jeffcrom

Part of what jazztrain quotes above reminds me of a section of Edmond Souchon's "King Oliver: A Very Personal Memoir," which was published in the Jazz Review and later in the book drawn from that magazine, Jazz Panorama. Doc Souchon was a physician, guitarist, and jazz historian, born in New Orleans in 1897. In his youth, he heard the Oliver band many times, often at Tulane dances. Sometimes, when Joe would be playing for a private party at a home or a ball, a midnight supper would be served to the guests. In order to get the couples into line and stop the dancing, Oliver was requested to play a march to which no one could dance. He would use "High Society." It was played at a very slow marching tempo, the same tempo his band used in marching funerals and processions. It was a shuffle, easy to walk to. And the first part seemed interminable, before he broke into the chorus which has immortalized Alphonse Picou. You couldn't even do a "slow drag" to it, as it was played then. Gradually, the tempo of this tune was quickened, and it was converted into a dance tune, almost the same as we know today; the transition probably took three or four years!

There was next to no jazz played by black jazz bands recorded before the "breakthrough" year of 1923. (Kid Ory's 1921 recordings were the major exception.) Most of the New Orleans musicians who recorded in the 1920s were those who went north to Chicago or New York. There were some excellent recordings made in the Crescent City in the twenties (Sam Morgan, Louis Dumaine, Jones-Collins Astoria Hot Eight, etc.), but the record companies missed more than they caught - many great New Orleans musicians who stayed in Louisiana didn't get recorded until the 1940s, 1950s, or even the 1960s. And of course, some legendary ones, like Buddy Petit and Chris Kelly (two trumpet players mentioned above) never recorded at all. When Picou did start to record in the 1940s, he did at least record with some frequency for 20 years or so. But, yes, Picou is generally credited with adapting the written piccolo solo to clarinet, and making it an essential part of the tune. I think that Johnny Dodds' 1923 version with King Oliver is the first on record.

He played it on his first recording session - the Kid Rena session for the Delta label: August 21, 1940. Actually, to be totally accurate, it was recorded on an acetate disc one week earlier, August 14, at a rehearsal for the Delta session. He was 61 at that first recording session. The entire session and the rehearsal acetates (which in some ways sound better than the studio recordings) are on the American Music CD Prelude to the Revival, Vol. 2. The Delta session is often criticized for Kid Rena's "disappointing" trumpet playing; in his prime, he was said to be at the level of Buddy Petit, Chris Kelly, or maybe even Armstrong. But I like it for what it is - a straightforward New Orleans lead. The problem with the session is that there are two clarinets, who step all over each other. Louis "Big Eye" Nelson Delisle is the other clarinetist.) I blame the only picture of the Buddy Bolden band, which shows two clarinets. It's Picou playing the "High Society" solo, though.

Paddock Jazz Band (Biograph). Basically Papa Celestin's band after his death, recorded at the Paddock on Bourbon Street in 1953. Always interesting to hear clarinetist Alphonse Picou, who had been around pretty much since the beginning. Later: I did search, and realized that I made the same mistake the last time I posted about this album - Celestin was still alive in 1953. In any case, the excellent Alvin Alcorn is in the trumpet chair here.

I've got an aircheck (I mean the actual acetate disc from 1948) of Noro Morales that I like, although I haven't explored his work beyond that 12 minutes of music.

Johnny Griffin's Studio Jazz Party (Riverside mono)

Great music on that one! Yes - since the day I got it, Gil's arrangement of Hendrix's "Up From the Skies" has been one more evidence of his genius. It's written for four horns - trumpet, soprano sax, alto sax, and trombone. Any "professional" arranger would give the lead to the trumpet, with the soprano sax, alto sax, and trombone playing harmony parts, descending in that order. For most of the tune, Evans gave the lead to Arthur Blythe's alto, with the trombone playing the second part, Steve Lacy's soprano playing the third part, and the trumpet playing the lowest part. It's all wrong, and it's brilliant.

Okay, I found this website tonight. Not sure what this means, if anything - it all seems pretty vague. But it's interesting, and promising.

