Jay McShann was an R&B, blues and jazz pianist, singer, composer and bandleader, originally hailing from Oklahoma but basing himself in Kansas City. He played an important role during the 1940s and ‘50s scene as a leading performer of a particular style of R&B which spanned the various shades of the genre, and provided an important vehicle for top vocalists of the era like Jimmy Witherspoon and Walter Brown, as well as an early staging post for fellow Kansas City luminary Charlie Parker.  

This 77-track 3-CD collection comprises recordings, both solo and with his various line-ups, from these years on the Decca, Capitol, Aladdin, Premier, Mercury, Supreme, Swing Time/Downbeat, Modern, Rex Hollywood and Vee Jay labels. 

It includes the No. 1 R&B hit “Ain’t Nobody’s Business (Pts 1&2)” featuring Jimmy Witherspoon, and his other hits “Get Me On Your Mind”, “Buttermilk”, “Hot Biscuits” and Hands Off”. It features performances by featured vocalists Jimmy Witherspoon, Walter Brown, Julia Lee, Numa Lee Davis, Lois Booker, Maxine Reed and Priscilla Bowman. 

Although he continued performing through the rest of the century, this collection captures an era at which he was at the peak of his influence and relevance, and is a great showcase for his distinctive style of R&B and blues.

Tracks

CD 1
1. CONFESSIN' THE BLUES Jay McShann  (Decca 8559) 1941 
2. HOOTIE BLUES Jay McShann & His Orch. (Decca 8559) 1941 
3. SWINGMATISM Jay McShann & His Orch. (Decca 8570) 1941 
4. VINE STREET BOOGIE Jay McShann With Bass And Drums (Decca 8570) 1941 
5. HOLD 'EM HOOTIE Jay McShann  (Decca 8583) 1941 
6. DEXTER BLUES Jay McShann & His Orch. (Decca 8583) 1941 
7. RED RIVER BLUES Jay McShann  (Decca 8595) 1941 
8. ONE WOMAN'S MAN Jay McShann Quartet (Decca 8607) 1941 
9. SO YOU WON'T JUMP Jay McShann Quartet (Decca 8607) 1941 
10. CRYIN' WON'T MAKE ME STAY Jay McShann Quartet (Decca 8623) 1941 
11. BABY HEART BLUES Jay McShann Quartet (Decca 8623) 1941 
12. FORE DAY RIDER Jay McShann  (Decca 8635) 1941 
13. LONELY BOY BLUES Jay McShann & His Orch. (Decca 4387) 1942 
14. SEPIAN BOUNCE Jay McShann & His Orch. (Decca 4387) 1942 
15. THE JUMPIN' BLUES Jay McShann & His Orch. (Decca 4418) 1942 
16. WRONG NEIGHBORHOOD Jay McShann & His Orch. (Decca 48037) 1943 
17. TROUBLE IN MIND McShann's Kansas City Stompers (Capitol 10030) 1944 
18. COME ON OVER TO MY HOUSE Julia Lee With Jay McShann (Capitol 10030) 1944 
19. MOTEN SWING McShann's Kansas City Stompers (Capitol 10039) 1944 
20. MCSHANN'S BOOGIE BLUES Jay McShann & His Jazzmen (Philo/Aladdin 107) 1945 
21. CONFESSIN' THE BLUES Jay McShann & His Jazzmen (Philo/Aladdin 108) 1945 
22. WALKING Jay McShann & His Jazzmen (Philo/Aladdin 108) 1945 
23. HARD WORKING MAN BLUES Jay McShann & His Jazzmen (Philo/Aladdin 109) 1945 
24. WHEN I'VE BEEN DRINKING Jay McShann & His Jazzmen (Philo/Aladdin 109) 1945

