Rotations

Also worth finding is Top 'N' Bottom, part three in Delmark's series devoted to the complete United recordings of Tab Smith. An important if unacclaimed alto and tenor sax giant who spent the Forties in the orchestras of Count Basie and Lucky Millinder, Smith led his own combo throughout the Fifties, wedding masterfully the taut swing of small-combo jazz with the swagger and raunch of honking uptown R&B. His lone hit for United, 1951's "Because of You," is included on Delmark's Jump Time (part one of the series), and his greatest performance -- "Sunny Side of the Street" -- appears on part two, Ace High. But Top 'N' Bottom features a wealth of previously unissued essential wailers and weepers, from the heartbreaking "My Ideal" to a stunning, swooping version of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." (Delmark, 4121 N. Rockwell, Chicago, IL 60618)