Pickwick - Jazz Footprints series

[Pete B]

I've recently come across mentions of this series issued by Pickwick, I think around 1989, of various Black & White label recordings from the mid-1940's. I have gleaned the following information:

PJFD 15001 Black & White & Reeds All Over (Rod Cless, Bingie Madison, Mezz Mezzrow, Pee Wee Russell)

PJFD 15002 Playing the Black & Whites (Art Hodes, Cliff Jackson, Nat Jaffe)

PJFD 15003 Masters of the Black & Whites (Errol Garner, Gene Schroeder, Ray Stokes, William McDaniel)

PJFD 15004 Title unknown (Barney Bigard, Willie the Lion Smith)

PJFD 15005 Greenwich Village Sound (Joe Marsala, Etta Jones)

Allmusic says this was a series of 6 cds, I cannot find information on the 6th. Can anybody here help fill in the blanks? I also would be interested in comments on the merits of these cds.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Pete B

[Chuck Nessa]

I think there were only five.

[brownie]

The Lord Discography lists only the five Pickwicks from this series.

[Pete B]

What was the title for 15004?

[jazztrain]

Pickwick PJFD 15004 is "Greenwich Village Jazz."

What was the title for 15004?

[Chuck Nessa]

What was the title for 15004?

Greenwich Village Jazz. Cliff Jackson is on it too.

[jazztrain]

There appears to have been a sixth one in the series. Based on some information on line, it was called "Dixieland Cajun Style" and subtitled "Hot & Spicy." Here's a description from Scott Yanow (All Music Guide):

"This CD (one of six Pickwick releases taken from the Black & White catalogue of the mid-'40s) is the only one not to list the exact personnel and recording dates. The performances are in the Dixieland vein and include difficult-to-trace sessions by Eddie Condon, clarinetist Matty Matlock (with a septet including tenor-saxophonist Eddie Miller and trumpeter Dick Cathcart) and a mid-'40s version of Red Nichols's Five Pennies. The music is enjoyable enough although not as essential as the other CDs in the valuable series."

I have the first five in the series and seem to remember having seen this one but passing on it, largely due to the lack of any information about who was on it.

I've recently come across mentions of this series issued by Pickwick, I think around 1989, of various Black & White label recordings from the mid-1940's. I have gleaned the following information:

PJFD 15001 Black & White & Reeds All Over (Rod Cless, Bingie Madison, Mezz Mezzrow, Pee Wee Russell)

PJFD 15002 Playing the Black & Whites (Art Hodes, Cliff Jackson, Nat Jaffe)

PJFD 15003 Masters of the Black & Whites (Errol Garner, Gene Schroeder, Ray Stokes, William McDaniel)

PJFD 15004 Title unknown (Barney Bigard, Willie the Lion Smith)

PJFD 15005 Greenwich Village Sound (Joe Marsala, Etta Jones)

Allmusic says this was a series of 6 cds, I cannot find information on the 6th. Can anybody here help fill in the blanks? I also would be interested in comments on the merits of these cds.

Edited January 26, 2010 by jazztrain

[jazztrain]

OK. Here's some more information. One website lists the following as the contents of the sixth Pickwick:

>>>

* 1. Eddie Condon & His Band / Indiana (2:49)

* 2. Eddie Condon & His Band / Back In Your Own Backyard (2:57)

* 3. Eddie Condon & His Band / That's A Plenty (3:11)

* 4. Eddie Condon & His Band / Ja Da (2:49)

* 5. Eddie Condon & His Band / It's Been So Long (3:05)

* 6. Eddie Condon & His Band / Ballin' The Jack (2:17)

* 7. Matty Matlock / There'll Be Some Changes Made (5:41)

* 8. Matty Matlock / Jazz Me Blues (4:00)

* 9. Matty Matlock / Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gave To Me (4:09)

* 10. Matty Matlock / Ida (3:24)

* 11. Matty Matlock / Shim-me-sha-wabble (5:52)

* 12. Red Nichols / Should I (3:05)

* 13. Red Nichols / Whispering (2:50)

* 14. Red Nichols / Lazy River (2:26)

* 15. Red Nichols / My Melancholy Baby (3:37)

* 16. Red Nichols / At Sundown (3:14)

>>>

Regarding their merits, I'd say that they're all worth having. Some of the sides had never been reissued to my knowledge (such as the Cliff Jackson date with Pee Wee Russell). Others had been reissued but with inferior transfers. The material on the first five is all drawn from the Black & White label (although a few of the sides had not been issued previously). Some of the cd titles are obvious puns -- the reference to "Black & Whites" in some of the titles refers both to the label and to the keys on a piano, while the "Black & White & Reeds All Over" is an obvious play on the old "What's black and white and red (read) all over?" riddle.

I've recently come across mentions of this series issued by Pickwick, I think around 1989, of various Black & White label recordings from the mid-1940's. I have gleaned the following information:

PJFD 15001 Black & White & Reeds All Over (Rod Cless, Bingie Madison, Mezz Mezzrow, Pee Wee Russell)

PJFD 15002 Playing the Black & Whites (Art Hodes, Cliff Jackson, Nat Jaffe)

PJFD 15003 Masters of the Black & Whites (Errol Garner, Gene Schroeder, Ray Stokes, William McDaniel)

PJFD 15004 Title unknown (Barney Bigard, Willie the Lion Smith)

PJFD 15005 Greenwich Village Sound (Joe Marsala, Etta Jones)

Allmusic says this was a series of 6 cds, I cannot find information on the 6th. Can anybody here help fill in the blanks? I also would be interested in comments on the merits of these cds.

[jazztrain]

Pete B:

Some of the information that you gleaned seems to be a bit garbled. Here are the leaders on the first five:

PJFD 15001 Rod Cless, Hank Duncan, George Wettling, Cliff Jackson

PJFD 15002 Dick Cary, Cliff Jackson, Art Hodes, Nat Jaffe

PJFD 15003 Errol Garner, Gene Schroeder, Ray Stokes, Red Callender

PJFD 15004 Barney Bigard, Cliff Jackson, Willie "The Lion" Smith

PJFD 15005 Joe Marsala, Etta Jones

I've recently come across mentions of this series issued by Pickwick, I think around 1989, of various Black & White label recordings from the mid-1940's. I have gleaned the following information:

PJFD 15001 Black & White & Reeds All Over (Rod Cless, Bingie Madison, Mezz Mezzrow, Pee Wee Russell)

PJFD 15002 Playing the Black & Whites (Art Hodes, Cliff Jackson, Nat Jaffe)

PJFD 15003 Masters of the Black & Whites (Errol Garner, Gene Schroeder, Ray Stokes, William McDaniel)

PJFD 15004 Title unknown (Barney Bigard, Willie the Lion Smith)

PJFD 15005 Greenwich Village Sound (Joe Marsala, Etta Jones)

Allmusic says this was a series of 6 cds, I cannot find information on the 6th. Can anybody here help fill in the blanks? I also would be interested in comments on the merits of these cds.

[Chuck Nessa]

Dixieland Cajun Style was number 15000, so it seems to be the first.

[Pete B]

thanks for your answers. this series looks like it is worth pursuing.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Pete B