All of the music on this single CD was formerly out on a now out of print Mosaic box set from the LP era. Three of clarinetist
Edmond Hall's four Blue Note dates are reissued in full on this 1998 CD, including all of the alternate takes; the fourth date came out as part of The Blue Note Jazzmen. The outing by
Hall's Celeste Quartet (which consists of
Hall, guitarist
Charlie Christian,
Meade Lux Lewis on celeste, and bassist
Israel Crosby) has long been famous. The only session that
Christian ever made on acoustic guitar and a rare opportunity to hear the celeste featured as a prominent member of a jazz combo, this exquisite date is highlighted by the two takes of "Profoundly Blue," and sticks to blues at various tempos. The second
Hall session is late-period swing, with the clarinetist joined by two of
Benny Goodman's associates -- vibraphonist
Red Norvo and pianist
Teddy Wilson -- plus the acoustic chordal guitar of
Carl Kress (who recorded far too little during this period) and bassist
Johnny Williams. The final set has some unusual instrumentation too, with
Hall assisted by trombonist
Benny Morton, baritonist
Harry Carney, pianist Don Frye, guitarist
Everett Barksdale, bassist
Junior Raglin, and drummer Sid Catlett. The participation of
Carney (heard in a rare outing away from the world of
Duke Ellington) is special; he shows off his
Coleman Hawkins influence and tends to take solo honors. Overall, this is a highly recommended reissue of swing and blues with hints of Dixieland. ~ Scott Yanow