Billy Eckstine: The Legendary Big Band (Savoy Jazz, 1944-1947).

Savoy Jazz SVY 17125 (2002). 

Disque 1: 

Billy Eckstine with the DeLuxe All Stars

Billy Eckstine (vocal, trombone, direction), Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Webster, Shorty McConnell, Al Killian (trompette), Trummy Young, Claude Jones, Howard Scott (trombone), Budd Johnson, Jimmy Powell (saxophone alto), Wardell Gray, Thomas Crump (saxophone ténor), Rudy Rutherford (saxophone baryton), Clyde Hart (piano), Connie Wainwright (guitare), Oscar Pettiford (contrebasse), Shadow Wilson (batterie). New York City, 13 avril 1944. 

1. I Got a Date with Rhythm (Billy Eckstine) 2:57, DeLuxe 1003. 

2. I Stay in the Mood for You (Billy Eckstine) 2:53, DeLuxe 3000. 

3. Good Jelly Blues (Earl Hines, Billy Eckstine) 2:55, DeLuxe 3000. 

Billy Eckstine and his Orchestra

Billy Eckstine (vocal, trombone, direction), Dizzy Gillespie, Shorty McConnell, Gail Brockman, Boonie Hazel (trompette), Jerry Valentine, Taswell Baird, Chips Outcalt, Howard Scott (trombone), John Jackson, Billy Frazier (saxophone alto), Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons (saxophone ténor), Leo Parker (saxophone baryton), John Malachi (piano), Connie Wainwright (guitare), Tommy Potter (contrebasse), Art Blakey (batterie). Sarah Vaughan (vocal sur 9). New York City, 5 décembre 1944. 

4. If That's the Way You Feel (Billy Eckstine) 2:40, DeLuxe 3001. 

5. I Want to Talk About You (Billy Eckstine) 2:36, DeLuxe 3003. 

6. Blowing the Blues Away (Billy Eckstine, Jerry Valentine) 3:11, DeLuxe 3001. 

7. Blowing the Blues Away (alt) 3:05

8. Opus X (John Malachi) 2:36, DeLuxe 3002. 

9. I'll Wait and Pray (John Malachi, Jerry Valentine) 2:43, DeLuxe 3003. 

10. The Real Thing Happened to Me (Billy Eckstine) 2:43, DeLuxe 3002. 

Les mêmes, Fats Navarro (trompette) remplace Gillespie, Budd Johnson, Sonny Stitt (saxophone alto) remplacent Jackson et Frazier. New York City, 2 mai 1945. 

11. Lonesome Lover Blues (Billy Eckstine, Jerry Valentine) 2:46, National 9015. 

12. A Cottage for Sale (Willard Robison, Larry Conley) 2:47, National 9014. 

13. (I Love the) Rhythm in a Riff (Billy Eckstine, Jerry Valentine) 2:49, National 9014. 

Billy Eckstine (vocal, trombone, direction), Fats Navarro, Shorty McConnell, Boonie Hazel, Raymond Orr (trompette), Jerry Valentine, Howard Scott, Chips Outcalt, Walter Knox (trombone), Budd Johnson, John Cobbs (saxophone alto), Gene Ammons, Arthur Simmons (saxophone ténor), Teddy Cypron (saxophone baryton), Richard Ellington (piano), Connie Wainwright (guitare), Tommy Potter (contrebasse), Art Blakey (batterie). New York City, septembre (14-15) et octobre (16-18) 1945. 

14. Prisoner of Love (Russ Colombo, Leo Robin, Clarence Gaskill) 2:53, National 9017. 

15. It Ain't Like That (Billy Eckstine) 2:52, National 9020. 

16. I'm in the Mood for Love (Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh) 2:55, National 9016. 

17. You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love) (Russ Colombo, Con Conrad, G. Dubois, R.P. Gregory) 3:00, National 9019. 

18. Long, Long Journey (Leonard Feather) 3:07, National 9016. 

Billy Eckstine (vocal, trombone, direction), Kenny Dorham, Shorty McConnell, Boonie Hazel, Raymond Orr (trompette), Jerry Valentine, Howard Scott, Chips Outcalt (trombone), Norris Turney, Junior Williams (saxophone alto), Gene Ammons, Arthur Simmons (saxophone ténor), Tate Houston (saxophone baryton), Richard Ellington (piano), Connie Wainwright (guitare), Bill McMahon (contrebasse), Art Blakey (batterie). New York City, 3 janvier 1946. 

