Sud Bustin' Blues

Here's another good one from smack dab in the middle of Prohibition. I find the span of the Fletcher Henderson series  fascinating because it shows both Henderson's growth and changes in popular music at the time. That, and it is just darned good music. "Originally appearing on the Pathe Actuelle, Brunswick, Ajax, Vocalion, Emerson, Columbia, and Banner phonograph labels, Fletcher Henderson's recordings from early 1924 make for peculiarly pleasant listening. It is possible to face up to these heavily arranged dance band records from the early '20s and actually enjoy the rickety arrangements. All you need to do is shed any preconceptions of what jazz is or ever was supposed to sound like. Anatol Schenker's liner notes point out that this music was intended to accompany theatrical performances. Even without that kind of historical perspective, this stuff sounds good with no context whatsoever, provided the listener surrenders to the weirdly wonderful world of thoroughly outmoded popular music. At the very least, these are funny old records. From the standpoint of early jazz, Coleman Hawkins and Don Redman are in here slogging away on their clarinets and saxophones, treading where few had ever set foot before them. Teddy Nixon periodically asserts himself with the slide trombone, and Kaiser Marshall proves to have been a spicy, resourceful percussionist. "Ghost of the Blues" appears to have been co-composed by Sidney Bechet, and sounds a lot like a product of that fine musician's mind. Redman's "Teapot Dome Blues" contains a rare example of Howard Scott soloing on the cornet. "Mobile Blues" allows room for a muffled solo by an unidentified kazoo player. Redman contributes a fine and sassy scat vocal on "My Papa Doesn't Two-Time No Time," which also exists elsewhere as a Rosa Henderson vocal backed only by Fletcher Henderson (no blood relation) at the piano. "Somebody Stole My Gal" bumps along marvelously and has a bass sax solo by Coleman Hawkins with Don Redman playing a weepy clarinet, even removing the mouthpiece from the instrument to achieve maximum cornball effects. "After the Storm" actually has segments of Rossini's William Tell Overture grafted into the chart, with someone blowing a siren whistle and Redman taking a solo on oboe. Nixon opens "Feeling the Way I Do" with growling trombone and Charlie Dixon demonstrates how a banjo could be used to propel nine other instruments by executing a series of well-timed blows across the strings. Together with piano and drums, the banjo was an agitator in these early ensembles. "Red Hot Mama" is an exciting illustration of how, during the first half of 1924, Henderson's band began to settle down and play something like real jazz." (Allmusic.com) Enjoy! +

Tracks

01. Chicago Blues
02. Why Put The Blame On You
03. Sud Bustin' Blues
04. War Horse Mama
05. Wish I Had You (And I'm Gonna Get You Blues)
06. Just Blues
07. I'm Crazy Over You
08. I Wish I Could Make You Cry
09. Say Say Sadie
10. Chicago Blues
11. Feelin' The Way I Do
12. Chattanooga (Down In Tennessee)
13. Ghost Of The Blues
14. Tea Pot Dome Blues
15. Mobile Blues
16. My Papa Doesn't Two-Time No Time
17. Somebody Stole My Gal
18. After The Storm
19. Driftwood
20. Feeling The Way I Do
21. Red Hot Mama

That Rhythm Man

Back on track again with something that should be in the collection of anyone who appreciates the era represented here. "Chick Webb represented the triumph of the human spirit in jazz and life. Hunchbacked, small in stature, almost a dwarf with a large face and broad shoulders, Webb fought off congenital tuberculosis of the spine in order to become one of the most competitive drummers and bandleaders of the big band era. Perched high upon a platform, he used custom-made pedals, goose-neck cymbal holders, a 28-inch bass drum and a wide variety of other percussion instruments to create thundering solos of a complexity and energy that paved the way for Buddy Rich (who studied Webb intensely) and Louie Bellson. Alas, Webb did not get a fair shake on records; Decca's primitive recording techniques could not adequately capture his spectacular technique and wide dynamic range. He could not read music, but that didn't stop him either, for he memorized each arrangement flawlessly. Although his band did not become as influential and revered in the long run as some of its contemporaries, it nevertheless was feared in its time for its battles of the bands in Harlem's Savoy Ballroom; a famous encounter with the high-flying Benny Goodman outfit at its peak (with Gene Krupa in the drummer's chair) left the latter band drained and defeated.

