Various Artists : From Spirituals to Swing

 

Genre: Various

Dates: 1938-1939

John Hammond was our kind of guy. He loved the new American music so much he masterminded its storming of one of the most sophisticated stages in the country, where it triumphed in all its multifarious glory. The dominant "noise" is that of Count Basie's Orchestra (represented in some form or another on 22 of the 57 cuts, and featuring that flower of a saxophonist, Lester Young, in full bloom), a unit that understood that "sophisticated" and "good" could be mutually exclusive artistic terms. Besides Basie's and Benny Goodman's swing, there's blues, gospel, boogie woogie, stride, and hot jazz on the side—with the spirit of rock and roll to come hovering in the wings.

Playlist:

DISC 1: THE DECEMBER 23, 1938 CONCERT
1. Swingin' The Blues - Count Basie & His Orchestra (previously unreleased)
2. One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie & His Orchestra
3. Introduction - John Hammond
4. Blues With Lips - Hot Lips Page/Count Basie Orchestra
5. I Never Knew - Kansas City Five (previously unreleased)
6. Don't Be That Way - Kansas City Five
7. Introduction - John Hammond
8. Blues With Helen - Helen Humes/Kansas City Five
9. Introduction - John Hammond
10. I Ain't Got Nobody - Count Basie/Walter Page/Jo Jones (studio)
11. Jumpin' Blues - Meade Lux Lewis/Albert Ammons/Pete Johnson (previously unreleased)
12. Honky Tonk Train Blues - Meade Lux Lewis (previously unreleased)
13. Low Down Dog - Joe Turner/Pete Johnson (previously unreleased)
14. It's All Right Baby - Joe Turner/Pete Johnson
15. Boogie Woogie - Albert Ammons (previously unreleased)
16. Cavalcade Of Boogie - Meade Lux Lewis/Albert Ammons/Pete Johnson/Walter Page/Jo Jones
17. Rock Me - Sister Rosetta Tharpe/Albert Ammons (previously unreleased)
18. That's All - Sister Rosetta Tharpe/Albert Ammons (previously unreleased)
19. What More Can My Jesus Do? - Mitchell's Christian Singers
20. My Poor Mother Died A'Shoutin' - Mitchell's Christian Singers
21. Are You Living Humble - Mitchell's Christian Singers (previously unreleased)
DISC 2:
1. Weary Blues - New Orleans Feetwarmers
2. Milenburg Joys - New Orleans Feetwarmers (previously unreleased)
3. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate - New Orleans Feetwarmers
4. It Was Just A Dream - Big Bill Broonzy/Albert Ammons (previously unreleased)
5. Fox Chase - Sonny Terry (previously unreleased)
6. Carolina Shout - James P. Johnson
7. Every Tub - Count Basie & His Orchestra (previously unreleased)
8. Stealin' Blues - Jimmy Rushing/Count Basie & His Orchestra (previously unreleased)
9. After You've Gone - Kansas City Six (previously unreleased)
10. Oh, Lady Be Good - Kansas City Five (previously unreleased)
11. Allez-Oop - Kansas City Five
12. Mortgage Stomp - Kansas City Five (previously unreleased)
13. Spoken Introduction - Sterling A. Brown (previously unreleased)
14. Gospel Train - Golden Gate Quartet
15. I'm On My Way - Golden Gate Quartet
16. Noah - Golden Gate Quartet (previously unreleased)
DISC 3: THE 1939 CONCERT, CONTINUED
1. I Got Rhythm - Benny Goodman Sextet
2. Flying Home - Benny Goodman Sextet
3. Memories Of You - Benny Goodman Sextet
4. Stompin' At The Savoy - Benny Goodman Sextet
5. Honeysuckle Rose - Benny Goodman Sextet
6. Blueberry Rhyme - James P. Johnson (previously unreleased)
7. Mule Walk, The - James P. Johnson
8. Lowdown Dirty Shame - Ida Cox/James P Johnson/Jo Jones/Walter Page/Freddie Green/Shad Collins/Dickie Wells/Buddy Tate (previously unreleased)
9. Four Day Creep - Ida Cox/James P Johnson/Jo Jones/Walter Page/Freddie Green/Shad Collins/Dickie Wells/Buddy Tate
10. Done Got Wise - Big Bill Broonzy/Albert Ammons
11. Louise, Louise - Big Bill Broonzy/Albert Ammons
12. Mountain Blues - Sonny Terry
13. New John Henry, The - Sonny Terry/Bull City Red
14. Paging The Devil - Kansas City Six
15. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans - Kansas City Six
16. Good Morning Blues - Kansas City Six
17. Old Fashioned Love - Count Basie & His Orchestra/Helen Humes/James P Johnson (previously unreleased)
18. If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight - Count Basie & His Orchestra/Helen Humes/James P. Johnson (previously unreleased)
19. That Rhythm Man - Count Basie & His Orchestra
20. Oh, Lady Be Good - Jam Session