Various Artists - Harlem Hamfats: Masters Of Jazz & Blues 1936-1944

2016 CD collection.

A&R man Mayo Williams had an idea: combine blues with more popular material. He put trumpeter Herb Morand and clarinettist Odell Rand with Joe and Charlie McCoy and party pianist Horace Malcolm to form the Harlem Hamfats - a name blending the sophisticated and the downhome. The result was good time music, played with the skill and panache of experienced session players. It's rare to encounter music that's both classy and just downright fun. Here's some. Enjoy it.