CD 2
1. HOOTIE BOOGIE Jay McShann (Premier 29010) 1945 
2. GARFIELD AVENUE BLUES Jay McShann's Sextet (Premier 29010) 1945 
3. CROWN PRINCE BOOGIE Jay McShann & His Orch. (Mercury 8014) 1946 
4. SHIPYARD WOMAN BLUES Jay McShann's Sextet (Mercury 8014) 1946 
5. ROLL ON, KATY Jay McShann Sextet (Mercury 8018) 1946 
6. ERNESTINE Jay McShann & His Sextet (Mercury 8018) 1946 
7. VOODOO WOMAN BLUES Jay McShann (Mercury 8020) 1946 
8. JIMTOWN BOOGIE Jimmy Witherspoon with Jay McShann (Mercury 8026) 1946 
9. I WANT A LITTLE GIRL Jay McShann (Mercury 8026) 1946 
10. GONE WITH THE BLUES Jay McShann (Mercury 8032) 1946 
11. HAVE YOU EVER LOVED A WOMAN? Jay McShann (Mercury 8032) 1946 
12. ALL MY GEETS ARE GONE Jay McShann (Mercury 8041) 1947 
13. STRANGE WOMAN BLUES Jay McShann & His Orchestra (Mercury 8041) 1947 
14. W.B. BLUES Walter Brown & Jay McShann Quartet (Mercury 8046) 1947 
15. PLEASE STOP PLAYING THOSE BLUES, BOY Jay McShann And His Orchestra (Mercury 8049) 1947 
16. BARFLY BLUES Jay McShann Orch. (Mercury 8049) 1947 
17. JUST THINKIN' Walter Brown And Jay McShann Quartet (Mercury 8054) 1947 
18. LOVIN' BEGGAR Walter Brown And Jay McShann Quartet (Mercury 8054) 1947 
19. FROGMORE BLUES Jimmy Witherspoon  with Jay McShann Orch. (Supreme 1505) 1947 
20. WEE BABY BLUES Jimmy Witherspoon  with Jay McShann Orch. (Supreme 1505) 1947 
21. AIN'T NOBODY'S BUSINESS PT1 Jimmy Witherspoon  with Jay McShann Orch. (Supreme 1506) 1947 
22. AIN'T NOBODY'S BUSINESS PT2 Jimmy Witherspoon  with Jay McShann Orch. (Supreme 1506) 1947 
23. THIRD FLOOR BLUES Jimmy Witherspoon (Supreme 1520) 1947 
24. BACK WATER BLUES Jimmy Witherspoon (Supreme 1520) 1947 
25. HOW LONG BLUES Jimmy Witherspoon with Jay McShann (Supreme 1545) 1947

CD 3
1. SKID ROW BLUES Jimmy Witherspoon with Jay McShann (Supreme 1545) 1947 
2. MONEY EYES WOMAN Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  145) 1948 
3. THINKIN' ABOUT MY BABY Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  150) 1948 
4. SPOON CALLS HOOTIE Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  157) 1948 
5. CALL MY BABY Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  157) 1948 
6. THE NEW LOOK Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  158) 1948 
7. BIG HEART Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  158) 1948 
8. M.R. BOOGIE Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  159) 1948 
9. DRUNK BROKE AND HUNGRY Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  160) 1948 
10. DESTRUCTION BLUES Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  Copyright Control) 1948 
11. FUNNY STYLE BABY Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  161) 1948 
12. COLD BLOODED BOOGIE Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  162) 1948 
13. LONG ABOUT DAWN Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  163) 1948 
14. LUSH HEAD WOMAN Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  163) 1949 
15. HOT BISCUITS Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  165) 1949 
16. SLOW DRAG BLUES Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  165) 1949 
17. BUTTERMILK Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  172) 1949 
18. TWELVE O'CLOCK WHISTLE Jay McShann  (Swing Time/Downbeat  172) 1949 
19. SOFT WINDS Jay McShann (Swing Time/Downbeat  205) 1949 
20. MELLO DRAG Jay McShann (Swing Time/Downbeat  314) 1949 
21. SAME OLD BLUES Hootie McShan & Jimmy Witherspoon (Modern 637) 1949 
22. COVER UP Jay McShann & His Band (Aladdin 3025) 1949 
23. SCOTTY CAN BLOW (KICKS) Jay McShann & His Band (Aladdin 3025) 1949 
24. WAY OUT Jay McShann & His Band (Rex Hollywood 28000) 1949 
25. HANDS OFF Jay Mc Shann' Orchestra  (VeeJay 155) 1955 
26. MY DARKEST NIGHT Jay Mc Shann' Orchestra  (VeeJay 179) 1955 
27. JAY'S JAM Jay Mc Shann' Orchestra  (VeeJay 191) 1955 
28. HOOTIE BLUES Jay Mc Shann' Orchestra  (VeeJay 213) 1955