Dutton Vocalion presents a marvelously entertaining album of 25 swinging sides recorded between 1936 and 1941 by South Africa-born British drummer and bandleader Joe Daniels [1909-1993]. Rather than the Dixieland sound he embraced during the 1950s, this compilation highlights Daniels' spirited swing band and his perky "Drumnasticks" act, a refreshing counterpart to the intricate precision of Chicago-based percussionist Vic Berton. Like most English jazzmen during the years immediately preceding the Second World War, Daniels paid close attention to what was being played and recorded in North America. Composers represented here include Spencer Williams, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, and Slim Gaillard, whose "Tutti Frutti" is counterbalanced by the equally silly "Mutiny in the Nursery," one of Daniels' zanier ideas combining the quirkiness of Raymond Scott with the giddiness of the Bonzo Dog Band. On the level, folks, this is one of the better installments in Dutton Vocalion's extensive catalog of British jazz and dance band reissues.