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Emmett Berry


thomastreichler

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Emmett Berry was a fine trumpeter in the swing idiom and a superb blues player with a big tone who IMO did not receive the recognition he deserved. He was one of those musicians of the swing era - he played with the big bands of Fletcher Henderson, Lionel Hampton, Benny Carter and Count Basie - who did not make the transition to bop (like e.g. Buck Clayton, Harry Edison, Ben Webster, Vic Dickenson, Buddy Tate). His solos were always well conceived and swingin', especially effective in mainstream settings.

Some of his best recorded work can be heard on:

Teddy Wilson Sextet - The Complete Associated Transcriptions 1944 (Storyville)

superb swing session with Berry, Benny Morton, Edmond Hall, Sid Catlett

The Essential Jo Jones (Vanguard)

swing date in the spirit of Count Basie with Berry, Lawrence Brown, Lucky Thompson, Nat Pierce and the "All American Rhythm Section" of Freddie Green, Walter Page and Jo Jones

Johnny Hodges Small Group Sessions of the early 50's (I have it on Chronological Classics)

Sir Charles Thompson - For The Ears (Vanguard)

another Basie-inspired mainstream session with Berry, Benny Morton, Coleman Hawkins, Steve Jordan, Osie Johnson

Claude Hopkins - Yes Indeed! (prestige Swingville)

relaxed swingin' session with Buddy Tate

Jimmy Rushing - Everyday (Vanguard)

great album of Kansas City Swing featuring Berry, Lawrence Brown, Pete Johnson and again the unbeatable rhythm team of Green, Page and Jones

Buck Clayton All Stars (I have the set contained in the Mosaic "Columbia Small Group Sessions" box set and "Basel 1961" on TCB)

exemplary nicely arranged swing sessions with a line up of Buck Clayton, Emmett Berry, Dicky Wells, Earle Warren and Buddy Tate

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This is what's on the Jacquet Proper set:

Illinois Jacquet Sextet : Emmett Berry, tp; Illinois Jacquet, ts; Bill Doggett, p; Freddie Green, g; John Simmons, b; Shadow Wilson, d.

New York, January 7, 1946

S 5870-1 DON’T BLAME ME Savoy 620

S 5871-2 JUMPIN’ JACQUET Savoy 593

S 5872-1 BLUE MOOD Savoy 593

S 5873-3 JACQUET IN THE BOX Savoy 910

Illinois Jacquet Sextet : Same personnel as above

New York, January 8, 1946

S 5874-5 SAVOY BLIP Savoy 911

S 5875 DOGGIN’ WITH DOGGETT (ALT. OF 5871-1) Savoy XP 9069

S 5876-6 MINOR ROMP Savoy 594

S 5877-1 BERRY’S BLUES Savoy 594

Note : This date was originally released under Emmett Berry’s name.

I think there's more on the Mosaic, presumably for some other lable - they had some kind of deal that's mentioned in the liners of the Mosaic, but being at work I don't have the info at hand. Fine sessions, though!

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This is a very nice session:

Date: February 22, 1956

Location: Paris

Label: Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.)

Lucky Thompson (ldr), Emmett Berry (t), Lucky Thompson (ts, a), Henri Renaud (p), Benoit Quersin (b), Gérard 'Dave' Pochonet (d)

a. LD433a Thin Ice - 4:52 (Lucky Thompson)

Swing (Fr.) LP 12": SW 8404 - Paris 1956, Vol. 1

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": D 93098 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": 250V024 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

b. alt. tk. Thin Ice - 5:58 (Lucky Thompson)

c. LD488c A Minor Delight - 2:49 (Lucky Thompson)

Swing (Fr.) LP 12": SW 8404 - Paris 1956, Vol. 1

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": D 93098 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": 250V024 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

d. LD489a Takin' Care 'o Business (Takin' Care 'n Business, One Cool Night) - 4:20 (Lucky Thompson, Emmett Berry)

