Jazz fans that love to get their swing on will thoroughly enjoy Jumpin’ & Jivin’ Volume 1. The DVD features 27 filmed performances by jazz greats of the 1940s and ‘50s. The collections features short subjects, excerpts from film and television, and “soundies,” which were shorts films that played on Panoram visual jukeboxes. These clips are the ancestors of music videos.
The impressive lineup begins with Cab Calloway’s classic “Minnie the Moocher.” He and his band return later with “Blues in the Night.” Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five perform three numbers, which were originally part of a short subject called “Caledonia.” For “Tillie,” the band is inexplicably dressed like clowns. Tying Jordan for most appearances on this disc is Fats Waller three appearances: “Your Feet’s Too Big,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” the latter which finds Waller joined by an unknown female, who shoos away other girls from Waller and then makes the song a duet.
The makers of “Take Me Back Baby” by Count Basie Orchestra with Jimmy Rushing get creative with their piece. Beyond playing the number, there’s a funny sequence as Rushing falls asleep on the bandstand, dreaming about getting his girl back. As a singing quartet, Delta Rhythm Boys have a much easier time capitalizing on the medium of film by using costumes and sets. They appear to sing Duke Ellington’s “Take the “A” Train” on a subway car. Lena Horne, the only featured female of the roster, sings “Unlucky Woman” with the Teddy Wilson Orchestra. Her clip, part of short subject “Boogie Woogie Dream” made the best use of film with its double-exposed sequence.
The big names just keep on coming. Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra performs “Oop Bop Sh Bam” taken from the film Jivin’ in Be-Bop. In the liner notes, Milt Jackson is credited on vibes, but there was no one on screen playing vibes. Billy Eckstine sings the title track from the film Rhythtm in a Riff. Art Blakey backed him on drums.
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