Ever wonder what jazz musicians of the late 20s sounded like in an after-hours free-wheelin’ jam session? The Gennett recording session of a loosely affiliated group of musicians known as “King Mutt and his Tennessee Thumpers” gives us a window into that wonderful world of musical invention.
This session from the winter of 1929 yielded a total of six sides – released in small numbers on the Gennett Electrobeam, Champion, and Supertone labels.
This tune, “Maxwell Street Stomp” seems (to my ears) to be loosely based on the chord progression and melody from the wildly popular tune “It’s Tight Like That” which had been released the previous year by Georgia Tom and Tampa Red. Many jazz and blues acts recorded versions of this tune in 1928-29, so it would make a good candidate for a song to jam on with a group of musicians – who would all be quite familiar with the tune.
In its short two minutes and twenty-four seconds, we hear a rapid succession of improvised solos. I’ve tried to identify the instruments – but if sharper ears out there catch any mistakes please let me know. I’m looking at you, @Taliesin and @davidglow3. ^_^
0:00 Intro – ensemble playing
0:11 Saxophone solo
0:23 Mandolin solo
0:35 Cornet solo
0:47 Clarinet solo
0:58 Saxophone solo
1:11 Piano solo
1:23 Saxophone
1:45 Ensemble playing
Recorded for Gennett in Richmond, IN on February 12, 1929.
Originally released as Gennett Electrobeam 6796 and Champion 15696 – incredibly rare records, with 78Q listing only one known copy of the Gennett! Thankfully, it was later reissued as Champion 40043 which is *slightly* less rare. This excellent E+ copy sounds great!
An excellent rundown of personnel on this session can be found at:
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/king-mutt-his-tennessee-thumpers-mn0001719366
Credits:
Punch Miller – cornet
Al Miller – mandolin
Jimmy Blythe or Frank Melrose – piano
Willie Baker (?) or ____ Rodgers (?) – guitar
Marcus Norman (?) or Tommy Taylor (?) – drums
Unknown Artist (“King Mutt”?) – clarinet, alto saxophone
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