If you go to Wikipedia for more information on Bill Jennings, you’re directed to a collection of almost a dozen guys with that name: one that played ice hockey, a baseballer, and then three types of footballers-Welsh, soccer and American. Let me tell you-this is the Bill Jennings that you want.
The Bill Jennings we have here made his career from the 30s to the 50s as a sideman for Stuff Smith, Wild Bill Davis, Willis Jackson and most of all Louis Jordan. So, as you can tell, there’s a lot of blues and R&B flying around, and Jennings’ guitar makes it work with a Charlie Christian-influenced style of picking that goes down real nice. This two cd set has him leading various bands that are long on soul and feeling, and his picking makes you feel good all over.
He gets the toes tapping on a hip little 1951 date that has him singing and playing with a fun couple of pieces like “Stompin’ With Bill.” Then, in 1954, he teams up a quintet with bop baritone saxist Leo Parker for some exciting takes of “There Will Never Be Another You” and “What Will I Do?” making some of the hottest sounds around. In the same year he cut some discs with pianist Andrew Johnson and B3er Bill Doggett that go lyrical on the former and Bunsen burning on the latter. Vibes with Albert Jennings are found in a small group with Nita Lore as vocalist on “Three Little Words” and a blues, while some intimate duets from 1955 deliver a jaw dropping “Angel Eyes” and” You Don’t Know What Love Is.” Some BBQ sauce is slapped on the pork when Willis Jackson’s tenor and James Orville Johnson’s Hammond stride in for a greasy “Wishbone” and “Blues In My Heart.” All of the songs are between 2-4 minutes, so they were made for juke joint jumpin’! Put this on at a party and watch what happens. Jennings is a joy of lyricism, feel and swing. A textbook lesson on playing the six strings just right.
Fresh Sound Records