The Metronome All-Stars

Metronome Newspaper had an annual poll during 1939-1961 that picked who their visitors considered the very best jazz instrumentalists on each device for that yr. Unlike with additional journal polls, Metronome in fact documented the all-stars (attempting for the real winners, but generally also including several runners-up) on a reasonably regular basis with classes gathering the victors from the 1939-1942, 1945-1950, 1953, and 1956 contests. Generally, the group documented two tracks and there have been brief solos (generally one chorus) from virtually all the participants. The first groups had been swing-oriented, as the later on ones were filled up with best bop players, but occasionally the mix of players was uncommon. Shows included Benny Goodman using a lot of his alumni in 1940 (including Harry Wayne, Jess Stacy, and Gene Krupa); Nat “Ruler” Cole and June Christy posting the vocal mike on “Nat Matches June” (1946); Dizzy Gillespie, Excess fat Navarro, and Kilometers Davis trading off in 1949; and Billy Eckstine scatting quite efficiently in 1953. A jam on “Billie’s Jump” in 1956 covered up the important series, that was recorded for brands now possessed by Columbia, RCA, and Capitol.