The perfect way to acquire drummer Chick Webb's recordings is to get his two Classics CDs which contain all of his performances as a leader, other than Ella Fitzgerald's features (which are in a separate Ella series) and a few numbers from Webb's final dates. On the first of the CDs, Webb leads a pickup band in 1929 (for "Dog Bottom" and "Jungle Mama"), an early orchestra in 1931 (highlighted by the first version ever of Benny Carter's "Blues in My Heart"), two numbers from 1933, and all of his classic swing sides of 1934. With arranger/altoist Edgar Sampson providing such compositions as "When Dreams Come True," "Don't Be That Way," "Blue Lou," and "Stompin' at the Savoy" (all of which would become better-known for their slightly later Benny Goodman recordings), trumpeter Taft Jordan taking some vocals purposely influenced by Louis Armstrong, Jordan, trombonist Sandy Williams, and tenor saxophonist Elmer Williams coming up with consistently hot solos, and the drummer/leader driving the orchestra, this was one of the top jazz big bands of the era." (Allmusic.com) Enjoy! +

Tracks

01. Dog Bottom
02. Jungle Mama
03. Heebie Jeebies
04. Blues In My Heart
05. Soft And Sweet
06. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
07. Darktown Strutters' Ball
08. When Dreams Come True
09. Let's Get Together
10. I Can't Dance I Got Ant In My Pants
11. Imagination
12. Why Should I Beg For Love
13. Stompin' At The Savoy
14. Blue Minor
15. True
16. Lonesome Moments
17. If It Ain't Love
18. That Rhythm Man
19. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
20. Lona
21. Blue Minor
22. It's All Over Because We're Through
23. Don't Be That Way
24. What A Shuffle
25. Blue You

Let Yourself Go

Closing out the month with a bang! For all the excellent work that Classics did in compiling this great music, there were sometimes complaints about missing and erroneous tracks. I can't speak to the former, but the Bunny Berigan 1935-36 disc was issued with the unforgivable sin of deleting Chick Bullock's vocals. They were why I had bought the cd in the first place! Thanks to a fellow collector, I'm able to share this. All is well now, as Classics made up for the inclusion of those tracks (which I believe had come from a 1960s Berigan LP - so beware should you be record browsing and contemplate purchasing it). The Berigan / Bullock combination on Let Yourself Go is alone worth picking up the entire 3-cd set, in my opinion. Both are in fine form. ... The set starts off with a couple of Chick Webb instrumentals, the last before Ella Fitzgerald joined the band. In addition to these, there are some really interesting and / or alternative tracks here from many of the artists familiar to listeners of this series. Band title of the set goes to Louis Armstrong and Buster Bailey for their Red Onion Jazz Babies. Enjoy! + + +

Tracks

Disc 1
01 - Who Ya Hunchin'
02 - In The Groove At The Grove
03 - Night Wind
04 - If The Moon Turns Green
05 - Devil In The Moon
06 - Louisiana Fairy Tale
07 - Boats
08 - Fish For Supper
09 - 'Ats In There
10 - Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide
11 - Rain, Rain, Go Away
12 - Summertime
13 - Pistol Packin' Mama
14 - Redman Blues
15 - Great Day In The Morning
16 - Midnite Mood
17 - Dark Glasses
18 - Mickey Finn
19 - Carrie Mae Blues
20 - Clementine
21 - I've Found A New Baby
22 - After Hour Creep
23 - Garbage Man Blues
24 - Chickasaw Stomp
25 - Memphis Rag

Disc 2
01 - I Got Rhythm
02 - St. Louis Blues
03 - Lazy Bones
04 - Dinah
05 - King Porter Stomp
06 - Moten Swing
07 - Minor Riff
08 - Satchel Mouth Baby
09 - Close Your Eyes
10 - This Is Everything I Prayed For
11 - Again
12 - Ain't I Losing You
13 - Of All The Wrongs You Done To Me
14 - Terrible Blues
15 - Santa Claus Blues
16 - Cake Walking Babies From Home
17 - Lucy Long
18 - I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle
19 - If You Can't Hold The Man You Love
20 - Blue Devil Blues
21 - Squabblin'
22 - Smoke-House Blues
23 - Beau-Koo Jack
24 - Exactly Like You
25 - Froglegs And Bourbon

