Tag: New Orleans Owls

In the mid 1920s, Columbia label created a mobile recording unit using electronic equipment made by Western Electric that allowed them to travel and record bands in their hometown, without having to travel to studios in New York City. It is for this reason that this recording, and others from bands like the Halfway House Orchestra, and the Celestin’s Original Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra exist.

The New Orleans Owls was the house band at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans from 1922-29. All of their 23 recorded sides were made in New Orleans or Atlanta.

This tune celebrates lakefront experiences along Lake Pontchartrain’s historic West End entertainment district in New Orleans, where the band spent summers playing spots like the West End Roof Garden and practicing in local boathouses.

The tune gets off to a right swingin’ start, with joyful ensemble playing. Bill Padron takes a solo on muted cornet, followed by alto sax and cornet choruses before coming to what perked my ears up: a guitar and clarinet duet with a light banjo keeping rhythm. As a guitar player myself, I always love the early jazz guitar breaks – and a duet with a clarinet is quite unique for this period!

Hope you enjoy the romp and take a moment to appreciate what early vacuum tube technology was able to capture in such rich fidelity for our listening pleasure 100 years later.

Recorded in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 14, 1926.
Released as Columbia 688-D.

Credits:
Benjie White – clarinet, alto sax, director
Bill Padron – cornet
Frank Netto – trombone
Pinky Vidacovich – clarinet, alto sax
Lester Smith – tenor sax
Mose Farrar – piano
Rene Gelpi – banjo, guitar
Dan LeBlanc – tuba
Earl Crumb – drums

Sources:
The New Orleans Owls, Part One, Hal Smith and Jeff Barnhart, Syncopated Times
https://syncopatedtimes.com/the-new-orleans-owls-part-one/
Jazz at the Lakefront, Bruce Raeburn
https://64parishes.org/jazz-at-the-lakefront

From the last recording session of the New Orleans Owls – in New Orleans, no less.

As pointed out in an excellent article in Syncopated Times referenced below, this Fletcher Henderson / Jo Trent composition (which some suspect may have been originally written by Fats Waller) was recorded by three bands in three consecutive days in late 1927:

October 24: Fletcher Henderson (as Dixie Stompers) in NYC
October 25: Bix Beiderbecke and his Gang in NYC
October 26: New Orleans Owls in New Orleans

The bands each interpreted the stock arrangement in their own unique manner. The Owls’ version was played at a bit slower tempo. Read the article below for more discussion!

I post this as I am missing the Bix jazz festival this weekend – which will feature a New Orleans Owls set tomorrow night. Very sad about this as I love going to hear 20s jazz played live by some of the most talented players in the world! Hope to be there next year, fellas!

Recorded in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 26, 1927.
Released as Columbia 1261-D.

Credits:
Red Bowman, Bill Padron – cornet
Benjie White – clarinet, alto sax, director
Frank Netto – trombone
Pinky Vidacovich – clarinet – alto sax
Lester Smith – tenor sax
Sigfre Christensen – piano
Nappy Lamare – banjo
Dan LeBlanc – tuba
Earl Crumb – drums

Sources:
Three Recordings of “Goose Pimples”, Jeff Barnhart, Hal Smith, and Andy Schumm, Syncopated Times, April 30, 2023
https://syncopatedtimes.com/three-recordings-of-goose-pimples/

A real hot one from The New Orleans Owls, a band that played frequently at hotels in New Orleans from 1922-27. They recorded many of their records in New Orleans – including this one, from their last recording session.

Recorded in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 26, 1927.
Released as Columbia 1547-D.

Credits:
Benjie White – director, clarinet, alto sax
Bill Padron, Red Bowman, cornet
Frank Netto – trombone
Pinky Vidacovich – clarinet, alto sax
Lester Smith – tenor sax
Sigfre Christensen – piano
Nappy Lamare – banjo, guitar
Dan LeBlanc – tuba
Earl Crumb – drums