Big Beat Steve

Not wanting to unduly continue the pastime of just rattling off what one owns of any given artist's platters 😄, here is a slightly different aspect to how to explore an artist or what to keep an eye on. In the field of Modern Jazz I've always been particularly interested in the early, formative and/or "youthful" years (call it whatever you may) of a "name" artist when he was in the midst of the scene and musical happenings, with decidedly less emphasis on their (much) latter-day works of "hey I'm still around" (as they might lead into any random direction - or at any rate into one that is rather removed from what originally attracted me to the artist). So in Dankworth's case I essentially and so far ended up with the following (dictated partly by availability, but I did and do not have any completist aims). - Johnny Dankworth 1953-58 feat. Cleo Laine (EMI Retrospect Series - a nice introductory compilation LP to the artist - the first by him that I got my hands on, back in the 90s) - Swinging In the 50s - IAJRC 39 (1953-57, rarer tracks often overlooked in the reissue market) - Bundle from Britain (Top Rank, 1959 - one that I had to have after having read various reports on the 1959 Newport Festival) - The Big Band Sound of Johnny Dankworth (Roulette, 1959-61) plus the - Waxing The Winners 1952-53 and 1954-55 LPs on Esquire (which include some Dankworth-led Melody Maker All Stars sessions) - a clear case of the "early period" of the artist, but in an atypical and interesting all-star setting

Exactly ... you nailed it IMHO. Like I tried to make this point in another discussion a while ago ... Anyone from the "free" (or "avantgarde") players who considers himself on a muscially or artistically higher level than everything that (stylistically) came before him (within possibly more formal conventions) would have to be able to (for example) "out-bird Bird" (on Bird's musical ground) first before he could lay any claims to have attained an artistically higher level. If he cannot or isn't able to (and at any rate, "I don't play like that" would be a lame excuse - or attempt at an explanation - for not being able to), then he may well have branched out SIDEWAYS into a DIFFERENT or NEW direction but certainly not into one that (by itself) is on an artistically higher level.

Paywall ... But anyway ... Some recommended JAZZ listening here: https://www.discogs.com/de/release/4131168-Bernie-Nerow-Trio-Bernie-Nerow-Trio One of the few Mode originals I have in my stash of Mode LPs.

I've owned this book for about 20 years now. Good value for money and recommended. I must admit I had omitted this from the list in my initial post because its contents go beyond jazz. But the jazz content is high indeed. Of course those who own the Alex Steinweiss, David Stone Martin and Jim Flora books will not find much that's new to them here but overall it is a very good overview, particularly of the 78rpm album and 10" LP era.

OK, I understand now ...

Really sorry to contradict you, but the book DOES have quotes (in fact, it largely consists of quotes, though the layout and the lengthiness of many quotes may make them harder to remember as such - see excerpts below; my copy is the 1955 printing by Peter Davies Ltd., London). However, I am not sure either how much of the contents still stand up as substantial eyewitness accounts and are not rather lore or anecdotes (time to re-read it, I guess). And I still consider "Swing To Bop" superior because it its more in-depth and focused - which of course is easier to accomplish as it covers a narrower time frame. and I admit I may be biased because both Swing and Bebop are among my main areas of interest in jazz (including the transitional recordings that straddle the stylistic fence).

Very interesting ...

Not so sure about the invalidity of the "pre-history" tag ... I understand this in two ways in THIS context: On the one hand: The elements and sounds of the music were there but not (or at least not enough) out in the open for the general music-buying and listening public to be really aware of it on a wider scale. You had to look (i.e. listen) for it hard to really notice it. Which gives rise to the existence of tomes like "What was the first Rock'n'Roll record?" by Jim Dawson and Steve Propes (incidentally feat. Ella Mae Morse with Freddy Slack and their "House of Blue Lights" in chronological place #4 out of 50 ). So at the time the "music in the making" did not yet go under a name of its own that would have identified this "new" style (and made it an entity easier to market, as you say). And in hindsight this was why the term "pre-history" later came into use to give these early blossomings of a style a name (or categorization) anyway. Like in MANY other areas of facts and events that eventual become part of history. E.g. the Minton's Playhouse sessions can be (and are, really) considered the pre-history of Bebop but wouldn't it be a bit of a stretch to claim this style as such actually started there and then as a FULL-FLEDGED style? On the other: I do realize a term like "pre-history" (that is coined after the fact) is also used because it may convey a touch of special "insider's awareness" to those who explore this niche music. A kind of "enlightened musical archeologist" feeling. Human nature ...

