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Anthony Ortega/Walter Benton


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This is a long shot, but worth a try. Don Sickler is looking for the following session, specifically the piece 'Home Run'. Would anyone have a lead? The actual leader is Anthony Ortega. Thanks.

Title: Home Run/Jimmie's Packard
Artist: Ray Vasquez
Format: 78     Label: Rex     Cat. Num.: 26000

      late 1947   Home Run
      late 1947   Jimmie's Packard

Anthony Ortega (ldr), Anthony Ortega (as), Walter Benton (ts), Jimmy O'Brien (p), Tony Reyes (b), Chuy Ruiz (d)

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43 minutes ago, Chuck Nessa said:

I might have it. If you don't find one rattle my cage tomorrow. Too late to search tonight.

Yes, I have it. What do I win?

I see there is a hairline crack, but it should play perfectly. Otherwise it looks unplayed.

Thanks Chuck! Are you in touch with Sickler as a rule? If not, I can put you in touch. He didn't mention what was in it for whoever has it, but I am sure he is open to discussing that. I should have asked him, sorry. Nothing secret, it's in the 'phone book' - 212-741-1175.

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from here, Isoardi's interview (Ray Vasquez is also discussed elsewhere there, he was Ortega's cousin)

 

Ortega

[...] 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."

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