Big Jay McNeely - The Best Of Big Jay McNeely

Side A
1. Barrelhouse Stomp
2. Deacon's Hop
3. All That Wine Is Gone
4. Deacon Blows For Ray
5. Tall, Brown Woman
6. The Goof
7. Big Jay Shuffle
8. Nervous Man Nervous
9. Hometown Jamboree

Side B
1. 3-D
2. Teen Age Hop
3. Let's Work
4. Striptease Swing
5. Beachcomber
6. Big Jay's Hop
7. Jay's Rock
8. There Is Something On Your Mind
9. Flying Home

Big Jay! Not only is he still with us, he’s still sending audiences wild with his tear-the-paper-off-the-walls saxophonic screeching. This 1985 career spanning Mr R&B compilation LP contains plenty of what were once called “pyrotechnics” but there’s also enough variety in the material to show that there has always been more to Big Jay’s music than 100mph squealing.

The Federal sides occupy a large part of the LP. These include some of the wildest recordings ever put on wax, such as “The Goof” and “3D” but the more relaxed “Big Jay Shuffle” with Big Jay on baritone sax for once, is a nice contrast. UK fans will recognise this as the closing theme to Mark Lamarr’s “Shake, Rattle and Roll” show on BBC Radio2. The opening theme, “Nervous Man Nervous” is also on this collection. “The Goof” was the first Big Jay track I ever heard. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Here’s a couple of Federal EP covers from Joan:



Here’s a quick track-by track guide to this marvellous LP:

Barrelhouse Stomp – Big Jay solos on Johnny Otis Orchestra track, Excelsior 1947.

Deacon’s Hop – the track that made Big Jay a star – Savoy 1948.

All That Wine Is Gone – recorded for Imperial 1950, lead vocal by Jesse Belvin.

Deacon Blows For Ray and Tall, Brown Woman (vocal by Marvin Phillips) – 2 more Imperial tracks, 1951 (poor sound quality).

Hometown Jamboree and Teen Age Hop – released on Bayou in 1953, these 2 tracks are Imperial recordings from 1951 with overdubbed crowd noise.

The Goof, Big Jay Shuffle, Nervous Man Nervous, 3D, Let’s Work, Striptease Swing and Beachcomber – recorded for Federal 1952-1954.

Big Jay’s Hop and Jay’s Rock – recorded for Vee-Jay 1955.

There Is Something On Your Mind (vocal by Little Sonny Warner) recorded in Seattle and released on Hunter Hancock’s Swingin’ label, 1958. A huge R&B and pop hit.

Flying Home – powerhouse rendition of the Lionel Hampton classic. Recorded in Seattle, 1958. Unreleased.

Ripped from vinyl at a honking 320 kbps.

Download from here:

The Best Of Big Jay McNeely (Mega)

The Best Of Big Jay McNeely (Zippy)

1. Barrelhouse Stomp
2. Deacon's Hop
3. All That Wine Is Gone
4. Deacon Blows For Ray
5. Tall, Brown Woman
6. The Goof
7. Big Jay Shuffle
8. Nervous Man Nervous
9. Hometown Jamboree
10. 3-D
11. Teen Age Hop
12. Let's Work
13. Striptease Swing
14. Beachcomber
15. Big Jay's Hop
16. Jay's Rock
17. There Is Something On Your Mind
18. Flying Home

Recommended purchases:



Nervous Man Nervous: Big Jay McNeely and the Rise of the Honking Tenor Sax! (Big Nickel, 1994). Jim Dawson’s biography of Big Jay with sections on Jack McVea, Joe Houston, Chuck Higgins and Gil Bernal. Excellent account of the LA R&B scene and the rise and demise of the tenor sax as the leading instrument in R&B and rock and roll. A must buy for R&B fans. See link on sidebar (in Sites for Hep Cats) to Jim Dawson’s books.



CeeDees: there are two volumes of Big Jay available in the Chronological Classics series – 1951-1952 and 1953-1955. That gives you all the Imperial, Federal, Bayou and Vee Jay sides. A Classics CD of Big Jay’s 1940s sides for Savoy, Exclusive and Aladdin has long been out of print.



Swingin’ – Golden Classics has the sides recorded for Hunter Hancock’s label, including “There is Something on your Mind.”