Author: Professor M

Original jazz composition by the talented Mary Lou Williams on piano accompanied by bass and drums.

Recorded in New York, New York on March 11, 1936.
Released in the U.S. as Decca 1155.
This master pressing was released in the U.K. as Columbia DB 5003

Credits
Mary Lou Williams – piano
Booker Collins – bass
Ben Thigpen – drums

A little Sunday morning sermon for all the backsliders and moanin’ moaners out there from the Queen of the Blues, Bessie Smith.

“Moan Mourners” on Columbia 14538-D is a deep depression-era cut from late in Smith’s career. At this time, the record industry experienced a huge drop in sales and recording sessions for artists. Ms. Smith had seven sessions in 1928, seven in 1929, four in 1930, two in 1931, and none in 1932.

The original title of the tune, composed by Spencer Williams, was “Moan, You Moaners! (A Syncopated Sermon)”. It is not clear why the title was shortened on this record. Typo, perhaps?

Backing vocals are supplied by “The Bessemer Singers” – a pseudonym for the gospel quartet The Dunham Jubilee Singers, who recorded for Gennett and Columbia. Their personnel is not credited but they recorded a week earlier for Columbia with Charlie Alf “Son” Dunham (lead), Rufus Beavers (tenor), Ben Ransaw (baritone), and Leon Patrick (bass).

The identity of the pianist seems to also be disputed – Rust gives Alex Hill while DAHR and Dixon/Godrich credit James P. Johnson.

Recorded in New York City on June 9, 1930.

Credits
Bessie Smith – vocals
The Bessemer Singers – backing vocals
James P. Johnson (?) or Alex Hill (?) – piano

Lawrence Welk left the family farm when he turned 21 with his accordion and set off to make a living in music. He played in a traveling dance band in South Dakota that was known to play hot dance tunes from time to time.

In late 1927 during a blizzard, the band arrived exhausted to Yankton, South Dakota, where they got in touch with Chan Gurney, the son of the President of Gurney’s Seed & Nursery, who operated radio station WNAX. After agreeing to give the boys an audition – which was broadcast live on-air!

Based on their popularity with listeners, they were offered a one-week contract with WNAX that turned into a long and fruitful relationship with the radio station.

The following year, the band traveled to Indiana to record their first record with Gennett. The two sides were released on the Gurney label – funded by the seed company in Yankton.

This release was once considered extremely rare. In 78 Quarterly Volume 12 only two copies were known to exist. Based upon recent conversations with collectors, it appears that a larger number (10-20?) are now known to exist – with perhaps more copies out there yet undiscovered. This copy was found in Vermillion, South Dakota.

Recorded in Richmond, Indiana on November 16, 1928.
Released as Gurney 20341.
(A different take of “Spiked Beer” was released on Gennett 6712 and Champion 15639)

Credits
Lawrence Welk – director, clarinet, alto saxophone, piano-accordion
Leo Fortin – trumpet
Jimmy Garvey – trumpet
Harold “Squeak” Boughton – trombone
Raleigh “Rollie” Chestney – clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, banjo, guitar
Cliff Moore – clarinet, tenor saxophone
Howard Kaiser – clarinet, saxophone
Sidney “Spider” Webb – piano, clarinet
Homer “Smitty” Schmidt – brass bass
Gordon Malie – drums

After posting a transfer of Oscar Peterson’s manic 1952 version of “Blue Skies”, a viewer commented that he felt it was too frenetic and I thought it might be interesting to listen to a few earlier versions of the tune to trace its interesting voyage as a jazz standard.

Oscar Peterson’s 1952 version of Blue Skies:
https://youtu.be/ws5UTJmjYVw

“Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin was written for a Broadway musical called Betsy that was not terribly popular, opening on Dec 28, 1926 and closing after 39 performances on January 29, 1927. “Blue Skies”, however, was a hit – audiences loved the song and in mid-January of 1927, record companies scrambled to get recordings out to capitalize on its popularity.

Irving Kaufman seems the first to record it for Columbia’s Harmony label on January 8, 1927. This was followed in rapid succession by:

Jan 10: The Astorites (Harmony)
Jan 12: Giersdorf Sisters (Columbia)
Jan 14: Vincent Lopez and his Casa Lopez Orchestra (Okeh)
Jan 15: The Knickerbockers / Ben Selvin (Columbia)
Jan 17: Don Voorhees (Edison)
Jan 18: Mandel’s Melody Men (Challenge)

Victor was a little late on the draw, but certainly hot on their heels with this version by Johnny Marvin and Ed Smalle recorded on January 17, which was in turn, followed by George Olsen and his Music’s version two days after that (and Jesse Crawford’s instrumental organ version two days after that!).

Other versions that were recorded in 1927 include: Bob Haring and his Orchestra (Cameo), William Robyn (Cameo), Al Goering’s Collegians (Vocalion), Harry Richman (Vocalion), Pacific Coast Players (Grey Gull), Arthur Fields (Emerson), Frank Dailey Meadowbrook Orchestra (Emerson), Miss Betty Morgan (Pathé), George DeWees (Challenge), Dixie Music Makers (Romeo), Buddy Gravelle (Romeo), and The Artist Ensemble (Columbia).

This version starts with the sounds of a Hawaiian guitar leading us in, with a piano and second guitar accompanying. Marvin and Smalle perform the tune as a duet, with Smalle’s humming and Sannella’s saxophone providing a kind of call and response to Marvin’s lead. The Hawaiian guitar takes a solo in the middle – followed by Marvin and Smalle singing the final chorus together.

Recorded in New York, New York on January 17, 1927.
Released as Victor 20457 in April 1927.

This version stayed in the Victor catalog for four years until it was cut in 1931.

Credits:
Johnny Marvin – vocals, guitar
Ed Smalle – vocals, piano
Andy Sannella – saxophone, guitar