Bull Moose Jackson - Blues & Rhythm Series 5054: The Chronological Bull Moose Jackson 1945-1947 (2003)

The criminally unknown jump bluesman Bull Moose Jackson led an incredible band in the mid-'40s: Sam "the Man" Taylor on tenor sax, Sir Charles Thompson on piano, Panama Francis on drums, and Jackson leading the way on tenor sax and vocals. The tracks on this survey of his work done between August of 1945 and August of 1947 (22 songs taken from six sessions) find Jackson doing slow and sexy blues like "Bull Moose Jackson Blues" and "Cleveland Ohio Blues," smooth ballads like "Embraceable You," his big hit "I Love You, Yes I Do," on which Jackson sounds positively Eckstine-esque, manic swingers like "Hold Him Joe" and the truly wild "Jammin' and Jumpin'," less manic swingers like "Three Bones and Moose on the Loose" and Louis Jordan-styled novelty songs like "Keep Your Big Mouth Shut" and "Miss Lucy." Throughout the disc, the band sounds at the top of its game, able to crank out top-notch swing and jump blues at a moment's notice. Fans of jump blues and humor-filled swing will find this disc to be a real treat. ~Tim Sendra