Having already been in business a few years, McKinney's Cotton Pickers really came into their own in 1928

with the addition of arrangers Don Redman and John Nesbitt. Redman, whose sophisticated charts had already

lit up classic Fletcher Henderson sides, helped forge the transition from early jazz to swing with his fluid and streamlined

writing and an Ellington-like acuity in using soloists.

This top-notch Frog disc nicely spotlights many Redman and Cotton Pickers highlights from 1928-1929, thanks in large part 

to John R.T. Davies fine remastering job. In addition to some harmless vocal numbers (often featuring Redman), song highlights

include "Four or Five Times," "Milenberg Joys," and "Plain Dirt." With such personnel as Benny Carter, Fats Waller, and Coleman 

Hawkins on hand, this last track and a few others feature one of the best and most star-studded of the group's lineups.

***A standout addition to the handful of Cotton Pickers discs already available***