Charles Ellsworth "Pee Wee" Russell was often pigeonholed--or wrongheadedly dismissed--as a "Dixieland" or "Chicago-style" clarinetist. What Russell (1906-1969) was, was the most determinedly (but never self-consciously) individualistic stylist on his instrument, whose oddly gritty tone, consistently surprising choice of notes, and river-deep feeling made his work a joy that could be shared by trad and modern jazz fans alike.
The two LPs paired herein, fro… MORE