Jazz Crazy Records

An Archive of Early Jazz on 78 RPM

Author: Professor M

  • “Nili Nenda Marama” – William Osale – African Guitar

    “Nili Nenda Marama” – William Osale – African Guitar

    William Osale was a fingerstyle guitarist who performed and recorded in Kenya during the 1950s and 60s. Osale was a rural musician who played in the ‘sukuti’ style – a rhythmic style of finger-style playing invented by George Mukabi that results in a light, ‘bouncy’ sound.

    In his “A History of Kenyan Guitar Music: 1945-1980”, John Low writes, “Some rural finger-stylists like George Mukabi and William Osale also had success in the towns, providing Swahili versions of songs that they might sing in local languages back home. The appeal of their songs lay in the fact that many town dwellers had (and still have) strong links with the land, and the themes of these songs, often conservative and sometimes nostalgic, reminded them of the old values.”

    The song appears to be a light-hearted song about traveling to Marama area of Western Kenya and getting into trouble involving a girl and her armed relatives.

    I do not have a recording date for this record – but will add one if I find a definitive source. My best guess is sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

    Released as CMS African Record TOP 24.

    Credits:
    William Osale – guitar, vocals
    Unknown Artist – vocal harmony, glass bottle

  • “Festo Murakayua” – William Osale – African Guitar

    “Festo Murakayua” – William Osale – African Guitar

    William Osale was a fingerstyle guitarist who performed and recorded in Kenya during the 1950s and 60s. Osale was a rural musician who played in the ‘sukuti’ style – a rhythmic style of finger-style playing invented by George Mukabi that results in a light, ‘bouncy’ sound.

    In his “A History of Kenyan Guitar Music: 1945-1980”, John Low writes, “Some rural finger-stylists like George Mukabi and William Osale also had success in the towns, providing Swahili versions of songs that they might sing in local languages back home. The appeal of their songs lay in the fact that many town dwellers had (and still have) strong links with the land, and the themes of these songs, often conservative and sometimes nostalgic, reminded them of the old values.”

    The song appears to be a plaintive love song beckoning a woman named Tanyembe to return to her heartbroken beloved.

    I do not have a recording date for this record – but will add one if I find a definitive source. My best guess is sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

    Released as CMS African Record TOP 24.

    Credits:
    William Osale – guitar, vocals
    Unknown Artist – vocal harmony, glass bottle

  • “Hotter Than ‘Ell” – Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (1934)

    “Hotter Than ‘Ell” – Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (1934)

    In September of 1934, the Henderson band travelled to Montreal, where they played at the Palais D’Or for a week before returning to NYC to record two sessions for Decca. His band was hot – coming out of the Great Depression with steady gigs and recording sessions.

    They had a reputation for putting on musically thrilling live shows which were not always adequately captured in their recorded output. This record is an exception.

    The tune was originally titled “Yeah Man!” by songwriters Noble Sissle and J. Russell Robinson. It is a “rhythm changes” contrafact – using the same chord progression as “I Got Rhythm” By George Gershwin. Henderson recorded “Yeah Man!” in 1933. On this record, however, the song was re-titled as “Hotter Than ‘Ell” – with songwriting credit to Henderson himself.

    It begins with a kind of blaring call and response between the band’s brass and reed sections – and quickly heats up with solos by the orchestra’s star players: Buster Bailey, Henry Allen, and Ben Webster.

    0:00 Intro
    0:36 Clarinet solo (Bailey)
    1:00 Trumpet solo (Allen)
    1:26 Tenor sax solo (Webster)
    1:54 Ensemble
    2:34 Tenor sax solo (Webster) and Coda

    Only a few months after this session, nearly the entire Henderson band quit en masse. Many joined up with Benny Carter – a few others with the Mills Blue Rhythm Band. While Henderson cobbled together other musicians and continued to play live shows, his celebrated orchestra would not record again until March of 1936 – when they would record their biggest hit.

