Bulletin - September 2008
Jazz, Dance Bands & Vocalists
Louis Armstrong ->
Fats Waller + Book
| INTRODUCING BERT
WILLIAMS Burnt Cork, Broadway & America's First Black
Star by
Camille F. Forbes |
● BOOK $26.98 |
404 pages, hardback, counts as six CDs for shipping
Bert
Williams was, according to the critics of his time, "The Greatest Comedian
on the American Stage". A black Bahamian immigrant, Williams made his start
at the ground floor of show business, captivating audiences as a barker in
Wild West medicine shows at the end of the nineteenth century. His break
came when he was discovered in San Francisco circa 1893 by a minstrel troupe
manager; donning the burnt cork makeup of blackface, he swiftly became a
regular player in the troupe. Not long after, he teamed up with
African-American George Walker in a sixteen-year partnership that would take
him from rural western mining towns to Broadway. Going solo in 1909,
Williams rose through the ranks of vaudeville in New York City, and ascended
to the previously lily-white exemplar of Broadway glamour: the Ziegfeld
Follies. Introducing Bert Williams reveals a fascinating figure, initiating
the reader into the vivid world of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century
popular entertainment. The story of Williams's long and varied career is a
whirlwind of drama, glamour, and ambition; this moving biography illuminates
the fraught issues surrounding race and artistic expression in American
culture, from Tin Pan Alley to the early motion picture industry. But most
importantly, Introducing Bert Williams is a much needed reassessment of
black blackface performers' contributions to American entertainment history.
|
| LOUIS ARMSTRONG |
JSP JSPCD 4202 |
The Big Band Sides, 1930/32 |
● CD $23.98 |
2 CDs, 42 tracks, 137 mins, highly recommended
On this double
disc set, JSP documents the two year period -following the legendary and
influential series of Hot Five and Seven recordings made for OKeh during the
20's-when Armstrong was featured instrumental and vocal soloist with several
big bands led by others, all the while building on his reputation as a hot
player and a unique singer. Disc One highlights sides cut with bands led by
saxophonist Les Hite, trumpet player Leon Elkins, and drummer Willie Lynch.
Disc Two contains tracks by Armstrong, fronting his own orchestra, cut in
1931 and 1932. Although he was already well known with Jazz fans, he had
begun during this time to establish himself with the public at large. And to
that end, Armstrong began to record more material from Tin Pan Alley, like
Star Dust. According to the liner notes, Louis considered his '31-'32
band to be one of his favorites, although the writer considers it to be
"quite sloppy" at times. I disagree; the band seems pretty tight and
Armstrong's playing is marvelous as always. Judge for yourself, and give
this one a listen. (GMC)
|
| ART PEPPER |
Proper BOX 144 |
Work Of Art |
● CD $26.98 |
4 CDs, 70 tracks, 309 mins, recommended
Here we have a
comprehensive set by one of the great West Coast Jazz players, spanning the
rather shorts era from 1952 to 1957, which nonetheless covers what most
consider his finest period. I would have to consider the fourth disk in this
set to be the best, largely due to the fantastic musicians that Pepper has
backing him on the bulk of the tracks - Red Garland on piano, Philly Joe
Jones on drums and in my opinion the greatest Jazz bass player Paul
Chambers. We're not Jazz exports here at Roots and Rhythm, but we know what
we like and I really liked about half of this box set. I'm sure big fan's of
Pepper's will appreciate the whole set and Proper's attention to detail and
fine sound. (JM)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Documents 222689 |
Dixieland Jazz |
● CD $19.98 |
After being out of print for a while this title is now
available again. 10 CD set with 200 tracks at a very low price. There are no
notes or recording dates but I think most of the recordings are from the
20s, 30s and early 40s. Sound quality is adequate and the music is
consistently fine and provides a great introduction to the era including
familiar and obscure artists .
