George Lewis – The Best of George Lewis 1943-1964 / GHB CD-559/560

Description

GHB Records CD-559/560.

GHB’s 2013 set, The Best of George Lewis, is a 2-disc, 36-track retrospective chronicling the prime of clarinetist George Lewis’ career. The first disc is devoted to the ’40s, including dates where he played in the band of Bunk Johnson or the Eclipse Alley Five. Disc 2 runs from 1950 to 1963, also split between sessions where he’s a leader and where he’s a sideman. All these tracks are culled from the masters owned by GHB/Jazzology, so this collection never samples Lewis’ material for Decca or Blue Note or any other label that falls outside of this purview, but it is a sharp distillation of some of Lewis’ prime work during the peak of the New Orleans jazz revival. For many listeners, this provides a way to hear some of his best work.

” I will never forget the first time I heard the George Lewis band in person at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles – all the other bands who participated in that Dixieland Jubilee concert were simply obliterated by the powerful and dynamic sound of this New Orleans band. Some critics called the band “primitive” or “limited” but those adjectives are meaningless when you deal with such strong emotional and rhythmic music with enormous popular appeal.”

– Chris Strachwitz

Disc One

St. Philip Street Breakdown
New Orleans Hula
Over The Waves
Lead Me Savior
Climax Rag
Careless Love
Just A Closer Walk With Thee
Ice Cream
Gloryland
The Sheik Of Araby
My Bucket’s Got a Hole In It
When You And I Were Young, Maggie
Lord Lord You’re Certainly Good To Me
Lowdown Blues
At the Darktown Strutters’ Ball
Tiger Rag
Far Away Blues
The Girls All Love The Way I Walk

Disc Two

Maisie
2:19 Blues
Ole Miss
Jerusalem Blues
Bugle Boy March
Pallet On The Floor
Honky Tonk Town
Burgundy Street Blues
Red Wing
Darkness On The Delta
Old Rugged Cross
That’s a Plenty
See See Rider
In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree
Savoy Blues
Isle Of Capri
Pete’s Blues
Shake It and Break It

Performance Credits:

George Lewis Primary Artist,Clarinet
Percy Humphrey Trumpet
Bunk Johnson Trumpet
Peter Bocage Trumpet
Kid Howard Trumpet Cornet
De Pierce Trumpet
Alton Purnell Piano,Vocals
Jim Robinson Trombone
Sidney Brown Tuba
Baby Dodds Drums
George Guesnon Banjo
Kid Shots Madison Trumpet
Louis Nelson Trombone
Emanuel Sayles Banjo
Joe Watkins Drums
Mike Polad Banjo
Kid Thomas Valentine Trumpet
Edgar Mosley Drums
Papa John Joseph Bass
Creole George Guesnon Banjo
Josiah “Cie” Frazier Drums
Elmer Talbert Trumpet,Vocals
Alcide “Slow Drag” Pavageau Bass
Lawrence Marrero Banjo
Albert Walters Trumpet

Lars Edegran Producer
George H. Buck Liner Notes,Executive Producer
Paige Van Vorst Liner Notes
Tommy Sancton Liner Notes