Greatly admired by fellow musicians for his mastery of the saxophone, Earl Bostic's mavellous alto sax was also one of the great and distinctive sounds of both R&B and pop music and his records became perennials on juke boxes everywhere.
First recording with Lionel Hampton in 1939, he started leading his own regular large group in 1945, cutting back to a septet the following year, when he began recording regularly.
His bands became important training grounds for up-and-coming jazzmen like John Coltrane, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine and Benny Golson although he achieved his early reputation with jumping R&B tunes and his biggest hits in the '50s with more sophisticated material. This 4CD, 106 track set features all of his important recordings.
 

The Earl Bostic Story - Bostic, Earl  

Disc 1

1. The Man I Love
2. Hurricane Blues
3. The Major And The Minor
4. All On
5. Liza
6. That's The Groovy Thing - Part A
7. Tippin' In
8. Baby, You Don't Know It All
9. Jumpin' Jack
10. That's The Groovy Thing - Part B
11. The Barefoot Boy
12. That's The Heat You Gotta Beat
13. Let's Ball Tonight, Part 1
14. Let's Ball Tonight, Part 2
15. Away
16. Where Or When
16. Mambostic
17. Cuttin' Out
17. Time On My Hands
18. My Special Dream
18. Mambolino
19. I'm The Guy Who Loves You
19. These Foolish Things
20. Here Goes
20. Song Of The Islands
21. Bostic's Jump
21. Liebestraum
22. Earl's Rumboogie
22. Night And Day
23. Hot Sauce Boss
23. Sweet Lorraine
24. 845 Stomp
24. Beyond The Blue Horizon
25. Disc Jockey's Nightmare
25. East Of The Sun
26. Slightly Groovy
27. Bar Fly Baby

Disc 2

1. Artistry By Bostic
2. Scotch Jam
3. Apollo Theatre Jump
4. Serenade To Beauty
5. Tiger Rag
6. The Man I Love
7. Temptation
8. Bostic's Boogie Blues
9. Joy Dust
10. Wild Man
11. Watch Where You Walk Boy
12. Blip Boogie
13. From Midnight Till Dawn
14. Swing Low Sweet Boogie
15. Earl's Imagination
16. Earl Blows A Fuse
17. Nay! Nay! Go Away!
18. Who Snuck The Wine In The Gravy?
19. Earl's Blues
20. Sugar Hill Blues
21. Choppin' It Down
22. Filibuster
23. No Name Blues
24. Serenade
25. Seven Steps
26. Portrait Of Faded Love
27. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

Disc 3

1. Way Down
2. Don't You Do It
3. Merry Widow Waltz
4. Wrap It Up
5. Rockin' And Reelin'
6. September Song
7. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
8. Flamingo
9. Sleep
10. How Could It Have Been You And I
11. Always
12. I'm Getting Sentimenal Over You
13. The Moon Is Low
14. Lover Come Back To Me
15. Chains Of Love
16. I Got Loaded
17. Velvet Sunset
18. Moonglow
19. Linger Awhile
20. Ain't Misbehavin'
21. You Go To My Head
22. The Hour Of Parting
23. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
24. For You
25. Sheik Of Araby
26. Cherokee
27. Steamwhistle Jump

Disc 4

1. The Song Is Ended
2. Melancholy Serenade
3. The Very Thought Of You
4. Memories
5. What, No Pearls?
6. Smoke Rings
7. Deep Purple
8. Jungle Drums
9. Cracked Ice
10. Danube Waves
11. Poeme
12. My Heart At Thy Sweet Voice
13. O Sole Mio
14. Off Shore
15. Blue Skies
16. Mambostic
17. Time On My Hands
18. Mambolino
19. These Foolish Things
20. Song Of The Islands
21. Liebestraum
22. Night And Day
23. Sweet Lorraine
24. Beyond The Blue Horizon
25. East Of The Sun DISCOGRAPHY



DISC ONE: THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Roger Jones, Dick Vance, Benny Harris, tp; Claude Jones, Benny Morton, tb; Eddie Barefield, cl; Earl Bostic, as; Don Byas, Walter â??Footsâ? Thomas, ts; Ed Finkel, p; Tiny Grimes, g; Al Hall, b; Cozy Cole, d.

New York, November - December 1945



T.614-3 THE MAN I LOVE

T.615-3 HURRICANE BLUES

T-616-8 THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR

T-617-8 ALL ON



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Lemon Boler, tp; Tony Scott, cl; Earl Bostic, as; John Hardee, ts; George Parker, p; Jimmy Shirley, g; Jimmy Jones, b; Eddie Nicholson, d; Cousin Joe (as Brother Joshua), voc (-1), band voc (-2).

New York, circa February 1946.



S-134 LIZA

S-135 THATâ??S THE GROOVY THING - PART A (-2)

S-136 TIPPINâ?? IN

S-137 BABY, YOU DONâ??T KNOW IT ALL (-1)



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Same personnel as above, Earl Bostic, voc (-3)

New York, circa July 1946



S-152 JUMPINâ?? JACK (-3)

S-153 THATâ??S THE GROOVY THING - PART B (-2)

S-154 THE BAREFOOT BOY (-1)

S-155 THATâ??S THE HEAT YOU GOTTA BEAT



Earl Bosticâ??s Orchestra: Roger Jones, tp, voc (-1); Rudy Powell, cl, as; Earl Bostic, as, voc (-2); Ted Barnett, ts; George Parker, p; Jimmy Shirley, g; Vernon King, b; Chick Cruickson, d.

New York, Mid 1947



S-204 LETâ??S BALL TONIGHT - Part 1 (-2)

S-205 LETâ??S BALL TONIGHT - Part 2 (-2)

S-206 AWAY

S-207 WHERE OR WHEN



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Same personnel as above.



S-230 CUTTINâ?? OUT (-2)

S-231 MY SPECIAL DREAM (-1)

S-232 Iâ??M THE GUY WHO LOVES YOU (-1)

S-233 HERE GOES



Earl Bostic Quartet: Earl Bostic, as; George Parker, p; Vernon King, b; Shep Shepherd, d.

New York, Late 1947



S-239 BOSTICâ??S JUMP

S-240 EARLâ??S RUMBOOGIE

S-241 HOT SAUCE BOSS

S-242 8.45 STOMP



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Roger Jones, tp, voc (-1); Earl Bostic, as; Ted Barnett, ts; George Parker, p; Vernon King, b; Shep Sheperd, d.

New York, probably late 1947



S-247 DISC JOCKEYâ??S NIGHTMARE

S-249 SLIGHTLY GROOVY

S-250 BAR FLY BABY (-1)



DISC TWO : EARL BLOWS A FUSE


Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Probably same personnel as â??Disk Jockeyâ??s Nightmareâ?

New York, probably late 1947



X2 ARTISTRY BY BOSTIC

X3 SCOTCH JAM

X4 APOLLO THEATRE JUMP

X5 SERENADE TO BEAUTY

X6 TIGER RAG

X7 THE MAN I LOVE

X8 TEMPTATION

X9 BOSTICâ??S BOOGIE BLUES

X12 JOY DUST

WILD MAN



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Roger Jones, tp, voc (-1); Earl Bostic, as, voc (-1); Lowell â??Countâ? Hastings, ts; Jaki Byard, p; Vernon King, b; Shep Shepherd, d.

Cincinnati, January 12, 1949



K5654 WATCH WHERE YOU WALK, BOY (-1)

K5655 BLIP BOOGIE

K5656 FROM MIDNIGHT TILL DAWN

K5657 SWING LOW SWEET BOOGIE



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Same personnel as above

Cincinnati, January 13, 1949



K5660 EARLâ??S IMAGINATION

K5661 EARL BLOWS A FUSE



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Roger Jones, tp; Earl Bostic, as, voc (-1); Count Hastings, ts; Rufus Webster, p; Clifton â??Keterâ? Betts, b; Shep Shepherd, d.

New York, May 28, 1949



K5730 NAY! NAY! GO AWAY! (-1)

K5732 WHO SNUCK THE WINE IN THE GRAVY? (-1)

K5733 EARLâ??S BLUES (-1)



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Same personnel as above, but add unknown, g

New York, August 8, 1949



K5757 SUGAR HILL BLUES

K5758 CHOPPINâ?? IT DOWN

K5759 FILIBUSTER

K5760 NO NAME BLUES



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Earl Bostic, as; Count Hastings, ts; Gene Redd, vib; Clifton Smalls, p; Al Casey, g; Keter Betts, b; Joe Marshall, d; Helen Young, voc (-1); band vocal (-2)

New York, March 23, 1950



K5878 SERENADE

K5879 SEVEN STEPS

K5880 PORTRAIT OF A FADED LOVE (-1)

K5881 WRAP YOUR TROUBLES IN DREAMS (-2)





DISC THREE : FLAMINGO


Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Earl Bostic, as, voc (-1); Count Hastings, ts; Gene Redd, vib; Cliff Smalls, p; Edward Barefield, g; Keter Betts, b; Joe Marshall, d.