HENRY 'RED' ALLEN: Indiana/ King Porter Stomp/ Till The
Clock Strikes Three/ HENRY ALLEN & HIS NEW YORK ORCHESTRA: Pleasin' Paul/
LOUIS ARMSTRONG: Basin Street Blues/ Cornet Shop Suey/ Mahagony Hall Stomp/
New Orleans Function/ Skid-dat-de-dat/ Struttin' With Some Barbecue/ Twelfth
Street Rag/ Weather Bird/ Where The Blues Were Born In Ne/ Wild Man Blues/
Willie The Weeper/ Alligator Crawl/ Ory's Creole Trombone/ BUSTER BAILEY:
Kentucky/ More Than That/ Sensation/ St. Louis Blues/ PHIL BAXTER & HIS
ORCHESTRA: Ain't Got No Gal No/ SIDNEY BECHET: At A Georgia Camp Meeting/
Down In Honky, Tonk Town/ I Thought, I Heard Buddy Bolden Say/ Limehouse
Blues/ Perdido Street Blues/ Polka Dot Rag/ Really The Blues/ Shag/ Jelly
Roll Blues/ BIX BEIDERBECKE: Bessie Couldn't Help It/ Ostrich Walk/ Singin'
The Blues/ Trumbology/ Way Down Yonder In New Orleans/ BENNETT'S
SWAMPLANDERS: Big Ben/ CELESTIN'S ORIGINAL TUXEDO JAZZ ORCHESTR: As You Like
It/ BILL COLEMAN: After You've Gone/ Linger Awhile/ Rosetta/ EDDIE CONDON:
Ballin' The Jack/ California Here I Come/ Diane/ Fidgety Feet/ When Your
Lover Has Gone/ CHARLES CREATH'S JAZZ-O-MANIACS: Butter Finger Blues/ WILD
BILL DAVISON: Jazz Me Blues/ Muskrat Ramble/ JOHNNY DE DROIT & HIS NEW
ORLEANS ORCHESTRA: The Swing/ WILBUR DE PARIS & NEW ORLEANS BAND: Tres
Moutard/ DIXON'S JAZZ MANIACS: Crazy Quilt/ JOHNNY DODD'S BLACK BOTTOM
STOMPERS: New Orleans/ JOHNNY DODD'S ORCHESTRA: Too Tight/ JOHNNY DODDS:
Clarinet Wobble/ Come On & Stomp, Stomp, Stomp/ If You Want To Be My Sugar/
Melancholy/ Memphis Shake/ Wild Man Blues/ CHARLES DORNBERGER & HIS
ORCHESTRA: Tiger Rag/ LOUIS DUMAINE'S JAZZOLA EIGHT: Franklin Street Blues/
Pretty Audrey/ BUD FREEMAN: I Found A New Baby/ Love Is Just Around The
Corner/ The Eel/ BOBBY HACKET: At The Jazz Band Ball/ Ja-da/ Struttin' With
Some Barbecue/ EDMOND HALL: I've Found A New Baby/ It's Only A Shanty In Old
Shanty To/ Royal Garden Blues/ Walkin' The Dog/ MONK HAZEL & HIS BIENVILLE
ROOF ORCHESTRA: High Society/ J.C. HIGGINBOTHAM: Casa Loma Stomp/ It Should
Be You/ Muggin' Lightly/ On Revival Day/ Swing Out/ That's How I Feel Today/
The Sheik Of Araby/ PAUL HOWARD'S QUALITY SERENADERS: The Ramble/ BUNK
JOHNSON BRASS BAND: Just A Little While To Stay Here/ JONES & COLLINS
ASTORIA HOT EIGHT: Astoria Strut/ Duet Stomp/ SCOTT JOPLIN: Original Rags/
The Entertainer/ ROGER WOLFE KAHN & HIS ORCHESTRA: Just The Same/ SLIM
LAMAR'S SOUTHERNERS: Goofus/ GEORGE LEWIS: Just A Little While/ MC KINNEY'S
COTTON PICKERS: Cherry/ Nobody's Sweetheart/ GEORGE MCCLENNON'S JAZZ DEVILS:
New Orleans Wiggle/ MCKINNEY'S COTTON PICKERS: I Found A New Baby/ Milenberg
Joys/ MEZZ MEZZEROW: Hot Club Stomp/ J. NEAL MONTGOMERY & HIS ORCHESTRA:
Auburn Ave./ SAM MORGAN'S JAZZ BAND: Everybody's Talking About Sammy/ THOMAS
MORRIS & HIS SEVEN HOT BABIES: The Mess/ JELLY ROLL MORTON: Blue Blood
Blues/ King Porter Stomp/ My Little Dixie Home/ That's Like It Ought To Be/
When They Get Lovin' They's G/ Turtle Twist/ Cannon Ball/ Dr. Jazz/ BENNIE
MOTEN: New Moten Stomp/ BENNY MOTEN'S KANSAS CITY ORCHESTRA: Kater St. Rag/
PHIL NAPOLEON & HIS ORCHESTRA: Clarinet Marmalade/ NAPOLEON'S EMPERORS: You
Can't Cheat A Cheater/ NEW ORLEANS RHYTHM KINGS AS FRIAR'S SOCI: Tiger Rag/
THE NEW ORLEANS RHYTHM KINGS: Golden Leaf Strut/ THE NEW ORLEANS
FEETWARMERS: Maple Leaf Rag/ THE NEW ORLEANS RHYTHM KINGS: Maple Leaf Rag/
Mr. Jelly Lord/ Panama/ THE NEW ORLEANS WANDERERS: Perdido Street Blues/ THE
NEW ORLEANS RHYTHM KINGS: She's Crying For Me Blus/ THE NEW ORLEANS
