Search - Isham Jones :: 1929-1934

Yet another splendid Isham Jones reissue

JJA Kiefte | Tegelen, Nederland | 03/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is well nigh impossible not to duplicate items, certainly not when different labels all fish in the same pond, but I must admit that Rivermont, Hep, Timeless and Jazz Oracle have carefully looked at each other (and at the older but still available Jones cd on TOM) to avoid too much overlap. Two items included here can also be found on the Rivermont issue ("Sweet Lorraine" & "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now") and one overlaps with Timeless cd "Odds & Bits" ("When my Sugar Walks Down the Street" by the Marigold Entertainers). "You're OK" and "Jimtown Blues" on this disc were recorded for the Victor and World Transcription Services respectively, while the same titles on the HEP cd were recorded for Decca, so the versions are different.

The band is in fine fettle, posessing a large sound (which is apparent even on the slightly top-heavy Brunswicks from 1930-1932; the 1932-1934 Victors and World Transcriptions sound much fuller) and a particularly refreshing rhythmic lift ("That Dallas Man" and "When You Climb That Golden Stairs" are prime examples of the great swing this band could generate) which sets it apart from most of its contemporaries. While I have some reservations as to the inclusion of the two first titles by the Marigold Entertainers which are not very good really, the rest of the programme is beyond reproach. A most pleasant surprise is "Sweet Georgia Brown" with a marvelous vocal by Bing Crosby (how his black imitator Harlan Lattimore on the next title "Poor Butterfly" pales in comparison!) and one of the four songs Gertrude Niessen waxed with Jones. A novelty is the inclusion of a very rare long-playing Victor recording with 7-minutes plus running time which gave Jones the opportunity to string three ballads together. As always with Jazz Oracle there is generous booklet info (although this time somewhat longwinded in the introduction) and a complete discography. Then the remastering (by Ted Kendall, who also did the HEP release): there is more high register noise on the Victors than on the HEP release, but as a consequence the music sounds a lot clearer. I think it is neither good nor bad, but a matter of personal preference. A minor criticism: one track starts just a split second too late, a carelessness one would not normally associate with this label.

Since TOM have still not issued a volume two, this Isham Jones is the next best thing and well recommended."

A fine disc of Jones rarities

"Gimpy" Peach Johnson | 11/30/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"All-in-all, this is a fine disc from Jazz Oracle with some real Isham Jones rarities mixed with some more common, but deserving recordings. It's a hodge-podge of stuff: some commercial Brunswick and Victor 78s, along with a Victor "Program Transcription" (the earliest commercial 33.3 rpm record, introduced in the early years of the Depression) and some radio-only recordings. I'm a Marx Brothers fan, so a particular favorite of mine is "Everyone Says I Love You," but there are plenty of other good tunes as well. Kurt Weisbecker has written an excellent essay in the accompanying booklet: part musical history, part record collecting tales. Unfortunately, for many of the selections, the sound quality isn't as good as it could be. (How I miss John R. T. Davies!) The Brunswicks sound muffled and rumbly--the orchestra is cloaked by heavy surface noise. The liner notes attribute it to Brunswick's relatively poor recording techniques, but I have copies of the Brunswicks and my 78s don't sound nearly as muffled. Perhaps the producers had to make do with poor-condition 78s for transfer? Most of the disc is quite rumbly, with a fair amount distracting, extraneous low-frequency "noise" (under 120 Hz) that could easily have been filtered out without cutting into the music. At the same time, there's a modest amount of extreme high frequency hiss on many tracks that could have been reduced as well without causing harm to the recorded music. Still, we should be thankful that there are no audible digital artifacts--much better to under-process than over-process. Overall, I'm pleased with this CD, and while it may not be the definitive Isham Jones collection (many of his finest records have been reissued elsewhere), there's plenty of good music, good reading, and eye-catching graphics to make this a worthwhile CD to add to your collection of 1920s and '30s dance band recordings."