Wilbur Sweatman’s Original Jazz Band

Vaudevillian Wilbur C. Sweatman impressed audiences by playing three clarinets at once, but he was more than just a novelty. A transitional figure in the move away from ragtime and into jazz, Sweatman and his band were the hottest and the best players of the Dixieland style of jazz that erupted onto the American music scene in the late 1910s. 25 tracks, including the complete Columbia releases of Sweatman's band recorded from 1918 to 1920, along with one rarity, the Little Wonder (5-1/2" disc) of "Lonesome Road." The 24-page booklet with writing by Harlem Renaissance scholar Steve Tracy features an overview of Sweatman's life, detailed and informative notes on the selections, and a persuasive argument for Sweatman's place in the early jazz pantheon. Read more
List price: $16.49

Fifty-four tracks by 43 artists, and 60 pages of in-depth commentary and analysis: Lost Sounds is a monumental achievement that stretches back to the faint beginnings of commercial recordings and travels to the brink of the Jazz Age to trace the contributions of black artists on American records. Sometimes noisy and raucous, sometimes quiet and austere, these recordings demonstrate the deep involvement and lasting influence of African Americans in the nascent recording industry. Read more
List price: $29.99