Interracial Jazz Recording (#34). Jimmie Rodgers w. Louis and Lil Armstrong

Here's the Jimmie Rodgers-Louis Armstrong recording I promised some posts ago, with the bonus of Lil Armstrong on piano. The Armstrongs were not billed because Louis was signed with Okeh and this is a Victor recording. 

              

In 1970, Armstrong played the tune with Johnny Cash on his television show and said:  “I had been knowin’ Jimmie for a long time and following his music. After meeting one morning, Jimmie said, ‘Man, I feel like singing some blues.’ I said, ‘Okay, daddy, you sing some blues and I’m gonna blow behind you.’ And that’s how the record started.” 

It's a blues, but doesn't strictly adhere to the standard 12-bar chord sequence, except during Louis' solo. Despite the labels given to what each plays-country, blues, jazz- they share a foundational emotional approach and mesh perfectly. The group was never reunited as Rodgers died from tuberculosis in 1933.

Jimmie Rodgers (vcl,g) acc by Louis Armstrong (tp) Lil Armstrong (p) Hollywood, CA, July 16, 1930.

• Blue yodel no 9 [Standing on the corner]- Vic 23580, RCA LPM2112, Jazum 13, RCA (Eu)NL89823, (F)FXM1-7106, Franklin Mint GJR054, BBC (E)REB683, RCA Victor 68682-2 [CD], RCA 2115517-2 [CD]

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

Interracial Jazz-Jugband-Blues Recording (#29). Jimmie Rodgers w. Louisville Jug Band

Jimmie Rodgers, called "The Singing Brakeman" and "America's Blue Yodeler" was one of the seminal early country musician-composers. He was known to have truck with black musicians, most famously on "Blue Yodel #9" with Louis Armstrong and Lil Hardin Armstrong (I'll post it in the future).

 Earl McDonald on jug, Henry Miles on fiddle in outfits for their sponsors on WHAS-AM,
the Ballard Flour Company

Jimmie Rodgers

Here Rodgers appears with the Louisville Jug Band. Earl McDonald and Clifford Hayes were the leaders of the group, who, with some changes in personnel, were later called the Ballard Chefs and the Dixieland Jug Band.

Clearly, this is not jazz. It's jugband-blues, but you have some improv by George Allen on clarinet, Clifford Hayes on violin and Freddy Smith on guitar-not to mention some staunch jug blowing.

Jimmie Rodgers with Louisville Jug Band: Jimmie Rodgers (vcl) George Allen (cl) Clifford Hayes (vln) Cal Smith (bj) Freddy Smith (g) Earl McDonald (jug) Louisville, Kentucky, June 16, 1931.

• My Good Gal’s Gone Blues: BB B-5942, MW M-5014

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