Architect
Of Soul Jazz - The Complete Early Recordings 1951-1957
(2-cd
Set)
Bill
Jennings
Featuring: Bill Jennings (g, vcl), Leo
Parker (bs), Willis Jackson (ts), Bill Doggett, James Orville Johnson (org),
Andrew Johnson, Jack Wilson (p), Albert Jennings (vib), Joe Williams, Jimmy
Glover (b), George DeHart, Alvin Johnson (d), Nita Lore (vcl)
REFERENCE: FSRCD 816_2
BAR CODE: 8427328608169
Although
underappreciated by the public during his lifetime, guitarist Bill Jennings was
much admired by fellow musicians, including Louis Jordan, Bill Doggett, and
Willis Jackson (all of whom employed him) and B.B. King (who cites Jennings as
one of his favorites). King called him a "daring player, both rhythmically
and technically... because he would start a groove to going, and then whatever
it takes to keep that groove going, he would do it."
The Indianapolis picker's music was rediscovered in the Nineties by a new
generation of guitarists, including Junior Watson, Duke Robillard, and Rusty
Zinn, who have incorporated elements of Jennings' lean, swinging approach into
their blues performances. The reissue of these rare recordings for the Gotham
and King labels should help to enhance Jennings' standing in the public's
pantheon of great jazz and blues guitar players.
Tracklisting:
CD 1
01. Alexandria, Virginia
(Clanton-Jennings) 2:55
02. You Came a Long Way from St. Louis
(Russell-Brooks) 2:48
03. Stompin’ with Bill (Jennings) 2:44
04. The Lonesome Traveller (Hays) 3:05
05. Piccadilly Circus (Jennings-Parker) 1:59
06. There Will Never Be Another You
(Gordon-Warren) 2:51
07. What Will I Do? (Berlin) 3:46
08. Billy in the Lion’s Den (Jennings) 2:52
09. Fine and Dandy (Swift-James) 2:27
10. Just You, Just Me (Greer-Klaces) 2:45
11. Down to Earth (Jennings-Parker) 2:20
12. May I? (Jennings-Parker) 2:50
13. Get Hot (Jennings-Parker) 2:25
14. Stuffy (Coleman Hawkins) 2:56
15. Solitude (DeLange-Ellington-Mills) 2:48
16. What’s New (Haggart-Burke-Whitmark) 3:29
17. They Can’t Take That Away from Me
(G.& I. Gershwin) 2:15
18. Sweet & Lovely (Arnheim-Daniels-Tobias) 3:27
19. Blue Grass (Parker-Jennings) 3:55
20. Soft Winds (Benny Goodman) 2:56
21. Sophisticated Lady
(Ellington-Parish-Mills) 2:16
22. Big Boy (Bill Jennings) 2:11
23. 633-Knock! (Doggett-Jennings) 2:27
24. Danny Boy (Weatherly) 2:30
25. Darn That Dream (DeLange-Van Heusen) 2:39
26. Alexandria, Virginia (Clanton-Jennings) 2:53*
27. Stomp (Stompin’ with Bill) (Jennings) 2:39*
28. Stompin’ with Bill (Jennings) 2:43*
CD 2
01. Willow Weep for Me (Ronnell) 2:46
02. Day Train (Bill Jennings) 2:33
03. Glide On (Jack Wilson) 2:36
04. Three Little Words (Ruby-Kalmar) 2:35
05. Have You Ever Had the Blues
(Jennings-Lenoir) 2:30
06. Better Ask Somebody (Bill Jennings) 2:43
07. Sea Breeze (Bill Jennings) 2:27
08. A Good ’Un (Bill Jennings) 2:22
09. Easy Living (Robin-Rainger) 3:50
10. Nature Boy (Eden Ahbez) 2:06
11. Ja-Da (Bob Carlston) 4:02
12. Angel Eyes (Dennis-Brent) 3:20
13. You Don’t Know What Love Is
(Don Raye-Gene DePaul) 2:03
14. Medley: (G.& I. Gershwin) 4:05
-It Ain’t Necessarily So
-Summertime
15. Answer Me My Love
(Winkler-Rauch-Sigman) 3:16
16. What Is This Thing Called Love
(Cole Porter) 2:39
17. It’s Easy to Remember (Rodgers-Hart) 3:09
18. One for My Baby (Mercer-Arlen) 3:51