    Recorded in New York City on September 25, 1934.
    Released as Decca 555.

    Credits:
    Fletcher Henderson – piano, director
    Russell Smith, Irving Randolph, Henry Allen – trumpet
    Claude Jones, Keg Johnson – trombone
    Buster Bailey – clarinet
    Russell Procope, Hilton Jefferson – alto sax
    Ben Webster – tenor sax
    Horace Henderson – arranger
    Lawrence Lucie – guitar
    Elmer James – string bass
    Walter Johnson – drums

    Sources:
    Hendersonia, Walter C. Allen, 1973
    The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz, Jeffrey Magee, 2005

  • “Sugar Foot Stomp” – Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (1925) f/Louis Armstrong

    “Sugar Foot Stomp” – Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (1925) f/Louis Armstrong

    One of the most famous periods of the Fletcher Henderson band was the year that Louis Armstrong quit King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band moved to NYC to join the Henderson orchestra.

    On Armstrong’s recommendation, arranger Don Redman looked through “a little book of manuscripts” that he and Oliver had written in Chicago. In it, he found a tune called “Dipper Mouth Blues” which was recorded by the Oliver band in 1923. He arranged it for Henderson band as “Sugar Foot Stomp”

    The record was “among the best-selling records of late 1925.” In fact, the record was so popular that Columbia kept it in print for over 10 years. It was reportedly Henderson’s personal favorite recording of everything his orchestra produced.

    Oddly, this record has some detractors: notably Gunther Schuller, who panned the recording and Redman’s arrangement. Armstrong, for his part, “plays Oliver’s solo nearly note for note” but with his own tone and character.

    0:00 Intro – Saxes chorus
    0:18 Brass chorus
    0:32 Clarinet trio
    0:51 Trombone solo (Green)
    1:05 Trumpet solo (Armstrong)
    1:49 Break
    2:02 Coda

    “Sugar Foot Stomp” would go on to be recorded as a beloved jazz standard by a great many bands in the 1930s and beyond, including Bob Crosby, Benny Goodman, Harry Roy, Artie Shaw, and Frank Trumbauer.

    Recorded in New York City on May 29, 1925.
    Matrix Ⓦ140639. Take 2
    Released as Columbia 395-D.

    Credits:
    Fletcher Henderson – piano, director
    Elmer Chambers, Joe Smith, Louis Armstrong – trumpet
    Charlie Green – trombone
    Buster Bailey – clarinet, alto sax
    Don Redman – clarinet, alto sax, arranger
    Coleman Hawkins – clarinet, tenor sax
    Charlie Dixon – banjo
    Bob Escudero – tuba
    Kaiser Marshall – drums

    Sources:
    Hendersonia: The Music of Fletcher Henderson and his Musicians, Walter C. Allen, 1973

    The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz, Jeffrey Magee, 2005

  • “Panama Pacific Drag” – Joseph Moskowitz (1916)

    “Panama Pacific Drag” – Joseph Moskowitz (1916)

    A ragtime composition performed on a unique instrument: The cimbalom: a large concert-sized dulcimer with metal strings played by striking two mallets against the strings.

    Romanian-born Joseph Moskowitz was from a family of klezmer musicians. He emigrated from Romania to the US, arriving in New York City with 17 cents in his pocket. He began finding work as a musician while also running a small restaurant on the lower east side of Manhattan.

    He recorded around 30 sides for Victor in 1916-17. This record (with “Operatic Rag” on the flip side) was his only ragtime recording. He recorded again for Brunswick in 1928.

    This lively tune shows the novel influence of ragtime music on performers of other musical genres. It also showcases Moskowitz’ ability to adapt his playing style to emulate the sound of a ragtime piano.

