NEWSLETTER #129
Jazz, Dance Bands, Vocalists
Lenny Breau -> Lester Young
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BOOKS LENNY BREAU & BRAD TERRY DUKE ELLINGTON THE HEIDELBERG QUINTET JOHNNY HODGES LADDS BLACK ACES HAL MCINTYRE |
GERRY MULLIGAN KAY STARR VARIOUS THE HERB WIDEOFT/ JESSE STAFFORD ORCH. LESTER YOUNG |
| NOTE THE NOTES AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE Columbia Record Label, 1901-1958 by Sherman & Nauck | ● CD $16.95 |
| This beautifully illustrated, full-color booklet chronicles
the history of the Columbia label, and its many derivative brands, from the
first wax children's discs of 1899 to the last 78-rpm issues of the late
1950s. Detailed text and more than 200 color photos on heavy coated stock
document. Includes every label style and variation; dozens of subsidiary and
client labels like Nation's Forum, Kalamazoo, Marconi, and Fonotipia;
children's and school labels; rare private and promotional labels; ethnic
and export labels; transcriptions, special-use, and disc jockey issues
Paperbound, 64 pages, counts as two CDs for shipping. |
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| LENNY BREAU & BRAD TERRY | Art Of Life 1004 | The Complete Living Room Tapes | ● CD $25.98 |
| Two CD set featuring legendary guitar genius Breau who was
murdered in Los Angeles in 1984. This set of 23 tracks features solo
performances as well as duets with clarinetist Brad Terry. Most of this was
released on two long out of print LPs and this CD release features four more
tracks with a total of 30 minutes more music. |
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| DUKE ELLINGTON | RCA Bluebird 50857 | Never No Lament - The Blanton-Webster Band | ● CD $39.98 |
| 3 CDs, 75 tracks, essential Starting in '39, a few things
perked up the Ellington Orch - the arrival of 3 key individuals, tenor
blower Ben Webster, genius bassist Jimmy Blanton, & the extraordinary
composer/arranger/pianist Billy Strayhorn, plus, in early 40, the change
from Columbia to Victor where these recordings originate. This may be the
band at it's peak! This was last re-issued as the 66 track Blanton-Webster
Band. This set expands on this with, most importantly the sublime
Ellington-Blanton duets along with five alternate takes & a pleasant
light-cardboard case. The tunes? How about - Concerto For Cootie/, Ko-Ko/
In A Mellotone/ Take The 'A' Train Flamingo/ Just A-Settin' & A-Rockin'/ I
Got It Bad (& That Ain't Good)/ Perdido, C Jam Blues/ Sentimental Lady,
all done between 3/40 & 7/42! (GM) |
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| THE HEIDELBERG QUINTET | Archeophone 5005 | Floating Down The River | ● CD $14.98 |
| The complete recordings of this early vocal group recorded
between 1912 and 1914 featuring the most popular vocalist of the early
recording industry Billy Murray along with rising star Will Oakland who had
an unusual high voice and veteran singers John Bieling, Steve Porter and
William F. Hooley. 26 tracks including In The Gloaming/ Under The Love
Tree/ Way Down South/ On a Beautiful Night With A Beautiful Girl/ Waiting
For The Robert E. Lee/ Tennessee Moon/ I Want To Love You While The Music's
Playing and others. Includes 20 page booklet with extensive notes, rare
p[hotos and memorabilia and more. |
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| JOHNNY HODGES | Proper BOX 58 | The Jeep Is Jumpin' | ● CD $25.98 |
| 4 CDs, 94 tracks, essential. Though Hodges, one of the most
influential & beloved alto saxists, spent most of his life with Duke
Ellington, he did have quite a solo career starting in '50. However, when
the Benny Goodman Trio/Quartet became big, the sound of small-group jazz
became stylish. Duke had several of his men lead small groups of
Ellingtonians, including the Duke on piano. Hodges lead one of the best &
longest lived. Initially on Varsity in '36, then Vocalion, Hodges' band
initially had Duke's saxes & rhythm section plus trombonist Lawrence Brown,
then stabilized with Hodges, Brown, Cootie Williams (t) & Harry Carney (bs)
with the Ellington rhythm section. The band stayed stable - when Duke went
to RCA, the band, now with newcomer Billy Strayhorn on piano, went to
Bluebird. However, in '50, a wave of discontent occurred within Duke's Orch
and a group of Ellingtonians quit to form a new Hodges group for Norgran
(later Verve) - with Hodges, Brown, Al Sears, Emmett Berry & Sonny Greer.