Some accounts of the career of Ella Mae Morse (and her place in the pre-history of R'n'R) point out that she did have some stylistic influence on Wanda Jackson.

You nailed it and your reaction is spot-on. This is one that I have already read more than once and yet would enjoy picking up again at ANY given moment (as one of surprisingly few among the MANY jazz books I have on my bookshelves), starting on it again and continuing without any urge to put it away again too soon afterwards just because I've read it before. It's instructive and entertaining in equal doses over and over again. If it is not on "recommended reading" lists (surprising - and all the loss of the compilers of such lists) then the only explanation I have is that these lists were compiled too long ago or the compilers (cluelessly enough) figured they'd had the "oral history" base covered by "Hear Me Talkin' To Ya" (which was fine in its time and still is nice but IMO "Swing to Bop" towers sky-high above it today). If there is to be reading on desert islands, then this is a desert island book for me. Or to make matters clearer, I have owned this book for about 25+ years and remember packing it in my summer holiday gear at least once (possibly more often) on the premise that if the worst should come to the worst and I'd be stuck in my caravan on the campsite on one or more rained-out days then this book would enable me to let my mind wander for as long as the book lasts. Even though I would not have the music handy that goes with the book. Nuff said? I think so ...

I saw several copies of these through the years. However, since at least the 1949-1959 volume was likely to overlap with most of what I already had I passed them up. I have a different pressing with a different cover (BN-LA-158) of the 1939-1949 volume, though.

Now that is a case where she wasn't among the first to do a substantial cover version (i.e. one that did not water down the original, as was too often the case then) in the PRE-R'n'R days, and therefore is not really a case of "proto R'n'R" (but just a plain R'n'R cover song - which is alright but not one of her trailblazing records). "Razzle Dazzle" is a carbon copy (arrangement and all) of the ORIGINAL which was recorded in May 1955 and released in June 1955 by none other than Bill Haley & His Comets. The producers behind Ella Mae Morse (no doubt involving Dave Cavanaugh aka "Big Dave" as he figured on the "Barrelhouse ..." LP shown in an earlier post here) quickly jumped on the bandwagon and had her cut it in August 1955. This version is very nice but does not really add much that's new or different (except the femme vocal instead of Bill's voice 😁).

Here's a variation on this theme ... I had tried to get a copy of this in the early 2000s (the Jim Flora cover art of course was and is a big selling point too ), but originals (on eBay.com) were priced out of my range, and the FS reissue was nowhere in sight. So I grabbed the above 3-EP set version of this LP when a nicely priced item showed up on eBay. Sadly this release is one track short compared to the LP (apparently the playing time of the LP exceeds that of the 3 EPs) which is a rare occurence with these EP versions of LPs (that usually repackage the entire contents). But for me it did nicely, and I feel if I desperately need that ifnal track I can always go on a hunt for the FS reissue again.

A bit early this time, but ... well ... So ... any other Ella Mae comments?

Hey, you're leading this discussion astray! 😁 But to answer your question: Yes - pages 82 to 88.

