The Source (*for hep cats only !)
Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 04/30/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you're into this type of music (music that jumps, swings, wails, blows... that great Jazz turned R & B turned hey day rock and roll) - - this CD is definitely THE SOURCE. Tenor honkers, blues shouters, big band boogie woogie rhythms and hepster bop (even including a recitation by Harry "The Hipster" Gibson !) are in this one... From the obvious (Prima, Big Jay McNeely, Louis Jordan, Cootie Williams) to the undeservedly obscure (Ernie Andrews in particular) this CD makes some hard swinging swinging listening and includes the novel (Oh Babe sung in Spanish, Marihuana Boogie, I Ain't Drunk) to the realm of the boppers (w/ Babs Gonzales, Lester Young, Gene Ammons.) Definitive - - No... Well selected... yes ! - - The sound quality, isn't overboard, but considering the pre HI-FI era and circumstances under which these recordings were made, they're actually sounding quite good. - - For my money, no tune beats the frantic INSECT BALL, but the entire CD is a great well diversified listen with something in it for everyone, from Gritty Blues to Slick Jazz... and all joined together by one thing... It's JUMPING... If the tunes don't make you feel like dancing or tapping your feet, something is obviously wrong ! - - Includes a fantastic booklet with some nice biographical info on the artists... Right on for Capital for getting this stuff back out of the vaults !
If you dig this CD, two words... WYNONIE HARRIS... get searchin'!"