These recordings came about because the directors of Club Francais du Livre decided to go into the record business. Their plan was to record the top French musicians of the time, each session having an American visiting guest star. One suspects that the documentation of each session was sketchy, for instance there is an unlisted Bass player on the Buck Clayton set and there are other similar anomalies. This in no way detracts from the music, the Buck Clayton session is a classic of the great and often underrated Mainstream Trumpet Man. Michelle de Villiers acquits himself very well on both Tenor and Baritone and the rhythm section is clean and swinging. Andre Persiany is a class act on keyboards and it sounds like a session where everyone was enjoying themselves…

Buck Clayton played smooth trumpet, warm and precise every step of the way. The first session included here appeared under the nominal leadership of Count Basie's rhythm guitarist, Freddie Green. After Lucky Thompson introduces "I'm in the Mood for Love," Sylvia Sims sings the lyric in attractive, easygoing tones. The flip side, an uncredited original called "Sugar Hips," is a typical mid-1945 exercise in what was at the time called both "rebop" and "bebop." Swing was now ready to morph into music of greater rhythmic and harmonic complexity. This track provides a fine example of Shadow Wilson's superb handling of hi-hat and drums. Sammy Benskin demonstrates a fine, muscular pianism. Dicky Wells seems to enjoy riding along on a tide of what were at the time decisively modern changes…

It wasn't until Buck Clayton made the European scene in 1949 that he had a chance to begin making records as a leader. Clayton cooked up 13 exceptionally fine tracks before heading back to New York. "High Tide" was a modern notion of Count Basie's. "Swingin' at Sundown" is immediately recognizable as "At Sundown," an old Walter Donaldson tune dating from the 1920s. The composer does not receive credit. Saxophonist Don Byas interacts busily with Clayton on "Who's Sorry Now" and the venerable "Sugar Blues." The trumpet is solely featured on "Blues in First," while "Blues in Second" is taken at almost exactly the same tempo, amounting to little more than a second take. "Don's Blues" is based on "Lester Leaps In"…

The first of the famous Buck Clayton jam sessions, the exciting music on this long out-of-print LP has been reissued as part of a Mosaic box set. Two songs ("Sentimental Journey" and "Moten Swing") are from a December 1953 session in which the trumpeter/leader is teamed with trumpeter Joe Newman, trombonists Urbie Green and Benny Powell, altoist Lem Davis, Julian Dash on tenor, baritonist Charlie Fowlkes, pianist Sir Charles Thompson, guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Walter Page and drummer Jo Jones. However it is "How Hi the Fi" (cut along with "Blue Moon" on March 31, 1954) that is most memorable…

Count Basie veterans Buck Clayton and tenorman Buddy Tate teamed up during 1960-61 for a pair of Swingville recordings. This CD reissues the first one, a quintet outing with pianist Sir Charles Thompson, bassist Gene Ramey and drummer Mousie Alexander. The repertoire is split between three standards (including "When a Woman Loves a Man") and three Clayton originals. The melodic music consistently swings and practically defines "mainstream" jazz.

A sample of friendly jazzy affinity between real Swing players with the virtues that should have to jam. These rare transatlantic dates issued by HRS & Vogue performs Basie-ite trumpeter Clayton (for whom Stanley Dance coined the term "Mainstream") with solid feelings of Tiny Grimes, Dicky Wells-Trummy Young, Don Byas, George Johnson and young pianist Billy Taylor, or French cats like Alix Combelle & André Persiany in four sessions that can be considered among the final small-group swing events of the classic era.