    Recorded in New York City on February 4, 1916.
    Released as Victor 17978

    Credits:
    Joseph Moskowitz – Cimbalom
    Edward T. King – piano

    Sources:
    https://www.josephmoskowitz.org/
    https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/116680/Moskowitz_Joseph

  • “Battleship Kate” – Wilbur Sweatman’s Brownies (1924)

    “Battleship Kate” – Wilbur Sweatman’s Brownies (1924)

    Wilbur Sweatman was a talented clarinetist and composer with a long recording career spanning four decades. His first recording was made in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1903-4 for the Metropolitan Music Store and his last was made in 1935 for the Vocalion label.

    Sweatman was born and raised in Missouri but began touring as a teenager in various circus bands. He worked in Minneapolis with his own dance band before moving to Chicago in 1908 and NYC in 1913, performing ragtime and early proto-jazz.

    His 1916 recordings on the Emerson label are some of the earliest examples of recorded jazz – earlier even than the Original Dixieland Jazz Band’s 1917 “Livery Stable Blues”.

    Though his last recording was made in 1935, Sweatman continued to perform throughout his life. He died in 1961 in New York City.

    By the looks of the label, this copy certainly looks as though it has had a run-in with a battleship – but fortunately the grooves were clean as a whistle and made a splendid transfer.

    Recorded in New York City on October 10, 1924.
    Matrix 9781. Take B.
    Released as Edison 51438.

    Credits:
    Wilbur Sweatman – clarinet, bass clarinet, director
    John Reeves – trombone
    Vess Williams – alto sax
    Dan Parish – piano
    Ogese T. McKay – tuba
    Maceo White – drums, vocals
    ____ Bachlor – vocals (probably the banjoist)
    Unknown Artist – cornet (2x), banjo, alto sax

    Source:
    Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897-1942), 6th Ed., Brian Rust

  • “Doo Dah Blues” – Ford Dabney’s Syncopated Orchestra (1922)

    “Doo Dah Blues” – Ford Dabney’s Syncopated Orchestra (1922)

    The last recording session of Ford Dabney’s band in 1922.

    A relatively straightforward blues tune delivered with raggy pep and a very enthusiastic tuba player.

    Recorded in New York City circa May 1922.
    Released as Paramount 20120, Puritan/Triangle 11122, and Banner 1061

    Credits:
    Ford Dabney – piano, director
    Pike Davis, Wesley Johnson – trumpet
    John Reeves – trombone
    Herschel Brassfield – clarinet, alto sax
    Casey Cooper or Willie Carroll – violin
    Mose Ross – drums
    Unknown artists – tenor sax, banjo, tuba

  • “Sweet Man O’Mine” – Ford Dabney’s Syncopated Orchestra (1922)

    “Sweet Man O’Mine” – Ford Dabney’s Syncopated Orchestra (1922)

    The second-to-last recording session of Ford Dabney’s band in 1922.

    Didn’t see a transfer of this one on YouTube yet – it’s a peppy lil’ number with some raggy edges and interesting instrumental breaks throughout.

    Recorded in New York City circa March 1922.
    Matrix 1017 Take 2
    Released as Paramount 20120, Puritan 11120 & 11121, Triangle 11121, Regal 9308, Famous 3114, Claxtonola 40120, and Banner 1061

    Credits:
    Ford Dabney – piano, director
    Pike Davis, Wesley Johnson – trumpet
    John Reeves – trombone
    Herschel Brassfield – clarinet, alto sax
    Casey Cooper or Willie Carroll – violin
    Mose Ross – drums
    Unknown artists – tenor sax, banjo, tuba

    Source:
    Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897-1942), 6th Ed, Brian Rust
    Ralph Wondraschek

  • “Jazz Cocktail” – Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra (1932)

    “Jazz Cocktail” – Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra (1932)

    The Duke’s men take on a swingin’ original composition by Benny Carter.

    There’s a fun moment during the trombone solo (I believe by Joe Nanton?) starting at 1:37 is a playful quote of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” – see if you can catch it!

    Recorded in New York City on September 21, 1932.
    Released in the U.K. as Brunswick 1399.
    Originally released in the U.S. as Brunswick 6404.

