Releases by the Grey Gull label were low-priced records sold from job racks from newsstands, cigar stores, and drug stores. Along with their associated labels (Madison, Radiex, Globe, etc) these labels are often called “dime store” labels by collectors.
Their cheap prices were attractive to consumers but the pressing quality of these labels is often inferior – and surface noise with some degree of graininess is common.
There is a seemingly wide variety of different bands and orchestras recording for these labels, however many recordings were performed by their in-house orchestra featuring Mike Mosiello and Andy Sannella under a varied number of pseudonyms.
Paul Bolognese was the musical director and house conductor for Emerson Records starting in 1922 – and he moved to Grey Gull in January 1926. This change coincided with Grey Gull moving its offices to New York City from Boston this same year.
This release does not appear in either of Brian Rust’s comprehensive discographies that cover Jazz and Dance Band records.
The record starts out with a peppy – but straightforward – sound. Things get hot once the trumpet solo kicks in around 0:57. This is followed by some highly arranged passages punctuated by hot banjo breaks – which lead to a xylophone solo at 1:49 by who I believe to be is George Hamilton Green.
This 98-year-old record nearly met an ignoble end, as it was shipped to me by a seller who felt that loosely wrapping 10 fragile shellac records with bubble wrap in a thin “pizza box” would suffice for a cross-country journey. All records arrived cracked or broken. Luckily, I was able to repair and stabilize most of the cracked records to at least get transfers from them.
“Charleston Choo Choo” – Paul Bolognese and his Orchestra
Recorded in New York City circa May 1926.
Released as Grey Gull 8109.
Also released under the same catalog number on the Supertone and Radiex labels.
Credits (no definitive source here – pretty much guesses):
Paul Bolognese – director
Mike Mosiello (?) – trumpet
Andy Sannella (?) – clarinet, alto sax
George Hamilton Green (?) – xylophone
Unknown Artists – banjo, tuba, drums