Jazz Crazy Records

An Archive of Early Jazz on 78 RPM

Author: Professor M

  • “Clarinet Marmalade” – Lt. Jim Europe’s 369th U.S. Inf. (Hell Fighters) Band (1919)

    “Clarinet Marmalade” – Lt. Jim Europe’s 369th U.S. Inf. (Hell Fighters) Band (1919)

    It’s Monday – and we need a rousing tune to start off the week! Here’s James Reece Europe’s legendary Hell Fighters band performing their version of “Clarinet Marmalade” – written by clarinetist Larry Shields and pianist H. W. Ragas of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band a year earlier.

    Europe was on a real high point in his career – recording prolifically and touring the country. Tragically, two days after this recording was made he was stabbed in the neck by a drummer in the band who he had an argument with during intermission of a concert in Boston. He was taken to the hospital and died shortly thereafter. After his death, he was given a public funeral in New York City and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

    These vertical-cut Pathé discs are a bit tricky to transfer – I have a rewired cartridge to play vertical cut records but using it also means it basically functions as a mono cartridge, and I can’t get the noise reduction that I get when transferring 78s with a stereo cart and summing the two channels to mono. The playback speed of this one was much higher than 78 rpm – to get in tune it was playing at just under 84 rpm. EQ was by ear, as I don’t have curves for Pathé. Hopefully it sounds as good to your ears as it does to mine!

    Recorded in New York City circa May 7, 1919.
    Released as Pathé 22167.
    Also released as Pathé Actuelle 020928 and Perfect 14110.

    Credits:
    James Reese Europe – director
    Probably including:
    Frank De Braithe (or De Broite), Russell Smith, Pops Foster (not the well-known bassist), Jake Porter – trumpet
    Dope Andrews, Herb Flemming – trombone
    Pinkhead Parker – alto sax
    Noble Sissle – violin
    Battle Ax Kenny – drums

  • A Christmas Message from the President of Reynolds Pen Company f/ Georgie Price

    A Christmas Message from the President of Reynolds Pen Company f/ Georgie Price

    And now a word from our sponsors…

    But seriously – it’s kind of amazing that at one time, the ball point pen – considered nothing short of “miraculous” when it first came out – was one of the hottest new technologies you could buy. Invented by Hungarian László Bíró in 1944, it was very quickly reverse-engineered by Chicago businessman Milton Reynolds and offered for sale in the U.S. within months.

    According to the Reynolds website:
    “The first Reynolds pen debuted in New York on the morning of October 29, 1945. The day the pen went on sale, an estimated 5,000 shoppers stormed the shop, and approximately 50 NYPD officers had to be dispatched for crowd control.”

    Time magazine reported that Gimbels in NYC sold 30,000 of the pens (which went for $12.50 each) in the first week.

    While most Americans will be hard pressed to find a Reynolds pen to buy, the company is still in existence and is prospering in India.

    On this record you hear the voice of Franklin Lamb, President of Reynolds Pen Company. Before he joined Reynolds, Lamb worked as the Advertising Director of Gimbel’s department store. He left Reynolds in 1949, so that helps to date this record to some Christmas between 1946 and 1948.

    In this promotional disc, Lamb excitedly tells Reynolds’ retailers about a new promotional initiative that he has cooked up to promote Reynolds Pens – a radio show featuring singer Georgie Price, who by that point had been retired from the entertainment industry and working at a brokerage firm.

  • “Up from Munich” – Hans Koller Quartet (1952) f/Jutta Hipp

    “Up from Munich” – Hans Koller Quartet (1952) f/Jutta Hipp

    How exciting to find pianist Jutta Hipp on 78 rpm! I’m a fan of her Blue Note releases on vinyl from the mid to late 50s. Here we find Jutta playing in Munich with Austrian saxophonist Hans Koller, who moved to Germany in 1950.

    This cool tune “Up from Munich” will give you a light head rush as it airily bops along, seeming to never touch the ground.

    Koller has a light “dry martini” sound that immediately reminded me of Paul Desmond’s approach – yet in 1952 Desmond and the Dave Brubeck band were not yet widely known.

    Recorded in Munich, Germany on May 20th, 1952.
    Released as Discovery 1742.

    Credits
    Hans Koller – tenor sax
    Jutta Hipp – piano
    Franz (Shorty) Roder – bass
    Karl Sanner – drums

  • “Louisville” – California Ramblers (1923)

    “Louisville” – California Ramblers (1923)

    California Ramblers put out hundreds of records under a smokescreen of pseudonyms across a wide spectrum of labels. But their primary label from late 1923 onward under the California Ramblers moniker was Columbia.

    While they recorded a few sides with Columbia in 1922, the relationship came to a head in the summer of 1923, when the Ramblers recorded five sessions for Columbia that resulted in seven sides that sold quite well – including this one, an energetic arrangement of Irving Caesar’s “Louisville”.

    It features fine ensemble playing and solos – including some doo-wacka-doo-ing starting at 1:08, punctuated by Adrian Rollini’s hot breaks on the bass sax.

    Based on the success of these records, in November of 1923, Ed Kirkleby signed an exclusive artist agreement with Columbia on behalf of the Ramblers. After this agreement, only Columbia could use the name “California Ramblers”. While they could record for other labels – they just could not use that name.

    Recorded in New York City on August 8, 1923.
    Released as Columbia A3979.

    Credits:
    Arthur Hand – violin, director
    Frank Cush, Bill Moore – trumpet
    Lloyd “Ole” Olsen – trombone
    Bobby Davis – clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax
    Arnold Brilhart – clarinet, alto sax
    Freddy Cusick – tenor sax
    Adrian Rollini – bass sax
    Ed Sutton, Joe LaFaro, Sid Harris – violin (when used)
    Irving Brodsky – piano, arranger
    Ray Kitchingman – banjo
    Stan King – drums

  • “Rhythm, Rhythm” – Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra (1937)

    “Rhythm, Rhythm” – Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra (1937)

    Gosh, it sure sounds like this contrafact of Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” is foreshadowing the bebop sensibility! I feel Hamp often gets overlooked in jazz history – he really was a force of nature!

    His career took off in 1936 after becoming part of Benny Goodman’s small combo with Gene Krupa and Teddy Wilson – and in 1937 he was invited by Victor to record under his own name. This tune is from his third session for Victor in 1937.

    Hamp and an incredible lineup of jazz talent drives this tune home – fueled by the rhythm section of Cozy Cole, John Kirby, and Allan Reuss. Buster Bailey and Johnny Hodges dance around one another for a bit leading into a line of extended solos.

    0:00 Intro (Bailey and Hodges)
    0:33 Piano (Jess Stacy)
    0:49 Guitar (Allan Reuss)
    1:07 Clarinet (Buster Bailey)
    1:42 Vibes (Hamp)
    2:40 Ensemble

    Recorded in New York City on April 26, 1937.
    Released as Victor 25586.

    Credits:
    Lionel Hampton – vibes, director
    Buster Bailey – clarinet
    Johnny Hodges – alto sax
    Jess Stacy – piano
    Allan Reuss – guitar
    John Kirby – string bass
    Cozy Cole – drums

  • “Yellow Dog Blues” – Handy’s Memphis Blues Band (1922)

    “Yellow Dog Blues” – Handy’s Memphis Blues Band (1922)

    While most 78 collectors know about the Iowa-based Claxtonola label, there was a lesser-known second Iowa label that also pressed records using licensed masters from Paramount.

    The National label pressed records from 1922-23, including records by many jazz artists such as Jelly Roll Morton, Perry Bradford, Fletcher Henderson, Lucille Hegamin, and others. For me, finding a Claxtonola or a National record is always exciting – and has just as much (if not more) of a thrill as finding an original Paramount.

    Here we have the legendary W. C. Handy leading his Memphis Blues Band performing “Yellow Dog Blues”, an original Handy composition. It is labeled as a medley, and includes snippets of two of his other compositions: “Beale Street Blues” and “Hesitating Blues”.

    I’ve listened to a lot of Handy’s earlier Columbia output – and this recording seems to my ears to be of a higher caliber, despite the record itself not being in top shape.

    Recorded in New York City in January, 1922.
    Released as National 12098.
    Original release: Paramount 20098.

    Credits:
    W.C. Handy – director, cornet (?)
    Unknown artists – cornet, trombone, clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, violin, piano, banjo, tuba, drums

    The flip side, “St. Louis Blues” can be heard at:
    https://youtu.be/ZI_PgfOdXyM

  • “St Louis Blues” – Handy’s Memphis Blues Band (1922)

    “St Louis Blues” – Handy’s Memphis Blues Band (1922)

    While most 78 collectors know about the Iowa-based Claxtonola label, there was a lesser-known second Iowa label that also pressed records using licensed masters from Paramount.

    The National label pressed records from 1922-23, including records by many jazz artists such as Jelly Roll Morton, Perry Bradford, Fletcher Henderson, Lucille Hegamin, and others. For me, finding a Claxtonola or a National record is always exciting – and has just as much (if not more) of a thrill as finding an original Paramount.

