"Runnin' Wild" traces the early years of one of America's most celebrated entertainers of the 20th century. Known to generations for his cries of "Is everybody happy?", before he became the High-Hatted Tragedian of Song, Ted Lewis led one of the most popular and successful jazz bands. From New York to Chicago to San Francisco, in the early 1920s Lewis was hailed as the "King of Jazz," and his recordings of the period reveal a vitality and freshness that continues to delight and engage listeners nearly a century later. This first-ever CD retrospective of Lewis's early years as leader of a jazz band was produced with the cooperation of the Ted Lewis Museum and features a number of previously unreleased test pressings from the Museum's archives. All recordings have been freshly transferred from original discs and the CD is supplemented by a handsome 40-page booklet with extensive notes by Lewis expert (and Grammy nominee) Mark Berresford, based on decades of original research. 80 minutes.
"Runnin' Wild" traces the early years of one of America's most celebrated entertainers of the 20th century. Known to generations for his cries of "Is everybody happy?", before he became the High-Hatted Tragedian of Song, Ted Lewis led one of the most popular and successful jazz bands. From New York to Chicago to San Francisco, in the early 1920s Lewis was hailed as the "King of Jazz," and his recordings of the period reveal a vitality and freshness that continues to delight and engage listeners nearly a century later. This first-ever CD retrospective of Lewis's early years as leader of a jazz band was produced with the cooperation of the Ted Lewis Museum and features a number of previously unreleased test pressings from the Museum's archives. All recordings have been freshly transferred from original discs and the CD is supplemented by a handsome 40-page booklet with extensive notes by Lewis expert (and Grammy nominee) Mark Berresford, based on decades of original research. 80 minutes.
