Elmer Bernstein - Movie Themes, Mood Music & More 1952-62 - Elmer Bernstein was a composer and conductor who became renowned for his work in films and TV, writing, scoring and recording some of the most renowned and recognisable themes in in Hollywood history. He is not related to the renowned composer of stage musicals Leonard Bernstein. Born in 1922, he served in the USAF in WWII, working in Armed Forces Radio, and came to the fore in the early 1950s when he started writing for movies. This 44-track 2-CD collection primarily features soundtrack and commercial recordings of themes and other music written for films and albums during the first decade of his career. In addition, it includes selected titles from his albums "Blues And Brass" for Decca and "Movie & TV Themes" on the Choreo label. It includes "The Man With the Golden Arm", "Staccato's Theme", "The Magnificent Seven", and "Walk On The Wild Side", plus themes from "The Ten Commandments", "The Comancheros", "To Kill A Mockingbird" and more. Although he composed for many different genres of film, his style was very distinctive, characterised by dramatic and atmospheric melodies and arrangements that invariably conjured up the mood and imagery of the subject. Comprising a selection of works from his early career, this collection offers an entertaining and evocative showcase for that style.

Andre Previn - Early Years 1945-53 / Among his remarkable musical accomplishments, he was a brilliant pianist, and even at this early stage of his career - Andre Previn was a celebrated German/American pianist, composer and conductor, whose long career - he died in 2019 at the age of 89 - encompassed movie music, jazz and classical music. He composed or arranged music for more than 50 films, and was music al director and conductor for many top symphony orchestra as well as composing classical art music. This collection focuses on his early career as a jazz pianist. His family, who were Jewish, left Berlin for Paris and then the USA in 1938, and when he graduated from high school in Los Angeles in 1946, started working at MGM studios. However, by then he was already playing jazz piano in Hollywood clubs and had made his first records. This 66-track 3-CD collection comprises most of his recordings from these early years as a solo pianist, with small groups and with strings, released on the Sunset, V-Disc, Monarch, RCA-Victor and Tops labels. It includes the titles from his "Andre Previn Plays George Gershwin" and "Andre Previn Plays Fats Waller" albums. He was especially noted for his recordings with his trios, and this set features trio and quartet recordings with Irving Ashby, Red Callender, Lee Young, Al Viola, Charles Parnell, Jackie Mills, Bob Bain, Ralph Collier, Lloyd Pratt, Art Shapiro, Irv Cottler, Al Hendrickson Buddy Clark and Shelly Manne. Among his remarkable musical accomplishments, he was a brilliant pianist, and even at this early stage of his career, his playing is fast, fluent and imaginative, and this collection offers a fine showcase for those talents.

Florence Foster Jenkins was a New York socialite who, despite being a hopelessly incompetent 'singer', believed herself to be an operatic soprano of note, and performed for invited audiences at recitals for thirty years or more until her death in 1944, just weeks after her only public performance at Carnegie Hall, which attracted an incredulous response. She was unable to pitch a note accurately or hold a tune, nor did she have any sense of rhythm or timing, and this collection of the private recordings she made in the early 1940s admirably portray her singular lack of talent. She acquired a cult legendary status over the years, to the extent that in 2016 a high profile feature film biopic is being released, starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, which will prompt a new surge of interest in her recordings. This release contains all the pieces she consigned to disc, comprising coloratura arias from well-known operas along with contemporary art songs, two written by her regular piano accompanist Cosme McMoon. It is simultaneously astonishing and hilarious, and for once the description of "unique" is amply justified.

Trumpeter and bandleader Harry James was one of the most important, successful and influential personalities of the swing and big band era, his unmistakeable bravura trumpet style providing an inspiration and benchmark for trumpeters across the jazz and orchestral genres. He was hugely popular on radio, as a 'live' attraction and on record with his music not only appealing to cutting edge jazz and big band enthusiasts, but also, through his recordings of "sweeter" orchestral material, featuring the many male and female vocalists who launched their careers with his bands, capturing a wider audience to achieve a remarkable string of big-selling hits from his debut as a bandleader in the late '30s right through into the 1950's just before the dawn of the rock 'n' roll era. This great-value 71-track 3-CD set comprises just about all his records which featured in one form or another of the charts during his career, including the few that were listed as being Top 10 hits before the launch of the record sales charts in Billboard in 1940, and those which featured thereafter in one or other of the published Billboard charts or related listings. It naturally includes his No. 1 hits "Sleepy Lagoon", "I Had The Craziest Dream", "I've Heard That Song Before", "I'll Get By", "I'm Beginning to See the Light" and "It's Been a Long, Long Time". Among the featured vocalists are Frank Sinatra, Dick Haymes, Helen Forrest, Kitty Kallen, Johnny McAfee, Buddy DeVito, Betty Grable, Willie Smith, Ginnie Powell, Marion Morgan, Art Lund and Dick Williams, and it also includes Harry's 1950s hits with Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney. It's a hugely entertaining overview of the commercially successful output of one of the great stylists and innovators of the big band era.

