Two very different groups – both presented in unissued performances recorded on the same day in Copenhagen during the spring of 1959! First up is the Jimmy Giuffre trio with some tremendous guitar from Jim Hall – a key player who really helped Jimmy find that airy, open approach on his Atlantic Records gems at the end of the 50s – working here with just the bass of Buddy Clark for accompaniment. Giuffre mostly plays modern clarinet, in that famous style of his, but also handles a bit of tenor – on titles that include "Time Machine", "Careful", "The Little Melody", and "Song Of The Wind". And speaking of clarinet, that instrument gets a nice workout on the Gene Krupa tracks – as does tenor and flute, all handled by Ed Wasserman – who plays in a Krupa quartet that also includes Ronnie Ball on piano and Jimmy Gannon on bass. The music has that open, lively small combo vibe that marked some of Gene's best 50s sessions for Verve – and titles include long takes on "Undecided" and "Flamingo" – plus a 25 minute reading of "Sing Sing Sing". CD

A pretty cool record from legendary drummer Gene Krupa – filled with loads of unusual percussion, all played live for the recording – set to arrangements by George Williams that are mighty dynamic! Tunes are sometimes from classical sources, but swung in a completely different way! LP, Vinyl record album

Kind of a reprise of earlier days – one that reunites Krupa with Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge, as the group runs through some material from earlier years. Arrangements are by Quincy Jones, Billy Byers, and Nat Pierce – and the set actually swings more cleanly than some of Krupa's material from the 40s. Titles include "Drummin Man", "Drum Boogie", "Slow Down", "Wire Brush Stomp", "That's What You Think", "Rockin Chair", and "Opus 1". LP, Vinyl record album

Gene Krupa and Gerry Mulligan – hardly a pairing that we would have thought of – but one that works surprisingly well here, and which showcases Mulligan's increasing fascination for larger group settings! The album features Gene on drums with a set of players that include Kai Winding, Urbie Green, Phil Woods, Hank Jones, and Barry Galbraith – but the real star of the set is Gerry, who's not playing here, but conducting the larger group of jazz players through charts that are all his own, and which display the same love of fluid ensemble horn parts that he used in his own smaller combo work. There's a lot more brass in the mix than you'd usually get from Gerry – which gives the album a bit more of a Krupa kick – and Gene also gets some nice space to show himself on drums. Titles include "Yardbird Suite", "Margie", "Bird House", "The Way Of All Flesh", "Disk Jockey Jump", "Birds Of A Feather", and "Mulligan Stew". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Krupa's trio that features Charlie Ventura on tenor and Teddy Napoleon on piano – a really wide-open combo with a surprisingly inventive sound! LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty early 50s session for Verve – one that has Gene reprising some tunes and a style he used in the Benny Goodman years, but in a way that's more open and laidback – in keeping with Verve's swing-based small group sessions of the time! Even more important, though, is the fact that the set's a unique trio outing – billed as an "orchestra" set, but only featuring Gene on drums, Teddy Napoleon on piano, and Eddie Shu on clarinet and tenor! Shu's the real star of the set, and the spare and open style of the tunes really lets him take off in ways we'd never heard before – making him a real improvisatory genius, in the best mode of Verve stars like Flip Philips or Ben Webster at the time. Titles include "Booted", "Sing Sing Sing", "Love For Sale", and "September Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful meeting of two of the biggest 50s talents on the drums – and a session that's great not only for the expected firey percussion, but also for the horn work by other members on the set! Given the "drum battle" style of the record, the tracks are long and very open – done in a studio mode that recalls some of the Krupa/Rich meetings at JATP, and like the JATP sides, featuring plenty of space for players to take longer solos. Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Flip Phillips, and Roy Eldridge get in some nice licks on the set – and other players include Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, and Ray Brown. Titles include "Gene's Blues", "Bernie's Tune", "Buddy's Blues", and "I Never Knew". CD also includes bonus tracks "Sunday" and "Monster". CD

Features a sweet trio with Gene Krupa on drums and Charlie Ventura on tenor – with only piano, and no other instrumentation! The Stuff Smith group features Billy Taylor on piano. LP, Vinyl record album

