What 78 are you spinning right now ?

[jeffcrom]

I don't think I've mentioned this very cool rarity, which I've had for a few months now. Claxtonola was a small Iowa City label that leased material from both Paramount and Gennett. "The Jazz Harmonizers" are in fact the Wolverines, featuring Bix Beiderbecke. This is a pretty worn record (that's my copy in the picture), so I have it in better sound on the Off the Record CD reissue of all the Wolverines' material. But it's still a pretty amazing thing to hold and play this, one of the rarest Bix records.

Edited August 5, 2017 by jeffcrom

[paul secor]

2 hours ago, jeffcrom said:

I don't think I've mentioned this very cool rarity, which I've had for a few months now. Claxtona was a small Iowa City label that leased material from both Paramount and Gennett. "The Jazz Harmonizers" are in fact the Wolverines, featuring Bix Beiderbecke. This is a pretty worn record (that's my copy in the picture), so I have it in better sound on the Off the Record CD reissue of all the Wolverines' material. But it's still a pretty amazing thing to hold and play this, one of the rarest Bix records.

Very cool.

[JSngry]

I wonder who came up with the name "Claxtonola". Rolls out of the mind and further on out of the mouth with remarkable fluidity!

 

 

 

[jeffcrom]

Shorty Rogers - Modern Sounds (Capitol three-record box). I have this material on LP as well, but this set "pops" out of the speakers nicely. Art Pepper and Hampton Hawes win.

[jeffcrom]

Lots of shellac, lately. But I don't think I've mentioned this one - James Moody, recorded in Paris (in 1951) with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Andre Hodeir. The piece on the other side, "September Serenade" (credited to Gillespie/Williams) is a variation on Dizzy Gillespie's 1945 recording of "I Can't Get Started." I have to say that the orchestration is a bit overripe.

[jeffcrom]

The Jazz Scene - copy #3035 (of 5000). Finally scored a nice copy of this at a price I was willing to pay. It still wasn't cheap, but it was less than the usual going rate. And adjusting for inflation, I paid less than the original 1949 list price, which was $25. My cover is in much better shape than the one in the picture, and the records are in excellent condition; they sound really good. The Gjon Mili photographs are magnificent, and make much more impact reproduced at this large size, as opposed to the CD reissue. I'm very pleased to have this album.

[jeffcrom]

 

 

A bunch of blues tonight, including this "new" one by Georgia's own Buddy Moss - Joy Rag/Unfinished Business on Okeh, from 1941. "Joy Rag" is stone E; "Unfinished Business" is a mere E-.. I'm pretty happy with this record.

 

 

 

Edited November 7, 2017 by jeffcrom

[jeffcrom]

The Jerry Jerome Trio (Stinson 3-disc album). This is a really nice session. Jerome is solid, but gives most of the solo space to "Fingers MacDigits" (Teddy Wilson).

[gmonahan]

17 hours ago, jeffcrom said:

The Jerry Jerome Trio (Stinson 3-disc album). This is a really nice session. Jerome is solid, but gives most of the solo space to "Fingers MacDigits" (Teddy Wilson).

Whoa, now THIS *is* obscure!! You sent me on a search. Apparently, this was recorded sometime in 1944?? Yanow wonders in his allmusic description of a defunct LP if Wilson was on all the tracks and if there wasn't also a bass??  Or is that something completely different? I do like your 78 posts, Jeff!!

 

 

gregmo

[jazztrain]

2 hours ago, gmonahan said:

Whoa, now THIS *is* obscure!! You sent me on a search. Apparently, this was recorded sometime in 1944?? Yanow wonders in his allmusic description of a defunct LP if Wilson was on all the tracks and if there wasn't also a bass??  Or is that something completely different? I do like your 78 posts, Jeff!!

 

 

gregmo

Arbors issued at least some of the Jerry Jerome Trio material on two 2-CD sets.  Not sure I've ever seen the 78 album.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

freaking just scored chicago in mind/twos n fews BN4 and a meade harpsidcord record bn 19

[jeffcrom]

9 hours ago, gmonahan said:

Whoa, now THIS *is* obscure!! You sent me on a search. Apparently, this was recorded sometime in 1944?? Yanow wonders in his allmusic description of a defunct LP if Wilson was on all the tracks and if there wasn't also a bass??  Or is that something completely different? I do like your 78 posts, Jeff!!

 

 

gregmo

Recorded June 6, 1945. There's only 18 minutes of music in this three-disc album, so if it was put on LP, it was probably combined with material from the sessions Jerome did for the related Asch label. I've got two of those Asch 78s, and they're by larger bands - with bass and other pianists. So that's what Yanow probably was hearing.

Tonight I spun those other two Jerome discs, plus this set again. All excellent, but Fingers... uh, Teddy... just kills it.

And thanks for that last sentence. I'll keep posting.

[jeffcrom]

4 hours ago, chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez said:

freaking just scored chicago in mind/twos n fews BN4 and a meade harpsidcord record bn 19

Nice!

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

DOG: THE HARPISCORD SOLO DISC IS INCREDIBLE:::::   IT IS THE 1ST BLUE NOTE FUSION RECORD. IT COULD OF BEEN PRODUCED BY DR. GEORGE BUTLER. MEADE L.L.- ON HARPSICHORD,SOUNDS LIKE HES PLAYING A CLAV!!!!!!!!   

[jeffcrom]

I love New Orleans clarinetist Tony Parenti. Tonight I spun three 78s from his late 1920s - 1930s New York days:

Fred Rich and His Orchestra - Sing Something Simple/If I'd Only Listened to You (Columbia, 1930). Parenti has an eight-bar solo on side one and a pretty low-register melody statement on side two.