Another crappy Horo pressing, ordered from Italy in 1979 or so: Gil Evans - Parabola (Horo)

My cover was different. Sure you're not thinking of Catch? Yeah I think my copy of "eronel" had a different cover as well if memory serves correctly. Unfortunately I sold my copy many years ago as I wasn't too happy with the pressing/sound. Of course seeing your post is making me want to buy it again haha :/ This is definitely the cover my copy has. As far as the pressings go, well, fleas come with the dog, as we say down here. I cherish all of my Horo albums, and I've got a bunch. And all of them sound like crap, with lots of pops and surface noise, and the covers are all falling apart. Lousy pressings, cheap glue and cardboard, and great music. I can live with that.

Jeremy Steig - Temple of Birth (Columbia promo). This is my belated memorial tribute to Johnny Winter, who plays on three tracks here. I wasn't a huge fan, and don't have much by him, but wanted to pay my respects by spinning something he played on. This is not a great album, but the passion of Steig's playing elevates it from the run-of-the-mill fusion album it could have been.

Music From the Melody Inn by the "Mighty 4" (Jazzology). No picture of the LP online that I could find. This was the late Lionel Ferbos' first recording session, from 1963. He's joined by Harold Dejan on alto, Creole George Guesnon on banjo, and drummer Alex Bigard. The latter was Barney's brother - unlike his more famous brother, he never left New Orleans.

In the post above, I said that the 1963 album by the Mighty 4 was on GHB. It's actually on Jazzology - the name of the Jazzology LP is Music from the Melody Inn by the "Mighty 4." (I corrected the original post.) The CD reissue is Dancing at the Melody Inn on American Music. Listening to this again reminds me that this is Ferbos' "hottest" recording, although he is still more restrained than Harold Dejan's rough alto playing.

As far as I know, Ferbos didn't record until 1963 - Music From the Melody Inn by the "Mighty 4" on Jazzology. Nice New Orleans dance music; Harold Dejan of the Olympia Brass Band is the other horn. It has been reissued on CD by the Jazzology group, I think with extra material. (I have the LP.) Starting in the 1960s, Ferbos was a member of the New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra, and appears on quite a few albums by them. He's strictly reading parts with that group - but of course, he doesn't sound like a classical player would sound reading those same parts. Of the later "jazz" recordings, I think At the Jazz Band Ball on 504 is probably the best. I also like Lars Edegran presents Lionel Ferbos & John Robichaux on GHB and Jambalaya by the New Orleans Jazz Wizards on 504. There's a GHB album with Evan Christopher on clarinet that I haven't heard, but I love Evan Christopher, so I'm going to order it with my next Jazzology order. There's an album pairing 90-year-old Ferbos with 17-year-old Trombone Shorty, on the Wise and Barking label. No matter how cool that sounds, avoid it - it's not a credit to anyone involved. Be warned that nothing on any of these albums may knock your socks off. This is all gentle, Creole-style New Orleans dance music. Ferbos sticks close to the melody almost all the time. I can't even say for sure whether or not Lionel considered himself a "jazz" musician. If the idea of old-fashioned Creole dance hall music with a trumpeter playing a lyrical lead (probably much as he learned from Manuel Perez) appeals to you, check out the albums I recommend above.

My cover was different. I'll bet your pressing was about as good as mine. Oh, Horo....

Lee Konitz - Peacemeal (Milestone)

Steve Lacy - Eronel (Horo)

Steve Lacy/Roswell Rudd/Kent Carter/Beaver Harris - Trickles (Black Saint). Been awhile since I've spun this fine album; it sounds really good to me today.

Happy birthday to the world traveler. Hope the coming year brings peace and happiness.

Happy birthday, Joel!

Jazz at the Philharmonic - In Europe (Verve stereo). Nice lineup on this one.

Richie Rich Casper the Friendly Ghost Albert Ayler

Some liner notes just reminded me that Ferbos studied trumpet with the legendary Manuel Perez - another amazing link to the very beginnings of jazz.

Lionel Ferbos - At the Jazz Band Ball (504). Mr. Ferbos was a youthful 76 when this was recorded.

Evan Parker - At the Finger Palace (The Beak Doctor)