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Don Reed, Rex Hollywood 27015


Jaffa

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I can't find anything on this 78. It has "Perdido, Part I" and "Perdido, Part II. Mx 27014-A and 27014-B. The "Rex"-letters are blackened out like on several others I have on this label beacuse of a copy-right war over the label's name; see Onyx-LP 215 for details.

The label of 27015 lists: "Don Reed and his Quintette: Tenor Sax, Ted Hoffman; Trumpet, Don Kaufman; Piano, Bod Feldman; Drums, Don Myerson; Bass, Morton Lampert."

Who are theses guys - any ideas ???

Edited by Jaffa
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This Rex label (there were several) was based on the west coast (LA/Hollywood).  

I assume that the names are all pseudonyms.  Looking through Lord for versions of Perdido from the mid to late 1940s, I found this (see below).

Is it possible that it's an edited version of of the Gene Norman item, perhaps with some of the solos eliminated?

Can you post the sound file somewhere?

 

>>>
[N2833-16] Gene Norman
Chuck Peterson (tp) Vic Dickenson (tb) Benny Carter (as) Charlie Barnet (ts) Dodo Marmarosa (p) Irving Ashby (g) Red Callender (b) Jackie Mills (d) 
Concert, Pasadena, CA, April 29, 1947
MM1000    Perdido (pt 1)    Modern Hollywood 20-660, Crown CLP5008, Vogue
        (E)E2296, Jazz Selection (F)633, Swing House
        (E)SWH10, King (Jap)K18P-62509-61, Sounds of
        Yester Year (E)DSOY610 [CD]
MM1001    Perdido (pt 2)    (same issues)

Note: Both above titles also on GNP Crescendo (Jap)KICJ-116/7 [CD].


Note: The performance of "Perdido" lasted a little over 9 minutes and it is in the form that it is heard on the CD release and on the Jubilee transcription. The original 78 and LP issues, though, were edited to remove Dickenson's solo and to cut Charlie's solo in half, resulting in the elimination of about 2 minutes of music. The 78 issue received master numbers 1000-1001 for parts 1 and 2.
Both above titles also on GNP Crescendo (Jap)KICJ-116/7 [CD].

>>>

 

Edited by jazztrain
reverse incorrect autocomplete
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4 hours ago, Jaffa said:

I can't find anything on this 78. It has "Perdido, Part I" and "Perdido, Part II. Mx 27014-A and 27014-B. The "Rex"-letters are blackened out like on several others I have on this label beacuse of a copy-right war over the label's name; see Onyx-LP 215 for details.

Aah ... so that's why ... I have Rex 26027 (Johnny Barbera's Quintette - Eastside Bop/Hunter's Dream) and REX is blackened out there too. I had been wondering if someone just had tried out a pot of black paint on the label ....(I do have Onyx 215 too but must admit I never noticed - or remembered - that detail in the liner notes)

BTW, "Perdido" on Crown 5008 is distinctly a live recording from the first bars of the rather stride-ish piano introduction so this should be quite unmistakeable. And it has a guitarist present - the above REX line-up does not.

@jazztrain: re- that note in your discographical excerpt: Whoever compiled these is not quite correct nor complete re- the LP reissues. Vogue (UK) VJT3003 (a 1970s 3-LP reissue of the 1947 Gene Norman concerts) gives a playing time of 9:29 and I do hear a trombone solo fairly early in the proceedings (contrary to the Crown 5008 version).

Edited by Big Beat Steve
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52 minutes ago, jazztrain said:

This Rex label (there were several) was based on the west coast (LA/Hollywood).  

I assume that the names are all pseudonyms.  Looking through Lord for versions of Period from the mid to late 1940s, I found this (see below).

Is it possible that it's an edited version of of the Gene Norman item, perhaps with some of the solos eliminated?

Can you post the sound file somewhere?

