Louis Jordan - No Moe! Louis Jordan's Greatest Hits (1992)

With the exception of four numbers taken from a 1957 set in which he heads a quintet co-starring organist Jackie Davis, this CD consists of a dozen songs taken from a 1956 date already reissued (with additional material) on the previously issued CD Rock 'n' Roll. Louis Jordan, who had not had a new hit since 1951 (and unfortunately none were in the future) is mostly heard remaking his earlier triumphs such as "Saturday Night Fish Fry," "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens," and "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie." The music is spirited, but the earlier CD is the better purchase.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
Don't be fooled by the track listing. Although the song names might make you think that many of these tracks can be found on the 5cd compilation "Louis Jordan and His Tympany 5," this CD actually features different recordings of the same songs. Personally, I like the versions on "No Moe" more--they're faster and more energetic, especially on "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" and "Saturday Night Fish Fry." On "No Moe," for example, Jordan gets through "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" in 2'33", whereas he takes a full 3'05" on the 5-CD set. It's the same number of notes--Louis and his band just zip through them much faster on this recording!
Also, because the tracks on "No Moe" were recorded later, the sound is a little better--it sounds brighter and cleaner to my (not at all trained) ears.
All in all, this is a great high-energy introduction to Louis Jordan and his swinging sense of humor.