Red Nichols & Miff Mole 1925-1927

Cornetist Red Nichols' best-known work in the 1920s was his leadership of the Five Pennies, but he appeared on a countless number of other similar sessions during the second half of the decade. This 1998 CD features Nichols with the Hottentots, the Original Memphis Five, the Arkansas Travellers and the Six Hottentots. Each of the sessions are reissued complete and in chronological order. The overlapping groups all have Miff Mole on trombone along with either Dick Johnson, Jimmy Lytell, Alfie Evans, Jimmy Dorsey or Fud Livingston on reeds; Rube Bloom, Frank Signorelli or Arthur Schutt on piano; Vic Berton or Ray Bauduc on drums; and occasional added musicians. The lack of a bass (other than Joe Tarto on six numbers) is unfortunate, making the music sound a bit unbalanced, and Irving Kaufman's three vocals on one of the Six Hottentots' sessions are just passable. But the advanced arrangements (Nichols' and Mole's playing sometimes borders on the avant garde for the period) and the general unpredictability of the music (even on standards) will certainly keep listeners guessing.