Blanche Calloway

[ghost of miles]

I've been getting increasingly interested lately in bandleader Blanche Calloway, Cab's sister, esp. since I started listening to the Cab JSP set THE EARLY YEARS. AMG lists only one compilation of her work:

but there's no review or biographical information. Has anybody else heard her music?

[jazzbo]

It's been a LONG time since I heard her work. And I think this cd probably has almost all of it (?) I heard French RCA lps. . . .

It was interesting. . . I wasn't THRILLEd but I was a lot less interested in the early years of recorded music in those days. . . .

[Christiern]

I have had more than one musician who was around when Blanche had her band tell me that it was better than Cab's.

[ghost of miles]

I have had more than one musician who was around when Blanche had her band tell me that it was better than Cab's.

I've read that too, which is one reason why I'm intrigued. I will definitely pony up for the Classics, since it seems to be the only disc available.

[BERIGAN]

I was racking my brain trying to figure what I heard her on, since I don't have that cd, then it occurred to me, to quit thinking, and use Allmusic! Nows I get it, it was on two different Ben Webster cds I have! Without That Gal! Is on an ASV Webster cd, and Just a Crazy Song (Hi-Hi-Hi) is on a BOJ cd...a reason to get a compliation cd now and then, eh? She is also mentioned on the RST Reuben Reeves & Omer Simeon cd....I recall a woman singing, but didn't know it was her! Will have to dig that great cd up again...the 2 songs seem pretty catchy, let us know what you think of the whole cd of hers!

[FrancoisD]

Classics 783 is a great CD, definitely worth owning, and the only existing "complete" compilation of Blanche's recordings (though alternate takes have been excluded, as is the case on all Classics issues). Following is a discography of the recordings in this album:

BLANCHE CALLOWAY : vocal, acc. by Louis Armstrong-c; Richard M. Jones-p.

Chicago, Nov. 9, 1925

9458-A Lazy Woman's Blues Okeh 8279

9459-A Lonesome Lovesick Okeh 8279

BLANCHE CALLOWAY AND HER JOY BOYS : BC-v, dir. Joe Keyes-t; Edgar Battle-t/a; Clarence Smith-t/v; Alton Moore-tb; Booker Pittman-cl/as; Leroy Hardy-as; Ben Webster-ts; Clyde Hart-p; Andy Jackson-bj/g; Joe Durham-bb; Cozy Cole-d; Billy Massey-v.

Camden, N.J., March 27, 1931

68938-2 Just A Crazy Song (Hi-Hi-Hi)-vBC Vic 22661

68939-2 Sugar Blues-vBM Vic 22661

68941-1 I'm Getting Myself Ready For You-vBC Vic 22659

68942-2 Loveless Love-vBC Vic 22659

Camden, N.J., May 8, 1931

69025-3 Misery-vBC Vic 22717

69026-2 It's Right Here For You-vBC Vic 22717

Herb Alvis-tb added.

Camden, N.J., June 11, 1931

68234-3 It Looks Like Susie-vBC Vic 22733

68235-1 Without That Gal!-vBC Vic 22733

68236-1 When I Can't Be With You-vBC Timely Tunes C-1578

69027-4 Make Me Know It-vBC Vic 22736

BLANCHE CALLOWAY AND HER JOY BOYS : BC-v dir. Henry Mason, Edgar Battle, Clarence Smith-t; Alton Moore-tb; Ernest Purce-cl/as; Leroy Hardy-as; Charlie Frazier-ts; Clyde Hart-p; ndy Jackson-bj; Joe Durham-bb; Cozy Cole-d.

Camden, N.J., November 18, 1931

69786-1 I Got What It Takes-vBC Vic 22866

69787-1 Growlin' Dan-vBC Vic 22866

69788-1 Concentratin' On You-vBC Vic 22862

69789-1 Last Dollar-vBC Vic 22862

69790-1 Blue Memories-vBC Vic 22896

BLANCHE CALLOWAY AND HER JOY BOYS : BC-v dir. Henry Mason, Archie Johnson, Clarence Smith-t; Alton Moore, Vic Dickenson-tb; Ernest Purce, Roger Boyd-as; Charlie Frazier-ts; Egbert Victor-p; Earl Baker-g; Abbie Baker-b; Walter Conyers-d.

Chicago, August 27, 1934

CP-1097-A Growlin' Dan-vBC Ban 33304

CP-1098-A Catch On-vBC Ban 33304

CP-1099-A I Need Lovin'-vBC Ban 33224

CP-1100-A What's A Poor Girl Gonna Do?-vBC Ban 33324

BLANCHE CALLOWAY AND HER BAND : BC-v dir. Richard Jones, Tommy Stevenson, Archie Johnson-t; Eli Robinson, Vic Dickenson-tb; Joe Eldridge, Chauncey Haughton-as; Alvin Campbell, Prince Robinson-ts; Clyde Hart-p/a; Earl Baker-g; Abbie Baker-b; Percy Johnson-d.

NYC, Nov. 6, 1935

18239-1 You Ain't Livin' Right-vBC Voc 3113

18240-1 Louisiana Liza-vBC Voc 3112

18241-1 I Gotta Swing (inst) Voc 3112

18242-1 Line-A-Jive (inst) Voc 3113

Another session, nominally led by Blanche Calloway, but using the Andy Kirk Orchestra personnel of the time, appears on Classics 655, under Andy Kirk's name. (Casey Jones Blues/ There's Rhythm In The River/I Need Lovin')

[ghost of miles]

Wow, thanks for the rundown, FrancoisD. I'll have to nab that Andy Kirk disc as well--hoping to do a show on B. Calloway sometime in the future.