Book Excerpt: The Early Swing Years 1930 - 1941

Author: Dave Oliphant
Copyright: 2002
Publisher: Greenwood Press, Westport Connecticut
ISBN: 0-313-30535-8

Page 59
The November 3, 1937 air check recording of "One O'Clock Jump" features a walking bass solo by Walter Page accompanied by Freddie Green on guitar. Green played on a July 7, 1937 recording of "One O'Clock Jump" but is not heard so prominently as he is on the air check. Green would become an indispensible addition to the Basie rhythm section and would help make it probably the most admired in the history of big band jazz.

Page 347
Regarding a January 12, 1938 recording session with Billie Holiday and Teddy Wilson: A special treat is in store for listeners when the rarely featured, normally only rhythm guitarist Freddie Green opens "On The Sentimental Side" and then continues to be spotlighted until Benny Morton takes a muted trombone break with Teddy Wilson's rippling runs in response. Green's ringing acoustic guitar passages are some of the richest in recorded jazz.

Page 414
Jo Jones relied on his high hat cymbal for time keeping and thus achieved a lighter sound that allowed for Freddie Green's guitar and Walter Page's bass to carry through more clearly and to create a richly harmonic and movingly driving swing.