This box includes such gems as Squatty Roo/ Jeep's Blues/ I Let A Song Go
Out Of My Heart/ A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing/ Castle Rock, the
wonderfully-titled Let The Zoomers Drool & the title tune. Contains a
44 page book with complete info & rare pics. (GM) |
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| LADDS BLACK ACES | Timeless 1-077 | The Complete Ladd's Black Aces | ● CD $24.98 |
| 2 discs, 52 tracks, essential. By the early 20s, record
labels figured out that people liked black music, but didn't want to
actually record black groups, so they would give their bands pseudonyms. The
Black Aces on Gennett were one of the best &, throughout their studio only
reign were actually three different groups, originally brokered by Sam Lanin.
The 1st was Jimmy Durante's Jazz Band with Phil Napoleon on cornet & The
Schnozz on piano, & includes a coupling with them backing the great Ukulele
Ike (Cliff Edwards). The second & most prolific version of The Aces were
actually The Original Memphis 5 with Napoleon, Frank Signorelli (cl), Miff
Mole (tb), later replaced by Jimmy Lyell. The final version had Mole & Larry
Abbot (see Herb Wiedoeft - Timeless 079). Vernon Dalhart does some vocals as
Shufflin' Phil! Mastering by John RT Davies. 24-page booklet with complete
info & rare pics. Includes Aunt Hagar's Children's Blues/ She's A Mean
Job/ Sugar Blues/ Beale St. Blues, etc. (GM) |
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| HAL MCINTYRE | Jazz Band 2170 | The Issued Recordings 1941-1947 | ● CD $16.98 |
| 25 tracks, 74 min, recommended Reed player (alto, clarinet)
McIntyre was an original member of the Glenn Miller Orch who split to lead a
band closer to his own taste, which was Duke Ellington. The first 15 are
Victor sides from both sides of the 44-45 recording band. Many of the tunes
were written and/or arranged by Dave Matthews, & the biggest name here is
bassist Eddie Safransky, who would make a name for himself in Stan Kenton's
Orch. There's eight from his '46 stint on Cosmo Records, with a more pop
sound, but still includes a cover of Slim Gaillard's Cement Mixer.
The final 2 are from his '47 sides as one of the 1st for brand new label
MGM. Includes My Funny Valentine/ Count Meets The Duke/ Jumpin' Jubilee/
Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week, etc. (GM) |
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| GERRY MULLIGAN | Proper Pairs 119 | Young Mulligan | ● CD $12.98 |
| Two CD set. |
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| KAY STARR | ASV CDAJA 5463 | Wheel Of Fortune | ● CD $11.98 |
| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Proper BOX 56 | Swing Tanzen Verboten | ● CD $25.98 |
| 4 CDs, 95 tracks, essential. Totally fascinating look at
swing & hot jazz during the nazi regime, when all this stuff was strictly
forbidden, especially since they said it was all controlled by the Jews &
the Negroes. The nazi's started taking steps to eradicate this even before
they were in power, back in 1930. Each year became more stringent - 1st you
couldn't play anything with Jewish or Negro musicians, then songwriters,
then publishers or label owners, then, after being a bit open in '36 when
the world came to Germany for the Olympics, nothing made from any country
that was at war with Germany. There was still plenty of clandestine
operations going on, even some more out in the open, selling records by such
heathens as Benny Goodman (the 1st to become banned), Duke Ellington & Louis
Armstrong. Three of the four discs deal with different areas - Germany from
33-44, with music closer to the Glenn Miller sound complete with hot
accordion & violin. A disc from occupied Europe that includes such notables
as The Ramblers, Svend Asmussen & Valaida Snow. Then there's a disc from
Belgium & France '40-44, with, of course, a very heavy Django/ Grapelli
influence, which includes some of Django's Swing sides & even a group lead
by his brother (& former Hot Club Du France guitarist) Joseph Reinhardt.,
But the most played may be the legendary German propaganda recordings by
Charlie & His Orchestra, a fine sounding swing band doing pop tunes of the
day, with the 2nd verse being anti-Churchill, Roosevelt, Jew & Black, made
to be broadcast 1st to UK then all the way to the US. Plus an incredible 60
page booklet gong into detail of these harrowing times. (GM) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Saga Jazz 66466 | Jazz Masters Of Acoustic Guitar .. And Some Bluesmen To | ● CD $13.98 |
