Whit Recommends:

Many of the recommendations listed below are available from one of our favorite reissue companies, Proper Records.?

	Jo Privat: Manouche Partie on Nocturne
	Doughboys, Playboys & Cowboys: The Golden Years Of Western Swing The 99 tracks featured in this 4CD set tell the story of Western Swing.
	Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys Take Me Back To Tulsa Bob Wills was a pioneer. He played Blues, Rags, Stomps, Ballads, Sentimental Songs and Jazz in a style that became much imitated. He was the King Of Western Swing.
	Django Reinhardt: The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order An incredible five-CD boxed set.
	Count Basie The Count Basie Story The 99 tracks in this box set are testimony to the greatest swing band ever.
	Bing Crosby Its Easy To Remember His contributions to jazz-influenced pop music alone would have elevated him to some kind of artistic immortality.
	Nat King Cole Cool Cole: The King Cole Trio Story There were many imitators of The King Cole Trio, but Nat Cole and his men separated the men from the boys as they perfected the art of the "cocktail combo".
	Stan Getz The Sound Stan Getz had all the talents a saxophonist can dream of; exquisite tone, great technical command, an appealing sense of melody and the ability to remain lyrical even at the fastest tempos. Fans and fellow musicians called him The Sound.
	The Charlie Ventura box set "Bop for the People" A great jazz sax player who plays kind of be-bop-meets-swing, with a great swing rhythm section.
	Louis Armstrong Big Band recordings 1930-1932 (volume 1) I love the Hot Fives and Hot Sevens, but here's an opportunity to hear Louis singing and leading a larger band through great standards.
	Bix Biederbecke with the Wolverines Bix Lives!
	Kay Starr's recordings on the Lamplighter label in 1945 Kay Starr singing at her best with an incredible swinging band featuring the unsung hero guitar player Allan Reuss.
	Ruby Braff & George Barnes Quartet salutes Rodgers and Hart George Barnes is my favorite guitar player and I love the treatment that Braff and Barnes give these beautiful melodies with their inventive embellishments. This is great for studying and just relaxing and listening to.
	The Light Crust Doughboys recordings on the Texas Rose label in 1938 This album and many other sides from the late 1930s are western swing at its very hottest and best, with unique soloing.
Elana Recommends:
	Stuff Smith: The Mad Genius of the Violin You just can't go wrong with Stuff Smith, especially this record. Particularly overwhelming are "After You've Gone" (in Ab), and the live radio transcription of the "Bugle Call Rag" -- totally over the top
	Early recordings of The Hot Club of France with Stephane Grappelli I love Blossom Dearie's singing and piano playing. This is my favorite record of Blossom's: Blossom Dearie.
	Early recordings of Eddie South Early recordings of Joe Venuti (fiddle) and Eddie Lang (guitar) The Bob Wills Tiffany Transcriptions Johnny Gimble's Texas Fiddle Collection
	Eck Robertson: Old Time Texas Fiddler 1922-1929 This is a great record -- just raw. primitive-sounding fiddle. Eck and Bob Wills used to compete against each other in fiddle contests (and let's just say Bob didn't always win).
Jake Recommends:
	Argentinean guitarist Oscar Aleman's early recordings on Acoustic Disc Milton Brown and his Musical Brownies (the box set) on Texas Rose Records The Willie Dixon box set
We also really like:	Jack Teagarden: King of the Blues Trombone Amazing singing and arrangements. The Guitar of Roberto Grela 1940s tango guitar. Jack Guthrie: Oklahoma Hills on Bear Family Records.
	The Original Nat King Cole Trio Everything from the late 1930s.