During the last dozen years of his life before passing away in 1969, clarinetist Pee Wee Russell recorded and performed in a variety of surprisingly modern settings. It was not that Russell was not modern himself, for his eccentric style had long been quite distinctive, but he had previously been content to mostly play in freewheeling Dixieland bands. His encounters with valve trombonist Marshall Brown (who provided him with an advanced repertoire and arrangements) and a 1963 {~Newport Jazz Fes...   [ read more ]

CD $11.38

As an overview of Crayton's work for Modern from 1948-51, this might not be ideal, as only about half of it appeared on singles during that time; the rest was mostly unissued until the 1980s and 1990s, some making their first appearance on this CD. It also means that some of his Modern singles, including his biggest hit for the label (the ballad "I Love You So"), aren't here, as they were saved for another Ace volume of Crayton's Modern sides. Those considerations aside, this is superi...   [ read more ]

CD $21.83

Though their drummer also minds the kit for A Minor Forest, Pee has more in common with the S.F./Northwest axis of angularly hooky, self-analyzing indie pop, falling somewhere between Excuse 17 and a less noisy Henry's Dress. The band's best asset are the at-once interlocking and at-odds lead vocals of singer/guitarists Kelly Green and Jim Stanley. They play out a frustrating relationship over the angular jangle and energizing stop-starts of "I Hop." "What bothers me is how you say ...   [ read more ]

CD $15.18