Personnel: Harry James (trumpet); Johnny MacAfee (vocals, alto saxophone); Connie Haines, Haymes Forrest, Dick Haymes, Frank Sinatra (vocals); Hayden Causey, Benny Heller, Bryan "Red" Kent, Allan Reuss, Tiny Timbrell (guitar); Alex Nieman, Allan Harshman (violin, viola); Cy Bernard (violin, cello); Sam Freed, Mischa Russell, Jack Gootkin, John DeVoogdt, Gerald Joyce, Nick Pisani, Ray Martinez, Ernest Karpati, Alex Pevsner, Sam Rosenblum, Harry Jawarski, George Grossman, Felix Slatkin, Ralph Lane, Gershon Oberstein, Larry Kurkdjie, Cyril Towbin, Hal Korn, Edward Bergman, Jerry Reisler, Abraham Hochstein, Jack Lee , Herschel Burke Gilbert, Paul Leonkron, Sol Giskin, Joe Barbary, Peter Ellis, Leo Zorn, Alex Beller, Sam Caplan, Glenn Herzer, Olcott Vail, Marshall Sosson, Mike Russell, Bob Bain, Harry Bluestone (violin); David Sterkin, David Amsterdam, Dave Uchitel, Gareth "Garry" Nuttycombe, Raymond Menhennick, Bill Spear, All Neiman, Fred Groener, Maurice Perlmutter (viola); Carl Ziegler, Fred Goerner, Julius Tannenbaum, Al Friede (cello); Al Pelligrini, Willie Smith (clarinet, alto saxophone); Polly Polfrani (clarinet); Corky Corcoran (oboe, tenor saxophone); Claude Lakey (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Chuck Gentry, Johnny Mezey (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Howard Davis , Dave Mathews, Murray Williams, Sam Marowitz, Les Robinson (alto saxophone); King Guion, Drew Page, Sam Sachelle, Clint Davis, Hugo Loewenstern, Bill Luther (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Arthur Rollini, Stuart Burner, Jimmy Cook, Clifton Jackson , Herbie Haymer, Johnny Fresco, Sam Donahue, Babe Russin, Vido Musso (tenor saxophone); Bob Poland, Mario Babidillo, George Davis, Morton Friedman, Harry Carney (baritone saxophone); Ziggy Elman (trumpet, trombone); Manny Klein, James Grimes, Leonard Corris, Al Cuozzo, Al Ramsey, Everett McDonald, Mario Serritello, Hal Moe, Ralph Osborn , Paul Geil, Tom Gonsoulin, Ian Rasey, Al Stearns, Red Berkens, Pinky Savitt, Carl Berg, James Troutman, Jack Palmer, Jack Schaeffer, Buzz King, Vince Badale, Vern Rowe, Jimmy Salko, Claude Bowen, Jimmy Campbell , Neal Hefti, Sonny Berman , Zeke Zarchy, Nick Buono, Charlie Teagarden (trumpet); Richard Perissi, Willard Culley, Fred Waldron, Phil Palmer, Vincent DeRosa, John Cave (French horn); Dick Noel, Dalton Rizzotto, Vic Hamann, Truett Jones, David Robbins , Don Boyd, Jesse Heath, Joe Ferrill, Hoyt Bohannon, Charles Preble, Ray Heath, Bruce Squires, Eddie Kusby, Marshal Cram, William Granzow, Murray McEachern, Russ Brown, Si Zentner, Vernon Brown, Harry Rodgers, Harry DiVito (trombone); Juan Tizol (valve trombone); Bruce McDonald, Stanley Wrightsman, Al Lerner, Jack Gardner, Jess Stacy, Arnold Ross, Charlie Queener (piano); Frank Bode, Ray Toland, Dave Tough, Dave Coleman, Ralph Hawkins, Jr., Carl Maus, Buddy Combine, Micky Scrima, Billy Exner, Nick Fatool (drums).
Liner Note Authors: Pete Kline; Brad McCuen.
Recording information: 04/02/1938-11/30/1948.
Editor: John Jungklaus.
Arrangers: Jack Mathias; Bob Friedlander; Gray Rains; Ernie Wilkins; Paul Villepigue; Claude Lakey; Marge Gibson ; Harry James; Herschel Burke Gilbert; Dave Mathews; Frank Davenport; Jack Haskell; Jimmy Mundy; Johnny Richards ; Juan Tizol; Leroy Holmes; Louie Bellson; Neal Hefti; Nelson Riddle; Andy Gibson ; Paul Weston; Ray Conniff; Russell Garcia ; Sam Donahue; Shorty Rogers; Frank DeVol; Thad Jones; Billy May.
This very interesting three-CD set features trumpeter Harry James's Orchestra on a variety of previously unreleased radio broadcast performances. While there are many vocals from Frank Sinatra (in his pre-Tommy Dorsey days), Helen Forrest and Kitty Kallen, it is the instrumentals that are of greatest interest, particularly the earliest tracks which date from the period before James really hit it big. Many of these songs were not recorded commercially by the trumpeter and this strong jazz-oriented set is highly recommended to swing fans. ~ Scott Yanow
Among the Best in the Big Band Era
Great Swing
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