To Mezz Mezzrow, King Jazz was more than a record label. It was the crystallization of his abiding passion for early forms of jazz, a music he saw as a blues-drenched cry of freedom wafting across the waters from New Orleans. It had spread far beyond the bayou and taken on new forms, but Mezz was the self-appointed keeper of the flame and his post-war record business venture was the mason jar that would forever preserve its goodness. Here, the colorful curator teams up for a series of classic collaborations with an undisputed master of improvisation, his idol, Sidney Bechet. Their work alone would make this 5-CD boxed set a special release, but there is much more to savor, for it combines for the first times the entire output of the King Jazz label, an eclectic mix of performances by people whose names are also a part of the music’s rich legacy. Add to that, careful remastering, an informative illustrated booklet, and Mezzrow’s spoken introductions, recorded exclusively for Storyville—it adds up to a true collector’s item. Yes, there’s a lot of good jam in this very special Mason jar.
In a Mezz
Mezzrow Talks
Those Mellow Blues
Gully Low Blues
Cow Cow Blues
Cow Cow Blues
Mezzrow Talks
I Finally Gotcha
Boogin’ With Mezz
Callin’ Em Home
Step Down, Step Up
Shakin’ Loose
Shakin’ Loose
Broken Man Blues
New Jailhouse Blues
House Party
Bowin’ the Blues
House Party
Perdido Street Stomp
Perdido Street Stomp
Revolutionary Blues (Part 1)
Revolutionary Blues (Part 2)
Mezzrow Talks
Blood on the Moon
Levee Blues
Mezzrow Talks
Layin’ My Rules in Blues (11)
Bad, Bad Baby Blues (11)
Bad, Bad Baby Blues (11)
Mezzrow Talks
Saw Mill Blues
Minor Swoon
Minor Swoon
Minor Swoon
The Sheik of Araby
The Sheik of Araby
Boogin’ with Big Sid
Mezzrow Talks
Baby, I’m Cuttin’ Out
Baby, I’m Cuttin’ Out
Baby, I’m Cuttin’ Out
Ole Miss
Ole Miss
Mezzrow Talks
Bowin’ the Blues
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Perdido Street Stomp
Perdido Street Stomp
32 Bars of Blues
Forgotten Harmony
Revolutionary Blues
Mezzrow Talks
Gone Away Blues
De Luxe Stomp
Mezzrow Talks
Out of the Gallion
Out of the Gallion
Out of the Gallion
Mezzrow Talks
Breathless Blues
Mezzrow Talks
Really the Blues
Really the Blues
Really the Blues
Really the Blues
Mezzrow Talks
Fat Mama Blues
Mezzrow Talks
You Got To Give It To Me
Hey Daddy Blues
Whoop This Wolf Away From My Door
Whoop This Wolf Away From My Door
Whoop This Wolf Away From My Door
Mezzrow Talks
You Can’t Do That To Me
Groovin’ the Minor
Groovin’ the Minor
Where am I
Where Am I
Where Am I
Tommy’s Blues
Tommy’s Blues
Chicago Function
Chicago Function
Chicago Function
Chicago Function
Mezzrow Talks
I Want Some
I Want Some
Mezzrow Talks
I’m Speaking My Mind
I’m Speaking My Mind
I’m Speaking My Mind
I’ll Never Forget the Blues
I’ll Never Forget the Blues
Mezzrow Talks
The Blues and Freud
The Blues and Freud
Kaiser’s Last Break
Kaiser’s Last Break
I’m Goin’ Away From Here
I’m Goin’ Away From Here
I Got You Some
I Must Have My Boogie
Funky Butt
Funky Butt
Delta Mood
Delta Mood
Mezzrow Talks
Blues of the Roaring Twenties
Blues of the Roaring Twenties
Caravan