New York, October 13, 1950



K5975 WAY DOWN (-1)

K5976 DONâ??T YOU DO IT

K5977 MERRY WIDOW WALTZ

K5978 WRAP IT UP



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Gene Redd, tp, vib; Earl Bostic, as; Count Hastings, ts; Cliff Smalls, p; Rene Hall, g; Keter Betts, b; Jimmy Cobb, d; Clyde Terrell, voc (-1)

New York, January 10, 1951



K9004 ROCKINâ?? AND REELINâ?? (-1)

K9005 SEPTEMBER SONG (-1)

K9006 I CANâ??T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE

K9007 FLAMINGO









Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Same personnel as above

New York, January 23, 1951



K9018-1 SLEEP

K9019 HOW COULD IT HAVE BEEN YOU AND I (-1)

K9020-1 ALWAYS

K9021 Iâ??M GETTING SENTIMENTAL OVER YOU



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Earl Bostic, as; Buddy Miles, as, bs; Wilbur Campbell, ts; Gene Redd, vib; Cliff Smalls, p; Ike Isaacs, b; Jimmy Cobb, d; Clyde Terrell (-1)

Cincinnati, October 4, 1951



K9085-1 THE MOON IS LOW

K9086-1 LOVER COME BACK TO ME

K9087 CHAINS OF LOVE (-1)

K9088 I GOT LOADED (-1)



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Richard â??Blueâ? Mitchell, tp; Earl Bostic, as; Pinky Williams, as, bs; John Coltrane, ts; Gene Redd, vib; Joe Knight, p; Jimmy Shirley, g; Ike Isaacs, b; Specs Wright, d.

New York, April 7, 1952



K8200-1 VELVET SUNSET

K8201-1 MOONGLOW

K8202-1 LINGER AWHILE

K8203-1 AINâ??T MISBEHAVINâ??



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Blue Mitchell, tp; Earl Bostic, as; Pinky Williams, as, bs; John Coltrane, ts; Gene Redd, vib; Joe Knight, p; Harold Grant, g; Ike Isaacs, b; Specs Wright, d.

Los Angeles, August 14, 1952



K9170-1 YOU GO TO MY HEAD

K9171 THE HOUR OF PARTING

K9172-1 SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES

K9173 FOR YOU



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Blue Mitchell, tp; Earl Bostic, as; Ray Felder, ts; Gene Redd, vib; Joe Knight, p; Mickey Baker, g; Ike Isaacs, b; George Brown, d.

New York, December 17, 1952



K9223-1 THE SHEIK OF ARABY

K9224 CHEROKEE

K9225 STEAMWHISTLE JUMP





DISC FOUR: CRACKED ICE


Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Same personnel and date as â??Steamwhistle Jumpâ?, but add Bill Williams, voc



K9226 THE SONG IS ENDED



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Blue Mitchell, Tommy Turrentine, tp; Earl Bostic, as; Stanley Turrentine, ts; Luis Rivera, p; Herman Mitchell, g; Mario Delagarde, b; Albert Bartee, d.

Los Angeles, June 6, 1953



K9293 MELANCHOLY SERENADE

K9294 THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU

K9295 MEMORIES

K9296 WHAT, NO PEARLS?



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Blue Mitchell, Tommy Turrentine, tp; Earl Bostic, as; Stanley Turrentine, ts; Edward Richley, vib; Alexander Sample, p; Charles Grayson, g; Bob Breston, b; Granville T. Hogan, d.

Cincinnati, August 24, 1953



K9325 SMOKE RINGS

K9326 DEEP PURPLE

K9327 JUNGLE DRUMS

K9328 CRACKED ICE





Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Blue Mitchell, Tommy Turrentine, tp; Earl Bostic, as; Stanley Turrentine, ts; Stash Oâ??Laughlin, p; Clarence Kenner, g; George Tucker, b; Granville T. Hogan, d.

Cincinnati, October 4, 1953



K9337 DANUBE WAVES

K9338 POEME

K9339 MY HEART AT THY SWEET VOICE

K9340 O SOLE MIO

K9341 OFF SHORE



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Blue Mitchell, Eldridge Morris, tp; Earl Bostic, as; Stanley Turrentine, ts; Stash Oâ??Laughlin, Celia Lopez, p; Mitchell Webb, g; George Tucker, b; Granville T. Hogan, d; Bob Bustamente, Bill Gallardo, Jose Mendoza, perc.

Los Angeles, May 27, 1954



K9435-1 BLUE SKIES

K9436-1 MAMBOSTIC

K9438-1 TIME ON MY HANDS

K9439-1 MAMBOLINO

K9440-1 THESE FOOLISH THINGS







Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Blue Mitchell, Eldridge Morris, tp; Earl Bostic, as; Benny Golson, ts; Teddy Charles, vib; Stash Oâ??Laughlin, p; Jimmy Shirley, g; George Tucker, b; Granville T. Hogan, d.

New York, October 8, 1954



K8501-1 SONG OF THE ISLANDS

K8503-1 LIEBESTRAUM

K8504-1 NIGHT AND DAY



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Same personnel as above

New York, October 9, 1954



K8505-2 SWEET LORRAINE



Earl Bostic and his Orchestra: Elmon Wright, Johnny Coles, tp; Earl Bostic, Benny Carter, as; Benny Golson, ts; Frank Flynn, vib; Stash Oâ??Laughlin, p; Ulysses Livingston, g; George Tucker, b; Granville T. Hogan, d; Strings

Los Angeles, May 4, 1955



K9627-1 BEYOND THE BLUE HORIZON

K9628-1 EAST OF THE SUN