Louis Jordan

Recordings Part 2

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Now that you've got the Decca stuff, try some of these other collections of his later recordings.

 

“V-Disc Recordings” Collector’s Choice Music - Music recorded during WWII for broadcast by the Armed Forces Radio Service.  Mostly re-recordings of Decca hits.

“One Guy Named Louis” Capital - Louis left Decca in 1954 and signed with Aladdin records.  Although none of these recordings were hits, he was still recording new numbers and he gives it his all.

“Rock’n’Roll Call” BMG - After Aladdin, Louis went to the RCA subsidiaries, Vik and “X”.  He continued to record without commercial success (he even tried to do a “Rock’n’Roll” song [the title], a genre for which he helped lay the foundations but didn’t have much use for).

“The Greatest Hits - No Moe!” Mercury - Beware, brother, beware.  these are re-recordings of his hits from the Decca era.  Not bad, but not the real thing. Notable in that some of the arrangements are organ driven (organ by Jackie Davis) and others include two great musicians, Sam “The Man” Taylor on tenor sax and Mickey Baker on guitar. the result are a honking style of sax and guitar driven arrangements (Like the Aladdin, and RCA CD’s, these later day recordings were well recording with more modern technology than the Decca sides and, therefore, sound great on CD, but they aren’t Louis in his prime when he ruled the universe of hip).

“Louis Jordan & Chris Barber” Black Lion - In 1962, Louis toured and recorded in England backed by Chris Barber and his “trad “ jazz band.

“Just Say Moe!  More of the Best of Louis Jordan” Rhino - After Mercury, Louis recorded less and less. This CD features tunes from all stages of his career, including impossible to find elsewhere cuts from the Tangerine (Ray Charles’ label) and Pzazz labels.  A good overview of his whole career and, therefore, some overlap with other collections.  If you have the basics and want one other disc, this is probably it.

“I Believe In Music” Evidence - He recorded for Black and Blue in Paris in 1973.  That label was recording blues and jazz artists when nobody cared anymore in the States.  Mostly re-recordings, but when Louis covers Mac Davis’ “I Believe In Music” you can hear he still does.