Jack Purvis was a strange figure in jazz history. A talented trumpeter who could also play effective trombone starting in the late '20s, Purvis was also a petty thief, a smuggler, a cook, an airplane pilot, and a charming con man. He was in one legendary escapade after another, which finally resulted in a jail sentence, and he never seemed to regret any of his adventures or make any attempt at reform. His remarkable and somewhat unbelievable tale is outlined in detail in Michael Brooks' lengthy and definitive liner notes to this superb three-CD set. Purvis made all of his recordings during 1928-1931 (except for a lone session by pianist Frank Froeba in 1935), leading eight selections of his own and otherwise mostly adding some hot jazz trumpet to dance band dates. Along the way he backed vocalists, played with some jazz orchestras (including Hal Kemp during his hottest period) and popped up on sets by the Boswell Sisters, Rube Bloom, and the California Ramblers. Although it never says on this set whether the 74 selections include one of Purvis' recorded trumpet solos, certainly every significant recording in his brief career is here. Collectors of 1920s jazz and early Depression-era dance music, and those curious as to the Jack Purvis story, should go out of their way to pick up this perfectly realized reissue from the Canadian Jazz Oracle label. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
1928-1935
05/27/2003 | Jazz Oracle
All Music Guide Review
1928-1935 Track Listing
Credits of 1928-1935
- Paul Mason
- Sax (Tenor)
- Castor McCord
- Sax (Tenor)
- Jim Shepherd
- Engineer
- Fred Van Eps
- Trumpet
- Bobby Van Eps
- Piano
- Greely Walton
- Sax (Tenor)
- Paul Weston
- Bass, Double Bass, String Bass, Tuba
- Helvetia "Vet" Boswell
- Vocals
- Martha Boswell
- Piano, Vocals
- Charlie Butterfield
- Trombone
- Ronnie Ingraham
- Vocals
- Jack King
- Graphic Design
- Dick McDonough
- Banjo, Guitar
- Eddie Sexton
- Guitar
- Joe Tarto
- Bass, String Bass
- Dick Robertson
- Vocals
- Mickey Bloom
- Trumpet
- Joe LaFaro
- Violin
- Carl Loeffler
- Trombone
- Pete Pumiglio
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
- Samson Hoffman
- Violin
- Pat Davis
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
- Will Johnson
- Guitar, Vocals
- Charlie Kegley
- Drums
- Ward Lay
- Bass, String Bass
- Jack Purvis
- Trumpet, Vocals
- Paul Van Loan
- Trombone
- Smith Ballew
- Vocals
- Seger Ellis
- Piano, Vocals
- Eddie Farley
- Trumpet
- Elmer Feldkamp
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto), Vocals
- Arnold Johnson
- Arranger
- Irving Kaufman
- Vocals
- Lee Morse
- Vocals
- Terry Shand
- Piano
- John Scott Trotter
- Piano
- Ed Kirkeby
- Director, Vocals
- Lyle Bowen
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
- Slats Long
- Clarinet
- Irving Brodsky
- Piano
- John Leifert
- Engineer
- John R.T. Davies
- Producer, Remastering, Engineer, Transfers
- Saxie Dowell
- Clarinet, Vocals, Sax (Tenor)
- Pinky Kintzle
- Banjo, Guitar, Vocals
- Gus Mayhew
- Trombone
- Carrol Walrond
- Bass, String Bass
- Bruce Yantis
- Violin
- Ben Williams II
- Clarinet, ?, Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone)
- Roy Evans
- Vocals
- Mart Britt
- Banjo, Vocals
- Colin Bray
- Producer
- Roy Strom
- Violin, Vocals
- Joe Dale
- Drums
- Bob Burns, Jr.
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto), Vocals
- John Wilby
- Producer, Engineer
- Jim Prohaska
- Engineer
- Michael Brooks
- Liner Notes
- Ross Wilby
- Engineer
- Bob Burns, Jr.
- Clarinet, Vocals, Sax (Alto)
- Sunny Clapp
- Trombone
- Bill Magee
- Vocals
- Clayton Duerr
- Guitar
- Lew Cobey
- Piano
- Tex Hurst
- Bass, String Bass
- J. Earle Isom
- Trumpet
- Harold Arluck
- Arranger
- Tommy Bohn
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
- Grant Cairns
- Engineer
- Wally Curtis
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
- Gerald Gillis
- Drums, Vocals
- Olly Humphries
- Banjo
- Joe Gillespie
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
- Ezell Watson
- Clarinet, Director
- Harold Bagg
- Piano
- Ray Watson
- Clarinet, Sax (Tenor)
- Eddie Walters
- Ukulele, Vocals
- Dee Orr
- Drums
- Arthur Jarrett
- Vocals
- Sidney Harris
- Violin
- Skoop Tomson
- Guitar
- Derrick Dixon
- Vocals
- James Powers
- Drums, Vibraphone
- Earl Geirger
- Trumpet
- Charley Bennett
- Arranger
- Rube Bloom & His Bayou Boys
- Performer
- Arnold Johnson and His Orchestra
- Performer
- Nick Lucas & His Crooning Troubadours
- Performer
- Lloyd Newton and His Varsity Eleven
- Performer
- Ted Wallace and His Campus Boys
- Performer
- Ted Wallace and His Orchestra
- Performer
- Roy Wilson and His Georgia Crackers
- Performer
- Frank Froeba
- Piano
- Harold Arlen
- Piano, Vocals
- Nick Lucas
- Guitar, Vocals
- Skinnay Ennis
- Drums, ?, Vocals
- George Rose
- Guitar
- Keith Miller
- Engineer
- Rube Bloom
- Piano
- Arnold Brillhardt
- Clarinet
- Tommy Christian
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
- Bobby Davis
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
- Damon Dickson
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
- Jimmy Dorsey
- Clarinet
- Eddie Dougherty
- Drums
- Herbie Haymer
- Sax (Tenor)
- J.C. Higginbotham
- Trombone, Vocals
- Stan King
- Drums
- The Boswell Sisters
- Vocals
- Jeff Healey
- Engineer
- Bunny Berigan
- Trumpet
- Benny Goodman
- Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
- Hal Kemp
- Clarinet, Director, Sax (Alto), Vocals
- Eddie Lang
- Guitar
- Joe Venuti
- Violin
- Connee Boswell
- Vocals
- Adrian Rollini
- Piano, Sax (Bass), Vocals
- Babe Russin
- Sax (Tenor)











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