All of the 1944
Billy Eckstine Orchestra's recordings are on this imported Danish LP. Although
Charlie Parker had already departed, otherwise the somewhat revolutionary
Eckstine bebop big band was very much intact, including such sidemen as trumpeters
Dizzy Gillespie,
Freddie Webster and
Shorty McConnell, trombonist
Trummy Young, altoist
Budd Johnson, tenors
Wardell Gray (on the first date),
Dexter Gordon and
Gene Ammons, baritonist
Leo Parker,
Clyde Hart or
John Malachi on piano, bassist
Oscar Pettiford and
Shadow Wilson or
Art Blakey on drums. Because the two 1944 sessions were made for the tiny Deluxe label, these important recordings have been scarce through the years (hopefully they will show up on CD eventually) and there is sometimes some surface noise. Most of the tunes feature
Eckstine's ballad vocals however the music is often quite special, particularly "Blowing the Blues Away" (heard in two versions and featuring a famous tradeoff by
Ammons and
Dexter) and "Opus X." This LP is rounded off by
Eckstine's two guest appearances (on "How High the Moon" and "St. Louis Blues") with the 1953
Metronome All Stars, exciting jazz-oriented performances which have since been reissued by Verve.