Bobby Hackett & Jack Teagarden - Off Minor (1995)

This compilation features cornetist Bobby Hackett in two separate groups. The first set, from 1957, includes Dick Cary on piano or alto horn, vibraphonist /clarinetist Tom Gwaltney, clarinetist/baritone saxophonist Ernie Caceres, tuba player John Dengler, and drummer Buzzy Drootin. The charts are likely by Cary, given the unusual instrumentation, while the songs range from Dixieland warhorses like "Fidgety Feet" and "Royal Garden Blues" to "Caravan" and Duke Ellington's infrequently recorded "Lady of the Lavender Mist," and even Thelonious Monk's "Off Minor." The music in this set is unconventional yet works very well. The second set, from 1958, features Hackett with Jack Teagarden's sextet in a more traditional setting with pianist Don Ewell. While there are no surprises, the music swings nicely, as the two men always worked well together. Last available from the now defunct Viper's Nest Gold label, this out of print CD is becoming a collector's item. –Ken Dryden

Tracklist

01. Bobby Hackett Sextet - Caravan 02:59
02. Bobby Hackett Sextet - Lady Of The Lavender Mist 03:21
03. Bobby Hackett Sextet - Off Minor 03:39
04. Bobby Hackett Sextet - Fidgety Feet 02:49
05. Bobby Hackett Sextet - Royal Garden Blues 04:18
06. Bobby Hackett Sextet - Handle With Cary 04:37
07. Jack Teagarden Sextet with Bobby Hackett - That's A-Plenty 05:18
08. Jack Teagarden Sextet with Bobby Hackett - Riverboat Shuffle 05:58
09. Jack Teagarden Sextet with Bobby Hackett - Royal Garden Blues 05:55
10. Jack Teagarden Sextet with Bobby Hackett - High Society 04:33

Bobby Hackett Sextet:
Bobby Hackett (cornet); Dick Cary (piano & alto horn); Ernie Caceres (clarinet & baritone sax);
Tome Gwaltney (clarinet & vibraphone); John Dengler (tuba); Buzzy Drootin (drums)

Live Concert 5 July, 1957.

Jack Teagarden Sextet with Bobby Hackett:
Jack Teagarden (trombone); Dick Oakley (trumpet); Bobby Hackett (cornet);
Jerry Fuller (clarinet); Don Ewell (piano); Stan Puls (bass); Ronnie Greb (drums)

Live Concert 5 July, 1958.