Tony Parenti - Old Man Rhythm (Romeo, 1929). A hot clarinet solo with Vic Breidis on piano. The flip side is by banjoist Eddie Peabody.

Chick Bullock and his Levee Loungers - With Plenty of Money of You/Where the Lazy River Goes By (Perfect, 1936). I looked for this record for years. It was worth the wait - the first side has a long solo by Parenti, as well good solos by an unknown trombonist and a trumpeter who is probably Max Kaminsky. Artie Shaw plays the clarinet obligato on the flip side.

[Big Beat Steve]

On 10.11.2017 at 8:17 PM, gmonahan said:

 I do like your 78 posts, Jeff!!

 

Yes, keep them coming. It's interesting what's out there (and what us mere mortals - at least over here - for the most part will never be able to see "in the flesh" and will be able to hear "only" by way of reissues, if at all)

Edited November 21, 2017 by Big Beat Steve

[jeffcrom]

Jump bluesy / R & B-ish-leaning selection tonight:

Curtis Amy - Realization Blues / Sleeping Blues (Gold Star, 1948). Amy's first record, two blues with vocals by Hubert Robinson.

Eddie Johnson - Tiptoe / Twin Rock (Chess, 1952)

Paul Williams - Blowing' the Boogie / It's All Over Baby (Savoy, 1951). Young Blue Mitchell is on trumpet. He doesn't solo, but blows behind one chorus of Danny Cobb's blues vocal on "It's All Over."

Todd Rhodes - Todd's Idea / Walkie Talkie (Sensation, 1947)

Pearl Bailey - Vagabond Shoes / Some Days There Just Ain't No Fish (Columbia, 1950). Arranged and conducted by Gil Evans. It's nice enough, but I'm not sure if I would have recognized anything Evan-esque if his name wasn't on the label.

This is my second copy of the Curtis Amy record. The first one broke when a stack of records fell against it - one of the events which led to to have custom shelving built for my 78s. I thought I would never find another copy of this scarcity, but my replacement copy was cheap and in better condition than my old copy.

[Big Beat Steve]

8 hours ago, jeffcrom said:

 

... one of the events which led to to have custom shelving built for my 78s.

Would you be able to show a picture of your shelving on occasion? Just curious - and in search of inspiration, maybe ...

This winter I will have to do some serious reshuffling of the wall shelves in and around my music room to free some more space for my LPs (and books too, hopefully). The 78s (I have about 1,000 in all) might have to move next door from one Ikea shelf to another, slightly wider one. Both of which have proven quite satisfactory for their task but other ideas (including for partitions within the shelving) will be welcome.

BTW, the Curtis Amy 78 must be a fascinating one. This name combined with the "rural" image of the Gold Star label ... Has it been reissued?

 

Edited November 23, 2017 by Big Beat Steve

[jeffcrom]

5 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said:

Would you be able to show a picture of your shelving on occasion? Just curious - and in search of inspiration, maybe ...

This winter I will have to do some serious reshuffling of the wall shelves in and around my music room to free some more space for my LPs (and books too, hopefully). The 78s (I have about 1,000 in all) might have to move next door from one Ikea shelf to another, slightly wider one. Both of which have proven quite satisfactory for their task but other ideas (including for partitions within the shelving) will be welcome.

BTW, the Curtis Amy 78 must be a fascinating one. This name combined with the "rural" image of the Gold Star label ... Has it been reissued?

 

Yes, the Curtis Amy is pretty interesting. Two blues with out-of-tune guitar and okay singing on both sides. "Realization Blues" has a very good, sophisticated tenor solo that I assume is by Amy. The flip side has a more honking R & B style tenor, so I'm guessing that's Philip Williams, the other tenor player. As far as I can tell, it's never been reissued - that's one reason breaking it was so painful.

I'll post a picture of the new shelves later today.

And I'll make the Curtis Amy the next entry in my 78 blog - so everyone will be able to hear it sometime next week.

 

[Dan Gould]

7 hours ago, jeffcrom said:

Yes, the Curtis Amy is pretty interesting. Two blues with out-of-tune guitar and okay singing on both sides. "Realization Blues" has a very good, sophisticated tenor solo that I assume is by Amy. The flip side has a more honking R & B style tenor, so I'm guessing that's Philip Williams, the other tenor player. As far as I can tell, it's never been reissued - that's one reason breaking it was so painful.

I'll post a picture of the new shelves later today.

And I'll make the Curtis Amy the next entry in my 78 blog - so everyone will be able to hear it sometime next week.

 

Color me very curious. Love me some Amy; this one is not even listed on discogs.

[Big Beat Steve]

1 hour ago, Dan Gould said:

Color me very curious. Love me some Amy; this one is not even listed on discogs.

Well, it's here, for example (and on jazzdisco.org):

https://www.popsike.com/78BluesGold-Star-618Curtis-AmyRARE/370371535151.html

[Dan Gould]

1 hour ago, Big Beat Steve said:

Well, it's here, for example (and on jazzdisco.org):

https://www.popsike.com/78BluesGold-Star-618Curtis-AmyRARE/370371535151.html

I was referring to discogs.com which is recently my go-to site for vinyl purchases.

[Big Beat Steve]

I know the difference - I was just trying to give examples of the online presence of this record on collectors' sites. I'd have been very surprised if it had been for sale "just like that, in passing, up for grabs" on discogs. Discogs has a lot but I've actually seen quite a few artist entries there where they did not have a particular (comparatively obscure) record listed that I happened to be looking up there too.

[jeffcrom]

 

Before and after.

[Dmitry]

Fantastic! Even has compartments for cds. ?