Complete Wolverines: 1924-1928 Audio CD – CD, July 10, 2012

The Complete Wolverines: 1924-1928 (Off the Record OTR-03)I resisted buying this for several months because I already had the best-known songs on it -- the 15 surviving recordings by the Wolverine Dance Orchestra in 1924 with Bix Beiderbecke as cornetist, plus four sides Bix made with studio groups for the same label, Gennett (including his first composition, the hauntingly beautiful "Davenport Blues") -- on the first disc of the 12-CD Sunbeam Records compilation "Bix Restored." I was skeptical, to say the least, of the claims of improved sound quality made for this album; the late John R. T. Davies' transfers of the Wolverines recordings for "Bix Restored" had already sounded so much better than previous efforts I didn't think there was any way these primitive discs (well below the state-of-the-art for their time) could sound any better. But my curiosity about the sides the Wolverines made after Bix left the band -- two with his immediate replacement, Jimmy McPartland, in December 1924; four in 1927 (with McPartland, pianist Dick Voynow and drummer Vic Moore from the earlier band) and two in 1928 (actually by a studio band with Voynow the only original Wolverine in the bunch) -- led me to buy this. Am I glad I did! The transfers by Doug Benson and David Sager are astonishing; though no one is going to mistake these records for anything other than what they are -- acoustic jazz recordings on 1924 equipment -- the sound is clearer, brighter and more transparent than it's ever been before. Bix's great playing stands out not only in his solos but in the ensemble passages as well, and the visceral thrill of his opening solo on "Big Boy," his last (and best-recorded) record with the Wolverines, has to be heard to be believed. The post-Bix Wolverines sides aren't much more than historical curiosities (one wants to strangle Dave Harmon, the annoyingly nasal-voiced singer on "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street"), but the 1927 "Original Wolverines" date is especially noteworthy for Dick McPartland's killer guitar playing and the 1928 session for adding to the all too scanty discography of clarinetist Frank Teschemacher (who, like Bix, died tragically young). Even if you own the Bix Wolverines already, they sound so much better here than they ever have before that this album is a MUST for lovers of white jazz of the 1920's. Finally the Wolverines recordings sound like a worthy beginning to Bix's 6 ½-year recorded legacy!

The 1924 recordings made by Bix Beiderbecke and the Wolverines for the Gennett label are highly collectable, not just as rarities but also because they are the earliest evidence of his extraordinary facility on the cornet, and his unique clarity of tone. It's a safe bet to say that the various tracks have never been out of the catalogue in one form or another, but dedicated CDs are not exactly thick on the ground. So this is a most welcome reissue, which presents all thirteen of the numbers involved, plus the two alternate takes, and supplements them with the two hybrid tracks recorded as by the Sioux City Six, and the two January 1925 sides by Bix & his Rhythm Jugglers.Bix left the Wolverines in October 1924, his place being taken by Jimmy McPartland, and the two sides they recorded that December are included. Some of the original members reformed the group three years later, and they recorded four sides for Brunswick as the Original Wolverines. The last two sides date from May 1928, when the presence of pianist Richard Voynow provided the only remaining link with the 1924 band.The compilers have gone out of their way to ensure as faithful an approximation to the original mostly acoustic recordings as possible, first by tracking down the best copies available, and secondly by ensuring that their audio restoration included transferring them at the correct pitch. The same painstaking approach is reflected in the presentation, with a 32-page liner note providing rare photographs, an assessment of the importance, not just of Bix but of the Wolverines as a group, to the development of early jazz, and an informed commentary on the recordings themselves. This is an invaluable addition to the catalogue, purchase of which will enable you to return to these seminal recordings with fresh appreciation.

Let me be the first to say on Amazon: "Thank you!" Thanks to Doug Benson, David Sager, Richard Martin and Megan Hennessey. Off The Record has done it again. Listening to this release is such a joy. I'm familiar with the essential "Bix Restored" release of these particular recordings -- but to hear these sides so wonderfully clean and clear is such a pleasure. Thank you!With this release, the boxy, noisy and congested sound is all gone. All that remains is the music. Everything is smooth and rich, yet bright and clear -- it's all so easy to hear. It may be cliche to say, but it truly is like hearing these for the first time. The only bad thing is now I want all my classic jazz to sound this good!I hope everyone involved knows what a fantastic job they did and how much it is appreciated. From the liner notes, to the always fantastic Archeophone artwork and to the absolutely beautiful restorations -- everything is top shelf. I can't wait for the next release from Off The Record. Hopefully it will come sooner rather than later.

Excellent seller. Quick Turnaround, expect packing, quality goods. Highest recommendation. Thanks. Awesome music - just what I had hoped for. A+++