Tag: Mills Blue Rhythm Band

In October of 1934, jazz impresario Irving Mills poached trumpet player Henry “Red” Allen, from the Fletcher Henderson orchestra and offered him the role of bandleader. Red joined the band but turned down the leadership role, wanting to focus on his playing. Instead, Mills turned to Lucky Millinder, who was reputed to be an extraordinary conductor – thought he could not read music. Millinder was a spirited front man who added vibrant energy to the band.

In his fifth recording session with the orchestra, the band records a Millinder composition called “Ride, Red, Ride” which was a contrafact of the early jazz standard “Tiger Rag”. The tune begins with Lucky Millinder announcing “Oh, the name of this song is Ride, Red Ride – Ride Red!” Like the song it is based on, it plows ahead at a furious pace from the get go. We hear fast solos zooming past our ears – interspersed with little slower breaks that allow us to catch our breath before the next onslaught.

The spotlight is on Allen at 1:49 when he takes off for his showcase solo, punctuated by encouraging shouts from Millinder and the band. At one point at 2:26 we seem to be caught in a massive traffic jam with horns vying against one another before Allen’s trumpet leads the way to the coda.

One perplexing note is that the presence of Buster Bailey on clarinet, listed in early editions of Rust’s Jazz and Ragtime Records and many other discographies, is omitted from Rust’s final 6th edition. Not sure the story behind that credit removal, but the blistering clarinet solo at 1:09 sure seems like Bailey to me. Anyone know why Rust removed him from this session’s credits?

Interestingly, after recording the tune, Allen says they were told it was probably not going to be issued. However, it was – and was a big hit for the band.

Recorded in New York City on July 2, 1935.
Released as Columbia 3087-D

Credits:
Lucky Millinder – vocals, director
Henry “Red” Allen, Wardell Jones, Shelton Hemphill – trumpet
J. C. Higginbotham, George Washington – trombone
Buster Bailey – clarinet
Gene Mikell, Crawford Washington – clarinet, alto sax
Joe Garland – clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax
Edgar Hayes – piano
Lawrence Lucie – guitar
Elmer James – string bass
O’Neil Spencer – drums
Will Hudson – arranger

Sources:
Ride, Red, Ride: The Life of Henry “Red” Allen, by John Chilton
Storyville #109, Oct-Nov 1983
The Recordings of Joe Garland: An Annotated Tentative Personnelo – Discography, by K.B. Rau

While this label may credit “Earl Jackson and his Orchestra”, this a later U.K. reissue of a deep depression cut from the Mills Blue Rhythm Band.

Irving Mills began managing the band in 1931 and as a result, they played at the Cotton Club in Harlem where Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway’s bands played (who Mills also managed).

Many jazz greats played in the Mills Blue Rhythm Band at one time or another throughout their eight year run, including Henry Red Allen, Buster Bailey, Carroll Dickerson, Lucky Millinder, Wilbur de Paris, and Charlie Shavers.

Let’s admit it, “Futuristic Jungleism” is a super cool name for a song from 1931. Sounds more like a 12″ out of Bristol from 1997 than a 10″ from 1931.

I’m not completely satisfied with this transfer – while it is supposed to be a master pressing it sounds a little thin and the horns can blare a bit at times. I really had to wrestle with the EQ on this one – and not sure I completely dialed it in. But then again – maybe I’m just suffering from ear fatigue. Let me know how it sounds to you.

Recorded in New York, May 12, 1931.
Originally released in the U.S. as Banner 32240, Oriole 2318, Perfect 15505, and Romeo 1690.
Released in the U.K. as Decca F.2728.

Credits:
George Morton – vocals
Wardell Jones, Shelton Hemphill, Ed Anderson – trumpet
Harry White, Henry Hicks – trombone
Charlie Holmes – clarinet, alto sax
Ted McCord, Castor McCord – clarinet, tenor sax
Edgar Hayes – piano
Benny James – banjo
Hayes Alvis – string bass
WiIlie Lynch – drums