Clarinetist
Pee Wee Russell
was certainly an original, squawking his way quite expressively in an unpredictable fashion, carving out his own distinctive voice. This 1997 CD is meant to augment the two-CD set called
The Commodore Story
, for it includes some alternate takes whose master versions are on the former release or on another CD altogether, enough to drive completists and collectors crazy. This practice does not take into account listeners with a limited budget who do not want merely to have the alternates, and those specialists who want to be able to find certain recordings quickly.
Russell
is heard on this single CD on some performances with
Eddie Condon's
all-star groups of 1938-42, one selection apiece (both alternates) with
Muggsy Spanier
and
Wild Bill Davison
, during the four titles he cut with
"The Three Deuces"
(a trio with pianist
Joe Sullivan
and drummer
Zutty Singleton
) in 1941, and (best of all) on eight of the nine performances with his own "Hot Four" of 1944 (a group with pianist
Jess Stacy
, bassist
Sid Weiss
George Wettling
). The programming is a bit ill-considered, but the music is often classic, with
and such top Chicago jazz all-stars as those mentioned, plus cornetist
Bobby Hackett
, tenor saxophonist
Bud Freeman
, trombonist
Jack Teagarden
and trumpeter
Max Kaminsky
in spirited form. ~ Scott Yanow