Tag: Clarence Williams and his Orchestra

On Christmas Eve, we have a fresh transfer of Clarence Williams’ recording of a Christmas tune written by Mitchell Parish and Raymond Scott and featuring vocalist Chick Bullock.

The tune was recorded by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra a month later, in April of 1934 with Frank Trumbauer plus Charlie and Jack Teagarden.

Much later, in 1955, it was recorded by an orchestra directed by Benny Carter featuring Louis Armstrong on vocals. Satch insisted on changing the racially charged lyrics of the original so that terms such as “black and tans” and “coal black joe” were replaced with more inclusive and positive language.

Recorded in New York City on March 23, 1934.
Released as Vocalion 2689.

Credits:
Charlie Gaines – trumpet
Ed Allen – cornet
Cecil Scott – clarinet, tenor sax
Louis Jordan – alto sax, tenor sax
James P. Johnson – piano
Cyrus St. Clair – tuba
Floyd Casey – washboard
Chick Bullock – vocals

Our final stop on the “High Society” express is a deep depression cut from 1933.

This version is played in Eb/Bb and has a different arrangement from the 1929 recordings.

Once again, the identity of the clarinetist is shrouded in mystery and guesses – and we also have a mystery percussionist keeping a steady beat on a bass drum or tom throughout!

We also notice a curious songwriter credit: “Steele-Melrose” on this composition – which was credited on the 1929 version to A.J. Piron. Record Research #124 contains a history of this song – which was *originally* composed and copyrighted by Porter Steele in 1901. In 1929 Steele neglected to renew his copyright on the work, and it passed into the public domain. A.J. Piron and Clarence Williams – who at the time had a music publishing business – filed copyright on the work on May 13, 1929. Melrose publishing in Chicago created a new arrangement of the work by George Leaman and filed a separate copyright in 1931. Piron and Williams filed an additional copyright on an arrangement of the tune with words on August 13, 1933 – a month after this recording session and ostensibly just before the record was released. Why then, Vocalion chose to credit the song to Steele-Melrose is another mystery.

Read all about it on page six of Record Research if you want to nerd out completely:
https://archive.org/details/RecordResearch124/page/n5/mode/2up

Recorded in New York City on July 14, 1933.
Released as Vocalion 25010.

Credits –
Ed Allen – cornet
Unknown Artist – clarinet
Clarence Williams – piano
Floyd Casey – washboard
Unknown Artist – bass drum or tom-tom.

If you liked this one, check out these earlier 1929 versions:

Okeh 8706 (take A)
https://youtu.be/xzbJwOpWn4o

Columbia D.B. 3513 (take C)
https://youtu.be/fP39_YQVlao

Clarence Williams recorded this snappy take of “Wildflower Rag” in an inspired session from November of 1928 that included King Oliver on cornet. Originally released on the scarce QRS label.

This unofficial dubbed release on the Jazz Collector label is from the late 1940s. Unlike the credits on this label, both Brian Rust and Tom Lord show Ed Cuffee, Arville Harris, and Leroy Harris on this session.

Credits:
Ed Allen, King Oliver – cornet
Ed Cuffee – trombone
Arville Harris – clarinet, alto sax
Ben Waters – clarinet, tenor sax
Clarence Williams -piano
Leroy Harris – banjo
Cyrus St.Clair – tuba

Recorded on September 1, 1933
Released as Vocalion 2778

Whenever I hear a Clarence Williams record start off with the scratchy syncopated washboard playing of Floyd Casey, I know it’s gonna be good.

This record is no exception: “Bimbo” by Clarence Williams and a small washboard band (labeled as an “orchestra”) that also featured Ed Allen on cornet, Cecil Scott on clarinet, and an unknown guitarist.

A real treat to listen to – enjoy!

Credits
Ed Allen – cornet
Cecil Scott – clarinet
Clarence Williams – piano
Floyd Casey – washboard
Unknown artist – guitar