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
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