What 78 are you spinning right now ?

[AllenLowe]

hey, Love Nest is a great tune - theme for the old George Burns/Gracie Allen tv show.

[jeffcrom]

I've been listening to 78s just about every day lately. Today's assortment made no sense - just a bunch of stuff I felt like hearing:

James Moody - Lester Leaps In/Out of Nowhere (Prestige, 1949) Moody with a bunch of Swedes. Arne Domnerus sounds good on "Nowhere."

Dave Brubeck - A Foggy Day/Lyons Busy (Fantasy, 1951) Paul Desmond!

George Barrere - Dance of the Blessed Spirits/L'Arlesienne Suite #2 (Columbia, 1913) One of the first great classical flutists to make records.

California Ramblers - California Here I Come/Cover Me Up With the Sunshine of Virgina (Columbia, 1924) Hot dance music, with some great Adrian Rollini breaks in "California."

Benson Orchestra of Chicago - That's Georgia/Morning (Victor, 1924) I've always liked this near-jazz band. They don't have the jazz pedigree of the California Ramblers, but they compare favorably.

Don Redman - Lazy Weather/Moonrise on the Lowlands (Perfect, 1936) Harlan Lattimore's vocals are the fleas that come with the Don Redman dog, but the band swings. There's some beautiful five-part sax writing on "Lazy Weather" - worthy of Benny Carter.

[jeffcrom]

Yesterday I spun my entire collection (five discs) of Earl Bostic, on Gotham and King. On a couple of the sides, it oddly amusing to realize that it was John Coltrane holding the whole note on tenor at the end - that's all he does on the Bostic records I have.

Today, a mixed bag of gospel, blues, and New Orleans R & B:

Prof. Chas. Taylor - I'll See It Through/I'm Stumbling (Savoy, 1958)

The Pilgrim Travelers - Amazing Grace/Gonna Walk Right Out (Specialty, mid 50s, I guess)

Jazz Gillum - Keep on Sailing/Fast Woman Blues (RCA Victor, mid 40s)

Sonny Terry - Lost John/Fox Chase (Library of Congress, 1938)

Smiley Lewis - She's Go Me Hook, Line & Sinker/Please Listen to Me (Imperial, 1956)

Bobby Charles - No Use Knocking/Laura Lee (Chess, 1956) A great little record with a great band; Lee Allen solos on each side.

[jazztrain]

Inspired by the recent thread on New Orleans Brass Bands:

Original Zenith Brass Band. Marching Jazz. Circle, 1946 (album set):

- Salutation March/If I Ever Cease To Love

- Bugle Boy March/'Taint Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do

- Fidgety Feet/Shake It And Break It

[jeffcrom]

Inspired by the recent thread on New Orleans Brass Bands:

Original Zenith Brass Band. Marching Jazz. Circle, 1946 (album set):

- Salutation March/If I Ever Cease To Love

- Bugle Boy March/'Taint Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do

- Fidgety Feet/Shake It And Break It

I went a little nuts today and bought a collection of 78s. There are around 250 records, including lots of junk that I'll dispose of, but I decided to go for it after I had looked through half of the first box. The heart of it was some jaw-dropping early country, including a Henry Whitter on Okeh, a Billy Cox on Gennett, and lots of early Carter Family stuff. There was also a Rev. J. M. Gates sermon on Okeh in nice condition, and a couple of skits from Shuffle Along by Miller and Lyles, who wrote the script for that groundbreaking show. There's jazz scattered through the records as well, from early stuff like a Bennie Moten and a Halfway House Orchestra to Charlie Parker and the Mulligan Quartet on Fantasy. I have cleaned the first dozen and am about to start spinning. I probably won't leave my house for a week.

[jeffcrom]

Well, I've listened to the first 20 discs. So far the winners are:

West Virginia Night Owls - I'm Goin' to Walk on the Streets of Glory/Blind Alfred Reed - Fate of Chris Lively and Wife (Victor, 1927) Pretty worn, but Victor records were so good to start with that it still sounds pretty good.

