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Jay McShann was an R&B, blues and jazz pianist, singer, composer and bandleader, originally hailing from Oklahoma but basing himself in Kansas City. He played an important role during the 1940s and ‘50s scene as a leading performer of a particular style of R&B which spanned the various shades of the genre, and provided an important vehicle for top vocalists of the era like Jimmy Witherspoon and Walter Brown, as well as an early staging post for fellow Kansas City luminary Charlie Parker. This 77-track 3-CD collection comprises recordings, both solo and with his various line-ups, from these years on the Decca, Capitol, Aladdin, Premier, Mercury, Supreme, Swing Time/Downbeat, Modern, Rex Hollywood and Vee Jay labels. It includes the No. 1 R&B hit “Ain’t Nobody’s Business (Pts 1&2)” featuring Jimmy Witherspoon, and his other hits “Get Me On Your Mind”, “Buttermilk”, “Hot Biscuits” and Hands Off”. It features performances by featured vocalists Jimmy Witherspoon, Walter Brown, Julia Lee, Numa Lee Davis, Lois Booker, Maxine Reed and Priscilla Bowman. Although he continued performing through the rest of the century, this collection captures an era at which he was at the peak of his influence and relevance, and is a great showcase for his distinctive style of R&B and blues.
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