Personnel: Louis Jordan (vocals, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Carl Hogan (guitar); Josh Jackson (tenor saxophone); Aaron Izenhall, Eddie Roane (trumpet); Arnold Thomas, Wild Bill Davis (piano); Eddie Byrd, Shadow Wilson (drums).

Audio Remasterers: George Ingram; John Eberle.

Recording information: 09/??/1943-07/12/1945.

Arranger: Wild Bill Davis.

On seven occasions between 1943 and 1945, Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five were featured on V-Disc releases. Most of the material comes from radio transcriptions of the Armed Forces Radio Show broadcasts, although some result from studio recordings made by Jordan intended for release as a V-Disc. These are especially welcome since they represent the only studio recording Jordan and his group ever made of some of these tunes. During this 1943-1945 period, Jordan was at the top of his form, combining his special blend of musicianship and showmanship as he and the Five romp through a play list of up-tempo numbers for the benefit of the men in the armed services during World War II. Included on the program are Jordan compositions that have become classics, such as "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?" Longtime Tympany Five trumpet player Eddie Roane gets a lot of exposure. His fabulous lead on "I Like 'Em Fat Like That" and the give and take with Jordan on "I've Found a New Baby" are two of the album's highlights. Wild Bill Davis shows up to play the piano on "Bahama Joe" and "Nobody But Me." This is an album that simply bursts with joy in a harmony of jazz and blues as only Jordan could provide. Kudos to Collectors' Choice for gathering up this material and releasing it on a CD, even though there are barely 30 minutes of music. ~ Dave Nathan

Jump blues master Louis Jordan was terrifically popular during the war years--his sassy "G.I. Jive" was a huge hit at the time--and like many of the other popular entertainers of the era, particularly swing musicians, Jordan performed at USO shows and others contributed to the war effort. One of the most popular ways for musicians to show their support for our boys overseas was to record V-Discs, special live transcriptions that were broadcast overseas over Armed Forces Radio and played in USO canteens. Jordan recorded fourteen tracks for V-Discs between 1942 and 1944, and all of them are collected on this disc. Jordan was a consummate showman who gave his all for every performance, but these sessions sound worlds better than the majority of live recordings from the '40s because they were professionally done. The sound is a little tinny in spots, but the historical import of these recordings is as undeniable as their musical worth.