BFT 67: Mostly Old Stuff - Answer Thread

[lipi]

If you don't want to get spoilers, don't read past this message, I suppose.

It's the end of the month, so it's time to shock and amuse with the grand reveal. There wasn't a whole lot of participation this month, and I apologise if you found the music a tad too obscure (or, worse, plain not interesting). If you found something you liked: good show!

[lipi]

Part 1:

1. "Every Little Moment", Harlem Hot Shots, 1935

The Complete Brunswick & Vocalion Recordings of Louis Prima and Wingy Manone (1924-1937) (Mosaic)

Wingy Manone (tp, vcl), Matty Matlock (cl), Eddie Miller (ts), Gil Bowers (p), Nappy Lamare (g), Harry Goodman (b), Ray Bauduc (d)

2. "When My Baby Starts to Shake That Thing", Harry Dial's Blusicians, 1930

That's My Stuff: Chicago, 1929-1930 (Frog)

George Dixon (tp, as), Omer Simeon (cl, as), Cecil Irwin (cl, ts), Zinky Cohn (p), Eustern Woodfork (bj), Hayes Alvis (tu), Harry Dial (d, vcl)

3. "Piggly Wiggly - A", Beale Street Washboard Band, 1929

Get Easy Blues: Chicago 1928-1930 (Frog)

Herb Morand (tp), Johnny Dodds (cl), Frank Melrose (p), Baby Dodds (d)

4. "Swingin' on the Famous Door", Delta Big Four, 1935

Roy Eldridge: Little Jazz Trumpet Giant, Disc 1: Swing Is Here (Proper)

Roy Eldridge (tp), Joe Marsala (cl), Carmen Mastren (g), Sid Weiss (b)

Four bad-asses. Incidentally, if anyone knows of a better (fill in your own definition here) source for this track than the Proper Box, I'd love to hear about it.

5. "When I Get Low I Get High", The Loose Marbles, 2007

untitled (CD-R bought from the band)

Meschiya Lake (vcl), the rest of the line-up unclear: it varies a lot.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but I sure love Meschiya's voice. There's an interesting New Yorker article about the band. In short: they're street musicians that have become popular in the lindy hop dance community. Recently, Meschiya and the Loose Marbles split ways and she sings with other bands (including her own "Little Big Horns").

There are quite a few videos on youtube. This is my favourite:

6. "I've Found a New Baby", Frank "Big Boy" Goudie, 1935

Django Reinhardt: The Classic Early Recordings, Volume 1 (JSP)

Frank Goudie (tp, cl, ts), Stephane Grappelli (p), Joseph Reinhardt (g), Sigismond Beck (b), Jerry Mengo (d)

7. "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea", Dicky Wells and his Orchestra, 1937

Django Reinhardt & His American Friends: Complete Sessions (Definitive)

Bill Dillard, Bill Coleman, Shad Collins (tp), Wells (tb), Richard Fullbright (b), Bill Beason (d)

Yes, I'm afraid I pulled this from a set put out by our Andorran friends. What can I say? It's not a session that's on the Mosaic. There are Chrono Classics and Prestige releases that have this session, too.

8. "Lindyhopper's Delight", Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra, 1939

Strictly Jive (Hep)

Dick Vance, Stark, Jordan (tp), Nat Story, Sandy Williams, George Matthews (tb), Garvin Bushell (cl,as), Hilton Jefferson (as) Wayman

Carver (fl,ts), Ted McRae (ts), John Trueheart (g), Tommy Fulford (p), Beverley Peer (b), Bill Beason (d)

Recorded about four months after Chick Webb passed away, with Ella nominally fronting the Savoy Ballroom house band. The title is spot on: this is a delight to dance to.

[lipi]

Part 2:

9. "Dr Watson and Mr Holmes", Spirits of Rhythm, 1934

Spirits of Rhythm 1932-1941 (Retrieval)

Leo Watson, Wilbur Daniels, Douglas Daniels (tiples,vcl), Teddy Bunn (g), Wellman Braud (b), Virgil Scoggins (vcl,d)

(A tiple in this context is a tiny guitar-like instrument.)

Some jive silliness that makes me smile every time.

