Tag: Original Memphis Five

Can’t remember who but someone was asking about OM5 Arto discs. Here’s one!

“Pacific Coast Blues” gets off to a jumpy start – and if you’ve ever driven on Highway 1 in California this is not surprising. But things soon get rolling along, led by Phil Napoleon’s bright and cheerful trumpet melodies. Great ensemble playing and a few hot breaks but few extended solos in their own right.

Recorded in New York City on June 14, 1922.
Released as Arto 9153.

Credits:
Phil Napoleon – trumpet
Miff Mole – trombone
Jimmy Lytell – clarinet
Frank Signorelli – piano
Jack Roth – drums

Here’s a peppy pop tune by Original Memphis Five, who prolifically recorded hundreds of jazzy sides in the 1920s.

In 2016 there was an active project to digitally transfer the complete OM5 oeuvre onto one massive CD set. Unfortunately, after making much headway (the complete set reportedly filled 28 CDs), the project was abandoned in 2022 when the project’s producer stopped making payments to the audio engineers producing the digital transfers. The ensuing dispute has sadly ensured that all of the hard work that had been done on this monumental project will never be heard by fans.

But 28 CDs, tho! That gives you an idea of the scope of OM5’s recording career! So here’s a tiny fraction of that: from a late 1923 recording session we have OM5’s take on “Steppin’ Out”, a tune by Con Conrad and John Howard.

Recorded in New York City on December 7, 1923.
Released as Banner 1296.
Also released domestically as Regal 9588, Bell P-262.

Credits:
Phil Napoleon – trumpet
Miff Mole – trombone
Jimmy Lytell – clarinet
Frank Signorelli – piano
Jack Roth – drums

Sources:
Lost Chords, Richard Sudhalter, p.106-109
Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897-1942), Brian Rust, 6th Ed.

“Bad News Blues” was a tune published in 1923 composed by Harry Akst with lyrics by Benny Davis. It was recorded by Original Memphis Five (as Ladd’s Black Aces) in June of 1923 for Gennett, and also that same month for Pathé / Perfect (as “Sad News Blues”).

It is not clear why the song title was changed – but when they recorded it a third time, in September of 1923 for Plaza Music Company (who then likely licensed the master to Grey Gull), it was also released as “Sad News Blues”.

In any case, it’s a real treat – neither sad nor bad at all! Thankfully, even on dime store shellac, the sound quality is quite good.

Recorded in New York City on September 6, 1923.
Released as Grey Gull 1184.

Credits
Phil Napoleon – trumpet
Miff Mole – trombone
Jimmy Lytell – clarinet
Frank Signorelli – piano
Jack Roth – drums

To celebrate jazz saxophonist Loren McMurray, about whom there is a resurgence of interest following Archeophone Records recent CD release “The Moaningest Moan of them All: The Jazz Saxophone of Loren McMurray (1920-1922) – this is the second of three transfers from my own collection that I’m posting this week.

Here we have Loren McMurray joining a very early OM5 session. Mac had already recorded “Lonesome Mama Blues” twice earlier that year with both the Virginians and Markels Orchestra and was quite familiar with the tune.

This peppy version features lively ensemble playing with plenty of interesting solos and breaks by McMurray.

Recorded on May 10, 1922 in New York City.

Released as Puritan 11131, Paramount 20131, Banner 1068, Broadway 11129, Famous 3125, and Regal 9301.

Credits:
Loren McMurray – alto sax, tenor sax
Phil Napoleon – trumpet
Miff Mole – trombone
Jimmy Lytell – clarinet
Frank Signorelli – piano
Jack Roth – drums

Be sure to watch my interview with producer Colin Hancock about the Loren McMurray CD release on Archeophone Records – which was recently nominated for a GRAMMY award for Best Historical Album.
https://youtu.be/j6WxtLP8PWM

Here we have a performance of “Struttin’ at the Strutters Ball” by Spencer Williams on the Famous label – a recording also released on the Paramount, Puritan, Banner, Broadway, Triangle, Emerson, Grey Gull, and Regal labels. This was the B side of OM5’s second recording of “I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate”, a big hit that they first recorded in June of 1922.

The Original Memphis Five (often abbreviated as OM5) were prolific in the 1920s – recording a large number of sides for a wide variety of labels – and under various pseudonyms such as Ladd’s Black Aces on the Gennett label and The Cotton Pickers on the Brunswick label.

Matrix 1168 Take 1
Recorded in New York City in August, 1922.
Released as Famous 3122, Banner 1110, Paramount 20161, Broadway 11165, Grey Gull 1140, Puritan 11161, and Regal 9363

Credits:
Phil Napoleon – trumpet
Miff Mole – trombone
Jimmy Lytell – clarinet
Loring McMurray – alto sax, tenor sax
Frank Signorelli – piano
Jack Roth – drums

The Curry’s label began in the U.K. at the turn of the century as bicycle manufacturer Curry’s Cycle Co. began selling phonographs and manufacturing records on their own private label.

This release is from the mid-20s, as Currys began using masters from the British Imperial label – which in turn licensed them from the American Plaza Music Company. This Curry’s record proudly proclaims “Every Record a Gem by World Famous Artists” and “Pure, Sweet, Loud Tones”

As was the practice, American band names were given pseudonyms. In this instance “The Castle Jazz Band” was in fact the Original Memphis Five (OM5), who released “Bees Knees” domestically on the Banner, Regal, Emerson, and Grey Gull labels.

The tune was recorded in November of 1922, and includes OM5 regulars minus Miff Mole, who had been replaced on trombone by Charlie Panelli.

A rousing dance tune penned by Ray Lopez with many hot breaks and lively ensemble playing.

Credits:
Phil Napoleon – trumpet
Charlie Panelli – trombone
Jimmy Lytell – clarinet
Frank Signorelli – piano
Jack Roth – drums