This was the house band in the Astoria Hotel in New Orleans in 1928/1929-hence the name. Most of the players in the group have impressive jazz resumes. For example, cornettist Lee Collins took over when Louis Armstrong left King Oliver. Al Morgan, powerhouse bassist, played with everyone.
Sidney Arodin
Lee Collins
Sidney Arodin is our racial "odd man out" in this otherwise black group. He wrote the song "Up A Lazy River" with Hoagy Carmichael and also played with, among others, the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, Wingy Manone and Louis Prima. Arodin is a simplification of either the name Arnandan or Arnondrin and Sidney's family was French (not Creole). Arodin may or may not have played with the rest of the group at the Astoria, as a mixed-race group sharing a stage would have been pretty much unheard of at that time.
This is the group's only recording. "Damp Weather" has a few more traces of ragtime than the other tracks, but all have the propulsive, bluesy polyphonic sound characteristic of New Orleans.
Jones and Collins Astoria Hot 8: Lee Collins, c / Sidney Arodin, cl / Theodore Purnell, as / David Jones, ts / Joe Robechaux, p / Emmanuel Sayles, bj / Al Morgan, sb, v / Joe Strode-Raphael, d. New Orleans, November 15, 1929.
Annette Hanshaw came from a vaudeville family and rose to the top of the pop-jazz heap in the late 1920's-to 30's. She recorded about 250 sides and sold millions of records. Later in life, she spoke of how nervous she was performing and recording, but she knew how to sell a tune and was dubbed "The Personality Girl." Some of her renditions can be too cutesy, but she does a nice job here on "I'm a Dreamer," by the successful songwriting team of Ray Henderson, Buddy DeSylva and Lew Brown.
Annette Henshaw
James P. Johnson
It's an unusual instrumentation. Manny Klein seems the likely trumpet player and two pianos-James P. Johnson on "lead" and Clarence Williams on 'backup.'
Annette Hanshaw acc by The Three Blue Streaks: Annette Hanshaw (vcl) acc by prob Manny Klein (tp) James P. Johnson,Clarence Williams (p), New York, December 4, 1929.
I’m a dreamer - Aren’t we all ?- Har 1066-H, Phontastic (Swd)NOST7608;
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]
Here's another post with trumpeter Bill Moore, a light-skinned black man who played in hundreds of recording sessions, as far back as 1923. He may or may not have been billed as the "Hot Hawaiian." He certainly lives up to the "hot" part of it in this track.
If you've never hear a goofus, here's your chance. Adrian Rollini was a master of the bass saxophone and the vibes, but its the goofus that he plays in this great track "Arkansas." The rest of the rhythm sction does a stellar job. I'm not sure who's responsible for the vocal ejaculations.
Bill Moore
Rollini
Goofus
Five Birmingham Babies was a pseudonym on Pathé and its subsidiary labels for the California Ramblers, or for small groups from that orchestra. See also Goofus Five, University Six, Vagabonds, and Varsity Eight, which are also pseudonyms for the same group.
Bill Moore, t / Adrian Rollini, gfs / Irving Brodsky, p / Ray Kitchingman, bj / Stan King, d, k. New York, July 24, 1924.
Arkansas PA 036142, 10754, Per 14323, Hg 975 105484
Hard-Hearted Hannah PA 036130, 10754, P 6758, Per 14311, Hg 968 105485
Tessie! Stop Teasing Me PA 036129, Per 14310
NOTE: Pathé 6758 and Pathé Actuelle 10754 as THE LITTLE RAMBLERS.
This is one of the most well-known early interracial sessions. NORK was composed of very able musicians, many of whom went on to have long, substantial careers in jazz. Morton, of course, is a foundational figure in the history of the music. Chances are the all-white New Orleans Rhythm Kings (NORK) had played with Jelly Roll Morton, either in informal settings or even on stage, as Morton was a light-skinned black man, who could “pass” as Cuban or Latin-American when entering all-white establishments.
Morton's sessions with NORK in 1923 serve as a good illustration of the power that music publishing companies had in recording history.
Morton came to the Friar’s Inn to talk to NORK’s clarinetist Leon Rapollo about recording some tunes he’d written, which Walter Melrose was planning to publish. Melrose had underwritten their last recording, and such a process was a common quid pro quo: A publisher would underwrite a session under the condition that most of the tunes recorded would be owned by the publisher. In this case it meant that Morton, a Melrose artist, would be given a chance to record his own compositions and he and Melrose would both profit.
Mr. Jelly Lord is Morton's tune. There's nice New Orleans-style ensemble work, with Roppolo working clarinet on top and Brunies' trombone underneath, with Chink Martin providing a solid tuba foundation. It goes into doubletime and back A tempo to a coda and ends with a slightly dissonant chord.