Rev. J. M. Gates and Congregation - Are You Bound for Heaven or Hell?/The California Kidnapping (Okeh, 1927/28) I have the first side on CD, but the "Kidnapping" sermon is new to me, and it's brilliant. He starts talking about recent (at the time) kidnappings, then suddenly shifts to how his grandfather and grandmother were kidnapped from Africa and brought here. An amazing performance.

Several Carter Family records on Victor and Montgomery Ward. Really sweet Virginia country music - 1929-1934.

Henry Whitter - Rabbit Race/Farewell to Thee (Okeh, 1924) Beautiful country harmonica playing.

[jeffcrom]

I've cleaned and listened to about 50 of my new stash of 78s. Some more of the highlights so far:

Carter Family - Worried Man Blues/The Cannon-Ball (Victor) Of all the old-time country in the collection I bought, I'm find that I'm responding to the Carter Family the most, and this is my favorite of the half-dozen of their records I bought.

Carson Robison - Poor Man's Heaven/So I Joined the Navy (Champion) Robison was on the more commercial side of country music at the time, but this is a fun record with a fabulous musician (probably Frank Novak) who "triples" on clarinet, bass sax, and accordion. And the collector in me knows that the Champion 16000 series was pressed in very small quantities - the records are hard to find.

Jarvis and Justice - Muskrat Rag/Poca River Blues (Brunswick) I know very little about these guys, but these are beautiful late-20s fiddle/guitar duets.

Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra - Get Low-Down Blues/Kansas City Breakdown (Victor) I've said before how good Victor 78s sound, even when they're pretty worn, as this one is.

Ethel Waters - Am I Blue?/Birmingham Bertha (Columbia) With the Dorsey brothers, among others. Whatever your definition of a jazz singer is, Ethel would have to make the list - fabulous singing.

Earl Hines Swingtette - Lazy Mornin'/Keyboard Kapers (MGM) I've been concentrating on the earlier records in the collection I bought, but there are plenty of discs from the 1940s. This is from 1947 - it's a quartet with Sid Catlett on drums. He has a great solo on "Kapers."

The Halfway House Orchestra - Let Me Call You Sweetheart/Maple Leaf Rag (Columbia) This one by a great little New Orleans band would be about my favorite of the entire bunch, except that it's so worn that the surface noise overpowers the music. That's okay - I've got the Frog CD of all the Halfway House material. I can listen to that while looking at the label of this record, which I'll be keeping as a cool object, not as a record I'll ever play again.

[jeffcrom]

Without really trying to, I have accumulated four late-20s 78s by Boyd Senter, "Jazzologist Supreme," as some of the labels state. Boyd wasn't a very good clarinetist, but he hired good musicians for his records, so I enjoyed listening to them all today:

Eniale Blues/Somebody's Wrong (Okeh)

Original Chinese Blues/Prickly Heat (Okeh)

No More/Original Stack O'Lee Blues (British Parlophone)

Shine/Doin' You Good (Victor)

Three of the sides are clarinet solos accompanied by Jack Russell on piano and Eddie Lang on guitar. Lang sounds great, and is mentioned by name (as Ed. Lang) on a couple of the labels. The other sides are by "The Senterpedes," which usually included the Dorsey brothers and drummer Vic Berton. Both of the Dorseys play really nice solos, and there is one clarinet duet between Senter and Jimmy Dorsey - it makes you wonder what Boyd was thinking. Could he not hear how bad Jimmy Dorsey made him sound?

Anyway, I enjoyed this 24 minutes of music. Senter's playing hasn't survived the passage of time, but I'm glad to hear the other guys' contributions.

[jeffcrom]

Today's favorite 78 spins, old and new:

(Well, they're all old, of course, but some are new to me.)

Victor Military Band - Chinatown, My Chinatown/Music Box Rag (12" Victor - 1914) I picked up this record because "Music Box" is a Lucky Roberts composition, and because I love those old concert band records of ragtime.

Earl Hines Sextet- Life With Fatha/I Love My Lovin' Lover (Apollo - 1944) A great little pickup band with Ray Nance, Oscar Pettiford, and Johnny Hodges. I guess Hodges' name couldn't be used - he's listed on the label as "J. Harjes." The great Betty Roche does the vocal on the second side.

