Retrospective’s 2-CD selection of the music produced by these two Italian-American swing virtuosos together and occasionally, separately, is a welcome reminder of their significance in the overall jazz story.

Natural partners, they seemed happiest and at their most creative when together. Set aside any idea that early jazz violin can sound underpowered and pick up on Venuti’s insistent hotness or his willingness to improvise and then applaud the calm balance of Lang’s playing, this evident from the off on their duo piece ‘Black and Blue Bottom’, neither man short of an idea.

It’s the restrained audacity of their playing in a whole variety of ensembles, medium-sized or minuscule, aka ‘chamber jazz’, that compels attention. Whether with Kahn’s lively group, McConville and Mole featured or when Lang teamed with the peerless Trumbauer and Bix (on piano and cornet), on ‘No Reason at All in C’ from 1927, this trio re-appearing later. And what sublime music they made together. Both principals are heard supporting vocalist Hanshaw, (this presaging Lang’s later role as accompanist to Bing Crosby, heard here on ‘Some of These Days’), their-then regular companion Rollini, the great exponent of the bass-saxophone alongside, his gruff-sounding mobility on this dauntingly cumbersome instrument heard over several sessions and still startling today.

Confronted by this array of early jazz know-how, one cannot fail to be impressed by its freshness, technical fluency and sheer zest. Put aside any question of parody or any suggestion that this music is little more than a quaint throwback to a time long ago and then reflect on the way Lang cut across colour lines in 1928 and 1929 with a series of dazzling duet recordings with the African American guitar star Lonnie Johnson and a celebrated track with hot cornetist King Oliver on ‘In The Bottle Blues’, Lang suitably bluesy and strong. If in doubt, try Lang’s Orchestra on ‘Freeze and Melt’, stirring and very hot indeed.