Search - Lucky Millinder :: Apollo Jump

Comparing Lucky Millinder to Louie Jordan ??? (see review b

Anthony C. Navarro | US | 09/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Louie Jordan was one of the greatest innovaters, musicians and entertainers of all time whose small combo changed the landscape of popular Black music of the day--- Lucky Millinder came later in terms of recognition as a solo artist and was one of the great R&B arrangers and writers in the early R&B scene but was i believe greater as a big band leader in the late 30's to the mid 40's (Let's note that Wynonie Harris and Sister Rosetta Tharpe both sang with Lucky's Big Band in 1945) into his r&b career (and was 8 years older than Louie Jordan)------ This double CD of Lucky Millinder is superb R&B with a large horn band and should not to be compared to the person who invented R&B and mabe even Rock & Roll for that Matter."

Jive...not that there's anything wrong with that

jive rhapsodist | NYC, NY United States | 03/18/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Some people think this stuff is amazing...there was that whole "Swing revival" with those ridiculous hepped-up bands playing some kind of Louis Jordan - on - steroids music. A flash in the pan. But, no matter. For those of us who are a little more, shall we say, level headed, a disc like this can help flesh out the whole picture of the complex relation between art, commerce, entertainment, show biz in the whole Black Music world. And what happened when Swing Jazz stopped being a central Popular Music, around 1945. Jazz divided, not so neatly into R + B on one hand, (Be)Bop on the other. And this is fascinating...This disc, not so much. I love to write about such bands, but Lucky's was one that seemed to dive down into the lowest common denominator a little more resolutely than some others. Buddy Johnson, for example, is a real artist, working with this vocabulary. Lucky? A chameleonic businessman, from all evidence here. His one stroke of genius was incorporating the great Gospel singer/guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe into his band. But one should really pick up the Proper Box covering her work. It gives a thorough picture of that fascinating cultural moment. There is some really tasty playing on this set by Swing Era greats like drummer Jimmy Crawford, R + B saxophonists like Sam "The Man" Taylor, iron - lipped brass sections - like that. And Wynonie Harris has some Blues Shouting moments. The sound is the best I've heard from Proper. You may need this set...I do, because of the importance of Lucky Millinder to the Harlem scene of his time. But I feel my brain cells disappearing as I listen to it."