Search - Chu Berry, Cab Calloway :: Penguin Swing

An excellent introduction to Calloway

bukhtan | Chicago, Illinois, USA | 11/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These tracks, all apparently re-mastered from old shellacs, were recorded between 1937 and 1939. All of Calloway's major soloists from that time come to the fore, most notably, as the subtitle suggests, Chu Berry on tenor, but also Chauncy Haughton on clarinet and Mario Bauza on trumpet. Dizzy Gillespie played on some of these 78's but I wouldn't swear that he takes any solos.

In addition to the excellent soloing, listeners will experience the tight, powerful swing of this band in what to my ears is its heyday (though Calloway himself said that his band of the early & mid Forties was even better), as well as a bit of the leader's famous hamming, on pieces such as "Geechie Joe"."