Author: Professor M

In 1924, the Georgia Melodians had a steady gig playing at the Cinderella Ballroom at 48th and Broadway in NYC. The NY Clipper wrote of the Melodians on April 3, 1924:
“This is the ‘hot’ combination at the Cinderella and although secondary to the Paul Van Loan aggregation in importance they are preferred by many because of their snappy rhythm. It is more of a dance hall band to begin with. They make no pretext at lofty arrangements but play dance music for dance hounds.”

They were advertised as being “of Atlanta, Georgia”, though according to the liner notes of the Timeless Records release, “a note in the Edison files states they were from Savannah, Georgia.” In 1923 the band had made their way up the Eastern seaboard playing dates in North Carolina and Virginia before landing in NYC in 1924.

In September of 1924 they left the Cinderella, (replaced by Bix and The Wolverine Orchestra!) to take a more upscale gig at the Strand Roof playing with Henri Gendron’s Orchestra. It was at this time, at the peak of their successful run in New York, that they entered the studio to record this track.

By the end of the year, the band had broken up.

0:00 Intro
0:35 Main theme
1:08 Trumpet solo
1:25 Muted Trumpet solo
1:40 Ensemble
2:04 Main theme reprised
2:36 Piano solo
2:52 Clarinet and Trumpet duet
3:08 Outro

Recorded in New York City on September 24, 1924.
Released as Edison 51412.

Credits
Charles Boulanger – violin, director
Ernie Intlehouse, Mickey Bloom – trumpet
Herb Winfield – trombone
Merritt Kenworthy – clarinet
Clarence Hutchins – tenor sax, baritone sax
Oscar Young – piano
Elmer Merry – banjo
Unknown performer – tuba
Carl Gerold – drums

Deep depression cut from Washboard Rhythm Kings featuring some fine vocal harmonies and a banjo solo that sounds like it should have broken some strings.

A swingin’ version of “Sentimental Gentleman from Georgia” had been first recorded two months earlier by Baron Lee & his Blue Rhythm Band. One month earlier, the Boswell Sisters recorded a slower version with their characteristic vocal harmonies. This version seems to have been inspired by both – but with the Rhythm Kings’ looser livelier vibe and carefree sense of good humor.

Recorded in New York on October 5, 1932.
Released as Vocalion 1724

Credits
Valaida Snow – trumpet
Jerome Carrington – alto sax
Ben Smith – clarinet, alto sax
Carl Wade – tenor sax
Eddie Miles – piano
Steve Washington – banjo, vocals
Ghost Howell – string bass
H. Smith – washboard
Bella Benson, Lavada Carter – vocals

I was reading “The Guitar in Jazz” by James Sallis and came across a passage in the chapter about Eddie Lang (written by Sallis) where he claimed that Lang was regularly playing with Ross Gorman’s studio band, and that “working with the [Ross] Gorman Band… seems to have given Eddie just the opportunity he needed to mature along his own lines.”

I was quite interested in hearing this, as I did not recall Lang playing with the Gorman band.

He goes on to mention a Lang solo on Gorman’s “Sleepy Time Gal” that was “in duet with a baritone sax, a startling combination that prefigures Charlie Christian’s ensemble playing years later.”

This immediately got my attention, as I love the baritone sax and it just so happens that I have a copy of this record.

Listening to the solo, however, I found that it did not truly sound like Eddie – something was off.

Further research indicated that most sources named Tony Colucci as the guitarist on “Sleepy Time Gal” – not Lang. In searching through both Rust’s Jazz Records and Dance Band discographies, I could not find a single track noted in Rust’s discographies that Lang played on with the Gorman band. While Tom Lord’s discography showed Lang as having played with Gorman’s band on several tracks.

All of this is to say – studying the history of early jazz can be incredibly confusing – and respected sources can contradict one another. So what do you think? Is this Eddie Lang? Duet starts at 1:05 and continues through 1:47.

0:00 Intro/Head, Brass solos
1:05 Guitar / Baritone Sax duet
1:47 Brass
2:22 Ensemble playing

Recorded in New York on November 24, 1925.
Released as Columbia 516-D

Credits:
Ross Gorman – director, clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax
Red Nichols, Donald Lindley, James Kozak – trumpets
Miff Mole – trombone
Alfie Evans – clarinet, alto sax, violin
Harold Noble – clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax
Billy McGill – clarinet, tenor sax
Barney Acquelina – bass saxophone
Jack Harris, Saul Sharrow – violin
Nick Koupoukis – flute, pic
Arthur Schutt – piano
Dick McDonough – banjo
Tony Colicchio – guitar
David Grupp – drums

Ever wonder what jazz musicians of the late 20s sounded like in an after-hours free-wheelin’ jam session? The Gennett recording session of a loosely affiliated group of musicians known as “King Mutt and his Tennessee Thumpers” gives us a window into that wonderful world of musical invention.

