Bulletin - November/
December
2009
Jazz, Dance Bands & Vocalists
Noel Coward
-> Ted Weems
NOEL COWARD |
JSP JSPCD 1905 |
The Revue & War Years, 1928-1952 |
● CD $19.98 |
Four CD set with 73 songs from this multi talented
artist - playwright, songwriter, actor, singer, film and theater
director and debonair cabaret artist. It includes the original versions
of some of his most famous songs like Mad Dogs And Englishmen/ London
Pride/ I'll See You Again/ Room With A View/ The Stately Homes Of
England/ I Like America and others. There are excerpts from plays,
witty topical songs from World War 2 (Could You Please Oblige Us With
A Bren Gun/ Don't let's Be Beastly To The Germans, etc.) and lots
more.
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JOHNNY DODDS |
Retrieval 79056 |
Definitive Dodds, 1926-1927 |
● CD $10.98 |
22 tracks, 67 mins, essential
The complete recordings made between May 1926 and October 1927 by groups
featuring one of the greatest and most influential jazz clarinetists of
all time. Dodds was responsible for bringing his native New Orleans
clarinet sound to Chicago, appearing as a co-leader under numerous
guises, as well as contributing to prized recordings by groups with
other leaders. The first 11 tracks here features Lil's Hot Shots, New
Orleans Wanderers and The New Orleans Bootblack - groups led by Lil
Armstrong to capitalize on the success of on the Louis Armstrong Hot
Five sides for Okeh. The three Hot Shots sides feature Louis while the
others are essentially a Satch-less Hot 5 with Kid Ory (tb), Johnny St.
Cyr (bj) with George Mitchell (cnt) & Joe Clark (as). The remaining 11
tracks feature two sessions from 1927 by two different incarnations of
Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers - one with Louis Armstrong, Roy
Palmer, Barney Bigard and Earl Hines while the other has George
Mitchell, Natty Dominique, John Thomas and Charlie Alexander. Wonderful
bluesy early jazz in superb sound, including all alternate takes and
including a booklet with an in depth discussion of these sides by Mark
Berresford. (FS)
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JAMES P. JOHNSON |
Collectables 6959 |
Parlor Piano Solos From Rare Piano Rolls |
● CD $12.98 |
13 tracks, 40 mins, recommended
Here's a solid collection of compositions from "Stride" piano pioneer
James P. Johnson, full of lively old-time Ragtime and Jazz. Johnson's
piano rolls themselves were highly influential, as artists like Lil
Armstrong and Duke Ellington credited them as learning tools as they
were coming up, playing the rolls and holding their fingers above the
pianos keyboard to see how they would move. A lot of care has gone into
the recordings here, so we can hear Caprice Rag/ Fascination/
Carolina Shout, and other vintage tunes as if they were being played
in our very own parlors. Now I just have to get a parlor. (JM)
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THE TENNESSEE TOOTERS |
Hep 1081 |
The Complete 1924-1926 Sessions |
● CD $15.98 |
Fine set of hot white jazz featuring a group assembled
in the studio by the Vocalion record company featuring primarily New
York based musicians. Over the course of the first 20 tracks the
personnel varies somewhat from session to session starting with Red
Nichols on trumpet, Vincent Grande on trombone, Benny Krueger on alto
sax, Harry Reser on banjo and others. Over the course of the first nine
sessions other musicians appear including Harry Gluck and Earl Oliver in
the trumpet seat and Miff Mole and Sammy Lewis doing the trombone
chores. The tenth session from May 1926 is a completely different group
recorded in Chicago and the final session issued under the name The
Tennessee Tooters features another different group recorded in New York
in September of '26. Tracks include Prince Of Wails/ How Come You Do
me Like You Do?/ Those Panama Mammas/ Kansas City Stomps/ Charleston/
Sweet Man/ Hot Aire/ Hobo's Prayer, etc. Remastering by Hans Eekhoff
is superb and there are extensive notes by Norman Field and full
discographical info.
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SOPHIE TUCKER |
Archeophone 5010 |
Origins Of The Red Hot Mama, 1910-1922 |
● CD $21.98 |
24 tracks, very highly recommended
Fabulous collection featuring the earliest recordings of one of the
great musical entertainers of the 20th century and, as this collection
makes clear, an important influence on popular and jazz singing. Sophie
was a rambunctious performer who became known for a selection of risqué
recordings and even more risqué live performances but even though she
had to tame down her performances for record there was a sensuous
lustiness to her performances right from the very beginning that was
absent from the performances of her contemporaries. Sophie was a great
self promoter though the stories she told of her life varied as the
situation demanded and so creating a biography was quite a challenge
though fortunately the compilers of this collection had access to the
500 scrapbooks that Sophie kept thoughout her performing life as well as
the unedited handwritten manuscript of her autobiography that was only
recently unearthed. Even so, elements of her early life are uncertain
but the authors make a valiant effort to trace Sophie's early history
which are told in the gorgeous 72 page booklet crammed with rare photos,
sheet music, advertisements and much more - many from Sophie's
scrapbooks. Her first recording, the syncopated, That Lovin' Rag
showed the direction that her music would take. and these early
recordings taken from Edison cylinders and rare 78s feature all the
elements that would appear in her later recordings - the half spoken
asides, the bawdy chuckles and the infectious enthusiasm that she brings
to the music. Included here is the first recordings from 1911 of the
song that would be forever associated with her - Some Of These Days.
