The Jazz Odyssey of James Rushing, Esq.

by Ken Dryden With four separate groups representing the distinct styles of jazz from New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, and New York, Jimmy Rushing sings a dozen favorites, revisiting staples from his repertoire like "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" and "Rosetta," as well as classics he had recently discovered, such as W.C. Handy's "Careless Love." But the obvious high point is Rushing's first recording on piano, as he accompanies himself on his hilarious conversational narrative blues "Tricks Ain't Walkin' No More" (which he later reprised during a 1960s appearance on Ralph Gleason's Jazz Casual TV series, though that performance wasn't released on video for the first time until 1995). The supporting cast is a strong one, including Buck Clayton, Vic Dickenson, Buddy Tate, Jo Jones, Milt Hinton, Hank Jones, Dicky Wells, and Budd Johnson, among others.