19. I Only Have Eyes for You (Al Dubin, Harry Warren) 2:33, National 9076. 

20. You're My Everything (Mort Dixon, Joe Young, Harry Warren) 2:46, National 9052. 

21. The Jitney Man (Earl Hines, Jerry Valentine) 2:54, National 9069. 

Disque 2: 

Billy Eckstine (vocal, trombone, direction), Fats Navarro, Shorty McConnell, Boonie Hazel, Raymond Orr (trompette), Jerry Valentine, Howard Scott, Chips Outcalt (trombone), Norris Turney, Junior Williams (saxophone alto), Gene Ammons, Josh Jackson (saxophone ténor), Leo Parker (saxophone baryton), probablement Jimmy Golden (piano), Connie Wainwright (guitare), Bill McMahon (contrebasse), Art Blakey (batterie). New York City, février (1-2) et mars (3-6) 1946. 

1. Second Balcony Jump (Billy Eckstine, Jerry Valentine) 2:56, National 9018. 

2. Tell Me, Pretty Baby (Billy Eckstine, Jerry Valentine, Harold Outcalt) 2:55, National 9019. 

3. Love is the Thing (Ned Washington, Victor Young) 2:21, National 9125. 

4. Without a Song (Vincent Youmans, Billy Rose, Edward Eliscu) 2:51, National 9061. 

5. Cool Breeze (Tadd Dameron, Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie) 2:52, National 9052. 

6. Don't Take Your Love from Me (Henry Nemo) 2:55, National 9123. 

Billy Eckstine (vocal, trombone, direction), Miles Davis, Hobart Dotson, Leonard Hawkins, King Kolax (trompette), Walter Knox, Jerry Valentine, Chips Outcalt (trombone), Sonny Stitt, John Cobbs (saxophone alto), Gene Ammons, Arthur Simmons (saxophone ténor), Cecil Payne (saxophone baryton), Linton Garner (piano), Connie Wainwright (guitare), Tommy Potter (contrebasse), Art Blakey (batterie). Vocal par l'orchestre sur 7. New York City, 5 octobre 1946. 

7. Oop Bop Sh'bam (Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Fuller) 3:03, National 9125. 

8. Oop Bop Sh'bam (alt) 2:59

9. In the Still of the Night (Cole Porter) 2:52, National 9037. 

10. Jelly, Jelly (Earl Hines, Billy Eckstine) 3:17, National 9021. 

11. Jelly, Jelly (alt) 2:58, prise inédite. 

Billy Eckstine (vocal, trombone, direction), Ray Linn (trompette), Jerry Valentine (trombone), Sonny Criss (saxophone alto), Wardell Gray (saxophone ténor), Warren Bracken (piano), inconnu (guitare), Shifty Henry (contrebasse), Tim Kennedy (batterie). Los Angeles, 21 avril 1947. 

12. All of Me (Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons) 2:31, National 9041. 

13. Where Are You? (Harold Adamson, Jimmy McHugh) 2:44, Regent MG 6054. 

14. Prelude to a Kiss (Duke Ellington, Irving Gordon, Irving Mills) 2:53, Regent 6053. 

15. (She's Got the) Blues for Sale (Leonard Feather) 2:59, National 9041. 

16. (She's Got the) Blues for Sale (alt) 3:20, prise inédite. 

17. What's New? (Johnny Burke, Bob Haggart) 2:55, 2:55, National 9096. 

18. Serenade in Blue (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren) 2:50, National 9132. 

19. In My Solitude (Duke Ellington, Eddie DeLange, Irving Mills) 2:51, National 9086. 

20. Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington, Mitchell Parish, Irving Mills) 2:52, National 9049. 

Les pièces parues sur National ont été originalement produites par Herb Abramson, les autres par un producteur inconnu. 

Réédition produite par Orrin Keepnews. 

Producteur exécutif: Steve Backer. 

Coordination de la production: Dan Marx. 

Notes de pochette par Bob Blumenthal. 

Ingénieur pour la réédition et mastering pour le disque compact: Paul Reid III. 

Direction artistique: JJ Stelmach. 

Design graphique: Scott Johnson. 

Photos: Frank Driggs Collection, Savoy Jazz Archives. 

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