This session from the winter of 1929 yielded a total of six sides – released in small numbers on the Gennett Electrobeam, Champion, and Supertone labels.

This tune, “Maxwell Street Stomp” seems (to my ears) to be loosely based on the chord progression and melody from the wildly popular tune “It’s Tight Like That” which had been released the previous year by Georgia Tom and Tampa Red. Many jazz and blues acts recorded versions of this tune in 1928-29, so it would make a good candidate for a song to jam on with a group of musicians – who would all be quite familiar with the tune.

In its short two minutes and twenty-four seconds, we hear a rapid succession of improvised solos. I’ve tried to identify the instruments – but if sharper ears out there catch any mistakes please let me know. I’m looking at you, @Taliesin and @davidglow3. ^_^

0:00 Intro – ensemble playing
0:11 Saxophone solo
0:23 Mandolin solo
0:35 Cornet solo
0:47 Clarinet solo
0:58 Saxophone solo
1:11 Piano solo
1:23 Saxophone
1:45 Ensemble playing

Recorded for Gennett in Richmond, IN on February 12, 1929.

Originally released as Gennett Electrobeam 6796 and Champion 15696 – incredibly rare records, with 78Q listing only one known copy of the Gennett! Thankfully, it was later reissued as Champion 40043 which is *slightly* less rare. This excellent E+ copy sounds great!

An excellent rundown of personnel on this session can be found at:
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/king-mutt-his-tennessee-thumpers-mn0001719366

Credits:
Punch Miller – cornet
Al Miller – mandolin
Jimmy Blythe or Frank Melrose – piano
Willie Baker (?) or ____ Rodgers (?) – guitar
Marcus Norman (?) or Tommy Taylor (?) – drums
Unknown Artist (“King Mutt”?) – clarinet, alto saxophone

Harry Pollock was a violinist who led bands under a few different names (Harry Pollock and his Diamonds, Harry Pollock’s Blue Diamonds, Harry Pollock and his Orchestra) who recorded primarily for the Gennett label from 1926-1929.

His recordings can also be found released under various pseudonyms (The Harlequinaders, The Alabama Serenaders, The Alabama Red Jackets, The Indiana Hotel Broadcasters, The Sunny South Dance Orchestra, Fenwyck’s Dance Orchestra, and The Riverside Dance Band) on the Champion, Challenge, and Silvertone labels.

Unfortunately, not much information can be found about Harry Pollock or his band members.

Recorded in New York City on September 2, 1926.
Released as Gennett 3377.
Also released as Champion 15140 and Challenge 124.

Credits:
Harry Pollock – violin, director
Unknown performers – 2 trumpets / trombone / clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax / clarinet, alto sax / clarinet, tenor sax / piano / banjo / tuba / drums

Louis Armstrong’s legendary Hot Five records another scorcher: “Knee Drops”, composed by Armstrong’s wife, Lil Hardin. This song, along with 88 other Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings, was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2002.

This tune features a unique instrument: Zutty Singleton had been playing around with hand cymbals (which he also used for a session for Carroll Dickerson’s Savoyagers, recorded the same day) and these found their way into this recording.

0:00 Intro – ensemble playing with hot breaks
0:47 Jimmy Strong solo (tenor sax)
1:22 Fred Robinson solo (trombone)
1:41 Earl Hines solo (piano)
1:57 Louis Armstrong solo (trumpet)
2:35 ensemble playing with hot breaks

Recorded in Chicago on July 5, 1928.
Released as Okeh 8631.

Credits:
Louis Armstrong – trumpet, director
Fred Robinson – trombone
Jimmy Strong – clarinet, tenor sax
Earl Hines – piano
Mancy Cara banjo
Zutty Singleton – drums, hand-cymbals

A deliciously chill early Billie Holiday record: Irving Berlin’s “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm”.

Recorded in New York City on January 12, 1937.
Released as Vocalion 3431.

Credits:
Billie Holiday – vocals
Jonah Jones – trumpet
Edgar Sampson – clarinet, alto sax
Ben Webster – tenor sax
Teddy Wilson – piano
Allan, Reuss – guitar
John Kirby – string bass
Cozy Cole – drums