What a marvelous box set from Mosaic! Chu Berry was at the center of numerous small group sessions with the greats of the day like Roy Eldridge, Benny Carter, Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson, Fletcher Henderson. I've only heard-repeatedly-Discs 1 & 2. appreciating such materpieces as "Swing Is Here", "Christopher Columbus" , "When I Grow Too Old To Dream" and "Stealin Apples". The transfers are beautifully clean, with- out being artificial.
IMO, Berry is an unjustly nected voice, partly because his output is scattered over so many sessions, partly because of the failure of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra to attain the kind of commercial success required to make Berry and Eldridge household names. He ranks only a notch below-again, in my opinion-Hawkins and Young. To quote the Hawk to Dan Morgenstern "Chu was a genius."
You can find some of the more famous recordings with a little efffort, but I strongly reccomend "Classic Chu Berry Columbia and Victor Sessions" from Mosaic, with its wealth of detail, sonic quality and breadth of coverage. I can't imagine many better ways to invest $150 with so many hours of pleasure offered in return.
Do you have a favorite Chu Berry date or solo?
IMO, Berry is an unjustly nected voice, partly because his output is scattered over so many sessions, partly because of the failure of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra to attain the kind of commercial success required to make Berry and Eldridge household names. He ranks only a notch below-again, in my opinion-Hawkins and Young. To quote the Hawk to Dan Morgenstern "Chu was a genius."
You can find some of the more famous recordings with a little efffort, but I strongly reccomend "Classic Chu Berry Columbia and Victor Sessions" from Mosaic, with its wealth of detail, sonic quality and breadth of coverage. I can't imagine many better ways to invest $150 with so many hours of pleasure offered in return.
Do you have a favorite Chu Berry date or solo?