Earl Hines Orchestra - Straight Life/Now That You're Mine (ARA - 1946) The last gasp of the Hines big band. "Straight Life" is really nice, with a killer Wardell Gray tenor solo.

Earl Hines Swingtette - Lazy Morning'/Keyboard Kapers (MGM - 1947) Just Hines and a rhythm section - Floyd Smith, Arvell Shaw, and Sid Catlett.

Bert Williams - It's Nobody's Business But My Own/Everybody Wants a Key to My Cellar (Columbia, 1919) I wonder how many of the white record buyers who laughed at this one realized what "Key to My Cellar" was really about.

Teddy Wilson Quintet - I Surrender Dear/Runnin' Wild (Musicraft - 1945) Outstanding - with Red Norvo and Charlie Shavers.

I've got to acknowledge that one line in Harry Hershfield's dated 1920 comedy record "Abe Kabibble Dictates a Letter" made me laugh out loud: "You bought us two tickets to the Metropolitan Opera to hear Mary Garden sing. I ain't goin' - I heard an imitation of her last night, and she was terrible."

Edited July 9, 2010 by jeffcrom

[Clunky]

Some very dirty 78s bought cheaply and cleaned up a bit , lots of scratches and marks but no skips and the music shines through, all have great solos from Bird

Slim Gaillard - Bel-Tone 753 Popity Pop/ Dizzy Boogie

Charlie Parker All Stars- Relaxin at Camarillo Dial 1012 - flip side The Mad Monks- Blue Serge (S Chaloff)- very beat up but still listenable (just !!!)

Charlie Parker Sextet Crazeology ( Three ways of playing a chorus)/Relaxing at Camarillo- Esquire 10-079 UK

plus Several UK issued Parker Savoys ...

quite a number rejected because of really excessive wear and horrendous condition... all good fun really

[jeffcrom]

Collecting 78s takes you to some unexpected places. I just spent an hour listening to Harry James 78s - not because I'm a Harry James fan, but because I acquired eight Harry James records when I bought a collection of 78s recently. I actually debated whether or not to go through the trouble of cleaning and playing them - I thought about just throwing them out. I'm glad I kept them and I'm glad I listened tonight. The records range in date from 1940 to 1953, and I enjoyed them all except for the most recent. James is generally the weakest soloist - he seems to have lost the freshness and directness he had in the mid 1930s - but otherwise the instrumentals swing. There are a couple of nice Jimmy Mundy charts, and James seems to have realized that he had a treasure during the period Willie Smith was in the band - Smith solos on half of the eight sides he plays on. And Harry does play one solo I like - a nice, understated, muted outing on Mundy's "Jump Town." And the vocal/pop tunes are generally well done - one of the sides is "Stella by Starlight," and this was the first recording of the song. Arnold Ross plays piano on a couple of the records, but unfortunately doesn't solo.

I also have a 10" Columbia LP of 1940s James material - Trumpet Time, and a Jazz Legends CD called The Jazz Sides: 1937-1947. Amazingly, there is no duplication among my 78s, the LP, and the CD. I think I'll pop in that CD and listen to his quartet sides with Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons next.

Edited July 15, 2010 by jeffcrom

[Clunky]

Teddy Wilson Quintet - I Surrender Dear/Runnin' Wild (Musicraft - 1945) Outstanding - with Red Norvo and Charlie Shavers.

i've a Musicraft of this group playing "Bugle Rag" which is really excellent too, The Musicraft sounds quite thin but that probably just an EQ issue as I'm using a RIAA only phonostage

[jeffcrom]

One reason I'm enjoying my 78 obsession so much is the sense of discovery - you never know what surprises await in the next stack of shellac in a junk store.

When I can find them cheap, I buy 78s by dance bands from the 1920s. I do this because:

1) Excellent jazz bands sometimes used pseudonyms on small labels. I have a record on the Melotone label by "Earl Harlan and His Orchestra" that is really Don Redman's band, for instance.

2) Lots of otherwise ordinary dance records had good solos - sometimes from pretty big name jazz players.

3) Truth be told, I kind of like 20s dance band records, even if the above two conditions don't exist.

