Chuck Nessa Posted April 16, 2006 Report Share Posted April 16, 2006 This guy is amazing. If it hadn't been for Charlie Johnson and (especially) Clarence Williams, we wouldn't know about him. Please check him out and discuss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold_Z Posted April 16, 2006 Report Share Posted April 16, 2006 He's also on the Tony Parenti "Ragtime" session from the late 40s. Sounds great on those. Wild Bill, Baby Dodds etc, keeping him company on that date. Same crew on some of the "This Is Jazz" Broadcasts. He sounds great. Strong groove, intonation, etc. The tuba, or if you prefer the term brass bass, recorded better than a string bass in the 20s and maybe early 30s. Hence a guy like Cyrus or (another guy with terrific chops) Quinn Wilson (on some of Jabbo's records) really put their groove on some of these records. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted April 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2006 I've been exploring the Clarence Williams stuff and Cyrus cut thru a lot of "crap". He was really swinging (before most soloists in the '20s) and playing his ass off. He helped create some interesting textures. Got to go to bed now but (if I remember) tomorrow I'll make a couple of listening recommendations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted April 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2006 (side question: how into early-- pre-Chess-- Lowell Fulson are you, Chuck?) clem Very superficially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Chuck (or anyone else): Can you recommend an in print CD that would be a good intro to Cyrus St. Clair's playing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold_Z Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Chuck (or anyone else): Can you recommend an in print CD that would be a good intro to Cyrus St. Clair's playing? The Tony Parenti Riverside lp that had Cyrus on it had two groups on it. One group had was a full band and the other group a trio. The band sides were reissued here: http://www.jazzology.com/item_detail.php?id=JCD-21 Cyrus is on these band tracks. I think it's a good session. Wild Bill is in good form and Baby Dodds and Cyrus lock in the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Thanks for the recommendation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Only found one cut with Cyrus St. Clair in my collection - a Clarence Williams track, "Cushion Foot Stomp", on a Robert Parker New York anthology. It's a good one, though - and Cyrus St. Clair even leads off with a solo. He swings, has beautiful intonation, and is rock solid in the ensemble. I do have to hear more. Thanks for putting his name on the Board! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted April 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Only found one cut with Cyrus St. Clair in my collection - a Clarence Williams track, "Cushion Foot Stomp", on a Robert Parker New York anthology. It's a good one, though - and Cyrus St. Clair even leads off with a solo. He swings, has beautiful intonation, and is rock solid in the ensemble. I do have to hear more. Thanks for putting his name on the Board! Sorry I can't be more help - I just really discovered him working my way thru the Clarence Williams Classics discs. He made tons of sides with Williams from 1926 through April of 1937. I'm still digesting this stuff and can't narrow the area yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 (edited) This thread makes me feel sorry I did not purchase the Cyrus Saint-Clair CD 'Little Big Horn' that was released by Verve France several years ago. It was part of the short-lived 'Jazz of the '20's - Hot and Rare' series that had several albums mastered from transfers from the incredible collection of 78s by French publishing magnate Daniel Filipacchi, who started his career as a photographer for Paris-Match before becoming publisher of 'Jazz Magazine'. I have the Duke Ellington CD from the series, also a compilation (with sides by the Kansas City Stompers, Clarence Williams, LeRoy Tibbs, Elgar's Creole Orchestra, etc... )that started the whole series. The sound on both CDs is pretty amazing and makes me long for the numerous 78s I had in my youth! The Cyrus Saint-Clair album is pretty hard to find these days. Alapage lists it as unavailable My Webpage I'll also try to locate the Charlie Johnson twofer from the French RCA Black and White series I have somewhere! Edited April 25, 2006 by brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold_Z Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 I'll also try to locate the Charlie Johnson twofer from the French RCA Black and White series I have somewhere! I heard quite a bit of the Charlie Johnson recordings on WKCR a few years ago. Great stuff! Lots of Sidney DeParis if I remember correctly. Brownie, was that French RCA B&W issued on cd or is the vinyl the only issue ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted April 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Brownie, was that French RCA B&W issued on cd or is the vinyl the only issue ? I'm not Brownie but I don't think it was reissued on cd. IIRC the 2 lp set had 3 sides of Johnson and one side by the Lloyd and Cecil Scott bands with Dickie Wells,etc. The Charlie Johnson material was issued on cd. I have it on Hot 'N Sweet FDC-5110. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 It appears that Cyrus St. Clair plays on a couple of Clarence Williams Frog reissues - #'s 17 & 37 - but I can't find any hard info from the Frog site, Worlds Records, or CD Universe as to how many tracks he's on. I'll probably take a shot at Frog 37 -Shake 'em Up - unless someone has a better suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted April 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 It appears that Cyrus St. Clair plays on a couple of Clarence Williams Frog reissues - #'s 17 & 37 - but I can't find any hard info from the Frog site, Worlds Records, or CD Universe as to how many tracks he's on. I'll probably take a shot at Frog 37 -Shake 'em Up - unless someone has a better suggestion. Just checked out the contents of #37 and not much Cyrus on that one. I'll check out some others and be back shortly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunky Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 It appears that Cyrus St. Clair plays on a couple of Clarence Williams Frog reissues - #'s 17 & 37 - but I can't find any hard info from the Frog site, Worlds Records, or CD Universe as to how many tracks he's on. I'll probably take a shot at Frog 37 -Shake 'em Up - unless someone has a better suggestion. Just checked out the contents of #37 and not much Cyrus on that one. I'll check out some others and be back shortly. Cyrus goes parp-parp on DGF 14 and 17. William's Jazz Kings sides from Columbia are gathered across these disc with other tracks. I've some of this material on a VJM vinyl and await delivery of DGF 14 as we speak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted April 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 (edited) Yes, #17 has CSC on 12 tracks. I see Worlds still has the Classics 1933-34 listed. He's on all 23 tracks of this disc. I should add a couple of points. There are vocals on the majority of tracks on the 33/34 disc. This is also relatively late in the game for tuba in rhythm sections. Most recordings by this time have string bass but Cyrus is still swingin' the band. Check him out on "Jimmy Had A Nickel". Edited April 25, 2006 by Chuck Nessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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