A great document of an early all-star jazz concert – recorded at Town Hall by a young Bob Shad – who's clearly working here in the same live territory as producer Norman Granz! There's a great sense of variety going on here – and the record's maybe worth it alone for an excellent performance by a trio with Gene Krupa on drums and Charlie Ventura on tenor – with only piano, and no other instrumentation – a great mode for both players! The album also features work from a quintet led by pianist Teddy Wilson with Flip Phillips on tenor – on the tune "Sweet & Lovely"; a trio with Billy Taylor on piano and Stuff Smith on violin, on "Perdido"; a fantastic duet between Don Byas' tenor and Slam Stewart's bass on "I Got Rhythm"; and a Red Norvo group with Shorty Rogers on trumpet and Flip Phillips on tenor, on the tunes "The Man I Love" and "One Note Jive". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Roy Eldridge, Anita O'Day, Frank Rosolino, Charlie Ventura, Red Rodney, Buddy Stewart, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Buddy's Blues", "Sweethearts On Parade", "I Never Knew", "Gene's Blues", "Bernie's Tune", "The Drum Battle", and "Perdido". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Green Eyes", "Let Me Off Uptown", "Kick It!", "After You've Gone", "Rockin' Chair", "Armour", "Stop! The Red Light's On", "Watch The Birdie", "The Walls Keep Talking", "Skylark", "Bolero At The Savoy", "Thanks For The Boogie Ride", "Keep 'Em Flying", "Pass The Bounce", "Ball Of Fire", "Harlem On Parade", "Knock Me A Kiss", "Barrelhouse Bessie From Basin Street", "That Drummer's Band", "Murder He Says", "Bop Boogie", "Watch Out", "Swiss Lullaby", and "Why Fall In Love With A Stranger". CD

Two very different groups – both presented in unissued performances recorded on the same day in Copenhagen during the spring of 1959! First up is the Jimmy Giuffre trio with some tremendous guitar from Jim Hall – a key player who really helped Jimmy find that airy, open approach on his Atlantic Records gems at the end of the 50s – working here with just the bass of Buddy Clark for accompaniment. Giuffre mostly plays modern clarinet, in that famous style of his, but also handles a bit of tenor – on titles that include "Time Machine", "Careful", "The Little Melody", and "Song Of The Wind". And speaking of clarinet, that instrument gets a nice workout on the Gene Krupa tracks – as does tenor and flute, all handled by Ed Wasserman – who plays in a Krupa quartet that also includes Ronnie Ball on piano and Jimmy Gannon on bass. The music has that open, lively small combo vibe that marked some of Gene's best 50s sessions for Verve – and titles include long takes on "Undecided" and "Flamingo" – plus a 25 minute reading of "Sing Sing Sing". CD

Despite the fact that he was a showy bombastic drummer in his big band days during the early 50s, Gene Krupa made some fantastic small group sessions – and this is one of them! The record features two different groups – one with the great Willie Smith on alto, the other with Ben Webster on tenor – and both of them are tightly swinging combos with a very mature sound. Smith is an especially nice treat here – as his incredible alto playing is woefully underdocumented, and only really shows up on a few small Verve sessions like this. Titles include "Jungle Drums", "Showcase", "Midget", and "Overtime". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful hard burner from Gene Krupa – a perfect example of the way he could skirt different camps of jazz when working in small group format! Players here are all top shelf – and include Ben Webster, Bill Harris, Teddy Wilson, Ray Brown, and Charlie Shavers – a lineup that almost makes the record come across like a JATP All-Star session, save for the fact that the tracks are a bit shorter! Titles include "Don't Take Your Love From Me", "Capital Idea", "Paradise", "Overtime", and "Coronation Hop". David Stone Martin cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty darn great album – with a wonderful mix of JATP swing and strong-handed drumming by the leaders. The material was recorded at a Jazz At The Philharmonic show at Carnegie Hall in 1952, and although the main focus appears to be Krupa and Rich's drum work, there's actually some fantastic sax playing on the album – from both the alto of Willie Smith and the tenor of Flip Phillips, both of whom are at the height of their powers in this relaxed setting, working amazingly well around the bombastic drum pounding of Krupa and Rich. Tracks are long, and titles include "Idaho", "Flying Home", "Drum Boogie", "Drum Battle", and "Perdido". CD