I picked up a few such records from an antique store today, and a couple of them paid off. Nat Shilkret's band doing "That's My Weakness Now" has some nice solos - not by any really big names. But the real surprise was "What'll You Do?" by Johnny Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders. It's just okay until a spectacular trombone solo about halfway through. I thought it must be by some big-name studio guy - Teagarden, even - but from the research I've done it seems to be the Serenaders' regular trombonist, one William Benedict. I can't find any reference to him except passing mentions as the trombonist in this band. I'll be looking for more Johnny Hamp records to see if Benedict was really that good or if he got lucky in the studio that day in 1927.

[Clunky]

Picked up 4 twelve inch Blue Note 78s by Edmond Hall and Sidney De Paris- in mint condition really and sound less distorted than the transfers to CD done in 1999 by BN itself. Nice sides- Smooth Sailing , Seein Red etc.

[jeffcrom]

I've been playing 78s daily - my 78 rig has been getting as much of a workout as my CD player and LP turntable.

Over the past several days, I've listened to all of my Original Memphis Five 78s, ranging in date from 1922 to 1927. They are the most-represented artists in my 78 collection; I have 22 of their records, and that's not counting two discs by blues singers on which the OM5 are the backup band. I kind of made a conscious decision to "specialize" in this group, because:

1. I like them. They were excellent and consistent - more consistent than some more highly-regarded bands.

2. Since they are underrated, you can pick up a 78 in excellent condition by the OM5 for a few bucks rather than the three figues a King Oliver on Gennett will set you back.

It was interesting to hear all of these records in more or less chronological order. I'd forgotten that trumpeter Phil Napoleon was pretty stiff on the early sides, but he had really loosened up by the end of 1923. And Jimmy Lytell was consistently excellent on clarinet - one of the unsung clarinet heroes of the 1920s. On the later records, the songs sound more arranged, but the band still sounded like itself - except on one 1926 record on which Red Nichols substitutes for Phil Napoleon. That one sounds like a Red Nichols record.

I think my favorite session is a December, 1923 date for Cameo that produced two sides - "Hootin' de Hoot" and "Sweet Papa Joe." Perversely, they were issued on two different records, each backed by a pretty lame dance band. But everything is in balance, the band is swinging, and everyone's at the top of their game. Excellent music.

Picked up 4 twelve inch Blue Note 78s by Edmond Hall and Sidney De Paris- in mint condition really and sound less distorted than the transfers to CD done in 1999 by BN itself. Nice sides- Smooth Sailing , Seein Red etc.

Yeah, a mint 78 is a beautiful thing.

[paul secor]

I don't play 78s - own some, unfortunately don't have anything to play them on - but I enjoy all of the contributions by Jeff, Clunky, and others to this thread. Interesting stuff. Keep it going, guys!

[Clunky]

Lot's 78 listening lately here enhanced hugely by a new stylus. It's a truncated conical diamond 0032 from the Expert Stylus Company. Not the sort of thing to get excited about but surface noise is significantly better with the rather larger stylus riding higher in the groove. Some 78s like the Blue Note Ed Halls I got recently are significantly better as are my few US Deccas ( Teddy Grace , Adrian Rollini)

Remarkably this hand made stylus cost me less than the stock Ortofon OM78 I had been using .

Currently spinning

King Cole Quintette - Heads - Disc NY, (an early Norman Granz production with some nice Illinois Jacquet and Shad Collins, rather rough recording but sounding much better with the new stylus

[jeffcrom]

Played some calypso 78s today. I'm always on the lookout for these, but I'm not the only one - they seem to be snatched up quickly by collectors. And since, for the most part, I don't pay collector's prices for 78s, I only have a few calypso discs.

Sir Lancelot - Scandal in the Family/The Young Girls Today (Mercury, ex Keynote) Backed up by Gerald Clark's band with the great Gregory Felix on clarinet - thanks to Jazztrain for identifying the clarinetist back in my early days here.

Sir Lancelot - Atomic Energy/Walk in Peace (Charter)

Lloyd Thomas with Bill La Motta - Give Her the Number One/I Wanna Settle Down (Arco) A new acquisition, from the dollar stacks - and a nice one. Thomas was from Trinidad, and Arco was a subsidiary of the Newark label Manor.

