by Brian Rust
(from the liner notes of The Chicago Hot Bands 1924 – 1928 on Timeless Records)

This band, whose entire output is included here, is surely one of the most remarkable in the history of Jazz and dance music, for it was directed by a winsomely attractive young lady. Nothing in that, you may say; there were other bands that were led by similarly attractive girls (Ina Ray Hutton's was composed entirely of them) but Thelma Terry was no slinky figurehead; she played string bass of all things, and did so with the taste and assurance associated with male exponents of the instrument, such as Pops Foster, Joe Tarto, Steve Brown, John Kirby, Wellman Braud, Bill Johnson ... A glance at the personnel of the two sessions recorded shows that here were some of the great names of Chicago Jazz, playing largely non-vocal versions of popular tunes of the time, propelled with ease by the dynamic little lady* with the big fiddle.

* Brian Rust seems to have formed the impression that Thelma was tiny and petite when he refers to her as "the little lady." He uses similar adjectives in a book of his from twenty years ago or so. I checked, and her daughter Patti says Thelma stood 5' 7". -David Apolloni

If you would like to order the Timeless Records' CD of Chicago Hot Bands 1924 – 1928 you can do so through Worlds Records or direct from Timeless Records.