Abe Lyman & His California Orchestra • All The Hits And More

Although he was born in Chicago, Abe Lyman (1897-1957) spent much of his professional life working in the Los Angeles area. A solid drummer, he began leading bands around 1919, playing in night clubs and hotels on a regular basis into the mid-1940s. His band toured Europe in 1929, appeared in several films in 1930, and was a fixture on the radio, making a series of recordings during 1922-46. Abe Lyman & His California Orchestra’s All The Hits And More is a two CD set tracing the group’s evolution. While Lyman’s band could play jazz as they show on rather rapid versions of “Twelfth Street Rag” from 1926 and 1932’s “Milenburg Joys,” they were primarily a dance band. None of Lyman’s sidemen became famous although he tended to have a worthy trumpet and trombone soloist for their occasional hot numbers, and one wishes that they had opportunities to stretch out much more. The 48 numbers on this twofer, which are in chronological order, essentially trace the history of dance music during the era, from overcrowded-sounding acoustic recordings to jazzy numbers of the late 1920s, Depression era ballads, swing era tunes, and later novelties. Most of the performances have vocals including from the band’s regular singer Charles Kaley, Al Jolson (two guest appearances), frequently anonymous studio vocalists and, after 1939, Lyman’s wife Rose Blane. The musicianship of L