CLASSIC SONGS OF RODGERS & HART / VARIOUS

CAREER ANTHOLOGY VOL. 1 1923-28

COLLECTION 1949-62

CAREER ANTHOLOGY VOL. 2 1929-40

AIN'T NOBODY'S BUSINESS: THE SINGLES COLLECTION

The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra - All The Hits And More 1928-35 [It's fascinating to hear two such fine musicians and leaders in collaboration] Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey were both highly successful musicians and bandleaders during the early jazz and swing eras, but for a few years during the early part of their careers they had a joint enterprise called The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, which was hugely popular and successful, racking up 25 hits in the space of eight years from 1920s into the '30s. Maybe inevitably, as two strong-minded personalities, they had a falling-out, and went their separate ways to have long and illustrious careers into the 1950s. This 72-track 3-CD collection comprises selected A&B sides from their releases on the Okeh, Banner Harmony, Melotone, Columbia, Brunswick, Vocalion and Decca labels from these years. It includes all their 27 hits from this era, including the No. 1s "Lullaby Of Broadway" and "Chasing Shadows", and the Top 5 entries "What A Difference A Day Made", "I Believe In Miracles", "You Are My Lucky Star" and "I've Got A Feeling You're Foolin'". There are many big names among their featured vocalists, and those with performances included in this collection are Scrappy Lambert, Bob Crosby, Ethel Waters, Bing Crosby, Mildred Bailey, Irving Kaufman, Kay Weber, Chick Bullock, Jean Bowes, Elmer Feldkamp and more. It's fascinating to hear two such fine musicians and leaders in collaboration, and this collection offers a substantial overview of their time together as well as a feast of early swing music.

NOTES FROM A JAZZ LIFE VOL. 4

Acrobat has devoted a number of collections to the blues guitarists and singers who represent what is known as the Piedmont school of blues - artists whose roots were in the region surrounding Atlanta, Georgia, and developed a fairly distinctive style of blues during the late 1920s and through the '30s, the best-known names including Blind Blake, Barbecue Bob, Blind Willie McTell, Josh White, Blind Boy Fuller and Buddy Moss. Curley Weaver was another prominent Piedmont bluesman, and an especially noted guitarist who was often invited to play on sessions with artists mentioned above, and whose recording career, albeit fitfully, extended through to 1950. This 50-track 2-CD collection comprises recordings under his own name for the Columbia, QRS, Okeh, Banner, Vocalion, Decca, Sittin' In With and Regal labels. It includes recordings which were duets with Eddie Mapp, Ruth Willis, Fred McMullen, Clarence Moore and Blind Willie McTell along with titles where he performed as a member of the Georgia Cotton Pickers alongside Barbecue Bob and Buddy Moss, and The Georgia Browns, and on which he accompanied Buddy Moss or Blind Willie McTell. It's a great showcase for a lesser-known blues luminary who nevertheless made a considerable contribution to the Piedmont sub-genre.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a gospel singer, songwriter and guitarist who was unique in her genre as the pioneer of performing gospel using an electric guitar, to the extent that many of her records and performances have been seen as early examples of rock 'n' roll, and she acquired the nicknames "the original soul sister" and "the Godmother of rock 'n' roll". Rock 'n' roll artists like Elvis Presley and Little Richard, and blues guitarists like Eric Clapton and Jeff beck cite her as an influence. This rocking 16 track LP includes releases with Lucky Millinder's Orchestra, duets with fellow gospel singer Marie Knight, and tracks where she is accompanied by The Sam Price Trio. Her work strayed into the mainstream R&B market, and this collection includes her US R&B hits "Strange Things Happening Every Day", "Precious Memories", "Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air" and "Silent Night" alongside single releases from her iconic album "Gospel Train". She was an artist who broke the mould of how gospel could be performed and this collection from a key era of her career is a substantial and entertaining showcase for her unique approach.

CLASSIC DECADE: THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1952-62

Mills Brothers - The Singles Collection Vol. 2 1947-60 - It's a representative overview of the second era of their career and is a fine showcase for their highly distinctive style of vocal harmonies. - FThe Mills Brothers were a pioneering vocal quartet, who performed in a jazz-flavoured barbershop style and were forerunners of the doowop groups of later years- they broke new ground as the first African-American group to have their own network radio show in the USA. In the course of their long career they made more than 2,000 recordings and had around 60 US chart entries. So prolific were that we have chosen to present their releases on 78s and 45s in two 4-CD sets, of which this is the second (Vol. 1 is ACQCD7185). This 108-track 4-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides from their releases on the Decca and Dot labels from 1947 through to 1960, with just about every release represented by at least one side. It features 27 chart hits, including the No. 1 "Glow Worm", and the Top 10 entries "Across The Alley From The Alamo", "I Love You So Much It Hurts", "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", "Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)", "Daddy's Little Girl", "Nevertheless" and "Be My Life's Companion". It features recordings with Al Jolson, Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee, and with the orchestras of Sy Oliver, Hal McIntyre and Owen Bradley. It's a representative overview of the second era of their career and is a fine showcase for their highly distinctive style of vocal harmonies.

