I've been working my way aurally through Teddy Wilson's magical 10CD set, entitled Jump For Joy. There are no personnel groupings provided with these discs. The trio and solo performances aren't troubling from a discographical point of view. The small groups are another matter. Admittedly the recordings that Teddy Wilson made with Billie Holiday are easy to put together in terms of personnel groupings, since we have documented recordings under Lady Day's name - these are the recordings that I blogged on about under the rubric Jam Session Aesthetic. In listening to Wilson's CD10, I re-discovered the Sarah Vaughan sides with Teddy Wilson - "Penthouse Serenade (When You're Alone)", "Don't Worry 'Bout Me", "Time After Time", and "September Song". When I write that I rediscovered the Vaughan-Wilson sides, I mean that I knew about them (in a previous life, perhaps); but I had never heard them - don't recall hearing them.
Needless to say the early Divine One's performances are 'heavenly'. A couple of other surprises reside in the bopish arrangements of "I Want To Be Happy" and "Just One Of Those Things". I guess I'll have to examine the 65 page Teddy Wilson Discography to find out exactly who created the wonderful music captured in these 10 discs.
I urge you again to look in on Ethan Iverson's blog Do The Math: http://dothemath.typepad.com/
P. S. I forgot to note that there are three amazing tracks featuring Teddy Wilson, piano; Harry James, trumpet; Red Norvo, marimba; and John Simmons, bass that knocked me out. "Ain't Misibehavin'", "Honeysuckle Rose", and "Just A Mood (Blue Mood) (Part 1 & 2)" reminded me of the Don Ellis (t) recording, New Ideas (OJC 431), with Jacki Byard (p); Al Francis (vib); Ron Carter (b); and Charlie Persip (d). I am now reminded of Arthur Blythe's recordings with marimba and percussion. I love the dark sounds in the marimba's wood.
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