Complete Jazz at Philharmonic on Verve 1944-1949

Read About This Recording

In 1944 and continuing for the next 13 years, producer Norman Granz presented all-star jazz concerts that teamed together many of the top jazz musicians in organized jam sessions. His bands mixed together swing and bop greats in competitive settings in which they battled each other and competed for applause from the enthusiastic audiences.

This colorful 10-CD set has all of the existing JATP music owned by Granz's Verve label from the 1940s including many previously unreleased performances. The lineup of musicians is quite remarkable including tenors Flip Phillips, Illinois Jacquet, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young; altoists Charlie Parker and Willie Smith; trumpeters Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Howard McGhee and Buck Clayton; trombonists J.J. Johnson, Bill Harris and Tommy Turk; pianists Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson and Hank Jones; bassists Ray Brown and Charles Mingus; drummers Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich; and singers Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, among others. They perform blues, ballads, standards and jam tunes with plenty of excitement. Whether it is Perdido, How High The Moon, Charlie Parker's famous solo on Lady Be Good or roaring uptempo blues, this very attractive box (the packaging is unbeatable) has more than its share of memorable moments.

All serious jazz collectors will want this remarkable reissue.

-Scott Yanow

Contents

The Complete Jazz At The Philharmonic 1944-1949 On Verve (JATP) is a collector's dream come true: Every swinging concert, every jam, from JATP's July 1944 inception through September 1949. It was the longest-running one-night stand in history, the ultimate road show - it put the jam session in a concert hall and integrated theaters and auditoriums wherever it went. It was, simply, a movable feast - treating hungry jazz fans all over the country. Its roster of stars was a Who's Who of the Swing and Bop Eras. Contains over 12 hours of music on over 127 tracks, 2 hours of previously unissued music, most on CD for the first time. Plus the 224-page book includes an extensive interview with JATP-founder Norman Granz by Nat Hentoff; a fan's memoir of growing up collecting JATP records; and a narrative detailing the history of JATP on issued discs. Also complete biographies, both a song and artist index, many rare photographs from JATP concerts and reproductions of the original LP jackets.

Track listing: Lester Leaps In; Tea For Two; Blues (first B-flat blues); Body and Soul; Yancey Special; Fast Boogie; Slow Boogie; Honky Tonk Train Blues; C-Jam Blues*; Sweet Lorraine; The Man I Love; I've Found a New Baby; Rosetta; Bugle Call Rag; One O'clock Jump*; Oh, Lady, Be Good!*; Announcement; Stompin' at the Savoy*; I've Found A New Baby*; Body and Soul (Hawkins)*; Body and Soul (Holiday); Strange Fruit; (I Don't Stand) A Ghost of a Chance (with you)*; Oh, Lady, Be Good!; How High the Moon?; Announcement; Opera in Vout (Groove Juice Symphony); Blues for Norman; Oh, Lady, Be Good!; I Can't Get Started; After You've Gone; Stompin' at the Savoy*; Idaho; Crazy Rhythm; The Man I Love; Sweet Georgia Brown; Blues de lux*; Announcement; Honky Tonk Train Blues*; Announcement; JATP Blues; I Got Rhythm; I Surrender, Dear; I've Found a New Baby; Bugle Call Rag*; Philharmonic Blues; Oh, Lady, Be Good!; I Can't Get Started; Sweet Georgia Brown; The Man I Love; Slow Drag; The Man I Love; Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You?; All of Me; Billie's Blues; Announcement; Announcement; Tea for Two; Announcement; It's the Talk of the Town*; My Honey's Lovin' Arms*; Boogie Woogie Cocktail*; D. B. Blues*; Saxobebop*; Lester Blows Again*; I Cried for You; Fine and Mellow; He's Funny That Way; Blues (second B-flat blues)*; Blues (Pres); Just You, Just Me*; I Got Rhythm; My Blue Heaven*; Play, Fiddle, Play*; Flying Home*; Trav'lin' Light; He's Funny That Way; How High the Moon?; Bell Boy Blues; Boogie Woogie Cocktail; Sweet Lorraine; Blues (third B-flat blues)*; Announcement; You'd Better Go Now; You're Driving Me Crazy; There Is No Greater Love; I Cover the Waterfront; Announcement; Perdido; Mordido; I Surrender, Dear; Endido; Announcement; The Opener; Lester Leaps In; Embraceable You; The Closer; Announcement; Robbins' Nest; A New Shade of Blues*; Old Mother Hubbard*; I'm Just a Lucky So-and-so; Somebody Loves Me; Basin Street Blues; Ow!; Announcement; Flying Home; Announcement; Fine and Dandy; I Only Have Eyes For You; Announcement; Carnegie Blues; Announcement; Body and Soul; Rifftide; The Big Head*; Stuffy*; Applause and chatter; Sophisticated Lady*; Announcement; Ol' Man River*; Air Mail Special*; Announcement; Oh, Lady, Be Good!*; Black Coffee; A-Tisket, A-Tasket*; Announcement; How High The Moon?; Announcement; Perdido; Announcement; Announcement; Stompin' at the Savoy; Body and Soul; Dark Eyes; Characteristically B. H.; Summertime; Sid Flips His Lid; Medley: Lover Come Back to Me (aka Ralph Burns Up); (I Don't Stand) A Ghost of a Chance (with you); Just You, Just Me. *Previously unissued.