A drum-heavy spectacular that returns Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich to their big band roots – thanks to some hard-swinging arrangements from George Williams! The tracks are a bit shorter and done with a larger group than on some of the other Rich or Krupa sides for Verve – but there actually seems to be even more drum pyrotechnics here, possibly because the players' efforts are compressed into such a tight space! Production is a bit odd – with the drums so high in the mix that they sometimes come across with more treble than bass – but that really highlights some of the most inventive moments on the top of the kit as well. Titles include "Duet", "Perdido", "Evolution", "Night Train", and "Hawaiian War Chant". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Gene Krupa and Gerry Mulligan – hardly a pairing that we would have thought of – but one that works surprisingly well here, and which showcases Mulligan's increasing fascination for larger group settings! The album features Gene on drums with a set of players that include Kai Winding, Urbie Green, Phil Woods, Hank Jones, and Barry Galbraith – but the real star of the set is Gerry, who's not playing here, but conducting the larger group of jazz players through charts that are all his own, and which display the same love of fluid ensemble horn parts that he used in his own smaller combo work. There's a lot more brass in the mix than you'd usually get from Gerry – which gives the album a bit more of a Krupa kick – and Gene also gets some nice space to show himself on drums. Titles include "Yardbird Suite", "Margie", "Bird House", "The Way Of All Flesh", "Disk Jockey Jump", "Birds Of A Feather", and "Mulligan Stew". CD

Great small combo work from Gene Krupa – one of his excellent sides for Verve during the 50s! Players here include the great Eddie Lockjaw Davis on tenor, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, and Bill Harris on trombone – and rhythm is from Teddy Wilson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Krupa on drums – a swinging little unit that keeps plenty of room for warm solo lines in the set! Titles include "Who's Rhythm", "Second Helping Blues", "Bloozy Woozy", "Meddle My Minor", and "Windy". LP, Vinyl record album

15 great tracks from Roy's Verve years – accompanied here by Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins on tenor, Johnny Hodges on alto, Gene Krupa on drums, and Oscar Peterson on piano! CD

With Teddy Wilson on piano, Lionel Hampton on vibraphone, and Gene Krupa on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A Pablo Records release – but featuring material that was originally destined for Verve Records in the 50s – a rare performance in Japan by the Jazz At The Philharmonic! The double-length set is overflowing with goodness, all recorded in the open-ended, warm-hearted style that Norman Granz brought to these classic performances! The album starts with an extended set by the JATP All-Stars – a group that features Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers on trumpets, Willie Smith and Benny Carter on alto, Bill Harris on trombone, and Ben Webster and Flip Philips on tenors – with rhythm from the combo of Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and JC Heard on drums. JATP titles include a "Ballad Medley", "Tokyo Blues", and "Cotton Tail". The set then features six more tracks by the Oscar Peterson Trio – including "Sushi Blues" and "Up" – and another four by the Gene Krupa Trio – including "Don't Be That Way", and "Cocktails For Two". The set then ends with a long set by Ella Fitzgerald with a quartet – on titles that include "Smooth Sailin", "How High The Moon", "Body & Soul", "Lady Be Good", and "My Funny Valentine" – plus a reading of "Perdido" with the whole JATP group. LP, Vinyl record album

Gerry Mulligan material from three different stretches – all featuring his talents as an arranger! The set includes very early sides with Gene Krupa in the mid 40s, work with Elliot Lawrence in 1949, and then Gerry's own work as a leader in 1957! LP, Vinyl record album

