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.”

Interracial Recording (#17) Boswells, Bing and Redman

These are some of the heaviest hitters of the day. Bing, everyone knows. The Boswell Sisters were the premiere vocal group of the era. They only recorded between 1925-1936, but were very influential, appearing often on radio and in some films. Redman was an important arranger and reed player, who, after being with Fletcher Henderson, went on to lead his own band.

Boswell Sisters

Don Redman

                                   

This arrangement of "Lawd, You Made The Night Too Long," written by Sam M. Lewis (lyricist) Victor Young (composer), is quite the opus. In a minor key, there are several sections, with intros and segues. It's not the typical Redman arrangement and I could not find who the arranger is, although I speculate it could be composer Victor Young. Strangely, there are several discographies that have no entry for this recording. To add to the oddity, the song is over 5:00 long, which means it was recorded on a 12" disc, instead of the usual 10", probably because of the clout of Young, who was a powerhouse in radio and film, receiving 22 Oscar nominations.

Boswell Sisters and Bing Crosby w. Don Redman and His Orchestra: Don Redman, cl, as, dir: Langston Curl, Sidney de Paris, Shirley Clay, t / Claude Jones, Fred Robinson, Benny Morton, tb / Edward Inge, Rupert Cole, cl, as / Robert Carroll, ts / Horace Henderson, p, a / Talcott Reeves, bj / Bob Ysaguirre, bb / Manzie Johnson, d / The Boswell Sisters, v. /Bing Crosby, v. New York, April 13, 1932.

• Lawd, You Made The Night Too Long: Br 20109, 0107, A-5113, 20097 (Italian), Col SW-290 (Japanese)

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

Interracial Tune #15. Jack Purvis w. Higgie and Hawk

Jack Purvis was sine qua non; one of the most larger-than-life personalities in a music with its fair share of unique characters. He was a fine trumpet player, in the mold of Louis Armstrong (Purvis wrote and recorded a song called "Copyin' Louis"). He was also a pilot, smuggler, burglar, con artist and may have either faked his own death or committed suicide.

Jack Purvis

Purvis loved played with black musicians, including sitting in whenever possible with Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra-even "blacking up" to do so.

Poor Richard is a "burial" song. Purvis, Higgy and Hawkins all sound great.

Jack Purvis And His Orchestra: Jack Purvis (tp,vcl) J.C. Higginbotham (tb,vcl) Coleman Hawkins (ts) Adrian Rollini (bassax) Frank Froeba (p) Will Johnson (g,vcl) Charles Kegley (d) New York, April 4, 1930  

• Dismal Dan- Okeh 8808, Hist HLP6, Od (G)SMS11, Electrola (G)IC054-06317; 
• Poor Richard (1)- Okeh 8782, Od (G)SMS8; 
• Down Georgia way- (G)SMS3, Electrola (G)IC054-06309

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

An Interracial Tune a Day (#8)-The Duke and Der Bingle

By 1932, Bing Crosby was already a hit on radio, and was beginning to make his way in Hollywood. Ellington was also a national figure because of his radio broadcasts and had made some short films. 

The Depression caused a major slump in record company sales, which severed relations with about 90% of the musicians on their rosters. Crosby and Ellington were about as sure fire a commercial combination as a record company could hope to put together. 

Duke's soloists stake out their singular territory, Bing does some great scatting at the end and this commercial pairing turns out to be a creative gem.

Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra: Duke Ellington, p, a, dir Arthur Whetsel, Freddy Jenkins, Cootie Williams, t / Joe Nanton, tb / Juan Tizol, vtb / Johnny Hodges, cl, ss, as / Harry Carney, cl, as, bar / Barney Bigard, cl, ts / Fred Guy, bj / Wellman Braud, sb/ Sonny Greer, Bing Crosby, v. New York, - February 11, 1932.

•  St. Louis Blues– vBC0: Br 20105, Col 55003, DOX-560, SW-290, Lucky 17005;

•  St. Louis Blues– vBC: Br 20105, 0116, A-5115, 20098 (Italian), Col 55003;

•  A Creole Love Call: Br 20105, 0116, A-5115, Col 55003;

•  Rose Room (In Sunny Roseland): Br 6265, 01292, A-9230, A-500174, Col DO- 1131

Here's Take 2 of St/ Louis Blues, which I slightly prefer over Take One.

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