Search - Jack Jackson & His Orchestra :: Everything's in Rhythm

ECHOES OF THE DORCHESTER

Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 10/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"By the time he came to form his own band Jack Jackson had already been playing professionally for over a decade, most notably with Bert Ralton's Havana Band, Jack Hylton, Roy Fox and Jack Payne. He parted company with the last-named in early 1933 in acrimonious circumstances, and I suspect that he had prepared for it in advance. He had his own band up and running almost straight away, and had secured a residency at the Dorchester Hotel before the year was out.



It's apparent from these recordings that Jack knew what he wanted from his musicians and how to achieve it. The tracks are embellished by the voices of Al Bowlly, who sang on Jack's first recording session, Alberta Hunter, who appeared in cabaret at the Dorchester in late 1934, Australian contralto Marjorie Stedeford, Fred Latham, Jackie Hunter and Jack himself. It's a delightful compilation, of which the stand-out track for me is Jack's own composition "Come On, Be Happy" for its superb rhythmic drive and Al's vocal and verbal byplay with Jack."