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Bulletin - May/ June 2009
Jazz, Dance Bands & Vocalists
Ben Bernie & His Orchestra  ->
Various Artists

 

 

NEW COMPACT DISCS

 

BEN BERNIE & HIS ORCHESTRA Retrieval 79055 Sweet Georgia Brown & Other Hot Dance Numbers, 1923-29 ● CD $19.98
Two CD set with 48 tracks. From the early 1920s into the `30s Ben Bernie lead one of America's best and most popular dance bands. He recorded prolifically first for Vocalion and then for Brunswick and quite a large proportion of his output was of jazz interest, thanks largely to the presence in the band of two excellent soloists, alto sax Jack Pettis and trumpeter Bill "Hot Hawaiian" Moore. Both are heavily featured in this compilation of Bernie's most interesting hot recordings. Includes Henpecked Blues/ Where's My Sweetie Hiding/ Sweet Georgia Brown/ Yes Sir, That's My Baby/ Jig Walk/ She's Still My Baby/ Ain't She Sweet/ Miss Annabelle Lee/ Mine, All Mine, etc. Includes vocals by Irving Kaufman, Scrappy Lambert, Billy Hillpot, Vaughn de Leath, Frank Luther and others.

 
SLIM GAILLARD & HIS FRIENDS Hep 28 The Voutest ● CD $15.98
More inspired lunacy and fine jazz from Slim Gaillard and his regular partner in crime Bam Brown recorded live at Billy Berg's Club in Hollywood in the summer of 1946. Apart from drummer Leo Watson, most of the rest of the personnel is unknown but includes some fine sax players. The bill was shared one night with the mysterious group Two Majors & A Minor featuring an unknown bass player and guitarist plus the jazz fiddle of "Papa" John Creach. Includes Body And Soul/ Yep Roc Heresay/ Gaillard Special No. 1/ Dynamite/ Take The A Train/ September In The Rain/ Ya Ha Ha/ Eastwood Voutwood, etc.

 
JIM LEONARD EM Records 1052 Supersaw ● CD $21.98
19 tracks, 54 mins, recommended
I'm not entirely sure how to properly analyze and review a CD full of "Saw" music, but I'll give it my best. Of course most of you aren't going to have a context to put this in either; I can't really compare his to "Classic" Saw records of the best. What I can say is this record goes far beyond novelty, into a unique artistic statement, one like you have probably never heard before. Leonard's song choices range from old Tin Pan Alley, to pop tunes of the '50s. So you get Tico, Tico/ Lady Of Spain/ Bye Bye Blues/ Are You Lonesome Tonight/ Who's Sorry Now, etc. played with the stylings of a Saw virtuoso. As an added bonus, to those of you who can read Kanji (Japanese), There are extensive liner notes. This is clearly not for everyone, but a few brave souls will love it. (JM)

 
BENNIE MOTEN'S KANSAS CITY ORCHESTRA Cygnet 1004 The OKeh Sessions Plus Victor Alternate Takes ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, very highly recommended
Fabulous collection of recordings by one of the greatest southwest territory bands led by the highly influential Kansas City pianist, composer and bandleader Bnnie Moten who tragically died in 1932 at the age of 40 while having his tonsils removed. His band was taken over by Count Basie, and the rest, as they say, is history. Playing an amalgam of stride, country blues and early swing, Moten's men could really rock. Their use of energetic rhythmic propulsion and creatively arranged ensemble passages presaged the K.C. swing band era. The first 20 tracks features their entire output for OKeh cut between 1923 and 1925. The first session in 1923 featured just a sextet with Lamarr Wright(cnt), Thamon Hayes(tb), Woody Walder (clt), Moten(p), Sam Tall(bj) & Willie Hall(t). Not only do we get the 2 Moten Orch. sides from this date, but also the 6 they did as a backup band for excellent Kansas City Blues singers Ada Brown and Mary H. Bradford. The second session featured a slightly changed lineup and for their 1925 their group had expanded to eight pieces with Vernon Page on brass bass given the group and even bigger sound. It includes the first recordings of tunes that became Moten standards like South/ Goofy Dust/ Vine St. Blues and others. The last five tracks are previous unissued alternate takes from 1930 and 1931 with a larger group including Count Basie on piano, "Hot Lips" Page on trumpet and others. Although the sound of the band is very different the group still swings like crazy and three of the tunes feature the great Kansas City jazz/ blues singer Jimmy Rushing on vocals. Sound quality is superb even on the acoustically recorded OKeh sides and there are informative notes by Mark Berresford and full discographical info. Blues fans should also check this set out as much of the bands material is blues based. (FS)

