The second volume in the Classics
Julia Lee chronology gathers together 24 of her Capitol recordings made during the summer and autumn of 1947. Her material ranged from snappy barrelhouse novelty jump blues like "Snatch and Grab It," "King Size Papa," and
Cow Cow Davenport's "Mama Don't Allow" through lazy wistful ballads and harmless pop tunes to full-fathom blues rituals like
Lovie Austin's "Bleeding Hearted Blues" and
Ida Cox's "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out."
Julia Lee's take on "The Curse of an Aching Heart" is every bit as substantial as
Fats Waller's. In addition to her warm voice and facile piano playing, what makes this compilation exceptionally satisfying is the presence of so many gifted jazz musicians. Kansas City's master drummer
Baby Lovett is present throughout, with solid support from scintillating xylophonist
Red Norvo and bassist
Red Callender. The front-line horns are equally impressive: trumpeters
Ernie Royal,
Bobby Sherwood, and
Geechie Smith; cornetist
Red Nichols; trombonist
Vic Dickenson; and saxophonists
Benny Carter and
Dave Cavanaugh. This perfectly illustrates the essential role played by seasoned jazz musicians in the development of R&B during the late '40s.
Red Norvo's xylophone solos add an unusual dimension to
Julia Lee's very accessible jump music.