Interracial Jazz Recording (#46) Pollack with Benny Morton, Shirley Clay

Ben Pollack was a drummer and important early bandleader. Many of the great soloists of the late 1920's-Goodman, Teagarden, McPartland-passed through his Chicago band. 

Ben Pollack

Trumpeter Shirley Clay started out playing in Midwestern territory bands. He moved to Chicago and worked in Carroll Dickerson's band, among others. He was a reliable player and good soloist, hooked up with top tier bands and got a lot of studio work. 

Shirley Clay

Benny Morton was one of the most accomplished trombonists of his (swing-era) generation and influenced a younger generation of players with his flexibility and harmonic knowledge. 

Benny Morton

Pollack put together this all-star group, and yields the drum chair to Ray Bauduc. There are several effective solo turns on this nice arrangement of  "Swing Out," a tune by Wingy Manone.

Ben Pollack and His Orchestra: v, dir: Yank Lawson, Charlie Spivak, Shirley Clay, t /Joe Harris, Benny Morton, tb / Matty Matlock, cl /Deane Kincaide, Gil Rodin, as / Eddie Miller, ts / Al Beller, Ray Cohen, vn / Gil Bowers, p / Nappy Lamare, g, v / Harry Goodman, sb / Ray Bauduc, d / Doris Robbins, v. New York, December 28, 1933.

• Got The Jitters– vNL: Col 2870-D; Deep Jungle- Col 2879-D, DO-5036;
• Swing Out: Col 2879-D, DO-5036;
• I’m Full Of The Devil– vBP: Col 2870-D, CQ-1385

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

Interracial Jazz Recording (#45): Mound City Blue Blowers w. Hawkins and Foster

Red McKenzie and Eddie Condon were two of the great organizers of combinations for recording in the late 20-'s-early 30's. Often putting together interracial sessions.  

Pops Foster

Red Mackenzie

This Victor session features great playing by several players. McKenzie is always convincingly hot playing his comb-and-paper, a comb with a piece of paper, often newspaper, placed over it. Russell and Hawkins are great as usual and even Glenn Miller takes a convincing turn. Apart from Hawkins, the other black performer was New Orleans stalwart Pops Foster on bass.

Mound City Blue Blowers: Glenn Miller (tb) Pee Wee Russell (cl) Coleman Hawkins (ts) Eddie Condon (bj) Jack Bland (g) Pops Foster (b) Gene Krupa (d) Red McKenzie (comb,vcl) New York, November 14, 1929.

• Hello, Lola- Vic V38100, RCA (F)FXM1-73245, 741103;
• If I could be with you one hour tonight- Vic V38100, LPV501, (G)LPM501, RCA (F)FXM1-7325, 741103

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

Interracial Jazz Recording (#44) Maggie Jones with the St. Louis Rhythm Kings

Maggie Jones, billed as the "Texas Nightingale" was an earthy blues-vaudeville singer with a stentorian voice. She had a brief recording window, from 1923-1929, recording first on black-owned Black Swan records, then for several other labels.

Maggie Smith

Original Indiana Five

Columbia Records teams her up with the white group the St Louis Rhythm Kings (the Original Indiana Five) for this track, "He's Just A Horn-Tooting Fool," a Davis-Busse-Gorman tune. Tip o' the hat to Dan Weinstein for hipping me to this.

Maggie Jones acc. by the St. Louis Rhythm Kings: Mickey Bloom, t / Pete Pellezzi, tb / Louis Maesto, cl / Nick Moleri, p / Christian Maesto, d. New York, June 12, 1925.

• 140662-3 He's Just A Horn-Tooting Fool- Col 14081-D
• 140663-1 Go Get 'Em Caroline- Col 14081-D

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