New Orleans Rhythm Kings: Paul Mares (cnt) George Brunies (tb) Leon Roppolo (cl) Jack Pettis (c-mel) Glenn Scoville (as,ts) Don Murray (cl,ts) Paul Mares (cnt) George Brunies (tb) Leon Roppolo (cl) Jack Pettis (c-mel) Glenn Scoville (as,ts) Don Murray (cl,ts) Jelly Roll Morton (p) or Kyle Pierce (p-1) Bob Gillette (bj) Chink Martin (tu) Ben Pollack (d) Richmond, Indiana, July 17, 1923.
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]
Putney Dandridge was a piano player, vocalist and showman, in the style of Cab Calloway. You can see him in Harlem is Heaven, as accompanist to Bill Bojangles Robinson. Dandridge gigged on 52nd St. and other venues around town and faded from the scene in the late 1940's, possibly because of ill health.
Nappy Lamare
Dandridge did some recordings in 1935-36 with a bunch of jazz all-stars. This particular session had two white performers, guitarist Nappy Lamare and bass player Artie Bernstein. Lamare doesn't get much attention, but he was a strong player, who could improvise well. Bernstein is always solid.
Roy Eldridge starts off "Nagasaki" with a "Yankee Doodle" intro (statement on colonialism?) and Dandridge enters with his "jivey" approach to the tune, which around that time was being covered by just about everybody. Harry Grey and Dandridge are both credited as pianists, and I think Grey can be heard while Dandridge does his scat chorus later in the song. Eldridge gets a brief sparkling solo.
Putney Dandridge: Roy Eldridge, t / Chu Berry, ts (where shown) / Putney Dandridge, p (where shown), v / Harry Grey, p (where shown) / Nappy Lamare, g / Artie Bernstein, sb / Bill Beason, d. New York, June 25, 1935.
Seger Ellis had an interesting career. He was a piano player and good enough to be recorded as a soloist. He performed on radio and in vaudeville and was encouraged to sing. Although his tenor voice doesn't exactly swing, you can't say he was rhyhmically stiff or stilted.
When he recorded for Okeh records, Ellis apparently got to choose the small studio groups he played with and looking at the lineup here, he obviously made good choices.
Satch
Nice clarinet intro by Jimmy Dorsey. The ensemble is active behind Ellis' vocal. Armstrong's solo is an actual improvisation, while Tommy Dorsey's take on the bridge is more of a paraphrase of the melody. Session man Harry Hoffman's ad libbing on violin is actually quite good.
At this point, there wasn't anyone who was called a "jazz singer," per se. Armstrong, Teagarden, Crosby, Ethel Waters and a passel of female blues/vaudeville singers were in the process of creating it. Ellis made his own small contribution to the process.
Seger Ellis (vcl) acc by Louis Armstrong (tp) Tommy Dorsey (tb) Jimmy Dorsey (cl) Harry Hoffman (vln) Justin Ring (p,celeste) Stan King (d) New York, June 4, 1929.
S’posin’- OKeh 41255, Ariel 4459, Jazum 13, CBS 65251
Fats Waller, as I've noted, was a key player in early interracial sessions. On this recording, he's teamed up with a pop singing star of the era Gene Austin, who hit it very big with "My Blue Heaven." Austin sings in a light tenor, with good intonation. Although jazz ears might not love it, I find it pleasant enough. Waller sounds great in any context and excellent guitarist Carl Kress also gets a few moments in the sun.
"I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling," which became a standard, was co-written by Waller and Harry Link (whose his other big song was "These Foolish Things,") with lyrics by Billy Rose. "Maybe, Who Knows?" is by Johnny Tucker, Joe Schuster and lyrics by singer Ruth Etting.
Gene Austin (vcl) acc by orchestra: Leonard Joy (cond), Mike Mosiello (tp), Andy Sannella (cl,as), Yascha Zayde, Lou Raderman, Murray Kellner (vln), Abe Borodkin (cello), Fats Waller (p), Carl Kress (g), Dick Cherwin (b) William Dorn (d) or Joe Green (d) New York, June 26, 1929.
I’ve got a feeling I’m falling (*)- RCA Vic VPM6056;
Maybe - who knows ?- Vic 22033, HMV B-3117, EA-593;
Note: One take of (*) also on ASV Living Era (E)5217 73[CD], Take Two 414 [CD]. All titles from Vic 22033 also on JSP (E)CD952 [CD] titled “Fats Waller - The Complete Recorded Works, volume 6”; rest of 5CD set by Fats Waller and other leaders.