FEETWARMERS: Sweetie Dear/ THE NEW ORLEANS RHYTHM KINGS: That's A Plenty/
THE NEW ORLEANS OWLS: That's Plenty/ THE NEW ORLEANS RHYTHM KINGS: Weary
Blues/ THE NEW ORLEANS OWLS: White Ghost Shivers/ RED NICHOLS: Avalon/ Keep
A Song In Your Soul/ My Honey's Lovin' Arms/ Wabash Blues/ Battle Hymn Of
The Republic/ Five Pennies/ Sugar/ JIMMIE NOONE: He's A Different Type Of
Guy/ New Orleans Hop Scop Blues/ Apex Blues/ I Know That You Know/ KING
OLIVER: Snag It/ Sugar Foot Stomp/ Wa Wa Wa/ Sobbin' Blues/ Sweet Lovin'
Man/ GEORGE OLSEN & HIS MUSIC: A New Kind Of Man/ THE ORIGINAL DIXIELAND
JAZZ BAND: Clarinet Marmalade/ Crazy Blues/ Home Again Blues/ Original
Dixieland One Step/ THE ORIGINAL MEMPHIS FIVE: Meanest Blues/ Static Strut/
Who's Sorry Now/ KID ORY: Blues For Jimmie/ Gatemouth/ Maple Leaf Rag/ Ory's
Creole Trombone/ South/ That's A Plenty/ Too Bad/ JACK PETTIS & HIS PETS:
Bugle Call Blues/ Freshman Hop/ ANDY PREER & THE COTTON CLUB ORCHESTRA: I
Found A New Baby/ RED & HIS BIG TEN: At Last I'm Happy/ RED & MIFF'S
STOMPERS: Delirium/ Feeling No Pain/ THE RHYTHMAKERS: Bugle Call Rag/ Who's
Sorry Now?/ ROSS DE LUXE SYNCOPATERS: Don't You Wanna Know/ PEE WEE RUSSELL:
Georgia Grind/ Love Is Just Around The Corner/ None Of My Jelly Roll/ LUIS
RUSSELL'S HOT SIX: 29th & Dearborn/ LUIS RUSSELL'S HEEBIE JEEBIE STOMPERS:
Plantation Joys/ LUIS RUSSELL'S HOT SIX: Sweet Mumtaz/ BOYD SENTER & HIS
SENTERPEDES: Copenhagen/ Sweetheart Blues/ OMER SIMEON & EARL HINES: Beau
Koo Jack/ JABBO SMITH'S RHYTHM ACES: Jazz Battle/ Little Willie Blues/
Rhythm In Spain/ MUGGSY SPANIER: Cherry/ Darktown Strutter's Ball/
Dippermouth Blues/ Sweet Lorraine/ REB SPIKES MAJORS & MINORS: My Mammy's
Blues/ JACK TEAGARDEN: Aunt Hagar's Blues/ Jack Hits The Road/ Makin'
Friends/ Nobody's Sweetheart Now/ She's A Great Great Girl/ The World Is
Waiting For The Sunrise/ JOE VENUTI & EDDIE LANG: Doin' Things/ JOE VENUTI'S
BLUE FOUR: The Wild Dog/ LU WATTERS: Cake Walking Babies From Home/ LOU
WEIMER'S GOLD & BLACK ACES: Merry Widow's Got A Sweetie Now/ GEORGE
WETTLING: The Darktown Strutter's Ball/ After You've Gone/ PAUL WHITEMAN &
HIS ORCHESTRA: I'm Coming, Virginia/ THE WHOOPEE MAKERS: Rush Inn Blues/
CLARENCE WILLIAMS' BLUE FIVE ORCHESTRA: Cushion Foot Stomp/ CLARENCE
WILLIAMS' BLUE SEVEN: Senegalese Stomp/ CLARENCE WILLIAMS' BLUE FIVE: Wild
Cat Blues/ CLARENCE WILLIAMS' BLUE SEVEN: Would Ja'/ EDNA WINSTON: Pail In
My Hand
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Membran 224084 |
Jazz Piano History |
● CD $75.98 |
| 20 CD set with 380 tracks for a bargain price. The set
features five four CD book type sets housed in a 5 1/2"x 10"x 3" box. The
set opens with 1899 piano rolls by Scott Joplin and ends with a live
performance from 2002 by The Randy Weston Group. Along the way we encouter
all the major names of jazz piano as well as many lesser known artists and
also some blues pianists - Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson, Fletcher
Henderson, "Fats" Waller, Hersal Thomas, Jabo Williams, Will Ezell, Pete
Johnson,
Meade Lux Lewis, Jimmy Blythe, Earl Hines, Frank Melrose, Arthur Schutt,
Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Sammy Price, Joe Bushkin,
Count Basie, Jay McShann, Bud Powell, Lennie T r istano,
Dave Brubeck, Horace Silver, Erroll Garner, Ramsey Lewis, Bill Evans, Cecil
Taylor, Cedar Walton, Monty Alexander and more. Each four CD set comes with
an 18 page booklet with b rief notes, photos and
full discographical info.