Other songs include My Husband's In The City/ Reuben Rag/ Missouri
Joe/ I'm Glad My Daddy's In A Uniform (including an early example of
some double entendre)/ Don't Put A Tax On the Beautiful Girls/
Learning/ It's All Over Now/ Pick Me Up And Lay Me Down In Dear Old
Dixieland, etc. The sound quality on these almost 100 year old
recordings is astonishing. The authors of the booklet Susan & Lloyd
Ecker have gathered so much information about Sophie that they have
plans for a two hour video documentary, a theatrical musical film and a
dramatic television series! For more info check out www.sophietucker.com
where you can also get all kind of Sophie Tucker merchandise!
Congratulation to Archeophone for another wonderful and immensley
important release. (FS)
|
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
JSP JSPCD 962 |
Gennett Jazz |
● CD $28.98 |
Four CDs with 105 tracks of jazz and some blues recorded
for the Starr Piano Company's small but important Gennett label between
1922 and 1930.Artists include The Friars Society Orchestrea (actually
The New Orleans Rhythm Kings), Ladd's Black Aces, The Wolverine
Orchestra (with Bix Beiderbecke), The Windy City Jazzers, The Happy
Harmonists, King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band (with Louis Armstrong &
Johnny Dodds), Jelly Roll Morton (five piano solos), Fess Williams & His
Royal Flush Orchestra, Vicksburg Blowers, Hattie Snow (acc by Syd
Valentine & His Patent Leather Kids), Elvira Johnson (acc by The
Birmingham Downtown Strutters), Lizzie Washington, State Street
Ramblers, Irene Scruggs Zach White's Chocolate Beau Brummels and others.
Tracks are remastered from the Joe Bussard collection.
BAILEY'S LUCKY SEVEN: I Wonder Blues (I've Got the
Wonder Blues)/ Pick Me Up and Lay Me Down in Dear Old Dixieland/ Who
Loved You Best/ JOSEPHINE BEATTY: Early Every Morn/ Nobody Knows the Way
I Feel 'Dis Mornin'/ THE BUCKTOWN FIVE: Hot Mittens/ FRANK BUNCH & HIS
FUZZY WUZZIES: Fourth Avenue Stomp/ EZRA BUZZINGTON'S RUSTIC REVELLERS:
Bass Blues/ Brown Jug Blues/ THE CALIFORNIA VAGABONDS: Slue Foot/ FRIARS
SOCIETY ORCHESTRA: Bugle Call Blues/ Discontented Blues/ Eccentric/
Farewell Blues/ Panama/ Tiger Rag/ HATTIE GARLAND: Strange Woman's
Dream/ You Used to Be Sugar Blues/ THE HAPPY HARMONISTS: Steady Steppin'
Papa/ JELLY JAMES & HIS FEWSICIANS: Make Me Know It/ EDNA JOHNSON: I'm
Drifting from You Blues/ Woman Gets Tired of One Man All the Time/
ELVIRA JOHNSON: How Could I Be Blue?/ Numbers on the Brain/ ALBERTA
JONES: Red Beans and Rice/ Wild Geese Blues/ RICHARD M. JONES: Jazzin'
Babies Blues/ Twelfth Street Rag/ THE KENTUCKY BLOWERS: Charley My Boy/
LADD'S BLACK ACES: Nobody's Sweetheart/ Runnin' Wild/ Stop Your Kidding/
Unfortunate Blues/ You've Got to See Your Mama Every Night/ LANIN'S
FAMOUS PLAYERS: Swingin' Down the Lane/ VIOLA MCCOY: If You Want to Keep
Your Daddy Home/ Laughin' Cryin' Blues/ Midnight Blues (A Wee Hour
Chant)/ Triflin' Blues (Daddy Don't You Trifle on Me)/ FRANK MELROSE:
Jelly Roll Stomp/ Pass the Jug/ JOSIE MILES: 31st Street Blues/ Pipe
Dream Blues/ War Horse Mama/ You Don't Know My Mind Blues/ JELLY ROLL
MORTON: Grandpa's Spells (A Stomp)/ Kansas City Stomp/ King Porter (A
Stomp)/ New Orleans (Blues) Joys/ Pearls (A Stomp)/ Wolverine Blues
(Joys)/ HUSK O'HARE'S SUPER ORCHESTRA OF CHICAGO: Boo Hoo Hoo/ Tiger
Rag/ KING OLIVER'S CREOLE JAZZ BAND: Canal Street Blues/ Chimes Blues/
Dipper Mouth Blues (Sugar Foot Stomp)/ Froggie Moore/ I'm Going Away to
Wear You off My Mind/ Just Gone/ Mandy Lee Blues/ Snake Rag/ Weather
Bird Rag/ PORTER'S BLUE DEVILS: "E" Flat Blues (sic)/ Original
Charleston Strut/ THE RED ONION JAZZ BABIES: Santa Claus Blues/ Terrible
Blues/ BERTHA ROSS: Blues Rode Me All Night Long/ Lost Man Blues/ IRENE
SCRUGGS: My Back to the Wall/ You've Got What I Want/ HATTIE SNOW: Daddy
What You Going to Do/ Make That Gravel Fly/ THE STATE STREET RAMBLERS:
Endurance Stomp/ My Baby/ Oriental Man/ Pleasure Mad/ Some Do and Some
Don't/ Someday You'll Know/ Tack It Down/ Yearning and Blue/ GEORGE H.