Then some Slam Stewart:

Sherry Lynn Flip/Blue, Brown and Beige (Manor) A trio with Erroll Garner and Doc West.

Coppin' Out/Blues Collins (Musicraft) Slam and Doc with Billy Taylor and John Collins. Billy Taylor sure was an interesting pianist back then.

[jeffcrom]

Over the last year I have gathered a small collection of Jewish 78s of various types - klezmer, cantors, theatre singers, folk singers. I only have about two dozen discs at this point, but there are no duds among them, and some real gems. I played five of my favorites today:

Jewish Orchestra: Dem Pastuchel's Cholem/Kalman Juvelier: Moshiach is Gekomen (Columbia, 1917/18) The anonymous klezmer band on side one does an early version of "The Shepherd's Dream."

Cantor Joseph Rosenblatt: Zaroh Ohayu/Zorea Tzedokos (Columbia, 1916) One of the great voices of his time.

William Schwartz: Sh'ma Yisroel/In Hinderd Juhr Arim (Victor, 1919) I haven't been able to find out much about Schwartz, but he had a good tenor voice. If I'm still around on February 20, 2019, I'm going to play this record - the title of side two means "One Hundred Years From Today."

Yiddishe Orchester: Keshenever Bulgar/Die Yiddishe Neshomoh (Columbia, 1917) This is a really nice early klezmer record by Abe Schwartz, who was the Clarence Williams of Jewish music in New York at the time - he played (violin), wrote songs, arranged, and produced records.

Bracha Zfirah: Yesh li Gan/Bein N'shar Prath (Columbia, 1937) I was so taken with the Sephardic song on side one ("I Have a Garden") that I'm arranging it for the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra, with whom I play. Just beautiful.

[jeffcrom]

Some more listening this afternoon, maybe more in line with the tastes of folks here:

Med Flory: The Fuz/Straight Ahead (EmArcy) Nice big band sides from 1954. Besides Flory's alto, the other soloists are John Williams on piano and Doug Mettome (I think) on trumpet.

Gerry Mulligan Quartet: My Funny Valentine/Bark for Barksdale (Fantasy promo) I don't know that I had ever noticed what a great solo Chico Hamilton plays on "Barksdale."

Bob Mosely All Stars: Stormy Mood/Bee Boogie Boo (Bel-Tone) A great little 1945 record with solos by Lucky Thompson and Marshall Royal (on clarinet). Young Mr. Mingus is on bass.

Dodo Marmarosa: Mellow Mood/How High the Moon (Atomic) I think I've mentioned this one before. Lucky Thompson is on "How High the Moon," but the trio side is fabulous.

Wardell Gray: Blue Lou, parts 1 & 2 (Modern) This has appeared on various Crown LPs, but this was the first issue. Nice Wardell and Erroll Garner.

[jeffcrom]

Played a bunch of 78s today - no rhyme or reason, except that most of these are recent acquisitions. The highlights:

Johnny Smith Quintet: I'll Be Around/Cavu (Royal Roost, 1953) A good one, with Paul Quinichette on tenor. "I'll Be Around" is one of the best songs by one of my favorite composers, Alec Wilder.

Dave Barbour: Little Boy Bop Go Blow Your Top/Ensenada (Capitol, 1949) Fascinating - I haven't decided how good it is yet, though. Barbour was a big-band and studio guitarist (and Peggy Lee's husband); this is one of the few discs under his name. It's Latin bop with Ray Linn on trumpet and a bunch of added percussion in the rhythm section. Definitely worth several more listens.

Jean Goldkette: Dinah/After I Say I'm Sorry (Victor, 1926) Goldkette's band just before Bix joined. "Dinah" is one of the best things I've heard from this band - it's a Russ Morgan arrangement with solos by Jimmy Dorsey and Joe Venuti. The highlight, though, a slap/triplet passage by Steve Brown. It's the first time I really understood why guys from that era said he was such a great bassist.

