A Jazz Legend - Through the Years 1930 to 1998

Most Nat Gonella retrospectives naturally concentrate upon vintage recordings made during the 1930s when this trumpeter and vocalist was at peak popularity in his native England. In 1998, just weeks after his passing at the age of 90, a magnificent 20-track anthology was released on the Avid label that combines his classic jazz and dance band sides with latter-day recordings, some of which appear to have been made in 1998. These latter day performances feature old Gonella as vocalist accompanied by an excellent contemporary old-fashioned jazz band. Here is an ancient and thoroughly seasoned jazzman, singing his heart out and scatting at times in duet with the clarinetist (see "Satchmo Blues"). It's a pleasant tribute to a great musician, and a worthwhile supplement to his more commonly encountered early works.