10. "Chicken and Waffles", Bunny Berigan & His Blue Boys, 1935

Bunny Berigan: The Key Sessions 1931-1937 (JSP)

Bunny Berigan (tp), Edgar Sampson (cl,as), Eddie Miller (cl,ts), Cliff Jackson (p), Grachan Moncur (b), Ray Bauduc (d)

I didn't get on the Mosaic band wagon until after the Berigan set went OOP, so I had to settle for the (also OOP, but found cheaply at Amoeba) JSP. The sound is fine, but I sometimes wonder about the alternates I'm missing. (Any comments from someone who has the Berigan Mosaic?)

11. "On the Sunny Side of the Street", Eddie Condon, 1944

The Town Hall Concerts, Volume 8 (Jazzology)

Bobby Hackett (cn), Wingy Manone (tp,vcl), Max Kaminsky (tp), Ernie Caceres (bari), Pee Wee Russell (cl), Jess Stacy (p), Eddie Condon (g), Bob Casey (b), George Wettling (d)

This is one of my favourite jazz series. All volumes highly recommended. Eddie Condon's informal concerts are a delight.

12. "Cotton Club Stomp", Bratislava Hot Serenaders, 2003

Cotton Club Stomp (?)

A

instead of album art:

I can't figure out what the label is (Stiefel Eruocart? Kalypso?), and I'm not going to bother typing in the personnel (for one, too many crazy accents!). Finding this CD outside of Slovakia isn't trivial. I ordered mine from hudba.info with a little translation help from a Czech friend, and didn't have any trouble. You can also try sending a message to manager@serenaders.sk or hot@serenaders.sk and seeing whether you can get a CD directly from them.

13. "Sweet Sue, Just You", The Bechet-Spanier Big Four, 1940

The Complete H.R.S. Sessions (Mosaic)

Muggsy Spanier (cn), Sidney Bechet (ss, cl), Carmen Mastren (g), Wellman Braud (b)

Go buy this set right now! (Aside: I hadn't realised I'd included two quartets with Carmen Mastren on this BFT until typing up these notes just now.)

14. "When My Sugar Walks down the Street", The Original Memphis Five, 1957

Connee Boswell and the Original Memphis Five in Hi-Fi (BMG Japan)

James Lytell (cl), Frank Signorelli (p), Anthony Sbarbaro (d), Billy Butterfield (tp), Milford "Miff" Mole (tb), Eugene Traxler (b), Connee Boswell (vcl)

Some huge jazz names in a, to me, surprising combination. I like this CD, though I think Connee's voice is already not as good as it once was (she was 50 when she recorded this).

15. "Lady Be Good", Count Basie and His Orchestra, 1944

1944 (Hindsight)

Personnel is unknown (discographies do not agree with each other), but that's Artie Shaw on clarinet.

There's a good version of "Bird Calls" on the same disc which I almost used instead of this track.

16. "Algiers Stomp", Mills Blue Rhythm Band, 1936

Mills Blue Rhythm Band: 1933-1936 (Retrieval)

Red Allen (tp), Tab Smith (as), Billy Kyle (p), John Kirby (b), O'Neil Spencer (d)

[lipi]

Part 3:

17. "What Are You Gonna Do When There Ain't No Jazz?", Barbara Dane, 2000

What Are You Gonna Do When There Ain't No Jazz? (GHB)

Bob Mielke (tb), Richard Hadlock (sax), Mark Caparone (tp), Ray Skjelbred (p), Pete Allen (b), Clint Baker (g), Barbara Dane (vcl)

Barbara is more of a folk singer in my mind, or perhaps a blues singer. Half of this album was recorded in New Orleans and half up in Oakland. A personal aside: the guitar player on this track (and the other Oakland tracks) is a talented multi-instrumentalist who leads a New Orleans combo here in the SF Bay Area. I go to hear him about twice a month.

18. "My Home Is in a Southern Town", Don Ewell, 1957

Man Here Plays Fine Piano! (Good Time)

Don Ewell (p), Darnell Howard (cl), Pops Foster (b), Minor Hall (d)

19. "Whoopee Stomp (alternate take)", The Lumberjacks, 1928

Ben Pollack, Volume 6: The Whoopee Makers (Jazz Oracle)

Jimmy McPartland, Al Harris (tp), Jack Teagarden (tb), Benny Goodman (cl,as), Gil Rodin (as), Larry Binyon (ts), Vic Briedis (p), Dick Morgan (bj), Harry Goodman (tu), Ray Bauduc (d)

20. "Jammin' for the Jack-Pot", Lucky Millinder and the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, 1937

Cotton Club Stars (Stash)

