Personnel: Louis Jordan (vocals, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Carl Hogan (guitar); Josh Jackson (tenor saxophone); Aaron Izenhall, Eddie Roane (trumpet); Arnold Thomas, Wild Bill Davis (piano); Eddie Byrd, Shadow Wilson (drums).

Audio Remasterers: George Ingram; John Eberle.

Recording information: 09/??/1943-07/12/1945.

Arranger: Wild Bill Davis.

Jump blues master Louis Jordan was terrifically popular during the war years--his sassy "G.I. Jive" was a huge hit at the time--and like many of the other popular entertainers of the era, particularly swing musicians, Jordan performed at USO shows and others contributed to the war effort. One of the most popular ways for musicians to show their support for our boys overseas was to record V-Discs, special live transcriptions that were broadcast overseas over Armed Forces Radio and played in USO canteens. Jordan recorded fourteen tracks for V-Discs between 1942 and 1944, and all of them are collected on this disc. Jordan was a consummate showman who gave his all for every performance, but these sessions sound worlds better than the majority of live recordings from the '40s because they were professionally done. The sound is a little tinny in spots, but the historical import of these recordings is as undeniable as their musical worth.