Customer Reviews

Valaida, Vol. 2: 1935-1940

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As a traditional jazz fan, I am seldom surprised by a great performance from someone I have never heard from. Here was a performer that had stayed below my radar screen..to my detriment.
Valaida Snow, a female singer, and more importantly a great trumpet player, from the 30's and 40's,is well worth getting acquainted with.
She plays in a style obviously influenced by Louis Armstrong, with strong hints of Bunny Berigan...(who was, like all jazz trumpet players, heavily influenced by Armstrong).
The recordings are a rare instance of finding a treasure trove of great songs played in an authentic way that takes us back to the era where jazz was more felt than cerebral.
Listen to "Some of These Days", "Tiger Rag","St Louis Blues", countered with "Poor Butterfly", "Chloe","My Heart Belongs to Daddy", and you will find yourself hearing something "fresh"....only because we somehow "missed" this special performer who plays from the heart.

This artist and her music are fantastic. I can't believe she recorded this in the thirty's.It's timeless .

This review should be read in conjunction with that for Volume One, from which it follows on, except that this CD kicks off with the inclusion of a test pressing of "Poor Butterfly", her very first recording for Parlophone which was unissued. The conclusion of the 1937 sessions with her Swing Accompaniment is followed by the four recordings she made in Stockholm in 1939, and the six she recorded in Copenhagen during 1940.

As before, the discography is complemented by extensive biographical notes by Howard Rye and Morten Clausen. Taken together, these two CDs are an important testament to the talents of Valaida Snow, who deserved greater recognition in her lifetime.

Anyone seeking further information is recommended to acquire a copy of the biography "High Hat, Trumpet and Rhythm" by Mark Miller.