- Artist: Fess Williams
- Rating:
- Release Date: December 30, 2003
- Type: Compilation (best of)
- Genre: Jazz
Review
Kentucky-born saxophonist, singer, and bandleader Fess Williams (1894-1975) oversaw the recording of more than 75 sides for Gennett, Vocalion, Brunswick, and Victor during the years 1925-1930. In 2003, the mighty and majestic Jazz Oracle label reissued 37 titles and 13 alternate takes dating from 1926-1930 for a whopping total of 50 vintage tracks, far more Fess Williams than anyone had ever managed to assemble in one package. Had they dispensed with the alternates and opted instead for the missing earlier titles (which just happen to add up to 13), this marvelous collection would have been even more comprehensive. Fess Williams & His Royal Flush Orchestra (one can only hope in earnest that the band's name referred to playing cards rather than plumbing) was a lively hot jazz band that paralleled, at its best, bands being led at that time by Luis Russell, King Oliver, Charlie Johnson, and Bennie Moten. Some of the 1929 recordings bring to mind Fats Waller & His Buddies, the hot little outfit that preceded Waller's famous Rhythm band of the 1930s. Although this collection skips over Williams' earliest works, it does include two Vocalion recordings from 1928 that had him leading Dave Peyton's Regal Theater Orchestra under the guise of Fess Williams & His Joy Boys. There's a lot to wade through here, including various Williams originals, "Heebie Jeebies" by Boyd Atkins; "I'm Feelin' Devilish" by Maceo Pinkard; "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Sweet Savannah Sue" by Fats Waller, and inspiring titles by less familiar composers like "All for Grits and Gravy" and "'Leven Thirty Saturday Night." Fess Williams (whose nephew was bassist and modern jazz bandleader Charles Mingus) was quite old-fashioned and prone to showing off. His self-portrait, for all intents and purposes, was "Playing My Saxophone," an extroverted novelty tour de force that includes a high note held at length by means of circular breathing and jagged, erratic phrasing reminiscent of vaudeville, barrelhouse, and road show entertainment. When the record was cut in 1930, this kind of saxophone playing had already been transcended by a promising young man from St. Joseph, MO by the name of Coleman Hawkins. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music GuideTracks
CD 1
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Heebie Jeebies | Boyd Atkins, |
Fess Williams | (2:58) |
| What Did Rome-O-Juliet | Fess Williams | (3:06) | |
| Nobody But My Baby Is Getting My Love | Fess Williams | (3:02) | |
| Gambler's Blues | Fess Williams | (2:54) | |
| Variety Stomp | Fletcher Henderson, |
Fess Williams | (2:54) |
| Alligator Crawl | Fess Williams | (2:57) | |
| Dixie Stomp | (2:56) | ||
| Drifting and Dreaming (Sweet Paradise) | Haven Gillespie, Egbert VanAlstyne | (3:11) | |
| Here 'Tis | Fess Williams | (3:27) | |
| A Few Riffs | Fess Williams | (3:10) | |
| Hot Town | Fess Williams | (3:05) | |
| Friction | Fess Williams | (3:08) | |
| Kentucky Blues | Walter Brown | (3:31) | |
| Do Shuffle | (2:54) | ||
| Snag Nasty | Kenneth Roane | (3:22) | |
| Big Shot | Hank Duncan, Fess Williams | (3:02) | |
| Sell It | Fess Williams | (3:13) | |
| Betsy Brown | (3:17) | ||
| Sweet Savannah Sue | Fats Waller, Andy Razaf, Harry Brooks | (3:03) | |
| Ain't Misbehavin' | Fats Waller, Andy Razaf, Harry Brooks | (3:03) | |
| Buttons | (2:50) | ||
| Musical Camp Meeting | Fess Williams | (3:03) | |
| Goin' to Get 'Cha | Fess Williams | (2:58) | |
| Hot Mama | (3:12) | ||
| Your Smiling Face | (2:51) |
CD 2
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Slide, Mr. Jelly, Slide | Fess Williams | (2:56) | |
| She's Still Dizzy | (3:30) | ||
| Hot Mama | (3:19) | ||
| 'Leven-Thirty Saturday Night | (2:56) | ||
| I'm Feelin' Devilish | (3:16) | ||
| All for Grits and Gravy | (3:06) | ||
| Playing My Saxophone | Fess Williams | (2:57) | |
| You Can't Go Wrong | Fess Williams | (3:15) | |
| Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider | (3:20) | ||
| Everything's O.K. with Me | (3:04) | ||
| Dinah | Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, Harry Akst | (3:28) | |
| Just to Be with You Tonight | (3:21) | ||
| Variety Stomp [Alternate Take] | Fletcher Henderson, |
(2:57) | |
| A Few Riffs [Alternate Take] | Fess Williams | (3:07) | |
| Do Shuffle [Alternate Take] | (2:55) | ||
| Do Shuffle [Alternate Take] | (2:56) | ||
| Sell It [Alternate Take] | Fess Williams | (3:15) | |
| Betsy Brown [Alternate Take] | (3:16) | ||
| Buttons [Alternate Take] | (2:54) | ||
| Musical Camp Meeting [Alternate Take] | Fess Williams | (3:00) | |
| Hot Mama [Alternate Take] | (3:22) | ||
| Playing My Saxophone [Alternate Take] | Fess Williams | (2:58) | |
| You Can't Go Wrong [Alternate Take] | Fess Williams | (3:16) | |
| Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider [Alternate Take] | (3:20) | ||
| Everything's O.K. with Me [Alternate Take] | (2:57) |
