Boogie-woogie pianist Jimmy Yancey and his wife, Mama Yancey, used to have musical gatherings at their Chicago home. The performances heard on this CD were recorded by a wire recorder three months before Yancey's death, and were released for the first time on this 1997 CD. The recording quality varies greatly, ranging from listenable to quite noisy, so this is not a release for general listeners. However, Jimmy Yancey collectors will definitely want it, because there are some unique moments heard along the way. First, an unknown pianist is featured on four numbers, playing very good boogie-woogie, accompanying Mama Yancey on "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" and "Chicago in Mind." Jimmy Yancey, who was not feeling that well but still playing excellently, is featured on the next five numbers, although two of the three selections that also feature Mama Yancey and have Phil Kiely providing a third hand on the piano, playing the high notes, are a bit damaged. Walter Joplin (no relation) performs "Scott Joplin's New Rag." A jam session takes place with both of the Yanceys (they share the vocals on "Royal Garden Blues"), with clarinetist Buzz Reynolds and banjoist Dick Mushlitz featured on six mostly listenable numbers. In addition, Mushlitz switches to piano for a solo "Blues" recorded a day later, and there are repeats of three of the performances from a clearer but scratchier source. The joy of the music generally shines through on this historic release.

This LP is a cut above most of Muggsy Spanier's recordings of the 1950s due to a surprisingly fresh repertoire, which includes such songs as "Dixie Flyer," "Home," "Caution Blues," "Alabama Jubilee" and "Lazy Piano Man." The cornetist/leader is joined by either George Brunies, Henry Graves or Ralph Hutchinson on trombone, clarinetist Darnell Howard, pianist Floyd Bean, bassist Truck Parham and either Sid Catlett, Don Chester or Barrett Deems on drums; Buddy Charles takes the vocal on "Sunday." The concise performances (all but "Sunday" are under three minutes) successfully pack a great deal of heat into a brief space of time.

Satchmo at Pasadena provides an enjoyable but incomplete presentation of Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars recorded live on January 1, 1951. The Pasadena Civic Auditorium concert found Armstrong fronting an edition of the All-Stars with trombonist Jack Teagarden, clarinetist Barney Bigard, pianist Earl Hines, bassist Arvell Shaw, Cozy Cole on drums, and vocalist Velma Middleton on two tracks. At the time of this concert, musicians began to take advantage of the new LP format that allowed them to bypass the usual three-minute time constraints of 78 rpm and stretch out a bit. Armstrong was no exception, and even though Satchmo is more of the ringleader/vocalist/showman on this set, the All-Stars provide some heated improvising, especially Hines on "Honeysuckle Rose" and Bigard's clarinet solo on the otherwise knockabout version of "Just You, Just Me"…