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The seventh CD in the Classics label's Gene Krupa reissue series is mostly fairly weak. Despite Krupa's presence, his band at the time was average (only trumpeter Shorty Sherock had much of a reputation as a soloist) and, of the 21 selections on this disc, only three are instrumentals. Irene Daye's nine vocals are certainly listenable, although Howard Dulany's seven ballad features are more routine; Daye and Dulany take "You Forgot About Me" as a vocal duet. The instrumentals ("Hamtramck," "Full Dress Hop" and an excellent version of "Sweet Georgia Brown") are fine, but this CD is only recommended to completists. ~ Scott Yanow

This volume in the Classics Gene Krupa chronology presents everything recorded by the Gene Krupa Orchestra between June 5 and October 3, 1941. These sessions took place in New York, Chicago, and Hollywood. The music came out on the OKeh label and was well received by a record-buying public with an apparently insatiable appetite for pop vocals. In addition to smooth crooning from Howard Dulany and Johnny Desmond there were snappy, jazzy vocals from Anita O'Day. Dulany's best moments occur during the humorous "Love Me as I Am," a humble opus peppered with references to snoring and tabletop doodling. But the real gold in this part of the Krupa saga came from trumpeter Roy "Little Jazz" Eldridge, whose magnificent presentation of Hoagy Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair" -- arranged by Benny Carter -- ranks with the best recordings Eldridge ever made under any circumstances. The enclosed discography leads one to expect a vocal on this track, but here Eldridge funneled his soul into the trumpet exclusively. In 1941 a black man performing with a white big band (and a white female singer!) often ran into racial discrimination. This probably explains why Roy Eldridge and Anita O'Day only sang together on a tiny handful of studio recordings. Here Eldridge adds a humorous extra dimension to O'Day's coolly understated vocal on "The Walls Keep Talking" by screaming loudly and skillfully imitating a barn owl before exclaiming "Lemme get out of here!" ~ arwulf arwulf

If there's one word that comes to mind while listening to 2018's The Capitol Studio Sessions -- the debut album from part-time jazz pianist and full-time Jeff Goldblum impersonator Jeff Goldblum -- it's charm. Joking aside, just as with his acting, Goldblum's musical stage presence percolates with his unmistakable charisma, and further cements his long-standing persona as a witty, quirky, gregarious presence. While the album often feels like Goldblum giving one big wink and a smile to his adoring fans after another, part of the fun is that he has the chops to back it up. Having studied piano growing up in Pittsburgh and played lounge gigs throughout much of his career, Goldblum is certainly a gifted performer. While he hands much of the improvisational work over to his bandmates, as a bandleader he acquits himself ably throughout the album, with a warm harmonic sensibility and wonderfully swinging style on full display. Here, he is captured live at the storied Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, backed by his longtime ensemble of studio-pros the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra (lovingly named after a family friend in Pittsburgh). Joining him are a select cadre of special guests including singers Haley Reinhart and Imelda May, trumpeter Till Bronner, and on the giddy, self-referential duet "Me and My Shadow," singer/comedian Sarah Silverman. While Goldblum is the main attraction, he smartly spreads the spotlight, allowing Reinhart and May to sashay their ways through saucy renditions of "My Baby Just Cares For Me," "Straighten Up and Fly Right," and "Come-On-A-My-House." Similarly, he gives Bronner a plethora of solo time, with tracks like the ballad "It Never Entered My Mind," and the organ-accented groover "Don't Mess with Mister T.” One of the many impressive aspects of the Capitol Studio Sessions is just how balanced Goldblum's skills are as he deftly moves his audience from perky vocal standards to swinging instrumental numbers -- each transition aided, of course, with some very charming stage banter. ~ Matt Collar