Vladimir Horowitz - Six Scarlatti Sonatas (RCA Victor, 1946/47) I usually don't listen to classical 78s from this era - who wants to change the records twelve times to hear a Beethoven symphony? This is an album of two 12" disc, though, and the pieces are short enough to fit one or two per side. Horowitz was a great Scarlatti interpreter, and this is a really beautiful album. I've got a CD with his late-60s recordings of three of these; I'm looking forward to comparing them.

[jeffcrom]

Spun a bunch of shellac today, some recently acquired, some not. Today's highlights:

Paul Whiteman - Lonely Melody/Ramona (Victor, 1928) The only Bix 78 I have. Wonderful, full sound. This record represents the best and worst aspects of Whiteman. Bill Challis's arrangement of "Lonely Melody" is quite good, as is Bix's solo. This is the first time I've heard "Ramona" in at least ten years. It'll be another decade before I spin it again.

Cow Cow Davenport - Chimes Blues/Slow Drag (Broadway, 1929) My heart skipped a beat when I found this in a stack of two-dollar records recently. It's pretty worn, but what a cool record. It seems to have been issued on Paramount, Gennett, Broadway, and Champion all more or less simultaneously.

Then on to some jump blues:

Calvin Boze - Safronia B/Angel City Blues (Aladdin, late forties) Very nice. I think Safronia B was a minor R & B hit.

Al Wichard Sextette - His Majesty's Boogie/Your Red Wagon (Modern, 1948) Somewhat uncertain personnel except for Jay McShann and Jimmy Witherspoon, who sings "Your Red Wagon." A good one.

Harry the Hipster Gibson - Riot in Boogie/Stop That Dancing Up There (Musicraft, 1944) Silly fun, with Big Sid Catlett on drums.

Speaking of whom, I'm mentioning the following disc because I had such high expectations, and it was so disappointing:

Sid Catlett All Stars - Shirley's Boogie/Organ Boogie (Manor, 1946) Novelty boogie crap, and there's so much surface noise that you can't hear what Sid is doing - typical of Manor pressings, from what I've found. Jimmy Shirley is good on guitar, though.

And I ended with a winner:

Spirit of Memphis Quartet - Lord Jesus, parts 1 & 2 (King, 1952-ish) Recorded at Mason's Temple in Memphis, and the congregation is excited. One sister can't stop shouting. Great record.

[jeffcrom]

Gospel 78 time today. I've mentioned several of these before.

Angelic Gospel Singers - If It Wasn't For the Lord/God's Roll (Gotham)

Rev. B. C. Campbell and Congregation - Jesus Was Great/Let Me Go Back (Apollo)

Reverend Cleophus Robinson - Moaning in the Morning/I Can See So Much (Peacock)

Rev. J. M. Gates and Congregation - The California Kidnapping/Are You Bound for Heaven or Hell? (Okeh)

Blind Willie Johnson - Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning/Lord I Just Can't Keep From Crying (Columbia) This one is pretty worn, but I'm still glad to have it. I remember the first time I heard "I Just Can't Keep From Crying" - about 35 years ago, on a Folkways LP checked out from the library. Its intensity frightened me; the same intensity comes through the battered grooves of this record.

[Clunky]

Sid Catlett All Stars - Shirley's Boogie/Organ Boogie (Manor, 1946) Novelty boogie crap, and there's so much surface noise that you can't hear what Sid is doing - typical of Manor pressings, from what I've found. Jimmy Shirley is good on guitar, though.

the two Manor pressings I have sound just fine (Dizzy Gillespie- Salt Peanuts , The Brown Spots)

Asch on the other hand,,,,,,,

[Clunky]

Bought these two 78s just a few days before he died, Old man rebop is pretty good if a little light weight.

Jack Parnell and His Quartet - Old man re-bop/Sweet Lorraine- Decca. Includes Grangemouth's finest tenor _Tommy Whittle

Jack Parnell and his Quartet - April 21st, 1947 (Decca)

Tommy Whittle (ts), Norman Stenfalt (p), Dave Goldberg (g), Charlie Short (b), Jack Parnell (d,vcl).

Sweet Lorraine (vcl JP)/Old Man Rebop*.

and also

Jack Parnell and His Band - The Champ/Summertime- Parlophone- 1952- can't find any more details beyond the label which indicate that Phil Seaman and Jimmy Deuchar feature