once in My Life" (featuring Marc Anthony), "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" (featuring Gloria Estefan), "The Way You Look Tonight" (featuring Thalía), and "Return to Me" (featuring ranchera legend Vicente Fernández). Most of the charts are big band – one of the exceptions being the highlight, his duet with Fernández – but crossover fans will note that Bennett's English gives way to his duet partners' Spanish, an intriguing and successful choice.

Between dozens of recordings made from 1937 to 1950, legendary French gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt waxed one, maybe two titles of solo guitar per year. Often it was less than that. Sometimes he made them at the request of the producers, who surely heard him warming up and decided to capture on records some of that magic atmosphere. Then Django took his instrument and performed whatever was on his mind: in occasions fully developed solo compositions; another times, instantly made up improvisations. This outstanding CD comprises them all for the first time in chronological order, including some very rare tracks and a recently discovered solo from a radio program as a bonus track.

Ella recorded some incredible live albums-and this one, taped at a jazz festival on the French Riviera in '64, is among the best. Ella, Tommy Flanagan, Roy Eldridge and the rest of her band thrill the crowd with Hello, Dolly!; Day In, Day Out; The Lady Is a Tramp; Them There Eyes; A-Tisket, A-Tasket; Blues in the Night; Summertime , and 42 more. The first time all the music from both nights has been available; more than half the cuts are unissued!