MARCH 6

                     BIG JOE TURNER
                 Boss of the Blues

                  Recording Date:
                       March 6-7, 1956

                  Personnel:
                      Lawrence Brown    TB 
                      Pete Brown           AS 
                      Freddie Green       G 
                      Pete Johnson         P
                      Cliff Leeman          D
                      Joe Newman          TP
                      Jimmy Nottingham TP 
                      Walter Page           B 
                      Seldon Powell        TS 
                      Big Joe Turner        Vo 
                      Frank Wess          TS 

                                                                                                LINK Retired

Review by Scott Yanow
During an era when Big Joe Turner recordings were often surprise hits with rock & roll fans (particularly "Shake, Rattle and Roll"), he occasionally recorded no-nonsense blues-oriented jazz dates too. This reissue album matched Turner for one of the last times with the veteran boogie-woogie pianist Pete Johnson and also includes a variety of top swing players: trumpeter Joe Newman, trombonist Lawrence Brown, altoist Pete Brown, tenor saxophonist Frank Wess, guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Walter Page, and drummer Cliff Leeman. It is not surprising, considering the number of Basie-ites on the date, that the band often sounds like a Count Basie combo. Turner is in top form on remakes of some of his early tunes (including "Cherry Red," "Roll 'Em Pete," and "Wee Baby Blues"), a few traditional blues, and a couple of swing standards. This music should appeal to many listeners.