Rexatious: His Greatest Recordings 1926-1941

• Artist: Rex Stewart
• Rating:
• Release Date: June 18, 1996
• Total Time: 75:24
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Jazz

Review

Living Era presents a sensibly constructed three-part tribute to cornetist, bandleader, and author Rex Stewart. The chronology begins with two examples of his early work with Fletcher Henderson (1926-1928) and two with McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1930-1931). Part two focuses upon Stewart's formative accomplishments as a bandleader, including selections from his Orchestra (1934, 1940, and 1941); his 52nd Street Stompers (1936-1937); his Feetwarmers (a 1939 Parisian jam band with Barney Bigard and Django Reinhardt); and Rex Stewart's Big Seven, a wild bunch working for the Hot Record Society in 1940. Almost every unit Stewart ever led was partly or entirely composed of his comrades from the Duke Ellington organization, often with Ellington himself sitting in. This high-protein compilation finishes with five superb selections recorded in 1935, 1936, and 1940 by "Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra." Rex Stewart was a master cornetist who specialized in gnomic outbursts and quizzical convolutions. Nowhere is his style better illustrated than on the closing track, "Boy Meets Horn." A faithful and accurate portrait of a great improviser, Living Era's Rexatious ranks with the best titles in this label's entire catalog. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Jackass Blues	Art Kassel, Mel Stitzel	Rex Stewart, Fletcher Henderson, Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra	(2:55)
Old Black Joe's Blues	Fletcher Henderson	Rex Stewart, Henderson's Happy Six Orchestra	(2:27)
Rocky Road	Arthur Gibbs, Bryon Gray	McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Rex Stewart	(3:02)
Do You Believe in Love at First Sight?	Gus Kahn, Ted Fio Rito	McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Rex Stewart	(3:01)
Stingaree	Rex Stewart, Irving Mills	Rex Stewart	(3:05)
Baby, Ain't You Satisfied	Rex Stewart, Irving Mills	Rex Stewart & His Orchestra	(3:03)
Rexatious	Rex Stewart	Rex Stewart & His 52nd Street Stompers	(2:47)
Lazy Man's Shuffle	Rex Stewart	Rex Stewart & His 52nd Street Stompers	(3:00)
The Back Room Romp	Rex Stewart, Duke Ellington	Rex Stewart & His 52nd Street Stompers	(2:49)
Tea and Trumpets	Rex Stewart, Duke Ellington	Rex Stewart & His 52nd Street Stompers	(2:32)
Montmartre	Rex Stewart	Rex Stewart's Feetwarmers	(2:25)
Low Cotton	Rex Stewart	Rex Stewart's Feetwarmers	(3:02)
Finesse (Night Wind)	Billy Taylor, Sr.	Rex Stewart's Feetwarmers	(2:21)
I Know That You Know	Vincent Youmans, Anne Caldwell	Rex Stewart's Feetwarmers	(2:33)
Solid Old Man	Rex Stewart, Barney Bigard, Billy Taylor	Rex Stewart's Feetwarmers	(3:05)
Bugle Call Rag	Jack Pettis, Elmer Schoebel, Billy Meyers	Rex Stewart, Big 7ven, Rex Stewart's Big Seven	(4:22)
Diga Diga Doo	Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields	Rex Stewart, Big 7ven	(4:18)
Mobile Bay	Rex Stewart, Duke Ellington	Rex Stewart & His Orchestra	(3:08)
Subtle Slough	Duke Ellington	Rex Stewart	(3:19)
Showboat Shuffle	Duke Ellington	Rex Stewart, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:06)
Kissin' My Baby Goodnight	Joseph Meyer, Mack David, Pete Wendling	Rex Stewart, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:22)
Trumpet in Spades	Duke Ellington	Rex Stewart, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:14)
Morning Glory	Rex Stewart, Duke Ellington	Rex Stewart, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:19)
Boy Meets Horn	Rex Stewart, Duke Ellington	Rex Stewart, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(5:09)

Credits

Lawrence Brown (Trombone), Coleman Hawkins (Sax (Tenor)), Rudy Powell (Sax (Alto)), Rudy Powell (Clarinet), Django Reinhardt (Guitar), Charlie Allen (Trumpet), Buster Bailey (Sax (Alto)), Ivie Anderson (Vocals), Billy Taylor, Sr. (Brass Band), Benny Carter (Clarinet), Bingie Madison (Sax (Tenor)), Clarence Holiday (Banjo), Wellman Braud (Bass), Billy Kyle (Piano), Roger "Ram" Ramirez (Piano), Don Redman (Vocals), Langston Curl (Trumpet), Prince Robinson (Clarinet), Quentin Jackson (Trombone), Bingie Madison (Clarinet), Duke Ellington (Piano), Sonny Greer (Drums), Rex Stewart's Feetwarmers (Performer), Johnny Hodges (Sax (Alto)), Jack Maisel (Drums), Barney Bigard (Drums), Hilton Jefferson (Sax (Alto)), Brick Fleagle (Guitar), Dave Wilborn (Banjo), George Stevenson (Trombone), Pete Clark (Sax (Alto)), Benny Morton (Trombone), Arthur Whetsol (Trumpet), Don Redman (Sax (Alto)), Barney Bigard (Clarinet), Ben Webster (Sax (Tenor)), Harry Carney (Sax (Alto)), Rex Stewart (Vocals), Joseph "Kaiser" Marshall (Drums), Ralph Escudero (Brass Band), Otto Hardwick (Sax (Alto)), Joe "Fox" Smith (Trumpet), Rex Stewart (Trumpet), Billy Taylor, Sr. (Bass), Harry Carney (Sax (Baritone)), Cuba Austin (Drums), Fred Guy (Guitar), McKinney's Cotton Pickers (Performer), Charlie Dixon (Banjo), Hayes Alvis (Bass), Doc Cheatham (Trumpet), Fletcher Henderson (Piano), Joe Tricky Sam Nanton (Trombone), Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra (Performer), Coleman Hawkins (Clarinet), Freddie Jenkins (Trumpet), Wallace Jones (Trumpet), Edward Inge (Clarinet), Jimmy Blanton (Bass), Dave Tough (Drums), Rex Stewart (Cornet), Coleman Hawkins (Sax (Baritone)), Billy Taylor, Sr. (String Bass), Charlie Green (Trombone), Ed Cuffee (Trombone), Buster Bailey (Clarinet), Benny Carter (Sax (Alto)), Prince Robinson (Sax (Tenor)), Ceele Burke (Guitar), Johnny Hodges (Sax (Soprano)), Edward Inge (Sax (Alto)), Fred Avendorf (Drums), Harry Carney (Clarinet), Don Redman (Clarinet), Todd Rhodes (Piano), Ray Nance (Trumpet), Cootie Williams (Trumpet), Juan Tizol (Trombone)