Matt Born 1903 and passed away at the age of 69 in 1972, Jimmy Rushing was a true Jazz original ( even in the Art Kane Portrait) who first met Count Basie in a band named The Blue Devils and was one of the first to actually name him as the Count. He was a member of the original classic Basie line-up in 1935 and left the band in 1950 after 15 years. Two albums on the one cd being "Little Jimmy And The Big Brass" and "Rushing Lullabies" both had previously been released on Columbia in 1958 and 59 respectively and although "Rushing Lullabies" is the compilation title it plays last in the sequence on the cd. On each album there were three separate sessions for each with slight personnel changes but the big names that appear on "Little Jimmy and the Big Brass" are Coleman Hawkins on tenor saxophone, Emmet Berry, Buck Clayton and Doc Cheatham, trumpets also Dicky Wells on trombone, Jo Jones is drumming, Milt Hinton, bass and many other Jazz lumanaries and it is no surprise many are from Count Basie's Orchestra and played with Jimmy in the past. This was actually the first recording of "Mr Five By Five' by Jimmy which was his nick name and the song was Don Raye's tribute to Jimmy Rushing and what a great swinger he has recorded for the album. The other album "Rushing Lullabies" is a more Blues influenced session and a septet is the band size with Jimmy on vocals, Buddy Tate on tenor, Sir Charles Thompson on organ which gives this album its own colour form the previous, Ray Bryant, piano with Skeeter Best on guitar, Gene Ramey plucking bass and Jo Jones the Basie stalwart is drumming. No better man to sing the Blues than Jimmy who has always been tagged a Blues Shouter but it is not the entire story as Jimmy is really singing Jazz with Swing and due to a beautiful coarse tone in his voice with the addition of that joyous feeling that Blues contains he is often put under that catergory. Jimmy Rushing is not your vocalist for slow love ballads but when it is time for Blues influenced Swing and Jazz there really was no better singer for the job with great style and punch.

"I'm Coming Virginia" with all its swing is the opener with Jimmy vocals sounding wonderful with a great tenor solo from Buddy Tate to round this punchy great swinger for an album start off. "Knock Me A Kiss" has no solos but great sounding muted trumpets backing Jimmy on this relatively slow blues injected swinger. One thing with the Big Band behind him we are always getting those great kicks from the band throughout not only this song but the entire album. "Harvard Blues" is what the name implies and when one listens to Jimmy sing this with Dicky Well's trombone right behind, pure magic is the result. "Mr Five by Five" swings and swings with the band backing with some great punch to Jimmys vocals. If you like your Jazz with lashings of Swing with a superb Orchestra behind a superb singer you really need look no further. One other note on the first album Jimmy also does a lovely little version of Billy Holiday's classic "Travellin'Light". This album "Jimmy Rushing and His Orchestra" contains twelve songs with a great mixture of Blues and Swing with the addition of some great solos from various musicians within the orchestra.

"Rushing Lullabies" is the title of the two album compilation and the last album in the cd's sequence and here we have a more almost Jazz Cabaret, Blues mix approach to the album with some wonderful results. Although the Blues is the major component it is presented with a Jazz approach with Ray Bryant's piano opening this slightly more subdued album "Rushing Lullabies" on the song "You Can't Run Around Blues" and the organ and piano mix does work on the album and when Jimmy sings "If my pa don't want me cast me in the deep blue sea" with Buddy Tate blowin' some lovely slow blues tenor behind they must mean it. "Say You Don't Mean It" is more up-tempo being hammond organ driven as the next "Deed I Do" with a great solo from Buddy Tate on tenor followed by Sir Charles on organ keeping that swing coming right at you. "Did You Ever" is heading almost to Chicago with the songs guitar opening on this slow blues burner with Jimmy really laying down the Blues with this one in his vocals. "I Cried For You" is really put to the swing with some great drive throughout as "Good Rockin" Tonight" is Jimmy doing a bit of rock but more fifties than sixties is the vibe with a little nice Rockabilly influence with some added Jazz to spice it up with another of those great Buddy Tate tenor solos. "One Evening" is Jimmy really singing those Blues on this great little slow burner of a number and is the pick for me of the album with his vocals. The title "Russian Lullaby" is an Irving Berlin composition and a nice little swinger to finish of the album with Ray Bryant having a great solo on piano with Skeeter Best following on guitar but it is the hammond organ by Sir Charles that gets the lions share of time with Buddy back on tenor before Jimmy comes back to finish of the vocal."Travel The Road of Love" is the bonus track.

The pick for me is the big band album "Jimmy Rushing and His Orchestra" with others saying that "Rushing Lullabies with the smaller band is the better. One thing though they both have great songs on them with great musicians backing and they Swing. " Anybody asks who sang this song, tell em' Little Jimmy Rushing been here and gone"" which is quote that Jimmy made once, but there is no need, how could anybody forget Jimmy Rushing sing once they have heard his great joyous tone and vocals.

Matt As I sit here listening to Jimmy Rushing start "Just Because", the band is really swinging and when Jimmy starts singing one cannot mistake the Blues which was Jimmys love and could he sing them. Jimmy Rushing meet up with Count Basie back in 1927 while Playing with "The Blue Devils" and soon they became the best of friends and would work together from 1934 to 1950 until Jimmy decided to go it alone. Jimmy was the master at this art in the forties and fifties and boy could he sing those Blues. He had soul, and most of all joy, he really could convey that special feeling across with that slight rasp behind his voice and could he hit the notes. No shortage of work for Jimmy in the fifties with clubs, concerts and Jazz festivals and he twice won top singer in "Downbeat". The album has a host of muscians in the band, seventeen in all, the most notable would be Zoot Sims, with Arrangements by Al Cohn and recorded in January 1963.

Swing it is which leads us into the album with the band giving one great intro with brass everywhere and Jimmy with a quick delivery launches into this sprightly number which kicks in always with great time and trumpets are always at the top with the song, "Just Because". Ten songs on the album with a real mix of swing and ballads and we even get "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It". One thing though when Jimmy sings it is blues and the second song on the album "' Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do" is one great Blues song with its slow trombone intro and Jimmy's vocal throughout. "Heartaches" is next and the swing is back with the band kicking in every chance they get and a great tune is the result. There are two Jimmy Rushing Compositions on the album and both are blues with " Please Come Back" being one and Mid Tempo is the best place to describe the time of the song. Although it is sung and played competently it is one of the weaker songs but the other "Did You Ever" is a different kettle of fish with its blues dominated structure and is one great slow blues tune with superb trumpet. A great lively version of "My Buckets Got a Hole In It" is the album finisher. The other tunes on the album are a mix of ballads and swing with that band always providing that Big Band sound behind and Jimmy singing as always with the blues.

Great effort and some real swinging stuff with some terrific blues included. I find it hard to say which is the best Jimmy Rushing album as they all have great moments and this one is another but usually there always seems to be the odd song that does not quite get there but all in all still a good album from Jimmy.