Louis Jordan Jumpin' And Jivin' At Jubilee CD

Louis Jordan is one of those acts that you know must have been incredible to see live, so for those of us not lucky enough to see him (and for those who did and want to relive what must have been a wild show), here's the next-best thing-excerpts from two Armed Forces Radio Services ''Jubilee'' programs that aired on November 8, 1943, and May 22, 1944. Collectors' Choice Music exclusive! 2003.

Personnel includes: Louis Jordan; Ida James, Pha Terrell (vocals).
Recorded in Los Angeles, California on November 8, 1943 and May 22, 1944.
The material on this collection was culled from two live recordings made by Louis Jordan & His Tympany 5 for the Armed Forces Radio Service in 1943 and 1944. It includes many of his most popular songs, some of which remain favorites on the novelty-nostalgia circuit -- "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" (presented here in two versions, one sung by the delightful Ida James) and "Five Guys Named Moe" are among those. Because these are live recordings, they also feature charmingly hammy jive-talk exchanges between Jordan and emcee Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman before each track. Jump blues has always had trouble getting respect, both from jazz aficionados who find the music simplistic and from R&B lovers who find it shallow and soulless. The fact that the most enduring songs from the tradition tend to be novelty numbers doesn't help matters much. But for those who can put aside their musical snobbery for a little while and give themselves up to the pure pleasure of this material, Louis Jordan offers more fun than a dozen Charlie Parkers. And in case you think he and his band are lacking in the chops department, listen to them rip through Dizzy Gillespie's "Rebop" at the end of this program. Maybe the world doesn't need a ten-CD retrospective anytime soon, but compilations like this one will always be welcome. ~ Rick Anderson