Jack Teagarden & Pee Wee Russell - Jack Teagarden's Big Eight/Pee Wee Russell's Rhythmakers

At the height of the swing era, small-group jazz sometimes found itself neglected by record companies. Thus began the rise of the devoted independent label willing to record music without great sales potential. This CD combines excellent material from unrelated sessions recorded in 1938 and 1940 by the Hot Record Society. Jack Teagarden's octet--which includes a number of Duke Ellington sidemen, including Rex Stewart, Barney Bigard, and Ben Webster--emphasizes Teagarden's lyricism, as on the rich dirge of "St. James Infirmary," here extended to the unusual length of four minutes. The uniquely laconic clarinetist Pee Wee Russell leads a lively Dixieland octet and trio, both featuring James P. Johnson and the inspired drums and voice of New Orleans's Zutty Singleton. --Stuart Broomer Amazon.com

*GREAT STUFF*

While this is a fine disc, it should be noted that Teagarden, who has top billing, is only featured on the first four cuts. In any case, this is surely one of Teagarden's finest sessions, and an essential peice of his recorded legacy. The Big Eight is tight, and they navigate the material with expertise and feeling. Luckily, each Big Eight track clocks in at about four minutes, giving these brilliant musicians ample time to work their infectious magic. Big T's trombone playing is in top form, and he gives us a great vocal on the moody dirge, St. James Infirmary. While this music is based mostly in blues and Dixieland, it manages to stretch out a little further than those simple labels, at times sounding distinctly Ellingtonian. The sound quality on these tracks, recorded on Dec. 15, 1940, is very good.

Jack Teagarden's Big Eight:

Barney Bigard - clarinet
Brick Fleagle - guitar
Billy Kyle - piano
Rex Stewart - cornet
Billy Taylor - bass
Jack Teagarden - trombone, vocal
Dave Tough - drums
Ben Webster - tenor sax

The tracks with Pee Wee Russell are also enjoyable, although the sound is poorer. This is a far rougher session than the Teagarden one, but it lacks not for verve, sounding almost like an improv jam session. Drummer Zutty Singleton provides a bluesy vocal on Zutty's Hootie Blues and stride paino master James P. Johnson does some excellent work, especially on There Will Be Some Changes Made. The Russell tracks are a little shorter than the Teagarden ones, ranging in length from 2:15 to 3:00. Overall a spirited, loose, and worthwhile session which, like the Teagarden one, uses Dixieland and the blues as a base from which to reach a little beyond. The Russell tracks were recorded August 31, 1938.

Pee Wee Russell's Rhythmakers:

Wellman Braud - bass
Al Gold - tenor sax
Freddy Green - guitar
James P. Johnson - piano
Max Kaminsky - trumpet
Pee Wee Russell - clarinet
Zutty Singleton - drums, vocal
Dicky Wells - trombone

* Russell, Johnson & Singleton perform the last two tracks as a trio.

Clocking in at only 32:00 the disc is quite short, and the mix of unrelated sessions is a bit odd, but darn it, it's great stuff, and the sheer brilliance and exuberance of the musicians involved leaves me with no choice but to give it 5 stars.

Enjoy. April 19, 2002

Great stuff

This CD was my introduction, a few years back, to both Teagarden and Russell. I was hooked instantly on both, and have amassed quite a bit of music by both since then. Russell was one of the great individualists in jazz. No one sounded like him. Teagarden, apart from being one of the all-time bosses of the 'bone, may be my favorite male jazz singer as well. If you are at all interested in this era of jazz, this CD is well worth the money. October 11, 2001

Great small group jazz in the late 30's by two jazz masters

Jack Teagarden's Dixieland insired Big Eight, and PeeWee Russell's Rhythm Makers are both essential groups that kept small group swing and dixieland alive in the late 30's. This CD is lot's of fun, with plenty of jazz solos by Russell, Teagarden and many other jazz legends. Essential for both swing and dixieland collectors alike. September 19, 2000

Great small group jazz in the late 30's by two jazz masters

Jack Teagarden's Dixieland insired Big Eight, and PeeWee Russell's Rhythm Makers are both essential groups that kept small group swing and dixieland alive in the late 30's. This CD is lot's of fun, with plenty of jazz solos by Russell, Teagarden and many other jazz legends. Essential for both swing and dixieland collectors alike. September 19, 2000

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