 

>>>
[N2833-16] Gene Norman
Chuck Peterson (tp) Vic Dickenson (tb) Benny Carter (as) Charlie Barnet (ts) Dodo Marmarosa (p) Irving Ashby (g) Red Callender (b) Jackie Mills (d) 
Concert, Pasadena, CA, April 29, 1947
MM1000    Perdido (pt 1)    Modern Hollywood 20-660, Crown CLP5008, Vogue
        (E)E2296, Jazz Selection (F)633, Swing House
        (E)SWH10, King (Jap)K18P-62509-61, Sounds of
        Yester Year (E)DSOY610 [CD]
MM1001    Perdido (pt 2)    (same issues)

Note: Both above titles also on GNP Crescendo (Jap)KICJ-116/7 [CD].


Note: The performance of "Perdido" lasted a little over 9 minutes and it is in the form that it is heard on the CD release and on the Jubilee transcription. The original 78 and LP issues, though, were edited to remove Dickenson's solo and to cut Charlie's solo in half, resulting in the elimination of about 2 minutes of music. The 78 issue received master numbers 1000-1001 for parts 1 and 2.
Both above titles also on GNP Crescendo (Jap)KICJ-116/7 [CD].

>>>

 

Do you know which Jubilee broadcast this is on? 

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4 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said:

Aah ... so that's why ... I have Rex 26027 (Johnny Barbera's Quintette - Eastside Bop/Hunter's Dream) and REX is blackened out there too. I had been wondering if someone just had tried out a pot of black paint on the label ....(I do have Onyx 215 too but must admit I never noticed - or remembered - that detail in the liner notes)

BTW, "Perdido" on Crown 5008 is distinctly a live recording from the first bars of the rather stride-ish piano introduction so this should be quite unmistakeable. And it has a guitarist present - the above REX line-up does not.

@jazztrain: re- that note in your discographical excerpt: Whoever compiled these is not quite correct nor complete re- the LP reissues. Vogue (UK) VJT3003 (a 1970s 3-LP reissue of the 1947 Gene Norman concerts) gives a playing time of 9:29 and I do hear a trombone solo fairly early in the proceedings (contrary to the Crown 5008 version).

Musically, the Don Reed is quite below average: The tp player was heavily inspired by McGhee - but it's not him, of course; yet the best guy in the band. All others are really less memorable.

That Rappoport guy of Rex-Hollywood tried to make a fast buck recording little-known musicians - like the Johnny Barbera Quintette (or the mysterious Ray Vasquez) but also hit the spot by recording really great stuff by Teddy Edwards, Roy Porter, Jay McShann - and even Wingy Manone with Kay Starr... Sure - a stunning and puzzling label !

What's the peronnel on the Johnny Barbera ? Never seen or heard it !

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This is the jubilee version jazztrain suggests but if the trumpeter is the most talented member of the Don Reed Combo, this must be something else (Chuck Peterson is probably the least known guy in the band). Don Reed the trombonist left some traces online as a Kenton sideman... and Ray Vasquez: wasn't that Anthony Ortega's cousin?

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@ Niko: "and Ray Vasquez: wasn't that Anthony Ortega's cousin?"

Yes this is really interesting and sheds light on the odd Rex-Hollywood label:

From Isoardi’s interview with Anthony Ortega, Sept. 10, 1994

Ortega 

Mory Rappaport recorded one record or maybe more than one record for Teddy Edwards on the Rex [Records] label, "Out of Nowhere" and— What was the name of the other one? Was it "Steady with Teddy?" No, "Steady with Teddy" was on Dial. I can't remember the name of the tune. But if you ever interview him he'll remember. I remember now; it was called "Rexology." Incidentally, my cousin Ray Vasquez had got us on a recording session with the same label. It was on the Rex label. This was in about 1947.

 

Isoardi 

Your group, the Frantic Five?

Ortega 

 

The Frantic Five. We recorded on the Rex label.

Isoardi 

That must have been a thrill.