Complete track listing is available upon request.
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Phil's Junk Shop 005 |
Classic Banjo |
● CD $15.98 |
22 tracks, highly recommended
Delightful collection of
tracks from the early years of recording featuring the banjo - mostly
instrumental with the occasional banjo. It features four of the leading
exponents of the instrument - Vess Ossman, Fred Van Eps, Polk Miller and
Fred Bacon. Some tracks are solo while others feature orchestral
accompaniments. Ossman is featured on seven tracks including one of the
earliest recordings of Maple Leaf Rag and is also probably a featured
member of The Banjo Orchestra that has one track here. Polk Miller is
featured on a vocal number with vocal backup from the African-American group
The Southern Quartet. The popular and prolific Fred Van Eps is featured on
10 tracks, often featuring some truly dazzling fretwork. Van Eps developed a
banjo with a resonator to take the best advantage of the primitive recording
equipment. Fred Bacon was a noted teacher and performer on the banjo and is
featured on three superb performances. Sound quality is generally excellent
and there are brief background notes by Phil Stewart. (FS)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Primo 6047 |
Scat |
● CD $10.98 |
Two CDs, 40 tracks, highly recommended
A fine budget priced
compilation of scat tunes recorded between 1927 and 1956, full of upbeat
numbers where nonsense syllables are sung like a solo instrument. Apart from
the curious absence of Leo Watson, all the greatest masters of scat singing
are here - Ella Fitzgerald, Three Bips & A Bop, Cab Calloway, Slim Gaillard,
Dizzy Gillespie, Baba Gonzales, Betty Roche, King Pleasure and others.
Excellent sound and booklet with brief notes. (FS)
LOUIS ARMSTRONG: Ding Dong Daddy/ CAB CALLOWAY: Minnie The
Moocher/ The Scat Song/ Zah Zuh Zaz/ DUKE ELLINGTON: Creole Love Call/ ELLA
FITZGERALD: Airmail Special/ Flying Home/ Oh, Lady Be Good/ Robbin's Nest/
Rough Ridin'/ Smooth Sailing/ SLIM GAILLARD: Boot-Ta-La-Za/ Vout Oreenee/
Ra-Da-Da-Da/ DIZZY GILLESPIE: Hey Pete, Le's Eat Mo' Meat/ Jump Di-Le-Ba/
Oo-La-La/ Ool-Ya-Koo/ Cool Breeze/ BABS GONZALES: Cool Whalin’/ Ornithology/
Prelude To A Nightmare/ ANITA O'DAY: How High The Moon/ Malaguena/ That's
What You Think/ What Is This Thing Called Love?/ KING PLEASURE: I'm Gone/
BETTY ROCHE: Mellow Tone/ Route 66/ September In The Rain/ Take The "A"
Train/ ANNIE ROSS: Annie's Lament/ THREE BIPS & A BOP: Lop-Pow/
Oop-Pop-A-Da/ Weird Lullaby/ SARAH VAUGHAN: Lullaby Of Birdland/ CHARLIE
VENTURA: Boptura/ Deed I Do/ East Of Suez/ Euphoria
|
| FAT WALLER |
JSP JSPCD 949 |
Volume 5 Of The Complete Recorded Works,
1938-1940 |
● CD $28.98 |
The fifth and penultimate volume in this great series
features 101 sides recorded between July 1938 and January 1940. In addition
to sessions with his Rhythm there are also sessions recorded at the Abbey
Road Studios in 1938 and 1939 made during triumphant tours of the British
Isles. One of these sessions features him accompanied by a swinging band of
British jazz musicians while the others feature him on solo organ
performances including a couple of accompaniments to singer Adelaide Hall.
There are lots of great performances here including his recording Youe
Feet's Too Big - one of the many songs that is forever associated with
him.
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