Hard swinging big band material from Sweden – featuring the big band of Harry Arnold arranged by Quincy Jones. Quincy had been spending a lot of time in Sweden during the mid 50s – bringing with him a host of great players that would soon become big names on the European scene. Biggest of these is Benny Bailey, who plays some good solos here with a mostly-Swedish group that includes Arne Domnerus, Bengt Hallberb, Ake Persson, and Bengt-Arne Wallin. The style of the work, and its trans-Atlantic jazz orientation, is a direct precursor of later work by the Clarke-Boland Big Band – of whom Bailey was a big part. Titles all swing nicely, and tracks include "Doodlin", "Room 608", "Quincy's Home Again", "Brief Encounter", and "Meet Benny Bailey". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard swinging big band material from Sweden – a great little set that features the big band of Harry Arnold arranged by Quincy Jones! Quincy was spending a lot of time in Sweden during the mid 50s – bringing with him a host of great players that would soon become big names on the European scene – the biggest of whom was Benny Bailey, who plays some good solos here with a mostly-Swedish group that includes Arne Domnerus, Bengt Hallberg, Ake Persson, and Bengt-Arne Wallin. The style of the work, and its trans-Atlantic jazz orientation, is a direct precursor of later work by the Clarke-Boland Big Band – of whom Bailey was a big part – and the titles all swing nicely, with plenty of room for breakout solos! Titles include "The Midnight Sun Never Sets", "Doodlin", "Room 608", "Quincy's Home Again", "Brief Encounter", and "Meet Benny Bailey". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare 1953 performance by Harry Sweets Edison – presented here in the original by Pacific Jazz on a 10" LP – a real departure from some of Edison's other work of the time! The material was all recorded live at The Haig nightclub – and the 4 tunes feature Edison blowing open and easy with backing from a trio led by pianist Arnold Ross. Titles include "September In The Rain", "Pennies From Heaven", "These Foolish Things", and "Indiana". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic early 10" release from guitarist Barney Kessel – played in that spacious style he virtually invented back in the 50s! Barney's tone has a bit more edge here than in later years, but the sound is still totally great – airy, but never sleepy – and featuring work by Bud Shank on flute and alto, Arnold Ross on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and Harry Babasin on bass. Titles include "Bernardo", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Salute To Charlie Christian", and "Vicky's Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Dinah Shore With Henri Rene And His Orchestra, Mario Lanza With Ray Sinatra And His Orchestra And The Jeff Alexander Choir, Pee Wee King And His Golden West Cowboys, Eartha Kitt With Henri Rene And His Orchestra, Perez Prado And His Orchestra, Eddy Arnold With Hugo Winterhalter And His Orchestra And Chorus, Eddie Fisher With Hugo Winterhalter And His Orchestra And Chorus, Kay Starr With Hugo Winterhalter And His Orchestra And Chorus, Elvis Presley, Harry Belafonte With Tony Scott And His Orchestra And Chorus, and more. CD

A great look at west coast trumpeter Buddy Childers – a player who's name frequently shows up in larger group sessions of the 50s, but who rarely ever recorded as a leader at the time! The package brings together both of Childers' albums for Liberty – Sam Songs, recorded in 1955 with a quintet that includes Herbie Steward on tenor, Bob Harrington on piano, Harry Babasin on bass, and Milt Holland on drums; and Buddy Childers Quartet, recorded a year later with Arnold Ross on piano, Babasin on bass, and Boone Stines on drums. Childers has a sound that's not nearly as cool as his contemporaries, and which is almost sweet and lyrical at times – heard to great effect on both of these small group sessions, especially the quartet album, which is a wonderfully introspective little record. Titles include "Canned Sam", "Deviled Sam", "Sam Metrically", "Ding Dong Sam Is Dead", "Bernie's Tune", "Holiday House", "It's Gotta Be Happy", and "Buffy". CD

Seminal sounds from the LA scene of the late 40s – one of the most important records to showcase the tenor talents of the legendary Wardell Gray – a key player on the harder side of the west coast for its formative bop years – and one whose career was cut short all too soon! The material here really shows that strong LA tradition of fervent jam session work – recorded here with Gray alongside additional tenor from Vido Musso – plus guitar from Barney Kessel and Irving Ashby, trumpet from Ernie Royal and Howard McGhee, trombone from Vic Dickenson, piano from Arnold Ross and Erroll Garner, and bass from Red Callender and Harry Babison. Tracks are nice and long – with plenty of room for Gray to show of his solo talents – and titles include "Tenderly", "Blue Lou", "Just You Just Me", and "One O'Clock Jump". CD

A great early set from singer Ernestine Anderson – material recorded in Sweden with a sound that's even more sweetly swinging than some of her American albums of the time! The backings on most tracks are by Harry Arnold – one of the hippest Swedish leaders of the time, and an arranger who's clearly got an ear for the more soulful side of Anderson's vocals – hardly the sort of icy Scandinavian sort of groove you might expect! And in a way, Ernestine seems to sound even better in this setting than back home – almost a bit more balanced, with a slight sort of poise that comes through nicely on the ballads. Titles include "Experiment", "Day Dream", "Did I Remember", "Ill Wind", and "My Man". Japanese pressing, with 16 tracks – more than US version! LP, Vinyl record album

A delicious smorgasbord of rare Swedish recordings by Quincy Jones – captured here with Harry Arnold and the Swedish Radio Studio Orchestra, with Clifford Brown and Art Farmer, and in an obscure soundtrack set for Arne Sucksdorff's 1961 film The Boy In The Tree. CD