Search - Fess Williams :: 1926-1930

This dude plays funny

soundandimage | omaha, ne United States | 05/21/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"William's saxophone was probably out of date years before these recordings were made but if you can overlook the whinneying and slap-tougueing you'll hear a good band and some fine soloists in George Temple (tp) David James (tb) and Hank Duncan on piano."

No one ever went broke...

jive rhapsodist | NYC, NY United States | 05/31/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the kind of set that gets my little heart thumpin' and bumpin'. It's total trivia without one single moment of genius in 156 minutes. But the late, lamented John R. T. Davies put all of his passion into making it jump off of the laser and it gives a real picture of what a typical evening in Harlem in the late '20's would have been like, musically. It's got its own special groove, although the leader's "novelty" playing is a risible bargain-basement version of such actual virtuosos as Dorsey and Trumbauer. One has to remember that the general public (white or black) has always had a large percentage of "squares" who are impressed with that kind of thing. Easy to imagine it was all Ellington and Armstrong. Well it wasn't. My only cavil: I wish Williams would have given the (near) - great Hank Duncan more chances to stretch out a bit. But this ain't that kind of band. For amateur sociologists (and I am one!) and completists only!"