Fud Livingston

Ben Pollack & his Californians: Red Hot; `Deed I Do; He's the Last Word; Charleston Chaser: Feelin' No Pain; Miff Mole & his Little Molers: Imagination; Frankie Trumbauer: Humpty Dumpty; Devonshire Restaurant DB: Sax Appeal; All Star Orch: Alexander's Ragtime Band; Oh, Baby!; Add a Little Wiggle; Leonard Hayton's Blue Four: Old-Fashioned Girl; Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere; Joe Venuti & his New Yorkers: Doin' Things; Mendello's DO: Cool Papa; Sunday Afternoon; High Hattin' Hattie; Easy; Dixie Drag; Baby's Coming Back; Fred Elizalde & his Music: Singapore Sorrows; Nobody's Sweetheart; Paul Whiteman: Choo-Choo; Bing Crosby: I'm Thru With Love; Lily Pons: The Blues Danube; Bob Zurke & his Delta Rhythm Band: I've Found a New Baby; Fud Livingston: Moo 77:55This is a handsome tribute to Joseph "Fud" Livingston, whose skills kept him in demand from the early 20s to the late 30s, and would have continued to do so but for his addictions. His clarinet playing was reedy and angular, and placed him alongside Frank Teschmacher and Pee Wee Russell, and his compositions and arrangements signposted a new direction in jazz. There is an abundance of good things here, including four unissued test pressings, the two 1929 Parlophone sides with Fred Elizalde, and all six of the Banner sides recorded by Mendello's DO. They include a couple of hot solos by Glenn Miller, but are not improved by the vocals. The juxtaposition of the stratospheric soprano singing of Lily Pons with the anarchic playing of the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra comes from the film soundtrack of "That Girl From Paris", and has to be heard to be believed. The compilation includes a 40-page illustrated booklet with full discography and a detailed account by Brad Kay of the chosen tracks as milestones in Livingston's career, and I cannot praise it too highly.