Ortega 

Yeah, man. I was only about sixteen years old. I wrote this tune based on the "East of the Sun [and West of the Moon]." I called it "The Clutching Hand." The reason I called it "The Clutching Hand" is because many years before I even played the saxophone I used to go to these serials. You know, they used to have serials every week in the movies like "The Shadow" or all these different— Like "Batman." And in this one incident there was a real bad guy, and he was the Clutching Hand. [laughter] He was the Clutching Hand. If he got ahold of you, man, you'd had it. Anyway, I named this tune "The Clutching Hand." It was based on "East of the Sun and West of the Moon." I really liked that tune ever since I was a kid when I first heard Tommy Dorsey play it and Frank Sinatra sing it, which was one of my early influences, in a sense, hearing Frank Sinatra do all these early things with Tommy Dorsey. I was very impressed with his singing.

Anyway, Ray Vasquez got us the date for Rex label. The guy's name was Mory Rappaport who owned the Rex label.

Isoardi 

Where were they based?

Ortega 

They were based in Hollywood there.

Isoardi 

Small independent record company?

Ortega 

A very small independent label. They only did a few sides. But it's funny, too—it isn't so funny—there was a record ban at that time. None of the musicians— They were having contract hassles with the money situation. I think the— 

Isoardi 

This wasn't during the war, then? Was that the wartime record ban?

Ortega 

It probably was. It was 1946, I think.

Isoardi 

'Forty-three, '44? Oh, no, afterwards? There was another ban after the war, as well? 

Ortega 

Yeah, something like that. Whatever. I don't know when it was. However, you weren't supposed to record. See, there was a recording ban, but Mory Rappaport had a nonunion label or whatever it was, and we didn't care. We just wanted to play. 

Isoardi 

To record.

Ortega 

We thought it was great to do a recording. So we did that one, "The Clutching Hand." On the other side was Walter Benton's tune called "Home Run." It was a blues in F. At that time Walter Benton had written an introduction like a whole tone scale. The introduction was— [sings part of introduction] And his cousin Jimmy O'Brien would play like an augmented eleventh chord on the piano. [sings] But, you know, we were pretty cool for our age. We were only teenagers, you know. But anyway, we did the record, which I still think I have a copy of at home. So that was my very first recording, and it was nonunion and the whole bit. I'd never done anything like that.

Isoardi

Did you ever have a chance to hear it on the radio? Ever get any airplay?

Ortega 

Possibly. Possibly. They may have played it a little on the radio once or something. I don't know. But it was called Ray Vasquez and his Beboppers, and Ray wasn't even on it. He didn't play nothing. But he got the session. You know, he got the recording session. And we didn't get paid or anything; we just did it. It was called Ray Vasquez and his Beboppers. It didn't have any of the guys' names or anything. That's all it said, "Ray Vasquez and his Beboppers."

5 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said:

Johnny Barbera (ts), Lennie (sic!!) (as), Willie Stader (b), Shannon Fletcher (p), Roy Hall (dr - obviously NOT the pianist of the same name)

A bunch of unknowns too.

Could that be Lennie Niehaus who was 18 or 19 in 1947/48 when this was recorded and who was studying in LA at the time ?!?!

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20 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said:

Aah ... so that's why ... I have Rex 26027 (Johnny Barbera's Quintette - Eastside Bop/Hunter's Dream) and REX is blackened out there too. I had been wondering if someone just had tried out a pot of black paint on the label ....(I do have Onyx 215 too but must admit I never noticed - or remembered - that detail in the liner notes)

BTW, "Perdido" on Crown 5008 is distinctly a live recording from the first bars of the rather stride-ish piano introduction so this should be quite unmistakeable. And it has a guitarist present - the above REX line-up does not.

@jazztrain: re- that note in your discographical excerpt: Whoever compiled these is not quite correct nor complete re- the LP reissues. Vogue (UK) VJT3003 (a 1970s 3-LP reissue of the 1947 Gene Norman concerts) gives a playing time of 9:29 and I do hear a trombone solo fairly early in the proceedings (contrary to the Crown 5008 version).

The information came from Lord's discography.  

I guess the idea of it being an edited version of the Gene Norman recording doesn't pan out.

So, who were these guys???

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