"Proto rock'n'roll" describes it fairly well. She had two careers - first as the swing and boogie vocalist with Freddie Slack and with early solo records in the 40s, culminating in the groundbreaking "House of Blue Lights", and then, after a hiatus of several years, in the 50s, as a solo artist with studio big bands, and hit it with the much-covered "Blacksmith Blues". She was about the first white female singer to pick up songs before the actual R'n'R era that are usually associated with Bill Haley and other major R'n'R acts, and did covers of R&B hits that were way more credible and substantial than those by other white cover artists (particularly of the female variety). The chapter dediced to her in Nick Tosches' book "Unsung Heroes of Rock'n'Roll" is well-earned. Her "Barrelhouse Boogie and the Blues" and "The Hits of Ella Mae Morse and Freddie Slack" LPs were reissued by Capitol in the mid-80s and gave her name and her songs wider awareness in R'n'R jiver and dancers' circles.

Yes ... but the reissues certainly are not what the others posters' questions and misgivings about the Jubilee pressing defects were all about. Because they referred to the original pressings. Different bag ... ... apparently a mixed one ...

Yes Niko - there are five volumes only in the actual "Jazz West Coast" anthology series on Pacific Jazz. Those of the others (out of the total of 15) are on the Pacific Jazz or World Pacific labels (depending on pressings), and the JWC /Jazz West Coast connection is in the JWC catalog numbers only, but on some releases these seem to have been added on later reissues only (e.g. WP-1257 that became JWC-514). Hence the uncertainty about which belongs to which series. And as for the original five "Jazz West Coast" compilation volumes, one might even go one step further and count in the variations released back then (even disregarding the license pressings of the JWC LPs on French Swing or others). For example, a variant of JWC Vol. 2 (JWC-502) was on Jazztone J1243 ("A West Coast Jazz Anthology") which has the same contents except that one Chet Baker track was exchanged for a different one. The list of the 15 LPs that Jazzcorner shows more or less corresponds to the list that you get when you enter "Jazz West Coast" and Pacific Jazz on Discogs and click on the result that refers to the LABEL. As for the single tracks not on other vinyl releases from back then - yes, this is so. And certainly part of the nightmare of Pacific Jazz discographers (I wonder what James Harrod would have say to this? ) And IMO it also explains why some of these Jazz West Coast series anthologies (as well as other V.A. compilations on Pacific Jazz) received rather lukewarm reviews by Down Beat (and probably other mags too) because the reviewers felt these were a rehash of other releases with not enough really new tracks added to make the package fully worthwhile. Preferences and criteria for appreciation clearly change over time ... 😁

I am a bit like Niko - I am aware of (and have heard) a lot of these 50s traditional/Dixieland bands from Germany but do not own all that many of their records. I picked up some items as I came across them (and because they are an interesting part of German jazz history) but as trad jazz is not among my main fields of jazz interest I never had any completist aims. So I cannot refer to them for actual guidance. Both these bands made several records in the revival days of the 50s and early 60s. According to discographies, Doldinger was present on almost all of the Feetwarmers records from 1955 to 1961 (except the New Orleans Wildcats Meet The Feetwarmers EP) but I don't know about their scarcity today nor about reissues (Bear Family??). Just pick up whatever you can get your hands on at a price that you feel you can let yourself be tempted at. https://www.discogs.com/de/artist/668744-The-Feetwarmers I have the ones below with Doldinger (the LP has two tracks by the Feetwarmers - I think I mentioned this in your earlier thread about European trad jazz bands): https://www.discogs.com/de/master/2338177-The-Feetwarmers-Enter-The-Feetwarmers https://www.discogs.com/de/release/4334661-Tremble-Kids-Zürich-Feetwarmers-Düsseldorf-Magnolia-Jazz-Band-Hamburg-Darktown-Stompers-Dortmund-R As for the Two Beat Stompers, Albert Mangelsdorff and Joki Freund were not present on all of their recordings so you would have to check the lineups before buying if it is the presence of these modernists in a Dixieland setting that are after in the first place. See here for a start: https://www.discogs.com/de/artist/2896749-Two-Beat-Stompers

Yes, I did check these online when I was getting ready to buy one, but upon comparison I found that there actually was not much need (unless you are a 100% completist in ALL areas, even beyond music) to shell out for all of them. I settled for "The High Fidelity Art of Jim Flora" because it was easily and affordably available and actually seemed like an updated replacement of the earlier "The Mischievous Art of Jim Flora" (the authors say so themsewlvbes in the intorudctory text to the Hi-Fidelity Art book), particularly if what you are after primarily is music-related artwork. Which is what I was looking for. So for the time being this is sufficient for me.

