Jimmie Noone

A smooth playing New Orleans clarinetist, Jimmie Noone first made his mark as a bandleader at Chicago's Apex Club in the early 1920s with his impressive Apex Club Orchestra, and he prefigured in many ways later clarinet-playing bandleaders like Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. This comprehensive four-disc, 100-track set spans Noone's entire recording career, beginning with his 1923 session with the Harmony Syncopators and ending with his final session in 1943 with the Capitol Jazzmen, and includes two versions of Noone's signature tune, "Sweet Lorraine," as well as two versions of the swirling "Apex Blues" and a zippy take on "Sweet Georgia Brown." Featured players along the way here include famed trumpeter Louis Armstrong, pianist Earl Hines, trombonist Jack Teagarden, and singer Mildred Bailey, among others. Although his recording career was relatively brief, Noone's influence, particularly on figures like Goodman, was immense. This generous set shows why. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide