Bid On Vol. I Of The Complete Commodore Jazz Recordings LP Set!

Here is a rare chance to acquire Volume One of The Complete Commodore Jazz Recordings, a Mosaic Records 23-LP boxed set representing 344 recordings. This set, a collector’s item, has been long out-of-print and here is an opportunity to acquire it for your collection. The Commodore Records label was founded in 1938 by Milt Gabler who wanted to record his favorite musicians (that the major labels were ignoring) primarily in small group sessions (to counteract the plethora of big band recordings). This first volume covers the years 1938-1943 and here is a small sample of what’s in this volume:

Chu Berry and His Little Jazz Ensemble: The underappreciated sax great leads one of the first small groups consisting of a tenor/trumpet front line backed by rhythm. A historic session, with Roy Eldridge, Danny Barker, Clyde Hart, Artie Shapiro and Big Sid Catlett. A later session (1941), featured Berry with Oran Hot Lips Page, Clyde Hart, Al Casey, Al Morgan, and Harry Jaeger.

Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra: Her first Commodore session (April 20, 1939) included the controversial "Strange Fruit" (which Columbia refused to let her record) plus three other classics.

Kansas City Five and Kansas City Six (with Lester Young): The Kansas City Five session features pioneer electric guitarist (and trombonist) Eddie Durham along with fellow Basie-ites Buck Clayton, Freddie Green (acoustic guitar), Walter Page, and Jo Jones. The Kansas City Six session adds the great Lester Young to the line-up. He plays some of the best tenor sax of his career on these titles and he plays beautiful clarinet as well. This is truly a classic session.

The Complete Teddy Wilson School For Pianists: In the vaults all these years were a series of beautiful piano solos originally recorded for instructional purposes by Teddy Wilson. Some of them have been bootlegged, but this is the complete session, finally available with fine sound

Coleman Hawkins in 1940 and 1943: One full LP is devoted to this important session which was a Fletcher Henderson alumni reunion session (with no Fletcher) that included Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Benny Carter, Bernard Addison, John Kirby, and Big Sid Catlett. Particularly enlightening is the evolution of the tune "Smack" (Henderson’s nickname), where Mosaic has reproduced all six takes, four of which had never been heard before. On December 4, 1943 Hawkins recorded an important transitional session with Oscar Pettiford, Art Tatum, Edmond Hall, Cootie Williams, Al Casey, and Big Sid Catlett which produced four tunes plus five valuable alternates.

Jelly Roll Morton solos and with his Hot Seven and Hot Six: Milt Gabler bought out General Records to get his hands on a series of 13 Jelly Roll Morton solo recordings. All 13 of them, including one unissued tune, are presented here in their totality for the first time. Along with them came 12 band recordings, and Mosaic filled three LP sides with these enjoyable Jelly Roll Morton performances.

Willie "The Lion" Smith: This is the original and rarely heard 1939 14-song session that had never appeared on LP before. Willie "The Lion" Smith later rerecorded these songs for LP and those are the versions in common circulation.

Mel Powell solo and with his orchestra featuring Benny Goodman: Mel Powell recorded 3 piano solo titles (one in 2 takes) on December 21, 1943. They were originally not issued but are now available on this set. By 1942 Gabler’s Commodore label had established itself as a major force in jazz and some "big names" wanted to be part of what was going on. For the session of Feb. 4, 1942 Benny Goodmannot only showed up to play clarinet, but laid down some of the best solos of his entire career. Also featured were Billy Butterfield, George Berg, Lou McGarity, Al Morgan and Kansas Fields. Includes an unissued alternate of "Mood at Twilight" with a hot chorus by Goodman.

Eddie Condon and His Windy City Seven: Recorded the day after Benny Goodman’s famed Carnegie Hall concert, this very first session by Commodore included Bud Freeman, Bobby Hackett, Pee wee Russell, George Brunies, Jess Stacy, Artie Shapiro, and George Wettling…all of whom go on to become Commodore regulars. Milt Gabler had to wait for three different bands to be in New York at the same time to assemble this all-star group.

Other musicians included in this first volume include: the Edmond Hall Sextet, Wild Bill Davison and His Commodores, Pee Wee Russell’s Three Deuces (with Joe Sullivan and Zutty Singleton), and a previously unissued session by Joe Bushkin’s Blue Boys. As you can see this is a treasure trove of jazz. With the Complete Commodore Jazz Recordings, Volume One you get great music transferred and remastered to Mosaic’s highly acclaimed standards for sound quality on mint LPs. Sixty-seven newly discovered performances and never-before-released alternative takes. A lavish 64-page booklet containing:

• Extensive session-by-session notes by Dan Morgenstern
• A history of Commodore Records as told by Milt Gabler
• Rare photos

This is a very heavy set (approx. 10 lbs.) so I have no idea what the shipping costs will be. I will contact the winner of the auction with shipping options once I know where the set will be going. Please do not ask me to figure out shipping before the auction ends.

Please do not email me inquiring about the reserve price. I will not answer!