BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA - 1935-1936 {CC, 789} (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After a historic up-and-down, cross-country trip to Los Angeles, Benny Goodman & His Orchestra became a sensation, launching the swing era. This set has the first selections by the Benny Goodman Trio (featuring the clarinetist with pianist Teddy Wilson and drummer Gene Krupa) and the initial big band recordings after Benny Goodman was crowned the king of swing, including his closing theme song, "Goodbye," "When Buddha Smiles," "Stompin' at the Savoy," and "Goody Goody" (Helen Ward's biggest hit). The next few years found Benny Goodman at the top of the music world. by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:

1 After You've Gone 2:45
Henry Creamer / Turner Layton
2 Body and Soul 3:27
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour
3 Who? 3:11
Otto Harbach / Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
4 Someday, Sweetheart 23:46
Benjamin Franklin Spikes / John Spikes
5 Santa Claus Came in the Spring 3:07
Johnny Mercer
6 Goodbye 3:23
Gordon Jenkins
7 Madhouse 2:48
Jimmy Mundy
8 Sandman 2:34
Arthur Freed / Sol Lake
9 Yankee Doodle Never Went to Town 2:27
Arthur Freed / Bernie Hanighen
10 No Other One 2:37
Vee Lawnhurst / Tot Seymour
11 Eeny Meeny Meiny Mo 1:57
Matty Malneck / Johnny Mercer
12 Basin Street Blues 2:54
Spencer Williams
13 If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight) 2:12
James P. Johnson
14 When Buddha Smiles 3:08
Nacio Herb Brown / Arthur Freed / King Zany
15 It's Been So Long 3:24
Harold Adamson / Walter Donaldson
16 Stompin' at the Savoy 3:12
Benny Goodman / Andy Razaf / Edgar Sampson / Chick Webb
17 Goody Goody 2:29
Matty Malneck / Johnny Mercer
18 Breakin' in a Pair of Shoes 2:30
David Franklin / Sam H. Stept / Ned Washington
19 Get Happy 3:06
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
20 Christopher Columbus 3:33
Chu Berry / Andy Razaf
21 I Know That You Know 2:02
Anne Caldwell / Vincent Youmans
22 Stardust 2:51
Hoagy Carmichael / Mitchell Parish
23 You Can't Pull the Wool Over My Eyes 2:31
Milton Ager / Murray Mencher / Charles Newman

BILLY HOLIDAY - 1933-1937 {CC, 582} (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two things stand out in these early recordings. One, of course, is Lady Day's already fully mature style. The other is the superb quality of the musicians who backed her. A Benny Goodman combo; Bunny Berigan and Artie Shaw with Joe Bushkin and Cozy Cole; Jonah Jones with Ben Webster and Teddy Wilson; Buster Bailey; a bunch of Basie-ites including the superb Lester Young. Even without her this would be a gem. by John Storm Roberts
Tracklist:
1 Your Mother's Son-In-Law 2:43
Mann Holiner / Alberta Nichols
2 Riffin' the Scotch 2:33
Fred Buck / Benny Goodman / Dick McDonough / Johnny Mercer
3 Did I Remember? 2:50
Harold Adamson / Walter Donaldson
4 No Regrets 2:35
Roy Ingraham / Harry Tobias
5 Summertime 2:54
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
6 Billie's Blues 2:38
Billie Holiday
7 A Fine Romance 2:50
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
8 I Can't Pretend 3:03
Harry Tobias
9 One, Two, Button Your Shoe 2:48
Johnny Burke / Arthur Johnston
10 Let's Call a Heart a Heart 3:01
Johnny Burke / Arthur Johnston
11 One Never Knows, Does One? 3:02
Mack Gordon / Harry Revel
12 I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm 2:54
Irving Berlin
13 If My Heart Could Only Talk 3:02
Teddy Powell / Walter Samuels / Leonard Whitcup
14 Please Keep Me in Your Dreams 2:18
Vee Lawnhurst / Tot Seymour
15 Where Is the Sun? 2:46
Lee David / David Lee / John Redmond
16 Let's Call the Whole Thing Off 3:36
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
17 They Can't Take That Away from Me 3:02
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
18 Don't Know If I'm Comin' or Goin' 2:45
Lee Wainer
19 Me, Myself and I 2:35
Irving Gordon / Alvin Kaufman / Allan Roberts
20 A Sailboat in the Moonlight 2:49
John Jacob Loeb / Carmen Lombardo
21 Born to Love 2:38
J.K. Jerome / Jack Scholl
22 Without Your Love 2:52
John Lange / Fred Stryker
23 Getting Some Fun Out of Life 3:01
Joe Burke / Edgar Leslie
24 Who Wants Love? 2:33
Gus Kahn / Franz Waxman