Frank Melrose
is best known in
jazz
history as a pianist from the late '20s/early '30s who at times sounded so close to
Jelly Roll Morton
that his records were mistakenly thought by some to be by
Jelly Roll
under a different name. His early death (murdered in 1941, most likely by gangsters) has made him a mystery figure, so the first-time release of this extensive 1940 session in 2006 is a major event in the world of
classic jazz
. The 18 selections, which include two solo performances (
"Body and Soul"
and
"Boy in the Boat"
) and a trio number, mostly feature
Melrose
as the leader of a
swing
/
Dixieland
four-horn octet. Surprisingly, he no longer sounds at all like
Morton
(even on
's
"New Orleans Blues"
) and comes across as a high-quality
boogie-woogie
pianist with a sound of his own. These performances are also valuable for the early
Bunny Berigan
-inspired solos of cornetist
Pete Daily
(who became known for his series of
Capitol
records in the 1950s) and the rare spots for C-melody saxophonist
Boyce Brown
, who soon dropped out of music to become a monk (renamed
Brother Matthew
). The three good-time vocals by
June Davis
add to the set's happy feel and there are also spots for trombonist
Bill Helgart
LeRoy Smith
, who plays the E-flat clarinet and sounds a little like
Pee Wee Russell
. Recorded in Chicago and originally scheduled to be issued by the
Signature
label, the music somehow survived for 66 years being unknown and not even listed in discographies. It is a miracle that it is still in such fine shape, and rewarding that the performances are excellent. Recommended to fans of the music of the era. ~ Scott Yanow