In January of 1924, Fletcher Henderson’s band began its tenure at the newly opened Club Alabam on W. 44th St in New York City. Within several months they became known as one of the best jazz orchestras in the city.
In May of 1924, Henderson began making records for the Plaza Music Company, which owned the Banner, Regal, Domino, and Oriole labels. On the Plaza labels, Henderson’s orchestra went by a variety of pseudonyms so that the different labels could each advertise recordings seemingly by different bands. The recordings were also then leased to other labels, where new pseudonyms followed.
The recording of “I Can’t Get The One I Want” in June of 1924 set a record of sorts when it comes to this type of pseudonymic shenanigans: its three recorded takes were pressed and issued on at least twenty different labels, including Banner, Domino, Regal, Broadway, Lyratone, Triangle, Emerson, Federal, Globe, Nadsco, Radiex, Oriole, Paramount, Puritan, Silvertone, Apex, Usiba, and this one, the rather obscure National Music Lovers label, where they go by the rather unimaginative name of “Manhattan Musicians”.
While more of a sweeter style dance number, there are many interesting instrumental interactions in the arrangement and opportunities for hot breaks – we even hear the vivacious Coleman Hawkins leap in with a bouncy bass sax solo at 2:40 and again at 2:58.
Recorded in New York City on June 19, 1924.
Released as National Music Lovers 1099.
Credits:
Fletcher Henderson – piano, director, arranger
Elmer Chambers, Howard Scott – cornet
Teddy Nixon – trombone
Don Redman – clarinet, alto sax
Lonnie Brown (?) – alto sax
Coleman Hawkins – tenor sax, bass sax
Charlie Dixon – banjo
Ralph Escudero – tuba
Kaiser Marshall – drums
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