Joe Venuti

Joe Venuti – ..The Daddy of the Violin (1973/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 36:42 minutes | 694 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © MPS Classical

Joe Venuti pioneered the jazz violin; his virtuoso playing influenced generations of players from Stephane Grappelli to Jean-Luc Ponty and beyond. Famous for his “hot” style, his recordings with guitarist Eddie Lang in the late 1920s – early 30s are jazz milestones. He worked with the Dorseys, Bix Beiderbecke, and Benny Goodman. Venuti was “rediscovered” in the late 1960s. Recorded in 1971, the album also features the superb American pianist Lou Stein. Signor Venuti’s Gershwin Medley covers an emotive Summertime, an infectious ‘S Wonderful, a relaxed Embraceable You, a happy-go-lucky Lady Be Good, and an expressive Rhapsody in Blue that segues into a jumpin’ I Got Rhythm. Venuti bows to his Italian heritage on O Marie before transforming it into a jaunty piece of swing. After You’ve Gone has Joe playing melody-driven improvisations with seemingly limitless creative embellishments. Fats Waller’s Honeysuckle Rose is taken at a medium-slow pace with lots of feel before double timing it. Lover begins romantically, then moves into ¾ before ending up in a romping 4/4. The Dixieland classic Muskrat Ramble has a stately bounce as Venuti trades with the drums. Venuti’s One Finger Joe is a medium-tempo blues that jumps into double time. Originally recorded in 1927, the Venuti-Lang composition Doin’ Things sold over 600,000 copies and made Venuti a star – a fitting piece to end on.
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Joe Venuti – Once More with Feeling (1969/2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 30:41 minutes | 574 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Ovation Records

Joe Venuti, regarded by some as the Father of Jazz Violin, enjoyed a recording career under his own billing that stretched from 1926 to 1978. Besides momentary lapses in the years after 1935 and one big gap from 1961 to 1967, this activity is practically continuous. But in his last decade, Joe effectively surpassed his prodigious 1926 to 1960 output in the sheer number of late recordings he made, transforming it into a large and bewildering legacy. For most listeners, a decent collection drawn from the years 1926 to 1935 is sufficient, and the number of compilations derived from that period nearly equals the number of original 78 rpm record releases themselves.
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