The Mills Brothers, Vol. 3: 1935-1937 (feat. Ella Fitzgerald)

The third volume in Italian label Giants of Jazz's four-volume series on the Mills Brothers traces a period of difficulty for the group, when they scored few chart entries and when, in January 1936, brother John died suddenly and was replaced by the Mills Brothers' father, John, Sr. Despite the troubles, the group made many excellent recordings, including a treatment of Duke Ellington's "Solitude" and their first attempt at the Ellington-Juan Tizol standard "Caravan." They were also joined by Ella Fitzgerald on "Big Boy Blue" and "Dedicated to You." The non-chronological nature of the series makes the group's development hard to follow, especially because some recordings from this period turn up on the fourth volume. And, despite use of sonic cleansing, the tracks, probably mastered from records, are not of the best sound quality. But the attempt to reissue most of the Mills Brothers' vintage recordings is admirable.