Things Ain't What They Used to Be is an album by the First Annual Prestige Swing Festival featuring two all-star groups, one including Coleman Hawkins, Hilton Jefferson, Jimmy Hamilton and Joe Newman and the other led by Al Sears with Buddy Tate, Pee Wee Russell and Joe Thomas which was recorded in 1961 and first released on the Swingville label as a double album before being reissued as two single discs with Hawkins name prominently displayed; Things Ain't What They Used to Be and Years Ago.[1][2] All tracks were also reissued as Jam Session in Swingville which was credited to Hawkins and Russell.

Things Ain't What They Used to Be
Studio album by The First Annual Prestige Swing Festival
Released	1961
Recorded	April 14 and May 19, 1961
Studio	Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Genre	Jazz
Length	79:00
Label	Swingville SV 4001 (SVLP 2024/25)
Producer	Esmond Edwards
Coleman Hawkins chronology
The Hawk Relaxes (1961) Things Ain't What They Used to Be (1961) Good Old Broadway (1962)
Al Sears chronology
Swing's the Thing (1961) Things Ain't What They Used to Be (1961)
Jimmy Hamilton chronology
Can't Help Swinging (1961) Things Ain't What They Used to Be (1961) Clarinet Summit (1984)
Single LP Cover
Years Ago Cover

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states: "The music, which is performed by two all-star groups with arrangements by either Jimmy Hamilton or Al Sears, is generally modern swing ... Nothing all that memorable or innovative occurs, but the performances are enjoyable".[3]

Track listing

Disc One: Things Ain't What They Used to Be (SVLP 2024)

1. "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" (Mercer Ellington, Ted Persons) – 6:48
2. "Spring's Swing" (Vivian Hamilton) – 7:55
3. "Phoenix" (Al Sears) – 7:16
4. "Love Me or Leave Me" (Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn) – 7:16
5. "I May Be Wrong But I Think You're Wonderful" (Henry Sullivan, Harry Ruskin) – 6:33
6. "Vic's Spot" (Vic Dickenson) – 3:56

Disc Two: Years Ago (SVLP 2025)

1. "So Glad" (Al Sears) – 5:33
2. "Cool Sunrise" (Esmond Edwards) – 10:41
3. "I Want to Be Happy" (Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar) – 2:44
4. "Jammin' in Swingville" (Hamilton) – 9:32
5. "Years Ago" (Dan Jones) 10:02

Personnel

Disc One, tracks 2 & 4 and Disc Two, tracks 2 & 4

• Coleman Hawkins – tenor saxophone
• Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet, arranger
• Joe Newman – trumpet
• J. C. Higginbotham – trombone
• Hilton Jefferson – alto saxophone
• Claude Hopkins – piano
• Tiny Grimes – guitar
• Wendell Marshall – bass
• Billy English – drums

Disc One, tracks 1, 3, 5 & 6 and Disc Two, tracks 1 & 5

• Al Sears – tenor saxophone, arranger
• Joe Thomas – trumpet
• Vic Dickenson – trombone
• Pee Wee Russell – clarinet
• Buddy Tate – tenor saxophone
• Cliff Jackson – piano
• Danny Barker – guitar
• Joe Benjamin – bass
• J. C. Heard – drums

Disc Two, track 3

• Cliff Jackson – piano
• Joe Benjamin – bass
• J. C. Heard – drums

References