(Bop) Rusty Dedrick All-Stars - A Salute to Bunny Berigan - 1957, MP3, 320 kbps

This obscure date was a really surprising choice for DCC to reissue on an audiophile CD; audiophile sets are usually reserved for famous sessions. For this project, trumpeter Rusty Dedrick performs ten selections recorded by (and sometimes closely identified with) the great Bunny Berigan. Although Dedrick comes across as a swing-based stylist, this is not a recreation date (other than "I Can't Get Started"), and some of the music comes closer to West Coast jazz than to 1930s swing. Baritonist John LaPorta, pianist Jack Keller, bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Clem de Rosa are all fairly modern players, and the numbers (which include "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm," "The Prisoner's Song," "Frankie and Johnny" and "Livery Stable Blues") are often given more up-to-date arrangements. However, the spirit of Bunny Berigan is felt throughout, particularly in Dedrick's solos, and the little-known set definitely has its moments of interest.