 
KING MUTT & HIS TENNESSEE THUMPERS Frog DGF 70 Good Time Mamma ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, highly recommended
Terrific collection of early hot small group jazz from 1928 & '29 much of it new to CD and those tracks reissued before are here sourced from clean discs. If you are interested in the more arcane aspects of jazz discography you will enjoy liner note writer Richard Rains's discussion of the possible personnel of King Mutt & His Tennessee (nobody named Mutt was in the group). Since Mutt only recorded seven sides the rest of the disc is devoted to groups featuring members, potential members of the group and people who wrote some of the group's repertoire and is more fine and incredibly rare early jazz featuring Kansas City Frank Melrose, Thomas' Devils, Kansas City Roof Stompers, The Kansas City Stompers (not the Jay McShann group), The Dixie Four, The Midnight Rounders and Bill Johnson's Hokum Jug Band - the latter featuring the vocals of the one and only Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon. Nick Dellow's superb remastering realy brings these 80 year old recordings to life. (FS)

 
WILL OAKLAND Archeophone WOJ 03 Jubilee ● CD $12.98
14 tracks, 36 min., good
It's the rare artist who has a recently-issued CD, knew Thomas Edison, discovered Al Jolson, and fought in the U.S. Cavalry during the Spanish-American War, but that's Oakland. This release re-presents an unissued LP pressed in 1954 in small numbers by Oakland for his friends to mark his 50th year in show business, and it spans his career from minstrelsy to vaudeville to radio to television. On Jubilee, Oakland essentially narrates his life, interspersing recordings among the memories, including When You And I Were Young from 1909 and Emmet's Lullaby from 1912, which Oakland recorded as a member of The Heidelberg Quintet, a massively popular outfit that included Billy Murray and William F. Hooley. The latest cut, Danny Boy is from a 1954 television appearance on the George Jessel show. These recordings, of course, feature Oakland's pure counter-tenor which goes where few voices can go. An interesting release, although it will likely appeal to a fairly limited audience these days. (JC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS GVC 2017 Ballin' The Jack - The Music From "On The Road" ● CD $18.98
A fascinating compilation. This two CD set with 40 tracks features some of the music that Jack Keruac alluded to in his book "On The Road. When it was published in 1957 it presented the ultimate road trip through post-war America where anything and everything is possible. As well as providing the musical backdrop for "On The Road" jazz also features heavily in the writing style of the book. This collection mostly features jazz along with a smattering of blues and country with recordings by artists like Dizzy Gillespie, Gene Autry, George Shearing, Charlie Parker, Wynonie Harris, Stan Getz, Duke Ellington, Slim & Slam, Miles Davis, Lester Young, Perez Prado and others.
LOUIS ARMSTRONG: I Got Rhythm/ I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You/ Keep Out Of Mischief Now/ GENE AUTRY: Deep In The Heart Of Texas/ I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes/ MILES DAVIS: Good Bait/ Rifftide./ ROY ELDRIDGE: Little Jazz/ S-H-I-N-E/ Swinging On The Famous Door/ DUKE ELLINGTON: Cotton Tail/ Jump For Joy/ SLIM GAILLARD: Ti-Pi-Tin/ STAN GETZ: Nature Boy/ Opus De Bop/ DIZZY GILLESPIE: Congo Blues/ Mohawk/ Swedish Suite/ LIONEL HAMPTON: Down Home Jump/ Just For Laffs/ Stompology/ WYNONIE HARRIS: Drinking By Myself/ Lightning Struck The Poor House/ She's Gone With The Wind/ BILLIE HOLIDAY: I Can't Get Started/ Swing Brother Swing/ LUCKY MILLENDER: Shout Sister Shout/ LUCKY MILLINDER: Apollo Jump/ Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well/ CHARLIE PARKER: Bird Gets The Worm/ Now's the Time/ The Bird/ PEREZ PRADO: Mambo No 5/ GEORGE SHEARING: Jumpin' With Symphony Sid/ Lullaby Of Birdland/ SLIM & SLAM: Flat Foot Floogie/ Jump Session/ LESTER YOUNG: Body And Soul/ Destination K.C./ Lester Leaps In