    Credits:
    Duke Ellington – piano, director
    Arthur Whetsel Freddy Jenkins, Cootie Williams – trumpet
    Joe Nanton, Lawrence Brown – trombone
    Juan Tizol – valve trombone
    Johnny Hodges – clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax
    Barney Bigard – clarinet, tenor sax
    Harry Carney – clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax
    Otto Hardwick – alto sax, bass sax
    Fred Guy – banjo, guitar
    Wellman Braud – string bass
    Sonny Greer – drums
    Benny Carter – arranger

  • “三劍俠之卻婚” – 肖麗章 (~mid 1920s)

    “三劍俠之卻婚” – 肖麗章 (~mid 1920s)

    I haven’t posted a non-jazz record for a while – and for some reason I have a thing for these Beka discs of 1920s and 30s Teochew opera from Hong Kong and the Guangdong province.

    Here we have Parts 1 and 2 of a a Cantonese opera work sung in medium tempo (中板). I really went down a rabbit hole in my research for this record, but discovered some fascinating things that present to you, dear viewer:

    Title: 三劍俠之邦婚 (The Three Swordsmen: Refusing the Marriage Proposal)
    Performer: 肖麗章 (Xiào Lì Zhāng)

    A slight variation of this title (三劍俠之卻婚) appears in a 1928 Chinese booklet that recounts the plot and lyrics of this scene. It involve a young woman (who is betrothed to a man she has no affection for) who is singing to a masked swordsman who has saved her life and subsequently asks for her hand in marriage. Although she feels an attraction to him and is emotionally drawn to his proposal, she describes her inability to act upon it because of the social conventions governing marriage at the time.

    In a collection of dramatic works from 1930 (戲劇彙刊), this title also appears in a section describing the repertoire of recordings on the Beka label.

    The vocalist, 肖麗章 (Xiào Lì Zhāng) was born in 1879 as 古錦文 (Gu Jinwen). He was a male opera performer active in the 20s and 30s as a member of the 大班新中华班 (Daban Xin Zhonghua Opera Troupe and the 興中華劇團 Xing Zhonghua Opera Troupe.

    Strong, tall and slender, Xiao was originally a physical performer who first specialized in portraying the 小武 (Xiaowu) role – a young male role specializing in heroic and fighting characters.

    However, he then was to become a leading male 花旦 (Huadan) role actor – a traditional role in Chinese opera that portrayed a young or middle-aged woman with an optimistic, outspoken, strong, confident, and freedom-loving personality. Huadan were often courtesans and were often played with comedic charm. Huadan role parts could be played by either female or male performers.

    Xiao was known as the “Emperor of Voice” (聲皇) in his day. He rarely employed vocal ornamentation and was instead renowned for his exceptionally clear and ringing singing voice, likened to “pearls falling onto a jade plate” (珠落玉盤). It is said that his expressions were deeply moving and that he often brought tears to the eyes of the audience during his sorrowful moments.

    He is also known to have recorded for the Odeon label. He spent the later years of his life living in Honolulu, Hawaii and passed away in 1968.

    True experts in Teochew opera, please help correct any errors in my description of this record and performer!

    Credits:
    肖麗章 (Xiào Lì Zhāng) – vocals
    Unknown Artists – Unidentified instrumentation

    Sources:
    https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%82%96%E9%BA%97%E7%AB%A0
    https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8A%B1%E6%97%A6
    http://www.yuejuopera.cn/dtxx/20210323/6676.html
    https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%82%96%E4%B8%BD%E7%AB%A0/1742244
    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NLC416-07jh012023-5656_%E5%85%88%E6%96%BD%E5%90%8D%E6%9B%B2%E5%A4%A7%E5%85%A8_%E7%AC%AC7%E5%8D%B7.pdf
    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NLC416-07jh012094-21092_%E6%88%B2%E5%8A%87%E5%BD%99%E5%88%8A.pdf