| Fine 24 track collection of jazz and blues guitar recorded
between 1927 and 1941 including John Cali & Tony Guttoso, Blind Blake, Eddie
Lang, Nat King Cole Trio 9with Oscar Moore), Edmond Hall (with Charlie
Christian), Django Reinhardt, George Van Eps, Carl Kress, Teddy Bunn, Roy
Smeck's Serenaders, Lonnie Johnson and others. Excellent sound, booklet with
notes in French and English and full discographical info. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Timeless 1-078 | Jazz On America's West Coast, 1924-1930 | ● CD $15.98 |
| 25 tracks, 76 min, recommended Excellent survey of some of
the very 1st hot jazz recordings done on the west coast by The Victor
Recording Co. This label re-releases only hot jazz & ignores the sweet
stuff, so these are not complete recordings, only the hot ones! There's five
different bands here - The Vincent Rose & His Montmartre Orch has the former
Herb Wiedoeft pianist (see Timeless
1-079) on 3 LA recordings from 6/24 including
Helen Gone. Glen Oswald's Serenaders includes a young Del Porter on clarinet
who would go on to found The City Slickers with Spike Jones & write tunes
including Spade Cooley's classic Chew Tobacco Rag. The tunes include
a session formerly thought of as unissued but now found to be available on
some 78s - Oh Peter (written by Wiedhoeft)/Go Your Way & I'll Go
Mine. Many tunes have that rarity, hot accordion. There's a couple hot
sides by that sweet band stalwart Horace Heidt, a couple Sophie Tucker
covers (!) by Herman Klein's Ambassador Hotel Orch. Finally there's two
previously unissued recordings by Vincent Rose violinist Jackie Taylor's
Orch which includes previously unknown appearances by The Boswell Sisters!
Booklet has the fascinating history of the recording industry starting out
in California. (GM) |
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| THE HERB WIDEOFT/ JESSE STAFFORD ORCH. | Timeless 1-079 | 1922-1930 | ● CD $15.98 |
| 24 tracks,74 min, recommended Very rare hot West Coast jazz
by this obscure orchestra Initially on the legendary Nordskog label, of
which the only other previously known release was the equally legendary 1st
Kid Ory disc, the 1st West Coast jazz recording. With the leader on cornet,
future band leader Vincent Rose on piano, Jesse Stafford on trombone & Larry
Abbott on clarinet, the nine piece band cut two acoustic recordings in '22
as Herb Wiedoeft's Famous Orch. By '23 Henry was had residency at the
Biltmore Hotel in L.A. & the band got a long term contract with Brunswick,
now as Herb Wiedoeft's Cinderella Roof Orch, cutting such tunes as
Cinderella Blues/ Chimes Blues/ He's Just A Horn-Tootin' Fool/ Beale St
Blues and his own tune Oh Peter. In '28 Herb was killed in a car
crash & cornetist Stafford took over the orch, continuing with Brunswick.
Includes two rare instrumental versions of I'm Sailing On A Sunbeam/Chinnin'
& Chattin' With May, released as vocals in the US, but as instrumentals
in Argentina! 24 page booklet with extensive research, photos & discography.
(GM) |
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| LESTER YOUNG | Proper BOX 8 | The Lester Young Story | ● CD $25.98 |
| 4 CDs, 84 tracks, essential. Not a new release but not
reviewed before. One of the most significant voices in jazz finally gets a
career-wide retrospective. Starting of with the legendary Jones-Smith Inc 78
from '36 - Shoe Shine Boy/ Lady Be Good, Prez is heard with the Count
Basie Orch on Decca, Vocalion & Columbia, as a member of the multitude of
small all-star combos put together by Teddy Wilson to back up Billie
Holiday. Then there are his small-group recordings for the smaller labels
including The Kansas City 6 for Commodore & The Kansas City 7 for Keystone.
There's sideman gigs with Sammy Price's Texas Bluesicians for Decca in '41,
with Basie-ite Dickie Wells Orch for Signature in '43, & with Una May
Carlisle for Bluebird in '41. Then there's the later small group sides for
Savoy, Norgran & Aladdin, ending with some great "Jazz At The Philharmonic"
live recordings from '49. Throw in a few airchecks with his never-recorded
'41 post-Basie band as well a radio broadcast of an all-star jam with Benny
Goodman, & a 52 page fact & pic-loaded booklet. Includes such timeless gems
as Lester Leaps In/ Jumpin' At The Woodside/ Every Tub/ I Can't Get
Started/ Way Down Yonder In New Orleans, etc. (GM) |
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