The Town Hall Concerts, Vol. 7

AMG Review of The Town Hall Concerts, Vol. 7

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

The Eddie Condon Town Hall Concerts were a series of half-hour radio programs during 1944-45 that gave the guitarist-bandleader an opportunity to present many classic jazz greats in spontaneous settings. The seventh volume of this very significant Jazzology reissue series of double CDs differs from the previous ones in that, due to scheduling conflicts, a couple of the shows were shorter than usual so there are five (rather than four) included on the set. Condon features quite an impressive lineup: trumpeters Billy Butterfield, Bobby Hackett, Max Kaminsky, Wingy Manone, Hot Lips Page and Muggsy Spanier, trombonists Lou McGarity and Jack Teagarden, clarinetists Jimmy Dorsey and Pee Wee Russell, baritonist Ernie Caceres, pianists Dick Cary, Cliff Jackson, Gene Schroeder, Jess Stacy and Norma Teagarden, bassists Bob Casey and Jack Lesberg, drummers Johnny Blowers and George Wettling and singers Red McKenzie and Lee Wiley. The Teagarden show is particularly inspired but all of the volumes in this series are highly recommended to fans of the era, for the well-recorded performances allowed the many stars not only to be feature individually but to interact with each other in "Impromptu Ensembles."