Andy Kirk (5)

Andy Kirk - 1937-38

01 - Downstream (Davies, Kirk, Lawrence, Nisenson)
02 - In the Groove (Williams, Wilson)
03 - Worried over You (Nelson, Rose)
04 - Foolin' Myself (Lawrence, Tinturin)
05 - I'm Glad for Your Sake (But I'm Sorry for Mine) (Lawrence, Tinturin)
06 - I'll Get Along Somehow (Fields, Marks)
07 - A Mellow Bit of Rhythm (Walder, Williams)
08 - In My Wildest Dreams (Cahn, Chaplin)
09 - Better Luck Next Time (Lawrence, Tinturin)
10 - With Love in My Heart (Klenner, Prager, Quinto)
11 - What's Mine Is Yours (Lawrence, Tinturin)
12 - Why Can't We Do It Again? (Wells)
13 - The Key to My Heart (Kanner, Milton, Niesen)
14 - I Went to a Gypsy (Lawrence, Williams)
15 - Lover, Come Back to Me (Hammerstein, Romberg)
16 - Poor Butterfly (Golden, Hubbell)
17 - The Big Dipper (Clinton, Colgems)
18 - Bear Down (Dowell, Fox)
19 - I Surrender, Dear (Barris, Clifford)
20 - Twinklin' (Williams)
21 - It Must Be True (You Are Mine, All Mine) (Arnhelm, Barris, Clifford)
22 - I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You) (Ahlert, Turk)
23 - Little Joe from Chicago (Wells, Williams)

The third Andy Kirk CD put out by the Classics label (reissuing all of Kirk's swing-era recordings) is primarily for completists, for the then-popular but rather dated singer Pha Terrell is on the majority of the songs. There are some good moments from pianist Mary Lou Williams and tenor saxophonist Dick Wilson (particularly on the instrumentals), with the most memorable numbers being "A Mellow Bit of Rhythm," "Twinklin'," and "The Big Dipper," but Terrell is often difficult to sit through. Review by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Andy Kirk - 1938

01 - Bless You My Dear (Lawrence, Milton, Niesen)
02 - How Can We Be Wrong? (Dietz, Schwartz, Stillman)
03 - Mess-A-Stomp (Williams)
04 - Toadie Toddle (Pease, Williams)
05 - I Won't Tell a Soul (I Love You) (Clark, Parker)
06 - What Would People Say (Daniels, Lawrence)
07 - How Much Do You Mean to Me? (Adams, Levant)
08 - Jump Jack Jump (Roberts)
09 - Breeze (Blow My Baby Back to Me) (Goodwin, Hanley, MacDonald)
10 - Ghost of Love (Lawrence, Williams)
11 - What a Life! (Trying to Live Without You) (Alter, Kent)
12 - Sittin' Around and Dreamin' (Kirk)
13 - What's Your Story, Morning Glory? (Lawrence, Webster, Williams)
14 - Honey (Fio Rito, Parish)
15 - September in the Rain (Dubin, Warren)
16 - Clouds (Donaldson, Kahn)
17 - Julius Caesar (Osborne, Rogers)
18 - Dunkin' a Doughnut (Williams)
19 - Goodbye (Jenkins)
20 - Mary's Idea (Williams)
21 - But It Didn't Mean a Thing (David, Livingstone)
22 - (I Don't Believe It But) Say It Again (Richman, Silver)

Andy Kirk's Orchestra was at the height of its popularity during the late 1930s, still riding high from their hit "Until the Real Thing Comes Along." The star of that record, singer Pha Terrell, is on the majority of the songs on this CD (the fourth in Classics' complete reissuance of the master takes of all Andy Kirk recordings from the swing era), but there are some hotter tunes too, most notably "Mess-A-Stomp," "Jump Jack Jump," "Dunkin' a Doughnut" and "Mary's Idea." However, Terrell's dominance of many titles may make many swing fans opt for the GRP/Decca single-disc Andy Kirk sampler instead. Review by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Andy Kirk - 1939-40

01 - You Set Me on Fire (Colwell, MacKinnon)
02 - (I Guess) I'll Never Learn (Gordon, Kaufman)
03 - Close to Five (Williams)
04 - Floyd's Guitar Blues (Smith)
05 - (I Wanna Go Where You Go, Do What You Do) Then I'll Be Happy (Brown, Clare, Friend)
06 - S'posin' (Denniker, Razaf)
07 - I'll Never Fail You (Mizzy, Taylor)
08 - Why Don't I Get Wise to Myself (Bass, Hecht)
09 - I'm Getting Nowhere With You (Adams, Wood)
10 - I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You (Crosby, Washington, Young)
11 - Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone (Clare, Stept)
12 - Big Jim Blues (Lawson, Williams)
13 - Wham (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam!) (Durham, Miller)
14 - Love Is the Thing (Washington, Young)
15 - Why Go on Pretending (Jacobs, Williams)
16 - It Always Will Be You (Copano, Hays, O'Day)
17 - Fine and Mellow (Holiday)
18 - Scratchin' in the Gravel (Williams, Wilson)
19 - Fifteen Minute Intermission (Cannon, Skylar, Skyler)
20 - Take Those Blues Away (Jackson)
21 - Now I Lay Me Down to Dream (Fio Rito, Howard)
22 - There Is No Greater Love (Jones, Symes)

