Jukebox Hits 1935-1947

Jazz criticism over the years has not been kind to Jimmie Lunceford and it was the band’s innate commerciality and rather vulgar amount of actual hits that may have turned off the jazz academics. Truth be known Jimmie Lunceford’s Orchestra was far and away the most popular swing band with Black audiences, ever. Basie and Ellington are considered the epitome of hit Black bands, but Lunceford was way up there with them. This CD brings together all of Lunceford’s biggest chart hits. No band could compete with them for dancing, but until now most CDs by Lunceford have been part of a chronological series or a package geared more to the jazz fan rather than the R&B or dance fan, which is what you get here.