Interracial ??? Jazz Recording (#25) Goldkette or McKinney?

This is one of those recording sessions whose history is somewhat confusing. The question here is, which of two powerhouse Detroit bands played the session: Jean Goldkette's Orchestra (white) or McKinney's Cotton Pickers (black)? Let's look at it more closely.

Harold Stokes

Don Redman

It's accepted that black arranger/saxophonist Don Redman was the arranger. In an interview with Charles Delaunay in 1946, Redman said that "Birmingham Bertha" was played by the full McKinney’s Cotton Pickers. According to him, it was the Goldkette orchestra which should have recorded these titles, for which he had written the arrangements. But on their way from Detroit to Chicago, the Goldkette band bus broke down and the orchestra couldn’t make it to the Victor studio for the first part of the session. Since Redman and the Cotton Pickers were in Chicago (and familiar with the tunes), Redman says they replaced the Goldkette band. 

However, the Victor recording sheet for this session lists Jean Goldkette’s orchestra and not McKinney’s Cotton Pickers. The 3 saxes and 2 trombones match typical Goldkette recording bands of the time. There are also two strings listed and the Cotton Pickers had none.

In any case, one member of the Goldkette band was surely present: Harold Stokes. Stokes was a pianist and accordionist who had led the Goldkette Band. He was not on the Goldkette bus, had travelled to Chicago in his own car and could therefore participate. His hot accordion playing on the recording is unmistakeable. If what Redman says is correct, the presence of the white Stokes would make it an interracial session.

It's a measure of the parity of these great bands that there can be disagreement on who is performing. You'll see from the info below, that Rust says it was McKinney’s Cotton Pickers.

McKinney’s Cotton Pickers: John Nesbitt, Langston Curl (tp) Claude Jones (tb) + other (tb) Don Redman (as,arr) George Thomas (ts) 2 vln, Harold Stokes (accor), Todd Rhodes (p) Dave Wilborn (bj) Ralph Escudero (tu) Cuba Austin (d) Kay Palmer (vcl) Jean Goldkette (dir) Chicago, July 27, 1929.

• I’m refer’n’ just her ‘n’ me (unissued).
• Birmingham Bertha (kp vcl)- Vic 22077, RCA (F)741088, PM42407, GAPS 080, Timeless (Du)CBC1-084; Note: According to Don Redman (reported in the Timeless liner notes) the above was recorded by McKinney’s Cotton Pickers because the Goldkette orchestra was unable to make it to Chicago for the date.

All entries are from my book “As Long as They Can Blow: Interracial Jazz Recording and Other Jive Before 1935.”

Interracial Jazz Session (#24) Ethel Waters and Sammy Fain

Ethel Waters was one of the great early blues-vaudeville-jazz singers. She did a number of interracial recordings from the late 1920's to the mid-1930's, often with the Dorseys and went on to great success in Broadway, films and television. 

         

Waters is accompanied on the first track of this session by Sammy Fain on piano. Fain was a self-taught musician, who was working as a stockboy for Mills Publishing when his talent was noted. He had a long career as a composer, writing many well known songs for stage and screen, including  "Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella," "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me," "I'll Be Seeing You" and "That Old Feeling." 

Fain has a good feeling for accompanying in the blues-vaudeville-jazz style and Waters is a knockout.

Ethel Waters (vcl) acc by Sammy Fain (p-1) Maceo Pinkard (p-2) Nathaniel Reed (p-3) New York, February 20, 1926.

• If you can’t hold the man you love (1)- Col 14134-D;
• Satisfyin’ papa (3)- Col 14199-D, Wolf (Au)WJS-1009;
• Sugar (2)- Col 14146-D, KG31571;
• I wonder what’s become of Joe ? (2)- Col 14134-D;
• You’ll want me back (3)- Col 14146-D;
• Note: All above titles also on Classics (F)672 [CD].

All entries are from my book “As Long as They Can Blow: Interracial Jazz Recording and Other Jive Before 1935.”

Interracial Jazz Session (#23) Waller, Williams, Justin Ring

Call it jugband jazz. We have the prolific pianist, composer, singer, producer Clarence Williams and Clarence Todd, a vocalist who also played ukulele, piano, and on these recordings, kazoo. Then, we have Fats Waller, just a couple of years after his first recordings.

Justin Ring and Fred Hagar

  

Clarence Williams

                                          

The last performer is Justin Ring-not a well-known name. Ring was associated with hundreds of recordings, from around 1900, mostly as an arranger, also as a pianist and "percussionist." Here, he plays woodblock.

Waller always works, of course, and there are also some nice solos and polyphonic kazoos.

Jamaica Jazzers: Clarence Williams, Clarence Todd (kazoo) Fats Waller (p) Justin Ring (perc) New York, c. May 10, 1924.

• You don’t know my mind blues- OKeh 40117, Classics (F)664 [CD];
• West Indies blues- OK 40117, Od 03196;
• Note: Classics 664 [CD] titled “Fats Waller 1922-1926”; rest of this CD by Waller and others, Both above titles also on JSP (E)CD927 [CD] titled “Fats Waller - The Complete Recorded Works, volume 1”

All entries are from my book “As Long as They Can Blow. Interracial Jazz Recording and Other Jive Before 1935.”