    Here we have the legendary W. C. Handy leading his Memphis Blues Band performing “St. Louis Blues”, Handy’s most popular and successful composition. It is labeled as a medley, as it begins with a quick take on the “Ole Miss Blues” before segueing into the main attraction.

    I’ve listened to a lot of Handy’s earlier Columbia output – and this recording seems to my ears to be of a higher caliber, despite the record itself not being in top shape.

    Recorded in New York City in January, 1922.
    Released as National 12098.
    Original release: Paramount 20098.

    Credits:
    W.C. Handy – director, cornet (?)
    Unknown artists – cornet, trombone, clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, violin, piano, banjo, tuba, drums

    The flip side, “Yellow Dog Blues” can be heard at:
    https://youtu.be/qm1BGIpwDPQ

  • “After That” – Fulcher’s Dance Trio (1925)

    “After That” – Fulcher’s Dance Trio (1925)

    Charles C. Fulcher was a talented jazz musician, composer, and bandleader who led his own orchestra based in Georgia.

    This recording is of a small trio led by Fulcher performing two of his original compositions. Fulcher plays multiple instruments accompanied by an unknown pianist and banjo player. It’s cool to hear him seamlessly moving from instrument to instrument throughout the performance!

    Recorded in Atlanta, Georgia on September 30, 1925.
    Released as Columbia 1267-D.

    Credits:
    Charles Fulcher – trombone, clarinet, violin
    Unknown artists – piano, banjo

    Listen to the flip side, “Daylight’s Breaking Blues”
    https://youtu.be/JNHkdiqFhRE

  • “Daylight’s Breaking Blues” – Fulcher’s Dance Trio (1925)

    “Daylight’s Breaking Blues” – Fulcher’s Dance Trio (1925)

    Charles C. Fulcher was a talented jazz musician, composer, and bandleader who led his own orchestra based in Georgia.

    This recording is of a small trio led by Fulcher performing two of his original compositions. Fulcher plays multiple instruments accompanied by an unknown pianist and banjo player. It’s cool to hear him seamlessly moving from instrument to instrument throughout the performance!

    Recorded in Atlanta, Georgia on September 30, 1925.
    Released as Columbia 1267-D.

    Credits:
    Charles Fulcher – trombone, clarinet, violin
    Unknown artists – piano, banjo

    Listen to the flip side, “After That”
    https://youtu.be/-m-Zu4HR_Yw

  • “Viper’s Dream” – Freddie Taylor and his Swing Men from Harlem (1935)

    “Viper’s Dream” – Freddie Taylor and his Swing Men from Harlem (1935)

    An American in Paris: here’s jazz royalty that many in the U.S. might not know about. Freddy Taylor was a New Yorker who performed at the Cotton Club in Harlem in the early 1930s before going to Europe with the Lucky Millinder Orchestra in 1933, where he stayed to start his own band. He became known there as “the Baron of Swing”. He and his “Swing Men from Harlem” recorded two sessions in Paris – the first of which is represented by the two sides of this record: “Blue Drag” and “Viper’s Dream”.

    The four recordings at the second session (where guitarist Oscar Alemán was replaced by Django Reinhardt) were unissued on 78 rpm. No U.S. issue of Taylor’s work as a bandleader was ever pressed on 78 rpm – though he does appear as a vocalist on a few Quintette of the Hot Club of France sides for Victor (25511, 26506, and disc 40-0122 from an album in the Hot Jazz series).

    “Viper’s Dream” has a similarly chill vibe to “Blue Drag”, befitting its topic. It swings along at a trot – taking its time and never rushing lines. The primary soloist is Fletcher Allen on tenor – but we also hear brief imagistic interludes where pianist John Ferrier and drummer William Diemer are showcased.

    This original composition by Taylor and reedman Fletcher Allen was recorded by Django Reinhardt and the Quintette of the Hot Club of France two years later in 1937 – and that is how most jazz fans might know of this tune.

    This very clean Ultraphone U made for a very nice transfer.

    Recorded in Paris, France in March 1935.
    Released as Ultraphone U AP 1489 (Mx. 77285).

    Credits:
    Freddy Taylor – trumpet, vocals
    Charlie Johnson – trumpet
    Arthur “Chester” Lanier – clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax
    Fletcher Allen – clarinet, tenor sax, arranger
    John Ferrier – piano
    Oscar Alemán – guitar
    Eugene d’Hellemmes – string bass
    William Diemer – drums

    Now listen to the flip side, “Blue Drag”:
    https://youtu.be/hOuYSN21ZA8