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, dancer of reknown, appears on several early 1930's records with Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Don Redman. Here he sings, scats and tap dances with a group of all-star white musicians. No solos, per se, but they all trade phrases and there's a fierce accelerando, leading to a lazy coda
Bill Robinson
Tommy Dorsey
There were other tap dancing jazz records, although the most well known is probably the set recorded by Fred Astaire (also a good piano player) in 1952 with Oscar Peterson.
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (vcl,tap dancer) acc by Manny Klein (tp) Tommy Dorsey (tb,ldr) Jimmy Dorsey (cl) Arthur Schutt (b) Eddie Lang (g) Joe Tarto (tu) Stan King (d) New York, May 27, 1931.
Just a crazy song (bbr,band vcl)- Br 6134, MCA (Jap)VIM-4634/35, 3519/20, MCA 3520, Br 7705;
Keep a song in your soul (br vcl)- Br 6134, 7705, Columbia 30183, Rivermont BSW1165 [CD]
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.
This is a pretty well-known session, which features a bunch of jazz musicians at the top of the heap. Bubber Miley is the black representative. He solos on "Rockin' Chair" and, as noted by Prof. Chalfen, probably does not play on "Barnicle Bill"- just Bix.
Bix
Bubber
On "Rockin Chair," vocals are Hoagy and Irving Brodsky. Bubber, growling, and Bix both solo, with good work by Venuti and Lang.
There are three vocalists on Barnicle Bill: Hoagy takes the female part, Carson Robison the male, and at the very end, master practical joker Joe Venudi. Listen closely, as Venuti does not say "Barnicle Bill the Sailor," but Barnicle Bill the ______.
Hoagy Carmichael, v, dir: Bix Beiderbecke, c / Bubber Miley, t/ Tommy Dorsey, tb / Benny Goodman, cl / as / Bud Freeman, ts/ Joe Venuti, vn, v / Irving Brodsky, p, v / Eddie Lang, g / Harry Goodman, bb / Gene Krupa, d / Carson Robison, v. New York, May 21, 1930.
The best known example of an early integrated group in jazz was that of Benny Goodman, with Teddy Wilson and then Lionel Hampton. It's a complicated story and it wouldn't have happened without John Hammond and Helen Oakley-one of the pioneer woman producers in jazz. The first step was a 1935 concert in Chicago at the Congress Hotel. As these 1934 recordings show, Goodman and Wilson were recording together prior to that event.
"As Long as I Live" is a Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler tune, written for a Cotton Club review and introduced by Avon Long and Lena Horne. It features an intro and solo by Wilson and vocals and solos by Jack Teagarden. The band that Goodman eventually hit it big with was much larger than this 9-man unit.
Benny Goodman and His Orchestra: Benny Goodman, cl, dir: Charlie Teagarden, George Thow, t / Jack Teagarden, tb, v / Hank Ross, ts / Teddy Wilson, p / Benny Martel, g / Artie Bernstein or Harry Goodman, sb / Ray McKinley, d. New York, May 14, 1934.
I Ain’t Lazy - I’m Just Dreamin’– vJT- Par R-2695, Od A-272264;
As Long As I Live– vJT- Col 2923-D, Par R-2695, Od A-272264;
Moon Glow- Col 2927-D, 35839, CB-786, FB-2826;
Breakfast Ball- Col 2927-D, DB / MC-5005, CQ-3416, DW-4361
The Dodds brothers-Johnny on clarinet and drummer Warren (Baby) were two of the most influential players in early jazz. Their careers include important collaborations with King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Sidney Bechet.
Johnny Dodds
Baby Dodds
They did a few recordings with the white piano player Frank Melrose, brother of Walter and Lester, big time Chicago agents and publishers. Melrose was a kind of protege of Jelly Roll Morton, whose playing style he emulated. He had a sporadic music career, supplementing his income working a factory job.
Frank Melrose
This is one of the first recordings of Junie Cobb's sprightly tune "Piggly Wiggly." The Dodds show their mastery. Herb Morand is a good player and Melrose holds his own. It's amazing how much Baby Dodds manages to swing the band with just a snare drum.
Beale Street Washboard Band: Herb Morand (cnt) Johnny Dodds (cl) Kansas City Frank Melrose (p) Baby Dodds (d,wbd) Chicago, July 24, 1929.
Forty And Tight- Voc 1403, V-1016, Ban 32388, Br 80076, Cq 7980, Or 8120;
Forty And Tight- Ristic Special;
Piggly Wiggly- Voc 1403, Ban 32388, Cq 7980, Or 8120, Per 196, Ro 5120;
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.
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].
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”
.jpg)
