AMG Review of 1935-1944

Cub Koda
All Music Guide

Roy Eldridge was the musical link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie, the spiritual progenitor of bop. While influenced by Pops and Red Allen, Eldridge quickly developed his own style and became one of the most in-demand trumpeters of the big-band era. This 22-track set samples highlights from an almost ten-year period with Little Jazz working with Gene Krupa, Charlie Barnet, Mildred Bailey, Fletcher Henderson, Billie Holiday, and the Teddy Hill Orchestras. It's a heady mixture of great tunes and the excellent playing that set the stage for Eldridge to become a regular member of Jazz At the Philharmonic. This collection also provides a nice history lesson of those recordings. There never was a trumpeter quite like Eldridge, and this is a great place to sample some of his best work.