VA - Jazz In California: Fred Elizalde and the Hollywood / Sunset Bands 1924-1926 (2000)

There is a lot of obscure material on this CD for 1920s collectors to enjoy. Pianist-arranger Fred Elizalde is best known (such as he is) for his work in England in the late '20s. Particularly obscure are the nine titles that he cut in Hollywood in June 1926, all with a five-horn nonet except his unaccompanied piano solo on "Siam Blues." The performances are superior hot dance band sides, including "That Certain Feeling" and "Boneyard Shuffle." The remainder of this CD features little-known bands active in Los Angeles during 1924-1926 that recorded for the Sunset label: Major & His Orchestra, the Lake Arrowhead Orchestra, the Trocadero Melody Boys, Eddie Frazier's Plantation Orchestra, Carlyle Stevenson's Bon Ton Orchestra (one of the few bands in which some of the personnel has been identified), Hank Frye's Virginia Hotel Orchestra, Steve White's Sunset Recording Orchestra, Owen Fallon's Californians, the Sunset Recording Orchestra, Lada's Louisiana Five, and Ray Gills' Movieland Orchestra. The music is excellent even if the performances (and the musicians) have been long forgotten. -- Scott Yanow