"Claxography" is a 90s edition of a collection of his photo works published by Nieswand - a publishing company that never had cheap prices. I bought the books on jazz photography of Bob Willoughby and Ed van der Elsken new in a local specialist bookstore in the 90s and may have seen "Claxography" then but probably skipped it if its price was as high as the two I bought . And then there was "Jazz Seen" and others with jazz photography by Claxton published not long after. As for the record series, what exactly are these 15 volumes of the "series" you refer to? To the best of my knowledge, the original "Jazz West Coast" LP SERIES (or its EP excerpts) on Pacific Jazz only included FIVE volumes - i.e. this "Jazz West Coast" LP series, not the label by that name (that seems to have been a variant of World Pacific pressings). The "Jazz West Coast" book from 1955 I recently bought (published at about the time the first "Jazz West Coast" compilation LP was released, I think) does not seem to be that extremely rare but seems to have been highly collectible long enough for it to command steep prices. From what I have seen on eBay for the past 20 years or so the starting prices at auctions have been above the $100 limit for a long time and Buy-It-Now prices usually are quite a bit higher than that (see current eBay listings, for example).

Let's not forget Klaus Doldinger who started out with The Feetwarmers and played with them long enough to make several records with them. And then there were the very popular Two Beat Stompers whose lineup for a while included Emil Mangelsdorff and Joki Freund. Incidentally, as for Albert Mangelsdorff, I wonder if whatever recordings in a traditional jazz style by him are more likely to have been side effects of his appearances with his brother Emil who was more of a swinger and less of an all-out modernist. At any rate, his "Opa Hirchleitner Story" session was a (very well-done) spoof but no Dixieland (though the titles of the session read like it). I am not sure if the very early live and festival appearances by Volker Kriegel were in the swing or older traditonal jazz style. I think, though, that hardly any of these have been documented on record as there were no recordings released prior to the 1958 German amateur festival. And one more from the US that at first listening sounds like Dixieland - and yet ...: Anyone familiar with the very early recordings of Steve Lacy that he did in the mid-50s with the Dick Sutton combo for the Jaguar label? They are a very odd but highly fascinating and entertaining mixture of Dixieland that the players try hard to modernize and extend by going straight to modern jazz, bypassing the swing style - yet without totally leaving the traditional idiom. Fittingly enough, the original releases were referred to as "Progressive Dixieland". They were reissued on a 2-LP Set on Fresco Jazz and later on CD by Fresh Sound (who else? ).

Reading all these "mixed bag" feelings about him and his output it almost seems well-chosen that I have limited the Mel Tormé corner in my record collection to ONE LP featuring him in the 40s with his Mel-Tones on Musicraft (which I bought as part of exploring and covering the 40s jazz and semi-jazz scene, of course). 😁

The European Jazz LPs or West Coast Jazz volumes in the Jazz Critique publications aren't label-specific either. I missed (or failed to become aware of) the West Coast Jazz book at the time but bought the European Jazz LPs book back then, and your desription read very much like this book. So I assumend the idea behind the publication was comparable.

Agreed - like I said in an earlier post, the announcements by Symphony Sid or Hunter Hancock (or whoever) in 50s radio shows that have since been released on LP or CD are part of the mix and make history become tangible. But there are some lesser MCs whose talk does intrude in some cases. And the examples I mentioned above (including the Youtube links) are STUDIO recordings. And there I find the anouncers really unessential - at least on a cleaned-up "alternate take". And if the (AI?) filtering technology evolves to the point of being being able to filtering out interference from neighboring stations on less-than-perfectly recorded radio airshots then I for one wouldn't complain either.