Tag: Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club Boys

I’ve been meaning to post this one on 4-20 for the past two years but this is a busy time of year for me and I always don’t get to it in time. This year – I’m scheduling it ahead of time to make sure it gets posted!

Dedicated to all youse vipers out there – jazz violinist Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club Boys perform the reefer anthem “You’se A Viper” with Jonah Jones taking lead vocals.

Recorded in New York, March 13, 1936.
Released as Vocalion 3201.

Credits
Jonah Jones – trumpet, vocals
Stuff Smith – violin, vocals
James Sherman – piano
Bobby Bennett – guitar
Mack Walker – bass
Cozy Cole – drums

Stuff Smith was one of the early great jazz violin pioneers, along with such contemporaries as Eddie South, Joe Venuti, and Stéphane Grappelli. After moving to NYC in 1935, Smith pulled a swingin’ band together featuring hot trumpeter Jonah Jones and jazz royalty drummer Cozy Cole.

The excellent “It Ain’t Right” was one of a string of records that Stuff and his Onyx Club band recorded for Vocalion in 1936.

Recorded in New York, NY on July 1, 1936.
Released as Vocalion 3270.

Credits:
Stuff Smith – violin, vocals
Jonah Jones – trumpet
James Sherman – piano
Bobby Bennett – guitar
Mack Walker – string bass
Cozy Cole – drums