This readily available Bluebird CD gives one an excellent overview of the talents of trombonist/singer Jack Teagarden. "Mr. T." is featured with Eddie Condon on a pair of classic 1929 selections and also with Roger Wolfe Kahn's orchestra ("She's a Great Great Girl"), Ben Pollack, the Mound City Blue Blowers, Fats Waller, Benny Goodman, Paul Whiteman, the Three T's, the Metronome All-Stars, Louis Armstrong (the exciting "Jack-Armstrong Blues"), and with Bud Freeman, in addition to a version of "St. Louis Blues" with Teagarden's group in 1947. Quite a few of these performances are famous, and although this is not a "complete" set, the consistent high quality of these recordings makes this CD highly recommended to all.

by Scott Yanow In the years between leaving Louis Armstrong's All-Stars and his death (1952-63), the great trombonist and singer Jack Teagarden led a Dixieland-oriented sextet. Most of his recordings during that time period, while quite worthy, featured the usual standards and swing songs that had been associated with Mr. T . since the 1930s. But this particular project, which in 1998 was reissued as a limited-edition CD, was something quite different. Willard Robison was an unusual composer whose nostalgic and wistful songs usually extolled the virtues of country life; best-known among his tunes are "Old Folks," "Cottage for Sale" and "Tain't So, Honey Tain't So." For what would be his next-to-last album, Teagarden in Jan. 1962 recorded ten Robison songs (plus the slightly out of place non- Robison standard "Where Are You") while backed by a string orchestra that included both a harp and his trumpeter Don Goldie . Bob Brookmeyer and Russ Case contributed all but one arrangement, and although the strings were certainly not necessary (since they do not add much to the music), the prestigious setting must have pleased the trombonist. All of the songs except for "I'm a Fool About My Mama" have vocals by Teagarden, and he puts plenty of restrained feeling into such obscure tunes as "Guess I'll Go Back Home This Summer," "Think Well of Me" and "'Round My Old Deserted Farm." His short solos are often quite exquisite, and this often touching, somewhat rare date is one of the strongest of his final period.

by Scott Yanow Trombonist Jack Teagarden's Verve recordings, his last batch of studio sides, have tended to be underrated. Teagarden was actually still in prime form up until the time of his unexpected death in early 1964. For this set, his sextet (which also includes trumpeter Don Goldie , clarinetist Henry Cuesta , pianist Don Ewell , bassist Stan Puls , and drummer Barrett Deems ) mostly performs obscurities. Teagarden sings a couple of charming Willard Robison songs ("Don't Tell a Man About His Woman" and "Peaceful Valley"), Ewell is featured on "Froggie Moore Blues," organist Shay Torrent sits in on an unusual version of "Love Lies," and Goldie is showcased on "Afternoon in August." Other songs include "I Don't Want to Miss Mississippi," "It's All in Your Mind," and "Mis'ry and the Blues." The only Dixieland standards performed are "Basin Street Blues" and "Original Dixieland One-Step." Whether taking trombone solos or singing, Teagarden sounds inspired by the fresh material throughout.