“Subway Sobs” – Tiny Parham and his Musicians (1929)

Thanks to the watchful eye of @atertiary78 for spotting this on Discogs right after it was listed and messaging me about it.

It nearly did not make it to me, as the seller did not want to pack it using tried-and-true methods of safely shipping 78s. When I protested that using LP mailers or pizza boxes were very risky, he insisted that he would be using a “method passed down from his grandfather” to pack it. It arrived in a glorified pizza box with some bubble wrap. Perhaps pizza boxes were made of oak crates back in Grandpa’s day. In any case, somehow it survived the trip. The 78 gods truly do work in mysterious ways.

This copy has some surface noise – but every time Quinn Wilson’s tuba starts this one off, I can’t help but listen to the whole thing despite the sizzle of that Victor shellac in the background. The performances are so wonderful on this one – from the clarinet to the violin to the trombone to the guitar to the tuba! One of those 20s jazz bands that definitely merits more spotlight!

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on February 2, 1929.
Released as Victor V-38041. Later reissued as Bluebird B-6031.

Credits
Tiny Parham – piano, director
Roy Hobson – cornet
Charles Lawson – trombone
Charles Johnson – clarinet, alto sax
Elliott Washington – violin
Mike McKendrick – guitar
Quinn Wilson – tuba
Ernie Marrero – drums