A much-needed collection of the famous Jazz At The Philharmonic performances of the 1950s – work that follows up the initial postwar run from producer/presenter Norman Granz, which helped lay the groundwork for Verve Records – but which hasn't gotten the full exposure it deserves! Unlike the 40s sessions, there's a lot of material here that never made it to CD – including tracks from the multi-record box set releases that included JATP volumes 11, 15, 16, and 17 – plus the Jazz Concert #1 album, Jazz At The Hollywood Bowl, and various Opera House sessions – and even the Lester Young Carnegie Blues record, which appeared later on vinyl! Some unreleased tracks have been added to the set too – and as with Mosaic Records at its best, this is less a reissue package than a proper presentation of material that was scattered out there in various formats – finally presented in the right order, with detailed notes, and really great sound. Artists are the cream of the crop of Verve at the time – Stan Getz, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Herb Ellis, Buddy DeFranco, Sonny Stitt, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, and others – plus some non-Verve artist surprises as well! Very limited, and comes with a huge booklet of notes and performance details too. CD

Music from Cootie Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, Claude Thornhill, Chubby Jackson, Elliot Lawrence, the Metronome All-Stars, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Tadd Dameron. CD

A great batch of small group recordings that feature Goodman in the company of Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson, and Gene Krupa. Tracks include "Tiger Rag", "Body & Soul", "All My Life", "Too Good To Be True", "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen", "Man I Love" and "Blues In Your Flat". CD

Benny Goodman's famous 1938 live date at Carnegie Hall – with Teddy Wilson and Count Basie on piano, Lionel Hampton on vibes, Johnny Hodges on alto, Cootie Williams and Buck Clayton on trumpet, and Lester Young on tenor – plus Gene Krupa on drums, on his famous reading of "Sing Sing Sing". CD

Benny Goodman's famous 1938 live date at Carnegie Hall – with work from Teddy Wilson and Count Basie on piano, Lionel Hampton on vibes, Johnny Hodges on alto, Cootie Williams and Buck Clayton on trumpet, and Lester Young on tenor – plus Gene Krupa on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Trio and quartet work from Benny Goodman featuring pianist Teddy Wilson and drummer Gene Krupa plus Lionel Hampton on vibes. CD

Benny Goodman's famous 1938 live date at Carnegie Hall – with work from Teddy Wilson and Count Basie on piano, Lionel Hampton on vibes, Johnny Hodges on alto, Cootie Williams and Buck Clayton on trumpet, and Lester Young on tenor – plus Gene Krupa on drums, on his famous reading of "Sing Sing Sing". CD

Features JC Heard, Buck Clayton, Lee Young, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, Flip Phillips, Hank Jones, Lester Young, Gene Krupa, and others. CD

Music from Jones-Smith Incorporated, Gene Krupa's Swing Band, Art Tatum, Teddy Hill And His NBC Orchestra, Jay McShann And His Orchestra, Cab Calloway And His Orchestra, Clark Monroe's Band, Minton's Playhouse Band, Andy Kirk And His Twelve Clouds Of Joy, Lucky Millinder And His Orchestra, Cootie Williams Sextet, Coleman Hawkins, and more. CD

An amazing session recorded by Bill Black – a singer known best for his work with Gene Krupa in the 40s, but whose life took a sad turn in the 50s, and was barely heard from again! This album's a really unique session recorded by Bill in the early 50s – one that features very spare accompaniment that's mostly guitar and bass – and these wonderfully fragile vocals by Black that easily place him in the Chet Baker camp. The tunes are all extremely well-chosen – numbers that have the right lack of bravado to fit Bill's sad-tinged vocals – and the arrangements are surprisingly fresh too, way more than just simple renditions of the tunes. There's a brilliance here that we'd almost match with Sinatra's Wee Small Hours album – but which also has the gentle easygoing feel of some of the work of Matt Dennis. Titles include "Listen Little Boy", "Nobody's Heart", "Spring Is Here", "Down In The Depths On The 90th Floor", and "Where Are You". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Notable sidemen include Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Buck Clayton, Lester Young, Henry Red Allen, and Ben Webster. (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Features work by Gene Krupa, Oscar Peterson, a trumpet battle with Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers, and the classic "Jam Session Blues" – all packaged in a box with a David Stone Martin cover! LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Anita O'Day – 18 albums' worth of material – plus tracks from other sessions, a Gene Krupa record, and other Verve records too! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

With Sidney Bechet, Earl Hines, Ed Hall, Cliff Jackson, James P Johnson, Gene Krupa, Hot Lips Page, Pee Wee Russell, Willie Smith, Jess Stacy, and George Wettling. LP, Vinyl record album