Jazz Crazy Records

An Archive of Early Jazz on 78 RPM

Category: Jazz

  • “Sugar Foot Strut” – Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five (1928)

    “Sugar Foot Strut” – Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five (1928)

    Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five of 1928 was a whole new group from the earlier Hot Five that featured Lil Armstrong, Kid Ory, Johnny Dodds, and Johnny St. Cyr who recorded with Louis in 1925-27. Armstrong formed this new Hot Five group around pianist Earl Hines.

    “Louis was wild and I was wild, and we were inseparable. He was the most happy-go-lucky guy I ever met. Then Louis and I met Zutty… formed our own group, and I don’t know what happened but we like to starve to death, making a dollar or a dollar and a half apiece a night. So we drifted apart…” — Earl Hines

    “Things gotten so tough with us until fifteen cents looked like fifteen dollars. But we did not lose our spirit. We all kept that good ‘ol clean shirt on everyday, and ‘ol Earl Hines kept the big fresh cigar in his mouth everyday. Zuttie and I both admired that… You’d be surprised to know how happy we were.” – Louis Armstrong, “The Goffin Notebooks, Book 5: 1928”

    Here we find the new Hot Five performing “Sugar Foot Strut”, which starts off with a call and response between Zutty Singleton’s hand cymbals and the rest of the band. The ensemble states the melody with Satch at the lead. At 1:02 Armstrong delivers a trumpet solo, followed at 1:23 by Earl Hines on piano, leading straight into the vocal section, where Armstrong is accompanied by Hines. At 2:07 we get a Fred Robinson trombone solo, followed at 2:30 by more Hines on piano and at 2:40 BY Jimmy Strong on clarinet and 2:48 by Armstrong bringing it all home with a dramatic trumpet run.

    Hughes Panassié wrote of the musical relationship between Satch and Fatha Hines on this recording and the flip side, A Monday Date: “It contains, like Sugar Foot Strut, a vocal chorus by Louis accompanied by the piano in such an original and audacious way that one has to marvel at the understanding between these two musicians.”

    Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on June 28, 1928.
    Released as Okeh 8609.

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

    Sources:
    Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897-1942), 6th Ed. Brian Rust.
    Louis Armstrong: In His Own Words, Ed. by Thomas Brothers, p99-100
    Louis: The Louis Armstrong Story, Max Jones & John Chilton, p100
    The Music of Louis Armstrong on Records, Hughes Panassié, p83

  • “Lovable Ladies” – Olympic Dance Orchestra (1925) Jo Trent Composition

    “Lovable Ladies” – Olympic Dance Orchestra (1925) Jo Trent Composition

    1925 found African-American songwriter Jo Trent in a quite prolific period of his career. He claimed copyright on over 38 songs that year under contract with Grey Gull records – who did not publish sheet music themselves. They bought songs directly from songwriters to avoid having to pay royalties to an outside publisher. In 1925-26, there were a total of 77 Trent/Grey Gull song copyrights!

    The unfortunate side of the deal for Trent was that because Grey Gull did not publish the music or license the songs elsewhere, much of this prolific songwriting output from this time was not available to other orchestras and can only be found recorded on Grey Gull discs published during those years.

    I can’t seem to find much information on this recording – Wondering if it might be Nathan Glantz on alto sax? At 2:09 there’s a feisty trumpet solo that’s quite good.

    Recorded circa September 1925.
    Released as Grey Gull 1305

    Sources:
    Duke Ellington, Jo Trent, Blu-Disc, Up-to-date and Various Topics of Related Interest by Steven Lasker, 2004
    https://tdwaw.ellingtonweb.ca/DEMS/DEMS-04-3f,200412-200503,pt55-58.html

  • “Pacific Coast Blues” – Original Memphis Five (1922)

    “Pacific Coast Blues” – Original Memphis Five (1922)

    Can’t remember who but someone was asking about OM5 Arto discs. Here’s one!

    “Pacific Coast Blues” gets off to a jumpy start – and if you’ve ever driven on Highway 1 in California this is not surprising. But things soon get rolling along, led by Phil Napoleon’s bright and cheerful trumpet melodies. Great ensemble playing and a few hot breaks but few extended solos in their own right.

    Recorded in New York City on June 14, 1922.
    Released as Arto 9153.

    Credits:
    Phil Napoleon – trumpet
    Miff Mole – trombone
    Jimmy Lytell – clarinet
    Frank Signorelli – piano
    Jack Roth – drums

  • “Soudan” – Original Dixieland Jazz Band (1920)

    “Soudan” – Original Dixieland Jazz Band (1920)

    In November of 1918, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band signed a contract with British producer Albert deCourville for a ten-week engagement at London’s Hippodrome that was to begin in March of 1919.

    However, the virulent Influenza pandemic took the band’s pianist Henry Ragas just two days before the band was to set sail for the UK in February of 1919. Finding a replacement took an additional month, and the band finally boarded the R.M.S. Adriatic and by April 1, 1919, the ODJB arrived in Liverpool and began a 15 month stay.

    They recorded 17 sides during their stay in the UK, all for Columbia. This disc, “Soudan” was from their last session – and was a tune taught to the band by Frank Hale of the Hale & Patterson team, who used it to accompany one of their oriental dance numbers..

    Those used to ODJB’s Victor output might be taken aback by

    Recorded in London, UK on May 14, 1920.
    Released in the UK as Columbia 829.

    Credits:
    Nick LaRocca – cornet, director
    Emile Christian – trombone
    Larry Shields – clarinet
    Billy Jones – piano
    Tony Sbarbaro – drums

    Sources:
    Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897-1942), 6th Ed., Brian Rust
    The Story of the Dixieland Jazz Band, H.O. Brunn

  • “57 Varieties” – Earl Hines (1928)

    “57 Varieties” – Earl Hines (1928)

    After wrapping up a full summer of recording some of the most beloved classics of early jazz with Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, pianist Earl Hines was surreptitiously recorded while messing around on the piano. Satch and the Savoy Ballroom Five had just recorded Heah Me Talkin’ To Ya?, St. James Infirmary, and Tight Like This in the studio and took a break. I’ll let Hines tell the rest:

    “It was an accident. I was recording with Louis, we were down making a session. In the intermission, the guys were all back in the room having dinner and drinking, having a ball. I didn’t feel like it, so I was out front playing piano, just fooling around. Finally somebody comes out after I’d played awhile and he whispers, “Put an ending, put an ending.” I didn’t know they were recording me. So I put an ending, and they said “Shhhh… we’ll finish it.” That was it. After I come out, they say, “What are we going to call it?”. So one boy says, “His name is Hines, call it ‘Hines 57 Varieties’.” I never played it since. I don’t know what I did, I was just playing.”
    – Earl Hines, in an interview with Anthony Baldwin in September of 1979.

    The 57 Varieties connection is a play on the advertising slogan of the H.J. Heinz Company, which was introduced in 1896 to market its wide selection of food products such as pickles, horseradish, relishes, and ketchup. The slogan has appeared on bottles of Heinz Ketchup for decades and also led to the creation of a steak sauce called “Heinz 57”.

    Enjoy!

    Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on December 12, 1928.
    Released as Okeh 8653.

    Credits:
    Earl Hines – piano

    Sources:

    Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897-1942), 6th Ed, Brian Rust

    Vintage Jazz Mart: “Earl Hines – In Conversation with Tony Baldwin”
    https://www.vjm.biz/new_page_17.htm

  • “Jelly Roll Blues” – Lemuel Fowler’s Washboard Wonders (1926)

    “Jelly Roll Blues” – Lemuel Fowler’s Washboard Wonders (1926)

    A delightful disc by a washboard jazz quartet led by pianist Lemuel Fowler.

    Love the almost tremolo-like clarinet sound of Percy Glascoe at 0:07. Wonderful ensemble playing throughout from this jubilant group playing a Jelly Roll Morton original composition that was first published in 1915 – practically an “oldie” by the time this was recorded.

    Recorded in New York City on April 6, 1926.
    Released as Columbia 14155-D.

    Credits:
    Sidney de Paris – trumpet
    Percy Glascoe – clarinet, alto sax
    Lemuel Fowler – piano
    Al Brunson – washboard

  • “Steppin’ Out” – Original Memphis Five (1923)

    “Steppin’ Out” – Original Memphis Five (1923)

    Here’s a peppy pop tune by Original Memphis Five, who prolifically recorded hundreds of jazzy sides in the 1920s.

    In 2016 there was an active project to digitally transfer the complete OM5 oeuvre onto one massive CD set. Unfortunately, after making much headway (the complete set reportedly filled 28 CDs), the project was abandoned in 2022 when the project’s producer stopped making payments to the audio engineers producing the digital transfers. The ensuing dispute has sadly ensured that all of the hard work that had been done on this monumental project will never be heard by fans.

    But 28 CDs, tho! That gives you an idea of the scope of OM5’s recording career! So here’s a tiny fraction of that: from a late 1923 recording session we have OM5’s take on “Steppin’ Out”, a tune by Con Conrad and John Howard.

    Recorded in New York City on December 7, 1923.
    Released as Banner 1296.
    Also released domestically as Regal 9588, Bell P-262.

    Credits:
    Phil Napoleon – trumpet
    Miff Mole – trombone
    Jimmy Lytell – clarinet
    Frank Signorelli – piano
    Jack Roth – drums

    Sources:
    Lost Chords, Richard Sudhalter, p.106-109
    Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897-1942), Brian Rust, 6th Ed.

  • “Red Lips (Kiss My Blues Away) – Dixie Daisies (1927)

    “Red Lips (Kiss My Blues Away) – Dixie Daisies (1927)

    It’s midweek and therefore time for a fun rollicking dance number by one of Sam Lanin’s many aliases on a gorgeous Pathé Actuelle needle cut disc often referred to as a “bowling ball” splatter disc due to its beautiful swirled black and red patterns embedded in the shellac. These visually stunning discs were pressed for a very short time from 1926-27.

    Most of the tune is relatively straightforward – though Earl Oliver can be heard playing around the melody throughout, while Leo McConville breaks into solo mode at 1:37 and 1:54.

    At 2:04 we hear a brief tinkling piano solo – which is not noted in the credits I found, so I added it.

    “Red Lips – Kiss my blues away,
    Red Lips – Kiss the night to day.
    Any old time that you come cuddling near
    Isn’t it strange the way the blues disappear?”

    Recorded in New York City on March 10, 1927.
    Released as Pathé Actuelle 36628

    Credits:
    Sam Lanin – director
    Earl Oliver, Leo McConville – trumpet
    Chuck Campbell – trombone
    Andy Sannella – alto sax, clarinet, soprano sax, guitar
    Larry Abbott – alto sax, clarinet, soprano sax
    Merle Johnston (?) – tenor sax, soprano sax
    Arthur Schutt – piano
    Tony “Toots” Colucci (?) – banjo
    Joe Tarto – tuba
    Vic Berton – drums
    Arthur Fields (as Herb Hobbs) – vocals

    Source:
    “That Growling Trumpet! A Discography of Earle Preston Oliver aka Earl Oliver (1894-1933), Cyrus Bahmaie & Javier Soria Laso.

  • “Georgia on my Mind” – Washboard Rhythm Kings (1931)

    “Georgia on my Mind” – Washboard Rhythm Kings (1931)

    A deep-depression cut from the ragtag Victor studio band called the Washboard Rhythm Kings.

    “Georgia on my Mind” was written by Hoagy Carmichael in 1930 and first recorded by his star-studded band on September 15, 1930 (released as Victor 23013). The recording featured Bix, Venuti & Lang, Jack Teagarden, Jimmy Dorsey, Bud Freeman, and Chauncey Morehouse. Due to the huge dip in record sales during the Great Depression, this original recording only sold 3,646 copies.

    A year later, the lovable Washboard Rhythm Kings took up the tune and gave it their own spin. Dave Page’s trumpet starts us off, with Jimmy Spencer’s washboard scritching out a steady rhythm. As Eddie Miles begins the vocals, we hear Steve Washington’s banjo joyfully picking along. Brief but pleasant solos on trumpet and sax follow. The intimate small combo and light airy feel of this recording gives the song a real sense of warm joy and spontaneous delight.

    While there were a number of other recorded versions of the song in the 1930s: Frank Trumbauer (Jun 1931), Gene Kardos (Jun 1931), Mound City Blue Blowers (Jun 1931), Louis Armstrong (Nov 1931), Mildred Bailey (Nov 1931), Roy Fox (1932), Nat Gonella (1934 and 1937), Quintette du Hot Club de France (1936), Casa Loma Orchestra (1939), Ethel Waters (1939), and Mills Brothers (1939), the song did not gain national prominence as a standard until Ray Charles famously recorded the song over a backdrop of lush strings in 1960.

    The Ray Charles recording went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and is probably the most well-known version of the song. Though Willie Nelson also recorded a country version of the song in 1978 that went to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country charts – giving the song even broader appeal. These two popular renditions cemented “Georgia on My Mind” as a true standard in the great American songbook.

    That said, I can’t help but adore this simple and unadorned early version of the song.

    I don’t have sales figures on the original Victor issue, but similar issues by the Washboard Rhythm Kings in late 1931 / early 1932 sold under 2,000 copies (Victor 22958 = 1,766 copies, Victor 23300 = 1,781 copies, Victor 23326 = 1,496 copies). Thankfully, the record was reissued on the Bluebird label in 1935.

    Recorded in Camden, New Jersey on September 23, 1931.
    Originally released in 1931 as Victor 23301.
    Reissued in 1935 as Bluebird B-6150.

    Credits:
    Dave Page – trumpet
    Ben Smith – alto sax
    Carl Wade – tenor sax
    Eddie Miles – piano, vocals
    Steve Washington – banjo, guitar
    Jimmy Spencer – drums, washboard

    Sources:
    DAHR
    https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/800036736/BVE-70534-Georgia_on_my_mind
    Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897-1942), Brian Rust, 6th Ed
    https://archive.org/details/brian-rust-jazz-records-free-edition-6/
    Wikipedia
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_on_My_Mind

  • “Alabamy Bound” – Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra (1925) f/ Louis Armstrong 🎺

    “Alabamy Bound” – Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra (1925) f/ Louis Armstrong 🎺

    In early 1925, things were looking bright for the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. The bandleader had just gotten married to his beloved Leora and moved to a house on 139th Street in Harlem. The band was playing regularly at the Roseland paired with Sam Lanin’s Orchestra – with trumpeter Louis Armstrong doing a vocal set on Thursday nights that proved very popular.

    On January 24, 1925, the Chicago Defender wrote: “Buster Bailey and Louis Armstrong are still the talk of B’way with Fletcher Henderson’s band. The Henderson orchestra has won themselves a place in the hearts of B’way dancers and are true musicians.”

    Here we have a dance number arranged by Don Redman, “Alabamy Bound” that features a hot trumpet solo by Satch at 1:32 and a brief tenor sax solo by Coleman Hawkins at 1:58. I’m assuming Kaiser Marshall must have been in charge of those train effects and whistles during the intro and outro.

    At 78 rpm my copy of this disc played in the key of F#, so I pitch-adjusted to G, the native key of “Alabamy Bound”. Hopefully, I did right – but if not, I know there are knowledgable horn players in the audience who will gently correct me. 😁

    Recorded in New York City on January 30, 1925. This is take 3.
    Released in the UK as Imperial 1420.
    Released in the US as Banner 1488, Domino 3458, Oriole 347 and Regal 9789.

    Credits:
    Fletcher Henderson – piano, director
    Louis Armstrong, Elmer Chambers, Howard Scott – trumpet
    Charlie Green – trombone
    Buster Bailey – clarinet, alto sax
    Don Redman – clarinet, alto sax, arranger
    Coleman Hawkins – clarinet, tenor sax
    Charlie Dixon – banjo
    Ralph Escudero – tuba
    Kaiser Marshall – drums

    Sources:
    Hendersonia, Walter C. Allen, p. 127-131, 156