Isham Jones was a saxophonist and bandleader, born in 1894 in Ohio, who grew up In Saginaw, Michigan, and started his career as a bandleader and songwriter in Chicago during WWI. His orchestra became one of the most popular and successful dance bands of the 1920s and ‘30s, coming early to the recording scene during the early years of post-war euphoria and having an extraordinary string of huge hits in the first half of the decade which established his profile and reputation, writing several of those with lyricist Gus Kahn. 

This 73-track 3-CD collection comprises all 73 of his US hits, all achieved during the inter-war years through to 1938, with releases on the Brunswick, Victor, Decca and Vocalion through that era. It features all eight of his No. 1s with “Wabash Blues”, “On The Alamo”, “Swingin’ Down the Lane”, “Spain”, “It Had To Be You” and “I’ll See You In My Dreams”, “Remember” and “Star Dust”, all on Brunswick through to 1930. It includes performances by his featured vocalists over the years, Frank Munn, Alfie Evans, Keller Sisters, Billy Scott, Dave Franks, Rita Smith, Joe Martin and Eddie Stone. 

He was one of the bandleaders whose music drew on jazz idioms, but who achieved huge popularity in the middle ground of the US public, and this is collection encapsulates the music that made him such a formidable force in popular music between the wars.

CD 1
1. A YOUNG MAN'S FANCY Isham Jones Rainbo Orch. (Brunswick 5014) 1920 
2. KISMET Isham Jones Rainbo Orch. (Brunswick 5021) 1920 
3. WHIP-POOR-WILL Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 5045) 1921 
4. LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 5045) 1921 
5. MY MAMMY Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 5046) 1921 
6. MAKE BELIEVE Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 5049) 1921 
7. WABASH BLUES Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 5065) 1921 
8. ON THE ALAMO Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2245) 1922 
9. MY HONEY'S LOVIN' ARMS Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2301) 1922 
10. THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR THE SUNRISE Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2313) 1922 
11. SAY IT WHILE DANCING Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2314) 1922 
12. BROKEN-HEARTED MELODY Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2343) 1923 
13. IVY CLING TO ME Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 5177) 1923 
14. SAW MILL RIVER ROAD Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2406) 1923 
15. FAREWELL BLUES Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2406) 1923 
16. SWINGIN' DOWN THE LANE Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2438) 1923 
17. WHO'S SORRY NOW Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2438) 1923 
18. MARCHETA Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2439) 1923 
19. WHEN YOU WALKED OUT, SOMEONE ELSE WALKED RIGHT IN Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2456) 1923 
20. MAMA LOVES PAPA Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2506) 1924 
21. THE ONE I LOVE BELONGS TO SOMEBODY ELSE Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2555) 1924 
22. YOU'RE IN KENTUCKY SURE AS YOU'RE BORN Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2557) 1924 
23. NOBODY'S SWEETHEART Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2578) 1924 
24. NEVER AGAIN Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2577) 1924

CD 2
1. SPAIN Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2600) 1924 
2. IT HAD TO BE YOU Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2614) 1924 
3. SOME OTHER DAY, SOME OTHER GIRL Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2678) 1924 
4. TELL ME, DREAMY EYES Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2738) 1925 
5. MY BEST GIRL Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2750) 1925 
6. GOTTA GETTA GIRL Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2750) 1925 
7. I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS Isham Jones With Ray Miller's Orch. (Brunswick 2788) 1925 
8. WHY COULDN'T IT BE POOR LITTLE ME Isham Jones With Ray Miller's Orch. (Brunswick 2788) 1925 
9. ALABAMY BOUND Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2789) 1925 
10. RIVERBOAT SHUFFLE Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2854) 1925 
11. SWANEE BUTTERFLY Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2854) 1925 
12. SWEET GEORGIA BROWN Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2913) 1925 
13. I'M TIRED OF EVERYTHING BUT YOU Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2933) 1925 
14. IDA I DO Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2915) 1925 
15. REMEMBER Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2963) 1925 
16. THE ORIGINAL CHARLESTON Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 2970) 1926 
17. MY CASTLE IN SPAIN Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 3015) 1926 
18. AT PEACE WITH THE WORLD Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 3199) 1926 
19. IT MADE YOU HAPPY WHEN YOU MADE ME  CRY Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 3335) 1926 
20. I LOST MY HEART IN MONTEREY (WHEN I FOUND YOU) Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 3333) 1926 
21. TOGETHER, WE TWO Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 3685) 1928 
22. WHAT'S THE USE Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 4810) 1930 
23. TREES Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 4586) 1930 
24. SWEET JENNIE LEE Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 4909) 1930 
25. LONESOME LOVER Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 6015) 1931

CD 3
1. STAR DUST Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 4586) 1930 
2. SNUGGLED ON YOUR SHOULDER (CUDDLED IN YOUR ARMS) Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 6249) 1932 
3. MY SILENT LOVE Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 6308) 1932 
4. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S TRUE Isham Jones Orch. (Brunswick 6308) 1932 
5. EVERYONE SAYS 'I LOVE YOU' Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24118) 1932 
6. I'LL NEVER HAVE TO DREAM AGAIN Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24134) 1932 
7. A LITTLE STREET WHERE OLD FRIENDS MEET Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24161) 1932 
8. IT ISN'T FAIR Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24367) 1933 
9. SHADOWS ON THE SWANEE Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24368) 1933 
10. THIS TIME IT'S LOVE Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24392) 1933 
11. I KNEW YOU WHEN Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24584) 1934 
12. OVER SOMEBODY ELSE'S SHOULDER Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24582) 1934
13. NEIGHBOURS Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24582) 1934 
14. I HATE MYSELF (FOR BEING SO MEAN TO YOU) Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24595) 1934 
15. WITH MY EYES WIDE OPEN I'M DREAMING Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24643) 1934 
16. LITTLE MAN, YOU'VE HAD A BUSY DAY Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24633) 1934 
17. FROM NOW ON Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24682) 1934 
18. FOR ALL WE KNOW Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24681) 1934 
19. SAY IT Isham Jones Orch. (Victor 24681) 1934 
20. CHINA BOY Isham Jones Orch. (Decca 443) 1935 
21. LIFE BEGINS WHEN YOU'RE IN LOVE Isham Jones Orch. (Decca 704) 1936 
22. (THERE IS) NO GREATER LOVE Isham Jones Orch. (Decca 704) 1936 
23. I WANNA BE IN WINCHELL'S COLUMN Isham Jones Orch. (Vocalion 3862) 1937 
24. THERE'S A GOLDMINE IN THE SKY Isham Jones Orch. (Vocalion 3910) 1937