Artist listing: Irving Ashby, Dave Barbour, John Collins, Bill de Arango, Tiny Grimes, Barney Kessel, Ulysses Livingston, Les Paul, Guitar; Pete Brown, Alto/Tenor Sax; Charlie Parker, Willie Smith, Alto Saxophone; George Auld, Corky Corcoran, Allen Eager, Wardell Gray, Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet, Jack McVea, Bumps Myers, Flip Phillips, Babe Russin, Joe Thomas, Charlie Ventura, Lester Young, Tenor Saxophone; Slim Gaillard, Vocal, Guitar, Piano; Margie Hyams, Vocals/Bass; Nat King Cole, Vocals/Piano; Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Carolyn Richards, Vocals; Bill Harris, J.J. Johnson, Tommy Turk, Trummy Young, Trombone; Ray Brown, Tiny Bam Brown, Red Callender, Charlie Drayton, Benny Fonville, Billy Hadnott, Chubby Jackson, Al McKibbon, Johnny Miller, Charles Mingus, Rodney Richardson, Curly Russell, Slam Stewart, Bass; Ralph Burns, Buddy Cole, Garland Finney, Hank Jones, Kenny Kersey, Meade Lux Lewis, Teddy Napoleon, Oscar Peterson, Mel Powell, Milt Raskin, Arnold Ross, Bobby Tucker, Mary Lou Williams, Piano; Sid Catlett, Dave Coleman, J.C. Heard, Jo Jones, Gene Krupa, Joe Marshall, Jackie Mills, Buddy Rich, Alvin Stoller, Dave Tough, Harold Doc West, Lee Young, Drums; Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Guy, Neal Hefti, Al Killian, Ray Linn, Howard McGhee, Charlie Shavers, Shorty Sherock, Trumpet.

CD Special Features

It was the longest-running one-night stand in history, the ultimate road show - it put the jam session in a concert hall and integrated theaters and auditoriums wherever it went. It was, simply, a movable feast - treating hungry jazz fans all over the country. Its roster of stars was a Who's Who of the Swing and Bop Eras

Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Illinois Jacquet, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Roy Eldrige, J.J. Johnson, Gene Krupa, Charles Mingus, Les Paul, Buck Clayton, Flip Phillips, Buddy Rich and many more.

*Original recordings produced by Norman Granz

The Complete Jazz At The Philharmonic 1944-1949 On Verve (JATP) is a collector's dream come true: Every swinging concert, every jam, from JATP's July 1944 inception through September 1949.

This 10-CD Set Presents

More Than 12 hours of music on 127 tracks, 2 hours of previously unissued music, most of the music on CD for the first time. The accompanying 224-page book includes an extensive interview with JATP-founder Norman Granz by Nat Hentoff, a musician's-ear-view of the jam session; a fan's memoir of growing up collecting JATP records; and a narrative detailing the history of JATP on issued discs. Plus complete biographies, both a song and an artist index, many rare photographs from JATP concerts and reproductions of the original record jackets.