Interracial Jazz Recording (#54) Wingy Manone and Dicky Wells

This session are under the leadership of trumpeter Joe 'Wingy' Manone. Manone was a Sicilian from New Orleans, who acquired his nickname because he lost an arm in a streetcar accident at age 10. He had a decent prosthesis, which allowed him to play without too much distraction on his part or the part of the audience. Wingy didn't have a great range, but he swung like crazy.

Wingy Manone

  
  

Dicky Wells

Like his pal Louis Prima, Wingy did a lot of vocals. He also wrote and collaborated on writing a number of tunes, including "There'll Come a Time (Wait and See)" with Miff Mole, "Tar Paper Stomp," "Tailgate Ramble" with Johnny Mercer, "Stop the War (The Cats Are Killin' Themselves)," "Trying to Stop My Crying," "Swing Out" with Ben Pollack and "Nickel in the Slot" with Irving Mills.

"In The Slot" is a very swinging side. Artie Shaw does a lot of nice obligatti on clarinet. He's followed by Dicky Wells doing the kind of solo that he would be bringing to the Basie band. Then, Bud Freeman blows in his singular style. Wingy follows with a propulsive solo and brings the tune home.

Wingy Manone and His Orchestra: Wingy Manone, t / Dicky Wells, tb /Artie Shaw, cl / Bud Freeman, ts / Jelly Roll Morton or Teddy Wilson as shown, p / Frank Victor, g / John Kirby, sb / Kaiser Marshall, d. New York, August 15, 1934.

• Easy Like– pTW- Merritt 6 (LP);
• In The Slot– pTW- Merritt 6 (LP);
• Never Had No Lovin’– pJRM- Merritt 6 (LP);
• Never Had No Lovin’– pJRM- SE 5011-S, B-15632-A;
• I’m Alone Without You– pJRM- SE 5011-S

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