19. You Go to My Head (Coats-Gillespie) 2:52
20. Mood Indigo (Bigard-Mills-Ellington) 2:14
21. Wishbone (Jennings-Jackson) 2:35
22. Blues in My Heart (Carson-Foley) 2:37
23. Roses of Picardy (Weatherly-Wood) 3:00
24. Down Boy (Jennings-Jackson) 2:37
Sources CD-1:
#1 & 2 from the 45 rpm single Gotham 232
#3 & 4 from the 45 rpm single Gotham 250
The remaining tracks were subsequently
issued on different releases:
#6,7,9-12,14,15 from King LP
"Jazz Interlude" (295-105)
#16,17,20-25 from King LP
"The Fabulous Guitar of Bill Jennings" (295-106)
#5-15,18 from King LP
"Billy in the Lion's Den" (395-527)
#6,14,15,18 from King EP
"Bill Jennings-Leo Parker Quintet" (KEP-341)
#16,17,19,21 from King EP
"Guitar Moods" (KEP-342)
#16,17,19,21 from French EP
"Bill Jennings Quartet" (Odeon SOE3546)
#1-4 from King the EP
"Wailin’" (KEP-386)
Sources CD-2:
#5 & 6 from the 45 rpm single King 4831
#7 & 8 are unissued
#9-20 from King LP
"Mood Indigo" (395-508)
#9-13,15-18,20 from Audio Lab LP
"Guitar / Vibes" (AL 1514)
#21-24 from Audio Lab LP
"Various Artists -A Whole Lot of Blowin' (AL 1539)
#22 & 23 are unissued
----------------------------------------
Personnel on CD 1:
Tracks #1-4: BILL JENNINGS - BILL JENNINGS ORCHESTRA: Bill Jennings, guitar,
vocal on #2, with unknown alto sax/tenor sax, piano, bass & drums.
Recorded in Philadelphia, circa 1951
Tracks #5-15: BILL JENNINGS - LEO PARKER QUINTET: Leo Parker, baritone sax;
Andrew Johnson, piano; Bill Jennings, guitar; Joe Williams, bass; George
DeHart, drums.
Recorded in Cincinnati, Ohio, July 6,7,8, 1954
Tracks #16-21: BILL JENNINGS QUARTET: Andrew Johnson, piano and (on #16) organ;
Bill Jennings, guitar; Joe Williams, bass; George DeHart, drums.
Recorded in Cincinnati, on July 8, 1954
Tracks #22-25: BILL JENNINGS QUARTET: Bill Doggett, organ; Bill Jennings,
guitar; Jimmy Glover, bass; Shep Shepherd, drums.
Recorded in Cincinnati, October 1954
Tracks #26-28: ALTERNATE TAKES
BILL JENNINGS - BILL JENNINGS ORCHESTRA: Bill Jennings, guitar with unknown
alto sax/tenor sax, piano, bass & drums.
Recorded in Philadelphia, circa 1951
----------------------------------------
Personnel on CD 2:
Tracks #1-8: BILL JENNINGS QUINTET - NITA LORE: Nita Lore, vocal on #5 & 6;
with Jack Wilson, piano & celeste; Albert Jennings, vibes; Bill Jennings,
guitar; Paul Henry Sparks, bass; Phillip Paul, drums.
Recorded in Cincinnati, July 24, 1955
Tracks #9-20: BILL JENNINGS: Bill Jennings, guitar; Albert Jennings, vibes.
Recorded in Cincinnati, December 4, 1955
Tracks #21-24: BILL JENNINGS - WILLIS JACKSON: Willis Jackson, tenor sax; James
Orville Johnson, organ; Bill Jennings, guitar; Alvin Johnson, drums.
Recorded in New York, September 7, 1957
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Project & coordination: Daniel Gugolz & Rusty Zinn
Executive producer: Jordi Pujol
All four previously unreleased King tracks come from the late Kurt Mohr who was
working for Odeon (the French King Records distributor) in the early 1960s,
courtesy of Gilles Pétard
Cover picture: Bill Jennings, Apollo Theatre, New York City, 24 Jan. 1951 (as a
member of the Louis Jordan band).
Photo by PoPsie (courtesy Gilles Petard collection)
Mono · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered