Personnel: Illinois Jacquet (tenor saxophone); Wynonie Harris (vocals); Freddie Green (guitar); Leo Parker (baritone saxophone); Joe Newman (trumpet); Sir Charles Thompson, Bill Doggett (piano); Charles Mingus (bass instrument); Denzil Best (drums).
Liner Note Author: Dan Morgenstern.
Issued in 2002, this excellent Illinois Jacquet compilation finds the Texas-bred saxophone player leading his ensemble through a set of top-notch mid-1940s sessions. While Jacquet is easily the main attraction with his boisterous tenor playing (see the lively "Bottoms Up" and a speedy rendition of Count Basie's "Jumpin' at the Woodside"), these dates are also notable for the presence of a young bassist, one Charles Mingus, who would of course go on to become one of the greatest jazz composers of the late '50s and early '60s. For Jacquet fans, Mingus completists, and/or jump-blues aficionados in general, JUMPIN' AT APOLLO is a noteworthy release.
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