This is one marvelous collection of 1945 recordings made for with ' powerhouse vocals backed by jump blues bands led by jazz greats , , and . No real honking and bar walking going on here; quite the opposite, as the tunes have bop lines creeping in throughout. But seems oblivious to it all as tracks like and are on an equal par for sheer bravado and intensity with the best of his later work for . A welcome compilation. ~ Cub Koda