Willie Smith

Willie Smith is best known for his work as a sideman with Harry James and his brief stint replacing Johnny Hodges in Duke Ellington's orchestra, so it is fun to hear him

in a small group setting for a change. He was touring with James at the time of these informal small group jam sessions from 1945, some of which survived as airchecks. The first five tracks come from Billy Berg's in Hollywood, with trumpeter Emmett Berry, tenor saxophonist Corky Corcoran, pianist Arnold Ross, guitarist Allan Reuss, bassist Edward Mihelich and drummer Zutty Singleton. The playing is consistently relaxed and swinging, with Smith taking top solo honors. A second group, which performed a few months later at the Streets of Paris (also in Hollywood), adds clarinetist Barney Bigard, with Jake "Vernon" Porter taking over for Berry on trumpet. The highlight of this set is the ten-minute workout of "Sweet Georgia Brown," with Smith's strong vibrato and playful solo leading the way, though the piano is noticeably in need of a tuning. Finally commercially issued by Viper's Nest in 1997, it quickly disappeared from print after the demise of its parent label, Stash. With so few recordings featuring Willie Smith outside of a big-band setting, Live in '45 is warmly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide