“Crazeology” – Bud Freeman and his Orchestra (1928)

After recording with Red McKenzie and Jimmy McPartland in 1927 and Ben Pollack’s orchestra and Wingy Mannone in 1928, tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman recorded these two sides for Okeh in December of 1928.

“Here, in raw form, is the foundation of the mature Freeman style: there is a new ease with arpeggiated phrases; delivered on the beat and stitched together with triplets; he’d begun to work out little variations – altered notes, chordal superimpositions, characteristic runs and rhythms.” – Richard Sudhalter, “Lost Chords”, p. 244

The tune’s title, an original Freeman composition, usually appears hyphenated as “Craze-ology” or “Craze-O-Logy”, but here appears as one uninterrupted word.

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on December 3, 1928.
Released domestically as Okeh 41168 and master-pressed in the U.K. as Odeon PO 67.

Credits
Johnny Mendel – trumpet
Floyd O’Brien – trombone
Bud Jacobson – clarinet
Bud Freeman – tenor sax
Dave North – piano
Norman Foster – banjo
John Mueller – string bass
Gene Krupa – drums