Andy Kirk's Twelve Clouds of Joy was a top-notch Kansas City swing band that, by 1939, featured the pop vocals of Pha Terrell, the more blues-oriented singing of June Richmond, creative arrangements by Mary Lou Williams, and some excellent soloing from pianist Williams and Dick Wilson on tenor. Most memorable in this entry in Classics' "complete" Andy Kirk CD series are "Floyd's Guitar Blues" (an odd but pioneering electric guitar feature for Floyd Smith), "Wham" and "Scratching In the Gravel."

Andy Kirk - 1940-42

01 - Midnight Stroll (Adams, Lowe)
02 - Little Miss (Segure, Washington)
03 - The Count (Gordon)
04 - Twelfth Street Rag (Bowman)
05 - (Ev'rything Happened) When I Saw You (Allan, Johnson)
06 - If I Feel This Way Tomorrow (Then It's Love) (Brown, Henderson)
07 - Or Have I (Stept, Tobias)
08 - Cuban Boogie Woogie (La Vere, Lake)
09 - A Dream Dropped In (Bernard, Symes)
10 - Is It a Sin (My Loving You?) (Bryan, Carcus, Carus, Leopold)
11 - Ring Dem Bells (Ellington, Mills)
12 - Big Time Crip (Wells, Williams)
13 - 47th Street Jive (Sykes)
14 - I'm Misunderstood (Grouya)
15 - No Answer (Hoffman, Siegler, Wood)
16 - Hey Lawdy Mama (Easton)
17 - Boogie Woogie Cocktail (Kersey)
18 - Ride on, Ride On (Tolbert)
19 - McGhee Special (McGhee)
20 - Worried Life Blues (Someday, Baby) (Estes)
21 - Take It and Git! (Chapman, Green, Marshall)
22 - Hip Hip Hooray (Ebbins, Nemo, Neom)
23 - Unlucky Blues (Feather)

The Andy Kirk Orchestra was going through some major changes during the period covered by this CD. Tenor star Dick Wilson died prematurely; pop singer Pha Terrell had left; pianist and chief arranger Mary Lou Williams departed in early 1942 (Ken Kersey was her replacement on piano); and such interesting younger players as trumpeters Harold "Shorty" Baker and Howard McGhee and Al Sears on tenor gave the group a slightly different sound. Actually, the music on this CD (late-period swing) is consistently on a higher level than on most of the previous CDs in the Classics series. Highlights include "The Count," "Hey Lawdy Mama," "Boogie Woogie Cocktail" (featuring Kersey) and Howard McGhee's recording debut on the exciting "McGhee Special."

Andy Kirk - 1943-49

01 - Shorty Boo ()
02 - Fare Thee Honey Fare Thee Well (Akers, Williams)
03 - Baby Don't You Tell Me No Lie (Coleman)
04 - Hippy Dippy ()
05 - Get Together With the Lord (Jaffe, Reichner)
06 - I Know (Brooks, Jennings)
07 - He's My Baby (Kirk, White)
08 - Alabama Bound (Jackson, Williams)
09 - Soothe Me (Greene)
10 - Diggin' Man Blues (Jordan, Moore)
11 - I Don't Know What I'd Do Without You (Kuhn)
12 - I'm So Lonely I Could Cry (Kuhn)
13 - Now You Tell Me (Fisher, Roberts)
14 - Louella (Markes, Stone)
15 - So Soon (Luce, Razaf)
16 - I'm Falling for You (Hubert, Williams)
17 - Little Girl, Don't Cry (Davis, Millinder)

18 - Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee, Drinking Wine (McGhee, Williams) This compilation presents selections from the last several recording sessions (mostly for Decca) of bandleader Andy Kirk. 1943-1949 opens with three late 1943 songs from Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy, which included trumpeters Fats Navarro and Howard McGhee, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest, and vocalist June Richmond. Next comes "Hippy-Dippy," one of the few surviving songs from the only visit Kirk's band made to the studios in 1944. This number is followed by two very popular sellers, "Get Together With the Lord" and "I Know," representing the 1945 period of Andy Kirk and His Orchestra (this time including Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis) and featuring vocals by the Jubalaires, who return to sing on the 1946 recordings of "I Don't Know What I'd Do Without You" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Other vocalists heard on 1943-1949 include Bea Booze, the Four Knights, Joe Williams, and Kenny White.
Review by Joslyn Layne, All Music Guide