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS JSP JSPCD 960 Paramount Jazz ● CD $28.98
Four CD set with 100 tracks. Although best known for having recorded some of the greatest pre-war country blues performances the label recorded a wide range of music. JSP 7774 "Paramount Old Time Recordings" ($28.98) featured some of the label's hillbilly recordings and this volume features some its jazz recordings including some blues recordings with jazz accompaniments. Among the many artists featured are King Oliver's Jazz Band, Lovie Austin & her Serenaders,Clarence Williams & His Orch., The Midway Garden Orchestra, Ida Cox (with Lovie Austin & group), The Louisiana Stompers, Trixie Smith (with her Down Home Syncopaters), The Harlem Harmony Kings, Blythe's Washboard Ragamuffins, Jasper Taylor & His State Street Boys and many more.
LOVIE AUSTIN & HER BLUES SERENADERS: Charleston, South Carolina/ Heebie Jeebies/ Peepin' Blues/ Steppin' On The Blues/ Traveling Blues/ LOVIE AUSTIN & HER SERENADERS: Chicago Mess Around/ Galion Stomp/ Rampart Street Blues/ THE BARREL HOUSE FIVE ORCHESTRA: Hot Lovin'/ Mama Stayed Out/ VIOLA BARTLETTE: Go Back Where You Stayed Last Right/ Tennessee Blues/ JIMMY BLYTHE: Lovin' Been Here And Gone To The Mecca/ Mr.Freddie's Blues/ BLYTHE'S SINFUL FIVE: Pump Tillie/ BLYTHE'S WASHBOARD RAGAMUFFINS: Ape Man/ Your Folks/ PERRY BRADFORD'S JAZZ PHOOLS: Day Break Blues/ Fade Away Blues/ IDA COX: Death Letter Blues/ Don't Blame Me/ Fogyism/ Kentucky Man Blues/ Scottle Me/ MADLYN DAVIS: Kokola Blues/ Winter Blues/ DEVINE'S WISCONSIN ROOF ORCHESTRA: New St. Louis Blues/ Tiger Rag/ THE DIXIE FOUR: Kentucky Stomp/ St.Louis Man/ DIXON'S JAZZ MANIACS: Crazy Quilt/ My Man Just Won't Don't/ BILL HAID & HIS CUBS: A Good Man Is Hard To Find/ Doin' The Racoon/ THE HARLEM HARMONY KINGS: Hard Time Blues/ Its A Low Down Thing/ John Henry Blues/ LUCILLE HEGAMIN: High Brown Blues/ State Street Blues/ BERTHA HENDERSON: Black Bordered Letter/ Let Your Love Come Down/ Six Thirty Blues/ FLETCHER HENDERSON & HIS ORCHESTRA: Off To Buffalo/ Swamp Blues/ ALBERTA HUNTER: Don't Pan Me/ PRESTON JACKSON: Harmony Blues/ It's Tight Jim/ JEANETTE'S SYNCO JAZZERS: Bumps, The/ What's That Thing/ RICHARD JONES & HIS JAZZ WIZARDS: Hot And Ready/ THE LOUISIANA STOMPERS: Hop Off/ Rough House Blues/ SARA MARTIN: Death Sting Me Blues/ Mistreating Man Blues/ THE MIDWAY GARDEN ORCHESTRA: Lot's O' Mama/ Sobbin' Blues/ JELLY ROLL MORTON: Thirty Fifth Street Blues/ Mr. Jelly Lord/ Steady Roll/ NELSON'S PARAMOUNT SERENADERS: Coo Coo Stomp/ Nelson Blues/ New Orleans Breakdown/ Phillips Street Stomp/ JIMMY O'BRYANT'S FAMOUS ORIGINAL WASHBOARD BAN: Back Alley Rub/ Clarinet Getaway/ Midnight Strutters/ Shake That Thing/ Stepppin' On The Gas/ Three J Blues/ KING OLIVER'S JAZZ BAND: Mabel's Dream/ Riverside Blues/ The Southern Stomps/ THE ORIGINAL MEMPHIS FIVE: Back O' Town Blues/ St. Louis Gal/ CHARLES PIERCE & HIS ORCHESTRA: Jazz Me Blues/ Sister kate/ ELZADIE ROBINSON: Elzadie's Policy Blues/ Pay Day Daddy Blues/ BOYD SENTER: Fat Mama Blue/ TRIXIE SMITH: Log Cabin Blues/ Railroad Blues/ The World's Jazz Crazy And So Am I/ Voodoo Blues/ CHARLIE STRAIGHT: Buddy Habits/ Henpecked Blues/ HANNAH SYLVESTER: The Wicked (Dirty) Fives/ EDNA TAYLOR: Good Man Blues/ Jelly's Blues/ JASPER TAYLOR: It Must Be the Blues/ Stomp Time Blues/ ETHEL WATERS: Ain't Gonna Marry/ Brown Baby/ CLARENCE WILLIAMS & HIS ORCHESTRA: Jingles/ New Down Home Rag/ Shake 'Em Up/ Squeeze Me/ THE WINDY RHYTHM KINGS: Piggly Wiggly Blues/ South African Blues/ THE WISCONSIN U SKYROCKETS: Dizzy Corners/ Postage Stamp

 

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