Continuing the Georgians marathon, this one is from their second recording session, where they added Joe Tarto and Frank Smith. All the players in the Georgians’ lineup also played together in the Paul Specht orchestra.
This lively recording of the Creamer and Layton tune “‘Way Down Yonder in New Orleans”, which had just finished its first run of over 80 performances at the Times Square Theatre (late June – late August) staged by Henry Creamer himself.
The black songwriting team subtitled the tune “A Southern Song, without A Mammy, A Mule, Or A Moon” as a critique of the common (and often racist) tropes of nostalgic songs about Southern life. These types of songs were popular during this era – and it is nice to see this subtle rejection of the mythology.
While this version is an early recording of the song – it is not even close to being the first recording. That honor appears to belong to Nathan Glantz, who recorded the tune for Pathé Actuelle in July/August of 1922. It was recorded by others in the ensuing months, including Peerless Quartet (August 14, 1922), the Dixie Daisies (October 1922), Bailey’s Lucky Seven (December 8, 1922), and Sam Lanin (early December 1922).
New York, December 21, 1922 Released as Columbia A3804.
Credits: Frank Guarente – trumpet, director Ray Stilwell – trombone Johnny O’Donnell – clarinet, bass clarinet, alto sax Harold Saliers – clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax Frank Smith – clarinet, soprano sax Joe Tarto – tuba Arthur Schutt – piano Russell Deppe – banjo Chauncey Morehouse – drums
From the very first recording session as The Georgians, led by trumpeter Frank Guarente, we present “Chicago (That Toddling Town)”.
Recorded in New York City on November 29, 1922. Released as Columbia A3775.
Credits: Frank Guarente – trumpet, director Ray Stilwell – trombone Johnny O’Donnell – clarinet, bass clarinet, alto sax Harold Saliers – clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax Arthur Schutt – piano Russell Deppe – banjo Chauncey Morehouse – drums
It’s been called one of Ellington’s “most exuberant records” – which is a high bar – and indeed, “In a Jam” from July of 1936 does not disappoint. The head begins with a simple but insistent swing riff, which serves as a recurring chorus that appears between solos.
Recorded in New York City on July 29, 1936. Released as Brunswick 7734.
Duke Ellington – piano, arranger, director Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams – trumpet Rex Stewart – cornet Joe Nanton, Lawrence Brown – trombone Juan Tizol – valve trombone Barney Bigard – clarinet Johnny Hodges – clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax Harry Carney – clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax Otto Hardwick – alto sax, bass sax Ben Webster – tenor sax Fred Guy – guitar Billy Taylor – bass Sonny Greer – drums
New Orleans born trumpeter Henry “Red” Allen and his orchestra recorded a large number of excellent sides for the American Record Corporation between 1934-37.
“Throughout the series Red’s trumpet-playing covers the whole gamut of jazz expressiveness, creating many examples of superb small-band jazz. None of the 72 sides are less than good and many are superfine. Despite the various changes of personnel that took place over the three-year period, the recordings present an impressive level of consistency and feeling.” – John Chilton, Ride, Red Ride: The Life of Henry “Red” Allen
“Algiers Stomp” is an homage to the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans where Allen grew up. Lots of highlights, including a pair of proto-bop sax solos, a overdriven clarinet solo by Rudy Powell, and the main event: Allen’s confident and expressive trumpet solo.
Recorded in New York City on August 5, 1936. Released as Vocalion 3302.
Credits: Henry Allen – trumpet, vocals Rudy Powell – clarinet, alto sax Tab Smith – alto sax Cecil Scott – tenor sax Edgar Hayes – piano Lawrence Lucie – guitar Elmer James – bass Cozy Cole – drums
I’ve been looking through the excellent scholarship of Javier Soria Laso (JSLas2) on archive.org and came across his discography of William Conrad Polla’s Clover Gardens Orchestra. I immediately dug out some PCFO records and gave them a fresh listen!
JSL – with prompting from a Dave Lomax comment from an old Storyville magazine – thinks that some of the players from the Georgia Melodians may be performing on this record.
While the Clover Gardens Ballroom may seem like small potatoes compared to more popular and well-known venues, orchestras who took up residence there were well-paid. Ambrose’s Orchestra – led by British bandleader Benjamin Ambrose – an outfit with 25 performers – made $2,800 a week playing there in fall of 1922. That’s the equivalent of around $52K a week today.
“Too Tired” is a peppy little number (thankfully with omitted lyrics in this instrumental version) featuring many hot solos and breaks.
0:00 Intro 0:47 trumpet solo 1:05 sax solo 1:40 banjo/trumpet duet 2:17 muted trumpet solo 2:33 trombone solo 2:42 muted trumpet solo 3:00 outro led by clarinet and trumpet
Recorded in New York City on November 15, 1924 Released as Edison 51440. This is take A.
Credits: William Conrad Polla – piano, arranger, director Ernie Intelhouse (?), Unknown Artist – trumpet Unknown Artist – trombone Unknown Artist – clarinet, alto sax, soprano sax Unknown Artist – alto sax, soprano sax Unknown Artist – tenor sax Elmer Merry (?) – banjo Al Singmore (?) – tuba Carl Gerold (?) – drums Wm. Schulz, Louis Katzman – arranger
Speckled Red (Rufus Perryman) was a self-taught piano player from Georgia who had his first recording session in Memphis Tennessee in 1929. One of the tunes he recorded there, “The Dirty Dozens”, became a bit of a hit – and he was invited back to another session in Chicago in the spring of 1930, where he recorded this tune.
Amazing to listen to this and think about the deep roots of rock and roll in black American music. Here it is for all to hear, 20+ years ahead of its time.
Recorded in Chicago on Tuesday, April 8, 1930. Released as Brunswick 7164.
Elmer Schoebel’s Midway Dance Orchestra (here under the alias Majestic Dance Orchestra). The band was so named for being a regular fixture at the Midway Gardens, a massive European-style concert garden in Chicago’s Hyde Park designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that opened in 1914.
The band recorded this exact same tune for Columbia the day before this session that was released as Columbia 33-D. I’ll post that version later today. An interesting listen to compare how the band performed the same tune 24 hours apart – and a comparison of the two Chicago recording studios.
Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on October 19, 1923. Released as Triangle 11311 (this is take 1). Originally released as Paramount 20273.
Credits: Elmer Schoebel – piano, director, arranger Murphy Steinberg – cornet Jesse Barnes – trombone Art Kassel, Roy Kramer – clarinet Lou Black – banjo Steve Brown – tuba Bobby de Lys – drums
Bert Lown was a violinist who played in Fred Hamm’s orchestra in Chicago in 1925 before leading his own orchestra in New York starting in the late 20s.
While this tune gets fired up straightaway with dynamic interplay between Frank Cush and Miff Mole, the extended sax solo starting at 0:43 is quite tasty. Mole takes another solo at 1:39 followed by Cush’s trumpet and another sax encore.
Recorded in New York City on April 5, 1929. Released as Harmony 892-H.
Bert Lown – director Frank Cush – trumpet Miff Mole – trombone Rudolph Adler, Johnny Costello – clarinet, alto sax Paul Mason – clarinet, tenor sax Chauncey Gray – piano Tommy Felline – banjo Ward Lay or Al Weber – baritone brass Unknown Artist – drums
Lena Wilson got her start at the Black Swan label in 1922 accompanied by Fletcher Henderson – and recorded with Johnny Dunn, Perry Bradford, and Porter Grainger over the next two years. She even recorded one session with Fletcher’s full band.
This is one of her later sessions and is notable for its use of Hawaiian style steel guitar accompanying a blues number. It’s also a great song – written by Porter Grainger and Bob Ricketts.
Recorded in New York City on February 14, 1924. Released as Brunswick 2590.
Credits: Lena Wilson – vocals Lincoln Conaway – steel guitar Clarence Conaway – ukulele Sterling Conaway – guitar