Vinyl LP pressing. John Lee Hooker, known as "The King of the Boogie" and "the Boogie Man", was a true Blues icon. Quality rather than quantity is the key to Hooker's singular success. He did not have a huge number of hits in the R&B chart, but those that did make a major impact would provide some of the key musical architecture for future blues and rock artists. When he came to prominence in the late '40s, he was playing blues in a way that was regarded as somewhat spare, his dark repetitive vocals supported only by his amplified guitar and his stamping foot. His was no overnight stardom. Having paid his dues over many years, once he started recording, he did so prolifically. This fine collection of his earlier songs demonstrates Hooker's blues virtuosity while at the same time establishing his work as a signpost to a deeper understanding of the British Blues explosion. It features a host of early hits including the iconic No.1's "Boogie Chillen'" and "I'm In The Mood", alongside "Hoogie Boogie", "Hobo Blues", "Crawlin' King Snake", "Dimples", "No Shoes" and, naturally, the timeless "Boom Boom"

This 49-track 2-CD collection comprises recordings from sessions in the early 1950s at the dawn of the vinyl LP era. - Gene Ammons, often known as 'The Boss' was a jazz tenor saxophonist who was the son of the highly successful and influential boogie-woogie pianist of the 1930s and '40s, Albert Ammons. Gene's music was characterised by being a highly accessible and straightforward style of jazz, redolent with influences from blues, R&B and soul, bringing him hits in the US R&B chart, although he embraced the innovations of bebop and integrated it's techniques into his distinctive approach. He was very much a part of the soul jazz movement of the '60s which introduced the electric organ into the instrumentation. This 49-track 2-CD collection comprises recordings from sessions in the early 1950s at the dawn of the vinyl LP era. It includes tracks released on singles by the Prestige, Chess, Decca and United labels, plus titles from his early 10' albums on Prestige, 'Battle Of The Saxes' and 'Favourites Vols. 1, 2 & 3'. It includes his Top 10 R&B hits 'My Foolish Heart' and 'Jug' and a new version of his 1947 hit 'Red Top'. It features recordings with Sonny Stitt, Bill Massey, Jo Jones, Duke Jordan, Tommy Potter, Art Blakey, Matthew Gee, Charles Bateman, Eugene Wright, Wesley Landers, Junior Mance, Clarence Anderson, Teddy Stewart, J.J. Johnson and others. It's a great showcase for the trademark tone and texture of his playing, and an entertaining musical snapshot of his music during a key era of his career.

GOLDEN PIANOS OF FERRANTE & TEICHER: THE SINGLES

LEGENDARY 'HUTCH': THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1929-47

J'AI DEUX AMOURS: THE COLLECTION 1926-60

CAREER ANTHOLOGY: VOCALION & BLUEBIRD RECORDINGS

Bob Brookmeyer - The Brookmeyer Bands: Early Years 1954-56 - Bob Brookmeyer, born in 1929, was a jazz trombonist, a renowned exponent of the valve trombone, who came to the fore during the 1950s with the Claude Thornhill Orchestra and in the Stan Getz group, before starting his career leading his own bands, as well as playing with the likes of Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry and others. His compositional style drew on contemporary classical writing, incorporating atonality, chromatic harmony and other techniques to develop distinctive themes and structures. This 32-track 2-CD set comprises the titles from several of his early albums, on which he is leader, co-leader or featured perfomer. They comprise "Teddy Charles New Direction Quartet feat. Bob Brookmeyer" on Prestige (later released on the Prestige LP "The Dual Role Of Bob Brookmeyer"), "Bob Brookmeyer Featuring Al Cohn" on Storyville, "The Bob Brookmeyer Quartet" on Pacific Jazz, "Bob Brookmeyer Plays Bob Brookmeyer" on Clef and "The Bob Brookmeyer Quintet" on Prestige (also part of "The Dual Role Of Bob Brookmeyer"). It features performances with Teddy Charles, Teddy Kotick, Ed Shaughnessy, Al Cohn, John Williams, Bill Anthony, Frank Isola, Henri Renaud, Jimmy Gourley, Red Mitchell, Jimmy Rowles, Buddy Clark, Mel Lewis and Jimmy Raney. Capturing him in the early years of his career, it's an enlightening introduction his music and an enjoyable showcase for distinctive style of playing and composing.

CLASSIC LIVE ALBUMS 1952-54

SOFTLY, SOFTLY: THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1954-62

CHRISTMAS 1956 BILLBOARD TOP 100 / VARIOUS