Swing (Fr.) LP 12": SW 8404 - Paris 1956, Vol. 1

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": D 93098 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": 250V024 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

e. alt. tk. Takin' Care 'o Business (Takin' Care 'n Business, One Cool Night) - 4:10 (Lucky Thompson, Emmett Berry)

f. LD489c One Cool Night - 3:46 (Lucky Thompson, Emmett Berry)

Swing (Fr.) LP 12": SW 8404 - Paris 1956, Vol. 1

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": D 93098 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": 250V024 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

g. alt. tk. One Cool Night - 3:53 (Lucky Thompson, Emmett Berry)

h. Sophisticated Lady - 6:22 (Duke Ellington, Mitchell Parish, Irving Mills)

Swing (Fr.) LP 12": SW 8404 - Paris 1956, Vol. 1

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": D 93098 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": 250V024 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) EP: 460V219

i. LD489b These Foolish Things (Jack Strachey, Harry Link, Holt Marvell)

Swing (Fr.) LP 12": SW 8404 - Paris 1956, Vol. 1

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": D 93098 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

Ducretet-Thomson (Fr.) LP 10": 250V024 - Thompson Plays for Thomson

All titles on: - JazzTime (Fr.) CD: 8272172 - Good Luck to Paris (1956)

- EMI (Fr.) CD: 7243 5 39651 2 9 - Lucky Thompson: Americans Swinging in Paris - Nothing But the Soul

h, i performed as medley.

Omit Emmett Berry (t) on a, b, h. Omit Henri Renaud (p) on a, b.

Another title, "Blues for Frank," was recorded at this session but Lucky Thompson does not perform on it. Part of this session may have been recorded on February 21, 1956. Tracks h and i constitute a ballad medley of 6:22 in duration. On some issues, these tracks appear separately.

Edited by Eloe Omoe
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That session with Lucky was the first occasion where I really liked Berry's playing. Highly recommended, very elegant music.

It's a pity "Blues for Frank" was not on the CD reissue - it's a great track!

Yes, it's really a shame. That's why I kept my Swing LP (that was a great reissue program, btw).

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That session with Lucky was the first occasion where I really liked Berry's playing. Highly recommended, very elegant music.

It's a pity "Blues for Frank" was not on the CD reissue - it's a great track!

Yes, it's really a shame. That's why I kept my Swing LP (that was a great reissue program, btw).

Same here! ... and agree on the DRG Swing series.

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Berry was part of a Sammy Price band that toured Europe in 1955. They recorded with Sidney Bechet (a session I have split between 2 CDs "Sidney Bechet and His American Friends, Vols 1 & 2), and they also made a couple of concert albums that originally appeared on Jazztone records--don't know whether they ever made it to CD. Besides exemplary work from Emmett, these dates feature the always excellent Herb Hall (better than Edmond, IMO) and the growly trombone of George Stevenson.

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Berry was part of a Sammy Price band that toured Europe in 1955. They recorded with Sidney Bechet (a session I have split between 2 CDs "Sidney Bechet and His American Friends, Vols 1 & 2), and they also made a couple of concert albums that originally appeared on Jazztone records--don't know whether they ever made it to CD. Besides exemplary work from Emmett, these dates feature the always excellent Herb Hall (better than Edmond, IMO) and the growly trombone of George Stevenson.

I have eight tracks of this band on a Vogue lp, the title is "Back To Memphis", recorded in 1956. On what label did the cd you mentioned appear?

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Berry was part of a Sammy Price band that toured Europe in 1955. They recorded with Sidney Bechet (a session I have split between 2 CDs "Sidney Bechet and His American Friends, Vols 1 & 2), and they also made a couple of concert albums that originally appeared on Jazztone records--don't know whether they ever made it to CD. Besides exemplary work from Emmett, these dates feature the always excellent Herb Hall (better than Edmond, IMO) and the growly trombone of George Stevenson.

I have eight tracks of this band on a Vogue lp, the title is "Back To Memphis", recorded in 1956. On what label did the cd you mentioned appear?

The 2 CDs I mentioned were on Vogue.

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