Interracial Jazz Recording (#37) King Oliver and Frank Marvin

The vocalist on this session is the white Frank Marvin [alias Sonny Woods]. Marvin was one of the most recorded singers of the era, with both white and black ensembles, including the Jean Goldkette Orchestra, McKinney's Cotton Pickers and Duke Ellington groups. He also did many country music recordings with Gene Autry and under his own name.

                      

Although this session is in King Oliver's name, Oliver was mostly hors de combat by this point. There is some discographic disagreement about the personel, as the Victor ledgers only specify that Frankie Marvin sang, Jean Stultz played guitar, and director Carroll Dickerson played violin. We hear Bubber Miley on plunger mute in the first few choruses, then a second trumpet, also muted at about 2:00 that could be Oliver. Then a third, unmuted toward the end, playing the lead in the section which is probably either Red Allen or Dave Nelson, who is listed as playing trumpet by https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/

King Oliver and His Orchestra: Bubber Miley, Henry “Red” Allen  or Dave Nelson (tp) Jimmy Archey (tb) Bobby Holmes (cl) Glyn Paque (cl,as) unknown (cl,as) Walter Wheeler (cl,ts) Don Frye (p) Arthur Taylor (bj) Jean Stultz (g) Clinton Walker (tu) unknown (chimes-1) Carroll Dickerson (dir,vln-2) Frank Marvin (vcl) [alias Sonny Woods] (vc.l) New York, January 28, 1930.

• St. James infirmary (fm vcl,1)- Vic 22298, LPV529, RCA (G)10017, Cam (Arg)CAL2957;
• When you’re smiling (fm vcl,2)- Vic 22298, Jass 603.
• Note: Both above titles also on RCA (Jap)RA-1/RA-8 RA-4, Bluebird 5466, Classics (F)607 [CD]

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