Disc 3
01 - I Would Do Anything For You
02 - Tiger Rag
03 - Bugs Parade
04 - Wall Street Wail
05 - Poor Lil' Me
06 - Are You Hep To The Jive
07 - All The Time
08 - On The Sentimental Side
09 - Pete's Lonesome Blues
10 - Mr. Drums Meets Mr. Piano
11 - Mutiny In The Doghouse
12 - Mr. Clarinet Knocks Twice
13 - Ben Rides Out
14 - Page Mr. Trumpet
15 - J.C. From K.C.
16 - Pete's Housewarming Blues
17 - It's Been So Long
18 - I'd Rather Lead A Band
19 - Let Yourself Go
20 - A Melody From The Sky
21 - Rhythm Saved The World
22 - I Nearly Let Love Go Slipping Thru' My Fingers
23 - But Definitely
24 - If I Had My Way

Crazy-O-Logy

Often a sideman on many of the recordings here, Freeman also recorded several sides under his own name (albeit they were few and far between). "When Bud Freeman first matured, his was the only strong alternative approach on the tenor to the harder-toned style of Coleman Hawkins and he was an inspiration for Lester Young. Freeman, one of the top tenors of the 1930s, was also one of the few saxophonists (along with the slightly later Eddie Miller) to be accepted in the Dixieland world, and his oddly angular but consistently swinging solos were an asset to a countless number of hot sessions.

Freeman, excited (as were the other members of the Austin High School Gang in Chicago) by the music of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, took up the C-melody sax in 1923, switching to tenor two years later. It took him time to develop his playing, which was still pretty primitive in 1927 when he made his recording debut with the McKenzie-Condon Chicagoans. Freeman moved to New York later that year and worked with Red Nichols' Five Pennies, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Ben Pollack, Joe Venuti, Gene Kardos, and others. He starred on Eddie Condon's memorable 1933 recording "The Eel." After stints with Joe Haymes and Ray Noble, Freeman was a star with Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra and Clambake Seven (1936-1938) before having a short unhappy stint with Benny Goodman (1938). He led his short-lived but legendary Summe Cum Laude Orchestra (1939-1940) which was actually an octet, spent two years in the military, and then from 1945 on, alternated between being a bandleader and working with Eddie Condon's freewheeling Chicago jazz groups. Freeman traveled the world, made scores of fine recordings, and stuck to the same basic style that he had developed by the mid-'30s (untouched by a brief period spent studying with Lennie Tristano)." (Allmusic.com) Enjoy! +

Tracks

01 - Craze-O-Logy
02 - Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
03 - What Is There To Say 
04 - The Buzzard
05 - Tillie's Downtown Now
06 - Keep Smilin' At Trouble
07 - You Took Advantage Of Me
08 - Three's No Crowd
09 - I Got Rhythm
10 - Keep Smilin' At Trouble
11 - At Sundown
12 - My Honey's Lovin' Arms
13 - I Don't Believe It
14 - Trappin' The Commodore Till
15 - Memories Of You
16 - 'Life' Spears A Jitterbug
17 - What's The Use 
18 - Three Little Words
19 - Swingin' Without Mezz
20 - The Blue Room
21 - Exactly Like You
22 - Private Jives

White Lightnin' Blues

Here's an extra one for having goofed on the last one. "Bennie Moten is today best-remembered as the leader of a band that partly became the nucleus of the original Count Basie Orchestra, but Moten deserves better. He was a fine ragtime-oriented pianist who led the top territory band of the 1920s, an orchestra that really set the standard for Kansas City jazz. In fact it was so dominant that Moten was able to swallow up some of his competitors' groups including Walter Page's Blue Devils, most of whom eventually became members of Moten's big band.

