is largely superior renderings of ballads with Vaughan's rich voice tastefully enhanced by good orchestration. There's a particularly successful session from 1949 with a big band that includes her pianist, Jimmy Jones, and trumpeters Billy Butterfield and Taft Jordan offering dynamic backing on "Summertime" and three other songs. Generally, the material is best when it appeals to Vaughan's strong jazz instincts, including "Black Coffee," "Just Friends," and "Perdido." When strings begin to predominate in the later selections, arranged by Percy Faith, Vaughan still sounds good, but her spark of spontaneity is lost. Divided between the two CDs are eight tunes recorded on May 18-19, 1950, with small jazz groups. They're simply extraordinary, with "Ain't Misbehavin...  (less)

the phenomenal Ellington Orchestra in its prime, recorded between 1943 and 1946. "The Kissing Bug" features the vocals of Joya Sherrill; "It Don't Mean a Thing" features Ray Nance and Taft Jordan on vocals; "Frankie and Johnny" features the jazz violin of Ray Nance. All selections have been newly remastered. This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.  (less)

always nice to hear and the instrumentals and solos are also of interest, especially those by trumpeter Taft Jordan and saxophonist Teddy McRae. The band also plays many arrangements by Edgar Sampson. 40 tracks total. Definitive. 2006.  (less)

World Fair in Belgium. The orchestra was filled with both young names like Zoot Sims and pianist Roland Hanna and veterans such as trombonist Vernon Brown and trumpeter Taft Jordan. With the great Jimmy Rushing and Ethel Ennis contributing vocals and the ensemble playing a variety of mostly new charts, Benny Goodman had the right to feel inspired. His playing of this "modern swing" is typically brilliant; collectors will want this entire series. 1 Let's Dance 2 Bugle Call Rag 3 On the Sunny Side of the Street 4 'Deed I Do 5 Who Cares? 6 Blue Skies 7 I Want a Little Girl 8 Sometimes I'm Happy 9 A Fine Romance 10 Harvard Blues 11 I'm Coming Virginia 12 Soon 13 Medley: I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues/I Hadn't Anyone Till You/I've Got You Under My Skin 14 Pennies from Heaven 15 Sto...  (less)

Webb and his Orchestra. While Ella Fitzgerald gets top billing, it's really Webb's show. Five of the 18 tracks are instrumentals, and the earliest three are from 1934, actually predating Fitzgerald's joining the band. Webb is literally "Mr. Rhythm" and his drumming is always lively, whether he's driving the band along or exploding on a solo or brief break, adding a panoply of percussive effects with cowbells and wood blocks. The band responds with punching brass--lead trumpeter Mario Bauza can fill a room with sound--and saxophone riffs, and there are some terrific soloists in the group, like trumpeter Taft Jordan and saxophonists Louis Jordan and Hilton Jefferson. The choice of songs emphasizes Fitzgerald's talent for novelty and rhyth...  (less)