TREMER: Some of These Days/ Spirit of '49 Rag/ THE TRIANGLE HARMONY
BOYS: Chicken Supper Strut/ THE VICKSBURG BLOWERS: Monte Carlo Joys/
Twin Blues/ LIZZIE WASHINGTON: East Coast Blues/ Fall or Summer Blues/
Sport Model Mamma Blues/ Working Man Blues/ WATSON'S PULLMAN PORTERS:
Barbecue Blues (F Sharp Blues)/ ZACH WHITE'S CHOCOLATE BEAU BRUMMELS:
Hum All Your Troubles Away/ It's Tight Like That/ Mandy/ SIDNEY
WILLIAMS: Mississippi Shivers/ FESS WILLIAMS & HIS ROYAL FLUSH
ORCHESTRA: It's Breaking My Heart to Keep Away from You/ Ya Gotta Know
How to Love/ THE WINDY CITY JAZZERS: Bringing Home the Bacon/ THE
WOLVERINE ORCHESTRA: Big Boy/ Copenhagen/ Jazz Me Blues/ Lazy Daddy/ Oh
Baby/ Riverboat Shuffle/ Sensation/ Susie
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Retrieval 79058 |
The Jazz Modernists, 1924-1933 |
● CD $10.98 |
A 24 track collection compiled to show a different
approach to the story of the development of jazz from the familiar one
and showing that the artists featured here, centering around cornetist
and piano player Bix Beiderbecke incorporated classical and other
elements in their music that are not often recognized. Digby
Fairweather's detailed notes explain this idea but whether or not you
follow his reasoning you will certainly enjoy these fine sides by The
Wolverine Orchestra (with Bix), The Original Memphis Five, Ross Gorman &
His Orch., Red Nichols & His Five Pennies, Tram, Bix & Eddie, The
Charleston Chasers (with Red Nichols and Miff Mole), Frankie Trumbauer &
His Orch., Don Voorhees & His Orch. and others. Sound quality is superb.
|
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Wagram 3138862 |
Gypsy Swing |
● CD $37.98 |
4 CDs, 60 tracks, 210 mins, highly recommended
This is a fantastic set and for someone like me who doesn't actually
have much of this kind of music, because it is kind of an instant
collection. With great song selections across a wide array of
performers, this provides an overview of "Gypsy Jazz" that I was really
impressed by. The huge names that you expect are here -- Django,
Grappelli, Latcho Drum -- but only in small amounts, leaving the bulk of
the collection to less famous artists, most all with only one track
each. So you get to enjoy acts like The Rosenberg Trio, Samson Schmidt
Quintet, Lemmy Constintine, Jacques Higelin, Trio Givone, Norig, and so
many more. Much of the music is from recent recordings and showcases an
art form that definitely seems to be flourishing. The musicianship is
consistently outstanding, with dynamic guitar work and haunting violin
playing, and featuring recordings that are dramatic, passionate and
exiting throughout. Little in the way of liner notes, but that certainly
doesn't diminish its appeal much. (JM)
|
TED WEEMS |
Retrieval 79034 |
The Essential Ted Weems, 1923-1930 |
● CD $19.98 |
Two CD set with 50 tracks featuring some of the best
recordings made between 1923 and 1930 by this hot dance band including
their big hits Somebody Stole My Gal/ Piccolo Pete and the Man
From The South With The Big Cigar. Other tracks include Big Boy/
If I Ever Cry/ I'm Going To Park Myself In Your Arms/ Miss Annabelle
Lee/ Cobble-Stones/ Who Wouldn't Be Blue?/ You're The Cream In My Coffee,
etc. Weems had a lengthy career and later in his career was responsible
for discovering Perry Como.
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