Interracial Jazz Recording (#53) Bubber Miley and His Mileage Makers

Here's an interesting tune by a Bubber Miley-led group, with Frank Marvin providing the vocal. Ken Macomber is actually listed as the Director of the session and probably wrote the arrangement. 

Bubber Miley

Nice playing, of course, by Bubber and Pinkett is strong in the trumpet section. Wilber DeParis and Bernard Addison have nice, albeit short solos. Marvin does a good job on the vocals.

The song "I lost my gal from Memphis" is credited to DeRose and Tobias. Peter DeRose also wrote "Autumn Serenade" and "Deep Purple." Charles Tobias wrote  "Comes Love" and "Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer."

Bubber Miley and His Mileage Makers: Bubber Miley, Ward Pinkett (tp) + other (tp), Wilbur DeParis (tb) Hilton Jefferson (cl,as) + other (cl,as), Happy Caldwell (ts) Earl Frazier (p,celeste) Bernard Addison (bj,g) + other (bj,g), Bill Benford (tu) Tommy Benford (d) Frank Marvin (vcl) New York, May 16, 1930

• I lost my gal from Memphis (fm vcl)- Vic V38138, RCA (F)741057, RCA 2128560-2 [CD]
• Without you, Emaline (fm vcl)- Vic V38138, Jazz Oracle (Can)BDW8047 [CD]
• Without you, Emaline (fm vcl)- Vic V38138, RCA (F)741057 Note: RCA 2128560-2 [CD] titled “Victor Jazz History, Vol. 6 - Harlem Jazz (1928-33)”

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

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.”

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.

• Rockin’ chair (hc,ib vcl)- Vic 25494, V38139, LSA3180, Phontastic (Swd)NOST7618;
• Barnacle Bill the sailor (hc,cr,jv vcl)- Vic V38139, LPM2329, LEJ-2, Camden CAL383, Stash ST116

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

The Lure of the Mute by Steve Provizer

I. e., the thing you stick in the bell of your horn to change the sound and/or make it softer. Could be anything. I'll do a quick recap here and get into it more next time.

The trumpet in its present state is a relatively new phenomenon-final evolution in the mid-1800's. It's a good bet that early on, the complaints of neighbors got some horn players to jam a rag into their bells to keep peace in the 'hood. Of course, there was sometimes a quiet woodshed to go to, but the idea of sticking something in the end of the horn to alter the sound didn't pick up steam until some time later.

As far as I know, there is no notation in a classical score asking for a mute (fancy Italian word: sordina) until well into the 20th century. After all, you choose to write for a trumpet because the thing is so damned loud. Likewise, no mutes in Sousa, or James Reese Europe.