Customer Reviews

Kansas City Breakdown: Victor Recordings Vol. 2

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This compilation takes over where the first volume left off, namely with the remainder of the 2-day session of September 1928, after which there was something of a hiatus until July 1929, when 12 sides were recorded over a 3-day period. By that latter stage the band had expanded to 12 pieces, including a piano-accordion which makes occasional interjections. The exception is two tracks from the final day's session, when a smaller group was used. Woody Walder features prominently on those two sides, but otherwise his squeaky clarinet is not so obvious, and there's less slap-tonguing.

The compilation includes Moten's best-seller "South", which he'd recorded for Okeh in 1924, and this second version was so popular that it was reissued as both sides of a 78 especially for use in juke-boxes. As with the first volume, remastering leaves nothing to be desired.

Benny Moten was my dad's favorite traditional jazz band. I grew up listening to this old (even then) music, and liking it, but not fully appreciating it (after all, I was only a kid). After buying this CD, I can now truly appreciate my dad's excellent taste in music. The music and musicians performing on this CD are outstanding, and it is a joy hearing this great old jazz again.