Editorial Review:

Album Description:
The continuation of Glenn Miller's Wartime Band after his disappearance over the English Channel. Recorded at a pub frequented by the band while in France that had a disc cutter hooked up to the P.A. system. Completed May 20, 1943, just 12 days after the end of World War II, the band had now been aptly named "The Jazz Club Mystery Hot Band." Featuring Mel Powell (p), Bernie Privin (tp), Peanuts Hucko (cl, as, ts), Django Reinhardt (g), Joe Shulman (b), and Ray McKinley (d).

Rating: - Glenn's Guys on their own.
A wonderful addition to any collection of Major Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band recordings. After Major Miller was lost during his flight to Paris, the Allied Expeditionary Force Orchestra went through a difficult time being without his leadership when they arrived in France. This is a recording of a group of the men from the band, getting together to record some tunes on their own time at a club in Paris. Originally, the recordings were released without disclosing who the band members were, ... Read More

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Rating: - Forgotten master
This CD is a dream come true. It is a CD I thought would never come out. Alex Hill died at the age of 30, in 1937, right on the threshold of some kind of fame as a brilliant composer, arranger and pianist. In my listening to Jazz of this period, I have occasionally been struck by his name's coming up when I looked at composer credits. Almost invariably, his was the most interesting composition on the CD. This happened with a Willie Bryant disc and a King Oliver disc, and, most notably, with the classic ... Read More

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Rating: - GI's In France
A great find ,I was fortunate enough to be friend of Ray McKinley's and Mac spoke of the Sessions,but was'nt sure what happened to them , so I feel that eventhough the Quality may not be perfect the Music is more than worth the listening.A Wonderful find and a must for the Miller Collector. Great Samples of Django Reinhardt ,Mac and the guys having a great time doing what they do best.you will not stop listening to it once you have it. Good listening

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Rating: - Great Music - Not Remastered
While the music is the best, the recording is not. The people who released the CD did nothing to clean up the quality before release. That is disappointing. Also the cover leaves fails to mention that Ray McKinley is the drummer on the recording. Big oversight. The liner notes have some good information on the session. They were lifted from the book, "Next to a Letter from Home," a story of the Army Airforce Orchestra during World War II.

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Rating: - Jazz Club Francaise - Paris 1945 - A Treasure
This is one of the best jazz recordings ever. The boys were lifting the morale of the army that had just helped win the war, and they were swinging. Ray McKinley (drums & leader) and his pals, Peanuts Hucko (reeds), Mel Powell (piano), Bernie Priven (horn) and Joe Shulman (bass) joined Django Reinhardt (guitar)at a little hot Paris jazz spot. It was magic. Ray was always considered the jazzman's drummer because he could really keep time. You can hear his solid beat driving the Dorseys, Glenn Miller ... Read More