Moten formed his group (originally a sextet) in 1922 and the following year they made their first recordings. Among Moten's 1923-1925 sides for Okeh was the original version of his greatest hit "South." During 1926-1932, Moten's Orchestra recorded for Victor and, although none of his original musicians became famous, the later additions included his brother Buster on occasional jazz accordion, Harlan Leonard, Jack Washington, Eddie Durham, Jimmy Rushing, Hot Lips Page, and (starting in 1929) Count Basie. So impressed was Moten by Basie's playing that Count assumed the piano chair for recordings from that point on (although in clubs Moten would generally play a feature or two). The most famous Bennie Moten recording session was also his last, ten songs cut on December 13, 1932 that found the ensemble strongly resembling Basie's five years later. In addition to Hot Lips Page, Durham, Washington, and Basie, the band at that point also starred Ben Webster, Eddie Barefield, and Walter Page and one of the high points was the debut of "Moten Swing." (Allmusic.com). Enjoy! +

Tracks

01 - Elephant's Wobble
02 - Crawdad Blues
03 - South
04 - Vine Street Blues
05 - Tulsa Blues
06 - Goofy Dust
07 - Baby Dear
08 - She's Sweeter Than Sugar
09 - South Street Blues
10 - Sister Honky Tonk
11 - As I Like It
12 - Things Seem So Blue To Me
13 - 18th Street Strut
14 - Kater Street Rag
15 - Thick Up Stomp
16 - Harmony Blues
17 - Kansas City Shuffle
18 - Yazoo Blues
19 - White Lightnin' Blues
20 - Muscle Shoals Blues
21 - Midnight Mama
22 - Missouri Wobble
23 - Sugar
24 - Dear Heart

Soothin' Syrup Stomp

(*Oops, wrong cover originally - it's correct now and the link has been changed. Thanks to Enoch, a higher encode is now available.)

Back a few years for some tunes from smack dab in the middle of Prohibition. These are some of Waller's solo recordings, which most people simply never get to hear. These show another side of Waller, in contrast to the well-known clown. "Not only was Fats Waller one of the greatest pianists jazz has ever known, he was also one of its most exuberantly funny entertainers -- and as so often happens, one facet tends to obscure the other. His extraordinarily light and flexible touch belied his ample physical girth; he could swing as hard as any pianist alive or dead in his classic James P. Johnson-derived stride manner, with a powerful left hand delivering the octaves and tenths in a tireless, rapid, seamless stream. Waller also pioneered the use of the pipe organ and Hammond organ in jazz -- he called the pipe organ the "God box" -- adapting his irresistible sense of swing to the pedals and a staccato right hand while making imaginative changes of the registration.

Waller started making records for Victor in 1926; his most significant early records for that label were a series of brilliant 1929 solo piano sides of his own compositions like "Handful of Keys" and "Smashing Thirds." After finally signing an exclusive Victor contract in 1934, he began the long-running, prolific series of records with His Rhythm, which won him great fame and produced several hits, including "Your Feet's Too Big," "The Joint Is Jumpin'" and "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter." He began to appear in films like Hooray for Love and King of Burlesque in 1935 while continuing regular appearances on radio that dated back to 1923. He toured Europe in 1938, made organ recordings in London for HMV, and appeared on one of the first television broadcasts. He returned to London the following spring to record his most extensive composition, "London Suite" for piano and percussion, and embark on an extensive continental tour (which, alas, was canceled by fears of impending war with Germany). Well aware of the popularity of big bands in the '30s, Waller tried to form his own, but they were short-lived." (Allmusic.com) Enjoy! +

Tracks

01 - St. Louis Blues
02 - Lenox Avenue Blues (The Church Organ Blues)
03 - Soothin' Syrup Stomp
04 - Sloppy Water Blues
05 - Loveless Love
06 - Messin' Around with the Blues
07 - The Rusty Pail
08 - Stompin' the Bug
09 - Hog Maw Stomp
10 - Blue Black Bottom
11 - Sugar (instrumental)
12 - Sugar
13 - Beale Street Blues
14 - Beale Street Blues (instrumental)
15 - I'm Goin' to See My Ma
16 - Fats Waller Stomp
17 - Savannah Blues
18 - Won't You Take Me Home
19 - Anything That Happens Just Pleases Me
20 - My Old Daddy's Got a Brand-New Way to Love
21 - Black Snake Blues
22 - I've Got the Joogle Blues