Charlie Shavers, Carl Warwick, Sweets Edison (tp), Alfred Cobbs, Wilbur DeParis (tb), Tab Smith (as), Eddie Williams, Ben Williams, Harold Arnold (ts), Billy Kyle (p), Danny Barker (g). John Williams (b), Lester Nichols (d,vib)

21. "Michigander Blues", Jabbo Smith, 1929

1929 - The Complete Set (Retrieval/Challenge)

Jabbo Smith (cn), Omer Simeon (as), Earl Frazier (p), Ikey Robinson (bj)

22. "Mary Lee", Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra, 1929

Band Box Shuffle (Hep)

Ed Lewis, Booker Washington (cn/tp), Thamon Hayes (tb), Eddie Durham (tb,g), Harlan Leonard, Jack Washington, Woody Walder (rd), Ira "Buster" Moten (p), Basie (p), Leroy Berry (bj), Vernon Page (tu/b), Willie McWashington (d,vcl)

23. "Sweet Georgia Brown", Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars, 1957

Mack the Knife (Live at Newport) (Pablo)

Louis Armstrong (tp), Trummy Young (tb), Edmond Hall (cl), Billy Kyle (p), Squire Gersh (b), Barrett Deems (d)

24. "Mama's Got a Baby", Jelly Roll Morton's Hot Seven, 1940

Last Sessions: The Complete General Recordings (Verve)

Henry "Red" Allen (tp), Claude Jones (tb), Albert Nicholas (cl), Eddie Williams (as), Morton (p, vcl), Wellman Braud (b), Zutty Singleton (d)

25. "If You're a Viper", New Orleans Jazz Vipers, 2004

Live on Frenchmen Street (New Orleans Jazz Vipers/CDbaby)

Joe Braun (as,vcl), Charlie Fardella (tp,vcl), John Rodli (g,vcl), Tom Saunders (bass-s,vcl), Robert Snow (b), Neti Vaan (vln)

That's all. If you end up rushing out and buying one of these albums, let me know whether you end up liking it. Thanks for listening and reading.

[Noj]

Thanks again for all your hard work in compiling the tracks and information, Alex. Very enjoyable listen.

[papsrus]

I apologize for grabbing the music and not participating in the listeners' comments. I'm just not that good at keeping up with these things.

I can assure you though that your choices will spur me on to more explorations. Thanks for putting it together, and again, apologies for bailing on the follow-up comments.

[NIS]

I haven't rushed out and bought anything yet but I did rush to the library and pick up some of the stuff you recomended in an earlier comment.

Really enjoyed the Jelly Roll Morton albums. I will probably be buying one or two of those. I've also been listening to Sidney Bechet's "Up A Lazy River", which includes your track 13. As mentioned often on Organissimo, the Bechet/Spanier tracks are really, really good stuff. I don't think that I can afford the HRS Mosaic (the music hobby budget isn't what it used to be) but I am going to take a shot and see if the library can get that one as well as the Roy Eldridge album.

Thanks.

[Big Al]

Wow! What a compilation! Fantastic job, Alex! Gonna go back and listen AGAIN now that I know the answers!

[Hot Ptah]

Thanks for the truly great collection of music, and for the prompt answers.

[mikeweil]

Sorry I didn't get around to complete my guesses before my vacation, and now that I'M back all kinds of things keep stealing my time ...

This was a great, extremely enjoyable disc - I will get back to it frequently. In fact I have one or two of the discs you chose, but it shows that I should listen to music from this era much more often. Thanks a million times!

[Bright Moments]

great job!!! much thanks!!!

[jeffcrom]

A very enjoyable and informative BT. I guess the two biggest surprises for me were the Roy Eldridge/Joe Marsala session (I thought I knew early jazz pretty well, but I was totally unaware of this session) and Ella's big band - I knew she took over Chick Webb's band, but I don't particularly like her singing during that period, so I've never checked out any of that stuff.

I think I have that Harry Dial/Omer Simeon track on an old British Ace of Hearts LP. Should have gotten that one.

Loose Marbles - after my post slamming this track I listened again and thought it might be them. I hoped I was wrong, though, since I've enjoyed them playing on the street and at Donna's in New Orleans, but really hated this track. The clarinet player was kind of eccentric when I've heard them, but on this recording he, in my opinion, went over the top into some awful parody of early jazz clarinet.

Again, great job, Alex, and I hope my enthusiasm in posting my answers so early didn't put anyone off.