Mezz Mezzrow
Mezz Mezzrow occupies an odd and unique place in jazz history. Although an enthusiastic clarinetist, he was never much of a player, sounding best on the blues. A passionate proponent for Chicago and New Orleans jazz and a protagonist for the rights of Blacks (he meant well, but tended to overstate his case), Mezzrow was actually most significant for writing his colorful and somewhat fanciful memoirs, Really the Blues, and for being a reliable supplier of marijuana in the 1930s and '40s. In the 1920s, he was part of the Chicago jazz scene, at first helping the young white players and then annoying them with his inflexible musical opinions. Mezzrow recorded with the Jungle Kings, the Chicago Rhythm Kings, and Eddie Condon during 1927 and 1928, often on tenor. In the 1930s, he led a few swing-oriented dates that featured all-star integrated bands in 1933 and 1934 and in 1936 and 1937. The French critic Hugues Panassie was always a big supporter of Mezzrow's playing, and Mezz was well-featured on sessions in 1938 with Tommy Ladnier and Sidney Bechet: "Really the Blues" is a near-classic. Mezzrow had his own King Jazz label between 1945 and 1947, mostly documenting ensemble-oriented blues jams with Bechet and occasionally Hot Lips Page. After appearing at the 1948 Nice Jazz Festival, Mezzrow eventually moved to France, where he recorded fairly regularly between 1951 and 1955 (including with Lee Collins and Buck Clayton), along with a final album in 1959.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Then came the killing
Metal - Released by Hammerheart Records on 1 Sep 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1947 - 1951
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 27 Apr 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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All that Jazz, Vol. 60 - Mezz Mezzrow, Sidney Bechet: Brothers in Blues (Remastered 2016)
Jazz - Released by Jube Legends on 1 Apr 2016
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
The King Jazz Records Story
Jazz - Released by Storyville on 1 Feb 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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American Swinging In Paris
Jazz - Released by Parlophone (France) on 1 Jan 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Ultimate Jazz Archive 6 (3 Of 4)
Jazz - Released by Carinco AG on 16 Feb 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Complete Jazz Series 1951 - 1953
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 27 Apr 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mezz Mezzrow's Royal Garden Blues
Jazz - Released by Charly Records on 25 Jun 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1928 - 1936
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 27 Apr 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Mezz Mezzrow Collection 1928-55
Jazz - Released by Fabulous on 11 Mar 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mezz Mezzrow Selected Hits
Jazz - Released by Charly Records on 12 Jun 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1947
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 27 Apr 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1936 - 1939
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 27 Apr 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Through The Eyes Of The Ancient Gods
Metal - Released by Fireflash Records on 20 Jan 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Complete Jazz Series 1953 - 1954
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 27 Apr 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1944 - 1945
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 27 Apr 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo