Pee Wee Russell: Weary Blues-Quadromania Jazz Edition

Read About This Recording

Pee Wee Russell was always a true individualist. Although he was technically skilled as a clarinetist, he developed a unique style that found him constantly taking hair-raising chances in his solos. He sometimes sounded as if he was talking through his clarinet and his improvisations were both primitive and advanced.

Born in St. Louis in 1906, he moved to New York in 1927, recorded with Red Nichols' Five Pennies, was part of Louis Prima's mid-1930s combo, and became closely associated with Eddie Condon's many all-star groups. Usually heard in Dixieland settings, Russell always stuck out because his unusual playing was never predictable. Later in life he was heard with more modern groups but his style could never really be categorized.

This four-CD set features Pee Wee Russell at his best in a variety of mostly freewheeling settings. He is heard with Bud Freeman in 1933 (including on The Eel), on classic performances from 1939-46 with Eddie Condon (including Love Is Just Around The Corner, California Here I Come, Nobody's Sweetheart, Embraceable You and Sunday), in a trio with pianist Joe Sullivan and drummer Zutty Singleton, with groups headed by cornetists Muggsy Spanier and Wild Bill Davison (including a famous version of That's A Plenty) and his own quartet. The final disc features Pee Wee Russell in 1961 with a forward-looking swing septet that also stars tenor-saxophonist Coleman Hawkins.

Listeners wanting a generous sampling of Pee Wee Russell and wondering why he was considered such an individual voice should find a lot to enjoy on this imported set from Europe.

-Scott Yanow

Contents

Imported from Europe!

Remastered!

CD 1 (TT: 63:18): The Eel; Madame Dynamite; Home Cooking; Beat to the Socks; Love is Just Around the Corner; Diane; California Here I Come; Nobody's Sweetheart; Nobody's Sweetheart; It's Right Here for You; Strut Miss Lizzie; A Good Man is Hard to Find, Part 1; A Good Man is Hard to Find, Part 2; Ballin' the Jack; I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None of My Jelly Roll; Sensation; Fidgety Feet; Oh, Sister Ain't That Hot; Georgia Grind; (You're Some) Pretty Doll.

CD 2 (TT: 69:08): Love is Just Around the Corner; Embraceable You; Serenade to a Shylock; Sunday; There'll Be Some Changes Made; Friar's Point Shuffle; (I Ain't Give Nobody) None of My Jelly Roll; Georgia Grind; Jig Walk; Deuces Wild; The Last Time I Saw Chicago; About Face; Don't Leave Me Daddy; Rosetta; 'S Wonderful; Someone to Watch Over Me; Squeeze Me; Take Me to the Land of Jazz; Rose of Washington Square; Keepin' Out of Mischief Now; D.A. Blues; Wailin' D.A. Blues.

CD 3 (TT: 75:23): Dancing Foil; That's A Plenty; Panama; Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out; Rose Room; Angry; Weary Blues; Snag It; Alice Blue Gown; Sweet Lorraine; Oh, Lady Be Good; Sugar; September in the Rain; I Must Have That Man; When Your Lover Has Gone; Riverside Blues; That's A Plenty; Squeeze Me; Jazz Me Blue; Pat's Blues; The Sheik of Araby.

CD 4 (TT: 45:40): All Too Soon; 28th and 8th; What Am I Here For; If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight; Tin Tin Deo; Mariooch.

Pee Wee Russell, Clarinet; Billy Butterfield, Emmett Berry, Trumpets; Max Kaminsky, Cornet/Trumpet; Bobby Hackett, Muggsy Spanier, Marty Marsala, Wild Bill Davison, Cornets; Floyd O'Brien, George Brunies, Miff Mole, Lou McGarity, Benny Morton, Bob Brookmeyer, Trombones; Jack Teagarden, Vernon Brown, Trombones/Vocals; Brad Gowans, Valve Trombone/Vocals; Bud Freeman, Boomie Richman, Coleman Hawkins, Tenor Saxes; Ernie Caceres, Baritone Sax; Joe Marsalaw, Clarinet/Alto Sax; Alex Hill, Jess Stacy, Joe Bushkin, Gene Schroeder, Dave Bowman, Fats Waller, Joe Sullivan, Dick Cary, Nat Pierce, Pianos; Eddie Condon, Banjo/Guitar; Henry White, Guitar; Artie Bernstein, Artie Shapiro, Clyde Newcomb, Pete Peterson, Al Morgan, Bob Haggart, Bob Casey, Sid Weiss, Milt Hinton, Basses; Sid Catlett, George Wettling, Lionel Hampton, Dave Tough, Morey Feld, Zutty Singleton, Danny Alvin, Joe Grauso, Jo Jones, Drums; Lee Wiley, Vocals; Eddie Condon Dixieland All-Stars; Eddie Condon Windy City Seven; Eddie Condon Band; Eddie Condon Chicagoans; The Three Deuces; Muggsy Spanier Ragtimers; Wild Bill Davison Commodores.