PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
A CD that should be in every jazz collection: the cream of the wonderful band called 'McKinney's Cotton Pickers' 26 vintage jazz classics. American drummer Bill McKinney (1895-1969) would not get a mention in any list of great jazz musicians, and didn't even play on the series of recordings made between 1928 and 1930 by 'McKinney's Cotton Pickers'. But any jazz critic will tell you that these are among the classics of jazz. Thanks to the inspired leadership of Don Redman, and the contributions of an extraordinary line-up of instrumental 'greats' Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Rex Stewart, Fats Waller and others they are a delight from start to finish. Never Swat A Fly (the title of a zany De Sylva, Brown & Henderson number) is Retrospective's selection of the 26 finest of these remarkable discs, from the first sessions in July 1928 (Four Or Five Times), through the amazing 1929 band with its incredible sax section of Don Redman, Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins, to their biggest hit If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight in 1930, and the group's final flourish (You re Driving Me Crazy).

REVIEW
This band was a real curiosity. A territory outfit from Detroit, it never gravitated to New York like so many contemporaries did and its name was in honour of the businessman who ran it, William McKinney, but who took no part in the music side. Saxophonist Don Redman, whose CV included composer and arranger for Fletcher Henderson's band, was appointed musical director; he contributed much to the band's success not only as an instrumentalist but also compositions, arrangements and characteristic vocals. These recordings span only a brief period of time, and they are very much of their time, but this is an entertaining collection with a playing time of nearly 80 minutes. Astonishingly clear sound and bright acoustic which makes light of the fact that these tracks are nearly 90 years old! --In Tune