During the second half of the 1940s, tenor saxophonist
Jack McVea
, helped on by his hit record of
"Open the Door, Richard,"
was a popular attraction, particularly in the Los Angeles area. In fact, his band was for a time known as
Jack McVea and His Door Openers
! This CD, a straight reissue of a 16-song LP, has some of
McVea
's recordings from the era. Unfortunately, as is usually true of
Jukebox Lil
's releases, the music is not reissued in chronological order, nor are the sessions issued complete. However the liner notes (a long interview with
) are excellent, and the basic discographical info is here. Most importantly, the music is fun. Among the better cuts are
"House Party Boogie,"
"Frantic Boogie,"
"Richard Gets Hitched,"
"Bulgin' Eyes,"
and
"Groove Juice."
~ Scott Yanow