Bill Doggett: In Session 1939-1962 / Various - CD

In Session: Bill Doggett shines a long-overdue spotlight on one of the great unsung architects of postwar American music. Before his own smash hit "Honky Tonk" made him a household name, Bill Doggett was the go-to pianist, organist, and arranger for an astonishing roll call of talent. This collection captures Doggett in his natural habitat - the studio - lending swing, grit, and gospel-drenched groove to recordings by artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Jordan, Wynonie Harris, Illinois Jacquet, Coleman Hawkins and Little Willie John. Spanning the 1940s through 1962, In Session moves effortlessly from big band swing to jump blues, early R&B, and proto-rock 'n' roll. This selection proves Doggett was a master of feel and finesse. His playing is never intrusive, always essential - the glue that binds the horns, the engine under the vocals, the pulse that makes the music move. These recordings document Bill Doggett not as the star attraction but as the musician other musicians relied on. The result is a vibrant portrait of a craftsman at work during a pivotal era in American music, heard here exactly where he belonged: in the studio and in the groove.