Jazz
Bennie Moten - Director
Ben Webster - Sax (Tenor)
Booker T. Washington - Cornet, Trumpet
Buster Moten - Accordion, Piano
Count Basie - Piano
Dan Minor - Trombone
Dee Stewart - Trumpet
Ed Lewis - Cornet, Trumpet
Eddie Barefield - Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
Eddie Durham - Guitar, Trombone
* Frank Driggs - Liner Notes
Harlan Leonard - Clarinet, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano)
Hot Lips Page - Trumpet
Jack Washington - Clarinet, Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone)
Jimmy Rushing - Vocals
Joe Keyes - Trumpet
Leroy Berry - Banjo, Guitar
Thamon Hayes - Trombone
Vernon Page - Bass, Overdubs
Willie McWashington - Drums, Vocals
Woodie Walder - Clarinet, Sax (Tenor)
While most of Bennie Moten's music has been released, a single and complete volume of his important Victor recordings is still missing. Now there's Hep's Band Box Shuffle, which takes in Moten's prime 1929-1932 stretch for the company via 47 superbly remastered tracks. And mirroring the sterling transfers engineer John R.T. Davies has supplied, the liner notes, written by jazz photographer and historian Frank Driggs, provide a hugely readable and exhaustive account of the group's history. Of course, that history recounts the Moten band's position as one of the best of the many territory bands to emerge in the Southwest during the '20s, which was due in no small part to the presence of Count Basie and many of the other stars who would help him form his own big band in the '30s. Basie's future jump fleetness is especially evident on the ten classic 1932 sides that close this set, notably complex barnstormers like "Toby," "Lafayette," and "Moten Swing." The likes of Ben Webster, Hot Lips Page, and Walter Page all contribute to the fine swing. A good share of the remaining tracks, while often maligned in relation to these later cuts, have worn well, too -- clunky tuba, accordion, and all.
--- Stephen Cook, All Music Guide
Bennie Moten
Active Decades: '20s and '30s
Born: Nov 13, 1894 in Kansas City, MO
Died: Apr 02, 1935 in Kansas City, MO
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Big Band, Classic Jazz
Bennie Moten is today best-remembered as the leader of a band that partly became the nucelus of the original Count Basie Orchestra, but Moten deserves better. He was a fine ragtime-oriented pianist who led the top territory band of the 1920s, an orchestra that really set the standard for Kansas City jazz. In fact it was so dominant that Moten was able to swallow up some of his competitors' groups including Walter Page's Blue Devils, most of whom eventually became members of Moten's big band. Moten formed his group (originally a sextet) in 1922 and the following year they made their first recordings. Among Moten's 1923-25 sides for Okeh was the original version of his greatest hit "South." During 1926-32 Moten's Orchestra recorded for Victor and, although none of his original musicians became famous, the later additions included his brother Buster on occasional jazz accordion, Harlan Leonard, Jack Washington, Eddie Durham, Jimmy Rushing, Hot Lips Page and (starting in 1929) Count Basie. So impressed was Moten by Basie's playing that Count assumed the piano chair for recordings from that point on (although in clubs Moten would generally play a feature or two). The most famous Bennie Moten recording session was also his last, ten songs cut on December 13, 1932 that find the ensemble strongly resembling Basie's five years later. In addition to Hot Lips Page, Durham, Washington and Basie, the band at that point also starred Ben Webster, Eddie Barefield and Walter Page and one of the highpoints was the debut of "Moten Swing."
Tragically Bennie Moten died in 1935 from a botched tonsillectomy operation. Buster Moten briefly took over the band, but many of its top members (along with some important additions like Lester Young) eventually gravitated towards Count Basie.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
