This Classics CD reissues drummer Cozy Cole's sessions for Continental, Keynote, and Guild, most of which have been out of print for years. The two Continental dates feature overlapping all-star groups (with trumpeter Charlie Shavers, clarinetist Hank D'Amico, Coleman Hawkins, Walter "Foots" Thomas, and/or Don Byas on tenors, Clyde Hart or Johnny Guarnieri on piano, guitarist Tiny Grimes, bassist Slam Stewart, and the drummer/leader), but are sometimes a bit frustrating. Since every player is a potential soloist and the performances are limited to around three minutes apiece, the solos are almost cameos, generally eight or 16 bars apiece. The most memorable spot, Hawkins' exploration of "When Day Is Done," finds the great tenor doing what he can with his half chorus…

Check this out - probably the best overall Cozy Cole collection, and possibly one of the top picks for mid-'40s small-group swing. There are distinct reasons for such a strongly stated claim. They are, specifically: Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Budd Johnson, and Don Byas. Got that? Three additional reasons are Teddy Wilson, Johnny Guarnieri, and Earl Hines. This is no offhand list of incidental participants, but a pantheon of indispensable figures in mid-20th century jazz. Their combined experience and influence add up to direct involvement with the heart and soul of this music, from Armstrong and Ellington to Bird and Diz. Glance at the rest of the collective personnel and you're confronted with a stunning lineup containing some of the most accomplished jazz musicians on the scene during the year 1944…