This budget CD compiles airchecks by
Earl Hines recorded from 1947 to 1957, with bands ranging from trios to septets. The first three tracks originate at Club Hangover in San Francisco, featuring cornetist
Muggsy Spanier, trombonist
Jimmy Archey, and clarinetist Darnell Howard in a New Orleans jazz setting. Some of the rarer material includes tracks featuring the superb jazz violinist
Eddie South performing "Dark Eyes" and an impromptu "Blues for Garroway" showcasing guitarist Skeeter Best. While the sound quality is decent throughout most of this disc, the poor documentation and unreliable personnel listing (which Tom Lord has corrected in his mammoth jazz discography) detract from the overall value of this anthology. ~ Ken Dryden